701 Bazaar

After leaving King Huai Manor, Zhang Xuan turned to Sun

Qiang and instructed, “Sun Qiang, find suitable living quarters
with a good atmosphere in proximity to the academy within
the next two days!”
As a student of the Master Teacher Academy, he was allowed
to stay at the Academic Sea. However, going by the rules,
Zheng Yang and the others weren’t qualified to live there. This
was also part of the reason Hong shi and the others allowed
them to leave with King Huai without much protest.
While it wasn’t a problem for them to stay in the Academic
Sea for a few days, complaints from the other students would
arise soon enough if their stay stretched on. Rather than having
to deal with the mess then, they might as well find suitable
lodgings now. This way, it would be more convenient for
Zhang Xuan to conduct lessons for them, and Zheng Yang and
the others need not be so restrained as well.
“Yes!” Sun Qiang nodded.
As the butler, he was in charge of the miscellaneous affairs of
the group. The others only needed to focus on their cultivation.
“Teacher, I think I am on the verge of a breakthrough!”
After relaying some instructions, Zhang Xuan was just about
to return to the Academic Sea when he heard Wang Ying’s
voice. Turning around, he saw a powerful aura flowing around
the latter’s body. Her zhenqi was trembling in her acupoints,
and it seemed that she would make a breakthrough at any
moment!
She was currently at Yin-Yang realm pinnacle, so with this
breakthrough, she would reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan
Clarifying Turbidity realm.
She had been working hard over the past month, and she had
long reached the peak of Yin-Yang realm, but the impetus for a
breakthrough just didn’t seem to come somehow. However,
the intense emotion from the parting with Yuan Tao had
resonated with her cultivation, thus allowing her to take this
final step forward.
“Great Violetwing Beast!”
Knowing that opportunities for achieving a breakthrough
didn’t come easily, Zhang Xuan immediately beckoned his
tamed beast telepathically. Then, with a sweep of his zhenqi,
the group soared into the air and landed on the back of the
Great Violetwing Beast.
Several dozen breaths later, they finally returned back to the
Academic Sea. After arranging for Zheng Yang and the others
to stay at his room for the time being, Zhang Xuan took Wang
Ying to a silent chamber and stood guard for her as she
attempted the breakthrough.
In Clarifying Turbidity realm, one’s soul and physical body
would be clearly divided into two. Even though Wang Ying
possessed a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art
so making the breakthrough shouldn’t be a problem at all, it
would still be difficult for her to maintain the consonance
between her body and soul while preventing their merging.
Nevertheless, she would only benefit the greatest from this
breakthrough if she were to achieve a breakthrough while
enduring this pressure. Thus, Zhang Xuan didn’t intend to
interfere at all.
Gugugugu!
Her acupoints furiously devoured spiritual energy from the
surroundings as zhenqi rushed through her body. With a
harrumph, a surge of zhenqi rushed up her Baihui acupoint and
gushed out.
Boom!
The division of clarity and turbidity—Transcendent Mortal 4-
dan Clarifying Turbidity realm reached!
At this moment, Wang Ying exuded an overwhelmingly
powerful aura reminiscent of a sword.
‘This is… a breakthrough in her Will of Mind?’
Zhang Xuan’s eyelids twitched furiously.
Just like master teachers, cultivators could also achieve
breakthroughs in their Will of Mind as well. The only
difference was that the former was more sided toward the
analytical aspect whereas the latter was more sided toward
practicality in combat.
Even though a breakthrough to Clarifying Turbidity realm
would boost one’s cultivation significantly, it still wasn’t
possible for one to exude such a sharp aura. Clearly, Wang
Ying had reached a higher realm in her Will of Mind!
Scarlet Heart realm!
‘This is truly a fortuitous encounter!’
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
In the Fighter realm, the cultivation of one’s physical body and
zhenqi took priority, but beyond Clarifying Turbidity realm,
the importance of Will of Mind would start to shine through.
After all, this was intricately tied to the purity of one’s soul. If
one could temper their Will of Mind, their cultivation would
be much smoother and faster in the future.
Humans are beings possessing sentience, and thus they are
vulnerable to the disturbances around them. This made it nigh
impossible for them to focus all of their attention to the task
they had at hand.
However, the Crimson Heart realm allowed one to toss aside
their miscellaneous thoughts to focus their efforts on
cultivating. In such a state, one’s cultivation would be several
times more effective than usual!
It could be said that upon reaching the realm, Wang Ying’s
cultivation would only grow faster and faster, and she would
eventually far surpass Zheng Yang and the others.
‘Even though this lass is reticent, it seems like she possesses
great determination…’
Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile.
Wang Ying’s talent was not on par with Zhao Ya, her
resilience was not on par with Lu Chong, her flexibility was
not on par with Zheng Yang, her cunningness was not on par
with Yuan Tao, and her worldliness was not on par with Liu
Yang… But even so, she still managed to stand her own
ground and shine among them. And now, she had even
comprehended the Crimson Heart realm!
It seemed like meticulousness and composure were the
strongest factors influencing the advancement of one’s
cultivation!
“Given her rate of cultivation, it won’t be long before she
requires a Consonant Spirit realm cultivation technique.
However, I don’t have one at the moment…”
Since Wang Ying was already past the crucial period, there
was no need for Zhang Xuan to stand guard anymore. While
he was heartened by Wang Ying’s breakthrough, another new
problem cropped up, and he pinched his glabella.
While Zhang Xuan had reached Consonant Spirit realm
pinnacle, he had only managed to do so due to the assistance
of the white-robed lady and the means of a soul oracle. He still
didn’t have a Consonant Spirit realm Heaven’s Path Divine
Art manual in the Library of Heaven’s Path yet.
He had to quickly search for it, or else Wang Ying might find
her cultivation stagnating very soon.
Thus, after leaving the secret chamber, he immediately headed
toward Hong shi’s room.
Upon finding the other party, Zhang Xuan asked, “Hong shi,
do you know where I can find Consonant Spirit realm and
Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals?”
“Cultivation technique manuals? I can find a few for you,
but… how many do you need?” Hong shi was slightly startled
by Zhang shi’s request.
“The more the better,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“Give me a moment, I’ll take a look…”
Saying so, Hong shi walked out of the room. Not too long
later, he returned with several dozen books.
“I was able to find forty Consonant Spirit realm cultivation
technique manuals, but I could only find three for Cosmos
Bridge realm!” Not knowing what the other party intended to
use the secret manuals for, Hong shi tried to gather as many
books as he could.
The fifty geniuses from Huanyu Empire were all Consonant
Spirit realm cultivators. Thus, it wasn’t too difficult to gather
some cultivation technique manuals from them. However,
gathering Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals
would be tricky.
Only Feng shi and Luo shi had some in their possession.
“Forty…” Zhang Xuan brushed his fingers through them and
shook his head.
Forty books might already be an impressive collection to
others, but to Zhang Xuan, it was far from sufficient from
meeting his goal.
Passing the books back to Hong shi, Zhang Xuan asked,
“Where can I find more cultivation technique manuals? The
quality doesn’t matter, I am only interested in the quantity.”
“Then… how many books do you need?”
Hong shi was stunned to hear that even forty books were less
than sufficient.
Even he would have to take several months before he could
finish reading and comprehending those books. Yet, Zhang shi
actually said that it wasn’t enough. How many did he need
then?
“At least a thousand!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“A thousand?”
Hong shi staggered and nearly fell to the ground.
Even though all kinds of cultivation techniques appeared in the
world after the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion
as though flowers blooming with the onset of summer, finding
a thousand different cultivation technique manuals was still an
extremely difficult feat!
After all, there wasn’t a single cultivation technique that came
to the world just because one willed it to. Each of these
cultivation techniques contained the crystallization of an
expert’s comprehension of the cultivation realm and their
relentless effort to refine it.
“That’s right. Do you know where I can find them?” asked
Zhang Xuan, oblivious to the shock going through the other
party’s mind.
“This…”
Seeing that the other party didn’t seem to be joking, Hong shi
rubbed his glabella and said, “The Master Teacher Academy
will surely have plenty of books there. I think you will be able
to easily find tens of thousands of the books you want there…”
The Master Teacher Academy was a place which gathered the
talented master teachers all over the world. Over many
millennia of heritage, many cultivation techniques and secret
arts had been left behind by generations of geniuses, thus
forming an impressive collection. However, as Zhang Xuan
had yet to become an official student of the academy, not to
mention that he didn’t have any academic credits either, he
would be unable to access the books there.
“Right!”
Suddenly, a thought came to Hong shi, and his eyes lit up.
“There will be a bazaar for the freshmen over the next few
days, and there will surely be some who are selling cultivation
technique manuals too. You can go over to take a look. Given
how many freshmen there are in the Academic Sea, it
shouldn’t be a problem for you to find a thousand books!”
“Bazaar?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“Un! The freshmen from the various empires have brought
along the local specialties from their own empires, as well as
their own unique cultivation techniques. By conducting this
bazaar, the freshmen will be able to get acquainted with
another, trade resources, and share their own views and
experiences on cultivation. This way, everyone will be able to
raise their fighting prowess to some extent, thus increasing the
overall chances of clearing the entrance examination!” Hong
shi said.
“Alright. Where is this bazaar conducted? I’ll go and take a
look!”
Upon hearing that there was such a gathering, Zhang Xuan’s
eyes lit up.
“It is conducted on the center ship in the middle of the
Academic Sea!”
Hong shi pointed.
At the center of the Academic Sea was a gigantic lake. Zhang
Xuan had thought that it was just for scenery purposes, but
who knew that the bazaar would actually be conducted there?
Zhang Xuan left the residence and walked toward the lake. It
didn’t take him too long to arrive at his destination. Even
though spring had already set in, the frigidity of winter had yet
to dispel entirely. The slight breeze sweeping across the
surface of the lake carried bone-chilling intent with it.
Gazing toward the center of the lake, Zhang Xuan saw a
gigantic vessel floating at a distance of several thousand
meters away. A bustling crowd was gathered on it.
“There are small boats over there to row participants of the
bazaar over…”
The vessel floated in the middle of the lake, and there was no
path leading to it. After scanning the surroundings, Hong shi
noticed a small rowing boat not too far away, and the duo
immediately walked over.
Hong shi walked up and asked, “How much does it cost to get
to the Great Bazaar?”
The elderly rower raised his droopy eyes and replied, “A
middle-tier spirit stone!”
“A middle-tier spirit stone? This is daylight robbery!” Zhang
Xuan widened his eyes in shock.
Even a low-tier spirit stone felt extravagant for a journey this
short, and yet, this old man wanted a middle-tier spirit stone.
Wasn’t he taking advantage of their situation!
“Daylight robbery? If you find it expensive, you can traverse
across the lake yourself! But let me warn you, there are plenty
of Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan spirit beasts in the
Academic Lake, so do try not to get eaten!”
Seemingly used to this scene, the old man shrugged off Zhang
Xuan’s words with a smirk.
Since there were land-bound and aerial spirit beasts, naturally
there were aquatic spirit beasts as well. In fact, they were even
more numerous than land-bound spirit beasts.
Considering the size of the lake, it shouldn’t come as a
surprise that there were plenty of powerful spirit beasts in it.
Having reached Consonant Spirit realm, even though one was
still unable of flight, stepping across a body of water wouldn’t
pose a problem. Just that… if there were spirit beasts in the
water, one would have to think twice before doing so. Who
knew if an aquatic spirit beast would be waiting with widened
jaws under the next step one took?
On the other hand, the boat seemed to be imbued with some
kind of formation that deterred the aquatic spirit beasts.
“This…” Hong shi hesitated. Just as he was still considering
whether to take the ride or not, a middle-tier spirit stone was
thrown into the hands of the old man, and with a blur, two
silhouettes landed on the boat.
“Set off!”
Taking a closer look at the two figures who had just appeared
on the boat, they were the young man and Senior Feng, whom
Zhang Xuan defeated with just a single finger before.
Upon receiving the middle-tier spirit stone, the elder grabbed
his oars and dipped them into the lake. Slowly, the boat began
to advance toward the vessel at the center of the lake. The
young man glanced at Zhang Xuan derisively and said, “Why
bother going to the bazaar when you can’t even fork out a
single middle-tier spirit stone…”
Even though Senior Feng didn’t say anything, contempt could
be seen in his eyes as well. Zhang shi had defeated him with a
single finger before a huge crowd. While the other party had
gone easy on him, it was still inevitable that he felt humiliated
by the matter. As such, he still felt some degree of hostility to
the other party.
Therefore, he couldn’t help but feel a little gleeful when he
saw that the ‘great’ Zhang shi was unable to fork out even a
single middle-tier spirit stone.
But at that moment, the two men standing by the shore
abruptly leaped into the sky.
Hu!
They landed on the back of a giant Great Violetwing Beast.
The massive spirit beast flapped its violet wings, creating a
powerful gale that created huge waves on the surface of the
water. Even the boat also began to rock violently before the
powerful gale. In the blink of an eye, the Great Violetwing
Beast was already halfway through the journey to the vessel in
the middle of the lake.
702 Exchange!
“A Half Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast?”
Senior Feng and the young man were stunned, and their
eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.
As Transcendent Mortal 5-dan cultivators, even if they were to
own an aerial spirit beast, it would only be at Cosmos Bridge
realm at most. Considering the limited height they could fly at
due to the ceiling above them, chances were that they could be
struck down by a sudden assault from the Transcendent Mortal
7-dan or 8-dan spirit beasts in the lake.
On the other hand, the Great Violetwing Beast was different.
Standing at Half 9-dan, any spirit beasts which dared to
challenge it would be slaughtered in an instant.
And as expected, just as this thought was lingering in their
mind, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan fish abruptly leaped from
the surface of the water with a gaping mouth filled with sharp
teeth, wanting to swallow Zhang Xuan and Hong shi whole.
But before it could even reach them, a swift strike from a talon
crushed it to death. The Great Violetwing Beast dug out its
inner core adeptly before throwing the carcass back into the
lake.
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Senior Feng’s voice uttered
with a hoarse voice, “How can he have such a powerful tamed
beast?”
Wasn’t he a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator just like them?
To actually have tamed a half 9-dan spirit beast to be his
tamed beast… How in the world did he manage to do it?
He thought that the other party was just a miser who wasn’t
even willing to spend a single middle-tier spirit stone on a boat
ride, and he had felt gleeful and a sense of superiority at
having successfully stole the other party’s ride. However, upon
seeing this sight, he suddenly realized… how laughable his
actions were!
With such a formidable spirit beast, one wouldn’t even spare a
second glance at this shabby boat…
Putting aside paying for the ride, they wouldn’t be willing
even if they were to be paid for the ride!
“Senior Feng… why did they suddenly stop in the middle of
the lake?”
Amidst his shock, the perplexed voice from the young man
beside him suddenly sounded. Lifting his gaze, he saw the
Great Violetwing Beast pausing in midair, not in a hurry to
head to the bazaar at all.
Didn’t he ride on his aerial spirit beast so that he could arrive
at the bazaar faster? Why would he be stopping in the middle
of the lake then?
While he was still bewildered by the issue, the Great
Violetwing Beast suddenly flapped its wings once more and
glided down to the surface of the water. Its talons reached deep
into the water and clamped down on something.
Hu la!
Another Transcendent Mortal 8-dan aquatic spirit beast
resembling a prawn was crushed to death by its talons, and its
inner core was swiftly retrieved from its body.
After this, the Great Violetwing Beast returned to the air. A
moment later, it swooped down to another part of the lake
once more…
“They are… hunting?”
The duo along with the rower glanced at one another in
astonishment.
To others, this lake was no different from a dangerous
landmine. They would never traverse through it without
sufficient preparation. Yet, that fellow actually regarded this
place as a treasure trove and began fishing for prey…
“How can the Great Violetwing Beast capture the spirit beasts
in the water?”
What came along with their astonishment was disbelief.
The Great Violetwing Beast was indeed formidable, there was
little to argue about that, but no matter how strong it was, its
field of expertise lay in the air. The aquatic spirit beasts should
have been able to avoid it easily in their own home ground
even if they were no match for it… so how could the Great
Violetwing Beast hunt them down so accurately?
It was as if it could predict where the aquatic spirit beasts
would swim to. Every strike it made was bound to end in a
kill…
But how was this possible?
“Indeed… More importantly, no matter how powerful the
Great Violetwing Beast is, it shouldn’t be that easy for it to kill
a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast either…”
Even if a half 9-dan was stronger than an 8-dan, the gap
wasn’t so huge as for the Great Violetwing Beast to kill them
in a single strike. This was particularly so for spirit beasts,
which possessed superior defense to human cultivators. But…
the Great Violetwing Beast seemed to be able to discern the
weaknesses of the spirit beasts in the water accurately and
strike them down precisely…
This was way too formidable…
While those on the boat were completely dumbstruck by the
sight before them, Zhang Xuan was currently staring at the
inner cores with his hand with a satisfied smile.
To trade at the bazaar, he would require some capital, but he
didn’t have a penny to his name at the moment. Since there
were so many spirit beasts that were rushing forward to fill his
pockets, it was only right for him to accept their offerings
gratuitously.
The inner core of a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast
could serve as a medicinal herb, the foundation of a formation,
or even be complemented with one’s cultivation technique to
enhance one’s cultivation. As such, it was an invaluable
cultivation resource that could easily fetch a hefty price.
As for how the Great Violetwing Beast managed to grasp the
aquatic spirit beast accurately, as long as the aquatic spirit
beasts attempted to launch an attack, it wasn’t too difficult to
discern their flaws and track down their locations through the
Library of Heaven’s Path.
Just like that, in less than an hour, they had managed to kill 19
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beasts and 25 Transcendent
Mortal 7-dan spirit beasts, and a bucket of inner cores was
gleaming in Zhang Xuan’s storage ring.
“There don’t seem to be too many Transcendent Mortal 8-dan
spirit beasts left in the lake. Let’s head to the bazaar.”
Eventually, the group circled the lake for a few rounds but
were unable to find any prey. Thus, they could only end the
hunt regretfully.
While there were many aquatic spirit beasts in the lake, those
that had reached Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan were
still in the minority.
Besides, considering the huge massacre that had just
happened, those remaining would surely be laying low so as to
avoid the Great Violetwing Beast now.
Knowing that there was little point continuing on with the
hunt, Zhang Xuan issued some instructions to the Great
Violetwing Beast, and the latter flapped its massive wings and
flew toward the vessel in the lake.
Not too long later, Zhang Xuan and Hong shi landed on the
vessel.
The vessel was extremely big, possessing a diameter of several
hundred meters. A huge, bustling crowd traversed to and fro
the innumerable stalls laid out throughout the vessel. There
were all kinds of resources available here, and customers
could be seen haggling with the vendors everywhere.
“Those two are the ones who were hunting in the lake using
the Great Violetwing Beast!”
“To regard the feared lake as his personal hunting ground… is
that fellow really a freshman?”
“If he isn’t a freshman, how could he possibly get in here?”
“Considering their flawless coordination, the Great Violetwing
Beast is definitely his tamed beast. But that is exactly what
that is confounding! Even though one’s elders could assist
with the taming process as well, it would still require both the
beast tamer and tamed beast to interact with one another from
young to achieve this level of intimacy… However, the Great
Violetwing Beast is already beyond two hundred whereas that
fellow has barely reached his twenties. This means that it is
highly likely that he tamed the Great Violetwing Beast
personally…”
“For a person who has yet to reach Transcendent Mortal 6-dan
to actually tame a half 9-dan spirit beast… When did beast
taming become so easy?”
…
News of the Great Violetwing Beast hunting in the lake had
spread like wildfire across the bazaar. Thus, upon seeing
Zhang Xuan and Hong shi, the crowd couldn’t help but assess
them in bewilderment.
Those who came to the bazaar were the most talented of
master teachers from the various regions, and they possessed
keen eyes. As such, they could tell that the Great Violetwing
Beast was Zhang Xuan’s tamed beast.
But… for a Consonant Spirit lad to tame a half 9-dan spirit
beast, this was contrary to common sense in itself! They were
unable to make sense of the situation despite wracking their
brains frenziedly.
There was simply too huge of a gap between them, and they
found it too difficult to accept it.
This was as if an ant had tamed a divine dragon. It was simply
inconceivable!
After a moment of chatter, an explanation suddenly emerged.
“Most probably, the Great Violetwing Beast might have gotten
injured, and he managed to win the other party’s goodwill by
saving it…”
“That’s possible!”
It wasn’t entirely impossible for a weaker beast tamer to tame
a stronger spirit beast, but luck played a vital role in such
situations.
“Humph! So he has just lucked out!”
Upon realizing this, their astonishment slowly vanished.
In the end, luck was nothing more than an external and
uncontrollable factor. The winds of fortune couldn’t possibly
blow one’s way all the time. In the end, one would still have to
rely on one’s own capability in the academy.
“Zhang shi, what should we do…”
Not expecting to stir up such a huge commotion, Hong shi
couldn’t help but feel a little nervous with so many eyes
centered on them.
“Don’t worry!”
With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out an
inner core. Sweeping his gaze through the crowd, he shouted,
“I am trading this Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast inner
core for a suitable Consonant Spirit realm cultivation
technique. As long as it is suitable, I’ll exchange it for the
book!”
“A book for an inner core? Zhang shi…”
Hong shi’s body swayed weakly from side to side, and he
nearly fainted.
Wasn’t this way too cheap?
They had only obtained a few dozen inner cores from the
hunting earlier on, and if they were to exchange a single inner
core for one book… putting aside how they would make a
huge loss, they would only be able to gather a few of books
like that!
“Are you serious?”
“As long as it is a Consonant Spirit realm cultivation
technique manual, you are willing to exchange the inner core
for it?”
Hearing those words, the eyes of the crowd immediately lit up
even though they were still a little skeptical about the
situation.
Ever since the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion,
many cultivation techniques had surfaced in the world.
Throughout the years, there had been many noble experts and
master teachers who had contributed their own cultivation
techniques to the public for the advancement of humanity.
While these manuals weren’t accessible to everyone, it wasn’t
too difficult for them, as master teachers, to access these books
In fact, many of the master teachers had studied these
cultivation techniques and extracted their strengths to create
their own unique skills.
Thus, even though these cultivation techniques might be
valuable to the populace, they didn’t mean much to master
teachers. It was definitely in their favor if they could trade a
single cultivation technique manual for a Transcendent Mortal
7-dan inner core.
“I vow on my honor as a master teacher that I mean my words.
As for Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique manuals, I
am willing to trade for them with a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan
spirit beast inner core!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“However, the prerequisite is that it has to be suitable for me.
If it is not suitable, I won’t make the trade. However, you need
not worry. I can tell whether the manual suitable for me just by
touching it, and I definitely will not open the book if it is not
suited for me. Thus, you need not worry about exposing your
cultivation techniques for free. In fact, even if it is suitable, I
will return the manual right after flipping through it. I won’t
need the original copy, and I won’t make any copies either!”
“If it is unsuitable, you will not open the book to look at it?”
“Even if it is suitable, you won’t take the manual? You will
give away a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan or 8-dan inner core
just to flip through it?”
“This is truly a wonderful deal!”
…
Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, everyone’s eyes
immediately gleamed in agitation.
Initially, there were many who were hesitant because they
were fearful of exposing their cultivation techniques to the
world. However, the promises that Zhang Xuan made had
alleviated their fears.
“I have a total of 22 Consonant Spirit realm cultivation
techniques over here. You can take a look to see if there’s
anything suited in there!”
At that moment, a master teacher suddenly walked up, flicked
his wrist, and passed a pile of books over to Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan brushed his finger over the books before
eventually shaking his head. “My apologies, but none of your
books are suited for me…”
“None of them are suited?”
Hearing those words, the master teacher couldn’t help but feel
a little disappointed. Shaking his head, he retreated back into
the crowd.
After that person retreated, the crowd became even more
agitated.
The other party wasn’t lying! He had only touched the books,
he didn’t attempt to flip them open at all.
Surely there was no one so formidable as to determine the
content of a book just by touching its exterior, right?
Since their cultivation techniques wouldn’t be exposed to the
public… what else was there for them to worry about?
“Allow me…”
The allure of the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan and 8-dan inner
cores was simply irresistible. The crowd hurriedly whipped
out their secret manuals and rushed forward.
Soon, a mountain of cultivation technique manuals was
stacked before Zhang Xuan.
However, after brushing his finger across them… it turned out
that only two of the entire stack were suitable…
Of course, Zhang Xuan had picked these two books out
randomly to pass. Otherwise, if he were to refuse all trades, it
wouldn’t take too long for the crowd to lose their interest, and
he wouldn’t be able to continue his business.
Two hours later, Zhang Xuan stopped his business and
declared, “My apologies, but I’ll be stopping here today. Why
don’t you all return to search for whatever cultivation
technique manuals you have? From tomorrow onward, I’ll
trade any Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique for two
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores!”
He had gathered quite a few Consonant Spirit realm
cultivation technique manuals in the Library of Heaven’s Path,
but the number of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique
manuals was still terribly limited. Thus, he could only up his
stakes to see if he could attract more people.
703 The Complete Red Dust
Heaven Ascending Steps
“Trading a cultivation technique manual for two Transcendent
Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores?”
“If we really make that trade, we will be rich!”
“Indeed! Furthermore, he is only taking a look. I’ll copy some
of my sect’s Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique
manuals tonight and bring them over tomorrow!”
“I’ll go as well!”
…
After hearing Zhang Xuan’s promise, everyone’s eyes
immediately lit up with zeal. Some of the more excited ones
even approached the two fortunate winners to study the type of
cultivation techniques that Zhang shi had chosen.
“Let’s go!”
Ignoring the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan glanced at Hong shi,
and the both of them leaped up onto the back of the Great
Violetwing Beast once more and flew back to their residence.
Seeing how Zhang Xuan departed on a mighty beast whereas
they could only humbly return on a boat, they couldn’t help
but feel a little envious inside.
There was indeed a huge difference between people!
On the other hand, Senior Feng and the young man were on
the verge of tears.
They had come to the bazaar in hopes of selling some of their
possession. However, everyone’s attention ended up being
attracted by Zhang shi, resulting in no one sparing even a
glance at the items they had laid out.
They felt so frustrated that they could spurt blood.
But there was nothing they could do. After Zhang Xuan and
Hong shi left, they gloomily returned back to their residence as
well and shut themselves in, not daring to head out anymore.
The heck! They had suffered so many traumas in just the past
few hours… If this were to continue, they might just end up
banging their heads on a pillar to end it once and for all…
…
Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan compiled the
Consonant Spirit realm’s Heaven’s Path Divine Art and
cultivated it. With this, his zhenqi became even purer and
more stable. After which, he organized the cultivation
techniques so as to prepare a suitable simplified version to
impart to his students.
Just as Zhang Xuan was done, Wang Ying also finally woke up
from her breakthrough. With a clear demarcation between the
clarity and the turbidity in her body now, she was overflowing
with strength.
Seeing that Wang Ying was taking the lead yet again, Zheng
Yang and Liu Yang immediately dove back into their
cultivation, anxious to catch up with her.
Their teacher had a total of six direct disciples. Of the six,
Zhao Ya had gone to the Glacier Plain Court whereas Lu
Chong was currently seeking out the Ancient Domain of Soul
Oracles. Now, even Yuan Tao was heading to the powerful
Yuan Clan to inherit its heritage. If they didn’t work hard now,
they would end up lagging far behind the others!
Understanding the emotions they felt, Zhang Xuan patiently
pointed out their flaws and how they could further improve.
By the time he was done, it was already late at night.
After a good night’s rest, Zhang Xuan headed back to the
bazaar the next day. There was already a huge crowd by the
time he arrived, and they had collected an ample amount of
Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation techniques to trade with him.
Just like yesterday, Zhang Xuan randomly picked out a book
and gave away two Transcendent Mortal 8-dan inner cores
while rejecting the rest. Of course, he didn’t forget to collect
all of those books in his Library of Heaven’s Path either.
In less than two days, he had already collected around seven
hundred books. Even though it was still insufficient to form a
complete Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he wasn’t too far from it.
After busying himself for the entire day, he left behind another
promise to exchange the cultivation technique manual for
three Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner cores before
departing, thus hyping up the crowd once more.
But even though the reward Zhang Xuan had offered was
alluring, the amount of Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation
technique manuals offered to him was decreasing swiftly.
As most of the freshmen were still at the Consonant Spirit
realm, they didn’t have too many Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivation technique manuals on them. Not to mention, most
of those at the bazaar had come from Tier-2 Empires, where
Cosmos Bridge realm experts and cultivation technique
manuals were relatively rare.
Thus, in the third day, Zhang Xuan only managed to gather
two hundred books.
Nevertheless, with around nine hundred books at the moment,
he wasn’t too far away from his goal of one thousand.
In truth, one thousand was a just rough estimation. If the
cultivation technique manuals he gathered were sufficiently
advanced to cover all of the flaws present, he could still
compile the Heaven’s Path Divine Art regardless of whether
he had a thousand books or not. Just as Zhang Xuan was about
to give it a try, he suddenly heard an expectant voice.
“I don’t have any cultivation technique manual, but I do have a
battle technique manual… Can you take a look to see if it’ll do
or not?”
Raising his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw a young man looking at
him expectantly. “I am truly in need of a Transcendent Mortal
8-dan spirit beast inner core, so I would be grateful to you if
you can make this exception…”
“Battle technique?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback. “What kind
of battle technique is it? Allow me take a look!”
“Alright!”
The young man flicked his wrist, and an ancient bamboo scroll
appeared in his hands.
“This is a movement technique, but it is… incomplete…” the
young man said embarrassedly.
He had received this ancient bamboo scroll coincidentally
while he was undergoing a training session in the past.
Initially, he’d thought that he had stumbled upon an invaluable
treasure, but he swiftly realized that a huge chunk of the
movement technique recorded in the scroll had been torn away
or was illegible due to substantial damage, thus making it
impossible to cultivate the technique.
Since he urgently required a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit
beast inner core to concoct a medicine at the moment, he
decided to take it out in hopes that he might be able to interest
the other party in the trade.
“A movement technique?”
Hearing that it was an incomplete battle technique, Zhang
Xuan pondered for a moment before reaching his fingers out
toward it.
Weng!
An equivalent ancient bamboo scroll immediately appeared in
the Library of Heaven’s Path.
After looking through the contents swiftly, Zhang Xuan
couldn’t help but shake his head.
This battle technique recorded was extremely high tiered,
making it an invaluable battle technique. However, just as the
other party had said, the battle technique was terribly
incomplete. Not even the Library of Heaven’s Path was able to
fill up the holes to restore it, thus making it impossible to
learn.
In other words… it was a useless scroll!
‘You want to trade a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast
inner core with this? Surely you must be dreaming!’
Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just about to turn down the
other party’s offer when a thought came to mind.
‘It seems that this Cloud Treading Movement Technique bears
quite some resemblance to the Red Dust Heaven Ascending
Steps. I wonder if I can compile the both of them together…’
The Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps was a secret manual
that he had obtained coincidentally from an elder in the
Appraiser Hall back then. After compiling it with numerous
movement technique manuals, he had gained the ability of
flight despite not having reached Saint realm yet. However,
there was a huge flaw in the technique—it consumed way too
much zhenqi. If not for Zhang Xuan’s incredibly pure
Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he might not have been able to even last
for a short moment in the sky.
All along, Zhang Xuan had been trying to find a suitable battle
technique to complement the final three flaws of the Red Dust
Heaven Ascending Steps, but the manuals he had access to
were simply far too low tiered. Maybe… this incomplete
manual just might be the key to it!
The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more convinced he
became. Thus, he summoned the Red Dust Heaven Ascending
Steps manual over as well.
‘Compile!’
With a silent mutter, light burst into the surroundings, and a
new book appeared—the enhanced version of Red Dust
Heaven Ascending Steps.
“There are no more flaws?”
After checking the content, Zhang Xuan’s eyes glowed in
agitation.
After compiling the incomplete Cloud Treading Movement
Technique along with the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps,
the three remaining flaws of the latter technique had finally
vanished!
With the enhanced Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, he
would be able to remain afloat for several hours without
worrying about falling down!
In other words, his flight ability was already comparable to a
Saint’s. At the very least, he would be able to avoid the
awkward situation of abruptly plummeting from the sky like
many times before.
‘This is wonderful!’
Zhang Xuan clenched his fists in elation.
This was a huge trump card. It would allow him to easily
escape from anyone who hadn’t reached Saint realm.
‘It seems that even the incomplete manuals that others don’t
need can become useful to me as well. I can use them to
complement the flaws of my compiled techniques. I should try
to collect such items in the future too,’ Zhang Xuan thought
excitedly.
These ancient manuals were incomplete, making it unfeasible
to cultivate them. However, through the Library of Heaven’s
Path, Zhang Xuan could extract the correct verses from these
manuals to complement the missing gaps in his techniques,
thus perfecting them.
“As fellow master teachers, it is only right for us to help one
another. Your book might be useless to me, but since you
urgently require a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast inner
core, I will give one to you!”
In a good mood, Zhang Xuan placed the ancient bamboo scroll
in his storage ring and passed a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan
spirit beast inner core over in exchange.
Just the fact that this ancient bamboo scroll could make up the
flaws of the Parallel Heaven Scroll of the Red Dust Heaven
Ascending Steps meant that it was well worth an inner core!
“Thank you…”
In truth, the young man didn’t harbor great expectation in this
matter, and he was just trying his luck. After all, he knew that
the ancient bamboo scroll was incomplete and useless. Thus,
upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, his face immediately
flushed agitatedly.
“Incomplete manuals work as well? I have two of them
here…”
“I have an incomplete cultivation technique manual here…”
…
Seeing that Zhang shi was accepting even incomplete scrolls at
a hefty price, a wave of enthusiasm washed through the crowd
once more.
With many years of heritage, every single power possessed
numerous incomplete cultivation technique and battle
technique manuals. As these items were of no use to normal
cultivators, they were often left untouched. To think that this
fellow would actually trade inner cores for them… wasn’t he a
little too dumb?
In an instant, a mountain of incomplete manuals was stacked
up before Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan swiftly brushed his fingers through them, and a
moment later, he shook his head.
While incomplete scrolls could indeed complement the
missing gaps in the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it had to have
some substance to it first. If the manual only contained
superficial content, then it would be useless no matter how
many of such manuals he collected.
A moment later, after gathering a few more cultivation
technique manuals, Zhang Xuan realized that he wasn’t much
progress, so he decided to call it a day.
Heading toward a private chamber prepared in the residence,
he instructed for others not to interrupt him before going into
seclusion.
‘I wonder if I can form the Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s
Path Divine Art…’ Zhang Xuan thought as he sat down in the
chamber.
He had gathered nearly a thousand Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivation technique manuals already, and he had obtained
quite a few incomplete manuals on top of that. Perhaps, he
might be able to form a complete Transcendent Mortal 6-dan
Heaven’s Path Divine Art.
Thus, diving into the Library of Heaven’s Path, he muttered
“Compile!”, and a moment later, a book was floating in front
of him.
“The Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art… is
flawless!”
Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan burst out
laughing from joy.
He’d thought that he would have to spend some time earning
academic credits in the academy before he could compile a
complete version of the Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path
Divine Art, but the bazaar allowed him to accomplish this in
advance.
With this, he would be able to successfully cultivate to
Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator and boost his fighting
prowess significantly!
‘I should cultivate the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps
first!’
Putting the Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art
aside for the moment, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the
flawless Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps.
Having cultivated this technique once, it wasn’t too difficult
for him to master the complete version.
As Zhang Xuan circulated his zhenqi through his meridians,
he felt his body grow significantly lighter and freer.
Boom!
After a period of time, as if a shackle tying down his body
previously had been blasted open, Zhang Xuan felt his body
becoming as light as a feather.
Hu!
The cross-legged Zhang Xuan slowly floated in the air, and he
began drifting all around the room.
“As expected of the flawless Red Dust Heaven Ascending
Steps. The zhenqi consumption is indeed much lower than
before…”
Sensing the zhenqi consumption from the utilization of the
technique, Zhang Xuan’s eyes gleamed in excitement.
In the past, zhenqi would gush out of Zhang Xuan’s body as if
a burst dam as soon as he utilized this technique. Despite
possessing the incredibly pure Heaven’s Path zhenqi, the
zhenqi consumption from the execution of this technique was
still extremely frightening to him. But at this moment, Zhang
Xuan’s zhenqi was flowing slowly as though a small stream by
a village. At the current rate of consumption, he could easily
maintain his flight for several hours.
Not only so, the speed of his flight had increased considerably
as well. Even though he was still far from a match for the
Great Violetwing Beast, he had the confidence to catch up to
Transcendent Mortal 6-dan aerial spirit beasts.
And more importantly, the flight speed would continue to
increase along with the rise in his cultivation!
Just as Zhang Xuan was slowly returning to the ground to rest,
an idea abruptly surfaced in his mind.
‘I wonder if I can fuse the Heaven’s Path Movement Art
together with the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps…’
Since both the Heaven’s Path Movement Art and Red Dust
Heaven Ascending Steps were both movement techniques,
could they be fused together?
And if they could, what would be the result of it?
Curious, Zhang Xuan decided to give it a try!
Immersing his concentration in the Library of Heaven’s Path,
Zhang Xuan placed the two books side by side.
“Compile!”
A new book appeared before Zhang Xuan’s eyes.
“This…”
Taking a look at the contents, Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in
astonishment.
704 The Start of the
Entrance Examination
However, the content of the book was completely nonsensical.
Each line didn’t follow from the previous line, making it
impossible to comprehend at all. Just the sight of it left Zhang
Xuan’s eyes spinning.
“It seems like… I am underestimating the difficulty of this
matter…”
Swiftly flipping through the book, Zhang Xuan shook his head
helplessly and tossed it to the ground.
These two books were perfect on their own, and while it was
possible to combine the books together, it only ended up
introducing many flaws into the technique, making it
impossible to cultivate at all.
To make an analogy, it was like mashing abalone, durian,
loquat, watermelon, milk, chicken, salmon, and many other
ingredients together… They were delicacies on their own, but
when mixed together, the only logical decision one could
make was to toss the entire pot away.
‘It seems that while the Library of Heaven’s Path can compile
battle techniques to form a perfected manual, it is incapable of
fusing perfected manuals together…’
Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. A moment
later, a thought suddenly appeared in his mind, and
determination surfaced in his gaze. ‘But while the Library of
Heaven’s Path isn’t able to fuse the two manuals together, it
should be possible for me to attempt it manually.’
The Library of Heaven’s Path could sieve out the correct
portion of a manual and combine them with many others to
form a perfect manual, similar to how a cook sieves a bucket
of flour to whip up the best noodles. Putting two perfected
manuals together would be no different from mixing two
different types of flour together. Given the differing nature of
the flours, if one didn’t have anything to bridge the
differences, it was inevitable that the quality of the noodles
would drop.
It was the same in the case of Heaven’s Path Movement Art
and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps. One was a flight
movement technique whereas the other one was a land
movement technique. With a fundamental difference between
them, the result of the compilation of the two was bound to be
plagued with problems.
But… while the Library of Heaven’s Path was incapable of
bridging the difference, it didn’t mean that Zhang Xuan was
unable to do so!
Despite the differences, they were still movement techniques.
If Zhang Xuan were to succeed in compiling the two together,
he would be able to enhance his flight speed significantly.
With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in
excitement.
‘I should give try executing the Heaven’s Path Movement Art
in midair…’
A surge of hot blood gushed to Zhang Xuan’s head, and
without any hesitation, he took in a deep breath and leaped to
the sky. While floating in the sky, he attempted to execute the
Heaven’s Path Movement Art to advance forward.
Putong!
But before he could execute the Heaven’s Path Movement Art,
the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step which was holding him
up in midair suddenly stopped operating, and his body
suddenly plummeted down. With a dull thud, he crashed back
onto to earth, creating a huge depression in the ground upon
impact.
‘This isn’t right…’
With a face cloaked with dust, Zhang Xuan’s complexion
darkened.
He’d thought that this should be a simple feat, but reality
couldn’t be any further from his expectations.
Given the might of his soul, multitasking wasn’t a problem for
him anymore. However, both techniques required one’s zhenqi
to pass through the same meridians, and attempting to execute
both simultaneously would result in a clash of zhenqi, thus
canceling one another out.
And the result? A tragic fall from the sky.
It seemed like fusing battle techniques together was not as
easy as he’d thought.
But thinking about it, if it was that easy to fuse battle
techniques together, there wouldn’t be a need for such
thorough classifications within every class of battle technique.
‘Or maybe I should try executing the Red Dust Heaven
Ascending Steps in the midst of Heaven’s Path Movement Art
instead…’
Zhang Xuan didn’t give up right after that failure. Instead, he
contemplated for a moment before trying it once more.
Previously, he had executed the Heaven’s Path Movement Art
in the midst of his Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps.
Perhaps, if he were to swap the order… he might be able to
succeed.
While Zhang Xuan was busy trying to put both his battle
techniques together, outside the room, Sun Qiang walked up to
Zheng Yang, who was in the midst of practicing his spear art,
and asked, “Where is the young master?”
“Teacher is currently in the midst of cultivating in seclusion,
and he doesn’t want anyone to interrupt him!” Retracting
spear, Zheng Yang exhaled deeply, and a breath of white air
drifted from his mouth.
In this period of time, while he had been trying to advance his
cultivation, he hadn’t slacked off on his battle technique
training either. Under Zhang shi’s guidance, his
comprehension of spearmanship had deepened significantly,
and the might of his spear art had also become much more
formidable.
In terms of cultivation, he might not be a match for Wang
Ying. However, in a true fight, he would surely be able to
stand his ground against the latter.
“Seclusion?”
Sun Qiang scratched his head. “Alright. If Young Master
comes out of seclusion, tell him that I have already found
appropriate living quarters, and we can move in anytime!”
“You have already found new living quarters?” Retracting his
spear, Zheng Yang’s eyes lit up.
The Academic Sea was filled with master teachers, and even
though Hong shi and the others hadn’t said anything, they
didn’t feel comfortable living here.
“Yes, but it’s not easy to find available residences in the
vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy. I have found one
with a small courtyard and a few rooms for the time being…
I’m afraid that it’ll be hard to find anything bigger than that.
Even if we manage to find one, it is likely to cost an
astronomical sum!” Sun Qiang said.
Countless young experts had gathered here to enroll in the
Master Teacher Academy, and a significant proportion of them
came from a wealthy background. Naturally, they would also
attempt to find a lodging in the vicinity of the academy as
well.
As a result, most of the residences in the area had been bought
by them. As such, it was impossible to buy any even if they
had the money. And even if that one happened to be free by
chance, the prices would be driven to an astronomical sum by
the great demand, thus making it impossible for them to
acquire it.
After all… they were indeed rather poor at the moment.
“It’s sufficient that we find a living quarter for the time
being…”
Zheng Yang nodded.
“However, this isn’t feasible in the long-term. We might be
fine with living in such humble quarters, but what if the old
master were to come and visit? How can we allow a noble 8-
star master teacher live in such a small residence?”
Sun Qiang shook his head. “I think it will be better if I discuss
with the young master to decide on what we should do about
this matter…”
Sighing, Sun Qiang was just about to speak when a loud
crashing sound echoed from the room ahead of them. It
seemed like something had fallen heavily to the ground.
“Didn’t you say that the young master is currently cultivating
in seclusion? What is that sound then?”
Taken aback, Sun Qiang was just about to push the door open
to find out what was going on when another dull thud
sounded. The wall before them shook, and a head popped out
from the wall.
“Teacher!”
“Young Master…”
Upon recognizing the face on said head, the duo was taken
aback. However, before they could comprehend what was
going on, ‘sou!’, the figure disappeared from their sight. Their
respected young master and teacher suddenly flew backward
abruptly and crashed into the opposite wall, creating a huge
hole.
Peng peng peng peng!
Zhang Xuan went crashing all around like a rubber ball. Under
the massive impact of his rapid movements, the fortified room
suddenly collapsed inward.
Upon seeing this sight, Sun Qiang and Zheng Yang glanced at
one another, and their lips twitched violently.
‘Didn’t you say that you were cultivating?
‘Then what are you doing crashing into those walls?
‘What kind of cultivation requires you to knock yourself into a
wall? Look at your face, it is already immensely swollen…’
Hu!
Just as they were staring at the sight before them with their
mouths agape, Zhang Xuan suddenly shot out from the room
and crashed into a huge tree in the courtyard head first, leaving
his legs twitching uncontrollably outside.
“Teacher…”
Finally recovering from the shock, Zheng Yang hurried over to
pull Zhang Xuan out from the tree, only to see the latter’s face
livid with frustration. “Teacher…”
“Young Master, we are just poor! There’s no need to lose hope
in life over a money issue…”
Sun Qiang also ran up to talk some sense into Zhang Xuan out
of goodwill.
“Cough cough!”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened further. He
hurriedly waved his hands and said, “I’ll be going out for a
moment! Sun Qiang, go and look for Hong shi to pay for the
damaged properties…”
Ignoring the bewildered duo, Zhang Xuan leaped into the sky,
and the Great Violetwing Beast immediately flew over.
Soaring through the night sky, they headed to the city walls.
Given the size of his room in the Academic Sea, if he were to
continue training there, the entire place could possibly be
destroyed before he could successfully put the two techniques
together. Thus, he decided to venture out to find a larger area
where he could train.
Not too long later, they arrived at a hill some distance away
from Hongyuan City.
A bright moon hung in the sky, and a night breeze blew
lightly. Birds and insects warbled harmoniously in the
surroundings, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
‘This is it!’
Crossing his legs, Zhang Xuan first recovered the zhenqi he
had expended before turning his attention back to compiling
his movement techniques.
Peng peng peng peng!
Very quickly, a loud thud, reminiscent of someone’s head
crashing into trees or boulders, accompanied with pained
moans, echoed throughout the entire hill.
The incident would eventually grow to become a horror legend
among the populace, as well as a tool for parents to warn
children against venturing in the wilderness at night.
…
The next day…
“Is Zhang shi back yet?”
Hong shi paced around the room nervously.
When he’d heard the room collapse the previous night, he’d
immediately rushed over. However, he’d only appeared in time
to see Zhang shi disappearing in the horizon. He’d thought that
the latter was only going out to cultivate for a moment, and he
would be back very soon. Who could have known that he
would be gone until now?
Today was the day of the Master Teacher Academy’s entrance
examination. If he were to miss it, he wouldn’t be able to get
into the academy!
“The young master left yesterday, and he isn’t back yet…”
Sun Qiang shook his head in confusion as well.
The young master had always been normal, so why did he
suddenly go knocking his head on concrete yesterday as if
suffering from a stroke?
Not only that, to actually stay out late after that… it couldn’t
be that he had given up on living!
Unable to stand it any longer, he turned to Zheng Yang and the
others and asked, “Did any of you agitate Young Master last
night?”
“We didn’t…”
Zheng Yang and the others shook their heads, baffled by the
situation before them as well. “Teacher only told us that he
was going to cultivate in seclusion. We know nothing else
other than that!”
They’d also been astonished when they’d heard that their
teacher had gone around bashing his head into walls and trees
last night, and this had left them deeply worried as well.
“What is going on…”
If he hadn’t been provoked by anyone, why would the young
master suddenly display such abnormal behavior? Sun Qiang
fell into deep thought.
Just as he was wondering where he should go looking for the
young master, the person-in-question suddenly returned
cloaked in dust.
Judging from his appearance, it seemed like he had been
rolling on the ground all night long instead of cultivating. If
they didn’t know better, they would probably have thrown him
a few gold coins if they met him on the streets.
“Young master, you…”
Sun Qiang hurriedly rushed up in a ditz.
“I am fine!” Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning to the elder
standing behind him, he said, “Hong shi, let’s go…”
“You are going to participate in the examination… in such a
state?”
Seeing Zhang Xuan’s state, Hong shi’s lips twitched in shock.
‘Other examinees would wash themselves thoroughly and don
fresh clothes so as to leave a good impression with the
invigilating teachers and elders.
‘Yet, with an appearance that seems to suggest that you went
out begging for alms last night, and your crimson eyes, a result
of extreme fatigue… Are you sure you are ready for the
examination?’
“It matters not!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchalantly.
He had spent the entire night experimenting, and his zhenqi
had been fully depleted five times. He had also crashed so
much that he’d ended up a state of near death last night, and
the result… was still a failure.
Putting two battle techniques together simply involved too
many intricate details that made it impossible to refine swiftly.
Nevertheless, even though Zhang Xuan had yet to succeed, his
control over the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps had grown
significantly, allowing him to move at faster speeds. At the
same time, his comprehension of battle techniques had also
deepened from his trial and error, and this would serve him
well in true battles.
However, it was a pity that his obstinacy in figuring out how
to put the two battle techniques together last night had
deprived him of the opportunity to cultivate the newly
compiled Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art. As
a result, he was still at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle.
“Alright then, let’s go…”
Hearing Zhang Xuan say that he was fine, and understanding
how important the examination was, Hong shi immediately
brought Zhang Xuan onto the aerial spirit beast prepared by
the academy, and the duo quickly flew for Hongyuan
Mountain Range’s Leiyuan Peak.
Leiyuan Peak was only around two hundred kilometers away
from the Academic Sea, so it didn’t take them too long to
arrive at their destination.
Nearly all of the freshmen had already arrived. From afar, the
moving crowd resembled the waves of an ocean. It was truly
an incredible sight.
“There is a higher number of freshmen taking the entrance
examination this year, with the number at around thirty
thousand. However, the academy is only accepting twenty
thousand this year, so a third of the examinees will be
eliminated!” Hong shi said with a suppressed voice.
“Eliminating a third of the freshmen?”
Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched.
Considering that each of those present were the top elites of
their respective regions, eliminating a third of them was truly
fearsome. As expected of the Master Teacher Academy of a
Tier 1 Empire!
705 Betting!
The first time Zhang Xuan had seen so many master teachers
was back when he was in Myriad Kingdom City. But even so,
the number was only around a thousand or so. Yet, just the
entrance examination of the Master Teacher Academy itself
already involved thirty thousand 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star
master teachers…
Just the thought of it was scary in itself.
But nevertheless, considering the circumstances surrounding
Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, this was understandable.
This was the only Master Teacher Academy in this region. It
accepted students that were not only from Hongyuan Empire
but from other Tier 1 Empires as well.
Taking into account the dozen or so Tier 1 Empires and the
countless sects and Master Teacher Pavilions they had in their
region, it was natural that there were this many talented master
teachers.
It was no wonder Tianxuan Kingdom was known as ‘ancient
ruins’. To not even have a single master teacher, it was indeed
a backward location.
Feng shi, Luo shi, and the others walked up to Zhang Xuan
and said, “We don’t have any alliances with anyone in the
entrance examination, so our team will be depending on you,
Zhang shi…”
Even though they’d had several conflicts with Zhang Xuan in
the past, considering they were from the same geographical
region and the powerful competitors they would be facing in
the entrance examination, they had decisively chosen to put
aside their differences and unite together as one. This was the
greatest hope they had in passing the entrance examination.
“Don’t worry!”
Looking at the Huanyu Empire freshmen around him, Zhang
Xuan nodded in assurance.
There was a total of fifty master teachers from Huanyu Empire
that would be taking the entrance examination. Putting aside
the top three from each Vassal State, the others were mainly 4-
star pinnacle master teachers possessing a cultivation of
Clarifying Turbidity realm.
With such cultivation, they were indeed considered mediocre
within the group. Thus, for them to triumph over the
competitors and pass the examination as a whole was, honestly
speaking, very difficult!
This was precisely the reason they chose to ally with Tier 2
Jinhai Empire. Considering they were from a Tier 2 Empire as
well, they’d thought that the strength of both teams would be
roughly equal, so they should at least have been able to vie for
an equal distribution at the very worst. Who knew that they
would be completely defeated by the other party, and nearly
turned into meat shields?
It was fortunate that Zhang shi arrived at that crucial period
and saved them from that tragic fate.
But while they did manage to prevent the worst from
happening, the crux of the problem still existed—their lack of
strength. It was already too late to do anything else, so they
could only put all of their hope in Zhang shi, and pray that he
would be able to lead the group successfully through the
entrance examination.
“You have our gratitude!”
Feng shi, Luo shi, and the others clasped their fists gratefully.
Thinking back on what they’d done to the other party, they felt
extremely ashamed of themselves. Putting themselves into
Zhang shi’s shoes, if someone had treated him the way they
did back at Huanyu Capital, they would surely have exacted
vengeance during the entrance examination and made things
difficult for the examinees from the other Vassal States.
However, Zhang shi harbored no such vindictive thoughts at
all.
In terms of magnanimity, they were truly nowhere near the
other party.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony!” Seeing the
expressions on their faces, Zhang Xuan chuckled light-
heartedly, indicating that the past was the past. At that
moment, a voice suddenly sounded from not too far away.
“Is this the man who defeated you?”
Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a dark-skinned young man
walking over with the defeated Senior Feng from Jinhai
Empire following behind him.
The one who spoke was the dark-skinned young man in front.
He had a tall stature, and his arms and legs were unusually
long. His gaze was sharp and cold, as if a dagger was hidden
in the depths of his eyes.
“Cosmos Bridge realm?”
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.
The other party didn’t conceal his aura at all. The might of a
Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator lingered around him as if the
searing heat of a sun, exerting an immense pressure on the
group.
At the Cosmos Bridge realm, a connection would be forged
between one’s consciousness and the world, granting one
enhanced intimacy with nature. Even though a Consonant
Spirit realm cultivator wasn’t weak, it could hardly compare
up to a Cosmos Bridge realm expert.
But while the young man had reached the Cosmos Bridge
realm, the emblem pinned on his chest only had 4 stars.
Reaching the Cosmos Bridge realm was just one of several
prerequisites to becoming a 5-star master teacher. One had to
have five 5-star supporting occupations as well as a Soul
Depth of 15.0.
Often there were a couple of Grade 1 students who already
possessed a cultivation realm beyond their current master
teacher ranking, but due to their various other aspects being
unable to catch up, they weren’t qualified to be promoted to
the next rank.
Clearly, the young man before him was such a case.
Nevertheless, he would still be a fearsome adversary.
To acquire such strength before thirty when he had yet to enter
the Master Teacher Academy, he could be said to be ranked
amongst the top even within the thirty thousand freshmen this
year.
“Yes!” Senior Feng nodded.
“This…”
Hearing the other party’s confirmation, the young man
frowned.
He had been acquainted with Senior Feng for some time
already, and knowing the latter’s strength, he thought that a
person who could defeat the latter should be at least a
formidable Cosmos Bridge realm expert, but… this? What the
heck?
Dirty as if he hadn’t bathed for many days, exhausted to the
point that his eyes were bloodshot, countless swelling marks
on his face…
The other party had clearly suffered a tragic beating not too
long ago…
More importantly, even though the other party was at
Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle, he didn’t feel exceptionally
powerful either… With the other party’s disposition and
appearance, he wouldn’t have spared the other party a second
glance anywhere else.
Was this really the man who smacked the confidence out of his
good friend, leaving him in a slump?
Fearing that the other party wouldn’t believe his words, Senior
Feng hurriedly explained, “Brother Yu, don’t underestimate
Zhang shi. He… possesses extraordinary capabilities. He was
able to defeat me with just a single finger!”
However, the more he spoke, the more uncertain he became.
Looking at Zhang Xuan’s current state, he couldn’t help but
wonder if this was really the man who wounded him.
Why did it seem as if he had lost to a poor beggar?
“A single finger?”
Brother Yu shook his head. Turning to Zhang Xuan, he asked,
“You are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi? Since you defeated Feng
Wu, may I challenge you to a match?”
“A match?” Zhang Xuan was just about to turn the other party
away by claiming that he was busy when an idea suddenly
struck him. With glowing eyes, he measured the other party
from head to toe and asked, “What are you going to bet on the
match?”
It just so happened that he was a little short on cash at the
moment. Even renting a residence was difficult for him with
his current finances. If he could earn some pocket change from
a duel to tide him over this period, that would be for the best.
Sun Qiang hadn’t had the time to clear away the artifacts he
had obtained from the Mystical Treasure Hall before coming
here, and there weren’t any familiar faces in Hongyuan City
that they could approach to fetch good prices for their items.
As such, their funds were running extremely low at the
moment.
“Bet?” Brother Yu was surprised by Zhang Xuan’s words.
“That’s right. What is the point of having a match if there is
nothing on the line?” Zhang Xuan shrugged.
He wasn’t interested in wasting his effort for nothing. If there
were no material gains to be earned from having a match, why
should he waste his time?
Brother Yu’s face darkened, and his eyebrows shot up in
displeasure.
“You… Do you know what I want to compete against you in?”
No matter what, they were all master teachers, respectable
members of the society. To place a bet on a respectable contest
between fellow peers was really a little too cheap!
‘You are just a mere Consonant Spirit realm cultivator. It is
one thing that you aren’t afraid of me, but you don’t even
know what we are contesting in, and yet there you are talking
about bets… Are you just that certain that you will be able to
win?
‘How far can your arrogance go!
‘Presumptious!’
His initial impression of this fellow already wasn’t good, but
at this moment, it had dropped to rock bottom.
Ignoring the other party’s disdain, Zhang Xuan waved his
hands nonchalantly.
“As long as you can offer something that interests me, I’m fine
with anything you propose!”
“Since you’re that confident, I’ll fulfill your wish then!”
Harrumphing coldly, Brother Yu flicked his wrist, and a bunch
of spirit stones appeared before him, “I have 1000 middle-tier
spirit stones here. As long as you can defeat me, feel free to
take them away!”
“1000 middle-tier spirit stones?” Zhang Xuan glanced at the
pile of gleaming spirit stones.
“That’s right! You have never seen so many spirit stones in
your life, right? But you need not worry, I don’t expect you to
repay me should you lose… All of you have to do is to
apologize to me before all of the freshmen here for your
disrespect,” Brother Yu said with an air of superiority with his
hands behind his back, emulating the disposition of a
transcendental expert.
Considering how Huanyu Empire was below average
compared to the other Tier 2 Empires, as well as the other
party’s shabby looks and attitude, it was clear that the other
party was a poor bloke. To people like this, a thousand middle-
tier spirit stones was probably a huge fortune, the like of
which they had never seen in their lives before.
“Wait a moment…”
Seeing how the other party droned on and on, Zhang Xuan
raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t you think a thousand
middle-tier spirit stones is too troublesome? Why don’t we just
go with one?”
“One? You call one middle-tier spirit stone a bet? Even the
salary that I pay my subordinates is much more than that…”
Hearing the other party’s suggestion, Brother Yu sneered
coldly. But at that moment, he suddenly felt Senior Feng
nudging him and pointing to Zhang shi’s hand. Perplexed, he
turned his gaze over, and his eyeballs nearly popped out from
his eyes.
There was a spirit stone in the other party’s hand that was
emanating a blinding radiance.
“H-h-high-tier spirit stone?”
Brother Yu’s lips trembled, and his body shook weakly.
“Indeed, one high-tier spirit stone,” Zhang Xuan replied
calmly.
“…” Brother Yu’s vision darkened, and he nearly keeled over.
Even for someone as rich as him, he only possessed middle-
tier spirit stones. High-tier spirit stones were objects that only
Saints were qualified to trade.
‘To actually use a high-tier spirit stone as a bet…
‘Are you sure that you are a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator
from Huanyu Empire?’
Given how shabby the other party looked, he thought that the
other party would surely be a poor bloke. Who knew that he
would suddenly whip out a high-tier spirit stone… What was
with this huge contrast?
“Why? You don’t have any high-tier spirit stone? If you don’t
even have the capital to make a bet, why are you bothering
me? Go and play by the side, I don’t have the time to be
playing with you…”
Seeing the other party’s frenzied expression, Zhang Xuan
tutted in disdain.
‘Why are you pretending to be wealthy when you don’t even
have a single high-tier spirit stone?’
Seeing the contempt on Zhang Xuan’s face, Brother Yu and
Senior Feng’s faces darkened.
What the heck was this? They were here to humiliate the other
party; how did they end up being the ones humiliated instead?
This was especially so with the other party’s expression. It was
as if he was snubbing them for being poor…
“Fine, let’s bet on a high-tier spirit stone then!” Brother Yu
flung his sleeves furiously and harrumphed.
“Sure, where is your high-tier spirit stone then? Show me.
Otherwise, what am I supposed to do when you don’t have the
money to pay up? There are simply too many scammers
nowadays!” Zhang Xuan said.
“You…”
Brother Yu clenched his fists tightly in anger. Thus, he turned
to Senior Feng and said, “Take out your ‘Aerial Strike
Amulet’!”
“Brother Yu, that item…”
Hearing the other party’s request, Senior Feng’s eyebrows
immediately twitched. He quickly tried to turn the other party
down.
“Don’t worry, do you think he can defeat me?” Brother Yu
placed his hands behind his back confidently.
“… Alright then!”
Recalling Brother Yu’s identity, as well as the content of the
examination, Senior Feng hesitated for a moment before
eventually nodding in agreement. He flicked his wrist, and a
jade token immediately appeared in his hands.
Brother Yu took the jade token and showed it to Zhang Xuan.
“This Aerial Strike Amulet is an artifact forged by a Saint. It
allows one to withstand a single attack from a Saint without
sustaining any damage. Its value is definitely equivalent to a
single high-tier spirit stone!”
“Aerial Strike Amulet?”
Zhang Xuan’s finger reached out to touch the amulet before
nodding in satisfaction. “This object is indeed worth a single
high-tier spirit stone. Fine, I’ll accept your bet!”
Seeing the other party agree to the bet, the edges of Brother
Yu’s lips crept up.
“Good. The winner of the bet shall be determined by… the
results of the entrance examination!”
706 Elder Mo
“Results of the entrance examination?”
Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment.
Weren’t the only two results of the entrance examination pass
and fail? What did the other party mean by comparing their
results?
Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to ask the other party to
elaborate, a powerful voice reverberated throughout the entire
field.
“Quiet down!”
Everyone immediately stopped their chatter and raised their
heads to look over. Following which, they saw an elder
floating in midair.
“Saint…”
Zhang Xuan’s body stiffened.
He could clearly feel the fundamental difference between his
flight ability and the other’s. The other party’s flight ability
was based on the world’s recognition instead of a forceful
levitation through the skillful utilization of zhenqi.
It was just like the difference between a flying bird and a
balloon. The latter levitated due to the fundamental laws of
physics whereas the former was dependent on the flapping of
its wings. The moment it grows tired and stops its movements,
it would immediately plummet to the ground.
Just like the flying bird, the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps
required its user to continuously pump zhenqi into the
technique in order to maintain flight. The elder before him
clearly didn’t belong to the same class, so the only explanation
left was that he had reached Saint realm.
With a warm gaze from above, the elder said, “I am Mo Zhu,
an elder of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. I will be the
chief invigilator for this entrance examination!”
“He is Elder Mo?” a freshman in front of Zhang Xuan
exclaimed agitatedly, upon hearing the elder’s introduction.
“Is Elder Mo very famous?” another freshman asked in
confusion.
“Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy is famed for its Ten
Great Master Teachers. The Ten Great Master Teachers are all
6-star pinnacle master teachers, as well as the ten most
authoritative elders in the academy. They oversee everything
that happens in the academy… and Elder Mo is one of them.
Do you think that he is famous or not?” the first freshman said
with a hushed voice.
“Ten Great Master Teachers?” The second freshman widened
his eyes in shock.
Those who had heard of the Master Teacher Academy would
surely have heard of the Ten Great Master Teachers as well.
This title was determined via a selection process among the
master teachers in Hongyuan Empire and the surrounding Tier
1 Empires once every fifty years. As the title was conferred
directly by the superior Conferred Empire Master Teacher
Pavilion, the title was official and possessed true authority.
As such, the Ten Great Master Teachers possessed exceptional
standing, and even the emperor of Hongyuan Empire would
have to pay respect to them in the capacity of a student. They
were also entitled to the most valuable of resources of the
Master Teacher Pavilion.
There was no student who didn’t take pride in becoming the
student of any of the Ten Great Master Teachers…
He’d thought that such a formidable master teacher would
surely be far away from him, but who knew that he would
meet one before he had even officially enrolled into the
academy?
The first freshman exclaimed agitatedly, “Indeed. Of the Ten
Great Master Teachers, Elder Mo specializes in beast taming.
But still, to think that he would invigilate the entrance
examination personally…”
The Ten Great Master Teachers were legendary figures that
most master teachers grew up admiring. Seeing the real person
in the flesh, they could hardly curb the agitation they were
feeling.
Even Brother Yu’s eyes were glowing with excitement upon
seeing Elder Mo.
“I believe everyone should already know the topic of the
examination. I have placed many spirit beasts in Leiyuan Peak
ahead of us!”
Interjecting into everyone’s moment of excitement, Elder Mo
continued with a warm smile, “All of those spirit beasts are
aggressive beasts who have a track record of harming the
innocent on numerous counts. I have confined them to the
peak, and you are free to hunt them down as you like. As long
as you slaughter a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit
beast and procure its inner core, I will consider you to have
passed the examination!”
“Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast?”
“Aggressive beasts who have a track record of harming the
innocent?”
“This examination sounds extremely hard…”
Elder Mo’s description was brief, but as master teachers, they
were able to understand the crux of the matter in an instant.
Within an instant, their excitement was replaced with unease.
Due to the superior physique that spirit beasts were born with,
their fighting prowess was extraordinary. A Transcendent
Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast could fight a Consonant
Spirit realm master teacher on equal grounds, and even if
things turned out to be disadvantageous, it was likely that it
would be able to escape safely.
Given that most of the freshmen involved in the examination
were at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, it would be
difficult for them to clear the examination!
Not to mention, considering the aggressive nature of the spirit
beasts, they were bound to be difficult opponents to deal with.
There was a vast difference between a spirit beast with vast
fighting experience and a spirit beast with no fighting
experience whatsoever.
‘It is no wonder why most parties have chosen to form an
alliance…’ Zhang Xuan thought in realization.
He had been thinking that it was bizarre how the various
parties chose to ally themselves with others for a mere hunt.
After all, coordinating with another party was an extremely
troublesome task. However, from the looks of it now, if they
didn’t do so, there was a good chance they could end up being
surrounded and killed by the spirit beasts.
To think that even an entrance examination would be so
dangerous… At this instant, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled
what Luo Qiqi had previously said about the Master Teacher
Academy. It was indeed a competitive place where only those
who could adapt would survive.
“The time limit is a single day. In other words, before sunset,
you must return with the inner core in your hand. Only by
fulfilling this criterion will you be considered to have cleared
the examination! Otherwise… this will spell the end of your
fate with the academy.”
Elder Mo continued, “Also, I would like to warn everyone that
the cultivation of the spirit beasts on the peak isn’t just limited
to Transcendent Mortal 4-dan. There are 5-dan, 6-dan, and
even 7-dan spirit beasts there. Thus, you should be careful not
to be slaughtered by the spirit beasts while hunting them
down!”
The examinees had been informed of this in advance, so they
weren’t too surprised by Elder Mo’s words.
Fighting prowess wasn’t all there was to a master teacher.
Master teachers were expected to be all-rounders who were
capable in all fields, and this test sought to assess this.
After a moment of silence, a freshman suddenly asked, “Elder
Mo, if we manage to slay a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan or 6-
dan spirit beast, how will the results be tallied?”
“Good question!” Elder Mo stroked his beard. “We will be
using a points system to gauge your result in the examination,
and those who score higher will get to come under the tutelage
of better teachers in the academy. In fact, if you perform
outstandingly, there is a chance that you might win the favor
of the elders!”
“Win the favor of the elders?”
Everyone’s breathing hastened.
To be an elder in the Master Teacher Academy, one had to be a
6-star master teacher at minimum. Under the guidance of such
a teacher, one’s capability would surely soar.
At the same time, one would also be entitled to the best
resources and highest standing.
“As for how points will be allocated, that’s simple as well. It’s
a cumulative scoring system,” Elder Mo said.
“Cumulative scoring system?” Everyone was slightly
confused.
“That’s right. You will be scored based on the tier of the spirit
beasts you kill. A Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit
beast will award you with 1 point. A Consonant Spirit realm
primary stage spirit beast will award you with 10 points,
intermediate stage 20 points, advanced stage 30 points, and
pinnacle 40 points! As for Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts,
a primary stage spirit beast will award you 100 points,
intermediate stage 200 points… so on and so forth!”
Elder Mo paused then said, “The more points one scores, the
better one’s results will be. Alternatively, one can also choose
to share one’s points with another to help them clear the
examination.
“For example, if ten people work together to kill a Consonant
Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast, these ten points can be
equally distributed among them to allow the ten people to
clear the examination together!”
“We can also clear the examination by killing a Consonant
Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast in groups of ten?”
“That’s great…”
Upon hearing the news, the eyes of the weaker freshmen
immediately lit up, and they clenched their fists in agitation.
With their current strength, killing a Transcendent Mortal 4-
dan pinnacle spirit beast was extremely difficult for them.
However, if they could coordinate with other master teachers
and share the points earned, that would be a different story.
“It is for the purpose of driving away the Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe that master teachers were born. To fulfill the
responsibility we bear, not only must we be strong, we must
also stand united and trust one another, working together to
overcome all odds. This is crucial for the prosperity of
mankind!” Elder Mo explained, knowing everyone’s thoughts.
Hearing those words, the crowd couldn’t help but nod in
agreement.
‘Master Teacher’ didn’t refer to an individual but an entirety.
Only through teamwork and mutual trust would master
teachers be able to bring out greater might.
“Alright, I shall move on to the rules of the examination now.”
With a stern expression that seemed to be warning the
freshmen against trying their luck, he said, “In this
examination, you are not to attack other examinees and steal
their inner cores. In other words, you cannot lay your hands on
other master teachers for the purpose of obtaining even more
points. Once caught, you will be stripped of your enrollment
qualification, and you will never be accepted into the academy
for life!”
As Elder Mo spoke of his punishment, his voice suddenly
grew so heavy that it felt as if the sky itself was pressing down
on them, and the air felt so viscous that even breathing was a
difficulty.
A Saint raged; the world shattered.
Just the slightest expression of his displeasure was sufficient to
deprive all Transcendent Mortal realm cultivators of their will
to defy him.
“We aren’t able to attack other examinees and steal their inner
cores?”
“Wasn’t that allowed in the past?”
“It seems they removed that section from the examination due
to the potential acrimony it could induce among peers!”
“Sigh, I was still thinking of stealing other people’s inner cores
to obtain a better result, but from the looks of it now… that is
out of question!”
…
Spirit beasts were intelligent creatures. With so many people
marching up the mountain to eliminate them, they would
surely have hidden themselves well. As such, how could they
be found easily?
Thus, quite a few of the stronger examinees had intended to
prey on the weaker examinees to steal the fruits of their labor.
Upon hearing that such behavior was not allowed,
disappointment immediately surfaced on their faces.
However, an even larger proportion of the examinees heaved a
sigh of relief.
Defeating a spirit beast was no easy feat; there was a good
chance they might be severely injured in the midst of doing so.
If the product of their hard work was stolen by others, they
would surely burst into tears.
“Elder Mo, I would like to ask if master teachers can use their
tamed beasts to hunt down the spirit beasts?”
This time, it was Senior Feng who asked the question.
Upon hearing Senior Feng’s words, everyone’s eyes
immediately fell upon Zhang Xuan.
After numerous days of trading cultivation techniques for
spirit beast inner cores in the bazaar, he had become known by
a large portion of the freshmen. Most of them were aware that
he had tamed a half 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast.
If that fellow were to use the Great Violetwing Beast to hunt,
who would be a match for him?
Overwhelming strength paired with the capability of flight,
there would be no one who could compete with him!
“A tamed beast can be considered as part of the strength of a
master teacher as well. However, examinees will only be
allowed to use their tamed beast once throughout the
competition. Other than the first inner core hunted by a tamed
beast, any subsequent inner cores procured through such a
method will not contribute to the examinee’s score.”
Being able to tame a spirit beast could be considered as a
person’s own strength as well. Nevertheless, if one were to
rely completely on their tamed beast, that would be contrary to
the purpose of the examination.
“Only once? That’s good!”
Hearing those words, Senior Feng heaved a sigh of relief.
If Zhang Xuan could only use his tamed beast once, it would
be impossible for him to win against Brother Yu.
After explaining the issue regarding the tamed beast, Elder Mo
surveyed the surroundings and said, “Alright, are there any
other questions? Do raise them so as to avoid infringing on the
rules and losing your qualification!”
“Elder, what about grade-5 formation plates?” another
freshman asked.
“The same rule applies for anything that is beyond one’s
cultivation realm. Just like tamed beasts, it can only be used
once!” Elder Mo said.
Several more questions were asked, and Elder Mo answered
each of them patiently.
Hearing the various rules and regulations of the examination,
it was clear that the academy had put a lot of effort into
planning the examination in order to accurately assess the
strength of each examinee.
Seeing that there were no more questions, Elder Mo gestured
to Leiyuan Peak and said, “Alright. If there aren’t any more
questions, the examination starts now. You can proceed up the
mountain now!”
“Yes!”
Hearing the instructions, the thirty thousand participating
freshmen immediately charged up to Leiyuan Peak.
The earlier they arrived, the higher the chance they would be
able to successfully find and hunt a spirit beast. Thus, none of
the examinees were willing lag behind the others.
707 Start of the Hun
“Zhang shi, don’t forget our bet. Whoever obtains the most
points will be the victor!”
Seeing the crowd rush up the mountain, Brother Yu turned to
Zhang Xuan and sneered before rushing up the mountain
alongside Senior Feng.
Seeing the crowd rush along, Zhang Xuan glanced at Luo
Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others and said, “Let’s head on
up as well!”
Only the examinees were allowed to be on the examination
field, so the escorting members such as Hong shi weren’t
allowed to enter. They had to watch from outside the area.
Thus, the examinees could only depend on themselves.
“Un!”
Luo Xuan and the others nodded.
“Let’s head in that direction!”
Knowing that he was the leader of the group, Zhang Xuan
scanned the surroundings, and his gaze eventually fell on a
narrow valley. Pointing in that direction, he took the lead.
The other master teachers form Huanyu Empire followed
closely behind.
Leiyuan Peak was actually relatively large in size. Putting
aside the sharp cliffs, there was actually a lot of space to
maneuver around. It was filled with innumerable gorges,
boulders, and trees… Even an army of thirty thousand seemed
insignificant against the entire peak.
The route which Zhang Xuan had chosen was one with very
few people.
Even the weakest of the group was at Clarifying Turbidity
realm pinnacle, so the group traveled at an extremely fast
speed. In just ten mere minutes, they were already deep within
the mountain forest.
Perhaps it was due to the lush greenery filtering out the rays of
the sun, but cold air seemed to permeate the entire mountain.
In the tranquil forest, there wasn’t the slightest sound to be
heard. Perhaps it was due to the earlier group driving away the
beasts and birds, or perhaps the spirit beasts had gone into
hiding knowing that master teachers were marching up the
mountain to eliminate them, but the entire place seemed to be
devoid of life.
“Zhang shi, where do we go now?”
By now, the group had been traveling for quite some time
already. However, putting aside seeing a whole spirit beast,
they hadn’t even seen a single strand of spirit beast hair yet.
As such, Luo Xuan and the others couldn’t help but panic.
“Given the vast size of Leiyuan Peak, if the spirit beasts are
intentionally hiding from us, it won’t be easy to find them.
However, there’s no need to worry. I have been looking out for
the tracks of the spirit beasts, and I have already noticed
something…”
Zhang Xuan smiled.
Putting aside his identity as a master teacher, he was also a
capable beast tamer who was proficient in the Ancient Beast
Language. Not to mention, his Eye of Insight also allowed him
to easily spot the slightest trails left behind by spirit beasts.
If Zhang Xuan were to seek them out seriously, it would be
impossible for the spirit beasts to hide from him.
After advancing for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly
came to an abrupt halt. He indicated for the group to remain
silent, and with a flick of his wrist, he took out a sword.
Huala!
With a swift movement, a sharp, cold gleam flashed across the
steep cliff before him.
Just as the group was bewildered as to what Zhang Xuan was
attempting to do, a deafening explosion suddenly sounded, and
the boulder before them shattered. Following which, a gray
figure suddenly dashed out.
Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast… Gale Wolf!
To think that this fellow would actually be hiding inside a
boulder.
“I’ll hand it over to you all. I’ll check out the situation in
front!”
Knowing that Luo Xuan and the others shouldn’t have any
problems with a spirit beast of this tier, Zhang Xuan chose to
proceed ahead to scout around first.
The route ahead was tilted upward. Even though the route
rather steep, it was fortunate that there were many plants
around to serve as a stepping stone. Soon, Zhang Xuan had
already covered a distance of seven to eight kilometers.
Hu!
Suddenly, Zhang Xuan came to a halt, and a deep frown
appeared on his forehead.
“These marks indicate that a group of spirit beasts have passed
through this area…”
Even though there were no clear marks on the field before
him, Zhang Xuan was still able to easily tell that a group of
beasts had just passed the area not too long ago through his
Eye of Insight.
“Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther, Southern
Yellow Tiger, Metal-arm Ape… Those are spirit beasts that
specialize in speed! Furthermore, all of them have reached
Consonant Spirit realm!” Zhang Xuan deduced, after a
moment of observation.
Different spirit beasts would leave behind different trails. Of
the beast horde that had passed through this area, he was able
to identify at least a dozen of them.
These spirit beasts were usually the nemeses of one another,
and yet they were actually traveling together. Most probably,
just as Elder Mo had said, they had begun working together to
stand against the humans.
“Zhang shi…”
Just as Zhang Xuan was trying to figure out the direction in
which the spirit beasts were heading, Luo Xuan and the others
finally caught up with him.
To them, a Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast
didn’t pose as a challenge at all. They were able to kill it
swiftly.
However, their group was simply too big. Killing a Clarifying
Turbidity realm spirit beast didn’t do much to help them as a
group.
“Everyone, lower your voices. Let’s go for a big one!”
Zhang Xuan smiled mysteriously.
More than a dozen Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast had
passed through this area. This was an opportunity as much as a
threat.
If they could get rid of all of them, they would gain sufficient
points to pass the examination.
If it was any other team or alliance, they would surely avoid
clashing with such a large group. However, Zhang Xuan was
different. His cultivation had reached Consonant Spirit realm
pinnacle, and his fighting prowess far exceeded his peers. If he
wished to, he could easily destroy the entire group of spirit
beasts.
“Go for a big one?”
Having only just arrived, everyone in the group was unable to
comprehend what Zhang Xuan was getting at.
“Un. Based on my observation, a group of Consonant Spirit
realm spirit beasts have just passed through the area. As long
as we can slaughter them, we should be able to gain sufficient
points for all of us to clear…” Zhang Xuan chuckled.
“Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast?”
Everyone’s eyes immediately beamed with excitement.
A single Consonant Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast was
worth ten points, so they only had to clear away five of those
to earn sufficient points for all of them to clear the
examination.
As for the danger involved, didn’t Zhang shi have a half 9-dan
tamed beast? If put in a critical situation, he could simply
summon the Great Violetwing Beast to save them…
“Follow me!”
Having come to a decision, Zhang Xuan immediately led the
group down the trail the spirit beast horde had gone through.
A moment later, he suddenly stopped.
“Something is wrong…”
Ruohuan gongzi walked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“There are signs of a formation being set up just ahead, but
there are no signs of battle at all…”
Zhang Xuan frowned.
“What does that mean?” The group seemed unable to follow
what Zhang Xuan was saying.
“If there are signs of a formation being set up, it can only
mean that… someone has prepared an ambush ahead!
However, if there are no signs of battle, it can only mean that
the spirit beasts noticed the trap and avoided it,” Zhang Xuan
explained.
“Spirit beasts possess an innate sensitivity to the disturbances
in the spiritual energy in their environment. They might have
sensed the presence of the formation in advance and avoided
it,” Luo Xuan interjected.
Spirit beasts possessed far sharper senses than humans. It
shouldn’t be anything much for them to notice and avoid a
formation!
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
It wasn’t as simple as Luo Xuan had said.
“This is a grade-5 Greencloud Illusion Formation. This
formation is known for its inconspicuousness when inactive.
Even a Consonant Spirit realm master teacher would find it
hard to notice this formation even when passing through this
area…”
Even though the other party had already removed the
formation, with his eye of discernment, he was still able to tell
what kind of formation it was.
The Greenmist Formation was known for its ability to conceal
itself, and without the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan would’ve
found it hard to notice it as well, needless to say a group of
spirit beasts!
He didn’t believe that a group of Consonant Spirit realm spirit
beasts would possess a sharper eye of discernment than him.
“What is going on?”
Hearing that it was the Greenmist Formation, everyone
immediately realized the bizarreness of the matter, and a deep
frown appeared on their foreheads.
“I don’t know either… But in any case, let’s proceed forward
to see what they are up to.”
Zhang Xuan wasn’t able to understand what was going on, but
considering that the spirit beasts hadn’t left too long ago as
judged from the fresh trails, he was certain he’d be able to
figure out what was going on by following them.
“Alright!”
The others nodded and followed behind.
Just like that, the group proceeded on for another ten minutes
before Zhang Xuan stopped once again.
Seeing the perplexed expression on Zhang Xuan’s face,
Ruohuan gongzi walked up and asked, “What is it?”
Taking in the faint scent lingering in the air, Zhang Xuan said,
“Someone tried to use a ‘Crimson Blood Pill’ as a bait for the
spirit beasts earlier on, but… the spirit beasts ignored the bait
completely…”
“Crimson Blood Pill?”
“Yes, it’s a grade-5 pill. Logically speaking, it should be
irresistible to the Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts…” The
more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more bewildered he
became.
Zhang Xuan wouldn’t have been surprised if the spirit beasts
could hold themselves back from any other bait, but this was
the Crimson Blood Pill! Once consumed, it could induce a
Bloodline Evolution in them. This was a rare opportunity for
them to further raise their cultivation, and yet they still
managed to hold themselves back. This was extremely
unlikely.
Spirit beasts possessed intellect, but they were still primarily
governed by their primal instincts. If they were capable of
accurately discerning and avoiding traps, the number of tamed
beasts in the world would surely be several times lower than it
currently was.
It might be a coincidence that the spirit beasts managed to
avoid the formation, but it would be going too far to call this a
coincidence as well. There was something truly suspicious
about this situation.
“What is even more doubtful is that the master teachers who
set up the formation and prepared the Crimson Blood Pill bait
are missing too!” Zhang Xuan continued.
Luo Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment.
“Missing? Could it be that… they have been killed?”
If the spirit beasts were strong enough to slaughter groups who
were in possession of a grade-5 pinnacle formation and pill,
the Huanyu Empire group would likely be unable to do any
better against them either.
“That’s not it. If a battle had occurred, traces would surely
have been left behind. Putting aside a group of Consonant
Spirit realm spirit beasts, even if there were Transcendent
Mortal 9-dan spirit beasts here, it would still be difficult for
them to slaughter an entire team of master teachers without
leaving behind any traces!”
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
All of the examinees taking the examination were elites among
the master teachers. Given their talents, their homelands would
surely have been more than willing to provide them with the
best of resources to groom them. Naturally, they would
definitely have some life preservation means on them too.
With their life preservation means, even if the group of
Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts had ambushed them, they
should still have been able to escape without any trouble.
“This…” Everyone was starting to feel unsettled by the bizarre
situation before them.
“If I am not mistaken, they must have noticed the spirit beasts
and are tracking them at the moment…” Zhang Xuan revealed
his deductions.
“Tracking them?”
“Un, this is the only logical explanation. Otherwise, there is no
reason why the formation we saw earlier would be dismantled
so cleanly, and there are no marks of battle around,” Zhang
Xuan rationalized.
Ruohuan gongzi suddenly realized the incongruity in the entire
story.
“That doesn’t make any sense. If the spirit beasts did notice
the traps in advance and steered clear of them, they definitely
would have left quietly so as to avoid alarming the master
teachers. Furthermore, given that they were aware of the
presence of master teachers in the area, how could they remain
unaware if a group were to follow them?”
“That is precisely what that left me baffled!” Zhang Xuan
nodded.
Once the spirit beasts noticed the formations, for their own
safety, they would surely leave silently so as to avoid alarming
the master teachers.
It was already surprising that one group would actually notice
them, but now there were two… It was as if the spirit beasts
were intentionally revealing their tracks so that the master
teachers could find them.
The entire situation reeked of a scheme.
“We should continue following them to take a look…”
Knowing that they wouldn’t find an answer by standing
around, Zhang Xuan looked around and continued following
the trail of the spirit beasts.
The others also followed behind.
In the next hour, the group circled a large round along the
peak, and they noticed quite a few ambushes as well. From
time to time, there were traces of battle too.
However, judging from the marks, it seemed that the spirit
beasts had retreated immediately after encountering the master
teachers. With their superior agility, they were able to get
away easily as well.
708 To Rescue or Not to
Rescue?
“Perhaps they feared trouble, so they left immediately after
noticing that they were followed?” Luo Xuan suggested.
“That’s possible.” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.
At that a moment, a member of their group suddenly
exclaimed, “There are a few people in front!”
The group immediately turned their gazes forward and saw
three freshmen sitting feebly on the ground. They had
sustained significant injuries, and blood was flowing from
their wounds.
The trio were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle
cultivators. Upon seeing such a huge crowd, their faces
immediately paled in fear. “We haven’t caught any spirit
beasts yet…”
But soon afterward, they recalled that fellow examinees were
not allowed to steal from one another, and they heaved a sigh
of relief.
“I’ve met these people before. They are from the Luoyuan
Empire’s party!” Luo Xuan informed Zhang Xuan
telepathically.
Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
Just like Huanyu Empire, Luoyuan Empire was a Tier 2
Empire as well, and both parties lived in proximity to one
another in the Academic Sea. As such, Luo Xuan was able to
recognize the trio easily.
“Did your injuries come from the spirit beasts?” Zhang Xuan
asked the trio.
Knowing that he meant no hostility, the trio answered
truthfully, “Yes!”
“It shouldn’t be difficult for the dozen Consonant Spirit realm
spirit beasts to kill you. How did you manage to escape from
them?” Zhang Xuan asked.
If the dozen Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast were to charge
at the trio simultaneously, they would probably be dead in a
breath.
There should be no reason for the spirit beasts to leave those
who had come to slaughter them alive.
“H-how did you know that we were attacked by a dozen
Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts?” one of the three master
teachers asked in astonishment.
“We are tracking that pack,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“I see. I am not really sure what happened either. We were just
walking around when we suddenly encountered the pack. To
be honest, we thought that we would be goners, but for some
reason, those spirit beasts suddenly left in a panic after a brief
encounter, as if they were scared of something…”
“Perhaps they were afraid of you catching up to them?”
another one of the trio added.
Zhang Xuan and the others had arrived not too long after the
spirit beast pack left, so they might just be apprehensive about
staying for too long.
“But nevertheless, all they require is a brief instant to get rid of
three Transcendent Mortal 4-dan master teachers.
Furthermore, if they really noticed that we were tracking them,
they would surely be filled with hostility toward humans.
There’s no reason for them to show mercy to them…”
The more Luo Xuan thought about it, the more doubts
surfaced in his mind.
Assuming that the spirit beast pack was indeed escaping from
them, if they were to meet other humans in the midst of their
escape, there was no reason for them to spare them, especially
since a brief instant was all it would take. How could the trio
possibly be able to get away alive?
Frowning, Zhang Xuan continued questioning them.
“Where does the path ahead lead to?”
“It leads to Heaven’s Thread, one of the most dangerous
gorges of Leiyuan Peak,” replied one of the master teachers.
“A canyon? This is bad…” Seeming to have thought of
something, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows suddenly shot up. He
hurriedly rushed forward to the canyon, and the baffled crowd
quickly followed behind.
Not too long later, they arrived at a massive gorge surrounded
by steep cliffs. Looking up from below, the sky looked just
like a thin thread. Somehow, an ominous feeling slowly spread
across the group.
Ding ding ding ding!
Before they even walked into the gorge, they could already
feel a massive disturbance in the spiritual energy ahead, and
the sound of weapons clashing reverberated in the air.
“There is a battle going on over there…”
With these signs, how could the group still remain oblivious to
what was going on ahead of them?
Zhang Xuan pointed forward.
“The answer to the mystery lies ahead…”
There were numerous large floating rock platforms around the
gorge. Climbing to a high altitude, the group caught a clear
glimpse of the battle ahead, and their faces were immediately
drained of color.
Two hundred master teachers were tightly encircled by several
hundred spirit beasts.
The cultivation of these spirit beasts ranged from the
Consonant Spirit realm to the Cosmos Bridge realm, and every
single one of them was incomparably powerful. Even though
the surrounded master teachers weren’t weak, their opponents
were simply too powerful, and they were outnumbered at that.
As time went by, more and more master teachers were being
incapacitated by grievous wounds.
“Could it be that the dozen spirit beasts were intentionally
luring the master teachers over… so as to eradicate them all in
a single sweep?”
Upon realizing this fact, the mouths of the group twitched in
astonishment.
Even if the entire Huanyu Empire party were to head down to
offer their support, they wouldn’t be able to turn the tides of
the battle. They would only end up contributing to the casualty
toll.
Furthermore, as the name Heaven’s String suggested, the
gorge was extremely narrow, not to mention that it was filled
with numerous floating rock platforms of various sizes, thus
making it difficult for the Great Violetwing Beast to maneuver
around. It would be dangerous for the Great Violetwing Beast
if it were to be attacked by the army of spirit beasts under such
circumstances.
Zhang Xuan’s face was extremely grave.
His high Soul Depth granted him a far greater analytical
ability compared to the other members of the group. When he
first noticed the presence of the spirit beast pack and the
situation surrounding them, a seed of doubt had already been
planted in his mind. From the looks of it now, it was indeed a
huge set-up!
Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther, Southern
Yellow Tiger, Armmetal Ape… These spirit beasts were
known for their speed on land. If they were to go at full speed,
even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage master teacher
would find it hard to keep up with them. And yet, they went
through the trouble of circling around the peak and drawing in
group after group of master teachers. It was clear that they
were up to something.
Yet, Zhang Xuan hadn’t expected that the spirit beasts were
luring the humans into a trap to eliminate them!
“The spirit beasts are in an alliance as well…”
The master teachers had been thinking of allying with one
another to hunt the spirit beasts, but little did they know that
the spirit beasts were doing the same as well. They had
organized themselves orderly with a clear role for each spirit
beast in the team. Some would serve as bait while others
would lie in ambush to receive the prey. With this, they
intended to wipe out a large group of master teachers in a
single move!
Fearsome!
If they were put in the same circumstances, would they have
fallen for the scheme as well and landed themselves in grave
danger?
One of the master teachers turned to Zhang Xuan and asked
worriedly, “Zhang shi… What should we do?”
As master teachers, they couldn’t simply watch idly as their
comrades were being killed in battle… but even if their entire
group were to offer their support, it would still be insufficient
to defeat the spirit beasts!
“The main purpose of a master teacher is to protect humanity.
Even in the face of danger, we must fight to ensure the
survival of mankind… If we were to leave our comrades in
such a situation, even if we successfully escape with our lives,
we won’t be able to live with the guilt, and our faith will be
shaken. This will surely weigh us down in the future, limiting
our accomplishments!”
“But… given the current circumstances, even if we do lay
down our lives to save them, nothing will change at all!”
“That’s right. This is truly a dilemma…”
Everyone fell silent.
With their current fighting prowess, it would surely be
impossible to rescue the master teachers from the clutches of
the spirit beasts. But if they chose to leave them in a deadly
situation, the guilt would shatter the morals they had stood by
and believed in for their entire lives.
“There is no doubt that we have to save them, but charging
straight in will not work,” Zhang Xuan said with a deep frown.
Tapping on his thigh with his finger, he fumbled through his
head to search for a solution to the crisis.
“What do we do?”
The helpless crowd turned to Zhang Xuan to lead them.
They had pinned all of their hopes on this young man, hoping
that he could produce a miracle as he always did.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd
and asked, “Does anyone here have the formation flags and
blueprint of a 5-star Beguilement Formation?”
“I do!”
One of the Luoyuan Empire master teacher raised his hand.
The only reason the trio dared to operate in such a small team
was due to his ability as a formation master. Otherwise, given
their Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle cultivation, how
could they possibly dare to leave the group on their own
accord?
“Pass it to me.”
Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand.
“Alright!”
Knowing that this was a critical situation, the master teacher
flicked his hand, and a stack of formation flags and a jade
token appeared in his hands.
“This is a grade-5 primary ‘Illusory Footsteps Beguilement
Formation’. It was created by a great Formation Master Tao
Ran from our empire when a stroke of inspiration struck him
while he was studying the waves. However… this formation is
extremely troublesome to set up, and even after studying it for
three years, it still takes me two hours at minimum to set up a
workable formation. Furthermore… considering how narrow
the gorge it, I’m afraid that it is nigh impossible to set it up,”
the Luoyuan Empire master teacher said.
Even if he were to set up this formation personally, it would be
difficult for him to succeed without spending two hours on it.
More importantly, setting up a formation required one to study
the geographical terrain and measure the flow of spiritual
energy in the air using a geomantic compass. All in all, it was
an extremely complicated process.
Considering the intense battle below, putting aside whether it
was possible to set up the formation or not, it was a huge
question in itself whether the master teachers could last that
long against the ferocious assault by the spirit beasts!
More importantly, how was the formation supposed to be set
up? To set up the formation, Zhang shi would have to head
down to plant the flags. However, if he were to do so, he
would be putting himself in the midst of the spirit beast
encirclement as well!
There were surely plenty of formation masters among the two
hundred master teachers below as well, but even they were
helpless against this situation. What could he possibly do?
“Let me take a look first.”
Ignoring the other party’s doubts, Zhang Xuan touched the
jade token with the tip of his finger, and the blueprint of the
Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation immediately came
into sight.
‘Flaws!’
Muttering silently, Zhang Xuan’s eyes remained fixated on the
jade token while his consciousness had already dived into the
Library of Heaven’s Path.
The Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation was created by
Formation Master Tao Ran from Luoyuan Empire. Through
utilizing the geographical terrain of the surroundings, it was
able to trap all lifeforms in the area of the formation and
confuse them. Once activated, even a Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivator would find it difficult to escape from the formation.
It only took Zhang Xuan a few breaths to grasp the important
details regarding the formation through the Library of
Heaven’s Path.
When he finally opened his eyes once more, he turned to the
crowd and asked, “Do any of you have spirit stones on you
now?”
Everyone nodded in response to the query.
“Spirit stones? We do have some with us now!”
Even though middle-tier spirit stones were valuable, most 4-
star pinnacle and half 5-star master teachers would still keep
some with them at all times.
“Take them out, I need each of you to be holding ten spirit
stones. If you don’t have enough, borrow from someone else,”
Zhang Xuan instructed.
“Alright!”
Ten middle-tier spirit stones were still within their means, so
they had no problem taking this sum out.
“Other than me, we have a total of 52 people. Split yourself
into four teams, namely North, South, East, and West!” Zhang
Xuan continued instructing.
Even though they had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to,
there was nothing else they could do at the moment other than
follow his instructions.
As master teachers, they were extremely efficient. In just a few
breaths, they were already done dividing themselves.
With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan instructed seriously,
“Alright, prepare yourselves. Make sure to follow my orders
strictly later on. The slightest mistake can spell the failure of
our operation. If that is the case, we won’t be able to save the
master teachers below…”
“Zhang shi, don’t worry!”
“We will listen to your arrangements!”
Even though the crowd still had no idea what Zhang Xuan was
up to, the latter’s previous deeds, as well as his confident and
firm gaze inspired trust in them.
The three master teachers from Luoyuan Empire harbored
some doubts about Zhang Xuan’s credibility, but after seeing
the reaction from Huanyu Empire’s party, they could only
swallow their words. They couldn’t help but reassess the
young man before them.
This young man was the youngest among the group, but why
did everyone possess such deep trust in him?
In their eyes, unless an expert of Elder Mo’s caliber were to
arrive on the scene, there was no way they could break out of
this dire situation!
Did this fellow… really have a feasible idea in mind?
709 Hundred Flags of Void
Sealing
Before the doubtful gazes of the three master teachers, the
young man stared intently at the land below with the formation
flags in his hand, seemingly calculating the positioning of the
flags.
“Zhang shi intends to set up the Illusory Footsteps
Beguilement Formation?”
Seeing his actions, the eyebrows of the three master teachers
shot up in astonishment.
Putting aside how narrow the gorge was, just the battle below
was sufficient to cause immense chaos in the spiritual energy
in the air. Even with a compass in hand, it would be
impossible for one to accurately read the flow of spiritual
energy. As such, how could one possibly set up a formation?
Even if a 7-star formation master were to arrive on the scene,
he would surely be unable to successfully set up a formation as
well!
More importantly, the moment the first formation flag was
planted on the ground, the spirit beasts would surely notice
them. Considering the number of spirit beasts in the gorge,
even if just a small proportion were to come after them, they
would still become goners!
Was this really the idea he had in mind?
Sensing the nervousness in the trio, Ruohuan gongzi said with
a consoling smile, “There’s no need to panic. Since Zhang shi
says that it is possible to rescue them, he must have a feasible
idea in mind!”
Of the entire group, he had known Zhang shi the longest, and
he also boasted the greatest understanding of the latter. This
young man seemed to possess some kind of incredible power.
So many times, what he viewed to be impossible had been
easily accomplished by the other party.
Taking the Otherworldly Demon in the Master Teacher
Tournament as an example, he actually managed to talk it into
committing suicide… This was a feat that many could not
even imagine, but he actually achieved it!
In fact, the very reason he could be here despite his lacking
capability was due to the young man’s help.
Thus, even though the situation before them might look
hopeless, it didn’t hinder him from believing in the young
man’s ability to turn the tables.
“Let’s just hope so…”
The trio could only reply with bitter smiles.
While they were talking, Zhang Xuan had already finished
examining the geographical terrain. Taking a deep breath, he
suddenly sent a telepathic message to everyone.
“Prepare yourselves!”
Hearing those words, everyone immediately gathered their
attention as they waited for Zhang shi’s further instructions
with the middle-tier spirit stones in their hands.
Hu!
Just as they were wondering what the young man would do,
they suddenly saw the other party leaping down from the
platform, headed toward the battlefield between the spirit
beasts and the master teachers.
“This…”
Alarmed by Zhang Xuan’s actions, everyone narrowed their
eyes in shock.
Hundreds of powerful spirit beasts were prowling ferociously
below! To charge in like that, are you sure you aren’t
attempting to commit suicide instead?
Roar! Roar! Roar!
As expected, upon noticing Zhang Xuan’s presence, the spirit
beasts immediately howled furiously. Following which, a
ferocious string of attacks rained down on him like a frenzied
storm.
These attacks harnessed an immense force which could
threaten even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan expert.
Hu!
Just as the crowd thought that Zhang Xuan was done for, the
young man’s path of trajectory suddenly mysteriously shifted
three chi (10cm) to the right.
A mere three chi, but it caused all of the attacks to fly past
him.
Roar!
The unsuccessful primary assault seemed to have provoked
even more spirit beasts. With another wave of deafening battle
cries, dozens of attacks suddenly came from all directions.
It was slightly different this time around.
In the first assault, the spirit beasts had harnessed their full
might to crush the defenses of their opponent. On the other
hand, this wave of attacks was scattered in all directions to
seal their opponent’s escape route.
“These attacks aren’t sufficient to deal any grievous injuries to
Zhang shi, but their force is sufficient to push him to the
ground. Once Zhang shi falls to the ground, he will
immediately fall into the encirclement of the spirit beasts. By
then, it will be difficult for him to escape with his life, let
alone, rescue the others…”
Many master teachers clenched their fists tightly in agitation.
The attacks from the spirit beasts weren’t sufficiently powerful
to kill a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, but the force of the
attacks could send Zhang Xuan plummeting to the ground.
Once he fell to the ground… just the weight of the spirit beasts
itself could squash him to death.
“Look!”
Just as everyone was worried, someone suddenly shouted, and
the crowd turned their gazes over. With a single look, they
were all dumbfounded.
Through stepping on the floating rock platforms, Zhang Xuan
was able to alter his movements in air. For some reason, it was
as if he could predict where the attacks would come from.
At each crucial moment, he would move ever so slightly, and
the attacks would pass him by. It was an incomparably
dangerous situation each time, but he would always escape
completely unharmed.
“This fearsome calculation ability, and this frightening eye of
discernment!”
The crowd above narrowed their eyes.
As master teachers, they clearly understood how difficult this
feat was. One had to be familiar with each of the spirit beasts’
habits, attacking patterns, movement speeds, strengths… Only
with a thorough and accurate understanding of each and every
aspect of the spirit beasts could one make such precise
predictions!
In other words, in that brief moment that Zhang Xuan was
examining the situation, not only did he calculate the locations
of the formation flag, he even thoroughly predicted the various
possible attacking trajectories of the spirit beasts and planned
his path of descent!
Otherwise, how could he possibly maneuver around so
smoothly and adeptly in the midst of that huge torrent of
attacks?
How formidable must his eye of discernment be? How
powerful must his mental calculation capacity be?
Was this still humanly possible?
Hu hu hu!
Oblivious to everyone’s shock and frenzy, Zhang Xuan adeptly
maneuvered around the spirit beasts, and around ten breaths
later, he finally arrived at the space in the direct center of the
gorge, right above the fighting master teachers and spirit
beasts.
“Go!”
Weng weng weng!
The hundreds of formation flags which he held in his hands
suddenly buzzed sharply, and ‘sou!’, they flew into the
surroundings.
“T-this… Isn’t this the ability that only 7-star formation
masters are capable of utilizing… ‘Hundred Flags of Void
Sealing’?”
The master teacher who passed the formation flags and jade
token to Zhang Xuan earlier on turned pale, and he nearly fell
from the floating platform from fright.
“Hundred Flags of Void Sealing? What is that?”
However, most of the master teachers present were unaware of
what it represented.
After all, this was technical jargon used only by formation
masters, so most of those who hadn’t learned this occupation
were unaware of it.
“Rumor has it that the psyche of a 7-star master teacher is so
powerful that even without a compass, they can accurately
determine the spiritual energy intersection points where each
flag should be placed. Thus, by throwing the flags to their
respective position simultaneously, they can set up a formation
instantaneously… B-but how can he possibly do it as well?”
The lips of the master teacher were trembling uncontrollably.
To set up a formation, a formation master would have to do all
kinds of calculations to align their formation with the
geographical terrain so as to better bring out its might.
Even for 7-star formation masters, executing the Hundred
Flags of Void Sealing was no easy feat. They would usually
only use this technique to set up lower grade formations, such
as grade-4 or grade-5… However, the young man before him
was only at the Consonant Spirit realm, so setting up a grade-5
formation should already be an extremely difficult task for
him. And yet, he was still able to use such a profound skill…
‘Is this for real?
‘Are my eyes playing tricks on me?’
Boom!
Amidst the shocked gazes of the crowd, the formation flags
flew to their respective positions with the sharp whistle of the
wind. Some of them fell in between the fighting master
teachers and spirit beasts while some lodged themselves into
the cliffs of the forge.
It should have been possible to activate the formation as soon
as the formation flags fell in place, but after seeing that there
was no response after some time, a master teacher suddenly
thought of something, and his face distorted in horror.
“This is bad… The spiritual energy in this land is far too
chaotic for the formation to tap into. Without external spiritual
energy to support the formation, the formation cannot be
activated…”
The reason he was able to set up a grade-5 primary formation
despite having yet to reach Cosmos Bridge realm wasn’t due
to his superior talent but because those flags had been imbued
with the zhenqi of his teacher.
The imbued zhenqi would help the formation flags gather
sufficient spiritual energy to bring out the might of the grade-5
formation. However, this could only be done in an
environment where the flow of spiritual energy was stable.
But… the huge battle in the gorge had resulted in a massive
turbulence in the spiritual energy in the surroundings. Even if
the formation flags were put in position, Zhang shi would still
be unable to tap into the zhenqi imbued in the formation flags
to activate the formation!
Just as the group was at a complete loss before the dire
situation, the anxious voice of the young man before boomed
in their ears.
“Prepare yourselves! East, throw your spirit stones two steps
to your left! West, throw your spirit stones four steps to the
right…”
“Yes!”
They had no idea what the other party was up to, but they
didn’t have time to think so much about it anymore. The
master teachers in the four teams, North, South, East, and
West, gathered their zhenqi and tossed the spirit stones in their
hands out.
Wu wu wu!
52 people threw out a total of 520 middle-tier spirit stones
simultaneously into the battlefield.
Roar!
Upon seeing the huge rain of spirit stones, the spirit beasts
were taken aback. Sensing danger, they pounced into the air
and attacked the spirit stones.
Huala!
As if a storm, the powerful torrent of attacks swept the spirit
stones away from their original trajectory.
“It’s over…”
The group stared at the sight in trepidation.
Zhang shi had most probably calculated the trajectory of the
spirit stones’ descent accurately before issuing precise
instructions. However, with the trajectories messed up by the
attacks of the spirit stones, their plan was going to fail.
Wneg weng weng weng!
Just when they thought that this operation was a failure, the
spirit stones which had their trajectories altered struck the
ground beneath Zhang Xuan at the very same instant.
Boom!
As soon as they came into contact with the ground, a powerful
surge of spiritual energy suddenly burst into the surroundings,
sweeping across the formation flags.
“This…”
“Zhang shi… actually predicted the attacks from the spirit
beasts as well?”
Innumerable pupils dilated upon that sight.
The sight before them was within Zhang shi’s calculations as
well?
In other words, he knew that the spirit beasts would attack the
spirit stones upon seeing them. Taking that into account, he
made the precise calculations for the spirit stones to clash with
one another beneath his feet before issuing specific
instructions to each group as to how they should toss their
spirit stones!
This…
The situation was so inconceivable that it felt like some
supernatural power was at work.
Just as everyone’s face was pale with shock, Zhang Xuan
coldly bellowed, “Activate!”, and with a furious stomp, a
surge of zhenqi shot out.
Weng!
Taking in the concentrated spiritual energy in the air, the
formation flags began to buzz, and a thick layer of mist
cloaked the master teachers and spirit beasts in the gorge
instantly.
Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation, activated!
“Through the burst of spiritual energy caused by the collision
of spirit stones, order was re-established in the flow of
spiritual energy in the surroundings for a brief instant,
allowing the formation to be activated… How deep must one’s
understanding of formations be to do this? Even Grandmaster
Tao Ran who created this Illusory Footsteps Beguilement
Formation would surely be incapable of such a feat!”
The three master teachers from Luoyuan Empire were
completely dumbstruck by the sight before them.
It had only been a few short breaths since Zhang shi had
leaped down from the floating rock platform, but heck had it
been frightening!
One after another, the impossible had been realized easily by
that young man’s hand!
“With the activation of the formation, all of the spirit beasts
and master teachers are trapped. As long as we move carefully
now, we should be able to save all of the master teachers!”
Seeing the activation of the formation, Luo Xuan, Ruohuan
gongzi, and the others heaved a sigh of relief.
With the Beguilement Formation veiling their sight and
confounding their senses, it was impossible for the spirit
beasts and master teachers to continue battling. At least, until
the formation was inactivated, the master teachers were safe.
“Indeed! As expected of Zhang shi, to be able to think of and
carry out such a plan…”
The crowd nodded.
Hong long!
Just as everyone had just heaved a sigh of relief, a deafening
reverberation suddenly sounded in the formation, and the mist
billowed furiously.
“Shit… the spirit beasts are intending to… break the formation
using brute force!” a Luoyuan Empire master teacher
exclaimed.
710 Barging into the
Beguilement Formation
It was no easy feat for an amateur to break a formation, but
with sufficient strength, it was still possible to do so through
brute force!
If someone were to attempt to trap Zhang Xuan with a grade-3
formation now, even without using the Eye of Insight of
Library of Heaven’s Path, he would be able to crush the
formation with just his fists.
No matter how powerful a formation might be, there would
surely be a limit to its durability. If it were to suffer damage
beyond its durability limit, it would instantaneously collapse.
Before supreme power, everything else was fleeting.
The Illusory Footsteps Beguilement Formation that the
Luoyuan Empire master teacher had provided was a grade-5
primary formation. While it could trap Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivators, it would be hard for it to do the same to stronger
opponents.
The strongest of these spirit beasts were only at the Cosmos
Bridge realm, but there were too many of them. Put their
prowess together, and even a Transcendent Mortal 7-dan
Perfect Harmonization realm expert would have to retreat in
fear. With this force directed toward the formation, it was
unlikely that the formation would be able to hold on for too
long.
“Break the formation using brute force?”
Hearing those words, the faces of the crowd turned pale.
It was just a moment ago that they’d thought that they would
be able to save everyone in the gorge, but in the next moment,
the formation was already on the verge of breaking. What
should they do now?
Were they to watch by from the sidelines as the formation was
torn apart, and the master teachers were plunged into danger
once more?
After everything they had done?
Luo Xuan turned to the master teacher from Luoyuan Empire
and asked, “You possess the deepest understanding of this
formation. Is there any way to salvage the situation?”
The gazes of the others also hurriedly shot over.
The formation flags and blueprint were provided by him, so
perhaps he might have a way to sustain the formation.
“Salvage the situation?”
With a bitter smile, the Luoyuan Empire master teacher shook
his head and said, “There is indeed a way, but it’s impossible
to succeed!”
“Impossible to succeed? What is it? With so many of us here,
we might just be able to find a way to accomplish it,” Luo
Xuan urged.
They had 52 master teachers here, and a handful of them were
formation masters as well. As long as the other party could
point out a direction for them, they just might be able to
accomplish it somehow.
“At this moment, our numbers don’t mean anything!”
The Luoyuan Empire master teacher sighed. “The Illusory
Steps Beguilement Formation is a grade-5 primary formation,
but if reinforced by a 5-star formation master, it could display
the strength of a grade-5 intermediate or even advanced
formation! By then, it would be impossible for these spirit
beasts to break out of the formation using brute force.”
“5-star formation master? Zhang shi’s understanding of
formations should be on par with a 5-star formation master,
wouldn’t that work?” Ruohuan gongzi couldn’t help but ask.
Since Zhang shi was able to set up even a grade-5 formation
so easily, surely reinforcing a formation wouldn’t pose any
trouble at all.
“You don’t understand what I am saying. By 5-star formation
master, I am saying that the person’s cultivation must reach
Cosmos Bridge realm as well! Zhang shi’s comprehension of
formations is indeed formidable, but his cultivation is still
limited at the Consonant Spirit realm. Without sufficient
strength, he won’t be able to bring out the true might of the
power my teacher has imbued into the formation!” the
Luoyuan Empire master teacher explained.
“This…”
Everyone clenched their fists tightly in frustration.
With their collective strength, they would have been able to
help with anything else, but the Cosmos Bridge realm…
With the formation on the verge of collapsing, it was
impossible for anyone to achieve a breakthrough within this
short period of time.
In other words, it was impossible for them to reinforce the
formation!
“That Brother Yu from before has reached the Cosmos Bridge
realm, but it’s too late to look for him now…”
Luo Xuan clenched his jaws in frustration.
Among the freshmen, the only one he knew to have reached
Cosmos Bridge realm was the Brother Yu whom he had met
just before the entrance examination. However, the other party
was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Besides, considering
the conflict between Zhang shi and him, it would be nigh
impossible to gain his assistance!
After a moment of hesitation, one master teacher suggested,
“Since it has come down to this, why don’t we leave the gorge
to try and get the help of other examinees in the area?
Otherwise, once the formation collapses and the spirit beasts
break loose, we will all be doomed…”
However, halfway through his words, he suddenly noticed the
bizarre silence amidst the group. Looking up, he saw each and
every one of them staring at the battlefield below with a
frenzied look on their faces.
“What happened?”
Frowning, he shifted his gaze downward, and his mouth
slowly widened.
In the midst of the wavering formation, Zhang shi stood on a
floating rock platform, and his aura was rising steadily.
Hong long long!
He furiously absorbed the surrounding spiritual energy
through his acupoints, and the absurd speed of his absorption
induced a deep rumbling reminiscent of thunder in the gorge.
A magnificent bridge connecting him to the world could
vaguely be seen behind him. At this moment, he looked
exceptionally tall and powerful, as if an undefeatable god of
war.
“This… He is trying to achieve a breakthrough to the Cosmos
Bridge realm?”
The master teacher’s lip quivered uncontrollably, and he
nearly burst into tears.
To advance to the Cosmos Bridge realm, other Consonant
Spirit realm pinnacle cultivators would have their teacher
stand guard for them in case of any problems, and all kinds of
resources would be prepared by their sides so as to prevent
exhaustion whenever required. Even so, it would still take
several days of hard work before they could achieve the
breakthrough… And yet, this fellow actually made the
breakthrough on the spot just because he required his
cultivation to be at the Cosmos Bridge realm in order to
reinforce the formation…
What the heck was this!
Boom!
Amidst his shocked trembling, Zhang Xuan widened his
mouth and swallowed the faint bridge in the air. His body
rumbled, and his aura began to surge furiously.
Hu!
Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, the young man opened his
eyes, and a bright gleam shone from his eyes. His movements
were extremely graceful, seemingly aligned with nature itself.
“Cosmos Bridge realm… He really made the breakthrough
just like that?”
“Isn’t this a little… way too easy…”
Everyone swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Never had they ever seen someone achieve a breakthrough so
quickly in their life.
After two or three breaths, a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle
cultivator had become a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator…
‘Brother, are you sure you aren’t an expert who came here just
to toy with us?’
Oblivious to the frenzied crowd, Zhang Xuan glanced at the
shaking formation beneath him and muttered, “There’s no time
for me to continue…”
Under normal circumstances, possessing the entire Cosmos
Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he would strive for
Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle in a single breath. However,
with the formation teetering on the brink of collapse, he
couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
“Stabilize!”
With a flick of his finger, a surge of zhenqi shot out from his
hand. The surge of zhenqi further divided into several hundred
streams, permeating throughout the entire formation.
Geji! Geji!
Under the nourishment of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, the
thinning mist abruptly thickened once more. The Illusory
Steps Beguilement Formation, which had been shaking
violently under the rampage of the spirit beasts, gradually
stabilized as well.
“He succeeded…”
“The formation has been reinforced…”
The excitement and agitation of the crowd were palpable.
Admiration seeped into their gazes as they looked at the young
man below.
To reach Cosmos Bridge realm on a whim… Was that young
man still human?
This was especially so for Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the
others. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, they were on the
verge of fainting from shock.
They had seen the other party making the breakthrough for
Yin-Yang realm to Clarifying Turbidity realm during the
Master Teacher Tournament in Myriad Kingdom City with
their own eyes. Barely a month had passed, and he was already
a Cosmos Bridge realm expert…
They were still thinking of competing with him after reaching
the Master Teacher Academy, but they could no longer muster
the confidence to do so.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan climbed back up and
instructed, “Alright. Since the Beguilement Formation has
stabilized, let’s hurry up and save the master teachers inside!”
“You’re right. However, given that spirit beasts are roaming
inside the formation as well… how can we ensure that we will
be able to stay out of their path?” a master teacher within the
crowd asked.
The activation of the Beguilement Formation had halted the
battle momentarily and trapped the spirit beasts, thus
providing an opportunity to save the master teachers.
However… things weren’t as simple as they seemed.
The spirit beasts weren’t dead yet. It was still possible to
encounter them in the Beguilement Formation, and the
chances of that were indeed relatively high considering the
number of spirit beasts trapped inside the formation.
Furthermore, the Beguilement Formation didn’t discriminate
against friend and foe. In other words, the master teachers
inside were also affected by it.
Of course, the master teachers could try leaping up onto the
floating platforms and attempt to escape from the Beguilement
Formation. However, under the circumstances where even
their sense of direction was confounded, it would be difficult
for them to differentiate between up and down. On top of that,
to truly escape from the formation, they would have to find the
Life Gate first.
The Illusory Steps Beguilement Formation wouldn’t be called
a grade-5 formation if it were so easy to escape from.
In the end, the Beguilement Formation was just a means to
buy some time for those inside.
Zhang Xuan glanced at the Beguilement Formation and
replied, “I see. Wait here then, I’ll head in to save them.”
“Zhang shi, you mustn’t! Even though you are a formation
master, your senses will still be confounded in the
Beguilement Formation. It’ll be a disaster if you were to be
trapped with the spirit beasts inside…”
Everyone was horrified by Zhang Xuan’s words.
Even though Zhang Xuan had reached Cosmos Bridge realm,
there were plenty of Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts inside
the formation as well. There was no way he could stand
against so many powerful spirit beasts!
“Trapped?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head before instructing, “There will be
some injured among the master teachers inside, so prepare to
receive and treat them!”
After which, leaving no time for the crowd to react, he leaped
straight into the Beguilement Formation.
“Zhang shi…”
The crowd’s vision darkened, and they nearly fainted on the
spot.
To leap right into the Beguilement Formation, what if he
leaped right into a swarm of spirit beasts? Even if he was tired
of living, this wasn’t the way to seek death!
A master teacher amid the crowd asked, “What do we do?”
“There’s no need to panic. Zhang shi would never do anything
reckless. Since he dared to leap into the formation, he must
have his own plan!” Ruohuan gongzi assured.
Others might not know Zhang shi well, but he knew that the
other party would never do anything he was unconfident of.
Considering how the other party jumped in without any
hesitation, he must have a plan in mind.
“Indeed. Didn’t Zhang shi tell us to prepare to receive the
casualties? Since he said those words, he must have found a
way to save the master teachers inside!” Luo Xuan added.
“A plan in mind? What plan could he come up with? Even if
he has a thorough understanding of formations, he still can’t
possibly stand against so many spirit beasts alone…”
“That is unless he finds a way to circumvent the spirit beasts
to save the others!”
“Since Zhang shi was able to set up a grade-5 formation and
achieve a breakthrough to the Cosmos Bridge realm so easily,
he might just really accomplish this impossible feat…”
After a momentary discussion, the crowd turned their gazes
back to the battlefield. Zhang Xuan had already disappeared
amidst the thick layer of mist.
It was impossible for him to fight against so many spirit beasts
single-handedly. The only possible solution was for him to
circumvent the spirit beasts and guide the master teachers out.
However… there were several hundred spirit beasts in the
Beguilement Formation. Even if Zhang shi knew how to
navigate around the formation, was it really possible to
circumvent all of them?
Roar! Roar! Roar!
While everyone was tense, ferocious roars abruptly sounded
from the midst. It seemed like Zhang Xuan had encountered
with some of the spirit beasts.
“Did Zhang shi encounter the spirit beasts?”
If that was really it, he would be in grave danger!
“What do we do?”
Anxious, everyone was tempted to rush in to help him.
However, before they could even move, another wave of roars
sounded. However, it wasn’t ferocious roars this time. Rather,
it seemed like the spirit beasts had encountered something
sinister and terrifying.
It was tinged with fear and apprehension.
Roar? Roar? Roar?
Following which, screams of agony reverberated throughout
the gorge, threatening to burst one’s eardrum. Rather than
Zhang shi, it seemed like it was the spirit beasts who were in
danger…
“What is going on?”
Everyone stared at one another bewilderedly.
711 Tamed!
Within the mist, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced.
Before his Eye of Insight, a grade-5 Beguilement Formation
meant nothing to him at all. The spirit beasts and master
teachers in the formation might be unable to see him, but he
could see every single movement they were making as clear as
day.
With a swift motion, he silently snuck up to a spirit beast and
struck it with his palm!
Putong!
The spirit beast immediately collapsed to the ground.
Having reached the Cosmos Bridge realm, his zhenqi strength
had reached 5,500,000 ding, a might comparable to a Cosmos
Bridge realm advanced stage expert. Even though the spirit
beasts weren’t weak, how could they stand against such
powerful might?
(Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage 4,000,000 ding,
intermediate stage 4,800,000 ding, advanced stage 5,600,000
ding, pinnacle 6,200,000 ding!)
The spirit beast tried to struggle to its feet in order to fight its
assailant, but at that moment, a voice sounded by its ear.
“Submit or die!”
These words were spoken in the Ancient Beast Language.
Roar!
Given that the master teachers had come to the mountain to
hunt them, it thought that the only option it had was to fight to
its death. Thus, when Zhang Xuan presented an offer to the
spirit beast, it hesitated. It could choose to fight its assailant to
the death, but having experienced the immense might of the
other party, it knew that its chances of victory were extremely
slim. After a short moment of contemplation, it gritted its teeth
and kneeled down.
As soon as it submitted, it felt a warm surge of energy flowing
into its body. In an instant, not only did it recover from its
injuries, its bloodline also became purer under the nourishment
of the energy.
“Roar?” The spirit beast’s eyes reddened in agitation. It knew
that this was a hard-to-come-by opportunity for it to raise its
cultivation, so it immediately bowed earnestly to express its
submission.
“Un.”
Following which, Zhang Xuan instructed the spirit beast to
stay put before advancing ahead.
Even though Elder Mo had said that these spirit beasts had
hurt many innocent civilians, a life was still a life. If there was
an option, he would rather tame them than kill them.
Of course, if the spirit beasts refused to submit, he wouldn’t
hesitate to kill them either. On a battlefield, showing mercy to
one’s enemy was foolish.
As he proceeded deeper into the mist, the screams of agony
from the spirit beasts continued to echo ceaselessly in the
gorge. As time passed, the number of tamed spirit beasts
increased, and the casualties from the ‘obstinate faction’ piled
up as well.
As Zhang Xuan headed from spirit beast to spirit beast in the
formation, he also made use of this opportunity to absorb the
spiritual energy in the air to advance and reinforce his
cultivation.
A whirlpool of spiritual energy had formed in the Beguilement
Formation due to the burst of spiritual energy from the 520
middle-tier spirit stones. Since he could save some spirit
stones, it would be a waste if he didn’t make full use of this
opportunity.
Two hours later, he successfully reached Cosmos Bridge realm
pinnacle.
At the same time, he had also finished dealing with the several
hundred spirit beasts in the area. The only ones remaining in
the area were those who chose to submit to him.
Having reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, his strength
had increased to 8,000,000 ding, a might comparable to
Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage cultivators.
Taking into account the 4,000,000 ding from his physical body
and 3,200,000 ding from his soul cultivation, he could match
up to even a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage expert.
If he were to encounter that young man from the Yuan Clan
once more, he would be able to defeat the latter easily even
without using his clone.
“I am done dealing with the spirit beasts. It should be fine to
deactivate the formation now!”
After scanning the area once more with his Eye of Insight,
Zhang Xuan verified that he had finished dealing with all of
the spirit beasts. With a chuckle, he stomped his feet.
Hu!
The formation came to a halt, the thick mist in the gorge
abruptly vanished, and the battlefield came into sight once
more.
…
At the very center of the gorge, two hundred master teachers
were sitting on the floor. Some were treating their own injuries
while others were attempting to recover their zhenqi.
They had followed the spirit beasts in hope of hunting them
down, but who knew that it was actually a scheme, and they
would end up being the prey instead.
Nearly every single one of them had sustained significant
injuries. If not for the Beguilement Formation the young man
had set up, they might have all died by now.
A pale-faced master teacher who was still recuperating from
his injuries exclaimed, “I know that man, he is Zhang Xuan
Zhang shi from Huanyu Empire! He possesses a half 9-dan
Great Violetwing Beast. I had the honor of meeting him at the
bazaar previously!”
Even though he had only caught a glimpse of Zhang Xuan
amidst the crowd back in the bazaar, he was still able to
recognize the latter.
This fellow had offered Transcendent Mortal 8-dan inner cores
in exchange for Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation technique
manuals, and this matter had caused a huge storm in the
bazaar. There were none who were present in the bazaar then
who would be unfamiliar with his name.
Just that, as only a small proportion of the thirty thousand
freshmen had visited the bazaar, there were also many
freshmen who were unaware of Zhang Xuan’s identity.
“Half 9-dan tamed beast? Does that mean that there’s hope for
us?”
A master teacher clenched his fists expectantly.
“It’s not that simple!”
Another slightly older master teacher shook his head. “There
are around four hundred spirit beasts here, and nearly half of
them have reached Cosmos Bridge realm. On top of that, due
to the narrow space in the gorge, this place is highly
disadvantageous to the Great Violetwing Beast, who
specializes in speedy maneuvers. Even though the other party
has set up a Beguilement Formation to rescue us, considering
how it is unlikely that he will be able to maneuver through the
formation himself, all it does is to delay the inevitable.”
A single spirit beast might not pose much of a threat, but
surely several hundreds of them together would.
If an army of soldiers were to strike simultaneously, even a
top-notch expert could be destroyed. This was precisely how
each royal family was able to maintain firm control over their
nation.
Such was the sight before them as well.
The fact that four hundred spirit beasts were lying in wait to
ambush them here meant that they had already formed an
alliance. In this narrow gorge, an aerial spirit beast would find
it hard to avoid all of the attacks from the spirit beast alliance.
It would just be a matter of time before it was worn down and
defeated.
“Then… are we to just wait for death?”
The master teacher’s complexion looked extremely awful.
“There’s no point thinking about it. Let’s just recuperate for
the time being and face whatever comes our way. Our only
hope is for Elder Mo to notice the dire situation we are in and
come over to save us. There’s nothing else we can do.”
The older master teacher sighed deeply.
He was partially at fault for putting everyone into this crisis.
It was his greed that had led them into this trap.
“Wait, something is amiss. Ding shi, why do I hear screams of
agony from the spirit beasts? Is it possible that Zhang shi is
maneuvering around the formation to deal with them one by
one?” another master teacher asked.
Quite a few desolate screams from the spirit beasts had
sounded since the activation of the Beguilement Formation.
Could someone be dealing with the spirit beasts?
“You are too naive!”
Ding shi shook his head. “The spirit beasts are clearly
exploiting the lack of visibility to lure us in. Even if that isn’t
the case, the sound is likely just an effect of the Beguilement
Formation!”
“Lure us in?”
“Un. As a 4-star beast tamer, I can discern the emotions
behind the voices of spirit beasts. Even though their voices
sound anguished, there is an excited undertone to it… Clearly,
they think of us as fish in a net. They know that we are
cornered, and they are waiting excitedly for the moment when
the Beguilement Formation runs out of energy and collapses!”
Ding shi said.
Even though he couldn’t comprehend the Ancient Beast
Language and couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind the
spirit beasts’ words, that didn’t hinder him from perceiving
their emotions.
Their voices were intermixed with anguish and excitement.
Perhaps, they might have found an idea to clear them in a
single sweep.
“Alright, let’s focus on recuperating so that we can pull as
many of those bastards down to the grave with us…”
At this point, Ding shi was just about to advise the master
teachers not to pin their hopes on the uncertain when the
formation before them suddenly shook violently.
Grim expressions surfaced on the master teachers’ faces in the
area.
Ding shi got to his feet and yelled furiously, “The formation is
going to collapse soon! Grab your weapons and prepare for
battle…”
Weng!
But before he could finish his words, the thick mist concealing
their sight vanished completely. Following which, they saw a
young man slowly walking up to them.
Everyone was dumbfounded.
“Alright, you are saved!” the young man said calmly.
“Saved?”
Astounded by those words, everyone hurriedly turned to look
at the surroundings, only to see the spirit beasts which had
bared their fangs at them just a few hours ago kneeling on the
floor respectfully.
And walking through the kneeling spirit beasts, the young man
resembled an indomitable conqueror.
“This…”
“They are all… tamed?”
“Taming four hundred spirit beasts in just two hours?”
Soon, everyone realized what was going on. However, coming
to understand the reality of the situation only deepened their
shock.
Other beast tamers had to offer all kinds of artifacts and fawn
on a spirit beast in order to persuade it to submit to them. Yet,
just by setting up a Beguilement Formation, this young man
had actually managed to tame so many spirit beasts within two
hours…
Was this for real?
They weren’t the only shocked ones. Upon seeing the
formation disappear, Ruohuan gongzi and the others also
thought that they would be in for a difficult battle. However,
upon seeing this sight, they nearly fainted from astonishment.
How powerful must one be to tame four hundred spirit beasts
in two hours…
‘Brother, is there anything that can contain you in this
universe?’
Amidst the shock, someone suddenly shouted, “Wait,
something isn’t quite right… Take a look at Zhang shi’s
cultivation!”
Hearing those words, everyone’s gazes fell on Zhang Xuan.
That single glance made their bodies tremor uncontrollably,
and they nearly fell from the stone platform.
It was just a moment ago that Zhang shi had just reached the
Cosmos Bridge realm. But currently, his strength felt
perpetual, reminiscent of an unrelenting river. Somehow, it
reminded them of the sight of myriad tributaries converging
into an ocean.
“Convergence of Myriad Tributaries, this is a sign of one
being on the verge of reaching Perfect Harmonization realm.
He has reached Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle!”
“Didn’t he just reach Cosmos Bridge realm a moment ago?”
Rubbing their eyes forcefully, everyone felt as though they
were going mad.
They had all met top-notch geniuses who advanced swiftly in
their cultivation, but never had they witnessed anything as
stupefying as this.
Right after a breakthrough, he actually shot from primary
stage to pinnacle in a single breath…
How the heck did he cultivate?
Even bamboo shoots didn’t grow as quickly as him!
“Zhang shi must have used some kind of secret art to raise his
cultivation so as to save them… Otherwise, how could he
possibly tame so many spirit beasts within such a short period
of time?”
“Indeed! There are four hundred spirit beasts here. Unless one
wields overwhelming strength, how could one win the loyalty
of all of them?”
The crowd clenched their fists tightly.
As master teachers, they knew how difficult cultivating was,
so they immediately discounted the possibility that Zhang
Xuan had achieved a breakthrough. Instead, they thought that
he had paid a heavy price using some secret art to temporarily
raise his cultivation.
Given that half of the spirit beasts present here possessed the
strength of Cosmos Bridge realm, the only way to tame them
quickly was to overpower them.
His self-sacrificial spirit to save his fellow peers was indeed
worthy of respect!
Amidst everyone’s astonishment and admiration, Zhang Xuan
suddenly announced, “The spirit beasts I have killed and
tamed should provide sufficient points for all of you to clear
the examination. There’s no need for you to hunt spirit beasts
anymore; you should report back to the starting line.”
Following which, the young man leaped up the floating rock
platforms.
“Sufficient points for us to clear the examination?”
“Zhang shi means that… he wants us to take these spirit beasts
and inner cores back to clear the examination?”
“But these are the spirit beasts he tamed and killed personally!
Is he giving them to us? This…”
Staring at the figure disappearing from the gorge, the crowd
clenched their fists tightly, and their eyes reddened.
To selflessly act with the welfare of humanity in mind…
This was a true master teacher!
712 Myriad Anthive Queen
After a moment of silence, Ding shi glanced at the master
teachers in the surroundings and asked, “Even though Zhang
shi cares not for these spirit beasts, can we really…
shamelessly claim these spirit beasts for ourselves?”
As master teachers, they had their pride and moral compass.
“If not for Zhang shi, we might have died by now. If we were
to claim his hard work for ourselves after all that, we would be
worse than beasts!”
They already owed a debt of gratitude to Zhang shi for saving
them. If they were to take the other party’s items for
themselves after all of that, how could they possibly face the
other party in the future?
How could they face their own consciences?
Scanning the surroundings, Ding shi said, “Since everyone
here shares the same thoughts, I have a suggestion!”
At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and others from
Huanyu Empire’s party had also scaled down the floating rock
platforms and into the gorge.
“Ding shi, please speak!”
The crowd’s gaze fell on him.
“Since Zhang shi told us to return, let’s listen to his words.
We’ll take these spirit beasts to report back at the starting line.
However…”
Ding shi suddenly paused.
“Each of us shall only claim a single point to clear the
examination. We will place whatever is left under Zhang shi’s
name!”
“It is only right that we do that!”
“Indeed. These spirit beasts were tamed and killed by Zhang
shi, of course we should put the points under his name!”
…
Hearing those words, the crowd immediately nodded in
agreement.
Elder Mo had already said that the points were cumulative and
transferable. Since these spirit beasts were tamed and killed by
Zhang shi, they could just claim a single point to pass the
examination while passing the remaining sum to Zhang shi.
Such respectable conduct should be made known to the
teachers and elders of the academy!
This was what they should do, and this was what they believed
in as well.
Having decided on the matter, the group quickly brought the
spirit beasts and inner cores down the mountain.
…
Oblivious of their decision, Zhang Xuan leaped out of the
gorge and flitted alongside the cliff, headed to the top of the
mountain.
A conjecture of his had been confirmed while he was in the
midst of taming the spirit beasts earlier on.
Previously, when he realized that the spirit beasts were luring
master teachers into an ambush they prepared orderly, a doubt
had emerged in his mind… How did these fellows uncover the
tracks of the master teachers and avoid the traps they had laid
for them?
After all, the spirit beasts that were in charge of luring the
spirit beasts were only at Consonant Spirit realm. It was
impossible for them to notice traps that even most master
teachers had difficulty perceiving. Unless… someone had been
guiding them from behind!
With this deduction in mind, Zhang shi interrogated the spirit
beasts he had tamed to gather news from them.
Under his questioning, he managed to uncover some
significant information.
The reason they were able to precisely locate the master
teachers and avoid their traps was indeed due to a spirit beast
guiding them from the rear!
‘Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast…
Myriad Anthive Queen!’
Through interrogating the spirit beasts, he had managed to
uncover the mastermind behind the entire operation!
The Myriad Ant was an extremely rare savage beast. It was
around the size of an ant, and it was able to fly freely in the
mountains without being noticed.
These little things might mean nothing much to experts—they
could easily crush one with their fingers—but what was truly
fearsome was the being that stood behind them… Anthive
Queen!
The Myriad Anthive Queen had a physique comparable to a
human. While it was incapable of flight, it could control
several ten thousand Myriad Ants simultaneously to scout an
area.
The reason why those spirit beasts were able to notice the
master teachers’ ambushes in advance was due to the Anthive
Queen scouting via the Myriad Ants and relaying the news.
As Zhang Xuan advanced in the direction pointed out to him
by the spirit beasts, with a deep frown on his forehead, he
muttered, “Why would the Myriad Anthive Queen help those
spirit beasts?”
The Myriad Anthive Queen was a Perfect Harmonization
realm spirit beast. On top of that, with so many Myriad Ants
scouting in its stead, it could easily predict the movements of
those that could pose a threat to it and take precautions in
advance.
As such, it was extremely difficult for the examinees to harm
it!
There was no reason for it to organize the other spirit beasts to
deal with the humans!
After all, if Elder Mo were to find out that it was doing so, it
would be difficult for it to preserve its life.
After some thought, Zhang Xuan was still unable to figure out
the aims of the Myriad Anthive Queen. Thus, he shook this
question out of his head.
‘Its motive doesn’t matter at all. What I am interested in is the
Myriad Anthive Nest!’
Naturally, Zhang Xuan wasn’t so magnanimous as to give the
spirit beasts he had tamed and killed away to others. The only
reason he did so was because he heard mention of the Myriad
Anthive Queen, and there was an artifact that the latter
possessed that he dearly wanted.
Myriad Anthive Nest!
It was through the Myriad Anthive Nest that the Myriad
Anthive Queen was able to bring and summon Myriad Ants
wherever it went!
The Myriad Anthive Nest was similar to a storage ring, but its
interior was imbued with spiritual energy, allowing lifeforms
to survive in it.
In other words, as long as there was sufficient space in the
Myriad Anthive Nest, one could even put a human in it!
As a storage ring wasn’t suited for storing living beings, it was
extremely troublesome for Zhang Xuan to switch place with
his clone. However, if he could obtain the Myriad Anthive
Nest, he would be able to hide within it whenever he needed
his clone to appear in public.
In fact, he could even store the Great Violetwing Beast inside.
He would be able to catch his opponent off-guard by
summoning it in the midst of a battle.
This was especially so given his identity as a beast tamer. He
could store all of his tamed beasts inside the nest, and he
would have a mobile army with him at all times!
As such, he immediately rushed over as soon as the situation
at the gorge cleared up.
There was nothing more important than this at the moment. He
was even willing to give the spirit beasts and tamed beasts to
the master teachers just so that he could get to the Myriad
Anthive Queen as soon as possible.
After all, the Anthive Queen should have known by now that
he had saved the master teachers. If it were to escape or hide,
it would be difficult to find it once more.
Through the Eye of Insight, he was able to see the usually
indiscernible Myriad Ants clearly in the air. Flapping their
wings furiously, they were all heading in a certain direction.
Concealing his aura, Zhang Xuan silently followed behind
them.
Since these Myriad Ants had to report back to the Anthive
Queen, he would surely be able to find the latter by following
them.
Given his current cultivation, there was no difficulty in hiding
his presence from the Myriad Ants, who were mere savage
beasts.
Advancing ahead, he saw a few more groups of spirit beasts
attempting to lure the examinees into a trap. However, seeing
that the situation wasn’t as dangerous as the previous
encirclement, he chose not to interfere.
An hour later, he reached the middle mark of Leiyuan Peak.
At the current point, he was already several thousand meters
above ground level, and the air was even colder than before.
White clouds drifted in the surroundings, creating an illusion
as if one were treading on clouds.
The further Zhang Xuan proceeded up the mountain, the fewer
examinees he saw. At this point, he barely saw anyone else
anymore.
‘Could the Anthive Queen be in the valley ahead?’
Watching as the Myriad Ants dive into a lush valley, Zhang
Xuan chose to hide behind an enormous tree to assess the area
inside before making a move.
The valley was huge, extending far into the horizon. Around
three hundred meters away, there was a large cavern hidden
beneath the shadows.
‘To think that there would be some familiar faces here…’
Zhang Xuan chuckled.
There were two men standing at the entrance of the cavern,
and surprisingly, Zhang Xuan was actually able to recognize
them.
They were Senior Feng and Brother Yu, the man who made
the bet with him earlier before the examination!
At this moment, the duo was standing outside the cavern with
a burning incense stick in their hands.
The smoke of the incense slowly drifted into the interior of the
cavern.
‘Beastscale Incense? It’s no wonder that fellow dared to make
the bet with me. It seems like he does have a trump card to fall
back on…’
Upon seeing the incense, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.
Unlike normal incense sticks, the surface of the Beastscale
Incense was marked with grayish inscriptions, reminiscent of
scales.
After lighting it with one’s zhenqi, the smoke produced by the
incense would drift in the direction determined by the will of
the person who lit it.
This item was crafted using the scales of high-tier spirit beasts,
and it carried a unique scent that possessed a deadly charm to
weaker spirit beasts. If they were to inhale too much of it, it
could even lull them to sleep.
Rumor had it that the method of producing Beastscale Incense
had already been lost, so they were extremely rare and
invaluable.
It was probably due to this artifact that Brother Yu dared to
make the bet with him.
With this artifact in hand, he would be able to attract countless
spirit beasts over to him easily.
It seemed like that fellow had slain quite a few spirit beasts
and procured their inner cores already.
As for the reason why they were here, could it be that they had
noticed the Myriad Anthive Queen and intended to kill it?
Standing in front of the cavern, Feng Wu asked in disbelief,
“Brother Yu, is there really a Perfect Harmonization realm
spirit beast inside?”
“Don’t worry! I have made many preparations for this
examination. Not only did I procure a Beastscale Incense, I
even brought a few Seeking Mice here!” Brother Yu chuckled
as a snow-white mouse jumped from his bosom.
The Seeking Mouse was a unique savage beast that possessed
an exceptionally sensitive nose. Once it locked onto a scent, it
would be able to find the source even when worlds apart.
Back then, when Lu Chong had been attacked by Lin Lang
and hid in the royal palace’s Book Collection Vault, this
creature had been the one that betrayed his location.
“This… isn’t an ordinary Seeking Mouse?”
Taking a glance, Senior Feng realized that there was a black
streak trailing down from the Seeking Mouse’s head to its tail,
and this had left him perplexed.
He had seen a Seeking Mouse in the past as well, but he
recalled its fur to be completely white like snow. Why would it
have a black streak trailing down from its head?
“Of course not. Considering how ordinary Seeking Mice are
only savage beasts, how could they possibly accurately
pinpoint the location of spirit beasts? This is a mutated breed,
Golden Seeking Mouse, and it has long reached the level of a
spirit beast. What is unique about it is that it has been fed with
the feces of high-tier spirit beast from young. Once let loose, it
is able to track down all spirit beasts in a radius of several
dozen kilometers!”
Brother Yu stroked the Golden Seeking Mouse in his hand
gleefully.
He had spent a hefty price to purchase this Golden Seeking
Mouse just so as to achieve results so astounding that he could
attract the eyes of the elders to him.
And from the looks of it… it seemed to be working as
planned.
“This Golden Seeking Mouse is the one that told me that there
is a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inside…” Brother
Yu chuckled.
“Considering that it is a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit
beast, what should we do if the Beastscale Incense fails to
work on it?”
Hearing the confirmation form the other party, Senior Feng
still felt a little unnerved.
His cultivation realm was only at Half-Cosmos Bridge
whereas Brother Yu’s was at Cosmos Bridge realm primary
stage. If the Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast managed
to maintain its consciousness before the Beastscale Incense,
their lives would be in danger.
“It is not like you are unaware of the properties of the
Beastscale Incense. There’s no spirit beast beneath
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan that can withstand its potency.
Furthermore… even if it fails, I still have other aces up my
sleeves. You need not worry!” Brother Yu declared
confidently.
How could he possibly rush to this cavern knowing that there
was a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inside if he
hadn’t prepared anything else!
Other than the Beastscale Incense, he also had a grade-5
formation plate in his possession.
If that fellow really dared to come charging at them, that
would be the last thing it ever did!
713 Taming the Anthive
Queen
‘Even though the Beastscale Incense has the effect of inducing
drowsiness in spirit beasts, it is unlikely to work on the Myriad
Anthive Queen!’
Taking the scene before him into sight, Zhang Xuan shook his
head.
The Beastscale Incense had a powerful trancing effect that
would put even Transcendent Mortal 7-dan pinnacle spirit
beasts to sleep with just a single whiff. However, it just so
happened that the Myriad Anthive Queen was an exception.
A lifeform that could control thousands of Myriad Ants—how
powerful must its soul be?
How could it be easy to make it faint?
If they were to continue down this path, they would be in
trouble once the Myriad Anthive Queen emerged.
‘I must get the Myriad Anthive Nest by all costs. It won’t be
easy for me to get the Anthive Nest once they realize that the
spirit beast inside the cavern is the Anthive Queen…’
Zhang Xuan didn’t worry about the safety of the duo. After all,
how could one who could acquire even the invaluable
Beastscale Incense not possibly have even more formidable
life preservation means?
What he was more concerned with at the moment was how he
should keep the others from realizing what was inside!
The Anthive Queen was an incomparably rare spirit beast.
Even if one were to comb through the entire Hongyuan
Empire, they might not be able to find a second one. To
actually stumble upon one here already took a huge stroke of
luck. If it were to land in the other party’s hands, it would be
impossible for him to get it back anymore.
After all, who would be willing to give up an artifact capable
of storing an army?
‘Should I knock them out?’
Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw as he contemplated what he
should do.
The easiest way to obtain the Myriad Anthive Nest was for
him to rush in. However, the duo was blocking the entrance to
the cavern. To get past them, he would have to knock them
out.
‘But if Elder Mo found out and judged it as a violation of the
rules, I might be deemed to have failed the examination. That
would be a huge loss…’
As soon as such the thought came into his mind, Zhang Xuan
quickly shook his head.
He had little understanding of the capability of a Saint, so he
couldn’t tell whether Elder Mo had some way of enforcing the
rules. Since the latter had spoken against harming other
candidates to compete for their prey, if he were to be caught
knocking the other party out and taking the Myriad Anthive
Queen, he could land himself in serious trouble.
“Clone!”
Thus, Zhang Xuan chose to summon his clone.
Communicating telepathically with the other party, Zhang
Xuan executed the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps while
hiding himself amidst the lush tree crowns as he moved closer
to the cavern.
If he had used some movement technique instead, it was
unavoidable that he would produce some noise. Such a
problem wouldn’t occur when he was in flight.
As long as he didn’t wish to be found, the other party wouldn’t
be able to notice him easily even if they had reached Perfect
Harmonization realm.
Soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at a location just several dozen
meters away from the cavern, and he hid himself within the
shrubs.
…
“It has been some time since we lit the Beastscale Incense; the
spirit beast inside should be asleep by now. Should we go in to
take a look?”
After multiple reassurances from Brother Yu, Senior Feng was
finally able to put aside his worries. With nothing weighing on
his mind, he couldn’t help but flush in agitation at the thought
of procuring a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast inner
core.
Elder Mo had said earlier that Clarifying Turbidity realm
pinnacle spirit beast inner core was worth 1 point, a Consonant
Spirit realm primary stage spirit beast was worth 10 points
with an increment of 10 points for each small cultivation realm
higher, and a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast
was worth 100 points with an increment of 100 points for each
small cultivation realm higher… so on and so forth. Going by
this calculation, a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage
spirit beast inner core was worth 1000 points!
This was equivalent to killing ten Cosmos Bridge realm
primary stage spirit beasts! With such a score, he would be
able to earn a good placing despite the strong competition
from the other examinees.
“There’s no rush. A Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast
possesses an exceptionally powerful soul. We should wait a
little longer. It would be foolish to get careless now!” Brother
Yu said.
He was also excited by the situation before him, but he wasn’t
about to allow his anxiousness to get in the way of his success.
As confident as he was in the Beastscale Incense, he still felt
that he should be careful considering that it was a Perfect
Harmonization realm spirit beast he was dealing with.
“Alright!”
Senior Feng nodded with glowing eyes. “If we can hunt down
this one, Brother Yu’s points will near 2000. By then, Zhang
Xuan will surely be unable to catch up with you even with the
help from his half 9-dan spirit beast!”
Recalling the matters that had happened between him and
Zhang Xuan, he couldn’t help but feel slightly stifled.
Defeated by a single finger of the other party, he was utterly
humiliated to the point that his confidence was shattered. If
Brother Yu could defeat the other party in his stead, he might
just be able to reassemble the vestiges of his confidence.
“No matter how powerful his tamed beast may be, he has to be
able to find spirit beasts to hunt first. If he can’t even find the
spirit beasts, how can he obtain any points?”
Brother Yu sneered coldly as confidence beamed on his face.
So what if Zhang Xuan had a half 9-dan spirit beast?
Given the other party’s capability, he would only be able to
find and hunt down a single Cosmos Bridge spirit beast. On
the other hand, he was going to hunt down a Perfect
Harmonization realm spirit beast!
The other party’s defeat was already inevitable!
“Indeed…” Senior Feng nodded in agreement. But at that
moment, a strong wind suddenly sounded beyond the valley.
“Someone is here!”
Brother Yu’s face darkened.
Senior Feng also hurriedly turned his sights over.
It wasn’t easy for them to find such a formidable spirit beast.
Sharing it with another was the last thing on their mind.
Just as Brother Yu and Senior Feng tensed up warily, the
sound of the wind suddenly stopped. Following which, a deep
voice echoed.
“Those are the marks of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit
beast!”
“Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast?”
Hearing those words, Brother Yu and Senior Feng’s eyebrows
leaped in shock.
To be found with such convenient timing, it couldn’t be that
the other party had followed them here to steal their prey from
them, could it?
Hu hu!
However, it seemed like they were overthinking it. A strong
gust of wind suddenly blew in the surroundings once more, but
it gradually grew softer and softer. It seemed like the master
teacher had gone off in another direction to pursue the Perfect
Harmonization realm spirit beast he had just spoken of.
“Take care of the Beastscale Incense, I’ll go take a look!”
instructed Brother Yu before heading out of the valley, unable
to hold back his curiosity.
Could there really be another Perfect Harmonization realm
spirit beast here? Surely things couldn’t be so coincidental?
Thus, he dashed out of the forest, only to see a figure rushing
up the mountain. However, the figure was already extremely
far away, making it hard to identify him clearly.
As for the marks of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast,
he combed through the area several times but there was
nothing at all.
‘Now!’
At this moment, Senior Feng’s curious gaze was also directed
in the direction where Brother Yu left. The hidden Zhang Xuan
chuckled softly, and ‘hu!’, he dived discreetly into the cavern
without alarming anyone.
The one who exclaimed and fled earlier was Zhang Xuan’s
clone.
Naturally, his goal was to serve as a distraction so that Zhang
Xuan could find an opportunity to slip in.
Of course, he had his clone mask his voice and warp his
appearance so that it was impossible for the matter to be traced
back to him.
Hu!
After slipping into the cavern safely, Zhang Xuan immediately
activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the surroundings.
The interiors of the cavern were dark, cold, and damp. A layer
of Myriad Ants lay unconscious on the ground, passed out
under the potent effects of the Beastscale Incense.
Since the Beastscale Incense could knock out even a normal
Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast, how could mere
savage beasts possibly remain conscious before it?
Zhang Xuan slowly ventured deeper into the cavern. A
moment later, his eyes lit up.
Not too far away, there was a hive around the size of a football
hanging from the ceiling. However, it felt warm and smooth as
if it was forged out of jade. With just a single glance, it was
apparent that it was an extraordinary artifact.
Beside the hive was a spirit beast with snow-white fur. With a
plump physique, it was around the size of a human. From afar,
it resembled a snowman.
‘This is the Myriad Anthive Queen?’
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
He’d only learnt about the Myriad Anthive Queen from a brief
introduction in a book. There wasn’t much of a description on
its appearance, so Zhang Xuan had assumed that it would look
as hideous as the Myriad Ants. Who knew that it would have
such an adorable appearance instead?
Hu hu hu!
Deep in thought, Zhang Xuan failed to control his zhenqi for
an instant. The next instant, the snowy white Myriad Anthive
Queen’s eyes suddenly locked onto him.
Sou!
It abruptly pounced over, and its claws tore down upon Zhang
Xuan.
As expected of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast, it
possessed astonishing offensive power. Before the claw had
even reached him, Zhang Xuan could already feel an immense
pressure pushing down on him, threatening to tear him and the
space around him to shreds.
Perfect Harmonization reflected the eventual convergence of
all paths of a cultivator. With this convergence, one’s zhenqi
would become denser, purer, and more aligned with nature,
allowing one to harness greater strength. At the same time,
such a convergence also nourished one’s soul.
A simple claw it might be, but it was derived from a harmony
of the body, mind, and spirit. Unimaginable might was
harnessed behind that simple claw.
“Humph!”
Knowing that it was too late to hide, Zhang Xuan gathered his
might and countered with a fist.
His zhenqi raged furiously in his body. The might of his
Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation, along with the enhancement
from his physical body and soul, granted him strength
comparable to a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan.
Kacha!
The fist and claw collided, and before the Myriad Anthive
Queen could even process what was going on, its snowy body
was suddenly sent spinning through midair. It crashed into a
wall, leaving a huge dent in it.
It was simply too weak to stand against Zhang Xuan in a clash
of strength.
If not for the resilient constitution that spirit beasts possessed,
it might have died from that fist.
Weng!
After being sent flying in the first encounter, the Myriad
Anthive Queen was forced to acknowledge the prowess of the
man before it. Realizing the danger it was in, it hurriedly got
onto its feet and dashed forward, intending to grab its hive
before escaping.
“You want to escape?”
Knowing that it would be difficult for him to capture it once it
escaped, Zhang Xuan stepped against the ground and executed
the Heaven’s Path Movement Art. Hu! In the blink of an eye,
he suddenly appeared in between the Myriad Anthive Nest and
the Myriad Anthive Queen.
With a surge of zhenqi, he sealed the air around the Myriad
Anthive Queen, locking its movements.
Given Zhang Xuan’s current strength, it would be difficult for
a Perfect Harmonization realm expert to break through his
seal.
“Weng! Weng!”
Seeing the human before it preventing it from getting its nest,
the Myriad Anthive Queen panicked. Anxious, it bared its
fangs, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.
‘I must deal with it quickly…’
Zhang Xuan knew that he couldn’t waste too much time on the
Myriad Anthive Queen, especially since he had no way of
telling when Senior Feng and Brother Yu would come into the
cavern. Furthermore, there were countless Myriad Ants
sprawled all over the area. With their numbers, they would be
a difficult foe to deal with once the effect of the Beastscale
Incense wore off.
Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan gathered his
strength and stepped forward. His palm whipped forward
swiftly, striking the furry head of the Myriad Anthive Queen.
Peng!
Under that powerful palm strike, the Myriad Anthive Queen
was sent crashing back into the wall once more. Large
mouthfuls of blood spilled from its mouth.
This time, Zhang Xuan had utilized a significant portion of his
strength. Even despite the resilient defenses of a spirit beast,
the Myriad Anthive Queen still suffered severe injuries.
Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan gazed down
on the grievously wounded Myriad Anthive Queen
impassively. His throat vibrated slightly as he spoke in the
Ancient Beast Language.
“Submit to me and become my tamed beast, and I can heal you
and raise your cultivation. Otherwise… be prepared to die!”
After which, he flicked a surge of the incredibly pure Heaven’s
Path zhenqi into the other party’s body.
As if a refreshing stream of water was cleansing its body, the
Myriad Anthive Queen felt its pores opening up in relaxation.
Weng! Weng! Weng!
After witnessing the incredible purity of the surge of zhenqi
and its rapid recovery, the Myriad Anthive Queen realized that
its life was no longer in its control, and hesitance would only
lead to its demise. Thus, it lowered its head in submission.
“Yes. Let’s form the contract!”
Knowing that the other party had chosen to submit after
realizing that it was in a position of weakness, Zhang Xuan
nodded in satisfaction.
With the prowess of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi and Ancient
Beast Language, taming spirit beasts had become easier than
ever for him. There was no need for excessive words.
“This…”
Soon, after the contract was completed, Zhang Xuan exhaled a
mouthful of turbid breath. Following which, he glanced at the
hive before him with a peculiar expression.
714 Byzantium Helios Beas
After forming a contract with the Myriad Anthive Queen, a
mental connection was forged between both of their souls.
Through this connection, Zhang Xuan gained a level of
understanding toward the Anthive Nest.
Immersing his consciousness into the Anthive Nest to take a
look, Zhang Xuan’s eyes began twitching uncontrollably.
This football-size hive was indeed capable of housing
lifeforms, however… the diameter of the area inside was only
around two meters. At the very most, it could only store his
body and the Anthive Queen simultaneously, nothing more
than that.
Zhang Xuan’s initial thought had been to store the Great
Violetwing Beast inside as well and form a huge spirit beast
army who would follow him wherever he went. However,
from the way things currently looked… it seemed like this was
destined to remain as nothing more than a dream!
‘There are varying tiers to the Myriad Anthive Queens. The
one which I have tamed is the weakest of the lot, so the hive it
built is slightly on the weaker end as well. Unless I induce a
Bloodline Evolution in it and raise its cultivation, its hive will
only remain the same size forever…’
Soon, Zhang Xuan understood the reason behind this matter.
The Myriad Anthive Queen he’d tamed was the weakest
among its peers. Due to the limit of its strength, the hive that it
had built could only house itself. If Zhang Xuan wanted a
larger nest, he would have to find a way to raise the Myriad
Anthive Queen’s cultivation.
It was no wonder the Myriad Anthive Queen was able to
remain safe on this mountain! In the eyes of a true expert, the
functionality of such a hive was severely limited, and thus was
not worth the effort!
‘What the heck is this…’
Zhang Xuan had thought that he’d stumbled on a gold
mountain, but to think it would be rocks that were lying
beneath the golden exterior. He could only smile bitterly to
himself.
“There are disturbances in the spiritual energy inside. Let’s
hurry in to take a look…”
At that moment, a voice sounded outside the cavern.
Following which, anxious footsteps could be heard. It seemed
like Brother Yu and Senior Feng had noticed that something
was amiss, and they were on their way in!
Battling against the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Myriad
Anthive Queen, there was no way that Zhang Xuan could
conceal his aura. Considering the disturbance of spiritual
energy in the surroundings and the loud crashing noise from
the spirit beast crashing into the wall, how could they not have
realized that something was amiss?
“Let’s take a look first!”
A deep frown emerged on Zhang Xuan’s face.
He immediately had the Myriad Anthive Queen enter the
Anthive Nest before placing the Anthive Nest into the storage
ring.
Even though the Anthive Nest was a spatial artifact, it
possessed certain unique properties that allowed it to be stored
within a storage ring.
Otherwise, if Zhang Xuan were to be carrying a football-sized
object everywhere he went, even the most foolish of people
would know that there was something wrong with it.
Hu!
After all was done, just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave, the
footsteps seemed to have arrived at the entrance of the cavern.
Following which, a Night Illumination Pearl was suddenly
tossed in, lighting up the surroundings.
‘This is bad!’
Not expecting the other party to have reached him so quickly,
Zhang Xuan swiftly flicked his fingers.
Peng!
The Night Illumination Pearl which had just been tossed in
immediately exploded, and the light was swiftly swallowed by
darkness. Knowing that there was no time to be lost, Zhang
Xuan stepped forcefully against the ground.
Peng!
Executing the Heaven’s Path Movement Art, Zhang Xuan’s
figure suddenly vanished. Before Brother Yu and Senior Feng
could process what was going on, a swift blur flashed across
their eyes.
“Someone is here…”
Astonished, the duo hurriedly put up their guards. However,
the other party didn’t seem to have any intention of fighting
them. In the blink of an eye, the other party had already
disappeared from view.
“Who was it…”
Brother Yu hurriedly gave chase. However, when he dashed
out of the forest in the valley, there was no one in sight at all.
“The spirit beast… is missing?”
After which, he returned to the cavern to comb the area.
However, there was no spirit beast in sight either. Brother Yu
and Senior Feng traded glances with one another. They would
have to be a fool if they still couldn’t understand what was
going on!
“Damn it… To think that the spirit beast which I knocked out
with great difficulty was stolen! Who in the world is that
b*stard?” Brother Yu bellowed furiously.
From his point of view, he had already crippled the spirit beast
through his Beastscale Incense, but a b*stard had sneaked in to
kill and loot his prey.
Otherwise, how could there be signs of battle but not a single
Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast in sight?
To think that the spirit beast he’d spent so much Beastscale
Incense on would end up as a gift for another. It was fortunate
that he didn’t explode on the spot.
…
Outside the valley, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
‘That was a close call…’
It was fortunate that he had slipped out in time, or else his
reputation could have been tarnished if the other party had
insisted that he’d stolen his possession.
It was fortunate he’d moved swiftly to destroy the Night
Illumination Pearl, thus turning the cavern completely dark.
Otherwise, given the eye of discernment of the duo, they
would have surely been able to recognize him.
After ensuring that he was a safe distance away and that there
was no one around, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and released
the Anthive Queen.
There were still some doubts that he had to clarify with it.
“Why did you offer your services to the spirit beasts to deal
with the master teachers?”
Based on Zhang Xuan’s understanding, the Myriad Anthive
Queen was a callous being. Furthermore, it had no ties with
the spirit beasts here, so why would it help them deal with the
freshmen?
Wasn’t this just bringing itself unnecessary trouble?
“It’s… the Byzantium Helios Beast who forced me to do so!”
the Anthive Queen replied.
“Byzantium Helios Beast?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Having collected and assimilated in countless books from the
Beast Halls that he had visited, he had gained knowledge of
most savage beasts and spirit beasts in the world. However,
never had he heard of the Byzantium Helios Beast.
What in the world was that?
“That’s right! The Byzantium Helios Beast came by a few
days ago, and he commanded me to offer help to the spirit
beasts. On top of that, he even gathered all of the spirit beasts
together and rallied them to unite against the humans…”
The Anthive Queen revealed the truth of the incident.
“You are saying that a Byzantium Helios Beast organized all
of the spirit beasts across the entire Leiyuan Peak a few days
ago so as to deal with the freshmen during the entrance
examination?” Zhang Xuan asked with a grim expression.
If the Byzantium Helios Beast truly intended to protect these
spirit beasts, it could have commanded them to leave instead,
especially considering that the warning came several days ago.
The time interval was more than sufficient for them escape to
a safe distance away!
Yet, it chose to rally the spirit beasts against the humans…
Could it be that the Byzantium Helios Beast… intended to
deal with the budding stars of the Master Teacher Pavilion
here?
With a grave expression on his face, Zhang Xuan asked, “How
strong is the Byzantium Helios Beast?”
“I have no idea; I am unable to gauge the depths of its
strength. The only thing I know is that I am no match for him
at all…” The Anthive Queen shook its head. “Right, the
Byzantium Helios Beast is currently at the very top of Leiyuan
Peak. It is still personally overlooking the entire situation and
issuing commands!”
“At the top of Leiyuan Peak?”
Zhang Xuan was bewildered. What was the background of the
Byzantium Helios Beast? Why would he rally the spirit beasts
to fight against humans?
“Yes!” The Anthive Queen nodded.
After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan managed to
get a clearer glimpse of the picture. However, this only served
to deepen his doubts.
The spirit beasts across Leiyuan Peak were indeed captured
and released here by Elder Mo. However, a few days ago, the
Byzantium Helios Beast appeared from nowhere and rallied
the spirit beasts to cooperate with one another to deal with the
humans.
So as to not become the sacrificial tool for the humans, those
spirit beasts immediately agreed to cooperate with it.
Due to the unique capabilities of the Myriad Anthive Queen, it
was given the role of gathering intelligence. On the other
hand, the Byzantium Helios Beast was serving as the
commander of the entire operation, issuing instructions to the
spirit beasts to gather and encircle the master teachers so as to
destroy them.
Returning the Anthive Queen to the hive, Zhang Xuan stroked
his lower jaw and fell into deep thought.
‘If we allow the Byzantium Helios Beast to continue issuing
instructions to the spirit beasts, many examinees will surely be
killed…’
Everyone participated in this entrance examination
understanding that there was a clear risk of death, but there
was a huge difference if someone was pulling the strings from
behind the scenes to deal with the master teachers.
While it was a huge pity to see so many genius master teachers
fall here, what Zhang Xuan was even more furious about was
being played for a fool by a spirit beast.
“Allow me to see what kind of incredible being the Byzantium
Helios Beast is!”
For a mere spirit beast to disregard Elder Mo and the Master
Teacher Academy and tamper with the entrance examinations,
intending to do the examinees harm, Zhang Xuan was
interested to see what kind of incredible existence the other
party would be.
Thus, turning his gaze toward the peak, Zhang Xuan began
making his way up.
Leiyuan Peak was over 10,000 meters tall. The area beyond
the halfway mark was cloaked with a deep layer of snow, and
the terrain was treacherously steep. Without half a day of
arduous effort, it should have been impossible for anyone to
reach the peak.
However, through the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, it
took Zhang Xuan a mere ten minutes of flight to reach his
destination.
The area at the top of the peak was rather vast, spanning
several li. A white layer of snow cloaked the bare peak,
creating a natural mirror which threatened to sear one’s eyes
through the reflected sun rays.
With Zhang Xuan’s cultivation, he couldn’t possibly be
harmed by mere sun rays. Nevertheless, the endless white
snow in sight was extremely taxing on the eyes. Thus, Zhang
Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began scanning the area.
Without understanding the true strength of the Byzantium
Helios Beast, Zhang Xuan knew better than to act recklessly.
Thus, he switched to a set of white clothes to blend in with his
surroundings before slowly advancing while keeping his body
close to the ground.
‘There are spirit beast footprints ahead!’
After a moment of flight, Zhang Xuan soon noticed a set of
massive footprints heading in a specific direction.
These footprints were roughly half a meter large, and they
were deeply depressed in the thick layer of snow. This
indicated that the owner of the footprints possessed an
exceptionally large and heavy body.
‘What spirit beast is this?’
Zhang Xuan frowned, perplexed.
These footprints were somewhat similar to a human, but there
were some differing features, the main one being the size.
Having read many books regarding beast taming, Zhang Xuan
was confident in his knowledge regarding savage beasts and
spirit beasts. Even rare beings like the Myriad Anthive Queen
weren’t beyond him. Yet, the footprints before him felt
extremely foreign.
‘Nevertheless, through the footprints, I will be able to track it
down. My answer will lie at the end of this trail…’
Knowing that the mystery would be resolved at the end of the
trail of footprints, Zhang Xuan hurried forward.
After a moment of flight, a massive straw cottage came into
view. The footsteps disappeared at the doorstep of the straw
cottage.
‘A straw cottage? Could it be that… someone is living here?’
Spirit beasts usually resided in caves and such. Since there was
a straw cottage here, did it mean that this was the residence of
a human? And for the massive footprints which led to the
straw cottage, did it mean that the spirit beast was actually a
tamed beast of this human?
If that was the case, what motives did that human have?
‘Or perhaps… could it be an Otherworldly Demon? This
would explain the motive behind rallying the spirit beasts
against the master teachers,’ Zhang Xuan thought grimly.
If one had to name a race which bore deep hostility toward the
master teachers, the Otherworldly Demons were surely the
first to come to mind. Considering how the Byzantium Helios
Beast had commanded the spirit beasts to deal with the master
teachers, there was indeed a real possibility that Otherworldly
Demons were pulling the strings!
Otherwise, why would anyone build a straw cottage on the top
of this desolate snow mountain and live here?
At this moment, all of the pieces of the puzzle seemed to snap
together.
‘I should take a look first…’
With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan slowly approached
while holding his breath so as to prevent his aura from leaking
out.
As expected, he soon noticed a massive spirit beast lying
within the straw cottage through the opened doors. Its massive
eyes were lightly shut, making it difficult to tell whether it was
awake or asleep.
‘Is this the Byzantium Helios Beast that the Myriad Anthive
Queen spoke about? There’s no spirit beast in mind that
matches its description…’
The massive spirit beast in front of him was covered in a
slightly grayish fur, reminiscent of a massive ape. It was a
species which Zhang Xuan had never heard of, and this made
him frown in frustration.
If it was a species unknown to him, there would be no record
of the other party’s strength, personality, and ability either.
A foreign spirit beast whose cultivation exceeded
Transcendent Mortal 7-dan. Even for Zhang Xuan, this was a
fearsome power to reckon with.
Hu hu hu!
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to approach to scout the
situation, the sound of wind suddenly echoed from afar. An
aerial spirit beast slowly flew over from the distance.
This fellow carried an astonishing aura that exerted an
immense pressure even from a distance away.
A Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast.
“It must be in cahoots with the Byzantium Helios Beast!”
Seeing how that huge fellow rushed in without concealing its
aura, and how the Byzantium Helios Beat didn’t seem to pay
the matter any heed either, Zhang Xuan could tell that the two
were well-acquainted with one another. Thus, he slowly
lowered himself to the ground and hid amidst the snow.
His movements were extremely light, and his clothes
camouflaged with the surroundings as well. Even with the
aerial view of that flying Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit
beast, it still failed to notice him.
715 Poor Brother Yu
Hu!
The Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial spirit beast landed right
before the straw cottage. As it withdrew its wings, the massive
gale from its movements lifted a cloud of snow from the
ground.
Roar!
After descending to the ground, the aerial spirit beast howled.
Had any other beast tamer been here in Zhang Xuan’s place,
he would surely have been at a loss as to what was happening.
However, fluent in the Ancient Beast Language, Zhang Xuan
was able to comprehend the intent he was conveying through
the roar.
“Lord, I have carried out your instructions and trapped those
master teachers! There are at least three hundred to a thousand
of them encircled at the moment, and most of them are
injured!” the aerial spirit beast said.
Upon reaching the Transcendent Mortal realm, spirit beasts
would acquire intelligence that was on par with humans. Even
though they were still incapable of complex arts such as the
setting up of formations and forging of weapons, they were
already capable of analyzing the situation as a whole and
carrying out orders.
Take Zhang Xuan’s tamed beast for example, the Great
Violetwing Beast. To exact vengeance for the Draconic
Granite Beast, it had wreaked havoc upon the Huanyu Empire
Beast Hall multiple times. However, while it was doing so, it
would assess the situation before striking. For example, there
was a period of time when a 6-star beast tamer was brought in
to deal with it, but it wisely chose to steer clear during that
period of time, leaving the Beast Hall completely helpless
before it.
‘As expected, they are intending to deal with the master
teachers on the mountain!’
Hearing the words from the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuan’s
expression turned livid.
Considering how this spirit beast had reached Transcendent
Mortal 7-dan and was capable of flight, there were nearly no
master teachers on the mountain who possessed the means to
rival it on the peak!
Eight out of ten of the examinees were still at the Clarifying
Turbidity realm while the rest were mainly at the Consonant
Spirit realm. Even though a very small handful such as Brother
Yu had reached Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage, they
were still far from matching up to this Transcendent Mortal 7-
dan spirit beast!
Not to mention, it was ruling over countless savage spirit
beasts at that!
Judging from the aerial spirit beast’s report, it seemed the
master teachers Zhang Xuan had saved were only a portion of
the victims in this scheme.
Considering how these two fellows had actually dared to lay
their hands on the freshmen of the Master Teacher Academy,
there was an extremely good chance that they had a close
relationship with the Otherworldly Demons. Even if that
wasn’t the case, it was clear that they were hostile toward
humans.
“Well done!”
The Byzantium Helios Beast climbed to its feet, and it slowly
walked out of the straw cottage.
Its movements were slow and casual, but it was brimming with
power. Zhang Xuan felt as if he were staring into an abyss,
leaving him incapable of determining the depths of the other
party’s cultivation.
‘Eye of Insight!’
Several lines rippled in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he tried to peer
into the other party’s cultivation. But to his shock, he realized
that even the Eye of Insight was incapable of seeing through
the other party.
‘Could this mean that… the Byzantium Helios Beast has
reached Transcendent Mortal 9-dan… or even beyond that?’
While Zhang Xuan’s current cultivation was only at Cosmos
Bridge realm pinnacle, his fighting prowess was already on
par with a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage cultivator.
As such, his Eye of Insight was capable of seeing through the
might of a weaker Transcendent Mortal 9-dan spirit beast.
Yet, he was unable to see through the mountain-like fellow
before him. Did this mean that the other party had reached a
deep mastery in Transcendent Mortal 9-dan? Or perhaps… had
the other party surpassed the limits of a Transcendent Mortal
already?
Beyond the 9-dans of Transcendent Mortal lay Half-Saint!
A spirit beast of this level was known as a saint beast.
If that was the case, this would explain why Zhang Xuan had
never heard of the Byzantium Helios Beast. Given the Huanyu
Empire Beast Hall’s tier, there was no one who was
sufficiently powerful to record books regarding saint beasts.
Overwhelmed with astonishment, Zhang Xuan accidentally
caused a slight disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy.
This action immediately attracted the Byzantium Helios
Beast’s attention, and it turned its head over.
Startled, Zhang Xuan hurriedly retracted his gaze and focused
his efforts on concealing his presence.
With Zhang Xuan’s current ability, even dealing with a
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan spirit beast would pose a huge
threat, needless to say a Half-Saint beast!
With the incredible pure Heaven’s Path zhenqi and his refined
control over his physical body, Zhang Xuan was able to
conceal his presence thoroughly. Even a Saint would find it
hard to notice him.
After glancing over momentarily, the Byzantium Helios Beast
didn’t seem to notice anything of interest, so it chose to turn its
attention back to the aerial spirit beast.
“Has any master teachers noticed yet?” the Byzantium Helios
Beast asked.
“Not yet. However, the two hundred master teachers trapped at
Heaven’s Thread have been saved by someone, and…”
At this point, the aerial spirit beast suddenly stopped. Its face
was marked with hesitance, and it seemed as if he could hardly
believe what he was about to say as well.
“And what?”
The Byzantium Helios Beast gazed deeply at the aerial spirit
beast, and in that instant, it felt as if the sky was pressing down
on them.
‘Saint beast!’
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows leaped in shock.
Even though his gaze was no longer on the duo for fear of
being noticed, he was familiar with this immense pressure. It
was something he had felt from Elder Mo before the
commencement of the entrance examination!
In other words, the other party wasn’t a Half-Saint or a
Nascent Saint but a true Saint!
To think that it was a Saint who had plotted the scheme against
the examinees…
Cold sweat immediately trickled down Zhang Xuan’s back!
Even if all of the examinees were to gather at this spot, they
would still be no match for the other party! This was the
immense might that a true Saint possessed!
“Furthermore, all of the spirit beasts assigned to Heaven’s
Thread have terminated communications with me. It seems
that… they have betrayed us!” the aerial spirit beast reported.
“They have terminated communications? To dare betray me,
they sure are brazen…”
The Byzantium Helios Beast narrowed its eyes. “Who are
they? I’ll teach them a lesson after this matter comes to an
end!”
“It’s the Bluebacked Ferocious Bear, Steelfang Panther,
Southern Yellow Tiger, Metal-arm Ape… These, and the
Anthive Myriad Queen as well!” the aerial spirit beast said.
After hearing that even the Myriad Anthive Queen had
terminated communications as well, the Byzantium Helios
Beast asked seriously, “The Myriad Anthive Queen as well?
Have you looked into the matter yet?”
The Myriad Anthive Queen was the source of its information.
Even with the prowess of a Saint, the Byzantium Helios Beast
was still unable to extend its radar across the entire Leiyuan
Peak to keep track of the movements of the master teachers.
“I suspect that it has been killed!” the aerial spirit beast
replied. “After losing communications with the Anthive
Queen, I flew to its nest and saw two master teachers snooping
suspiciously around the area with a Beastscale Incense in
hand…”
“Beastscale Incense? That artifact has the effect of inducing
drowsiness in one. Are they intending to lay their hands on the
Anthive Queen?” The Byzantium Helios Beast roared
furiously, and the pressure pushing down on the mountain
peak suddenly intensified, as if reflecting its rage.
“I’m afraid that seems to be the case. After knocking the two
fellows out, I combed through the cavern, and while I saw
marks of battle, I wasn’t able to find the Anthive Queen itself.
Thus, I took their storage rings thinking that I might find
traces of the Anthive Queen inside.”
Under the rage of the Byzantium Helios Beast, the aerial spirit
beast hurriedly explained with a trembling body, “As a spirit
beast, I don’t possess zhenqi, so I am unable to access the
storage ring to ascertain whether the Anthive Queen has been
captured or killed by them.”
Following which, the aerial spirit beast raised its giant claws,
and two storage rings came flying toward the Byzantium
Helios Beast.
There were two conditions to opening a storage ring. First, one
had to be the owner of the storage ring, or the storage ring had
to be ownerless. Second, one had to possess zhenqi. For some
reason, the Byzantium Helios Beast had ordered them strictly
against killing any of the master teachers in this operation, so
Senior Feng and Brother Yu were still alive. On top of that, he
didn’t possess zhenqi, so he was unable to access the interiors
of the storage ring.
“Allow me to take a look!”
While the rules above applied for most cases, with its immense
might as a saint beast, the Byzantium Helios Beast could still
access the storage ring through brute force. After grabbing
hold of the rings, it placed its massive claws on it.
Following which, an overwhelmingly powerful soul seeped
into the storage ring.
A moment later, the Byzantium Helios Beast shook its head
and said, “The Myriad Anthive Queen isn’t inside, and there is
no inner core either. Most likely, it managed to escape from
them. You should try looking for it once more.”
“Yes!” Hearing that its companion was fine, the aerial spirit
beast heaved a sigh of relief.
While the Soul Imprints were forcefully wiped off the storage
rings, two unconscious figures lying halfway up the mountain
suddenly spurted blood simultaneously before waking up.
They were Brother Yu and Senior Feng, who had been
knocked out by the aerial spirit beast just a moment ago.
The forceful erasure of their Soul Imprints had inflicted
internal injuries on them, leaving them with splitting
headaches.
“My clothes and storage ring…”
Lowering their heads, the duo suddenly froze for an instant
before their bodies started trembling.
Fearing that they might have hidden some other storage rings
on them, the aerial spirit beasts had taken away their clothes as
well. As a result, not only were the possessions of the duo
taken away, they were also stark naked at the moment.
“What the heck is this?”
They were there to hunt spirit beasts, but to think that they
would end up being stripped clean by the other party instead…
They would have understood it if it had just been their storage
rings, but for their clothes to have been taken away as well…
What the heck was going on?
Could it be that… the spirit beasts weren’t just interested their
possessions but their bodies as well?
With such a thought in mind, the duo hurriedly turned their
gazes downward to look at their own bodies. Seeing that there
were no signs of being taken advantage of, the duo heaved a
slight sigh of relief. This was perhaps their only blessing
amidst this misfortune.
It was only a while earlier that Brother Yu had declared
confidently that he would compete with Zhang Xuan to see
who was the superior one when such a situation occurred.
How was he supposed to emerge victorious in such a state?
Putting aside competing with Zhang Xuan, he didn’t even
have a single inner core, putting him at risk of failing the
examination!
What the heck was this!
While the other master teachers were gathering the skin,
bones, and even inner cores of the spirit beasts, they were
losing their storage rings and clothes…
It was fortunate that no one had seen them in their current
state. Otherwise, they would have been too ashamed to face
the world.
Standing up, Brother Yu hurriedly searched for a sufficiently
large tree leaf to conceal his private parts. After which, with an
indignant expression on his face, he said, “Let’s quickly hunt
down a few spirit beasts to make some clothes first… We can
decide what to do afterward!”
“Yes!”
Senior Feng nodded in agreement.
The urgent matter at hand was to find something to wear. It
was embarrassing to run around with one’s bottom bare in
public, even if there was no one around!
“It is fortunate that the Beastscale Incense is still here. With
this, we can hunt even Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts
easily…”
After wrapping a layer of tree leaves around his waist, Brother
Yu looked around the area and saw a half-burnt Beastscale
Incense lying in the vicinity. It seemed that the spirit beast
who had attacked them hadn’t taken it away from them.
Seeing that he still had this artifact with him, he immediately
heaved a sigh of relief.
As long as he still had the Beastscale Incense, there was still a
chance that he could make a comeback.
After all, while Zhang shi might not be weak, defeating a
Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast would likely
be his limit. On the other hand, with the Beastscale Incense,
they could easily hunt down any Cosmos Bridge realm spirit
beast and procure their inner cores.
“Let’s hurry!”
After covering whatever that needed to carry with leaves and
vines, the duo hurriedly headed to the top of the mountain.
The higher up the mountain, the more likely it was that they
would encounter stronger spirit beasts. With half of the time
gone, their only hope of making a comeback was to go for
quality instead of quantity.
As they flitted swiftly through the forest, the leaves on their
waists swayed, revealing a sight consisting of both fairness
and darkness…
…
“As long as the Myriad Anthive Queen is still alive, it will
surely send its Myriad Ants to liaise with us soon. But until
that happens, you’ll have to fill in for it and ensure that
everything goes according to plan!”
At the pinnacle of Leiyuan Peak, the Byzantium Helios Beast
gave the aerial spirit beast its orders.
The aerial spirit beast nodded its massive head and confidently
replied, “Don’t worry!”
Without the Myriad Anthive Queen to relay messages here and
there, they could only depend on this aerial spirit beast to
scout the area and relay messages around.
“You can leave now!”
The Byzantium Helios Beast waved its massive claws.
“Yes!” The aerial spirit beast nodded before spreading its
wings and soaring into the sky. After a short moment, it had
already disappeared from view.
After the departure of the aerial spirit beast, the Byzantium
Helios Beast’s body tightened, and its massive body floated up
slightly. It turned its head to the side to glance at a certain
direction with a sharp gleam in its eyes.
“That fellow hiding over there, you can come out now!”
This wasn’t spoken in the Ancient Beast Language but in the
human tongue.
“So, I have been noticed…”
The Byzantium Helios Beast was looking directly at where
Zhang Xuan was hiding. Realizing that he had been spotted,
Zhang Xuan’s body stiffened, and the blood running through
his veins froze.
He thought that he had done a good job hiding his presence,
but to think that… he was still discovered!
716 Rip Him a New One
But this was to be expected!
Perhaps a Half-Saint or Nascent Saint might find it difficult to
notice him when his aura was completely concealed, but the
same tricks would not work on a Saint.
Upon reaching Sainthood, one’s entirety would become
completely aligned with nature. The authority of nature would
be imbued into every single gesture and movement of one.
Even if Zhang Xuan had been buried deep inside the snow, it
was likely that the Byzantium Helios Beast would still have
been able to notice him.
Just like how Transcendent Mortals were higher existences to
Fighters, Saints were superior existences to Transcendent
Mortals.
‘I was still noticed in the end.’
Knowing that there was little point to continue hiding, Zhang
Xuan took in a deep breath before standing up.
It should have been that slight spiritual energy disturbance
which he’d caused by a slight mistake earlier that had betrayed
his presence. Most likely, the only reason the Byzantium
Helios Beast allowed Zhang Xuan to continue listening to their
conversation was because it was certain that he was unable to
comprehend the Ancient Beast Language. Thus, there was no
worry about information leaking out.
As such, it decided to first finish the discussion with the aerial
spirit beast before dragging Zhang Xuan out from his hiding
place.
The Byzantium Helios Beast assessed Zhang Xuan and asked,
“You are a new student in the Master Teacher Academy?”
Upon reaching Sainthood, spirit beasts would undergo an
evolution which allowed them to speak human speech.
“Yes!” Knowing that it was impossible for him to play any
tricks before the other party, Zhang Xuan nodded obediently.
“To be able to reach Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle and find
this location despite having yet to officially enroll at the
academy, you are truly not bad at all. Even if you aren’t the
top of this batch, you won’t be too far from that.”
After taking a look at Zhang Xuan’s cultivation, the
Byzantium Helios Beast nodded in agreement.
“It’s nothing much!”
Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly in response. At the same time,
his hands were fiddling behind his back, seemingly trying to
do something.
“Don’t try those little tricks with me… I can’t guarantee you
that I’ll be able to control my temper!”
Noticing the little actions Zhang Xuan was up to, the
Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed.
“Temper?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head as he assessed the Byzantium
Helios Beast impassively. “Those are my words. I’m afraid
that I might just lose control myself and accidentally pummel
you to death!”
“What did you say?” The Byzantium Helios Beast was visibly
stunned by the arrogant words spouted by the young man
before it. As the shock gradually retreated, fury swiftly took its
place.
It was a saint beast whereas the other party was nothing more
than a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator. Even without moving
a single inch, it could kill that young man with just its soul
itself. Yet, the other party still dared to threaten it, saying that
he couldn’t control his temper and might pummel it to death?
‘Do you know what kind of existence you are speaking to?
‘Conceited fool!’
“You seem to be very confident in yourself.” With a livid face,
the Byzantium Helios Beast harrumphed coldly. A blazing
fury ignited in its eyes, threatening to burn down everything in
sight.
“This is not confidence; I am merely stating a fact. Alright, I’ll
give you a chance. As long as you acknowledge me as your
master, I can spare you from death,” Zhang Xuan said casually
with his hands behind his back, seemingly thinking nothing of
the situation before him at all.
“It is always the ignorant who are fearless, it seems you have
no idea who you are speaking to. Since that’s the case, allow
me to hammer humility into your bones!”
Not expecting that an existence which was little more than an
ant to it would arrogantly command it to acknowledge him as
its master, even boasting to kill it should it refuse the offer, the
face of the Byzantium Helios Beast turned livid. The fur
across its entire body suddenly rose in fury, and with a
wrathful roar, it abruptly raised its palm.
Huala!
A dense congregation of spiritual energy gathered
instantaneously to form a massive palm that seemed to cover
the entire sky. It felt as if the entire mountain could be
flattened should the Byzantium Helios Beast will for it to
happen.
Saint beasts might still be unable to cultivate zhenqi, but in
exchange, they possessed earth-shattering physical might that
could move mountains and split oceans. Putting aside a mere
mountain, even wiping away an entire nation such as Tianxuan
Kingdom was as easy as breathing to it.
Before the palm could even land, the immense pressure from
the palm had already melted the thick layer of snow in the
area. It felt as if a comet was hurtling toward this area.
“Hammer humility into my bones? I wonder who the one
being arrogant here is…”
Zhang Xuan stood composed even before the devastating
might of the palm. Instead, he chuckled lightly and clapped.
“Vicious, rip him a new one!”
Even against a Saint, Zhang Xuan had his own trump cards as
well.
The twenty or so puppets he had obtained from the
underground chamber all possessed the might of a Saint.
Beating a Saint 1-dan saint beast should be no trouble at all!
After all, the supreme existence which had boasted to rival
Kong shi in a fight in the past was lying right in his hands…
Vicious!
This fellow might be trapped in the Book of Heaven’s Path at
the moment, leaving him immobilized and vulnerable, but his
strength was still no joke. Even if ten Byzantium Helios Beasts
were to turn up, it would be far from sufficient to slaughter
him!
Boom!
As Zhang Xuan raised his hand, an opened book suddenly
appeared above his palm. A beating heart could be seen on a
page in the book.
“Break!” commanded an authoritative voice.
Huala!
It was as if the word carried some mystical might. The palm
which the Byzantium Helios Beast struck out suddenly
shattered like glass, turning into spiritual energy that
dissipated swiftly into the surroundings.
“What…”
Seeing how the young man’s artifact overcame his attack just
by uttering a single word, the eyes of the Byzantium Helios
Beast narrowed in astonishment.
With a cultivation realm of Saint 1-dan pinnacle, its true
strength ranked among the top experts of Hongyuan Empire!
It thought that dealing with a Cosmos Bridge realm brat would
be a walk in the park, but who knew that the other party would
possess an artifact which could overcome its attack with just a
single word?
‘Run!’
An ominous foreboding gripped the Byzantium Helios Beast.
True to its instincts, it leaped into the sky without any
hesitation.
Even though it didn’t possess wings, as a saint beast, it was
still capable of flight.
It didn’t fear the young man; what it feared was the enigmatic
artifact the other party wielded. Unsure of the capabilities of
the artifact, the Byzantium Helios Beast chose to run away and
rally additional help to deal with the young man instead of
taking the risk.
“You wish to escape before my presence? Dream on!”
Barely after flying to a height of several dozen meters, a frigid
voice suddenly sounded below. Following which, an
overwhelming killing intent suddenly assaulted the Byzantium
Helios Beast’s mind, leaving its consciousness blank.
‘Otherworldly Demonic Tribe…’
That momentary lapse in its consciousness dispelled the force
which was levitating the Byzantium Helios Beast, resulting in
its plummet from the sky. Putong! It fell head first into the
snow.
“Little Vicious, not bad at all. It seems you aren’t all talk!”
Not expecting Vicious to be so formidable, crushing the
Byzantium Helios Beast’s attack with a single utterance and
felling it with a single thought, Zhang Xuan stroked the heart
in the book in commendation.
“…” Vicious twitched violently in response to the praise,
unable to utter a single word in response.
The Byzantium Helios Beast also happened to see this sight
just as it raised its head off the surface of the ground, and it
nearly spurted blood.
Even though it had no idea what was sealed in the book, there
was no doubt that the being inside was an existence that used
to stand at the very top of this continent. The Byzantium
Helios Beast had suspected that it might be the young man’s
teacher or guardian, but who could have thought…
The young man would actually stroke the supreme expert as if
he were a pug!
Wasn’t there something very wrong with this picture here!
Who in the world was the young man?
‘That killing intent… That heart is most probably an expert of
the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, could this young
man be an Otherworldly Demon who is hoping to infiltrate the
Master Teacher Academy?’
Upon realizing this possibility, the Byzantium Helios Beast
suddenly felt its blood turn cold.
Legend has it that the royal family of the Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe possessed the ability to disguise themselves as
humans and even master teachers, and no one would be able to
tell the difference.
Back then, there was one such Otherworldly Demon that had
successfully infiltrated the core group of the master teachers.
With the secrets it had obtained, the Otherworldly Demonic
Tribe had nearly crushed the Master Teacher Pavilion.
If not for Kong shi’s astuteness which led him to notice that
something was amiss, the ones who would be ruling the
Master Teacher Continent now would be the Otherworldly
Demons and not the human race!
No matter how it looked at the young man, he was no different
from an ordinary human. Could he really be Otherworldly
Demon royalty? Otherwise, how could he possibly get off
unscathed after treating such a powerful expert of the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe like a dog?
“I will kill you…”
Realizing the potential threat that the young man posed to the
Master Teacher Pavilion, the eyes of the Byzantium Helios
Beast immediately turned crimson in rage.
If its conjecture was right, it would have to stop this young
man from getting into the Master Teacher Academy at all
costs. Otherwise, who knew what kind of danger he would
bring upon the academy or even the entire human race in the
future?
Hu!
Pushing against the ground, the Byzantium Helios Beast
suddenly lunged toward Zhang Xuan like a bolt of lightning.
With the astounding might it possessed in its body and the
frightening speed it was moving at, there was little doubt that
Zhang Xuan would be reduced to dust if its body were to crash
into him.
Vicious was still contemplating how he should negotiate with
Zhang Xuan regarding his release considering the merits he
had just achieved when he noticed the Byzantium Helios Beast
charging over once more. Angry that the other party was
getting in his way, it bellowed furiously, “Kneel down!”
‘Just because I am sealed in a book now doesn’t mean that you
can climb over my head!
‘To dare to kill a Celestial Master Teacher recognized by the
heavens itself, as well as the man who governs my fate, how
brazen you are!’
Boom!
With his bellow, the unique killing intent which Otherworldly
Demons possessed assaulted the Byzantium Helios Beast’s
mind once more. As if a fly swatted down, the latter
immediately crashed into the ground and slid uncontrollably.
While Vicious’ strength was severely impaired at the moment,
dealing with a mere Saint 1-dan beast was not much different
from smacking a mosquito.
Suppressed on the ground by an incredible force, the
Byzantium Helios Beast glared at Zhang Xuan with crimson
eyes. It bellowed frenziedly in indignation, “Damn you, I will
rip you into pieces…”
“You are so eager to kill me?”
Seeing the other party’s attitude, Zhang Xuan was rendered
speechless.
This lapdog of the Otherworldly Demons sure was arrogant!
It must have realized the threat he posed to the Otherworldly
Demons due to his superior talent, so it had decided to end him
while his abilities hadn’t matured yet.
“That’s right! Even if it costs my life, I’ll drag you down to
hell with me!” the Byzantium Helios Beast roared.
“I see…”
Those words had helped Zhang Xuan make up his mind.
Snapping his finger, he pointed to the Byzantium Helios Beast
and ordered, “Put your feet in that beast!”
Huala!
All of a sudden, twenty puppets suddenly materialized amidst
the white snow.
Since that fellow was bent on killing him, there was no need to
stand on ceremony with it.
Roar!
The puppets roared simultaneously as they stormed forward
furiously.
Hu!
The first puppet to arrive planted its feet right into the
Byzantium Helios Beast’s face, sending it flying into the air.
Before the latter could even respond, another puppet that had
been lying in wait behind shot a fist onto its back, pushing it
back to the ground.
Peng peng peng peng!
The Byzantium Helios Beast was thrown around the place, and
bright, red swellings swiftly emerged all over its body. Large
mouthfuls of blood spilled from its mouth.
‘Otherworldly Demon puppets? As expected, he is a member
of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe’s royal family… Damn it,
damn it!’
The appearance of so many Otherworldly Demon puppets at
once only served to reinforce the Byzantium Helios Beast’s
conjecture. After all, other than the royal family of the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, who else could command such a
powerful expert and so many Otherworldly Demon puppets?
Rage and indignation permeated its soul. If only it had noticed
earlier and killed the young man swiftly, he could have
avoided a calamity. But alas, it was too late now…
Under the assault of twenty Saint 1-dan puppets, it was
completely helpless!
Not to mention, it was currently immobilized by the killing
intent from the heart!
After countless fists and kicks had landed on its body, the
Byzantium Helios Beast found its sight slowly darkening, and
its consciousness was slowly drifting away.
Just as the Byzantium Helios Beast thought that it would be
killed, the impassive voice of the young man suddenly
sounded once more.
“How about now? Have you changed your mind yet? If you
acknowledge me as your master, I can spare you from death!”
717 The Miserable
Byzantium Helios Beas
At the foot of Leiyuan Peak, with the swift flash of a shadow,
a human and a saint beast landed on the ground.
“Elder Mo!”
The human stepped forward and clasped his fist with a smile.
“Pavilion Master Mo!” Elder Mo hurriedly returned the
greetings.
The person who had just arrived was none other than the
pavilion master of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher
Pavilion, Mo Gaoyuan!
Even though he wasn’t a member of the Ten Great Master
Teachers, his standing and capability was on par with them.
“Langya Saint Beast!” Elder Mo turned to the saint beast by
the side and clasped his fist in greeting as well.
Mo Gaoyuan’s tamed beast, Saint 1-dan primary stage Langya
Saint Beast!
As fellow Saints, there was a need to maintain basic
ceremonial respect.
“Greetings to Elder Mo!” The Langya Saint Beast replied in
human tongue.
After the formalities, Elder Mo turned to Mo Gaoyuan and
asked doubtfully, “May I know the reason behind Pavilion
Master Mo and Langya Saint Beast’s arrival?”
The Master Teacher Pavilion and Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy could be considered as equal existences under the
direct command of the same Conferred Empire headquarter.
As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion had no authority to
interfere with the recruitment of the Master Teacher Academy.
“I heard that there are many talented students in this batch, so I
dropped by to take a look…” Mo Gaoyuan chuckled.
Since this was the entrance examination, Zhang shi had to be
there as well. Mo Gaoyuan was intending to improve his
relationship with him, as well as to make use of this
opportunity to ask about Yang shi.
Hearing that the other party was only here to spectate, Elder
Mo secretly heaved a sigh of relief and replied while stroking
his beard, “There are indeed quite a few talented students this
year, but it’s hard to tell whether they will be able to pass the
examination or not!”
“Oh? Is there something deeper to the examination?” Mo
Gaoyuan asked in bewilderment.
The purpose of the examination should be to sieve out the
talented students from the mediocre ones. Otherwise, what
would be the point of conducting an entrance examination?
“Isn’t the test this year regarding hunting Transcendent Mortal
4-dan pinnacle spirit beasts? To those talented students, it
shouldn’t be hard to clear this mission!”
The entrance examination of the Master Teacher Academy was
a huge affair in Hongyuan Empire. As the head of the regional
Master Teacher Pavilion, how could he remain unaware of the
matter?
While it might be difficult for a 4-star master teacher to defeat
a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle spirit beast in a
straightforward battle, it shouldn’t be too difficult for them to
clear the mission if they were to prepare themselves
beforehand.
“The admission criteria of the Master Teacher Academy isn’t
based on whose fist is the strongest. If it were just mere
hunting, don’t you think this entrance examination would be a
little too easy for them?” Elder Mo chuckled. “Thus, I
prepared a little surprise for them!”
“Oh?” Elder Mo was taken aback. He traded astonished
glances with Langya Saint Beast.
When the both of them had heard the rules of the entrance
examination earlier, they also found certain aspects of it
slightly unusual. After listening to Elder Mo’s words, they
realized that there might be another side to the examination.
“On the surface, the examination is a hunting contest where
the one who gathers the most inner cores wins. However, I
have designed it in a manner such that it will test the
examinees’ adaptability and reactions in times of danger!”
Elder Mo said with a smile. There was no need for him to hide
this matter from Mo Gaoyuan. “In truth, the spirit beasts on
the mountain have been organized to coordinate with one
another to deal with the examinees. They have prepared bait
and traps to lure the examinees into their encirclement!”
“Encirclement?” Mo Gaoyuan’s eyebrows shot up anxiously.
“But those examinees are the Master Teacher Pavilion’s
future…”
“Don’t worry, the spirit beasts have been strictly warned
against claiming their lives!” Knowing what Mo Gaoyuan was
thinking, Elder Mo hurriedly reassured him.
Those were the fresh blood of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the
pillars who would prop up the organization as well as
humanity in the future. Even as one of the Ten Great Master
Teachers, he dared not put them in such grave danger at his
own whim.
Thus, he had made precautions to ensure that the spirit beasts
would only trap and wound the examinees.
Otherwise, how could Ding shi and the others hold on for so
long until Zhang Xuan’s intervention came without suffering
even a single casualty? One must know that they were
encircled by several hundred spirit beasts, and a significant
proportion of them was even at the Cosmos Bridge realm!
However, due to the tense situation then, no one noticed this
oddity. Even Zhang Xuan had overlooked this fact.
“I see!”
Mo Gaoyuan heaved a sigh of relief. With the safety of the
students off his mind, he began thinking about the
examination, and his eyes slowly gleamed in excitement. “So,
this is actually an emulation of a war between the spirit beasts
and the master teachers. Regardless of whether the examinees
are able to see through the crux of this test or not, this will be a
good learning experience for them. This will teach them not to
underestimate their opponents and keep their guards up at all
times, as well as to cultivate their teamwork and make them
realize that the strength of an individual is insignificant in the
face of a horde… As expected of Elder Mo, this is an
incredible work!”
After their failure, the examinees would understand that
master teachers weren’t almighty. They might be a member of
the most prestigious occupation in the world, but they would
be sorely mistaken if they thought that none could threaten
them. In a sense, this examination served to correct their
attitudes before their enrollment.
Elder Mo received the compliment graciously with a nod.
“The idea is good, but restraining so many spirit beasts at once
is no easy feat. I guess only a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer like
Elder Mo is capable of doing this on such a scale!” Mo
Gaoyuan commented in awe.
Since there were thirty thousand examinees on the mountain,
the number of spirit beasts on the mountain couldn’t be any
lower than twenty thousand. To force so many haughty beasts
to obey commands and hold themselves back after cornering
their preys, how capable must one be to achieve this feat?
Elder Mo shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Me? How could I possibly have the capability to do so? I
have merely borrowed the strength of a saint beast!”
He might be a 6-star pinnacle beast tamer, but taming over
twenty thousand spirit beasts and forcing them to obey his
commands was still beyond him.
“Saint beast? Your Inferno Dragon Saint Beast?” Mo Gaoyuan
asked.
Everyone knew that Elder Mo had a Saint 1-dan intermediate
stage tamed beast, Inferno Dragon Saint Beast. It was a
powerful saint beast capable of breathing flames.
“Inferno Dragon? That fellow is violent and impatient; I
already thank the heavens if it manages to stay out of trouble,
so how could I possibly delegate such an important matter to
it? The one which I invited over to help me with this
examination is the Byzantium Helios Beast!” Elder Mo
replied.
“Byzantium Helios? You mean the old principal’s tamed
beast?” Mo Gaoyuan realized.
Elder Mo nodded.
“I see, there’s indeed nothing to worry about if Byzantium
Helios is on the job. Given its capability, no spirit beast will
dare to disobey its commands.”
Mo Gaoyuan nodded as well.
“On top of that, Byzantium Helios Saint Beast is well-versed
in the Ancient Beast Language, so it is unlikely that anything
will go wrong in this examination,” Elder Mo replied.
As the tamed beast of the old principal, the Byzantium Helios
Saint Beast shared equal standing with him, and no one dared
to defy it. Even though the academy was currently headed by
the Ten Great Elders, it still retained its esteemed standing.
But ever since the disappearance of the old principal in the
midst of a mission, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast had
spent its days in desolation, never interfering in the matters of
the academy anymore. Elder Mo had to pay a hefty price to
convince it to help him with this matter. Even now, he could
still feel his heart aching whenever he thought about it.
Nevertheless, it was well worth the price.
With the assistance from the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast
who was well-versed in the Ancient Beast Language, there
would be no need for Elder Mo to worry about any trouble
cropping up in this examination.
Logically speaking, since most saint beasts were well-versed
in the Ancient Beast Language and the human tongue, they
could impart the knowledge to the beast tamers and fill in the
missing gap in the heritage… However, there was a vast
difference in the vocal organs of a saint beast and those of a
human, thus resulting in a significant difference in the way
each syllable could be voiced.
The Ancient Beast Language was the speech natural to the
constitution of most beasts. On the other hand, the human
body was incompatible with the Ancient Beast Language.
Thus, a unique zhenqi circulation method was required for
humans to emulate the various sounds in the Ancient Beast
Language.
Thus, it was nigh impossible for humans to learn how to speak
the Ancient Beast Language from saint beasts.
Besides, given that saint beasts were capable of speaking the
human language, the language barrier that had impeded beast
tamers from communicating with beasts had already collapsed.
This removed the fundamental need for beast tamers of 6-star
and above to learn the Ancient Beast Language. Even if, under
some circumstances, they really had to communicate with a
savage beast or spirit beast, they could always get their saint
beast to translate for them.
“With the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast overlooking the
examination, there is no need to worry about the examinees’
safety. I only fear that it might be too harsh on the examinees.
It would be a calamity if none of the examinees were to pass
the examination,” Mo Gaoyuan said.
Perhaps due to the influence of the old principal, the
Byzantium Helios Beast also had an austere personality. If it
were to heighten the difficulty of the examination by too
much, it might come to the point where not even a single
examinee could pass the examination.
“Don’t worry, I have already talked to the Byzantium Helios
Beast regarding this matter. The examinees will only be
trapped for a period of time. They will be released a few hours
before the end of the examination…” Elder Mo replied. At
which, he suddenly pointed to the mountain before of him and
smiled. “Look, there are already a few examinees who have
cleared the examination!”
Turning to the direction in which Elder Mo was pointing, Mo
Gaoyuan saw a group of people climbing down the mountain,
walking toward where they were standing.
It was noon at the moment. Considering how there was still
some time before the reporting time in the evening, they must
have cleared the examination in advance and were returning to
report.
“T-that… what is happening?”
Upon seeing those figures, Elder Mo was just about to walk
over to them to check their points when his eyes suddenly
widened.
Trailing behind that group of people were a few hundred spirit
beasts. Their heads were hung low, reminiscent of defeated
roosters.
“It looks like… someone has tamed them?”
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Mo Gaoyuan’s lower jaw
nearly hit the ground.
Beast taming was one of his supporting occupations, so he
could instantly tell that those spirit beasts had been tamed by
someone. Otherwise, the heads of those haughty spirit beasts
wouldn’t have been lowered subserviently.
A group of two hundred examinees had actually tamed around
five hundred spirit beasts?
Didn’t the Byzantium Helios Beast organize the spirit beasts to
have them encircle the students and teach them a lesson?
Then…. what was going on here?
…
On the other hand, at the top of Leiyuan Peak, the Byzantium
Helios Beast clenched its jaws and roared furiously, “You want
me to acknowledge you as my master? Dream on…”
As the tamed beast of the old principal of Hongyuan Master
Teacher Academy, how could it possibly submit to an
Otherworldly Demon?
Even beasts had their own sense of morality!
While it was likely that the old principal was already dead, it
couldn’t simply overlook the kindness that the old principal
had shown it and submit to the enemy just to live on!
“Dream on?”
Not expecting the saint beast which had submitted to the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to have such backbone, Zhang
Xuan shook his head. “Continue pummeling it! Beat it until it
submits!”
Upon those commands, the puppets began another round of
brutal beating.
Five minutes later…
The most powerful spirit beast of the academy which
possessed equivalent standing to the principal saw its life
flashing before its eyes, and it could nearly see a ray of light in
the distance beckoning it.
“Forget it, it’s fine if you are unwilling to submit. I’ll ask you
some questions now, and if you don’t answer them honestly,
I’ll extract your soul after your death and bring eternal anguish
upon you!”
Seeing how the Byzantium Helios Beast was still hanging on
obstinately despite being on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan
shook his head. “Did you come here to harm the freshmen of
the Master Teacher Academy under the orders of the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? As long as you spill out the
location of those Otherworldly Demons, I can reward you with
a painless death!”
“Under the orders… of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?”
Gazing at Zhang Xuan with eyes so swollen that they could
barely open, the Byzantium Helios Beast nearly fainted on the
spot.
‘Orders your head!
‘I only came here under Elder Mo’s relentless persuasion and
generous promises. The reason I am here is to temper more
powerful master teachers to bring humanity to greater
heights…
‘What the heck does this have to do with the Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe?
‘On the other hand, you are the suspicious one!
‘To deal with me using the heart of an Otherworldly Demon
expert before pummeling me with those Otherworldly Demon
puppets…
‘And yet…
‘You still asked me if I am under the orders of the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Can you get even more
shameless than that?’
718 Storing in the Storage
Ring
“Why? You are still refusing to admit it?”
Seeing the other party’s twitching lips—a sign of obstinacy—
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.
If this fellow continued like that, he wouldn’t mind resorting
to even more extreme methods—Soul Torment!
Soul Torment was a soul oracle technique where an extracted
soul would be put through unimaginable anguish so as to force
it to speak. It was usually used for interrogation purposes, and
rarely had it ever failed.
However, this would cause the soul of the interrogated to be
wiped cleanly off the face of this world, never to be
reincarnated again. Due to the callousness of this technique,
Zhang Xuan had always been unwilling to utilize it. Who
could have known that this fellow would be such a tough nut
to crack!
He had heard the conversation between the Byzantium Helios
Beast and the aerial spirit beast clearly.
‘You arranged for the aerial spirit beast to encircle the master
teachers, and you still dare to deny the matter before me. Do
you really take me for a fool?
‘Do you think that I dare not kill you?’
“Kill me then! Do I look like the type to fear death? I would
rather die than to betray my master!” the Byzantium Helios
Beast spat through clenched jaws.
The other party was clearly trying to sully its reputation. If it
were to give in, the honor it had built using the entirety of its
life would collapse in an instant. It would rather die than to
live dishonorably!
The old principal had dedicated his life to protecting humanity.
As his tamed beast, how could it ever face its master if it were
to submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?
“Continue beating him up!”
Not expecting this fellow to be so loyal to its Otherworldly
Demon master, to the extent that it would rather die than to
betray the latter, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure.
“Cough cough…”
Just as the puppets were about to launch another wave of
punches and kicks on the Byzantium Helios Beast, Vicious
suddenly spoke up. “Master, I fear that it might really die here
if we continue beating it.”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized that that
the Byzantium Helios Beast was already teetering on the edge
of life and death. If it were pummeled any further, it might just
die on the spot.
“What should I do?”
Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration.
It was so much easier to deal with other spirit beasts—with a
stick and a carrot, they would submit readily. Yet, this fellow
just refused to budge!
Even though Zhang Xuan had put the words harshly, he had no
intentions of killing the Byzantium Helios Beast at all.
Soul Torment was not entirely reliable, especially against
particularly stubborn individuals. If the Byzantium Helios
Beast were to die and the Soul Torment were to fail, the only
lead would be lost. As long as the Otherworldly Demons
behind this incident remained scot free, the Master Teacher
Academy would remain in danger!
Such incidents could easily happen again and again.
Furthermore, if Zhang Xuan were to be enrolled in the Master
Teacher Academy, his safety would be affected as well. He
didn’t want to be schemed against once more.
“I see… I’ll treat it first before you continue pummeling it. I
don’t believe that it can keep up its obstinacy for long!”
After a moment of contemplation, an idea suddenly came into
mind. Zhang Xuan took out a wine gourd and infused his
zhenqi into it.
After that previous incident, Zhang Xuan realized that it was
exceptionally convenient to conceal the Heaven’s Path zhenqi
through the overpowering scent of wine. Thus, he decisively
bought several gourds of wine and kept them in his storage
ring.
He poured the gourd’s wine on the Byzantium Helios Beast’s
injuries, but it took two hours for the latter to heal from its
external wounds.
Pondering over the matter for a moment, Zhang Xuan realized
that this could be due to the disparity in their cultivation
realms. With his current cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm,
it would only take a few moments for his zhenqi to heal those
of equivalent cultivation. However, against the significantly
stronger body of a Saint, his zhenqi was clearly still far too
weak.
After healing the latter’s external wounds, Zhang Xuan had
four puppets to hold the Byzantium Helios Beast while another
two pried open its mouth. Just like that, he forced the wine
into its mouth.
After using up four to five gourds and an entire hour, the
Byzantium Helios Beast finally recovered from its internal
injury as well.
“Alright… Continue pummeling it!”
After seeing that the other party had recovered from its
injuries, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
As long as the Byzantium Helios Beast didn’t die, he had all
the time in the world.
‘Death? With my Heaven’s Path zhenqi, let’s see how you can
die! With an unending session of pummeling, there will surely
come a day when you give in!’
Roar!
After hearing the instruction, the puppets immediately charged
forward excitedly and began another round of pummeling.
Soon, hideous crimson swellings returned onto the body of the
Byzantium Helios Beast, and its breathing grew ragged.
After treating it with the Heaven’s Path zhenqi again, yet
another pummeling session rained down on the Byzantium
Helios Beast.
After three consecutive cycles, light had vanished from the
Byzantium Helios Beast’s eyes, and it seemed to be nearing
the limits of its tolerance.
But even so, it still refused to spout the slightest word
regarding the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. In a sense, Zhang
Xuan was also impressed by the other party’s loyalty to its
master.
“Let’s stop here for today…”
Looking above him, Zhang Xuan realized that the sun was
gradually descending in the west. If he didn’t hurry back, he
just might fail the examination. Thus, he could only halt the
pummeling session for now.
It was frustrating how he had spent half a day of effort but still
couldn’t make a saint beast submit to him.
The Byzantium Helios Beast’s loyalty toward its master was
simply so strong that the usual tricks Zhang Xuan used were
rendered completely ineffective.
Zhang Xuan knew that the only way was to slowly wear the
Byzantium Helios Beast down mentally.
In any case, time was on his side.
“But this fellow is so big, am I to lug him around?”
To continue the questioning, Zhang Xuan would have to take
the fellow away with him. However, considering the size of
the Byzantium Helios Beast… how was he supposed to take it
with him?
Of course, it was possible for Zhang Xuan to carry it around,
but… No matter what, the Byzantium Helios Beast was a true
saint beast. If others were to learn that he had managed to
reduce it to such a pitiful state, their first doubt would be how
he had managed to do so. The subsequent investigation might
lead to the revelation of the existence of Vicious and the
Otherworldly Demon puppets.
Since this concerned the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it was
best to proceed cautiously.
Besides, he had only arrived at the Master Teacher Academy
recently, so he thought that it would be best for him to lie low.
There was no need for him cause such a huge storm and have
everyone know that even saint beasts were nothing before him.
“The Myriad Anthive Nest might be small, but it might still
work if I were to force this fellow in…”
Zhang Xuan analyzed as he stroked his lower jaw.
The physique of the Byzantium Helios Beast bore some
resemblance to an ape. If its head were to be planted into its
pants before rolling its body together and fastening it with
some rope, it might just be possible to stuff it into the small
Anthive Nest.
In his previous life, there were some yoga experts whose
bodies were so flexible that they could even fit into a tiny fish
tank.
“I should give it a try!”
With this idea in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately dived into
action. He took out strip of skin from a spirit beast he had
hunted earlier and sliced it into a long rope using the Glacier
Rain Sword before passing it to the puppets.
The puppets first pummeled the Byzantium Helios Beast into a
state of near death before rolling it up and binding it with the
rope. After which, they sent another few more kicks and
punches at its body to further compress it.
In any case, the other party was a saint beast with incredible
vitality, and it was being nourished by Zhang Xuan’s zhenqi as
well. It would be extremely difficult for it to die.
After some arduous effort, the Byzantium Helios Beast was
finally compressed to a size that could be fitted into the
Anthive Nest. Thus, Zhang Xuan flicked his hand and took out
the nest. With another wave of his hand, he stored the
Byzantium Helios Beast in the hive.
Peng!
In the hive, the Myriad Anthive Queen suddenly found itself
being forcefully pushed to the sides of the hive. Its face was
pressed tightly against the ceiling, and its body had distorted
into a giant “大” word. It seemed as though its body would
burst at any moment now.
The hive of two meters radius should have been a comfortable
fit for it, but with the entry of the Byzantium Helios Beast,
free space became something that was direly lacking in there.
The Anthive Queen found itself on the verge of being
suffocated to death.
It was fortunate that its physical constitution was still
relatively strong. Otherwise, it might really burst from the
immense pressure pushing against it.
Knowing that it was a squeeze inside, Zhang Xuan sheepishly
instructed the Myriad Anthive Queen, “Just tolerate it for now.
I’ll free you after I find a suitable location!”
Both the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Myriad Anthive
Queen were secrets that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to reveal.
Thus, the only solution was to keep them hidden inside the
hive for the time being until he returned to his own dwelling.
After returning the Anthive Nest into the storage ring, Zhang
Xuan scanned the surroundings one last time, and he suddenly
spotted two storage rings on the ground.
They were the storage rings the aerial spirit beast had stolen
from Brother Yu and Senior Feng.
The storage rings seemed to have fallen from the Byzantium
Helios Beast during the vicious beating by the Otherworldly
Demon puppets. Zhang Xuan picked the rings up and fused a
droplet of his blood into each of the rings.
The Soul Imprint on the rings had already been wiped away by
the Byzantium Helios Beast’s forceful entry earlier, allowing
Zhang Xuan to claim ownership of the rings directly.
“There are so many inner cores inside… This should be
enough for me to clear the examination and win the bet. Looks
like I need not hunt any further!”
Scanning through the content of the storage ring, Zhang Xuan
found plenty of spirit beast inner cores inside.
Through the Beastscale Incense and Seeking Mouse, Brother
Yu and Senior Feng had managed to track down and kill many
spirit beasts.
While there shouldn’t be a problem for Brother Yu and Senior
Feng to clear the examination, it would be difficult for them to
hunt down this many inner cores with the time that was left.
Thus, it could be said that they had already lost the bet.
Aside from that, there were also several thousand middle-tier
spirit stones along with all kinds of artifacts and formations
inside the two storage rings.
“Those two fellows sure are wealthy. But this works fine as
well, I happen to be lacking resources at the moment.”
It just so happened that Zhang Xuan was a little poor at the
moment, so the acquiring of these two storage rings could
spare him quite a lot of trouble.
As for returning the storage rings…
That was a good joke!
It wasn’t like he was the one who stole these storage rings. He
had spent so much effort to defeat the Byzantium Helios
Beast, and these two storage rings were his spoils of war!
Hu!
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to put those two storage rings in
his pocket, he suddenly thought of something, and he
immersed his consciousness back into the storage rings. A
moment later, a jade token appeared in his palm.
A beautiful light flowed within the transparent jade token.
This was the Aerial Strike Amulet which Brother Yu had
staked on the bet!
He had checked this object with the Library of Heaven’s Path
earlier, and it was indeed a valuable artifact.
To think that he would end up obtaining it in such a manner.
‘With this item in hand, I will be able to survive an attack from
a Saint 1-dan!’ Zhang Xuan thought as he placed the amulet
into his bosom.
The Dragon Scale Protective Amulet he had acquired
previously had saved him on multiple occasions, and this item
was even more valuable than that.
With this, even if a Saint 1-dan were to creep up on him and
launch a fatal blow, he would be able to get away unscathed.
As long as he overcame the initial assault, he would be able to
release Vicious and his Otherworldly Demon puppets and
reverse the situation.
‘It is a pity that the Seeking Mouse isn’t here…’
After putting away the storage rings, Zhang Xuan suddenly
recalled the Seeking Mouse, and he shook his head in
disappointment.
Considering the Seeking Mouse’s ability to hunt down spirit
beasts, it was indeed a valuable asset.
That aerial spirit beast had only been interested in uncovering
the whereabouts of the Myriad Anthive Queen then, so it had
probably only grabbed whatever possible clues there may be.
Once the Seeking Mouse had escaped, given its sharp nose, it
would be hard to capture it once more.
“Let’s return!”
After scanning through the straw cottage and finding no
treasure at all, Zhang Xuan finally left the top of Leiyuan Peak
in disappointment.
Right after pummeling the Byzantium Helios Beast, Zhang
Xuan had the Anthive Myriad Queen instruct the aerial spirit
beast to release all of the master teachers from the
encirclement.
After being released from the encirclement, the master
teachers would have to depend on their own capabilities to
pass the examination.
After all, Zhang Xuan was no saint. All of the examinees
should have come with the realization that they would be put
in danger. If they were to be killed by the spirit beasts, they
only had their own shortcomings to blame.
Executing the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang Xuan
swiftly bypassed several valleys. He noticed several battles
here and there, and it seemed like there were casualties on
both sides as well. However, it was still within an acceptable
range.
On the way down the mountain, there were also several spirit
beasts who attempted to provoke him, but they ended up being
crushed with a single fist. Naturally, Zhang Xuan didn’t forget
to take their inner cores.
By the time he was approaching the foot of the mountain,
there was already a huge crowd in the area. He looked around
for a remote area to land before quietly following behind the
crowd.
719 Brother Yu’s Harves
Several long queues of master teachers extending all the way
to the horizon could be seen on the plain at the foot of the
mountain.
At the forefront of every single queue were upper-grade
students from the academy. They were in charge of checking
the quantity and grade of the inner cores procured by the
examinees and tabulating the scores. From time to time, there
were those who tried their chances by bringing out inner cores
procured before the examination, but how could the eyes of a
master teacher be fooled that easily?
Zhang Xuan had joined one of those queues. He curiously
glanced at the spectacle ahead of him.
There seemed to be a couple of examinees who passed the
examination, but those who failed seemed to be in the
majority.
“The examination this year is too hard! From the looks of it,
out of the thirty thousand examinees, perhaps only ten
thousand will pass!”
“This is way too difficult! We have allied ourselves with the
master teachers from two other empires, and we thought that
we could clear the examination easily. Who could have known
that we would end up falling for the spirit beasts’ encirclement
and suffer heavy losses?”
“We also fell into their trap as well! Our group of three
hundred ended up being scattered by their onslaught, and
eventually, fifty of us were grievously wounded in the
encounter. After two hours of battle, right after noon, the spirit
beasts suddenly retreated. Only then did we manage to hunt
down a few spirit beasts, but it was still insufficient for most
of us to clear the examination!”
“The spirit beasts who encircled us also retreated after noon.
However, we weren’t as lucky. There were simply too many
casualties among us, so we could only rest on the spot. In the
end, we only managed to gather a handful of inner cores.”
…
Proceeding forward, Zhang Xuan heard some discussions
among the examinees.
‘It is fortunate that we managed to avoid the worst situation…’
Hearing the discussions, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief
instead.
It was fortunate that he had noticed and intervened in the
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe’s scheme early on. Otherwise, it
would be hard to tell how many of the thirty thousand master
teachers would still be breathing now.
Such loss would be severe even for the Master Teacher
Pavilion!
‘This credit… I guess I shan’t claim it from the Master
Teacher Pavilion!’
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan chose to hide this
matter.
Unravelling the sinister ploy of the Otherworldly Demonic
Tribe and saving several ten thousand master teachers was a
huge achievement. If reported, Zhang Xuan would be
handsomely rewarded. At the very least, it shouldn’t be
difficult for him to obtain dozens of high-tier spirit stones
from this.
But if so, it would be hard for him to explain about Vicious
and the Otherworldly Demon puppets. These two were
currently his most valuable asset, his life preservation means.
They were more valuable than any spirit stones.
Thus, there was no choice but to forgo this credit.
‘Such a pity…’
Having this opportunity slip right by his fingers, Zhang Xuan
felt his heart ache.
If he could obtain several dozen high-tier spirit stones, that
would be sufficient for him to cultivate up to Saint realm!
If there was any consolation, at least he managed to obtain the
valuable Aerial Strike Amulet, and more importantly, the
Myriad Anthive Nest and the Byzantium Helios Beast.
‘If it comes down to it, I can always kill the Byzantium Helios
Beast. Its meat can be broiled as soup, its bones and claws can
be forged as weapons, its fur can be weaved as clothes, and its
inner core is a valuable cultivation resource… Considering
that these are parts of a saint beast, they should fetch quite a
number of spirit stones!’ Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked
chin.
While it was a pity that he couldn’t receive the rewards from
the Master Teacher Pavilion, he should still be able to earn
some wealth from dissecting the Byzantium Helios Beast and
selling its parts.
‘Yes. I should look into this matter after the examination. If
that fellow still remains as obstinate as before…’
Thinking that it was a feasible solution, Zhang Xuan nodded in
satisfaction. ‘But when I sell it, I should make sure to do it
discreetly so as to not reveal my identity. Otherwise, it may
become hard to explain where the saint beast came from and
how it was killed!’
The Byzantium Helios Beast was a Saint 1-dan pinnacle
expert. In Hongyuan Empire, it could be considered as one of
the strongest existence already.
If it became known that a freshman of the Master Teacher
Academy had managed to hunt such a beast and dissected it to
sell, it would surely cause a huge stir.
If the Ten Great Master Teachers were to come begging to take
him in as their disciple, he would be put in a spot.
Just the thought of it left him with a splitting headache.
Why was remaining humble such a difficult task?
He had already made up his mind to study silently in the
Master Teacher Academy and leave right after his strength had
become satisfactorily… He didn’t want to cause a huge stir as
he did in the other empires and kingdoms.
To be seen as the God of Destruction despite being a master
teacher was truly shameful.
Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of contemplation, he
suddenly heard an interesting piece of news.
“You know, I heard that a batch of people returned at noon.
Despite returning early, not only did they clear the
examination, they even received a frightening number of
points!” A master teacher who had managed to lay his hands
on some intelligence revealed that in a hushed voice.
“Returned at noon? Frightening number of points? Who?” the
second master teacher asked skeptically.
“I am not too sure. I only heard of the matter from the seniors
in front. It seems like the current first place for the
examination has a massive lead over the others!”
“Massive lead over the others? Do you mean that the person
surpasses even Senior Hu from Wanyu Empire? I saw Senior
Hu taking out 27 inner cores personally, and a couple of them
were from Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts. All in all, he
was awarded more than 700 points! Yet, someone actually
achieved a score higher than him? Are you for real?”
The second master teacher widened his eyes in shock.
Most of those in their group didn’t even manage to acquire a
single point, but Senior Hu from Wanyu Empire actually
managed to take out 27 inner cores. As such, this matter
caused a huge stir amongst the examinees. Yet, there was
actually someone who arrived at noon who did better than
Senior Hu?
“I am unaware of the details as well. I only heard bits and
pieces of the seniors’ conversation…”
“Higher than 700 points? That man who returned at noon sure
is incredible! It seems like there are indeed quite a few
geniuses amongst the freshmen!”
Hearing the content of the conversation, Zhang Xuan nodded
in commendation.
Considering how the inner core of a Cosmos Bridge realm
primary stage spirit beast was worth 100 points, it would mean
that one would have to slay at least six to seven of them to
achieve a score of 700 points!
Most of the examinees were still at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan
pinnacle. One could already be considered to be the elite of the
group if one’s cultivation was at Consonant Spirit realm. So
far, the only Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator Zhang Xuan had
seen was Brother Yu.
But even with Brother Yu’s capability, slaying a Cosmos
Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast was still an extremely
difficult task.
Yet, a formidable genius had actually returned at noon and
achieved a score far higher than 700 points. That person’s
capability was indeed frightening!
Based on Zhang Xuan’s estimations, that person might even be
on par with him.
‘I really should find a chance to meet that incredible person. I
wonder what kind of formidable figure could nurture such a
talented genius!’
The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more impressed he
felt.
“Massive lead over the others? Did he score a thousand
points? But so what if he scored a thousand points, that is
nothing at all!”
At that moment, a cold harrumph suddenly sounded.
Hearing such arrogant words, the conversing master teachers
frowned and turned around. However, upon seeing the person
who spoke those words, they subconsciously took a step back.
What appeared before their eyes were two young men dressed
in beastskin. Despite their shabby appearance, the powerful
aura they exuded revealed their incredible prowess.
One of them was at the Half-Cosmos Bridge realm whereas
the other was a true Cosmos Bridge realm expert!
It was no wonder they were so confident. With their combined
strength, even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit
beast wouldn’t post a threat to them!
Just that…
Why were they both dressed in beastskin, as if they were from
some kind of tribal village?
More importantly, the beastskin they wore was extremely
crude. There was probably no adjective in the world that could
describe how ugly it looked.
The weaker of the duo was even carrying a bag created out of
beastskin…
To think that a half 5-star master teacher would actually be
carrying a bag… Were they so poor that they couldn’t even
afford a storage ring?
While master teachers prided themselves on their humility,
weren’t the two of them being a little too humble?
Zhang Xuan also glanced over, and he realized that the both of
them were familiar faces.
They were the duo who had made the bet with him… Brother
Yu and Senior Feng!
Shouldn’t the both of them be elegant and dashing gentlemen?
This newfound style of theirs…
They seem to be challenging their fashion sense a little too
far…
“Zhang shi, it’s good that you have returned. Do you dare to
verify your score together with me?” Ignoring the astonished
crowd, Brother Yu’s lips crept up as he glanced at Zhang
Xuan.
Even though his possessions had been stripped clean by a
ferocious spirit beast earlier at noon, it was fortunate that he
still had his Beastscale Incense. Through it, not only had he
managed to hunt a fair number of spirit beasts, he had obtained
even more inner cores than before!
With this, he was confident that he would be able to triumph
over Zhang shi!
Perhaps, he might even overtake the current first place and
make a name for himself in the Master Teacher Academy!
“Sure.”
Zhang Xuan nodded.
While he had spent most of his time on the mountain
questioning the Byzantium Helios Beast, he still managed to
obtain a fair number of inner cores.
It shouldn’t be too difficult for him to win against these two.
Sensing the strong rivalry between the beastskin master
teachers and Zhang shi, the crowd hurriedly opened up a path
for them to pass through.
In just a short moment, the trio arrived at the forefront of the
queue.
“I have a bet with this Zhang shi, I hope you can tabulate our
points for us!”
Looking at the few invigilating seniors ahead of them, Brother
Yu bowed politely.
“Bet?”
The invigilating seniors frowned upon hearing those words.
“Indeed! Zhang shi and I have bet a high-tier spirit stone on
who would obtain a higher score in this examination. I fear
that he will renege on his promise, so I hope that you can help
us judge this matter!” Brother Yu said.
“A high-tier spirit stone?”
“The stakes sure are high…”
Hearing the content of the bet, the examinees in the
surroundings gasped in shock.
Even the seniors were taken aback as well.
They were Grade 2 students of the Master Teacher Academy,
but they didn’t dare to make such a huge bet either.
“To stake a high-tier spirit stone on a bet… The freshmen sure
are getting gutsier with each passing year! Fine, I’ll judge your
bet!”
The senior remarked before nodding in agreement. “Pass your
inner cores over.”
“Alright!”
Brother Yu beckoned to Senior Feng, and the latter
immediately took off his bag and opened it.
Huala!
A bunch of inner cores rolled onto the table.
“So many inner cores…”
“Consonant Spirit and Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beast inner
cores… What is that?”
“Crimson in color, t-that is… a Perfect Harmonization realm
primary stage spirit beast inner core! How is that possible?”
“The sharp aura reminiscent of a blade and the searing
sensation when gazing upon it, there is no doubt that this is the
inner core of a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast!”
“To actually hunt and procure the inner core of a Perfect
Harmonization realm spirit beast… It looks like the champion
seat is going to change hands!”
“Indeed…”
…
Looking at the inner cores on the table, the crowd was stunned
for an instant before a huge uproar broke out.
Putting aside the other inner cores, just the Perfect
Harmonization realm primary stage spirit beast inner core was
already worth a hulking 1000 points!
Even the genius who arrived at noon whom the seniors were
speaking about was unlikely to compare to this!
It was no wonder the two of them were so arrogant. They had
something to back up their words!
720 Zhang Xuan’s Loss?
“He was able to kill even a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit
beast?”
Zhang Xuan was startled for an instant before it suddenly hit
him.
He didn’t recall seeing any Beastscale Incense in the duo’s
storage ring when searching through them, and this meant that
there was a high chance that the artifact was still on them.
If that was the case, they would indeed stand a good chance at
slaying a Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast.
Despite the rarity, there were still a couple of Perfect
Harmonization realm spirit beast roaming the mountain. If one
were to comb the area thoroughly, one would surely be able to
find a handful.
After Zhang Xuan took down the Byzantium Helios Beast, the
spirit beasts lost their commander, and their coordination
immediately broke down. Without anyone to rally and
organize them, they ended scattering around the area
individually. Under such circumstances, if one had an artifact
like the Beastscale Incense in hand, one would surely be able
to hunt down plenty of spirit beasts.
Just that, there was still one more matter that baffled Zhang
Xuan… why were the two of them dressed in beastskin?
Did the aerial spirit beast strip them of their clothes as well?
Could it be that it had such inclinations?
Zhang Xuan shuddered at that thought.
Considering how the duo had their storage rings and weapons
taken from them, it would be difficult for them to craft proper
clothes. Most probably, they had barely put together their
current wear by tearing the hide of the spirit beasts they had
hunted.
‘How pitiful!’
Upon this thought, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but sympathize
with the duo.
To think that two talented master teachers would end up
getting stripped clean by a spirit beast and tossed into a
mountain valley! Just the thought of it would leave anyone
feeling sorry for them.
While Zhang Xuan was staring at the duo in sympathy,
Brother Yu was currently enjoying the loud cheers from the
crowd. Placing his hands behind his back, he turned to Zhang
Xuan and gazed down on him with a look of superiority.
“Zhang shi, I have already taken out my inner cores. Where
are yours?”
“Mine?”
Knowing what was at stake, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly and
flicked his wrist. Another pile of inner cores immediately
appeared on the table.
The inner cores which he had obtained from the duo and the
inner cores he had procured from slaying the spirit beasts on
the way back down added up to a substantial sum. It was quite
an astonishing sight to see them appear all in one place.
However, there weren’t any Perfect Harmonization realm
inner cores within the pile.
“Luoyang Beast, Viridsmoke Beast, Seven Feeler Beast…
Why do those inner cores look so familiar?”
Upon seeing the inner cores that Zhang Xuan had taken out,
Brother Yu and Senior Feng glanced at one another in
astonishment.
Somehow, the inner cores that Zhang shi took out seemed
extremely similar to those they had procured in the morning.
“Perhaps there might be many of the same spirit beasts on the
mountain!”
Eventually, they convinced themselves as such.
After all, their storage rings were stolen by an aerial spirit
beast, so how could they possibly fall into Zhang shi’s hands?
The only plausible reason was that they had simply managed
to kill the same spirit beasts. Considering that they were
hunting spirit beasts on the same mountain, as slim as the
chances may seem to be, there was indeed such a possibility.
“Even though that fellow has quite a few inner cores, he seems
to be a little lacking compared to us. That fellow… is bound to
lose!”
After the initial shock, Brother Yu’s eyes lit up in agitation.
Honestly speaking, after knowing that the other party had
defeated Senior Feng with a single finger and seeing how he
had dared to put a high-tier spirit stone on the stake, doubts
had begun sprouting in his mind, leaving him uneasy.
However, upon seeing the quantity and quality of inner cores
that the other party had taken out, Brother Yu immediately
heaved a sigh of relief.
Chuckling confidently, Brother Yu turned to the invigilators
and clasped his fist. “I hope that you can judge our scores!”
“Alright.”
Seeing how the both parties of the bet had managed to procure
so many inner cores, the seniors before the table were
astonished. They hurriedly lowered their heads to tabulate the
score of each pile.
A few moments later, a senior stood up, and gesturing to
Brother Yu, he said, “This junior over here has a Perfect
Harmonization realm inner core, 3 Cosmos Bridge realm inner
cores, 26 Consonant Spirit realm inner cores, and 18
Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle inner cores. All in all, he
has received a score of… 2658 points!”
“2658 points?”
“Th-this is too amazing!”
“I thought that it was already impressive that Senior Hu from
Wanyu Empire achieved a score of 700 points, but to think that
this fellow would be even more formidable! With 2000 points,
he has probably already broken the record! It is no wonder he
is so arrogant. With such strength and capability, it would be
difficult for one not to be so!”
“I wonder how many points that master teacher who arrived at
noon earned. Nevertheless, against a score of 2658, I doubt
that he will be able to retain his throne…”
…
A commotion broke out in the surroundings.
There was quite a handful that wasn’t able to obtain even a
single point, and yet this fellow actually received a hulking
score of 2658. Just the thought of it was inconceivable in
itself!
“What score do you think Zhang shi will get?”
After the wave of shock calmed down, the curious eyes of the
crowd instinctively gathered on Zhang Xuan.
Considering how the master teachers dressed in beastskin were
able to obtain such a high score, the person whom they were
going against should be a formidable figure as well!
Another senior who had been tabulating Zhang Xuan’s score
spoke up.
“Zhang shi has obtained 5 Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle
inner cores, 3 Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage inner cores,
13 Consonant Bridge realm… All in all, he has received a
score of 2580!”
“2580? To lose by only 70 points, that is truly a pity!”
Upon hearing the score, a moment of silence drifted in the
surroundings before a huge commotion exploded.
It was one thing for the gap between both parties to be huge,
but given that they were both in the two thousand range, and
the gap between them was less than a hundred, it was indeed a
huge pity for the losing party.
“I lost?”
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
He’d thought that it would be difficult for the duo to win
against him after the aerial spirit beast had stolen the storage
rings from them, but who could have known that in just a few
hours they were actually able to make a comeback?
Incredible!
As expected of the top geniuses of a region, they were truly
not to be underestimated!
‘But do I really have to hand over a high-tier spirit stone to
them…’
Due to his complacency, Zhang Xuan had never thought that
he would actually lose. He was fine with losing to the other
party, but giving a high-tier spirit stone away? His heart might
just bleed dry!
‘Should I… take out the Myriad Anthive Queen?’
The troubled Zhang Xuan contemplated for a moment before
shaking his head.
As the personnel in charge of intelligence in the operation
against the master teachers on Leiyuan Peak, the Myriad
Anthive Queen played a pivotal role in the operation, working
as a direct assistant to the Byzantium Helios Beast. If he were
to bring it out, he might risk alarming the Otherworldly
Demons, which might trigger them to conduct even more
extreme actions once they realized that their identity might
have already been exposed.
If so, he would risk putting many in danger, especially since
he couldn’t warn the Master Teacher Pavilion of the matter
due to his personal reasons.
But if not, was he really to hand over the high-tier spirit stone
to the other party?
“Alright, the results are clear. Zhang shi, what else do you
have to say?”
Upon achieving victory, Brother Yu clenched his fists tightly,
and his eyes gleamed in excitement.
“What else do I have to say?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “This is your combined score; it
doesn’t necessarily mean that you have won the bet against
me.”
“Indeed! How come their score is tabulated together as one?”
“Considering how the both of them hunted together, if the
points were to be divided equally among them, Zhang shi
would still be the winner…”
Upon realizing this fact, the crowd nodded in agreement.
The both of them had hunted together whereas Zhang shi had
moved as an individual, but both sides still ended up achieving
similar scores. No matter how one looked at it, it was clear
that the latter was the winner!
As if expecting Zhang Xuan to speak those words, Senior
Feng replied with a smile, “Elder Mo stated clearly in the rules
that the allocation of points is up to the individual. Since that’s
the case, I’ll just take 77 points and leave the rest to Brother
Yu!”
“Shameless!”
“If that fellow only takes 77 points, that Yu fellow will have a
total score of 2581 points, thus winning against Zhang shi by a
margin of one point!”
“He is definitely doing it on purpose!”
“But this is indeed the rule Elder Mo has set. In that respect,
there’s nothing wrong with what he is doing…”
…
Hearing Senior Feng’s words, everyone fell speechless.
Elder Mo did say that examinees were allowed to freely
allocate the points obtained from a hunt. If that fellow really
took only 77 points from the hunt, Brother Yu would be left
with 2581 points, thus putting him a single point higher than
Zhang shi… What a shameless action this was!
Ignoring the furious criticism from the crowd, Senior Feng
clasped his fist politely and asked, “Seniors, may I know if this
is allowed?”
“This…”
After a moment of hesitation, one of the seniors nodded. “Yes,
this is permitted.”
Since this was a rule set by Elder Mo, there was no way they
could go against it.
“Thank you… Zhang shi, what else do you have to say now?
Even after taking away 77 points, Brother Yu is still one point
above you. In the end, you still lost!”
The edges of Senior Feng’s lips crept up.
After the numerous traumas he had suffered from this fellow,
he finally managed to return the favor. Exhilaration surged in
his heart with every thump, and he felt as if he could float into
the skies in euphoria.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan kneaded his glabella in
frustration.
The other party was right. Under the current state of affairs, he
would still lose to Brother Yu.
Shaking his head, he turned to the seniors before him and
asked, “Seniors, may I ask if the examination is over yet?”
“The examination?”
Hearing the question, the seniors turned their heads and
glanced backward. Not too far away, an incense was placed on
top of a stone pedestal. Beneath the coiling smoke trails, one
could see that the incense was nearing its end.
The duration of the trial was a day. While most examinees
used the movement of the sun to gauge the timing, an incense
was still prepared to keep track of time precisely. At this
moment, the sun had already set in the west, indicating the end
of the day. But as long as the incense hadn’t burned out yet,
the examination couldn’t be said to have ended.
The senior did a rough estimation and replied, “There are
roughly ten minutes left…”
“Ten minutes?”
“That’s right.”
The senior nodded.
“Why? Are you still intending to dive back into the forest to
hunt? Do you think that you can make it back within ten
minutes?”
Realizing what Zhang Xuan was up to, Brother Yu burst into
laughter.
The spirit beasts nearing the reporting venue had already been
cleanly cleared away by the examinees descending from the
mountains. It would be difficult to travel to the depths of the
mountain in just ten minutes, but to find a spirit beast and
return in that time period as well… How naive could one get?
His eyes were open, but he was clearly dreaming!
“There is indeed not much time left…”
Gazing at the incense above the stone pedestal, the other
master teachers also nodded in agreement.
To find and hunt down a spirit beast from the mountain within
ten minutes…
Unless one could fly, that would be impossible.
“Just admit defeat. Even if there are ten minutes left, you
know that it’s impossible for you to succeed. Besides, even
though I chose to take 77 points, I can always give more points
to Brother Yu if required. In other words, the only way for you
to win against us is to kill one Cosmos Bridge realm or two
Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beasts. Do you think
that you can do it within ten minutes?” Senior Feng sneered
coldly.
There was a disparity of 78 points between the both parties at
the moment. If Senior Feng were to claim only a single point,
Zhang Xuan would require 78 points to defeat Brother Yu.
The inner core of a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit
beast was worth 40 points, so Zhang Xuan would have to kill
two of them. Alternatively, he could also choose to hunt down
a Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beast.
However, despite roaming the forest for an entire day, they’d
barely found a handful of Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts.
To find and hunt one down and bring back its inner core
within ten minutes, the other party was clearly deluding
himself.
“You’re right… If it were just me, it would be difficult.”
Ignoring the doubts from the crowd and Senior Feng’s sneer,
Zhang Xuan pinched his glabella and said, “But I don’t want
to lose, so I can only give it a try.”
With those words, he raised his head and whistled sharply.
Wuuuuuu!
The next moment, a massive Great Violetwing Beast suddenly
swooped across the air, swiftly disappearing into the depths of
the mountains.
“That is… your half 9-dan tamed beast? But it can only be
used once throughout the examination… You haven’t used it
yet?”
Senior Feng and Brother Yu’s faces suddenly turned ghastly
pale.
721 You Are Zhang shi?
“I haven’t!” Zhang Xuan replied.
With his current strength, he didn’t need to use the Great
Violetwing Beast to deal with mere Cosmos Bridge realm and
Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beasts.
As for an opponent of the Byzantium Helios Beast’s level, it
would be futile even if he were to send the Great Violetwing
Beast at it. As such, throughout the examination, Zhang Xuan
hadn’t tapped into the strength of the Great Violetwing Beast
yet.
“He actually hasn’t used it yet…”
Brother Yu and Senior Feng’s lips twitched, and they nearly
burst into tears.
They had specially asked Elder Mo regarding the issue of
high-tier spirit beasts before the examination, and the response
they had received was that they could only be used once.
They’d thought that given how Zhang Xuan had managed to
procure so many inner cores, he must have used the ability of
his tamed beast. Who could have possibly known that his
tamed beast would prove to be the decisive factor in their
bet…
It might be difficult for them to hunt down a spirit beast within
ten minutes, but for the half 9-dan Great Violetwing Beast, it
was no issue at all.
Could they really fail due to this?
If that were to really happen, they might just cry their eyes out.
“Nevertheless, there’s a chance that the Great Violetwing
Beast might be unable to find a spirit beast, or that it won’t be
able to accomplish the feat within ten minutes. We still have
hope!”
At this point, Brother Yu could only hold on dearly to this
slither of hope.
So what if the other party used his Great Violetwing Beast?
They hadn’t lost yet!
Perhaps Lady Luck might just favor them!
‘I can only hope for the best now…’
Ignoring the others, Zhang Xuan gazed into the sky.
When he was descending from the mountain, he noticed some
trails which indicated the rough directions where spirit beasts
might be hiding. In his whistle, he’d informed the Great
Violetwing Beast of those locations, so capturing one
shouldn’t be a problem. The issue was with the tier of the
spirit beast.
He could only win against Brother Yu if the spirit beast was at
Cosmos Bridge realm.
Just as he was deep in thought, a huge gust of wind suddenly
blew from the sky. The Great Violetwing Beast had finally
returned, and gripped in its large claws was an aerial spirit
beast.
‘Not bad, you returned quite fast. But why does this spirit
beast… look so familiar?’
Seeing how the other party had returned within two minutes,
Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. However, upon catching
sight of the spirit beast it had captured, he couldn’t help but
freeze for an instant.
Why did this fellow look so familiar?
It was then when it suddenly struck him. Wasn’t this the fellow
he had seen reporting to the Byzantium Helios Beast, as well
as the one who had stolen Brother Yu and Senior Feng’s
storage rings?
It seemed like that fellow was in the midst of his flight when
he bumped into the Great Violetwing Beast, so the latter chose
to capture it.
‘But this fellow…’
Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched upon the realization. He hurriedly
turned his sights to Brother Yu and Senior Feng, and as
expected, the eyes of the duo had reddened in fury. If looks
could kill, that aerial spirit beast would have withered there
and then.
“It is that fellow! Karma always strikes at the most unexpected
situations…”
“This is great…”
Incapable of flight, it was nigh impossible for them to capture
the aerial spirit beast and get even with it.
Nevertheless, they had already solemnly sworn to themselves
to comb through the entire Leiyuan Peak to hunt that fellow
down no matter how long it took. But by some stroke of luck,
Zhang shi’s tamed beast had actually managed to capture that
darned fellow!
‘The heavens are impartial!’
With this, not only would they be able to get their vengeance,
they would also be able to retrieve their storage rings and
boost their score further!
“Zhang shi, have your tamed beast throw that fellow down. I
have some personal grudges to clear with it…” Brother Yu
roared furiously in anger.
“Throw it down?”
Seeing that fellow’s attitude, Zhang Xuan shook his head
before gesturing to the Great Violetwing Beast.
Receiving the instructions, the Great Violetwing Beast
hesitated for a moment before releasing its claws, leaving the
aerial spirit beast to plummet to the ground.
Hu!
The Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit beast whizzed through
the sky.
“Wait till I lay my hands on you…”
Recalling the humiliation of being stripped clean, Brother Yu
pushed against the ground and leaped into the sky.
Gathering his might, he wrapped his zhenqi around his fist as
if blazing flames.
“What is that fellow up to?”
“That spirit beast was captured by Zhang shi’s tamed beast,
why is he trying to kill it?”
The master teachers in the surroundings glanced at one another
in confusion as they watched Brother Yu rushing frenziedly
toward the spirit beast Zhang shi had captured.
Boom!
But at that moment, the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan aerial
spirit beast suddenly opened its eyes, and with a forceful flap
of its wings, it stabilized its posture before retaliating with its
claws.
While it only managed to recover at that very instant, with its
superior cultivation and positional advantage, it still managed
to gain the upper hand.
Peng!
As the fist and the claw collided, Brother Yu felt as if a huge
mountain had crushed down on him. An incomparably dense
might struck him squarely, leaving his apertures bleeding from
the impact.
Sou!
Under the immense force, the rising Brother Yu was suddenly
smacked back down like a cannonball, leaving behind a huge
depression in the ground.
Pu!
Fresh blood spurted from his mouth. The clash had left him
severely wounded.
As talented as he was, he was only a Transcendent Mortal 6-
dan Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator at the
moment. Against a 7-dan Perfect Harmonization spirit beast,
he was still far too lacking.
“Brother Yu…”
Not expecting such an outcome, Senior Feng hurriedly rushed
forward to help his companion up. By the time he turned his
sight back to the 7-dan aerial spirit beast, the latter was already
heading off into the distance.
Panicked, Senior Feng exclaimed, “Zhang shi, that fellow is
escaping…”
If that fellow were to get away, how were they supposed to get
their storage rings back and exact vengeance?
“You’re right,” Zhang Xuan remarked nonchalantly, as if he
was uninvolved in this matter.
Stunned by Zhang Xuan’s nonchalance, Senior Feng’s rage
flurried. “Then what are you waiting for? Capture it!”
“Capture it? I would love to do so, but I am only allowed to
use my tamed beast once. I have already used up my chance
when my tamed beast brought it over here. If I were to use it
once more, won’t I be reported for flouting the rules?” Zhang
Xuan said with a troubled expression on his face.
Of course he couldn’t capture that fellow back! Otherwise, if
the existence of the Byzantium Helios Beast were to be made
known somehow, he could potentially land himself in trouble!
It was still better to keep out of trouble’s way than to risk it.
Pu…
Hearing those words, Brother Yu, who had barely just
recovered slightly from his injuries, couldn’t help but spew
another mouthful of blood out of frustration.
He was certain that the Great Violetwing Beast had sealed the
aerial spirit beast’s meridians beforehand, thus binding the
latter’s movement. How did the latter recover from that so
quickly?
Furthermore, even if the aerial spirit beast did recover, the
force of its attack was a little too strong… It was as if the
Great Violetwing Beast had sided with the aerial spirit beast
against him!
“This…”
While he was busy spurting blood, Senior Feng’s body was
trembling in frustration.
Why did he have to be so nosey and raise the concern
regarding Zhang shi’s tamed beast? He’d thought that this rule
would help him to subdue that fellow, but who knew that he
would be the one suffering from it in the end!
Spewing yet a mouthful of fresh blood, Brother Yu howled
furiously, “As long as you capture the aerial spirit beast back,
I’m willing to admit defeat…”
As long as he could retrieve his storage rings, what did losing
an Aerial Strike Amulet count as?
“You will admit defeat? Then… where is the Aerial Strike
Amulet you promised me?” Zhang Xuan stretched out his
hand, demanding for his possession.
“This…” Brother Yu’s body stiffened.
‘It has been stolen by that aerial spirit beast. Only after
capturing it can I hand it over to you…’
“Don’t worry. As long as you capture that fellow, I’ll hand it
over to you…” Brother Yu replied, gritting his teeth.
“That won’t do. You will have to hand the Aerial Strike
Amulet over first before I will instruct my spirit beast to
capture that fellow. I am taking a huge risk here by doing this;
you know that my actions might be taken as flouting the rules,
thus putting me at risk of disqualification, right? The least you
can do is to show your sincerity,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“You…”
Brother Yu was on the verge of exploding from frustration.
“Don’t worry! I, Yu Cheng, vow that even if I don’t have the
Aerial Strike Amulet, I will compensate you with a high-tier
spirit stone. You need not worry about me reneging on my
promise!”
Unable to produce the item, Brother Yu could only offer a
promise.
“In other words… the Aerial Strike Amulet isn’t in your
possession?” Yet, instead of focusing on the promise, Zhang
Xuan chose to bite firmly at the underlying meaning behind
Brother Yu’s statement.
“…” This time, Brother Yu really burst into tears.
‘Can you stop mentioning the Aerial Strike Amulet?
‘All I need you to do is to capture that fellow, I’ll give you
whatever you want afterward as long as you do it, so can you
just stop talking about the Aerial Strike Amulet…’
“Brother Yu… That fellow is already gone…”
Just as Brother Yu was about to continue arguing, he suddenly
heard Senior Feng’s despairing words. Hurriedly lifting his
gaze, he realized that the Transcendent Mortal 7-dan spirit
beast had already vanished in the dark sky.
If not for this incident, they might still have been able to find
that aerial spirit beast in Leiyuan Peak. However, after this
matter, why would that aerial spirit beast dare to remain here
knowing that someone was after its life? It would definitely fly
as far as it could!
“Damn it…”
The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Brother
Yu struggled to his feet and glared at Zhang Xuan in
animosity.
At that moment, one of the seniors suddenly exclaimed,
“Alright, time’s up!”
Everyone subconsciously glanced at the incense on the stone
pedestal, only to see the final whiff of smoke dissipating from
the incense. Ten minutes had passed.
Brother Yu clenched his jaws and said, “Seniors, he’s failed to
capture a spirit beast, so his score is still lower than mine. This
should mean that he has lost the bet…”
‘Since you’re going to be difficult, don’t blame me for
returning the favor!’
“Lost?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “My tamed beast captured a
Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beast and brought it here,
and if not for this fellow’s intervention, I would have surely
procured its inner core and earned another thousand points. It
is clear that he intentionally let my spirit beast loose, even
trying to convince me to flout the rules so as to have me
disqualified from the examination! Most important of all, he
made a bet with me despite not possessing the required capital.
All of this suggests that he is trying to scam me of my high-
tier spirit stone…”
Zhang Xuan stepped forward, and with an indignant
expression, he said, “I beseech the seniors to redress my
grievances!”
“This…”
Hearing the both sides of the story, the seniors gazed at one
another and fell into a dilemma.
It was true that Zhang shi would have surely won if Yu Cheng
hadn’t interfered. In this respect, Zhang shi had the moral high
ground.
However… whatever the cause was, it was a fact that Zhang
shi’s score was lower than the other party. If they were to just
look at the outcome, without a doubt, Zhang shi had lost the
bet.
A moment later, one of the seniors spoke up.
“Both of you are talented students of our Master Teacher
Academy, there is no need to for the two of you to become
enemies over such a minor matter. Why don’t we just call the
bet off…”
Yu Cheng harrumphed.
“No way! Since he dared to accept the challenge, he should
have been prepared to face the consequences. It is clear that he
has lost the bet, so he should pay me a high-tier spirit stone!”
Since he was unable to exact vengeance on the aerial spirit
beast, he would just have to vent his frustrations on Zhang
Xuan.
Otherwise, the matter that had happened would just turn him
into a laughingstock, creating a dark stain in his history.
“This…”
Hearing those words from Brother Yu, the seniors
contemplated for a moment longer before one eventually stood
out and said, “Alright. Since that’s the case, why don’t we
leave this matter to Elder Mo to resolve…”
Considering the astounding strength the both of them had
displayed even before their enrollment, they would surely
become new stars of the academy. Even as their seniors, they
dared not offend them.
“Alright!” Yu Cheng replied smugly.
It was a fact that his score was higher than Zhang Xuan’s, not
even Elder Mo could twist this fact.
“Tell me your names, and I’ll record your results first,” the
senior said.
“I am Yu Cheng, and he is Zhang Xuan…” Yu Cheng said.
However, before he could finish his words, the seniors who
were still calm a moment ago suddenly widened their eyes in
shock. Staring at the young man before them, their lips
quivered in agitation, as if excited to see their favorite idol.
“Zhang Xuan? You are… Zhang shi from Huanyu Empire?”
722 Forty Thousand Points?
“Indeed, I am Zhang Xuan!”
Zhang Xuan scratched his head bewilderedly,
uncomprehending of the reactions of the seniors.
‘I am already being very low profile, choosing not to take out
the Byzantium Helios Beast. Why are you all still acting like
that?
‘Besides, my points are lower than Yu Cheng’s as well. Surely
your agitation should be directed toward him instead of me?’
Not only was Zhang Xuan stunned, the other master teachers
in the area were also surprised to see such reactions from the
composed seniors. Did all of them suffer a stroke
simultaneously?
Suddenly, one of the older seniors exclaimed, “Everyone, he is
Zhang shi!”, catching the attention of all of the other seniors.
“What? He is Zhang shi?”
“So it’s you, you are as dashing as I thought…”
“Zhang shi, I am Liu Chuang from Grade 2, pleased to meet
you. If you find yourself facing any trouble in the academy,
feel free to look for me…”
“I am Zhi Zhijun from Grade 2, a member of the Enforcement
Squad in the academy. Are you free tonight? Our team would
like to host a welcome party to celebrate your enrollment…”
“Hah, is a welcome party all you can offer? Zhang shi, I know
that you are a beast tamer, so I have prepared 2000 Beast
Crystals for you. You need not feel any pressure accepting
these, just regard it as a gift from a brother…”
“Beast Crystals? What a shabby gift to offer to another. Zhang
shi, I have prepared a Beast Blood Pill for you…”
…
Hearing the exclamation, the invigilating seniors immediately
tossed aside their jobs and rushed up to Zhang Xuan. They
gazed at Zhang Xuan intimately as if he were their kin, and
their eyes were shining so brightly in excitement that they
could nearly light up the night.
“This…”
Not expecting the other seniors to treat him in such an amiable
fashion right after hearing his name, Zhang Xuan rubbed his
nose awkwardly. He couldn’t comprehend the sight before
him… Could it be that the news of him beating up the
Byzantium Helios Beast had become known?
But that shouldn’t be!
He had instructed Vicious to ensure that no one was around
when he pummeled the Byzantium Helios Beast, so it should
be impossible for anyone to have noticed that matter.
Not even Elder Mo would be able to get past Vicious’ radar!
But if the news hadn’t been leaked, what kind of insanity were
these people up to?
Zhang Xuan hadn’t killed a single high-tier spirit beast or
displayed outstanding prowess throughout the examination…
Could he be so brilliant that not even his humble performance
could conceal his radiance any longer?
Upon thinking of this, Zhang Xuan subconsciously glanced
down at his appearance—a normal master teacher robe… Un,
it didn’t seem that there was anything unique about him. His
aura… had also been suppressed to Consonant Spirit realm
pinnacle. As for his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, they shouldn’t be
able to sense it either…
While Zhang Xuan was baffled by the situation before him, Yu
Cheng was on the verge of going insane.
‘I am clearly the winner, alright?
‘I won the bet, accumulating a score of more than two
thousand points, displaying an extraordinary performance in
contrast to my peers… Yet, instead of speaking to me, you
actually chose to show care and concern to a loser instead,
inviting him to a meal and even gifting him valuable items…
‘Do you need to be so obvious that you are fawning on
someone?
‘Where is your pride as seniors!’
Yu Cheng’s lips twitched violently, and his eyes reddened in
frenzy… ‘The heck! I am the freaking winner here, I really
am! It isn’t this Zhang shi over here!’
On the other hand, Senior Feng also swallowed his saliva upon
seeing the situation before him. The insanity that was
unfolding before him had left him on the verge of madness.
He thought that he would be able to wash away his previous
humiliations with this triumph, but who knew that the other
party would still up him one in the end!
In the end, it seemed like nothing had changed at all.
“What is going on? What are you doing gathering here instead
of invigilating the test properly?”
Just as everyone was feeling faint from the madness before
them, a sharp bellow suddenly echoed in the air. Following
which, a stern-looking middle-aged man walked over.
“It is Bai shi from the academy’s Enforcement Hall! He is
known throughout the academy to be an austere person…”
“I heard that Bai shi is Elder Mo’s direct disciple. Even though
he is a 6-star low-tier master teacher, he possesses a great deal
of influence in the academy!”
“Direct disciple? You must be mistaken. Up until now, Elder
Mo has been known to have never accepted a single direct
disciple. Bai shi is simply an ordinary student under him…”
“Regardless of whether he is a direct disciple or not, he is still
a figure that we can only look up to….”
…
Such soft whispers could be heard amidst the crowd.
Bai shi’s cultivation and master teacher rank couldn’t be
considered to be exceptional, but he was extremely famous in
the academy. As he had always followed behind Elder Mo,
most had thought of him to be the latter’s direct disciple.
“Bai shi!”
As expected, as soon as the seniors noticed Bai shi’s arrival,
they immediately dashed back to their positions at the speed of
light.
“The reason teacher has made you the invigilators of this
examination is due to his high opinion of your diligence and
honesty. Who allowed you to approach the examinees on your
own whim to strike up private connections with them here?”
Bai shi glared at the seniors coldly.
The powerful aura of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan weighed
down heavily on them.
5-star master teacher corresponded to cultivation realms of
Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, 7-dan, and 8-dan. To become a 6-
star master teacher, one had to at least possess the cultivation
of a 9-dan!
As a 6-star low-tier master teacher, Bai shi was a Transcendent
Mortal 9-dan pinnacle expert. There were none that stood here
who could match him.
“Yes…”
Those words left the faces of the seniors turning red in
embarrassment.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and continue with the
invigilation!”
Bai shi waved his hand majestically.
The frightened seniors hurriedly turned their attention back to
tabulating the scores of the examinees.
“Humph!”
Bai shi harrumphed coldly. After ensuring that everything was
back in order, he turned to Zhang Xuan. Unlike the previous
austerity he had shown to the seniors, he had a slight smile on
his face at the moment. Clasping his fist, he bowed. “Senior
Zhang, teacher has invited you to meet him!”
“Senior?”
“Bai shi has addressed Zhang shi as… senior? Could it be that
Elder Mo intends to take Zhang shi in as his direct disciple?”
“That would explain why all of the seniors are eager to fawn
over him. After all, Elder Mo is one of the Ten Great Elders of
the academy! The standing of his students is above that of
most teachers. Just look at Bai shi, there is barely anyone who
would dare stand in his way!”
“Indeed. To be accepted as the direct disciple despite having
yet to officially enroll in the academy… How enviable!”
…
Seeing the politeness Bai shi was showing to Zhang shi,
everyone suddenly froze.
For one to be addressed in such a manner by a 6-star master
teacher, there was only one possibility—Elder Mo was
intending to take in Zhang Xuan as his direct disciple!
But… hadn’t Zhang shi just arrived at the academy, just like
them?
All they had done to date was take the entrance examination.
What in the world did the other party do to actually catch the
eye of Elder Mo, who had never accepted a single direct
disciple before?
Wasn’t he way too lucky!
“Elder Mo? Alright.”
Noticing all of the gazes on him, Zhang Xuan realized that his
plan to maintain a low profile had fallen through. With a deep
sigh, he nodded and followed Bai shi down the mountain.
A moment later, they disappeared from the crowd’s sight.
“Why?! I am obviously the victor! I am the one who won! But
why…”
Seeing Zhang Xuan leave under the escort of Bai shi, Yu
Cheng’s eyes reddened in frenzy.
The reason he intentionally challenged Zhang Xuan was so as
to force himself to perform spectacularly.
Even with his inner cores stolen, he still managed to obtain an
amazing score exceeding two thousand points.
Given his outstanding result, why did Elder Mo choose to take
in a person who had lost to him instead?
Seeing how Yu shi was raging over the matter, a senior finally
couldn’t stand watching the situation any longer. With a look
of pity, the senior asked, “You won? Yu shi, do you know what
Zhang shi’s score is?”
Stunned by the abrupt question, Yu Cheng replied, “His score?
Wasn’t it tabulated at 2580 just now?”
It was just a moment ago that the score had been revealed, and
the other party had lost to him and Senior Feng by 78 points.
Did the senior forget about it?
“2580?” The senior burst into laughter. Shaking his head, he
said, “Do you think that it is possible to catch Elder Mo’s eye
with such a score?”
“This…” Yu Cheng blinked in shock.
Zhang Xuan had come together with him to have their scores
checked. Could there be some mistake with his score? But
how could that be possible?
“Let me tell you honestly, his total score adds up to… 43724
points!” The senior spoke affirmatively, but a hint of
astonishment still flashed across his eyes while reciting the
figure.
“43000 points? B-but how is this possible?”
The astonished Yu Cheng nearly fainted on the spot. His lips
twitched intensely in disbelief. “Didn’t he only obtain the
inner cores from Luoyang Beast, Viridsmoke Beast, Seven
Feeler Beast… How did he obtain such a high score?”
Yu Cheng wasn’t the only one astounded by this revelation.
The master teachers in the surroundings also turned their
doubtful gazes over.
They had all witnessed the sight of Zhang shi handing over his
inner cores, as well as the tabulation of the results. How in the
world did two thousand points turn into forty thousand points?
Wasn’t this gap a little too big?
Forty thousand points… Given the score of a hundred points
for each Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage spirit beast, one
would have to hunt at least 400 of them to achieve that score!
But with the time limit of a single day, was that even possible?
“How is that possible? Zhang shi singlehandedly saved more
than two hundred trapped master teachers at Heaven’s Thread.
In the midst of doing so, he tamed more than four hundred
Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts.
How is that not worth forty thousand points?”
Seeing Yu Cheng’s disbelief, the senior flung his sleeves and
said, “Furthermore, you should also be aware that taming a
spirit beast is far more difficult than killing one!”
“He tamed… four hundred spirit beasts?”
Hearing those words, someone suddenly put two and two
together and exclaimed, “This… Could it be that Zhang shi is
the unparalleled genius that returned at noon whom the seniors
were talking about?”
They had previous heard from the seniors that a top scorer had
already emerged at noon. Initially, most thought that it would
only be two to three thousand points at the maximum, but who
could have imagined that it would actually be forty thousand
points!
Furthermore, it came actually from this humble-looking Zhang
shi!
“Indeed, that person is Zhang shi… After learning of his
incredible performance, even Elder Mo and Pavilion Master
Mo Gaoyuan are eager to meet him. Do you really think that
you have won against him with those measly two thousand
points of yours?” the senior said.
How conceited!
Initially, even though Brother Yu and Senior Feng had
addressed Zhang Xuan as Zhang shi, they still weren’t able to
put the two together. After all, there were at least hundreds of
master teachers amongst the examinees that went by the
surname of Zhang as well.
But for a person to be known as Zhang Xuan and to have come
from Huanyu Empire at that, there seemed to only be a single
person who fit this description!
The incredible genius whom even Elder Mo was full of praise
for!
Honestly speaking, he still found it hard to believe the incident
that had happened at noon to be true.
If Zhang shi was only strong and formidable in beast taming,
they wouldn’t have been so impressed.
More importantly, he was humble and nonchalant to fame and
wealth. That was what had truly left them awed.
Most likely, it was this charisma of his that won him the
respect of all of the examinees who returned at noon.
Two hundred master teachers bringing more than four hundred
spirit beasts back, but every single one of them only asked for
a single point. They insisted on transferring the remaining to
Zhang shi to thank him for saving their lives. Just by recalling
the sight of it now, he would still shake in agitation at the
grandness of the sight.
After which, when he heard of the entire story from the master
teachers, his respect for Zhang Xuan only further deepened.
Despite taming so many spirit beasts and saving everyone, he
didn’t boast and demand compensation and credit for his
efforts.
After the deed was done, he simply flung his sleeves and left
nonchalantly, not even bothering to leave his name behind.
Such was his nobility! Simply too few master teachers had
managed to achieve such a transcendental attitude in their
lifetimes.
723 Elder Mo Accepting a
Disciple
Most important of all…
According to what he heard from the other master teachers, in
order to save them, Zhang shi had utilized a secret art to
forcefully raise his cultivation from Cosmos Bridge realm
primary stage to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle!
If it had been anyone else in his place, that person would have
surely gone around showing off his prowess. On the other
hand, Zhang shi had chosen to remain humble about the
matter…
If not for Yu Cheng exposing his name, no one would have
recognized him!
It was truly a pity that most master teachers get too caught up
with cultivating their strength that they neglected to cultivate
their spirituality.
Look at yourself… Are you certain that you are qualified to
compete with him?
What do you have that can possibly compete with him?
Your boastful mouth?
With such a thought in mind, the seniors glanced at Yu Cheng
derisively.
If it had been in the past, they would surely have been awed by
Yu Cheng’s astounding result of two thousand points. But
when put against Zhang shi, the disparity was simply too big
that it was almost disappointing.
And this wasn’t just an issue concerning strength, but moral
values as well.
Zhang shi was willing to sacrifice himself for the other master
teachers while expecting nothing in return, what about you?
In fear of loss, you intentionally chased away the spirit beast
that the other party’s tamed beast had captured over. After
such a shameless act, you even dared to show off your points
and force the other party to fulfill the end of the bet…
The both of you are geniuses, but why is there simply such a
huge gap between you two?
“…”
Under the derisive gazes of the seniors, Yu Cheng felt his legs
losing his strength. He quickly turned around to look at the
others, only to find countless more derisive gazes before him.
Unable to take the blow, Yu Cheng’s vision darkened, and a
spurt of fresh blood gushed from his mouth.
The heck… Isn’t this just a bet?
In this examination, I was stripped bare by a spirit beast and
lost all of my artifacts. Despite my hard work and outstanding
performance, I still ended up being the object of mockery of
everyone else… What the hell is this!
Brother Yu and Senior Feng glanced at one another, and they
burst into tears.
…
“That… Bai shi, may I know the reason why Elder Mo is
looking for me?”
Until this point, Zhang shi was still stunned by the sudden
twist of events before him. He simply couldn’t figure out what
was going on.
He had been too caught up with pursuing the Myriad Anthive
Queen that he neglected the spirit beasts that he had tamed. As
such, he was also unaware that the master teachers he had
saved had put the points obtained from those spirit beasts
under his name.
As a result, he still thought that his score was lower than Yu
Cheng’s.
“You don’t know?”
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s question, Bai shi was taken aback. He
turned around to look at Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing the
earnest confusion in the other party’s face, his respect for the
other party deepened further.
Did you see that?
This is the magnanimity of a true master!
Under normal circumstances, it would be a blessing if one
didn’t solicit for a reward after doing a kind deed. On the other
hand, Zhang shi threw it completely to the back of his mind,
treating it as if it was the natural thing to do. Such nobility was
truly worthy of respect!
Of everyone that he had seen, the only one who could possibly
compare with the other party was the old principal.
“Am I supposed to know?”
Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment.
He had only met Elder Mo once, and that was during the
briefing of the examination. On top of that, he also didn’t think
that he had done anything worthy of the other party’s attention.
So what could the other party be seeking him for?
“Don’t worry, you aren’t in any trouble. You will know once
we get there!”
With a slight smile, Bai shi replied.
After walking for some distance, a straw hut came into sight.
While it was termed as a straw hut, it actually resembled more
of a gazebo. It seemed to be freshly built, and beneath its roof
sat two elders.
“Pavilion Master Mo?”
With a glance, Zhang Xuan swiftly recognized the two men in
the gazebo. One of them was Elder Mo while the other party
was Pavilion Master Mo, the person who left a high-tier spirit
stone as a reward for the Master Teacher Tournament, Mo
Gaoyuan.
“Teacher, Zhang shi is here!”
Unaware of the doubts flying through Zhang Xuan’s mind, Bai
shi stepped forward and reported.
“Oh? You are Zhang Xuan?”
Elder Mo stood up and assessed Zhang Xuan from head to toe.
He slowly nodded, seemingly satisfied with what he was
seeing.
A composed young man with no signs of anxiety or arrogance.
It was clear that he was a highly cultured man.
“Zhang Xuan pays respect to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master
Mo!” Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.
“Oh? Zhang shi, this seems to be the first time we are
meeting.” Mo Gaoyuan gazed at Zhang Xuan doubtfully.
“Ah… Indeed!”
Only then did Zhang Xuan suddenly recall that he had only
met Pavilion Master Mo in his identity as ‘Yang shi’. In strict
terms, this should be the first time ‘Zhang shi’ was meeting
with him.
“I have heard of Pavilion Master Mo’s valiance from Hong
shi.”
Zhang Xuan replied calmly without the slightest hint of panic.
“Not bad. To be able to recognize me from just descriptions, as
expected of a genius!” Mo Gaoyuan nodded.
He did possess a fair share of fame as the pavilion master of
the Hongyuan Master Teacher Pavilion, so it wasn’t too
surprising for Zhang Xuan to recognize him.
“Oh? What does this mean? Pavilion Master Mo, you are
acquainted with him?” Hearing the conversation between the
two, Elder Mo asked doubtfully.
Wasn’t Zhang shi a freshman who had just enrolled this year?
Why did it seem as if he had some ties with Pavilion Master
Mo?
“We aren’t acquaintances, but I have heard of Zhang shi’s
name. As you can see, this is the first time we are meeting.”
Mo Gaoyuan replied.
Without the other party’s permission, he didn’t dare to speak
of Yang shi’s name in public. Thus, he chose to speak of the
matter vaguely.
“You heard of Zhang shi’s name?” Elder Mo’s bewilderment
further deepened.
Who was the man before him? A 6-star pinnacle master
teacher, a person who ruled over the Master Teacher Pavilion
of a Tier 1 Empire, one of the most influential men in
Hongyuan Empire. On the other hand, no matter how talented
Zhang shi was, he was still nothing more than a humble figure
from Huanyu Empire. How could there be ties between two
people from vastly different worlds, not to mention, Pavilion
Master Mo had actually heard of Zhang shi?
“Pavilion Master Mo has probably heard of me due to his ties
with my teacher.” Seeing that Pavilion Master Mo was put at a
spot, Zhang Xuan stood forward to explain.
“Ties with your teacher?” Elder Mo was taken aback. “May I
know whom your esteemed teacher is? Perhaps I might be
acquainted with him.”
In truth, Zhang Xuan’s feat of taming more than four hundred
spirit beasts in just two hours had stoked his desire to take him
in as his direct disciple.
In his view, since Zhang Xuan had originated from the humble
Huanyu Empire, his teacher was unlikely to be an incredible
figure. As such, it shouldn’t be a problem for him to take the
other party in as his direct disciple. However, when he heard
that Mo Gaoyuan knew of the other party’s teacher, and there
seemed to be some deep relationship between them at that, he
began to feel a little uneasy.
If Zhang Xuan’s teacher was a 6-star master teacher as well, it
would be inappropriate for him to take the other party’s
student. While it was typically considered as an honor for
one’s student to catch the eye of a higher ranked master
teacher, the same didn’t apply for peers.
This was especially so if Zhang Xuan was a direct disciple.
This would then become an extremely sensitive matter that
concerned one’s heritage and reputation. Taking how Cao
Xiong had tried to take Wang Ying away from Zhang Xuan
back then as an example, such incidents could be viewed as an
attempt to humiliate the teacher as the teacher’s
professionalism would be questioned, thus potentially
resulting in an irreconcilable animosity between both parties.
“My teacher is Yang Xuan!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“Yang Xuan?”
Elder Mo frowned. After a moment of contemplation, he
realized that he had never heard of this name so he turned to
Mo Gaoyuan and asked, “May I know if Yang shi is…”
“This…”
Having promised to keep Yang shi’s identity a secret, Mo
Gaoyuan was put at a spot.
“My teacher enjoys spending his time roaming the lands, so he
doesn’t have much of a fame. It is normal for Elder Mo to
have not heard of him.” Zhang Xuan hurriedly replied.
“Doesn’t have much of a fame?” Elder Mo was perplexed.
As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Mo Gaoyuan
possessed exceptional standing. If Zhang Xuan’s teacher was
just an ordinary master teacher, why would he hesitate to talk
about him?
“I’ll just tell you the truth then. I am indebted to Yang shi for
his impartation…” Judging from Elder Mo’s expression that
he was unlikely to give up, Mo Gaoyuan was fearful that his
old friend might accidentally say something inappropriate
before Yang shi’s student, so he hurriedly said.
“Impartation? Could it be…”
Upon realizing the meaning behind Mo Gaoyuan’s words,
Elder Mo hurriedly turned his gaze to the young man before
him.
Among master teachers of equal rank, one would usually use
terms like trading insights and interacting. Only toward higher
ranked master teachers would the term impartation be used.
For Mo Gaoyuan to act so cautiously and use such a respectful
term, could it be that… Zhang Xuan’s teacher was a master
teacher of higher rank than him?
But both Mo Gaoyuan and he were already 6-star pinnacle
master teachers… If Zhang Xuan’s teacher was beyond Mo
Gaoyuan, didn’t that mean that he was a 7-star master teacher
or beyond?
“That’s right!” Knowing what Elder Mo was thinking, Mo
Gaoyuan hurriedly nodded.
“This…” Elder Mo’s face paled in shock.
He was only a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, how could he
possibly dare to take in the student of a 7-star master teacher?
That would be getting ahead of himself!
“May I know if Zhang shi’s beast taming skill was imparted by
Yang shi?”
But nevertheless, Elder Mo still felt a little reluctant to give up
on such a good bud.
After all, a student could have multiple teachers for differing
fields. There could be a teacher to guide him on his
cultivation, another on beast taming, painting, Way of
Medicine… If Zhang Xuan’s beast taming skills didn’t come
from Yang shi, it wouldn’t be considered a breach of etiquette
for Elder Mo to take him as his beast taming student.
In a sense, this was similar to how Zhang Xuan took Luo Qiqi
in as his apothecary student.
As the saying goes, “learn from the skilled, not the aged”.
Even if Yang Xuan was a 7-star master teacher, as long as he
didn’t teach Zhang Xuan beast taming, there would be no
clash of interest.
“My beast taming skill was indeed learned from my teacher.”
Zhang Xuan could also tell Elder Mo’s intention, so he quickly
admitted to it.
Elder Mo would be a strong backing for him in the Master
Teacher Academy, especially considering the fact that he was
one of the Ten Great Elders, but Zhang Xuan was still
reluctant to acknowledge the other party as his teacher.
First, it would be difficult for him to explain the matter of
‘Yang shi’.
All along, Yang shi had put on too invincible of a front before
others. It might bring some doubt to the credibility of Yang
shi’s identity if he were to acknowledge Elder Mo as his
teacher, regardless of whether there was a clash of conflict or
not.
Second, he didn’t even accept Kong shi’s offer to become his
student. If he were to become Elder Mo’s student now,
wouldn’t Kong shi explode from rage?
Even though it was known throughout the continent that Kong
shi had already passed away, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but
think that there was something deeper to the matter after the
‘disciple accepting incident’ back then.
Besides, he was a Celestial Master Teacher, a being recognized
by even the heavens itself. Even if he wanted to acknowledge
the other party as his teacher, would the other party be able to
bear such the heavy burden of being the teacher of a Celestial
Master Teacher on his shoulder?
“Then… what about smithing? I am skilled at smithing too!”
Elder Mo was still reluctant to give up. After all, it wasn’t
every day that one would see such a talented student.
Everyone knew of Elder Mo’s astounding beast taming
capability, but little knew that he was also a top-notch
blacksmith as well.
“My smithing art is also imparted by my teacher.” Zhang Xuan
replied.
“T-then… what about Way of Medicine?” Elder Mo pushed on
obstinately
“Cough cough, alright, that’s enough. Yang shi is a great man,
his capability isn’t one that we can fathom…”
Seeing how his old friend was still trying his luck, pushing
from beast taming to smithing and finally to Way of Medicine,
Mo Gaoyuan couldn’t help but interject.
“Sigh, you also know that the reason why I am still without a
direct disciple isn’t because I am unwilling to accept one but
that I am simply unable to find a suitable candidate…”
Knowing that Pavilion Master Mo was stopping him out of
goodwill, Elder Mo shook his head with a bitter smile.
In truth, he had seen many geniuses in his years, but none of
them had reached his expectations.
His prerequisite in accepting a disciple wasn’t the talent of the
other party’s talent but his personality. He deeply believed that
a master teacher had to be willing to bear the weight of the
entire world on his shoulders.
Given that Zhang Xuan was willing to sacrifice himself to
trigger a secret art to forcefully raise his cultivation to save
others and yet not solicit any compensation, his personality
definitely reached Elder Mo’s expectations.
The reason why he spent such a heavy price on recruiting the
services of the Byzantium Helios Beast to invigilate the
examination was just so that he could find a suitable student to
inherit his heritage. With a perfect jade right before him, how
could he be willing to let go?
“I understand your intentions, but…”
At this point, Mo Gaoyuan hesitated for a moment before
continuing, “Yang shi’s prowess…”
Just as he was conflicted as to whether he should reveal the
true strength of Yang shi to make his good buddy give up on
the impossible idea, one of the invigilating seniors suddenly
rushed to the gazebo from the distance.
“Reporting to Elder Mo, we have finished tabulating the score
of the examinees!”
“Good!”
Elder Mo’s eyes lit up. “How many people have passed the
examination?”
“Reporting to Elder Mo, a total of 6487!”
“O-only six thousand?” Elder Mo was startled.
724 The Selfless Zhang Xuan
The typical practice was to have at least twenty thousand of
the thirty thousand students to pass the examination. Yet, only
six thousand or so people had passed the examination. Did this
mean that they were going to eliminate a total of twenty-four
thousand freshmen?
With the examination ending up like this, how was he to
account for this matter to the academy?
“That’s right.” The senior nodded, affirming Elder Mo’s
doubts.
Elder Mo’s complexion turned incredibly awful.
Didn’t the Byzantium Helios Beast promise him to ensure that
at least twenty thousand freshmen would clear the
examination? Why did the standards suddenly turned out so
strict that only six thousand passed the examination?
That fellow had always been a dependable and reliable person.
What in the world happened this time around?
Hearing the figures, Zhang Xuan was also taken aback. He
thought that the pass ratio would at least still be fifty percent,
but from the looks of it now, he was being too optimistic.
“That darned Byzantium Helios Beast is to blame for this. I
shall teach him a severe lesson when I return!”
A glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes.
If not for that spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe
interfering with the examination, how could the pass ratio be
so low?
The Master Teacher Academy might not mean anything much
to him, but to the other master teachers, it spelled their future.
As long as they could get in and persevere on, they would be
destined for greatness. However, after the mess that the
Byzantium Helios Beast had cooked up, they could only end
up departing in disappointment.
Just as Zhang Xuan was contemplating how he should deal
with that darned saint beast, Elder Mo anxiously clasped his
fist and said, “I need to deal with some matters now, I’ll be
right back!”
Leaving behind those words, he turned around and soared into
the air, headed in the direction of the pinnacle of Leiyuan
Peak.
No matter what, he had to ask what the Byzantium Helios
Beast was up to, failing so many examinees.
Pushing his Saint 1-dan pinnacle cultivation to the limits, he
swiftly reached the top of the peak.
“Senior Byzantium Helios…”
Elder Mo shouted as he approached the gigantic straw cottage
in the distance.
The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of the old
principal, thus making its standing higher than even the Ten
Great Master Teachers. As such, he had to respectfully address
the other party as ‘senior’.
Hearing that there was no response, Elder Mo flew closer to
the straw cottage, and just as he was about to call for the other
party again, his eyes suddenly narrowed.
He suddenly noticed multiple depressions on the originally flat
snow land. Furthermore, the spiritual energy in the
surroundings seemed to be a little chaotic, as if a battle had
just occurred here.
“This level of disturbance in the spiritual energy can only be
caused by a Saint realm expert!”
As a 6-star master teacher, Elder Mo possessed an incredible
eye of discernment. He could tell in a single look that the mess
before him was a result of a battle between Saint realm
experts.
“Could it be that…”
Elder Mo’s eyes narrowed, and clencing his fists, he rushed
into the straw cottage.
The Byzantium Helios Beast had always been lazy, and under
normal circumstances, it would be resting inside the cottage.
Yet, all that appeared before Elder Mo was emptiness. Could
this mean that the Byzantium Helios Beast… was in danger?
“How in the world could it be? Who would dare to attack
Senior Byzantium Helios of the Master Teacher Academy?”
A hint of killing intent boiled in Elder Mo’s eyes.
The Byzantium Helios Beast was the old principal’s tamed
beast, and he represented the dignity and reputation of the
Master Teacher Academy. To dare to lay one’s hands on it was
no different from openly provoking the entire Master Teacher
Academy, taunting the entire Master Teacher Pavilion!
Elder Mo swiftly headed out to study the marks left outside the
cottage.
“Judging from the size and outline of these depressions, it
should be left by Senior Byzantium Helios. As for these
footsteps, they seem to be slightly larger than an ordinary
human…”
Elder Mo swiftly walked up to one of the footprints and
pinched the snow in the region. All of the sudden, his eyes
narrowed.
“Killing intent? This… Otherworldly Demons!”
As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he possessed an in-depth
knowledge of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. From the
footprints before him, he could sense a slight killing intent
which was distinctive of an Otherworldly Demonic Tribe
expert!
“One, two, three…” More than twenty Saint realm
Otherworldly Demons actually coordinated with one another
to deal with Senior Byzantium Helios?”
After counting the footprints in the area and making a rough
estimation, Elder Mo’s eyes widened in shock.
It was no wonder why the Byzantium Helios Beast was
missing! To think that twenty Saint realm Otherworldly
Demons would actually appear here!
This was a land belonging to the Master Teacher Academy!
How did the Otherworldly Demons sneak into here and
capture the Byzantium Helios Beast away without their
notice?
“This is truly a disaster. I must quickly report this to the
academy and the Master Teacher Pavilion!”
The appearance of twenty Saint realm Otherworldly Demons
was no joke. This concerned the stability of the entire
Hongyuan Empire! They must investigate and deal with this
matter swiftly, or else catastrophe could befall the Hongyuan
City!
With this thought in mind, Elder Mo swiftly rushed down the
mountain, and a short moment later, he returned back to the
gazebo.
“What’s wrong?”
Seeing his old buddy rushing back anxiously with an awful
look on his face, Mo Gaoyuan asked worriedly.
“This…”
Glancing at Zhang Xuan, Elder Mo hesitated.
The emergence of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was a
huge affair. If news were to leak out, it would cause a huge
panic. Even though Elder Mo was one of the Ten Great Master
Teachers, he didn’t dare to take such a risk.
“Since the both of you have important matters to attend to, I
won’t impose myself then…”
Noticing the other party’s hesitance, Zhang Xuan knew that
his presence was unwanted, so he stood up and clasped his fist.
“Actually… it’s fine!” Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to
leave, Elder Mo felt a little embarrassed instead.
It was just a moment ago which he was trying to persuade the
other party to be his disciple, to regard him as an outsider and
leave him out of important issues now would be truly
inappropriate.
“This matter is of grave importance, but I have trust in Zhang
shi’s credibility, so it’s fine for you to listen as well.” After a
moment of hesitation, Elder Mo spoke up, “I noticed the traces
of Otherworldly Demons on Leiyuan Peak!”
“What? How strong are they?” Mo Gaoyuan widened his eyes
in shock.
“Even at the very least, they are stronger than me.
Furthermore, it seems like there are quite a few of them!”
Elder Mo revealed his analysis on the matter.
Even under the encirclement of more than twenty Saint realm
experts, given Senior Byzantium Helios’s prowess, he should
at least be able to send a message to them. But when Elder Mo
arrived earlier, he combed through the entire area but found
nothing of that sort. This hinted at the presence of an expert
exceeding Saint 1-dan among the enemy.
“Stronger than you?”
Mo Gaoyuan’s complexion darkened.
At the same time, Zhang Xuan also narrowed his eyes.
All along, he had been suspecting that the Byzantium Helios
Beast was a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and those
words from Elder Mo only confirmed his doubts.
That fellow must be the tamed beast of a powerful
Otherworldly Demon!
Otherwise, why would it obstinately refuse to reveal whom its
master was?
“Indeed, I have saved a lot of master teachers!”
Having confirmed this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded in
satisfaction.
Had the scheme of the Byzantium Helios Beast and
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe succeeded, this wouldn’t be a
matter of how many people failed the examination but how
many people died in the examination.
This would be a huge blow to the Master Teacher Academy!
As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan carried the responsibility and
mission belonging to one. If he were to encounter the scheme
of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he mustn’t back down!
“I hope that the two of you won’t spread this matter around.
I’ll assemble the Ten Great Elders and conduct a meeting to
deal with this matter.”
Elder Mo said.
Pavilion Master Mo and Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
Any matter involving the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had to
be kept in secrecy or else it could cause a pandemonium
among the populace.
“Un, we will keep the matter to ourselves. Right, what about
the matter regarding the intake this year?” Pavilion Master Mo
asked.
“This…” Elder Mo rubbed his glabella in distress.
This matter was truly a tricky issue.
He thought that with the Byzantium Helios Beast overlooking
the examination, there shouldn’t be any problem in this matter.
Who would have thought that the other party would end up
being attacked by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and go
missing altogether, resulting in such a huge problem in the
examination?
The internally agreed intake number was twenty thousand, but
now only six thousand had managed to pass the examination.
How was he to explain this matter to the Master Teacher
Academy?
If he were to simply bring the other students in or conduct any
examination, that would undermine the authority of the
entrance examination, and this entire matter would become
nothing more than a farce.
But accepting only six thousand out of thirty thousand
geniuses was a huge loss to the Master Teacher Academy!
“Elder Mo, I have an idea in mind!” Zhang Xuan
contemplated for a moment before speaking up.
“Feel free to speak.” Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo turned
their sights to Zhang Xuan, curious to see what he had to say.
“Didn’t you say that it is possible to share the points one
obtained?”
At which, Zhang Xuan smiled and proposed, “Since I have
forty thousand points, there is more than enough to go around
even if I were to give one to everyone. This way, everyone
would be able to clear the examination!”
“This…”
Elder Mo was stunned, “But these are the points you obtained
with great difficulty, how can I take them from you and
allocate it to the other examinees…”
“It’s nothing much. With the threat of the Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe is looming above us, we master teachers
should buff up our forces as far as we could. By giving those
geniuses from the various regions a chance, we are giving a
hope to humanity as well.”
Zhang Xuan waved his hands nonchalantly.
The points he had accumulated were useless to him anyway.
Since that was the case, he might as well give them out to win
the favor of others and build his reputation. This would be
helpful for his advancement as a master teacher as well.
Even though most tended to overlook it, reputation was also a
factor that master teachers required. Without a strong
reputation, how could master teachers rally the forces of
humanity and lead the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic
Tribe? As such, it was also taken into account when
determining the Master Teacher Pavilion determined the
qualification of a master teacher in advancing to the higher
rank.
“This… Alright. Since you have made up your mind, I will
thank you on behalf of the Master Teacher Academy. I’ll
inform all of the examinees of this matter now!”
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Elder Mo clasped his fist with a
grave expression.
While others were still thinking about their own individual
interest, the other party was already contemplating over the
future of humanity and the Master Teacher Pavilion!
“If all master teachers could be as selfless as Zhang shi, what
would there to fear of the Otherworldly Demons…”
Elder Mo thought, impressed with the young man before him.
If he had only regarded Zhang Xuan as a junior before, he was
viewing the other party as a fellow peer at this instant.
How big-hearted must one be to willingly forgo his
achievements for others!
As expected of Yang shi’s direct disciple, his capability and
mindset were vastly different from the others!
“I’ll be troubling Elder Mo then.”
Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.
“No, it’s no trouble at all. If anything, I am the one troubling
you. If not for your generosity, I would have no idea how I
could resolve this matter… I owe you one!”
Elder Mo replied.
Should this examination only have an intake of six thousand,
he would become a huge joke of the Master Teacher Academy.
His prestige and dignity as one of the Ten Great Elders would
also be shattered.
While the other party had offered a ray of hope to salvage the
future of the other twenty-four thousand master teachers
outside, the other party had also salvaged his reputation.
“This…”
Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly.
Actually… Rather than having you owe me a favor, I would
very much rather receive a few high-tier spirit stones from
you…
“You need not feel troubled over this, you have indeed helped
Elder Mo a lot this time. Besides, Elder Mo’s favor doesn’t
come easily. Even I haven’t received it from him in the past
two hundred years of our relationship!”
Seeing the reluctance on Zhang Xuan’s face, Mo Gaoyuan
urged him to accept it.
As one of the Ten Great Elders, Elder Mo was an upright and
austere man. He had high expectations of himself and others,
which resulted in him being the only elder without a direct
disciple to date.
It wasn’t easy to receive a favor from a man like that.
“Thank you, Elder Mo!” After such words from Pavilion
Master Mo, Zhang Xuan could only nod in agreement.
If others were to learn that he wasn’t interested in accepting
Elder Mo’s favor, preferring high-tier spirit stones over that,
they would definitely send him flying to the stars with a kick.
Which of the Ten Great Elders wasn’t an influential figure in
Hongyuan Empire?
The favor of a person as powerful as them was worth much
more than gold.
If one could trade this favor with the Hongyuan Empire’s royal
family for high-tier spirit stones, one would receive at least
several dozens of them!
This was how great the value of a favor from one of the Ten
Great Elders was worth!
Such a valuable thing, and yet you are still reluctant to accept
it… Why don’t you just kick the bucket!
725 Giving Out Points
“Pavilion Master Mo, please wait here for a moment. Allow
me to organize the freshmen first before assembling the Ten
Great Elders for a conference,” Elder Mo said before turning
around to exit, leaving Mo Gaoyuan and Zhang Xuan in the
gazebo.
After a moment of silence, Mo Gaoyuan suddenly asked,
“Zhang shi, may I ask if… Yang shi is here as well?”
The reason he had put a high-tier spirit stone up as a reward
for the tournament and had come over here to meet Zhang
Xuan was to strike up a relationship with Yang shi.
“My teacher has always been a carefree person who hates to
be restrained, so I am unsure of his whereabouts as well,”
Zhang Xuan replied casually. “I heard from my teacher that
you met with some trouble trying to open the Zhukong
acupoint. May I know if the problem has been resolved
already?”
“Speaking of this, I really have to thank Yang shi for his
guidance!”
At this point, Mo Gaoyuan clasped his fist politely.
If not for Yang shi’s guidance, he might have ended up
straying further and further from the right path, and perhaps, it
might even have become impossible for him to ever reach
Saint 2-dan in his life. Now that he had healed his internal
wounds, a breakthrough was already within sights.
This incident served to further emphasize how fearsome Yang
shi was.
With just a casual glance, the other party had been able to
determine the cause of his problem and come up with a
solution which would not only resolve the problem but further
his cultivation as well.
Even if he could clone himself ten times over, he would still
be no match for the other party.
In his eyes, the Ten Great Master Teachers of Hongyuan
Academy were probably not much different from children
playing house.
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Teacher has always
been a person who follows his whims. Since he has offered to
help you, it only goes to show that the both of you are fated.
Thus, there’s no need for you to think too much about it!”
Zhang Xuan chuckled.
“I see!” Mo Gaoyuan nodded in response.
There were indeed some high-ranked master teachers who
based their decisions off fate after having comprehended the
essence of the world. If fate didn’t allow for it, they would
never offer their guidance to another.
It was also because of fate that Yang shi offered his guidance
to Mo Gaoyuan, and he had never expected anything in return.
Besides, even if Mo Gaoyuan intended to return the favor, he
had to have something that could interest the other party in the
first place…
At that moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled another matter
and asked, “Right, since Elder Mo is a 6-star pinnacle beast
tamer, why don’t I see his tamed beast anywhere? May I ask,
what saint beast is he contracted to?”
Even though he was certain that the Byzantium Helios Beast
was a spy of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, there were still
several doubts he had in his mind.
Firstly, considering the proximity between Leiyuan Peak and
the Master Teacher Academy, it was doubtful that such a
powerful saint beast could reside on the mountain without
catching the attention of the master teachers in the academy.
“It’s Inferno Dragon Saint Beast!” Even though Mo Gaoyuan
was unsure of the purpose behind Zhang Xuan’s words, he still
chose to answer his query without any hesitation.
“Inferno Dragon Saint Beast?”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
He had never heard of such a saint beast before, but it should
be fine as long as it wasn’t the Byzantium Helios Beast.
“Indeed. That tamed beast of his… Sigh, it’s truly an
unfortunate event!” Upon speaking of the Inferno Dragon
Saint Beast, Mo Gaoyuan hesitated for a moment before
shaking his head in pity.
“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xuan was bewildered by Mo
Gaoyuan’s reaction.
“Based on what I know, it seems that the Inferno Dragon Saint
Beast… doesn’t have long to live.” Mo Gaoyuan sighed.
“Doesn’t have long to live?” Zhang Xuan was left even more
puzzled by the other party’s words.
Typically speaking, saint beasts possessed a far greater
longevity than humans. As such, it was extremely rare for a
beast tamer to outlive their tamed beasts.
“Yes. It appears that the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast has met
with some trouble in its cultivation… Forget it, let’s not talk
about such a depressing topic!”
Halfway through his words, Mo Gaoyuan shook his head,
deciding to speak no further.
Even though the Inferno Dragon Saint Beast’s fiery
temperament made it unsuited to serve as the invigilator for
the examination, the least it could do was show its support by
attending, especially considering how important the entrance
examination was.
Thinking that the situation was peculiar, he had asked Elder
Mo regarding the matter just a moment ago, and only then did
he learn about the problem plaguing the Inferno Dragon Saint
Beast.
“Alright.”
Seeing how Mo Gaoyuan was unwilling to speak any further
on the matter, Zhang Xuan chose not to ask as well.
…
Hu Qing was a 4-star pinnacle master teacher from Qingyuan
Tier-2 Empire. His cultivation had only reached Clarifying
Turbidity realm advanced stage, still a way off from reaching
pinnacle.
He had come from a remote location, and he had to give up on
a lot of things before he could pass the examination to come
here.
In the final round of the Master Teacher Tournament, in order
to get into the top ten, he had to fight frenziedly without care
of his life, sustaining seventeen grievous wounds before he
could defeat his opponent.
The reason he was so desperate was because he was different
from the others.
The other master teachers could still return to their local
Master Teacher Pavilion to enjoy the highest of privileges if
they were unable to qualify for the Master Teacher Academy,
but such an option didn’t exist for him!
Born with a deadly affliction, there was only a single
medicinal herb which could save his life. However, this herb
was incredibly valuable and the only way he could obtain it
was through enrolling into the Master Teacher Academy and
purchasing it with academic credits.
He’d thought that as long as he was willing to put his life on
the line, he would be able to pass the entrance examination no
matter how difficult it was… Who knew that in the end,
despite how hard he tried, he still failed the examination!
He’d attempted to hunt down spirit beasts to procure their
inner core, but he had ended up being surrounded by them
instead, and he’d nearly lost his life in that encounter. It had
taken him tremendous effort to escape from the encirclement,
but even so, he’d ended up suffering grievous wounds for it.
Eventually, the examination finished without him obtaining a
single inner core.
Without a single point to his name, he would be unable to
become a member of the academy.
Unable to obtain the medicinal herb required to cure his
affliction, it would just be a matter of time before his illness
was triggered, resulting in his death.
“No, I must enroll in the Master Teacher Academy by hook or
by crook…”
Withstanding the immense pain from his wounds, he struggled
to his feet and walked over to one of the celebrated geniuses in
this examination—Yu Cheng.
He had watched the bet earlier, and he knew that the other
party possessed more than two thousand points. As long as the
other party was willing to give even a single point to him, he
would be able to enroll in the academy, and there would still
be hope for his affliction.
Clasping his fists and bowing deeply, Yu Qing pleaded
earnestly, “Brother Yu… I am Yu Qing, a master teacher from
Qingyuan Empire. As long as Brother Yu can give me a single
point so that I can pass the examination, I am willing to spend
the rest of my life serving you to repay your magnanimity…”
Even though it was a huge blow to his dignity as a master
teacher, with his life at stake, he had no choice but to endure
it!
“Give you a single point? Who do you think you are?”
Yu Cheng was already frustrated about losing to Zhang Xuan
when this fellow suddenly came over to beg him for points.
Displeased by the other party’s actions, his face darkened.
All in all, he only had two thousand points. Even though he
was unable to win Elder Mo’s favor, he was still hoping that
he could catch the attention of other elders through this
achievement. If he were to give this fellow a point, was he
supposed to give one to everyone who came begging him for
it?
The moment he created this precedent, it would only cause a
whole string of trouble. Furthermore, none of these points had
come easily. He’d had to work extremely hard for every last
one of them, so he was reluctant to give them away as well.
“I…”
Humiliated, Hu Qing’s face turned crimson. His head hung
lowly by his chest, and he clenched his fists so tight that his
knuckles were turning white. Taking a deep breath, he gritted
his jaws in determination and kneeled onto the ground. “I beg
Brother Yu to give me a single point to clear this examination.
As long as you grant my request, I’ll obey every single
command you ask of me without the slightest hesitation in the
future!”
“You are just a measly Transcendent Mortal 4-dan advanced
stage weakling. Even if you were to become my servant, you
would be no use to me at all. Scram! Otherwise, I’ll kick you
away myself!” Yu Cheng harrumphed furiously with a frown.
What the heck was this supposed to be?
If a Consonant Spirit realm expert had come to him with these
words, he could still consider the matter. But a fellow who
hadn’t even reached Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle
actually wanted to negotiate with him? How insolent!
He’d had to spend invaluable artifacts in order to earn his
points, and he was even humiliated by a Transcendent Mortal
7-dan spirit beast for it.
Given how much he had gone through for them, how could he
be willing to give his points away so easily?
Senior Feng stepped forward and said, “The fact that you
weren’t able to obtain any points only goes to show that you
are lacking in ability and are unworthy of becoming a member
of the academy! I suggest you stop embarrassing yourself
here.”
They might not be able to match up to Zhang Xuan, but
without a doubt, they possessed capability superior to most of
their peers, and they had the rights to be proud.
“Indeed, stop your shameful actions here. If everyone were to
beg for points just because they couldn’t earn any, the
academy wouldn’t be called the Master Teacher Academy but
the Beggar Academy!”
“You only have yourself to blame for not working hard
enough!”
“You are not fated with the Master Teacher Academy, so just
leave… Don’t soil the dignity of master teachers here!”
…
The master teachers in the region also waved their hands
disdainfully in response to Hu Qing’s actions.
It was undignified for a master teacher to beg for points like
that. If they were to condone such actions amongst them, how
could they hold their heads up high and preach to the world?
A failure meant a failure. Since Elder Mo had set this a rule,
they were meant to follow it.
“Alright…”
Knowing that it was hopeless, Hu Qing’s body trembled
uncontrollably as he stood up.
At this instant, he felt as if the wind had blew away every bit
of dignity he carried.
While master teachers were expected to behave nobly, they
were still mortal. There was no mortal who could truly be
selfless, and even master teachers had their own desires and
goals.
“Forget it…” Hu Qing shook his head.
He knew that even if he were to abandon his pride, there was
not a single person here who would give him a single point.
Since that was the case, he might as well clutch onto the final
shred of pride he had and leave with his head held high.
Hu!
But just as he was about to walk away, Elder Mo suddenly
appeared in the air, and with a resounding voice, he said, “In
this examination, there are a total of 6817 people who passed
the examination. Those who failed to obtain a single point
have failed the examination, and they are not fated with the
Master Teacher Academy!”
“Not fated…”
The faces of the twenty thousand people who had failed the
examination turned pale.
While they knew what the outcome of the examination would
be, it was still difficult for them to accept it. Their hopes and
dreams lay within the Master Teacher Academy, and after all
they had been through, they couldn’t accept failure so easily.
“However, there’s no need to worry. Upon learning of this
news, Zhang shi of Huanyu Empire approached me, and he
offered to give his points to the others so that everyone can
pass the examination. He hopes that our Master Teacher
Pavilion can grow stronger through this!
“After careful consideration, I decided to agree to his request.
“In other words, from today onwards, everyone here will be a
student of our Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!” Elder
Mo announced grandly.
“Give points… to us?”
“Zhang shi was willing to fork out his points so that we could
pass the examination?”
“This…”
Everyone was stunned by the sudden news. At the same
moment, Hu Qing’s body began trembling in agitation, and
tears began streaming down his cheeks.
Just for a single point, he abandoned his pride, fell to his
knees, and pleaded desperately with another man. But he was
rejected mercilessly, and he thought that this was where his
journey would end!
Yet, at the lowest point in his life, Zhang shi stepped forward
and offered to give his points to everyone so that they could
clear the examination…
This was the magnanimity that a master teacher should
possess, selflessly putting the human race above his own
needs!
“Zhang shi… thank you!” Hu Qing fell to his knees once more
and vowed solemnly, “From this day forward, you shall be my
benefactor. Regardless of what you ask of me, I’ll do it
without any hesitation!”
But different from the previous time, he had kneeled willingly
this time around!
“This…”
Seeing those who had failed the examination mutter words of
gratitude for Zhang shi, Yu Cheng and Senior Feng’s bodies
trembled.
It was just a moment ago that they had rejected giving out a
single point, and in the next, it was announced that Zhang shi
was going to give out his points so that everyone could pass
the examination…
‘Did your face slap have to come so quick and exaggerated?’
The duo quickly scanned the surroundings, only to see
disdainful gazes from the freshmen on them. It was as if their
eyes were saying, “How could the both of them be master
teachers but behave so differently?”
Pu!
Unable to stand it any longer, Yu Cheng felt his old injuries
acting up, and he spurted a mouthful of blood.
At the same time, Senior Feng also found the sight before him
turning dark. He had been traumatized so many times that he
had lost his confidence.
What in the world was this? Why was it that nothing good
ever happened from anything associated with that Zhang
Xuan?
726 Luo Ruoxin
“Tomorrow, you will be choosing your teachers. Senior
students, organize the freshmen and bring them to their living
quarters…” After dealing with the miscellaneous issues, Elder
Mo issued some instructions to the senior students before
returning back to the gazebo.
“Zhang shi, you need not go with the rest. It’ll be hard for you
to cultivate in those shared dormitories. Follow me back to the
academy later on, and I’ll arrange individual living quarters
for you!” Elder Mo said.
As one of the Ten Great Elders of the Master Teacher
Academy, he possessed the rights to determine a student’s
living quarters.
A top-notch genius like Zhang shi shouldn’t be staying in the
shared dormitories like others.
“Thank you, Elder Mo.”
Understanding the other party’s intentions, Zhang Xuan
clasped his fist in gratitude.
He had too many secrets on him, so it would be best for him to
get individual lodging for himself.
After which, Mo Gaoyuan offered a ride to Elder Mo and
Zhang Xuan, and soon, the three of them were headed for the
Master Teacher Academy on the back of the Langya Saint
Beast.
With the senior students dealing with the matters here, and Bai
shi holding the fort, there was nothing for them to worry
about.
With the swiftness of Langya Saint Beast, it wasn’t long
before a massive academy came into sight.
Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was built to house a
hundred thousand master teachers. There were lakes and
mountains within the compounds of the academy, and gazing
down from the sky, it looked like a castle.
Even the entire Myriad Kingdom City seemed to pale in
comparison to the academy.
It was no wonder this was the place where the top-notch
geniuses of different empires converged. Just the size of the
academy itself already far surpassed the capitals of the smaller
empires.
“This is the Elite Sector, where the most outstanding master
teachers of each grade stay. Take my token and find the
student-in-charge to organize lodging for you. Pavilion Master
Mo and I will have to meet the other elders to discuss that
problem!”
Soon, the Langya Saint Beast landed near a cluster of the
academy’s residences. At this point, Elder Mo flicked his wrist
and threw his token to Zhang Xuan.
After grabbing the token, Zhang Xuan began to survey the
surroundings. It was a beautiful place with lush greenery and a
clear stream flowing through the area. The exquisite-looking
residences were lined side by side in a row.
A Spirit Gathering Formation was set up in each of these
residences, creating a dense concentration of spiritual energy
in the area. Even without entering the residences, one would
already feel refreshed and revitalized under the nourishment of
the spiritual energy.
‘As expected of the Elite Sector, it’s indeed extravagant!’
After taking a look, Zhang Xuan nodded in awe.
These Spirit Gathering Formations were of a higher grade than
the one he had inscribed back in Honghai City, each having
reached grade-6. If one were to cultivate here, one would
definitely make much greater progress than compared to
elsewhere.
The Master Teacher Academy couldn’t afford to offer such
luxury to all of its students, so only the most outstanding of
geniuses were allowed to reside in these residences.
“Thank you, I’ll be heading down now!” Zhang Xuan said as
he leaped off the back of Langya Saint Beast.
Elder Mo and Mo Gaoyuan glanced at one another before
gesturing for the Langya Saint Beast to take off into the
distance.
The matter regarding the appearance of the Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe was a grave issue. They had no time to lose.
A few minutes later, they arrived at a sealed chamber.
There was a total of thirteen seats in the room, each of them
reserved for the most esteemed figures in the academy, namely
the principal and the Ten Great Elders.
A powerful formation was installed within the room, ensuring
that nothing discussed in there would leak out.
“What has happened for you to summon us so urgently?”
Just as the duo took their seats, a few elders suddenly pushed
open the door and walked in with deep frowns.
The last time an emergency meeting had been held was when
the old principal had gone missing. What could have happened
this time for Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo to summon all
of them so urgently?
“Take a seat please. We’ll start when everyone arrives!” Elder
Mo gestured to the seats around him.
The elders nodded and sat at their respective positions.
Soon, the door opened once more, and a few more elders
entered.
Before long, eleven seats were filled.
“Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo, you can speak now!” The
white-bearded elder who seemed to be the oldest amongst the
group gestured for them to begin.
“Alright!” Elder Mo nodded.
Flicking his wrist, he took out a Record Crystal and said,
“Before I begin, I would like you all to watch this first…”
With a tap of his finger, the battle scars on the top of Leiyuan
Peak which he had recorded earlier appeared before
everyone’s eyes.
The elders were initially perplexed to see the rubble in the
crystal, but after taking a closer look, their faces slowly turned
livid.
“These are… the marks of battle from an Otherworldly
Demon? How is Senior Byzantium Helios then?” the white-
bearded elder asked worriedly.
The others also swiftly turned their gazes to Elder Mo.
As a member of the Ten Great Elders, a 6-star pinnacle master
teacher, just by looking at the scene recorded by the Record
Crystal, he was still able to deduce the parties involved in the
battle.
“Senior Byzantium Helios… has gone missing!” Elder Mo
said grimly.
“Missing?” The other master teachers were stunned by the
revelation, and even Mo Gaoyuan’s expression was colored
with disbelief.
Back then, Elder Mo had only said that he had found traces
left behind by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but he hadn’t
gone into much detail. As a result, he didn’t think that the
Byzantium Helios Beast would actually end up being attacked
by Otherworldly Demons and go missing.
“This is what happened…” Not daring to hide anything, Elder
Mo swiftly revealed his agreement with Byzantium Helios
Beast, as well as what he’d found on the peak.
The white-bearded elder slammed his palm on the table and
declared grandly, “How dare those Otherworldly Demons
infiltrate our Hongyuan City and kidnap Byzantium Helios
Saint Beast! For the reputation of our Master Teacher
Academy, we must apprehend them!”
The Ten Great Elders were responsible for governing the
Master Teacher Academy, and they were each in charge of a
school in the academy. For one, Elder Mo wasn’t just an elder
in this academy, he was also the head of the Beast Tamer
School.
On the other hand, the white-bearded elder was the head of the
Martial Arts School, Xu Changqing.
A female elder harrumphed coldly.
“This is no longer an issue of our school’s reputation, but the
safety of Senior Byzantium Helios!”
She was the head of the Terpsichore School, Wei Ranxue.
“Senior Byzantium Helios is the tamed beast of the old
principal. He has braved through life-and-death situations with
us, and he had slaughtered innumerable Otherworldly Demons
to bring peace to mankind. With all that he had done, how
could we face the old principal if anything were to happen to
him? And what rights would we have to call ourselves the Ten
Great Master Teachers if we couldn’t even save him?”
“Indeed, we must not allow anything to happen to Senior
Byzantium Helios! However, we don’t have any clues as to his
whereabouts at the moment, so we shouldn’t act recklessly,”
said Elder Mo. “At this moment, our primary focus should be
on finding Senior Byzantium Helios’ whereabouts. If he’s still
alive, we’ll find some way to save him. If he has been killed,
we should avenge him even at the cost of our lives!”
Another two of the elders added the discussion.
“I agree. However, I think that we should carry out our actions
discreetly first, or else we might risk alarming the
Otherworldly Demons. If they were to learn that we’re on their
trail, they might potentially resort to extreme actions!”
“I concur. Since the Otherworldly Demons dared to lay their
hands on Senior Byzantium Helios, it is unlikely that they
would hesitate in attacking the academy too. We can’t discount
the possibility that this might be a scheme to lure us away
from the academy. Thus, we should proceed warily with the
investigation.”
“That is exactly what I am worried about. I fear that they
might have left behind those marks intentionally to lure us into
a trap…” Elder Mo frowned.
There didn’t seem to be any attempt by the Otherworldly
Demons to conceal the marks of battle on Leiyuan Peak, as if
the other party was intentionally showing it to them. It was
due to his worry that this was a trap by the Otherworldly
Demons that Elder Mo was hesitant to take action on his own,
choosing to hold a conference with the other elders first
instead of combing through the mountain range to search for
Senior Byzantium Helios.
After a moment of discussion, the group was still unable to
decide on anything. It was at that moment that the head of the
Apothecary School, Lu Feng, interjected in the discussion.
“Senior Byzantium Helios possesses a fighting prowess far
above us. If even he wasn’t a match for the enemy, it’s
unlikely that we will be able to save him even if we do
uncover his whereabouts!”
The others nodded in agreement as well.
Just like them, the Byzantium Helios Saint Beast was at Saint
1-dan pinnacle as well. However, as a saint beast, he wielded
strength far beyond the others. Yet, the Byzantium Helios
Saint Beast had been captured before he could even get an
opportunity to send out a help signal to the rest of them.
Through this, it could be seen how formidable the adversary
they were facing was.
If they couldn’t defeat the Otherworldly Demons, even if they
managed to find the whereabouts of the Byzantium Helios
Beast, they wouldn’t be able to save him.
“In a few days, Mu shi from Qingyuan Conferred Empire will
be making a trip here to select the new principal and
investigate the death of the old principal. When the time
comes, we can report this matter to him and have him help us
look into the matter as well!” School Head Lu said.
“This…” At this point, everyone hesitated.
If they were to rely on the headquarters for everything,
wouldn’t that be as good as saying that they, as the Ten Great
Master Teachers, were inept and powerless to deal with
issues?
“I know what you are thinking of, but the enemy we are facing
is an existence who was able to bypass our security and abduct
Senior Byzantium Helios without alarming anyone. This issue
is already beyond our ability, so this matter must be reported
to the headquarters!” School Head Lu said affirmatively.
The Apothecary School was the number one school in the
Master Teacher Academy, and this gave more weight to his
words.
“Alright…” After a moment of contemplation, the other
master teachers eventually conceded.
Just as they were about to discuss their next course of action,
School Head Lu suddenly flicked his wrist, and a
Communication Jade Token appeared in his hands. He took a
glance at it, and his eyebrows shot up.
“Everyone, follow me. Mu shi has arrived!”
“Mu shi is already here? So early?”
“Didn’t he say that it would take a few more days?”
“It’s impossible for us to fathom the thoughts of experts like
him. Don’t forget, he did say that he would be able to arrive a
month ago, but he ended up postponing his arrival all the way
until now…”
“That’s true…”
Initially, Mu shi had sent a message to them, saying that he
would arrive at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy a month
ago, but after a long wait, he never came. But just a day ago,
he had sent another message over saying that he had been held
up by some issues, and he would arrive a few days later.
However, he ended up showing up that day instead.
As such, his arrival had caught everyone off-guard.
Amidst discussions, the group walked over to the lounge
where the academy welcomed esteemed guests. Soon, they
saw an old man with a snowy beard seated on one of the chairs
with a dignified posture. Seated beside the old man was a
young lady who seemed to be in her early twenties.
“Mu shi!”
Upon walking into the room, the elders immediately clasped
their fists and bowed respectfully.
As a 7-star master teacher, Mu shi was one of the top figures
in the Master Teacher Academy. Even as the Ten Great Master
Teachers, they dared not to show the slightest disrespect to the
other party.
“Un. Allow me to introduce to you all; this is Luo shi. She’s…
a junior of mine. She is a 6-star master teacher, and as a part of
her training, she will be serving as a teacher here for the time
being. Thus, I’ll have to trouble you to make the necessary
arrangements.” Standing up, Mu shi gestured to the young
lady beside him and introduced her.
“Junior?”
Taken aback, everyone quickly turned their gazes to the young
lady. At this point, the young lady stood up, clasped her fist,
and bowed. “Ruoxin pays respect to the elders of Hongyuan
Master Teacher Academy!”
“6-star master teacher? She is already a 6-star master teacher
despite her young age?”
Everyone was taken aback.
Luo Ruoxin looked as if she was barely in her twenties. Talent
wasn’t a sufficient reason to explain how one could qualify as
a 6-star master teacher at such an age. The chances were that
she had come from an incredible family or possessed an
astounding background!
It was likely that her being a junior of Mu shi’s was a lie.
As a 7-star master teacher, it would be difficult for him to
groom a twenty-year-old 6-star master teacher.
Most likely, she was the offspring of a Sage Clan, heading to a
lower empire so as to experience the taste of life and temper
her spirit.
Only such clans could groom such incredible geniuses!
“It is incredible that Luo shi has reached such heights at your
young age; you have my admiration. Regarding the issue of
taking up a teaching role in our academy, I’ll make
arrangements for it right now. May I know… what do you
specialize in? Is there any school you are interested in?”
School Head Lu asked with a smile.
727 Elite Sector
“Didn’t the academy just accept a new batch of freshmen
recently? Why don’t you allow her to conduct a public lecture
and take in any students who are willing to acknowledge her
as their teacher?” Mu shi proposed.
“This…” School Head Lu hesitated for a moment before
eventually nodding, “Alright then!”
Going by conventions, new teachers weren’t qualified to
conduct public lectures, but since it was a request from Mu
shi, they were willing to bend the rules.
Besides, Mu shi’s attitude also seemed to verify the guesses in
everyone’s heart.
If Luo Ruoxin wasn’t a descendent of a Sage Clan, why would
Mu shi make such a request on her behalf? If she was just an
ordinary junior, he could have just left her to fend for herself
in the academy. There was no need for him to go through so
much trouble.
More importantly, Luo Ruoxin had a nonchalant expression on
her face, as if it was only right for such a thing to happen.
Only the descendant of a powerful clan would dare to put on
such an attitude.
“Mu shi…” After making arrangements for Luo Ruoxin, the
elders gathered around Mu shi and told him about the issue
regarding the Otherworldly Demons.
“I was still troubled as to who I should nominate as the new
principal. After all, regardless of whom I choose, there will
bound to be disagreements, and this could pose significant
inefficiencies in the management of the academy. But since
such a matter happened…”
Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing, “How about
this? Of the ten of you, whoever who finds Byzantium Helios
Beast, saves him, and wins his acknowledgement shall be the
next principal! You all should have no objections with this,
right?”
While the Ten Great Elders managed separate schools each, it
was inevitable that there would be some degree of rivalry
among them. Otherwise, the principal’s seat wouldn’t have
remained empty despite it being years since the disappearance
of the old principal.
Mu shi had been troubled over this issue when he was
dispatched to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy to nominate
the next principal, but this incident came at a timely moment.
Through making this the selection criterion, everyone would
stand an equal chance at becoming the next principal.
Furthermore, through saving the old principal’s tamed beast,
the new principal would be able to build up his fame and
authority, making it hard for anyone to undermine him.
“This… Alright!”
The elders glanced at one another, and after a moment of
hesitation, they eventually nodded in agreement.
While this matter would be extremely tricky to deal with, it
could also be viewed as an opportunity to display their
capability.
If they were able to do what others weren’t able to, that could,
in a way, show that they had the qualification to head the
Master Teacher Academy.
Otherwise, should the current situation where no one was
content with allowing another head them, the Master Teacher
Academy would continue to remain divided.
…
While the elders were welcoming Mu shi, Zhang Xuan had
finally reached the very center of the Elite Sector.
Due to Elder Mo’s anxiety to meet the other elders to discuss
the issue regarding the Otherworldly Demons, he could only
figure out the way himself.
“If I’m not mistaken, there must be a massive spirit vein
beneath the ground. The deeper I head in, the closer I reach the
center of the spirit vein, the richer the spiritual energy in the
surroundings is!” Zhang Xuan muttered as he felt the changes
in the spiritual energy concentration around him.
Most likely, a senior of the academy had set up a massive
Spirit Gathering Formation in the area, and over the years, it
had grown to become an immense spirit vein.
Even though the residences were built side by side, there was a
significant difference between among them. The further in the
residences were, the closer they were to the core of the spirit
vein. If one could get a lodging at the core of the spirit vein,
their cultivation would surely soar swiftly.
But regardless of how concentrated the spiritual energy in the
region was, it didn’t have much significance to Zhang Xuan.
After all, he cultivated mainly through absorbing spirit stones.
No matter how concentrated the spiritual energy in the
surroundings was, could it possibly possess spiritual energy
more concentrated than within a spirit stone?
After looting Yu Cheng and Senior Feng’s storage rings, he
wasn’t lacking any spirit stones at the moment. However, as he
had yet to compile the Heaven’s Path Divine Art for the next
tier, he could only put aside his cultivation for the moment.
In any case, the positioning of his residence didn’t matter to
him. All he needed now was a quiet residence where he could
cultivate.
After walking for a moment longer, a massive building came
into sight.
This was where Elder Mo had told him to report to in order to
claim a residence in the Elite Sector.
Zhang Xuan slowly walked up the stone stairs and entered the
building.
There was only a handful of senior students seated on the
chairs in the lounge, and they seemed to be discussing the
difficulties they had met in their cultivation.
“For the Northern Harmony Palm, the zhenqi should start
flowing from the left and terminate at the right. Through this
way, the zhenqi could make a full circulation around one’s
body, thus maximizing the might of the technique!”
“I don’t think that it’s as simple as you have said. If that’s all
to the technique, we would have long mastered it. There must
be a problem somewhere with our understanding…”
“I recall my teacher once telling me that this palm technique
should rise from the south and end in the north. I think that the
direction is significant in this technique as well…”
The group discussed with a deep frown on their foreheads.
To qualify for the Master Teacher Academy, one had to be a 4-
star pinnacle master teacher at the minimum. Even though it
was hard to determine what grade the seniors before him were
in, they carried a relatively powerful aura.
As the other party hadn’t driven their zhenqi, it was impossible
for Zhang Xuan to gauge their strength without using the Eye
of Insight. Nevertheless, their cultivation was unlikely to be
beyond Cosmos Bridge realm.
“Seniors!” Seeing that the group were engrossed in their chat,
Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted them with a smile.
“You are…”
Hearing those words, the group immediately turned their gazes
over. However, upon realizing that it was an unfamiliar face,
they frowned.
They were the few worst scoring students in the academy this
year, so the academy had punished them by assigning them to
various places to do menial labor.
The place they were currently in was the Elite Sector, and
students who were qualified to stay here were the top geniuses
of their grade. As the academy wanted them to focus their
attention on furthering their cultivation, their daily chores
ended up falling in their hands.
Waiting upon those geniuses would temper their mental
fortitude, and at the same time, it provides a platform for them
to build connections with those geniuses. These connections
may prove to be useful to their future.
As such, the group here was familiar with everyone in the
Elite Sector, and the young man before them was clearly a
foreign face.
“I am a freshman of the academy. Elder Mo directed me to you
for a residence in this sector, so I’ll be troubling you for that.”
With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan whipped out the token Elder
Mo had passed to him.
“Elder Mo?” Taken aback, the group hurriedly got to their
feet.
Elder Mo was the head of the Beast School, as well as one of
the Ten Great Master Teachers. Even as seniors, they dared not
to disrespect a student whom Elder Mo had directed here.
After checking his token and verifying it to be the real thing,
one of the older students clasped his fist and said, “Give us a
moment, junior. We’ll bring you to your residence right after
some discussion!”
With those words, he gathered the group to a side of the room.
Due to the spiritual energy concentration gradient down the
spirit vein, there was a significant difference between each
residence. If they were to settle him into the wrong room, they
might bring trouble upon themselves.
As such, it was imperative that they discussed this matter
thoroughly.
“Since Elder Mo directed him here personally, that junior
probably possesses incredible talent. It just happens that the
junior living in the first residence in the D Sector has just
moved away after being promoted to Grade 2, so we could
settle him there.”
“The first residence in the D Sector? That sounds like a good
plan!” Another senior nodded in agreement.
The Elite Sector could be divided into the A Sector, B Sector,
C Sector, and D Sector, corresponding to Grade 4, Grade 3,
Grade 2, and Grade 1 respectively. Naturally, those in the
higher grade would be prioritized in terms of proximity to the
core of the spirit vein.
Even though the junior before them was only a freshman, just
the fact that he was directed here by Elder Mo hinted at his
capability, making him qualified to stay in the first residence.
“But is it really good to assign a freshman the first residence?”
While there were some who agreed with that course of action,
some voiced their objections as well.
“She’s right. The other students have been eyeing the first
residence ever since news broke that Cheng Yue would be
promoted to Grade 2. Those fellows would surely be outraged
if they were to hear that a freshman had taken their place!”
Another senior added.
The grades in the Master Teacher Academy were determined
by one’s ranking as a master teacher, not how many years one
had been in the academy. One would enroll into the academy
as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and the requirement to be
promoted to Grade 2 was to become a 5-star master teacher.
In order to advance to 5-star, not only must one’s cultivation
reach Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm, one’s
Soul Depth and knowledge must also reach a certain mark. On
top of that, one must have five 5-star supporting occupations.
As such, it would take around a decade for an average master
teacher to advance a grade!
It was in view of this that the Master Teacher Tournament was
only held once every ten years. Outside of it, the Master
Teacher Academy would only accept a handful of students
each year. On that note, that was how Huanyu Empire’s Ye
Qian joined the academy.
But getting back to the matter at hand, as long as one hadn’t
made the breakthrough to 5-star yet, one would be ineligible to
be promoted to Grade 2.
The first residence in the D Sector had always been occupied
by a Grade 1 student known as Cheng Yue, and he had just
successfully passed his 5-star master teacher examination this
year. As such, he had left his previous residence for one in the
C Sector.
However, there were many other Grade 1 master teachers who
were eyeing the same residence as well. If they were to assign
it to a freshman, they might turn hostile against that freshman.
“But what can we do about it? It was Elder Mo who pointed
him here, they will have to accept it somehow. In any case, we
aren’t the ones who should be troubled by this matter. This
will be an opportunity for us to see how capable the freshman
is for Elder Mo to give him his token!” One of the seniors said
with a chuckle.
“That’s true…” The others nodded in agreement as well.
After discussing the matter, they walked up to Zhang Xuan
and said, “We have found a residence for you. This way
please!”
With those words, the group began walking to the D Sector,
and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind them.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of a residence.
After taking a quick glance of it, Zhang Xuan nodded in
satisfaction.
This residence was located very close to the core of the spirit
vein, so it was rich in spiritual energy. On top of that, its
surroundings were very quiet. In other words, as long as he
were to set up a formation around the residence, no one would
be aware of it even if he were to pummel the Byzantium
Helios Beast in it.
“Zhang shi, this will be your residence. Here is the key!” The
senior opened the door before passing it over to him.
They had learned of the young man’s name on the way here,
so they changed their method of address from junior to Zhang
shi.
“Thank you!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
But just as he was about to step into the residence, a young
man suddenly appeared with an awful complexion on his face
and said, “Huang Xing and Zhou Tong, what do you mean by
this? I’ve told you many times to hand the key over to me, but
you rejected my request again and again. Who is this fellow?
Why are you giving the key to him instead?”
“Are you in Grade 1? Why haven’t I seen you around before?”
“To attempt to move into the residence right after enrolling in
the academy, do you think that you are Cheng Yue?”
A man and a lady dressed in the master teacher robe with four
stars pinned on their chest entered right after the young man.
Upon seeing the key in Zhang Xuan’s hands, they glared at
him in displeasure.
They were the occupants of the second, third, and fourth
residence in the D Sector, and they had been eyeing this
residence for a very long time.
If they could take down the first residence, not only would
they get to enjoy the concentrated spiritual energy there, it
would also signify that they were the top of the Grade 1
students, a position of immense prestige.
The trio had thought that with Cheng Yue’s departure, the
residence would be passed down to one of them. Who knew
that Huang Xing and the others would bring a complete
stranger in!
Who the hell was this?
Even if they had offered the residence to you, to move in
without any hesitation… Do you even know what this
signifies?
728 Three Great Geniuses
Looking For Trouble
“Please calm down. It was not me but Elder Mo who decided
Zhang shi’s lodging…” The student known as Huang Xing
hurriedly explained the situation.
“Elder Mo?” The trio was taken aback by the revelation.
Why would the esteemed Elder Mo, one of the Ten Great
Master Teachers, direct a mere Grade 1 student here?
They glanced at one another hesitantly for a moment before a
gleam of determination flashed across the eyes of the first
young man, and he gritted his teeth and said, “Regardless of
whether it’s an instruction from Elder Mo or not, to stay in the
first residence, you must first possess strength surpassing us.
This is a rule established by the Master Teacher Academy.
Flout it, and it won’t be just us but the entire Grade 1 cohort
who will object to this! This young man over here, do you dare
to compete with me?”
In order to further motivate the students, the residence
placings in the Elite Sector were determined by one’s strength
and capability. This was a long-established tradition of the
Master Teacher Academy, so even an esteemed elder like
Elder Mo would have to think twice before flouting it.
“Zhang shi, this young man here is Wu Chan. He possesses a
cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, and with his
superior strength, he managed to clinch the second place in the
Annual Tournament among the Grade 1 students. It is only due
to his lacking Soul Depth that he hasn’t been promoted to a 5-
star master teacher yet…” One of the seniors who had led
Zhang Xuan here sent him a telepathic message discreetly,
explaining the background of the three students before him.
“Annual Tournament?” Zhang Xuan asked curiously.
Back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom as a teacher,
there was something of this sort in Hongtian Academy as well.
To this date, he could still recall how much trouble he had
gone through for his students for it. Was he going to have to
undergo it as a student now that he was in Hongyuan Master
Teacher Academy?
Furthermore, this Annual Tournament was likely going to be
very different from the one he had in Hongtian Academy.
After all, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy was built not
for cultivators but master teachers.
“Yes. Every year, there would be an inter-grade tournament
where students would clash with one another with their
capabilities as master teachers. Only the one who emerges as
the champion of the tournament is qualified to stay in this
residence…” Seeing the confusion on Zhang Xuan’s face, the
senior explained.
According to the other party’s words, it seemed like the
Annual Tournament should be somewhat alike to the Master
Teacher Tournament.
Every year, the students would be put against one another, and
they would be ranked according to how they perform.
Rewards would be offered to those who had performed
spectacularly to further motivate them the students to work
harder.
Judging from the attitude of these three students before him, it
seemed like they had qualms regarding him taking the first
residence.
However, that was to be expected. How embarrassing it would
be if it were to be made known that the first residence which
they had fought over for so long had been taken by a
freshman! They wouldn’t be able to face other students in the
academy!
Realizing this fact, Zhang Xuan turned to Wu Chan and
smiled, “Sure. What do you want to compete with me on?”
As much as Zhang Xuan wanted to keep a low profile, that
didn’t mean that he was afraid of trouble.
If he couldn’t establish a clear dominance over the other
students, he would soon find a steady stream of challengers
queuing up before his residence, wanting to defeat him and
claim the residence for themselves. If that was going to be the
case, he would rather settle it once and for all.
“By right, as students of the Master Teacher Academy, we
should be competing on our capabilities as master teachers.
However, that will be both lengthy and troublesome. Thus, I
propose that we settle it through a physical duel!” Wu Chan
said with a confident smile.
There were simply too many aspects of a master teacher that
one could be evaluated on, so competing on them one by one
would be inconvenient and time-consuming. As such, settling
it with their fists was a more viable option in this case.
“A physical duel?”
“That’s right. We might be master teachers, but there should be
little doubt that our cultivation forms the very foundation of
our capabilities. As long as you are able to defeat me in a
physical duel, I won’t utter a word of complaint regarding
your stay here!” Wu Chan replied.
“I see!” Zhang Xuan nodded. After which, he turned to the
other two and asked, “What about you two? What do you want
to compete on?”
“Me? I want to compete with you on the execution of
Impartation of Heaven’s Will!” the female student replied.
Perhaps the female student had tailored her master teacher
robe, but it was extremely fitting on her. It shaped out her slim
and elegant figure beautifully.
Even though her charm could hardly match up to Luo Qiqi’s
and Yu Fei-er—those two were existences who were touched
by the Goddess of Beauty after all—she still commanded an
elegance that would easily put her in the center of gazes.
“She’s the second runner up of the Annual Tournament, Ran
Xiaoxiao,” the senior informed Zhang Xuan telepathically.
“As for the last guy, he’s the third runner up, Xiao Nan!”
Noting down what the senior said, Zhang Xuan turned to Xiao
Nan and asked, “What about you?”
“I’ll compete with you in a physical duel as well!” Xiao Nan
replied.
“Alright!” Seeing that the two men wanted a physical duel
while the lady wanted to compete of Impartation of Heaven’s
Will, Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella. Turning to the female
master teacher, Ran Xiaoxiao, he said, “I won’t take advantage
of you. You’re Ran Xiaoxiao, right? You shall fight in my
stead and teach the both of them a lesson!”
“Ah? I shall fight in your stead?” Ran Xiaoxiao froze upon
hearing Zhang Xuan’s words.
Is this fellow a lunatic?
The three of them had come here to teach him a lesson, and
yet he wanted her to fight the others on his behalf? Isn’t it a
little too early to be dreaming?
Wu Chan and Xiao Nan were startled by Zhang Xuan’s words,
and they turned to look at him as if he was a fool.
They thought a man who was directed here by Elder Mo
would possess some kind of extraordinary talents, but to think
that that talent would be boasting!
Ran Xiaoxiao had come together with them to challenge him,
so how could she possibly make a move against them.
“That’s right. If I’m not mistaken, it seems like it has been
three months since your Ziwei and Yingtai acupoints are
sealed, causing the zhenqi in your body to start flowing in the
opposite direction. Do you feel an intense itch across your
entire body?” Zhang Xuan asked with a light chuckle.
Even though Ran Xiaoxiao hadn’t executed any battle
technique, her current cultivation realm was only at Cosmos
Bridge realm, so the Eye of Insight was effective against her.
“Y-you…” Ran Xiaoxiao’s eyes widened in astonishment.
It was true that it had been three months since her Ziwei and
Yingtai acupoints had been sealed, resulting in a stalemate in
her cultivation. As zhenqi began to accumulate, an intense itch
gradually consumed her, leaving her in great agony.
“If you were to do as I say, you will be able to resolve that
issue easily!” Ignoring her astonishment, Zhang Xuan spoke
nonchalantly.
“The reason why your two acupoints were sealed is due to
your incorrect zhenqi circulation technique. Direct your zhenqi
to your Huihai acupoint and…” Just like this, Zhang Xuan
swiftly listed a dozen more acupoints.
Ran Xiaoxiao was still hesitant whether she should give it a try
after hearing those acupoints when she suddenly felt her
zhenqi surging uncontrollably through her body.
“This is… Impartation of Heaven’s Will? Crap…”
Upon realizing what was going on, Ran Xiaoxiao’s face paled,
and she nearly burst into tears.
She had just said that she would compete with the other party
on Impartation of Heaven’s Will when the other party started
even before she was ready. Wasn’t this cheating!
She immediately tried to forcefully terminate her zhenqi’s
circulation so as to dispel the effects of the Impartation of
Heaven’s Will when she suddenly felt the seal on her Ziwei
and Yingtai acupoints loosening. It seemed as if they would
open up at any moment now.
“This…” Ran Xiaoxiao blinked her eyes blankly, dumbstruck.
Could it be that… the other party’s method was right?
Circulating her zhenqi in such a pathway would resolve the
bottleneck which had trapped her for three months?
With such thoughts in mind, she abandoned the notion of
terminating her zhenqi’s circulation, allowing her zhenqi to
flow freely under the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s
Will.
Hong long!
In just a short instant, she felt her bottleneck dissipating under
the flow of zhenqi, and a feeling of lightness abruptly
embraced her body. Her aura also became much more refined
and sharper.
“Alright, you should go and duel with them now!” Zhang
Xuan waved his hands.
“Yes!”
Under the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, Zhang
Xuan’s words were absolute, leaving her no room for
objections. With a faint smile, she turned around and charged
at Wu Chan and Xiao Nan.
“What the freaking hell!”
“Screw this bullshit!”
Seeing Ran Xiaoxiao charging at them with furious
momentum, how could the duo remain oblivious to what was
going on?
They had been waiting for Zhang shi to duel with them, but
the comrade whom they marched here with ended up turning
against them instead. The abrupt twist in the situation left them
feeling light-headed, and curses spilled out of their mouths.
In a normal duel between master teachers, one would typically
test the capability of one’s opponent before making any move.
Yet, the first thing the fellow did was to beguile one of their
own to side with him.
Nevertheless, one thing was for sure. Given that Ran Xiaoxiao
had chosen to challenge him to an Impartation of Heaven’s
Will duel, it could only mean that she had reached incredible
heights in her Soul Depth. But even so, she ended up falling
prey to the other party’s words. This goes to say that he did
possess exceptional means despite being a freshman.
It would be unwise to underestimate the young man before
them.
“Hmph! If you think that you can win against us just by
beguiling Ran Xiaoxiao, you are being way too naive! As
rivals, we have clashed dozens of times over the years. We are
well aware of her cultivation techniques, battle techniques, and
the maneuvers she usually utilizes in battle…” Wu Chan
harrumphed coldly as he easily dodged Ran Xiaoxiao’s
consecutive punches with movements as swift as lightning.
As the second, third, and fourth rankers in the Annual
Tournament, it was inevitable that they would view one
another as rivals. They had clashed with one another
frequently, granting them a thorough understanding of each
other’s moves. If that fellow thought that he could defeat the
both of them through beguiling one of them through
Impartation of Heaven’s Will, he was dreaming!
“Wu Chan, I’ll deal with Ran Xiaoxiao. You should go and
teach that fellow a lesson…” Xiao Nan harrumphed.
“Alright!” Wu Chan nodded.
However, just as he was about to advance for the young man,
the latter’s nonchalant voice suddenly sounded in the air,
“Coalescence of the Night Rain, Drifting Snow of the Glacier
Mountain, Frosted Leaves Crimson Blossoms…”
The words were neither fast nor slow, paced pleasantly to the
ear.
Those phrases were the maneuvers of the battle techniques
they specialized in.
However, under normal circumstances, these maneuvers
couldn’t be executed back-to-back with one another. However,
for some reason, he suddenly felt a nearly uncontrollable urge
to execute them.
“No! I mustn’t fall for his tricks!” Knowing that if he were to
really do so, he would fall under the other party’s control like
Ran Xiaoxiao, becoming a tool under his Impartation of
Heaven’s Will, Wu Chan bit his tongue in determination.
Under the excruciating pain, he felt his head clearing up.
Following which, he heard a series of pah pah pah pah, and by
the time he turned his head, Xiao Nan’s face was already
swollen as if a pig’s head.
“This…” Astonished by the sight before him, Wu Chan’s
eyeballs nearly popped from their sockets.
Even if Xiao Nan possessed strength beneath Ran Xiaoxiao, it
should be impossible for him to be defeated in just a few
moves!
For this to happen, Wu Chan could only think of one
possibility… that was if those maneuvers the other party were
put together, not only was it possible to execute it, it would
even display an astounding prowess!
Otherwise, considering how Ran Xiaoxiao and Xiao Nan were
nearly equally matched, it didn’t make sense how the latter
could be bashed so badly in just a few breaths!
“I don’t believe it…”
The more he thought about it, the more Wu Chan felt doubtful
and apprehensive about the matter. Gritting his teeth, he
charged right at Ran Xiaoxiao.
As a practitioner of the same battle technique, he was very
familiar with these maneuvers as well. Upon seeing the other
party execute them, he immediately knew how he should
move to evade those attacks. But for some reason, the other
party’s moves seemed to be much more difficult to deal with
than usual.
After barely avoiding a few blows by a hair’s breadth, he was
already sweating profusely.
Clearly, Ran Xiaoxiao’s cultivation had advanced significantly
under that fellow’s guidance, to the point where even he could
hardly match up to her!
Could an Impartation of Heaven’s Will advance Ran
Xiaoxiao’s cultivation by so much?
Or was the combination of those few maneuvers that
powerful?
“Screw it! I should just give it a try myself…”
Wu Chan took a step back to leap out of the battle before
executing the moves in the order which the young man had
said earlier.
Puuu!!
But by the time he reached the third blow, he suddenly felt his
zhenqi running amok as it abruptly ran in the opposite
direction. His face paled, and crimson blood spewed from his
mouth.
Pah pah pah!
At the same moment, Ran Xiaoxiao had already rushed up to
him and slammed him onto the ground with a slap.
“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head in bewilderment,
uncomprehending of the situation before him.
“Ran Xiaoxiao has just opened her Ziwei and Yingtai
acupoints, and she has the constitution of a female as well, so
it’s fine for her to use these moves in succession. But what is
this fellow doing? Does he know that using moves so
haphazardly can make his cultivation go berserk easily…”
729 Blacksmith School
Every single battle technique has its own unique zhenqi
circulation method and execution style, so it’s important for a
cultivator to pair them together wisely.
Using an analogy, while it’s possible for one to punch his left
fist to the right while punching the right fist to the left, the
clash in the momentum from both actions made in unison
would potentially result in muscle tear and disturbances in
one’s zhenqi.
This was the problem Wu Chan was suffering from at this
instant.
The maneuvers which Zhang Xuan advised Ran Xiaoxiao on
was in consideration of her unique circumstances having just
opened her Ziwei and Yingtai acupoint and her incredible
physical flexibility as a woman.
On the other hand, Wu Chan had yet to open those acupoints,
and his body was slightly more rigid as a male as well, making
it highly dangerous for him to execute those moves in
succession.
I am guiding Ran Xiaoxiao, why in the world are you trying to
learn it as well? Look at what this brings you, you ended up
crippling yourself before you can achieve anything…
With this incident, there was no way Wu Chan could be a
match for Ran Xiaoxiao anymore!
If Wu Chan were to know Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, he would
surely burst into tears.
Your Impartation of Heaven’s Will is so powerful, and my
Soul Depth has been my main weakness all along. After seeing
the massive improvement Ran Xiaoxiao has made under your
guidance, how could I possibly hold myself back from giving
it a try…
In the end, of the three geniuses who came to challenge Zhang
shi, two of them were lying on the ground, frothing at the lips,
while the last one was completely obedient to him. Huang
Xing and the others couldn’t help but gape at that sight.
This was way too exaggerated!
The second, third, and fourth rankers of the Annual
Tournament had come to challenge him. Yet, with just a few
words from their opponents, they ended up turning against one
another, eventually landing them in utter defeat…
They couldn’t help but doubt the authenticity of the sight
before them. Was this a show they had cooked up to toy with
them, or were they just dreaming?
It was fortunate that they hadn’t offended Zhang shi earlier!
Otherwise, the ones who would be lying on the ground at this
moment might be them!
It was no wonder Elder Mo would direct him to the Elite
Sector personally, he did possess the talent worthy of that!
At the same time, Ran Xiaoxiao was staring at the sight before
her in a daze. It seemed as if she could hardly believe that the
rivals whom she wasn’t able to overcome in the past few years
could be defeated so easily.
“Alright, I’ll be leaving the rest to you all then…”
With Zhang Xuan’s current Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle
cultivation, it would be almost bullying if he were to make a
move on these Grade 1 students. It would be damaging to his
reputation if word were to spread out, so he had opted to have
Ran Xiaoxiao fight in his place instead.
With this, there should be no one else in the Grade 1 who
would oppose his occupation of the first residence. With
nothing else tying him here, he waved his hand casually and
walked toward the residence.
Pushing open the door to the residence, he immediately felt a
surge of spiritual energy gushing by him.
The residence was extremely large. On top of the usual
amenities, there was even a personal training ground in the
courtyard and a sealed chamber for discussing important
matters. Honestly speaking, it seemed more like a manor than
a residence.
It was no wonder the trio had wanted this residence. The
privileges granted to the top of the grade was indeed
incredible.
After taking a casual look around the residence, Zhang Xuan
didn’t dive straight into cultivating. Instead, he took a seat in
one of the rooms to contemplate on his next course of action.
There were a total of ten schools representing an occupation
each in this academy, and each of them had a humongous
library containing a precious trove of knowledge. It wasn’t
easy for Zhang Xuan to enroll into the academy, so he should
make use of the opportunity to tour the academy and learn
everything he could.
By the time he was done, he should be ready to take on the 6-
star master teacher examination.
Only upon becoming a 6-star master teacher would one be
considered to have taken one’s first step into the world of the
top experts in the Master Teacher Continent. This was an
essential step for Zhang Xuan to gain the power to protect
himself and those around him.
“But before then, I have to find higher tier cultivation
technique manuals first!”
Zhang Xuan’s Heaven’s Path Divine Art was only up to
Cosmos Bridge realm at the moment. To advance to Perfect
Harmonization realm, he would have to gather even more
cultivation technique manuals to compile a complete Heaven’s
Path Divine Art for that cultivation realm.
“The cultivation techniques are gathered in the Cultivation
Hall!”
Zhang Xuan recalled the words Luo Qiqi had told him on the
journey here.
Gathered in the Cultivation Hall was the reflection and
comprehension notes and cultivation technique manuals that
countless geniuses had left behind over the years.
As long as he could gain entry into the Cultivation Hall, he
would surely be able to compile a complete Perfect
Harmonization realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art!
Or if luck would permit it, perhaps even beyond that!
“However, the prerequisite to viewing the Perfect
Harmonization realm cultivation technique manuals in the
Cultivation Hall is for one to be a 5-star master teacher, and an
adequate amount of Academic Credits! For the time being… I
should first try to become a 5-star master teacher first!”
Despite the sea of knowledge hidden within the Cultivation
Hall, there was a price for its entry.
As a 4-star master teacher, Zhang Xuan was only qualified to
view the Consonant Spirit realm and Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivation technique manuals at the moment. The Perfect
Harmonization realm cultivation technique manuals were
currently beyond his reach.
And more importantly, in the first place, he would need some
Academic Credits to enter the Cultivation Hall.
Naturally, he had no Academic Credits having just enrolled in
the academy. He would only be turned away at the entrance
even if he were to head for the Cultivation Hall.
“To qualify for the 5-star master teacher examination, I would
need five 5-star supporting occupation, and at the moment, the
only occupation that I have at that rank is appraiser. It seems
like I’ll need to prepare a bit before taking the examination…
How troublesome!” Zhang Xuan rubbed in glabella in
frustration.
For each advancement in one’s master teacher rank, one would
have to take on another supporting occupation while raising
the ranks of all supporting occupations to the corresponding
master teacher rank.
Too often were there master teachers who were hindered not
by their cultivation, but their inability to bring up the required
number of supporting occupations to the required rank to be
promoted.
So far, the only 5-star supporting occupation Zhang Xuan had
was appraiser. As for the remaining supporting occupations,
formation master, physician, painter, and beast tamer were at
4-star, while apothecary was at 3-star.
While Zhang Xuan had other supporting occupations such as
poison master and soul oracle, those occupations were often
frowned upon due to their history and their nature, and he
might be shunned for learning their skills. Thus he wouldn’t be
able to consider them for his promotion prerequisites.
“I should pay a visit to the other schools while I have the time
to take the examinations for my supporting occupations!”
After some contemplation on the matter, Zhang Xuan thought
that it would be better for him to take things a step at a time.
He wasn’t in a rush for time anyway, and the academy
provided a convenient platform for him to take the
examinations as well. If he could clear as many examinations
as he could here, he could be spared the trouble from trying to
find the occupation guilds in the future.
“I have managed to compile the Heaven’s Path Smith Art
recently but I haven’t gotten a chance to take the examination
yet. Perhaps I should take the examination for it first…”
Eventually, Zhang Xuan decided to visit the Blacksmith
School first.
Through compiling the books Wu Yangzi had left behind, his
current smithing proficiency could be said to be on par, or
even superior to a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith. Thus, he could
take the 6-star blacksmith examination straight without a
problem.
At the same time, this was a good opportunity for him to get a
view on the capability of the Blacksmith School.
With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan stood up without
hesitation and walked out of his residence.
By the time he left the residence, Wu Chan and the others had
already left.
After all, as seniors in the school, it was indeed embarrassing
for them to remain here after losing to a freshman.
Zhang Xuan went back to the massive building and swiftly
found Huang Xing and the others. From them, he got the
location of the Blacksmith School, and swiftly made his way
over.
Of the ten schools, the Blacksmith School was second only to
the Apothecary School. There were many students who took it
as their supporting occupation, and even when he was a
distance away, he could already see a huge crowd moving to
and fro the area.
“Perfect Harmonization realm, Ethereal Treading realm…”
Zhang Xuan gauged the cultivation of the crowd by sweeping
through them with his Eye of Insight.
There were plenty of students who had reached Perfect
Harmonization realm and Ethereal Treading realm among the
crowd, and there was even a handful who had reached
Chrysalis realm.
With such strength, they would stand unchallenged in Huanyu
Empire. Even in Hongyuan Empire, they stood amongst the
top.
As expected of the Blacksmith School, it was indeed
incredible.
After asking around, Zhang Xuan soon found the area where
blacksmith examinations were held.
The schools in the Master Teacher Academy were associated
with the respective occupation guilds, so the results of the
examinations held here were officially recognized.
In other words, by clearing the blacksmith examination here,
he could receive an official emblem from the Blacksmith
Guild.
Considering how there were nearly a hundred thousand master
teachers in the academy, if they had to head out to their
respective guilds to take the examination, not only would it be
a huge inconvenience to the master teachers, it would also be a
great burden on the guilds in the vicinity as well.
Thus, the occupations had decided to set up a branch within
the respective schools to oversee the examination so as to
make things convenient.
“Blacksmith Guild—Hongyuan Academy Branch…”
Zhang Xuan glanced at the plaque hung in front of a towering
building before walking in.
The vast lounge was filled bustling with a huge crowd. Zhang
Xuan estimated that there was probably at least a few hundred
people in here.
“Tailor-made Spirit intermediate-tier weapon from a 5-star
blacksmith, priced at only half an Academic Credit!”
“I have a Spirit intermediate-tier saber fresh from the forge,
going at just one Academic Credit! Don’t miss this
opportunity, you won’t see another weapon as cheap as this…”
“I’m lacking a Goldenforest Ore, and I am willing to trade two
Academic Credits for it!”
“Three Searing Blaze Stones, going at one Academic Credit
each…”
…
It was as if Zhang Xuan had leaped into a market. Some were
offering weapon forging services, some were selling their
forged weapons, some were buying all kinds ores, and some
were selling all kinds of smithing resources.
Since most of them were dressed in a master teacher robe, they
should be students of the academy.
“The purchasing power of Academic Credits sure is
amazing…” After taking a look around the stores, Zhang Xuan
couldn’t help but notice that most trades were conducted using
Academic Credits.
When Zhang Xuan first heard about the importance of
Academic Credits from Luo Qiqi, he had thought that its price
would, at best, be equivalent to middle-tier spirit stones.
However, perhaps due to the fact that Academic Credits were
essential in accessing most facilities in the Master Teacher
Academy, its value seemed to be comparable to even high-tier
spirit stones.
It was no wonder why Luo Qiqi and the others had gone all the
way to Huanyu Empire to search for Wu Yangzi’s underground
chamber for just a handful of Academic Credits. It seemed like
it wasn’t easy to earn Academic Credits at all. Otherwise, 5-
star blacksmiths wouldn’t have to go to the extent of setting up
stores as if roadside vendors.
The items they were offering would be invaluable treasures
back in Huanyu Empire, but they weren’t even worth half an
Academic Credit in here.
“Is there anything you need?”
After squeezing through the crowd to reach the reception desk
with much difficulty, Zhang Xuan found a young lady smiling
at him.
Through asking around, Zhang Xuan learned that the
receptionists were also the students of the academy as well.
They had accepted this mission from the academy to earn
Academic Credits.
While such missions were humble, they were neither
dangerous nor skill-based, so it was more suited for the less-
skilled students.
“I wish to take the blacksmith examination!” Zhang Xuan
said.
“May I know what rank are you going for? I’ll make
arrangements for you right now!” Upon hearing that the young
man before her was going to take the blacksmith examination,
the young lady’s eyes immediately lit up.
“I’ll… take the 5-star examination!” After a moment of
hesitation, Zhang Xuan replied.
If the examination was knowledge-based, it wouldn’t be a
trouble for him to pass the 6-star examination. However, that
was very unlikely to be the case.
Considering his lacking proficiency in smithing, as well as his
lacking cultivation, the products he could smith would likely
be unflattering.
Thus, he decided to play it safe and take the 5-star
examination first. In any case, his current goal was to advance
to become a 5-star master teacher for the time being anyway.
“5-star?”
The lady nodded with a smile and said, “May I have your 4-
star emblem and your student token? I’ll help you register for
the examination…”
“Emblem? Student token?” Zhang Xuan’s face reddened in
embarrassment. “I don’t have any of those yet…”
Zhang Xuan had never taken the blacksmith examination
before, so he didn’t even have a 1-star emblem, On the other
hand, as a freshman who had just entered the academy a few
hours ago, his name wasn’t even listed in the academy’s
records yet. How could he possibly have a student token on
hand?
“You don’t have those?”
The young lady froze for an instant before her smile vanished
into a frown, “Who are you then? What are you doing at our
Master Teacher Academy?”
730 The Importance of
Academic Credits
Anyone without a student token couldn’t be considered as a
student of their academy… If that was the case, who in the
world was the young man before her?
As one of the very few major academies under Qingyuan
Conferred Empire that served as a cradle for aspiring master
teachers, only those who possessed superior talent or
capabilities were allowed to step onto its premises.
“I am a freshman from this year’s batch… I just entered the
academy, so I haven’t received my student token yet!”
Realizing that the other party had misunderstood that he was
an outsider, Zhang Xuan hurriedly explained.
“A freshman?” The young lady was stunned for an instant
before it dawned on her that the entrance examination was just
held earlier today. She couldn’t help but shake her head.
To think that a freshman would visit the Blacksmith School on
his very first day in the middle of the night instead of
resting…
“I’ll be honest with you. To take the blacksmith examination,
you’ll require a student token, the corresponding emblem, and
Academic Credits. Without Academic Credits, no one will
bother going through the trouble of preparing the examination
for you!”
Upon realizing that Zhang Xuan was a freshman, the young
lady explained.
“I’ll require Academic Credit for this as well?” A bitter smile
crept onto Zhang Xuan’s lips.
“Of course. Even if you were to take the examination in the
guilds outside the academy, you will still need to place spirit
stones with the guild as a deposit. If there’s nothing on the
line, there would surely be a few who would come to try their
luck every day, wasting the efforts of those preparing the
examinations and the resources of the Master Teacher
Academy!” the young lady harrumphed.
For a freshman to attempt to take the examination without
even getting a clear idea of how the academy’s system works,
was he just that brazen or simply negligent?
“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
She was right.
Under normal circumstances, if one wanted to take an
examination in a guild, one would have to place a fixed
deposit with the guild first, and it would only be returned if
one passed the examination. This served as a barrier to deter
the arrogant and those trying their luck.
The Master Teacher Academy seemed to follow the same
policy as well, just that instead of a deposit of spirit stones, it
was Academic Credits now.
“How many Academic Credits will I require to take the 5-star
blacksmith examination?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“To take a 5-star supporting occupation examination will
typically take two Academic Points whereas a 6-star
examination will require four Academic Points.” the lady
replied.
“Two points?” Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck. “May I also
clarify another issue? In other guilds, the deposit will be
returned if one were to clear the examination. Does this apply
here as well?”
Having walked around the Blacksmith School, he had roughly
grasped how difficult it was to earn Academic Credits.
Considering how even smithing a Spirit intermediate-tier
weapon for another might not even be worth half an Academic
Credit, two points was indeed an astronomical sum!
It would be great if he could claim a refund if he were to clear
the examination. Otherwise, he would surely have a spend a
huge amount of Academic Credits to clear the necessary
examinations required for him to become a 5-star master
teacher.
“Refund? How could the Academic Credits possibly be
refunded?” the young lady shook her head upon hearing Zhang
Xuan’s words.
“Just remember this; in order to live in the academy,
possessing Academic Credits is a must. In here, no other
currency is more useful than Academic Credits. To earn
Academic Credits, you will have to clear missions, complete
tasks, or break existing records! Alright, you should return for
now. I might still be able to give you some leeway regarding
your lack of a student token since you are a student of our
Master Teacher Academy, but without Academic Credits, you
won’t be able to even activate the [Ocean of Weapons] to take
the examination.”
“Activate the Ocean of Weapons?”
“The Ocean of Weapons is an artifact crafted in a collaboration
between the Blacksmith School and Celestial Designer School
to automate examinations. Once activated, the examinee will
be brought into a simulation, where he would craft a weapon
through a puppet. As long as his crafted weapons meet the
requirements, he would be considered to have cleared the
examination.” Even though the young lady was starting to get
impatient at this point, she still answered Zhang Xuan’s query
politely.
“Simulation? Puppet? Wouldn’t a practical examination where
one undergoes the entire smithing process be a more accurate
indicator of skill?” Zhang Xuan asked curiously.
Most guilds that he had been would demand the examinees to
display their true prowess. Thus, he couldn’t help but be a
little bewildered when the other party mentioned simulation
and puppets.
Could it be that one didn’t need to smith a weapon for real to
clear the examination?
“It would indeed be a better indicator of skill if one could
undergo the entire smithing process, but do you know how
expensive are the materials required for smithing are? Of the
hundred thousand master teachers in the academy, there are at
least fifty thousand of them who have smithing as their
supporting occupation. If we were to have each of them smith
a real weapon, how much valuable ores and metals would be
wasted?” the young lady harrumphed.
“However, you need not worry, While it is an illusion, you will
be ranked based on the data we gathered from several hundred
6-star pinnacle blacksmiths ever since the inception of the
academy. As long as the core of your smithing aligns with
theirs, you will surely clear the examination! The disparity in
results would only be at most one in a billion!”
While it was true that the Ocean of Weapons was a smithing
simulation, it had been refined by innumerable 6-star
blacksmiths over the years, making it extremely life-like. As
long as one could successfully smith a weapon inside the
simulation, they would surely be able to succeed in real life as
well, and vice-versa.
“I see!” Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.
Indeed. Considering how there were fifty thousand
blacksmiths in the academy, there would at least be a thousand
who would take the examinations each year. If the academy
were to conduct a real practical examination for each of them,
how much precious ores and metals would they waste each
year?
It was one thing if they had passed and forged a decent
weapon, but considering the success ratio over the years, it
was likely that most of the ores and metals would be ruined.
No matter how wealthy the Master Teacher Academy was, this
was an expense they couldn’t afford to bear.
Furthermore, unlike medicinal herbs, ores and metals were
depletable resources. As such, no blacksmith would be willing
to see so much precious resources going to waste each year.
As such, the Master Teacher Academy decided to develop a
simulation to conduct the examinations instead.
“Alright, you should return now. Even if you do possess the
capability to pass the 5-star blacksmith examination, you will
still need two Academic Credits. Without that, I won’t be able
to give you any leeway even if I wanted to!” the young lady
waved Zhang Xuan away.
“If I recall correctly, you said that to earn Academic Credits,
we can either clear missions, complete tasks, or… break
existing records? May I know how does breaking the existing
records work?” Knowing that he would be unable to do
anything without sufficient Academic Credits, Zhang Xuan
continued asking.
“Break existing records?” The young lady’s eyes began flying
around the place, and blood nearly gushed from her mouth.
Probably only a freshman like the other party would dare to
spout such arrogant words!
Those achievements were termed as “records” for a reason—
there was no master teacher in the academy who could surpass
it.
As a freshman, it is understandable for you to lack knowledge
about the functioning of the academy, so I explained them to
you patiently. But now, you are telling me that you intend to
break existing records to earn Academic Credits?
You must be dreaming!
If Academic Credits could be earned that easily, why would
the others go through so much trouble of setting up their own
store?
Seriously, shouldn’t there be a limit to your naivety?
“Indeed. May I know what records are there? I would like to
try challenging them…” Zhang Xuan replied.
Missions would likely be more troublesome to deal with, or
else a request wouldn’t be made for it… As for tasks, Zhang
Xuan hadn’t been acquainted with any teacher yet, so that
would be out of question. Thus, the only remaining option for
him to earn Academic Credits quickly was to break records.
Of course, he would try to pick out the easier ones to earn
some points first. For the harder ones, he could attempt them
later, after he browsed through the library.
As the saying goes, poverty makes the downfall of a hero.
Without Academic Credits, even if he possessed superior
capability, he would still find his activities severely restricted
in the Master Teacher Academy.
“You…” Seeing the fellow before her going on and on about
breaking records, the young lady shook her head in
displeasure.
Do you know even understand why they are called records?
Do you honestly think that you can surpass them just because
you want to?
Initially, the young lady was still thinking that this freshman
was diligent, rushing to the Blacksmith School right after
clearing the entrance examination, and she respected him for
it. That was the reason why she chose to answer his queries
patiently. However, as the fellow before her got more and
more arrogant, she found her patience swiftly wearing thin,
and hostility was beginning to take its place.
Nevertheless, she tried her best to rein in her fury as she
gestured casually, “If you wish to give it a try, so be it. The
Passageway of Records is over there, feel free to take a look.
However, allow me to give you a word of advice. Don’t enter
any of them easily, or else you might be thrown out of the
Blacksmith School…”
These records represented the achievements of the talented
predecessors of the Blacksmith School, and they were a
symbol of honor. Challenging these records without the
capability to back it up could be considered as a sign of
disrespect to these predecessors, and one would be severely
punished for it.
Furthermore, being humiliated was just one matter, but one
could potentially be severely injured while challenging those
records if one wasn’t sufficiently strong.
“Over there?” Zhang Xuan glanced at the direction where the
young lady was gesturing toward, but his view was obstructed
by a huge crowd moving to and fro the area.
“I am free now, so allow me to lead you over…” With a proud
harrumph, the young lady raised her head and led the way.
Since you spoke so arrogantly about breaking the records, let’s
see how you will make a fool out of yourself then!
As a freshman, it was one thing for you to be ambitious.
However, to declare so proudly that you would break the
existing records of the Blacksmith School, who do you think
you are?
If it was that easy to do so, why do you think there would be
people here offering their services to smith weapons or selling
their work? Why do you think students would go through all
the trouble, braving through life-and-death situations to clear
difficult missions?
Of all of the conceited men I have seen, you top the list!
The fellow before her was most likely a high-flyer from some
rural area who had never ventured into the greater world.
Accustomed to being the top, he naturally thought of himself
as superior to others, not knowing that his outlook was merely
like a frog in a well.
Oblivious to the fact that he had already left a terrible
impression on the lady before him, Zhang Xuan followed
behind her closely through the crowd.
Before long, he found himself standing before a black door.
This door somewhat resembled those he saw during his 2-star
master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. There were
words written on the white wall beside the door:
“Melting three Black Crystal Ore in ten minutes.
Accomplished by 6-star Blacksmith Zheng Rong in the 3784th
year of the establishment of Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy…”
“Diverting the earth flames to completely melt a lump of
Glacier Silver within two hours. Accomplished by 6-star
Blacksmith…”
“Withstanding the heat within the Chamber of Earth Flame for
17 minutes. Accomplished by 6-star Blacksmith Liu Han…”
…
These were the records set by the predecessors of Hongyuan
Master Teacher Academy, and the details of whom and when it
was achieved was written on it as well.
After taking a casual glance, Zhang Xuan’s face gradually
turned grim.
To be honest, these records were indeed incredible even from
his point of view.
Taking just the Black Crystal Ore for example, this object was
known to be one of the hardest ores to process. Even a typical
7-star blacksmith would require at least an hour to melt it
down, but the record holder Zheng Rong actually managed to
do it within ten minutes! That was an astounding feat!
Even Zhang Xuan, with his current cultivation realm, would
be unable to do the same!
This was even more so for Glacier Silver. This material
was known to be impossible to be melted through normal
flames. The only way to forge a weapon out of it was to soften
it by exposing it to earth flames for a prolonged period of time
and slowly mold it into a weapon. Generally speaking, such a
process would take several months, and yet, the record holder
had managed to melt it down into liquid metal within two
hours!
“So, do you think you can rival their achievements?” Glancing
at the arrogant young fellow beside her, the young lady
scoffed.
“It’s not impossible… but it’ll be troublesome!” Zhang Xuan
scratched his head.
If he were to really set his mind to it, he was confident of
surpassing those records. However, he would have to pay a
hefty price for it as well. The price he had to pay wasn’t worth
that bit of Academic Credits.
Taking Glacier Silver for example, as long as he were to infuse
his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into the earth flame to intensify the
heat, it should be possible for him to melt it fully within an
hour… However, the zhenqi he would have to expend to do so
would reach a fearsome level.
Furthermore, there was a risk that he might expose the secret
regarding his Heaven’s Path zhenqi as well. If that were to
happen, there would be no doubt that others would attempt to
acquire his secret, even at the expense of his life. That was
how great the allure of Heaven’s Path zhenqi was.
While he had “Yang shi” to keep such people in check, it was
still best for him to steer clear of trouble if possible.
“You’re saying that you can break these records? How
conceited!” Hearing the conversation the duo had, a
blacksmith stepped forward and sneered.
“Li Xuan, where on earth did you find such an arrogant
fellow?”
731 Chamber of Earth Flame
Zhang Xuan turned around to take a look.
The other party was a young man who seemed to be in his
thirties. The brilliant five stars pinned on his chest indicated
that he was a 5-star master teacher!
“Senior Luo Yan!”
Upon seeing the young man, the young lady whom the other
party had identified as Li Xuan leaped in fright, and she
hurriedly bowed her head politely.
“Isn’t Senior Luo Yan one of the top ten master teachers in
Grade 4? If I recall correctly, he’s also one of the top 5-star
pinnacle blacksmiths in the Blacksmith School. To utter such
haughty words in his presence, that fellow must be asking for
a beating!”
“Indeed, that fellow is acting far too frivolously here. This is
the Blacksmith School, not a bragging competition. How did
such a person even pass the entrance examination in the first
place?”
“I have seen most of the famous Grade 1 and Grade 2 students,
but his face looks unfamiliar to me.”
“He’s probably just saying those words to attract attention…”
…
The Passageway of Records represented the pride and
achievements of the Blacksmith School. Only the top
blacksmiths in the school would dare to gather here and
challenge the records. But even so, most of them would come
with the intention of challenging themselves, not to surpass the
existing records.
After all, the records signified the very pinnacle of the
Blacksmith School over its millenniums of existence.
Yet, this fellow came here and declared that “It’s not
impossible, but it’ll be troublesome”. Naturally, these words
would incur the displeasure and hostility of the geniuses here.
Even the top blacksmiths of the Academy School dared not to
utter such words! It took those geniuses here all they had to
not rush up and pummel that arrogant fellow.
“Reporting to senior, he… he is…”
Under the glare of a renowned Grade 4 student, Li Xuan’s
body trembled uncontrollably in fear, “He’s a newly enrolled
student, and he’s here to take a look around…”
“A freshman?”
Upon hearing that the other party was just a freshman, Luo
Yan shook his head in disappointment and fury, “The quality
of the students are getting worse and worse with each passing
generation! The Passageway of Records symbolizes the blood
and sweat of countless predecessors of our Blacksmith School,
how can you allow just anyone to enter here and besmirch this
place?”
At this point, Luo Yan’s eyebrows shot up, and his voice grew
sharper, “What are you still waiting for? Scram!”
“Yes…”
Li Xuan swiftly nodded as she tugged Zhang Xuan out with
her. However, to her shock, the latter refused to budge.
Instead, he turned to Luo Yan with an annoyed expression and
questioned, “Are you the head of the Blacksmith School?”
“I’m not…” Taken aback, Luo Yan replied in confusion.
The other students watching the commotion were stumped by
Zhang Xuan’s abrupt question as well.
“One of the Ten Great Master Teachers?” Zhang Xuan
continued asking.
“That’s not it either…”
“So, an elder of the Blacksmith School?”
“Of course not… What are you driving at?” Annoyed by
Zhang Xuan’s persistent questioning, Luo Yan finally snapped.
“If you are neither the head of the Blacksmith School nor one
of the Ten Great master Teachers nor an elder of the
Blacksmith School, why the heck are you ranting here for?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh.
Why the heck are you interfering with us if you have no place
here?
What a meddlesome fellow you are!
“Ah…”
Li Xuan was still wondering what Zhang Xuan was going to
say when she heard those words. Her body began shaking
violently, and she nearly fainted from sheer fear.
Do you know who you standing before? How can you speak to
him like that?
He’s a Grade 4 student, a 5-star high-tier teacher, a
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert! For a freshman like you to
talk back to him like that, aren’t you afraid of being pummeled
to death?
Everyone else in the Passageway of Records also glanced at
one another, their eyes bulging from astonishment.
Arrogant! They had never seen someone as arrogant as this!
Furious, Luo Yan’s face turned so red that it looked as if he
would erupt at any moment, “What did you say?”
“Nothing much. Just that you should do whatever you have to
do, and don’t hinder me from earning Academic Credits!”
Couldn’t be bothered with the other party, Zhang Xuan turned
his attention back to the records around him.
Having read so many books on smithing, his comprehension
of the subject had already reached an extremely profound
level. It was possible that the head of the Blacksmith School
might not even be a match for him in terms of their
understanding of smithing.
The only thing that was lacking was his cultivation.
If only he has reached Saint realm, he would be able to sweep
through all of the records easily.
But with his current cultivation… it would be a little
troublesome.
“Alright, I’ll take this!”
After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly chose
the record he wanted to challenge. He felt that there was a
good chance that he could surpass the existing record, so he
turned to Li Xuan and asked, “If you don’t mind, help me
apply for this. I want to challenge this record!”
“Challenge?” Li Xuan froze.
You still want to challenge the records after seeing the existing
ones? Do you really think that you can surpass any of these?
The crowd who was watching the commotion also glanced at
one another and shook their heads.
After offending a higher grade student, you still want to
challenge a record? Did someone knock the sense out of you?
With such a cocky attitude, how did you even pass the master
teacher examination and get into this academy on top of that?
“Un, I want to challenge this Chamber of Earth Flame. I’ll be
depending on you to make the application for me.” Zhang
Xuan replied calmly.
The Chamber of Earth Flames was a scorching chamber
heated by tapping into earth flames. The longer that one can
remain in there, the stronger one’s physical body is likely to
be.
As blacksmiths, it is inevitable that one will be exposed to
intense heat. If one doesn’t possess a sufficiently strong body,
one will easily lose concentration in the midst of smithing,
resulting in misjudgement and mistakes.
As such, a strong physical body that is resistant to heat is
imperative for blacksmiths.
The reason why Zhang Xuan chose this over the other
challenges was because he had cultivated the Quintuple
Incandescence Golden Body and tempered his body using
earth flame. The underground chamber might be hot, but he
was confident of holding on for more than 17 minutes.
As such, it should be easier for him to clear this challenge as
supposed to the others.
“Chamber of Earth Flame?”
“Is that fellow a fool? To choose that of everything else… Is
he tired of living?”
“I have no idea. Perhaps being a freshman, he doesn’t know
how fearsome it is!”
“And here I thought he might at least stand a chance. To think
that he would be an idiot instead…”
Upon hearing the record which Zhang Xuan wanted to
challenge, everyone turned their eyes to him with gazes
seeming to suggest that they were staring at a fool.
Even Luo Yan who was so furious that he could kill Zhang
Xuan with a single slap widened his eyes in astonishment.
The Chamber of Earth Flame was also known as the Chamber
of Obliteration or the Death Record. Over the years, most of
those who attempted to challenge this record ended up either
dead or crippled.
Putting everything aside, the current record holder, 6-star
Blacksmith Liu Han, had managed to survive inside for
seventeen minutes, but he ended up searing every single inch
of his flesh, damaging his foundation. Eventually, he died
before he even reached 150.
For a Saint, dying at 150 was definitely considered as a
premature death.
Luo Yan had also attempted this record himself, but he fled
just three minutes after entering.
As for the others, even though they had never experienced it
personally, they had also heard of how terrifying it was from
the others.
If there was a record on the record which most would want to
avoid challenging, this would definitely be ranked at the top of
the list!
And yet, that fellow chose that single record which everyone
was dying to avoid… Not to mention, he even proudly
declared that he could clear the existing record. Has living
become that tiresome for you that you have to rush to your
death?
“In the Chamber of Earth Flame, flames would sprout from
every nook and cranny, making it impossible for you to avoid
them at all. Your skin will be seared by blazing heat… Do you
want to reconsider your option?” Shocked, Li Xuan hurriedly
tried to persuade the young man beside her.
As infuriated she was by that young man, she was still the one
who brought him here, and she couldn’t possibly watch as he
leaped to his death.
“Don’t worry, you can go ahead and make arrangements! If I
find myself at the limit of my tolerance, I’ll immediately leave
the chamber.” Knowing that the other party was worried about
him, Zhang Xuan replied.
“This…” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s insistence, Li Xuan realized
that she would be unable to change his mind, so she could only
give in, “Alright then. Actually, there’s no need to apply for
anything beforehand. All you have to do is to place your palm
against the door, and after stepping in, declare which is the
record you wish to challenge, and the mechanism will send
you to your destination!”
Zhang Xuan nodded, “Thank you!”
Leaving these words behind, he walked up to the door leading
to the Chamber of Earth Flame.
“Freshman, what is your name?” Seeing that the fellow was
insistent on entering the chamber, Luo Yan harrumphed. “If
you can survive three minutes in there, I can overlook your
prior disrespectful behavior!”
Even though Zhang Xuan had acted extremely arrogantly, he
did feel a slight bit of respect for him for being willing to
challenge the Chamber of Earth Flames even after knowing
how terrifying it was.
“My name is Zhang Xuan!” Zhang Xuan replied with a slight
smile as he placed his palm on the door.
Jiya! The door to the chamber opened, and he walked in.
Upon entering the chamber, the doors behind him immediately
closed, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
“I will challenge the Chamber of Earth Flame!” Zhang Xuan
declared.
Jiya!
As soon as he spoke those words, the ground beneath him
rumbled as a mechanism came to life.
There were various overlaps between in the skills of a
blacksmith and a celestial engineer. As such, the two schools
were particularly close to one another. This passageway, or
perhaps it might be more appropriate to call it a lift instead,
seemed to be installed with an extremely profound
mechanism, allowing it to process human speech and transport
the challenger to his destination.
A moment later, the rumbling came to a halt.
Darkness veiled the entire area, leaving it impossible for
Zhang Xuan to determine where he was. Nevertheless, based
on the echoes in the area, it seemed like he had arrived in a
massive chamber.
Just as he was about to activate his Eye of Insight to perceive
his surroundings, a bundle of flames abruptly lit up before
him. It swiftly grew into a blazing flame that spread across the
entire chamber. A furious surge of heat wave gushed at him,
threatening to burn his skin to crisp.
“Hot!” Zhang Xuan exclaimed with a grim expression.
He thought that the Chamber of Earth Flame would at most be
as warm as the flames in the Cleansing Lake. If there was any
lava, he could even dive in and attempt to absorb the spiritual
energy within it while tempering his body. But it seemed like
he had underestimated the difficulty of this task!
His surroundings were raging with a roaring blaze. It was
already taking his entirety to maintain a layer of zhenqi to
ward off the flames, so how could he possibly cultivate under
such circumstances?
At this moment, he felt as if he had been stuffed into an oven.
If he were to stop the circulation of his zhenqi, he might find
himself well done.
It was no wonder why the others had shot him looks of
sympathy when he chose to challenge this record, it was
indeed worthy of the fearsome reputation it held!
“If this were to continue, I might not be able to even sustain
for two minutes!” Zhang Xuan frowned as he drove his zhenqi
to fend off the searing heat.
He thought that this would be a walk in the park for him,
especially since he had mastered the First Incandescence of the
Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, but it wasn’t as easy
as he thought it out to be.
Even with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he couldn’t sustain
himself too long in here.
“Something is weird here. Normal earth flames shouldn’t be
this hot!”
Such a thought plagued Zhang Xuan’s mind.
Normal earth flames, even those buried deep within the lava,
should be tolerable for him, given his Transcendent Mortal 6-
dan pinnacle cultivation and Heaven’s Path zhenqi. He should
be able to swim in there freely without being burnt.
There was something particularly unnatural about the earth
flame before him.
At this temperature, his physical body wasn’t the only thing
that was being seared. Even his soul was being damaged by
the unbelievable heat.
“If it comes down to it, I’ll just have my clone take my place
while I hide inside the Anthive Nest…” Zhang Xuan thought
as he rubbed his glabella.
While the heat was a little beyond him, he didn’t have any
worry about breaking the record.
As terrifying as the earth flame may be, it wouldn’t be able to
faze his clone in the least.
However, that would, in some sense, be considered as
cheating.
“I should first try to see what’s going on in here first.”
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan suppressed his urge
to swap with his clone, and thin strings began surfacing in his
eyes, “Eye of Insight!”
Weng!
Soon, Zhang Xuan realized what was amiss.
“This isn’t a natural chamber. The heat seems to be drawn in
by a man-made formation, and the formation core is… four
Searing Blaze Stone… No, this isn’t Searing Blaze Stone
but…” After gazing at the depths of the flames for a moment,
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and his body began to tremble in
agitation.
“Earth Flame Heart!”
732 Second Incandescence
Earth Flame Heart is an ore formed at the very core of the
earth flames after several thousand years of refinement and
tempering. It contains an incomparable quantity of fire energy,
and if an ordinary cultivator were to just touch it, they would
be scalded.
Usually, 6-star blacksmiths would use it as a coal to process
ores which are exceptionally resistant to heat. Who could have
thought that it would be used as a core to the formation of this
Chamber of Earth Flame?
Under his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see the incredible
profoundness of the formation before him. It was crafted in a
manner that allowed it to take in spiritual energy from the
surroundings to sustain the emanation of heat from the Earth
Flame Heart.
As such, despite the passing of many years, the Earth Flame
Heart was still brimming with power.
“It would be cheating if I were to stop the formation… I
should try to break the record openly instead!” Zhang Xuan
thought after studying the formation for a moment.
Even though the formation was extremely complex, he could
still stop it very easily.
Once he were to do so, the heat in the chamber would recede,
allowing him to remain here as long as he could.
Just that, if he were to do so, he might be placed under the
suspicion of cheating, and the Blacksmith School might not
recognize his accomplishment if they were to notice it. After
all, the main motive behind this challenge was to gauge the
resilience of one’s physical body, not to test one’s ability to
stop a formation.
Besides, did he really have to go that far as to cheat for a mere
record?
Was he such a person?
“This will be useful to my Quintuple Incandescence Golden
Body!” Zhang Xuan muttered with a smile on his lips.
The reason why he was delighted upon seeing the Earth Flame
Heart wasn’t due to him finding the core of the formation but
that it was one of the materials required for the cultivation of
the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body’s Second
Incandescence!
Back then, when he was in the underground chamber, he had
merged the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body with many
other physical body cultivation techniques he had obtained
from Luo Qiqi. While he did manage to compile a complete
Heaven’s Path cultivation technique, it still had four flaws
with it, each corresponding from the Second Incandescence to
the Fifth Incandescence!
The flaw for the Second Incandescence was that he would
require Earth Flame Heart to successfully cultivate it.
However, Earth Flame Heart was an extremely rare material
that could hardly be found anywhere. Thus, Zhang Xuan could
only stop right after the First Incandescence. However, since
he had encountered it here, how could he possibly allow this
opportunity to slip past his fingers?
Since the First Incandescence had boosted his physical body
strength to 4,000,000 ding, would it be the same for the
Second Incandescence as well?
“Let me give it a try!”
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately dived into
action. Dissipating the layer of zhenqi he had been using to
protect his body, he opened up all of the pores in his body and
began to absorb the spiritual energy from the surroundings
furiously.
If it had been anyone else, even they had cultivated the
Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body as well, they wouldn’t
dare to behave so rashly, especially when they didn’t know
where the Earth Flame Heart was.
However, Zhang Xuan was different. Possessing both the Eye
of Insight and Library of Heaven’s Path, the flaws of the
chamber would literally appear before him. He could easily
tell which regions were suitable for cultivating, allowing him
to absorb the spiritual energy from the flames without hurting
his own body.
Activating the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang
Xuan positioned himself in a sitting position above the center
of the room with the four Earth Flame Hearts directed
accurately at four acupoints in his body. With a massive
inhalation, the flames in the surroundings began gushing into
his body as though fire dragons ascending to the skies.
Pilipala!
Under the intense heat of the fire dragons, his muscles and
bones began emitting loud cracking noises. At the same time,
his face swiftly flushed crimson, and he clenched his fists
tightly in agony.
Flawed cultivation techniques were indeed far more difficult to
cultivate. Putting everything aside, just for this Second
Incandescence, not only did he require the Earth Flame Heart,
his body would also undergo immense pain as it was tempered
by the flames.
If not for his strong mental resilience and soul, he might have
fainted at this very instant.
Gugugu!
Nevertheless, despite the intense pain, the effects of the
tempering was apparent. His physical body which had already
reached an extremely stable state, resulting in stagnated
growth, was evolving at a visible pace. Its stamina, durability,
defense… every aspect of his body was being reinforced.
4,000,000 ding!
4,500,000 ding!
5,000,000 ding!
6,000,000 ding!
…
Time swiftly passed, and before long, he had already reached
8,000,000 ding!
At 8,000,000 ding, his physical strength was already
comparable to a Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage
expert!
In other words, just in terms of physical strength he could
draw from his body, he could fight on equal grounds with a
Perfect Harmonization realm expert. If he were to utilize his
zhenqi and soul cultivation on top of that, he could match even
an Ethereal Treading expert!
The enhancement he had received was indeed frightening!
Hu!
Breathing out a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan slowly
descended to the ground.
With this, he had successfully cultivated the Second
Incandescence of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!
For the Third Incandescence, he would require Origin Heavy
Water as a catalyst. Thus, he could only stop at this point.
“After cultivating the Second Incandescence, the heat here is
no longer able to faze me…” Zhang Xuan thought as he
glanced at his surroundings quietly.
With the advancement of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden
Body, not only was his physical strength enhanced, his body
had also become immune to the heat emitted by the Earth
Flame Heart. While this place could easily burn anyone else to
cinders, he could easily lie down in this area and sleep for as
long as he could without suffering a burn.
“It seems to be a little too early to leave yet… I need to break
the record in order to receive Academic Credits…” Zhang
Xuan frowned.
As the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body was a Heaven’s
Path cultivation technique as well, and he was only cultivating
a fifth of it, it was unlikely that too much time had passed
during his cultivation. Even though he didn’t keep track of the
timing, the chances were that he would fail the challenge if he
were to leave now.
“Perhaps I can cultivate my soul in here while waiting!”
Since he had no choice but to wait anyway, Zhang Xuan
decided to draw his soul out to cultivate.
The reason why the spiritual energy within the Cleansing Lake
could be absorbed by his soul was because it had been refined
and cleaned by the earth flame beneath it.
On the other hand, a formation augmented by Earth Flame
Heart had been set up within this chamber. Under the intense
heat, the spiritual energy here had also been refined, making it
suitable for a soul to absorb.
Thus, disregarding his physical body, Zhang Xuan’s soul
floated in the midst of the chamber.
Due to the flaws in the Soul Guiding Formula, soul oracles
feared sunlight, flames, and everything that was yang in
nature. However, having cultivated the perfected Soul Guiding
Formula, Zhang Xuan’s soul possessed no such flaws. As a
result, despite the overwhelming heat in the surroundings, his
soul was still able to fly around freely without suffering any
damage.
Even though he only had the Consonant Spirit realm Heaven’s
Path Soul Art, making it impossible for him to make a
breakthrough, he could still absorb spiritual energy to enhance
his soul, just like what he did in the Cleansing Lake.
Back then, due to his clone frenziedly wrestling spiritual
energy from him, his soul wasn’t able to reach ten meters.
However, with the spiritual energy within this chamber, he
could try to surpass that bottleneck.
Tzzzzzz!
The refined spiritual energy in the area began flowing swiftly
towards Zhang Xuan’s soul, nourishing it.
“As I expected, it works…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up with
excitement.
As expected of one of the treasures required in the cultivation
of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. After many
years of refinement under the intense heat of the Earth Flame
Heart, the spiritual energy in the surroundings had become far
purer than that in the Cleansing Lake, making it the best tonic
for his soul!
“This time, I should finish absorbing my share before bringing
clone out!”
With the prior experience at the Cleansing Lake, Zhang Xuan
knew that his absorbing speed would surely be unable to
compete with his clone, so he decided to take in whatever he
could first before bringing that fellow out.
…
While Zhang Xuan was busy absorbing the spiritual energy in
the chamber, there was a huge mess outside the chamber.
At this point, it had already been two hours since Zhang Xuan
had entered the Chamber of Earth Flame.
Everyone thought that the fellow would leap out after a minute
or two, but time continued to tick on, and before they knew it,
it was already two hours… For there to be no signs of him
after so long, had he already died in there?
“The mechanism in the Chamber of Earth Flame has the
ability to detect the presence of life. If the challenger of the
record were to pass away, he would immediately be sent back
out…” Luo Yan frowned in confusion.
He had once challenged the Chamber of Earth Flame, so he
had studied up on it and knew a fair bit about its inner
working.
As soon as the mechanism detects the lack of presence of any
life in the chamber, it would immediately deport the challenger
back to the Passageway of Records.
Considering how that fellow hadn’t been deported after such a
long period of time, it could only mean that… he was still
alive and kicking!
Did that fellow really enter the Chamber of Earth Flame?
Could he have run off to some other challenge to slack about?
Otherwise, to last for two whole hours… was this even
possible?
And the truth was that he wasn’t the only one who was getting
frenzied over this matter. The others who had gathered around
after hearing Zhang Xuan’s arrogant declaration were also
clutching their hair in madness.
Most record challengers would just aim to beat the record for a
few seconds, or even at most, just a minute or two. After all,
these records were made by the predecessors by pushing their
bodies to the very limit. Yet, to surpass it by severalfold and
still remain within… Was he planning to remain in there for
days?
“The heat from the Chamber of Earth Flame is capable of
melting even steel, and to stay there for two hours…” Luo Yan
subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he turned to
Li Xuan.
“Are you certain that he’s a freshman?”
“That’s what he told me… I don’t think he’s lying. If he’s a
senior, we should have heard of him before…” Li Xuan
hurriedly replied.
Her lips were also twitching in astonishment from what was
going on.
Even though she was serving as the receptionist of the
Blacksmith School, she was also a master teacher herself, and
she possessed an eye of discernment worthy of one. Based on
her judgement, she could tell that Zhang Xuan wasn’t feigning
his ignorance in their interactions.
For someone who didn’t know the slightest thing about the
records to challenge it, it was inevitable that she would regard
him as arrogant. Who would have known that not only would
he actually do it, he would even successfully surpass the
existing record?
After all, this was a record which had remained unbroken for
countless years!
“To think that I thought that he was being conceited…”
Recalling how she had looked at the other party disdainfully,
her face couldn’t help but turn red in embarrassment.
That fellow did have the capability to back up his words!
Yet, her eyes failed to see through it…
“Freshman…”
On the other hand, having received the confirmation from Li
Xuan, Luo Yan’s eyelids began twitching.
All along, he had been proud of his record of remaining in the
Chamber of Earth Flame for three minutes, and he had been
bragging about it over the years. Due to it, he had won the
admiration of respect of many. Yet, he actually mocked the
person who had been inside for two hours and longer…
It would be difficult for even the Ten Great Master Teachers to
break the seventeen minutes mark, needless to say, two hours!
Upon thinking of this, he couldn’t help but feel a stinging
sensation on his face.
“Senior, the Chamber of Earth Flame is incredibly dangerous.
No matter how resilient Zhang shi’s physical body is, it should
be impossible for him to remain in there for so long. Could
something have happened to him?” After waiting for a
moment later, a master teacher suddenly spoke up.
Records were records for a reason. To surpass them was
already an incredible feat in itself, but to do so with a gap of
severalfold was unthinkable!
“Un, I also find the situation inconceivable… Wait for me
here, I’ll go and look for my teacher to ask him about this
matter. Given how knowledgeable he is, he should be able to
figure out what is going on.” Luo Yan replied after a moment
of hesitation.
With those words, he walked out of the Passageway of
Records and soon, he arrived before a room.
“Teacher!” Luo Yan called out as he knocked on the door.
“Luo Yan? What’s wrong?” The elder in the room raised his
gaze and asked.
The vice-head of the Blacksmith School, Yuan Hong!
A 6-star pinnacle master teacher and blacksmith, his standing
within the Blacksmith School was second only to the school
head.
“Reporting to teacher, someone is currently challenging the
Chamber of Earth Flame!” Luo Yan reported anxiously.
“Chamber of Earth Flame? The existing record of seventeen
minutes has left many helpless in its face. It won’t be easy for
anyone to surpass that!” Yuan Hong remarked with a smile as
he stroked his beard.
“Who is it? Lu Wu? Chen Hai? Or is it Du Jiu? The quality of
the students in the Blacksmith School has been going down
with each passing generation. In the current generation, they
are the only ones who stand a chance for that record!”
733 You Still Have the Cheek
to Ask for Academic
Credits?
The students whom Yuan Hong listed were the top geniuses of
the Blacksmith School, possessing capability surpassing Luo
Yan.
Smithing required one to temper their bodies, but only a
handful was willing to tolerate the painful process. As a result,
there were very few capable blacksmiths in the Blacksmith
School.
This had always been a thorn at Yuan Hong’s heart, so upon
hearing that someone was challenging the Chamber of Earth
Flame, he couldn’t help but lament.
“It isn’t them, it’s a freshman named Zhang Xuan!” Luo Yan
hurriedly replied.
“A freshman?” Yuan Hong was stunned by the news.
“Yes, he has just passed the examination and joined the
academy today, and he doesn’t even have his student token
yet… It seems like he hopes to earn some Academic Credits
from beating the records so that he could activate the Ocean of
Weapons to take the 5-star blacksmith examination…” Luo
Yan explained.
“Preposterous!” Yuan Hong bellowed in fury upon hearing
that a freshman who hadn’t even received his student token
actually went to challenge one of the records.
As the vice-head of the Blacksmith School, he was in charge
of upholding discipline amongst the students. How could a
freshman who had just barely joined the academy be allowed
to challenge the Chamber of Earth Flame? Wasn’t that
practically suicide?
Does he even know what the Chamber of Earth Flame
represents?
“Even if others don’t comprehend it, surely you should
understand the significance of this matter! The Chamber of
Earth Flame takes a huge toll on one’s physical body. As a
freshman who has never gone through the systematic training
of our Blacksmith School, how could he possibly survive in
there?”
The more Yuan Hong spoke, the more livid his face became.
“Teacher…” Luo Yan tried to speak up, but he was interrupted
before he could start explaining himself.
“Alright, you are just a student, so you can’t be blamed for
this. If someone were to insist on challenging the records, you
don’t have the authority to stop them anyway. I don’t mean to
blame you by saying all of this, but I am enraged by how
arrogant the students are becoming. Honestly, the recent few
batches of students are the worst I have ever taught in my
entire career…” Yuan Hong sighed.
He knew that it wasn’t right for him to vent his anger on his
student, so he shook his head and said, “Alright. How long has
that fellow been in there? Has he suffered severe burns? Here
is a bottle of Clear Spirit Water, it should be able to treat his
burns…”
“No. That freshman is still… in the chamber!” Luo Yan finally
found a chance to speak up amidst his teacher’s words.
Yuan Hong was an excellent teacher, but he had a fatal flaw—
he was too naggy.
Due to that, there was not a single student who wouldn’t get a
headache from his lectures.
“You just have to apply the Clear Spirit Water on his external
burns to…” Just as Yuan Hong was starting to explain how the
Clear Spirit Water should be used, he suddenly froze, and his
eyes began bulging from their sockets. “What did you say?
What do you mean by he isn’t out yet? When did he enter the
chamber?”
“He… entered around two hours ago!” Luo Yan replied.
“Two hours ago?” Yuan Hong’s body shook in astonishment,
and he nearly blacked out.
“Indeed. I have no idea what’s going on, so I came over to
report this matter to you…” Luo Yan replied.
“Report? What is the point of reporting it now! How could he
possibly last for two hours? Most likely, he was burned to
cinders within two seconds after he entered the chamber!”
Yuan Hong slammed the table before him furiously and stood
up.
What the heck was this?
You should know how severe this matter is, and you choose to
report it to me only two hours later?
The Chamber of Earth Flame would deport any corpses back,
but if one were to reduced to cinders as soon as they arrive
there, the mechanism wouldn’t be activated.
Given that there were no movements whatsoever after two
hours, it could only mean that the other party was dead.
“There’s such a thing as well? I… didn’t know…” Luo Yan
was taken aback by the revelation.
He only knew that corpses would be deported back
immediately, but he didn’t know about the matter regarding
being burned to ashes.
If that was the case, didn’t that mean that the fellow inside was
already dead…
“You are still too inexperienced. I have been in this Master
Teacher Academy for more than 800 years, so the things I
have seen is far more than the books you have read!” Yuan
Hong harrumphed.
“I’ll follow you over to check out the situation in the Chamber
of Earth Flame. Even though it’s regretful that a life is lost just
like that, he brought it upon himself, acting so arrogantly
despite his ignorance…”
However, halfway through Yuan Hong’s words, the ground
beneath him suddenly shook, and the sound of something
collapsing abruptly rumbled deafeningly.
Boom!
Judging from the sound, it seemed to be coming from the
Passageway of Records.
“What’s going on?” Astonished, the duo rushed out of the
room.
A freshman had just died, and this mess suddenly sprung up
on them. What the heck was going on today?
“Bad news, Yuan shi! The Chamber of Earth Flame has
collapsed!” A master teacher rushed into the room and
reported.
“Collapsed? What do you mean… What collapsed?” Yuan
Hong was taken aback.
“It’s the Chamber of Earth Flame in the Passageway of
Records…” the master teacher hurriedly replied.
Yuan Hong nearly went insane, “How could that be? It is a
masterpiece created in a collaboration between the Blacksmith
School and the Celestial Designer School, so how in the world
did it collapse?”
As a part of the Passageway of Records, the Chamber of Earth
Flame was reinforced to the very limits by the combined effort
of the Blacksmith School and the Celestial Designer School.
Furthermore, it was forged using top-quality materials, so how
could it collapse that easily?
Just what was going on?
Standing by the side, Luo Yan’s figure also staggered upon
hearing that news.
It was just a moment ago that he had reported the issue
regarding the Chamber of Earth Flame when such an issue
occurred. What was happening inside there?
The master teacher who had charged into the room to report
also seemed to be in disbelief, “I’m not too sure myself as
well. I only saw the entire place being reduced to ruins…”
“Let’s go over to take a look…”
With twitching lips, Hong Yuan immediately rushed out of the
room anxiously, and before long, he was standing right before
the Passageway of Records, or at least what it used to be.
At this moment, half of the Passageway of Records had
already collapsed, and the entire room was cloaked with dust.
“What happened?” Luo Yan turned to Li Xuan and asked in
bewilderment.
“I have no idea either… We were waiting for Zhang shi when
a loud rumbling noise suddenly sounded from the Passageway
of Records… Before we knew it, it was already like that…” Li
Xuan cried tearfully.
She wasn’t the only one who was dumbfounded by the
situation, the remaining crowd in the area were also frozen in
shock.
No one could comprehend why the Passageway of Records,
which had always been known for its durability, would
abruptly cave in. But if one thing was for sure, considering
that the Chamber of Earth Flame was at the very center of it…
“Zhang shi… is probably dead.” Luo Yan muttered as he
recalled what his teacher said.
However, at that moment, resounding footsteps echoed amidst
the dust, and following closely was a series of violent
coughing.
“Cough cough…”
Upon hearing the sound, a jolt ran through everyone’s body.
They swiftly turned their sight to the source of the sound, and
an approaching young man came into their vision.
Who else could it be other than Zhang shi!
“Y-y-y-y-you’re fine?” Luo Yan’s eyes bulged in shock at that
sight, and his body began trembling uncontrollably in
agitation.
His teacher had just told him confidently that this fellow
would have been burned to cinders by now, and yet here he
was, completely unharmed without the slightest burn on his
skin…
Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
If you are alive, why the hell did you stay in there for two
hours? Not to mention, how in the world did you collapse the
fortified Chamber of Earth Flame…
Are you a spy who is here to wreak havoc in our Blacksmith
School?
“I’m fine!”
At which, Zhang Xuan shot a glance at the ruins remaining of
the passageway, and he continued awkwardly, “But it seems
like this Passageway of Records… is damaged!”
“Seems?”
Everyone staggered upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words.
Look at the mess behind you, is there even any doubt about
this matter? Even a blind man could tell that it’s utterly ruined!
“You are the freshman who went in just now?” Forcing
himself to calm down, Yuan Hong turned to Zhang Xuan and
asked.
“That’s right.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
Even though he didn’t recognize the man before him, the other
party harnessed incredible power within him that wouldn’t
lose out by too far to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo. Most
likely, he was an important figure of the Blacksmith School.
“Weren’t you trying to challenge the record? What happened?”
Yuan Hong questioned.
How in the name of Kong shi did you collapse the Chamber of
Earth Flame while challenging the record?
“This… I’m not too sure either. After entering, I realized that
the heat from the Chamber of Earth Flame is still tolerable for
me, so I started to cultivate while biding my time. Before I
knew it… the entire chamber was already collapsing on me!”
Zhang Xuan replied with a crimson face.
As a soul oracle, Zhang Xuan was able to draw his soul out to
absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings directly. This
allowed him to absorb spiritual energy at a far swifter pace
than ordinary cultivators, and before long, with a jolt running
through his body, his soul had already broken through the ten-
meters bottleneck.
However, this was where the calamity started. With the
breakthrough, Zhang Xuan’s rate of absorption abruptly rose
significantly, and the previous absorption had already depleted
a considerable amount of spiritual energy in the chamber. As a
result, the Earth Flame Heart ran out of spiritual energy far
quicker than he had imagined.
The Earth Flame Heart was the core of the formation
sustaining the Chamber of Earth Flame. Without any spiritual
energy to sustain it, how could the formation continue to
function normally?
Just like what happened in the Cleansing Lake, the energy in
the area which was being regulated by the formation
immediately went berserk, and it was only by a great stroke of
fortune that an explosion didn’t occur.
Nevertheless, the Chamber of Earth Flame began to cave in,
and the Passageway of Record which was closely linked to it
was affected as well…
It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had his soul return
immediately to his body as soon as he realized something was
amiss and used his zhenqi to ward off the collapsing rubble.
Otherwise, he might just make history by becoming the first
student to die not of heat but of collapsing rubble in the
Chamber of Earth Flame.
Looking at the mess around him, an indescribable feeling of
frustration and helplessness gripped Zhang Xuan.
This… All he wanted to do was to break a record and earn
some Academic Credits so that he could take the 5-star
blacksmith examination. Who could have thought that this
innocent desire of his would result in such a tragic accident?
In any case, while he was the culprit behind this incident, he
was determined to deny all allegations.
Putting everything aside, just that four Earth Flame Hearts
were already way beyond his means to compensate.
As such, the only option he had left was to feign ignorance of
the matter.
“It collapsed on you… before you knew it?” Hearing such
shameless words, everyone felt faint-headed, and Yuan Hong
even staggered weakly.
This Chamber of Earth Flame has been in the Blacksmith
School for at least four thousand years by now, and you are the
only one of all challengers who encountered such a problem…
Did you think that you can wiggle your way out of this just by
feigning ignorance?
Even if you were to say these words to a three-year-old child,
he wouldn’t believe you!
Can you at least show more sincerity and come up with a more
believable lie?
“I’ll give you one more chance. What happened?” With a livid
face, Yuan Hong asked once more.
“After entering the Chamber of Earth Flame, I realized that the
searing spiritual energy there happens to be ideal for
tempering one’s physical body, so I accidentally absorbed too
much of it… I also didn’t know that it would collapse just like
that…” With a deep sigh, Zhang Xuan could only confess
honestly.
“Happens to be ideal for tempering one’s physical body?
Accidentally absorbed too much of it?” Yuan Hong was
speechless.
The others might not know too much about the Chamber of
Earth Flame, but as a person who had participated in its
reparation works, he knew very well about its inner working.
There were four Earth Flame Hearts at the center of the
formation in the chamber, and each of them harnessed
incredibly fiery spiritual energy.
If an ordinary human were to touch it, he would be reduced to
ashes in a moment. Even a 6-star blacksmith could be roasted
to death from the inside if he were to attempt to absorb the
searing spiritual energy inside it… And yet, you actually
found it ideal for tempering your physical body, and absorbed
too much of it?
How much spiritual energy did you absorb to cause the
Chamber of Earth Flame to collapse!?
Just as Yuan Hong was about to interrogate the young man
before him further on the issue, the young man suddenly
turned to look at him with a hopeful gaze and asked, “I
managed to last two hours in the Chamber of Earth Flame, so I
should have already broken the existing record… So, may I
get my Academic Credits now?”
“Academic Credits? You still have the cheek to ask for
Academic Credits?” Yuan Hong nearly exploded from rage.
You destroyed the entire Chamber of Earth Flame and
collapsed half of the Passageway of Records, and you still
have the audacity to speak about Academic Credits? Where is
your sense of shame?
734 My Teacher, Yang Xuan
“Are you saying that I won’t be getting any Academic
Credits?” Hearing the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan was
stunned.
“Of course not!” Yuan Hong flung his sleeves in displeasure.
“In order to uphold the integrity of the challenge, the
Passageway of Records have a system in place to check if
there was any cheating involved. Now that the entire place has
collapsed, how can we ensure that you didn’t use any artifact
inside?”
Naturally, the records must be achieved using one’s own
capability, and the Passageway of Records had several systems
in place to allow others to check on how the challenge went.
Otherwise, if one was allowed to use artifacts as they pleased
during the challenge, it would become a competition of wealth
instead of capability, and the concept of challenging records
would become meaningless.
However, given that the entire passageway had been reduced
to ruins, it would be impossible to ensure the integrity of the
challenge. As such, how could they deem whether one had
truly broken the record or not?
Furthermore, you caused such devastating damage to the
Blacksmith School right after you arrived. I haven’t even
talked about the reparation costs yet, and here you are asking
me for Academic Credits… You must be kidding me!
“This…” Zhang Xuan was dumbstruck.
He thought that he would be able to obtain Academic Credits
since he had already broken the record, but based on the other
party’s tone, it seemed like it was a hopeless cause.
He had wasted his time this time around.
But at the very least, he did receive something good from the
challenge. Not only did he achieved Second Incandescence in
the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, his soul had also
successfully surpassed the ten-meters bottleneck.
“Since I won’t be getting any Academic Credits from this, I’ll
challenge the other records then…” After a moment of
hesitation, Zhang Xuan said.
Since he was already at the Blacksmith School, he should at
least return with a 5-star blacksmith emblem. Otherwise,
wouldn’t this be a wasted trip?
“Challenge what? Look at the state of the Passageway of
Records! Do you think that you can still challenge any
records?” Luo Yan stood up and roared furiously.
How are you going to challenge the other records when the
Passageway of Records is already wrecked!
“Then… How can I earn more Academic Credits then?”
Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
“The Passageway of Records represents the honor and glory of
the Blacksmith School, and yet, you broke it as soon as you
arrived. Let me give you a word of advice, don’t bother
thinking about Academic Credits anymore. Think about how
you can compensate for the damages!” Luo Yan gazed at
Zhang Xuan in pity.
It took the Celestial Designer School and the Blacksmith
School much effort before they managed to craft the
Passageway of Records. It had survived the challenge of
innumerable students over several millennia, and you
destroyed it as soon as you came… Instead of thinking about
how you can compensate for what you have done, you are still
dreaming of obtaining Academic Credits?
You sure are brazen-faced!
“Compensate?” Zhang Xuan’s face twitched. After a moment
of hesitation, he asked meekly, “How much?”
Hearing those words, Luo Yan turned to his teacher.
As a student, he didn’t have the right to dictate the
compensation amount.
“The Chamber of Earth Flame is forged more than four
thousand years ago by the head of the Blacksmith School and
the head of the Celestial Designer School then. Four Earth
Flame Hearts and several other valuable materials were used
in its construction. Even if we were to take in the depreciation
cost due to damages over time, it would still cost at least
twenty high-tier spirit stones!”
After a moment of mental calculation, Yuan Hong replied.
In most guilds, there were usually policies that spared geniuses
the liability of compensating for the damage they have caused.
More often than not, the guild could just report the issue to the
headquarter, and the latter would send someone down to repair
the relevant facilities.
However, this rule didn’t hold in Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy. After all, this place was literally a gathering of
geniuses. If everyone were to act negligently and destroy as
they pleased, how would the academy continue to function?
Even if they were to sell the principal of the academy away,
they still wouldn’t be able to bear the cost!
“H-how much did you say? T-twenty high-tier spirit stones?”
Zhang Xuan’s body swayed weakly, and he nearly spewed
blood.
Are you joking with me?
If I have that much spirit stones, why would I even bother
going through the trouble earning Academic Credits? I could
have just easily bought them off others!
While Academic Credits were indeed valuable, there should be
plenty of students who would be willing to sell it to him for
high-tier spirit stones.
“Considering that you are a freshman and the matter is an
unintentional doing on your part, I can reduce the
compensation by half for you. You just have to pay ten high-
tier spirit stones!” Hong Yuan said.
“Ten… I don’t have that much either.” Zhang Xuan shook his
head.
All in all, he only had one high-tier spirit stone, and he had
obtained it from emerging as the champion of the Master
Teacher Tournament. Even if he were to sell all of his
possessions, he couldn’t possibly fork out ten high-tier spirit
stones!
“I know that you don’t have that much, so I’ll offer you an
alternative then. As long as you work for the Blacksmith
School for ten years, I’ll consider it as you have repaid the
debt!” Hong Yuan waved his hands.
High-tier spirit stones were used by Saint realm experts or
those attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm, there was no
way that a freshman like Zhang Xuan could possibly have any
of that. From the very start, Yuan Hong had intended to have
Zhang Xuan work to pay off his debt!
It wasn’t uncommon for students to work in the schools of the
academy. Take the receptionist Li Xuan for example, she was
also a student working at the Blacksmith Academy to earn
additional Academic Credits.
However, in Zhang Xuan’s case, since he had to repay his
debt, he wouldn’t be receiving any Academic Credits for his
effort.
“Ten years of work to repay a debt of ten high-tier spirit
stones? That is an extremely good deal!”
“Indeed! High-tier spirit stones are incomparably valuable.
Just a single one of them is worth 10,000 middle-tier spirit
stones. It sure is kind of Vice School Head Yuan to offer such
generous terms!”
“Well, the intention of the punishment is to deter future
students who engaging in similar actions. Otherwise, even if
he were to work for his entire life, it’s questionable whether he
can repay the debt of ten high-tier spirit stones!”
…
Hearing Yuan Hong’s words, the crowd nodded in approval.
To cultivators who possess significantly longer lifespan than
an average human, ten year wasn’t a long period of time. For
an average 4-star master teacher, ten years might not even be
enough for them to advance to 5-star.
To wipe off a debt of ten high-tier spirit stones with just ten
years of work could already be considered as an extremely
lenient term.
“Ten years?”
However, contrary to the response of the crowd, Zhang Xuan’s
lips twitched upon hearing those words.
It was questionable whether he would even need to stay in this
academy for half a year, let alone ten years!
If he were to really spend ten years here, he would have
already died from the Innate Fetal Poison before he was freed.
“I can’t accept those terms. I don’t have the time to do so!”
Zhang Xuan shook his head and rejected the offer.
“You can’t?” Yuan Hong’s face turned livid, and his eyes
narrowed menacingly.
As the vice head of the Blacksmith School, this was the first
time a student was so arrogant as to bargain with him even
after erring.
Even after laying ruins to the Passageway of Records, do you
not feel the slightest guilt?
It’s out of utmost kindness that I granted you the option of
repaying your debt through work, did you think that you are in
a position to bargain with me?
“How about this? Allow me to take a look at the damage to see
if it can be fixed. If I can fix it, I won’t have to compensate the
Blacksmith School, right?” After a long moment of hesitation,
Zhang Xuan suddenly asked.
“Fix? You?” Yuan Hong stared at Zhang Xuan as if he was
looking at a monster.
Are you sure you brought your brain out with you today?
The Chamber of Earth Flame and Passageway of Corridor
were constructed in a collaboration between 6-star pinnacle
blacksmiths and celestial designers. Even Yuan Hong himself
wasn’t confident if he was sufficiently skilled to repair them,
but this fellow said that he wanted to give it a try?
Who do you think you are? Blacksmith Grandmaster Wu
Yangzi?
How conceited can you get?
“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded. After a moment of hesitation, he
added, “If I fail to fix it… I can offer you guidance on your
smithing capability or your cultivation as compensation too.”
“Offer me guidance? Audacious!” Yuan Hong flew into a rage.
He was an elder of the Master Teacher Academy, the vice-
head of the Blacksmith School, a 6-star pinnacle master
teacher! He was an esteemed figure throughout the Master
Teacher Academy, and he had always been the one to offer
guidance to others, taking others in as his disciple. Yet, a
freshman actually dared to say that he could offer him
guidance on his smithing or cultivation?
Do you know what the heck are you saying?
“Was this fellow’s brain fried inside the Chamber of Earth
Flame?”
“To speak of offering guidance to Vice School Head Yuan…
Just what is going through his mind?”
Luo Yan and the others widened their eyes in disbelief at those
words.
Brother, remember your identity! You are just a freshman!
To speak of offering guidance to Vice School Head Yuan, did
you think that you are the head of the Blacksmith Academy or
something?
Know your place!
“Ahh… What I mean is to have my teacher offer you some
pointers on your cultivation!” Hearing the other party’s furious
bellow, Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before he
realized the implications of what he had said, so he quickly
changed his words in embarrassment.
This was the side effect of disguising as ‘Yang shi’ too often.
There were times which he would just find himself saying
such words unwittingly.
As a mere freshman, it was no wonder why the others would
be annoyed to hear him speak of offering guidance to a 6-star
pinnacle master teacher.
“Teacher?” Suppressing his rage, Yuan Hong asked.
“My teacher Yang Xuan has once offered his pointers to
Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan, and Elder Mo is also in awe of
him.” Zhang Xuan chuckled as he flicked his wrist and took
out a token. “Here is the token Elder Mo gave me!”
“Elder Mo… You mean the head of the Beast Tamer School,
Elder Mo?” Taking a glance at the token, Yuan Hong’s
eyebrows shot up.
As the vice head of the Blacksmith School, it was natural that
he would recognize that token.
That token served as a symbol of Elder Mo’s authority, and
standing before it was as good as standing in the presence of
Elder Mo himself. Due to the complications that came with it,
Elder Mo would never give out his token easily.
Even though Yuan Hong and Elder Mo were both 6-star
pinnacle master teachers, there was still a significant gap in
their standing and their capability.
The fact that the latter was one of the Ten Great Master
Teachers spoke loudly about his capability.
And furthermore… what did this fellow just say?
His teacher, Yang Xuan, had once offered his pointers to Mo
Gaoyuan?
As the head of Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion,
Mo Gaoyuan possessed a standing on par with the Ten Great
Master Teachers. To be able to offer guidance to such a person,
didn’t that mean that… Yang Xuan was at least a 7-star master
teacher?
In an instant, Yuan Hong’s face turned grave.
If he had been thinking of strangling this ignorant fellow to
death just a moment ago, at this instant, he was starting to feel
a little apprehensive.
“Head of the Beast Tamer School? He’s a school head too?”
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“You didn’t know?”
Judging how the other party didn’t know Elder Mo’s position
in the academy, it didn’t seem like they have a close
relationship. Nevertheless, Elder Mo still chose to give him his
personal token. This seemed to hint that the other party had a
truly incredible teacher.
Otherwise, why would one of the Ten Great Master Teachers
go to the extent of giving a freshman his token? After all, there
were many ways that he could show his goodwill towards a
student.
It wouldn’t make sense for him to give out his personal token
to a person he had barely met.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head in response to
Yuan Hong’s query.
He had never heard anyone speaking about it before him, so
naturally, he was unaware of it.
“Elder Mo is a close acquaintance of mine, but even so, I can’t
excuse you from the repayment. However, I can consider other
alternative solutions you propose.” After a moment of
contemplation, Yuan Hong said.
Regardless of whether what the other party said was true or
not, the fact that he had Elder Mo’s token in hand goes to say
that how highly the latter valued him. But even with the
immense authority the Ten Great Master Teachers wielded,
they couldn’t override the rules of the academy.
“It’s my mistake that I damaged the Passageway of Records
and Chamber of Earth Flame. Can you allow me to attempt to
repair it? If it still doesn’t work out after that… I’ll try to find
a way to repay the Blacksmith School.” Zhang Xuan asked.
“Since you have Elder Mo’s token in hand, you should be a
trustworthy person. Alright, I’ll give you this opportunity
then!” Yuan Hong nodded.
It would be best if the other party could fix the damage, but
even if he were to fail, that should make him give up on any
other ideas he had in mind.
“Elder Mo’s token?”
“Who in the world is that fellow?”
“His teacher even offered pointers to Pavilion Master Mo?
When did such an incredible figure appear amidst the
freshmen…”
Hearing the conversation between the duo, a commotion broke
out amidst the crowd.
Li Xuan and Luo Yan glanced at one another in astonishment.
It was just a moment ago that they had shown their displeasure
towards Zhang Xuan. They thought that it would be fine since
he was just a freshman, but who could have known that he
would have such a powerful backing!
To be honest, if he had taken out Elder Mo’s token earlier on,
they would have even willingly lent him their Academic
Credits
735 Repairing The
Passageway
“With such a formidable teacher… Could he have really
broken the record?”
Before this revelation, everyone was still doubtful as to
whether he had truly broken the record. However, after
hearing that the other party had a formidable teacher whom
even Pavilion Master Mo and Elder Mo were in awe of, their
mind couldn’t help but wonder if he might be speaking the
truth.
Master teachers who had progressed beyond 6-star possessed
incredible means which they could hardly fathom.
This was also the reason why the offsprings of Sage Clans
possessed formidable capabilities far beyond their peers.
Entitled from birth, the offsprings of Sage Clans were exposed
to things that were far beyond their wildest imagination, thus
paving the way to greatness.
“You have my gratitude!” Upon hearing Yuan Hong agree to
his terms, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Since it was crafted by a 6-star blacksmith and a 6-star
celestial designer, he might just be able to fix it. If he were to
succeed, he could spare himself from paying that heavy
compensation!
In a sense, not having to pay that hefty compensation could be
considered as earning that sum of money as well!
It couldn’t be helped, he was simply too poor at the moment.
He had yet to reach the point where he could spend money as
he pleased.
Walking over to the ruins, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath
and placed his hand on the ruins.
Back then, when he was still in the Chamber of Earth Flame,
he had only used his Eye of Insight. As such, he hadn’t
compiled a book on the chamber and the passageway yet.
As the mechanisms and the formation of the two were
connected to form an immense structure, he should be able to
compile a book on them by placing his hand against the wall.
“Flaws!” Zhang Xuan muttered in his head, and with a jolt, a
book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path. He quickly
turned his gaze to it.
After flipping through a few pages, his eyes narrowed.
The reason why the infrastructure collapsed was due to the
depletion of the spiritual energy gathered in the Earth Flame
Hearts, resulting in an imbalance in the formation. As the
formation served as the energy supply for the mechanisms for
the Passageway of Records, it ended up breaking down as
well.
If Zhang Xuan wanted to fix the problem, he would have to
first find four more Earth Flame Hearts to substitute the
depleted ores. From there on, he would be able to repair and
re-establish balance in the formation, and that should allow the
mechanisms of the passageway to function once more as well.
Repairing the formation and re-establishing balance, those
were within his means. However… where was he supposed to
find Earth Flame Hearts?
Even if he were to put aside the fact that Earth Flame Hearts
were extremely rare commodities that one could hardly find in
the market, given his current wealth, he wouldn’t be able to
afford one even if he were to stumble on one by some
coincidence!
“There is no way I can repair it like that unless… I can solve
the flaw regarding the usage of Earth Flame Hearts as catalysts
for the formation!” Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts.
The Earth Flame Hearts were listed as a flaw in the Library of
Heaven’s Path due to several compatibility issues with the
formation. If Zhang Xuan could find a cheaper and more
effective alternative, he would be able to spare himself a lot of
trouble.
But this had its own problems too. What he should swap it
with and how he would swap it were questions he would have
to answer if so. However, Zhang Xuan’s understanding of the
entire system was still far too lacking for him to come up with
a feasible solution.
In the end, Zhang Xuan turned to Yuan Hong and asked,
“Elder, I have one request to ask of you…”
Even though he didn’t know what was the position of the old
man before him, there should be no mistake addressing him as
“elder”.
“What is it?” Yuan Hong frowned.
“It’s like that… I’ve examined the passageway and gained
some understanding of its workings and sustained damage.
However… there are some things which I am not too sure of,
so may I borrow some related books on this subject in the
Blacksmith School to browse through?”
Since Zhang Xuan was lacking information, there was only
one thing to do—gather sufficient books to form a
corresponding Heaven’s Path secret manual.
This might be extremely abrupt and last-minute, but there was
nothing more effective than that at the moment.
“You wish to browse through some books?” Yuan Hong was
stunned.
To only start reading up right now, don’t you think it’s a little
too late?
“What kind of books do you need?” Even though Yuan Hong
was a little iffy about Zhang Xuan’s intentions, he still decided
to ask anyway.
“Any books regarding the Chamber of Earth Flame will do.
The more there is, the better it’ll be…” Zhang Xuan replied.
The Chamber of Earth Flame was an extremely complex
system which intricacies could easily take months to
comprehend, and yet Zhang Xuan didn’t seem to have the
slightest clue on where he should start.
A dark line streaked across Yuan Hong’s face, but eventually,
after a deep breath, he turned to the side and instructed, “Luo
Yan, bring all of the books regarding the Chamber of Earth
Flame from our library here.”
If it was anyone else, he would have never granted him this
privilege. However, that fellow before him had Elder Mo’s
token in hand, and he seemed to have the backing of a
formidable teacher as well. Frustrated as he may be, he still
decided to hold himself back.
And more importantly, he was also curious to see how the
other party intended to fixing the Chamber of Earth Flame
when it was already left in such ruins.
“He wants to read up? But considering how complex the
formation and mechanism is, can he even understand those
books?”
“Indeed, I also have no idea what’s going on. Perhaps he wants
to analyze its internal structure?”
“In any case, the blueprints of the Chamber of Earth Flame
aren’t secrets. The only thing valuable about it is the four
Earth Flame Hearts used as the core of the center formation. I
heard that the Blacksmith School had to pay a hefty price to
obtain it back then. As long as those Earth Flame Hearts
remain intact, it shouldn’t be too difficult to fix it.”
…
After hearing the young man’s intentions of reading through
books regarding the Chamber of Earth Flame, doubt flickered
across everyone’s faces.
While books were useful sources of knowledge, it was
impossible to fully grasp such a complex subject without the
guidance of a teacher.
So far, there had never been a person who had become a great
expert of the continent by secluding himself and studying by
his own.
That fellow had declared confidently that he would attempt to
fix the damage, so everyone thought that he would have some
level of proficiency in smithing and mechanism design. Who
knew that he would end up engaging in last-minute studying
instead…
If that could really work, everyone would have been 6-star
master teachers by now! It was no wonder why Vice School
Head Yuan Hong was so angry.
Ignoring the bizarre gazes around him, Zhang Xuan waited
patiently, and before long, Luo Yan returned back into the
room.
The books on the Chamber of Earth Flame were placed
together, so it wasn’t too difficult to gather all of them
together. After allowing his teacher to double check the titles,
Luo Yan flicked his wrist, and a pile of several hundred books
appeared before him.
Some of these books depict the structure of the Chamber of
Earth Falme, some of them explained the functions of it, and
there were even some with several suggestions for
improvement on them… However, many of these suggestions
were just opinions from the authors, making it difficult to
discern right from wrong.
Walking up to the book, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and
touched every single one of them, as if he was trying to find a
certain a book. Soon, after his finger brushed through every
last one of them, he casually picked up a book and flipped it
open.
His eyes were fixated on the content of the book, but his
consciousness was deep within the Library of Heaven’s Path,
compiling the content of the books he had just gathered
together.
Hu!
A moment later, a brand-new book appeared before him, and
Zhang Xuan swiftly flipped it open.
“There are still so many flaws?” After taking a look, his
eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.
It seemed like several hundred books were still far from
enough! He was still unable to iron out all of the flaws to form
a perfect manual. Taking a swift glance, there was actually 52
of them!
Nevertheless, his goal wasn’t to perfect the manual. More
importantly, he just had to find a suitable substitution for the
Earth Flame Hearts.
Flipping through the book swiftly, he soon found a portion
regarding the Earth Flame Heart flaw.
“Earth Flame Hearts are incompatible with the formation in
the Chamber of Flames, resulting in high energy inefficiency.
If they could be placed with Earth Flame, the efficiency could
be enhanced severalfold, and there will be no worry of the
depletion of the catalyst as it could be easily retrieved from the
ground. However, Earth Flame is extremely difficult to
control, and its heat intensity is lacking as compared to Earth
Flame Hearts…”
The content extended over an entire page.
While Earth Flame was stated as a plausible substitute, it had
its own flaws as well, and it wouldn’t be easy to make the
swap as well.
First and foremost, Earth Flame was lacking in heat intensity,
so its effects wouldn’t be as pronounced as with Earth Flame
Hearts. Considering how the Chamber of Earth Flame was
intended as a trial to one’s physical resilience to heat, it
wouldn’t do for the temperature to be lowered.
If Zhang Xuan wanted to use it as a catalyst, he would have to
find a way to raise its heat intensity somehow. One method
came into his mind—auxiliary formation.
One of the books did propose the usage of a 5-star auxiliary
formation to further intensify the heat in the Chamber of Earth
Flame. Given Zhang Xuan’s current ability, he was more than
capable of setting up a 5-star formation.
However, there was another potential problem. To set up a 5-
star auxiliary formation in the Chamber of Earth Flame, he
would have to project it over the original formation. When
formations compound with one another, it was extremely easy
for them to come into conflict with one another, thus making
an explosion extremely likely!
As a result, the usage of Earth Flame as a catalyst for the
Chamber of Earth Flame was only practical in theory.
In order to ensure stability in both formations, one would have
to identify the balance point and establish power equilibrium
from that point. However, even the most capable of formation
masters in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy didn’t possess
the means to do so, needless to say, others.
This was precisely the reason why the original builders of the
Chamber of Earth Flame decided to go to great lengths to
obtain Earth Flame Hearts to construct it.
But while finding the balance point might be a nigh impossible
for others, it was no problem for Zhang Xuan at all!
Wasn’t it just a mere balance point?
Of his formation master capabilities, this seemed to be his
greatest specialization…
Breaking formations, challenging the Sea of Formations,
calming the Cleansing Lake… It was through finding the
respective balance points that he was able to achieve those
feats and make a name for himself!
“However… I still don’t have a complete understanding of the
Chamber of Earth Flame yet. It won’t be easy for me to find
the balance point like that. Nevertheless, 10 high-tier spirit
stones are at stake, I should give it a try regardless!” Zhang
Xuan nodded.
Other than the stability issue, there were still many other
problems that Zhang Xuan had to resolve. For one, Earth
Flame was far more deconcentrated than Earth Flame Hearts,
and this could potentially result in an unstable intensity of heat
throughout the Chamber of Earth Flame.
It was problematic that Zhang Xuan didn’t have sufficient
information to work with in order to construct a perfect
formation to resolve all of the problems. However, the main
issue at hand should be swapping the Earth Flame Hearts with
Earth Flame and ensuring the stability of the compounding
formation. As long as he could achieve that, he should be able
to deal with the other problems slowly after that.
“Alright, the Earth Flame it shall be then!”
After running some simulation scenarios in his head, Zhang
Xuan verified that there shouldn’t be too much of an issue
with it before standing up once more.
“This elder over here, may I know if there is any way to
connect the Chamber of Earth Flame directly to the Earth
Flame beneath the ground?”
“Earth Flame? It should be possible to do so.” Yuan Hong
nodded. “Often, our blacksmiths require the immense heat
from the earth to refine and mold metal. Thus, we have
procured a direct source to it in our Blacksmith School.”
It wasn’t uncommon for students of the Blacksmith School to
have to handle difficult ores, and ordinary coals often produce
insufficient heat process them.
As such, a huge formation was crafted within the Blacksmith
School in order to allow students to tap into the Earth Flame
below directly.
“That’s great!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. “I would like to
borrow that for a use. May I ask elder to help connect the
source of the Earth Flame to the formation in the Chamber of
Earth Flame?”
“You intend to use Earth Flame to substitute the Earth Flame
Hearts?” Yuan Hong frowned.
“Yes, I have found a feasible solution to do so. Don’t worry,
I’m certain about its feasibility!” Zhang Xuan said with a
confident smile.
“Alright then!” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s confident face, Yuan
Hong hesitated for a moment before eventually relenting.
While Earth Flame was indeed dangerous, he had handled it
many times in the past while smithing weapons, so controlling
it wasn’t too much of an issue for him. Given such, he should
be able to handle the situation even if things were to go awry,
so it shouldn’t be dangerous.
In any case, since that fellow had declared his confidence, he
was also curious to see what he was up to.
If this were to succeed, that fellow would be doing what
countless predecessors had failed at. This would be, in the
truest sense, the breaking of a record!
Yuan Hong left the room, returning with a metal formation
plate in hand a moment later. After checking the positioning,
he placed the formation plate on the ground and injected a
surge of zhenqi into it.
Weng!
The engravings on the formation plate began to shine, and a
searing heat permeated the surroundings. Suddenly, a pillar of
fire rose from the ground like a flame dragon, seemingly intent
on melting down the surroundings.
However, the flame dragon was swiftly suppressed and kept
under control under Yuan Hong’s proficient maneuvers.
“Thank you!” Zhang Xuan smiled.
The temperature of the Earth Flame was indeed subpar
compared to the Earth Flame Heart. It seemed like the book
was right. He would have to use an auxiliary formation to
intensify the heat if he wished to restore the Chamber of Earth
Flame back to its previous state.
736 Goner!
“Time to begin!”
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a
handful of formation flags appeared in his grasp.
There were quite a few 5-star formation flags in Yu Cheng’s
storage ring that he could use. These formation flags were
attributeless, making them ideal to craft the auxiliary
formation.
Hu hu hu!
With a flick of his wrist, several hundred formation flags shot
out and fell in the vicinity of the formation plate.
Following which, Zhang Xuan took a step forward and
stomped his foot on the ground.
Weng!
With a buzz, the formation flags were immediately triggered
with a slight tremor. A dense layer of mist emerged in the
surroundings, shrouding the formation plate entirely.
Hong long!
The flame dragon prowling at the center of the formation plate
abruptly grew from a meter tall to dozens of meters, and it
seemed as if it would surge beyond the tall ceiling, burning the
roof down to cinders!
“This is a grade-5 formation? How can he set it up so
quickly?” Yuan Hong’s eyebrows leaped up in astonishment.
Formation master was one of his supporting occupations as
well, but even as a 6-star master teacher, he knew it was
impossible for him to set up a formation so swiftly.
Yet, the other party was able to do it so easily. Furthermore, he
noticed that the method used in setting up the formation was
very foreign to him. For even a 6-star master teacher like him
to be unaware of it, chances were that the other party had truly
received the teachings of a high-ranked master teacher.
Legend has it that top-notch formation masters had their
unique techniques to swiftly set up formations and enhance the
might of it.
Most likely, that fellow was using something like that.
“To intensify the Earth Flame so swiftly… the formation he is
setting up should be an auxiliary formation to increase the
pace at which the Earth Flame is being drawn at!” Yuan Hong
nodded.
Despite Zhang Xuan’s swift movement, he was still able to
roughly tell the gist of the formation through its effects and the
positioning of the flags.
However… what was the point of setting up this formation?
Was that fellow intending on using Earth Flame to replace the
Earth Flame Hearts?
“But surely that should be unfeasible? Even if the pace at
which Earth Flame is being drawn at were to be enhanced, it
will only make the flame dragon grow larger. It has minimal
effect on the heat intensity…” Yuan Hong frowned.
As the vice head of the Blacksmith School, he could at least
tell that much.
While the auxiliary formation would increase in the pace at
which Earth Flame was being drawn out at, that would only
lead to a quantitative increase in the flame dragon.
To make an analogy, it would be like the difference between
burning a kilogram of coal and a ton of coal. Despite the
difference in quantity, the difference in the temperature
between the two would only be minimal at best.
“Rest assured, I have a plan in mind.” With a light chuckle,
Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out another set of
formation flags.
Hualala!
With another flick of his hand, the flags were planted at the
perimeter of the first formation.
Weng!
Zhang Xuan stomped his foot, and the formation was activated
as well.
Hu hu hu!
As soon as the formation whirred into action, the towering
flame dragon instantaneously withered, returning back to its
original size of one meter.
However, despite the reduction in size, the heat it emanated
was visibly far more hot than before, and even from a distance,
the crowd could still feel a searing heat wave gushing at them.
“This… You compressed the flame dragon to forcefully raise
the temperature? Not bad!” Astonishment flickered across
Yuan Hong’s face.
The first formation increased the rate at which Earth Flame
was drawn at whereas the second formation aimed to compress
the Earth Flame as far as possible.
After undergoing compression, the Earth Flame might have
reduced in size, but it was far more frightening than ever. In an
instant, its temperature rose by more than tenfold!
Even Yuan Hong didn’t have the confidence of withstanding
such intense heat.
“This… Is he really intending on using the Earth Flame to
substitute the Earth Flame Hearts?” Yuan Hong’s face
twitched.
Even though he had a rough idea of what Zhang Xuan was
intending to do earlier, he subconsciously denied the
possibility, thinking that it was impossible. However, as Zhang
Xuan continued on, the doubt he harbored earlier intensified.
As the two formations continued to operate, the temperature of
the Earth Flame rose higher and higher, and before long, it was
already nearing an Earth Flame Heart.
Perhaps, this fellow might just be able to fix the Chamber of
Earth Flame… However, Earth Flame was already an unstable
material in itself. To extract large amounts of it and compress
them together tightly… Was he really able to keep it under
control?
The moment that he loses control over the Earth Flame, the
entire Blacksmith School might potentially be destroyed.
Yuan Hong wasn’t the only one worried about that. Unsettled
frowns were appearing on the many master teachers watching
the spectacle as well.
How could those who dared to venture to the Passageway of
Records and challenge the achievements of their predecessors
be ordinary master teachers? While they were unable to name
the two formations Zhang Xuan had set up, they were still able
to comprehend their function and purpose.
Watching as more and more Earth Flame was compacted
within the flame dragon, as well as sensing the astounding heat
being emanated from it, they couldn’t help but feel their
goosebumps rising in fear despite their formidable cultivation.
If they were to be caught up in an explosion involving it, there
was no doubt that they would be burned into cinders.
“This should be enough!”
On the other hand, oblivious to the shock rippling through the
crowd, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief after successfully
setting up the formation.
While it may seem like two formations from the outside, it
was actually just one formation consisting of an internal layer
and an external layer.
The internal layer was responsible for drawing more Earth
Flame into the formation, and the external layer would
compress the energy to enhance its concentration.
When used in unison, it could force Earth Flame to emulate
the effects of the Earth Flame Heart.
This was designed by a 6-star pinnacle formation master many
years ago for the Chamber of Earth Flame. However, he was
unable to resolve the issue regarding the instability of
compound formations, so his plan never came to be.
“Time to start!”
Knowing that the difficulty would only rise the further he
progresses, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath and activated
his Eye of Insight.
With the third acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher,
his Eye of Insight had been enhanced once again. As long as
he was unwilling to reveal it, not even a 6-star master teacher
would notice his Eye of Insight.
Considering how his cultivation was still limited, it would be
best for him to conceal his Eye of Insight for the time being
until he possesses sufficient strength to protect himself.
Despite being concealed from the view of others, the Eye of
Insight was still as powerful as ever. With its activation, the
ruined formation swiftly appeared before Zhang Xuan’s eyes.
The hidden formation flags flickered into existence around the
flame dragon.
“All that’s left to do is to activate this formation…”
The original formation in the Chamber of Earth Flame had
only broken down due to the lack of energy to power it. As
long as he could activate it through the flame dragon, the
Chamber of Earth Flame should function once more. Stepping
forward, Zhang Xuan walked up to the crux of the formation.
“Activate!”
Stomping on the ground, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into
the center of the formation, and the formation was activated
with a slight trembling of the flags. A mist began to form
around the flame dragon.
Hualala!
However, as soon as the flame dragon came into contact with
the mist, a sound of disharmony, reminiscent of something
collapsing, abruptly sounded. It was as if the two formations
were incompatible with one another, and an explosion would
be imminent if they weren’t separated immediately.
“This is bad…” Yuan Hong’s face paled upon seeing that
sight.
Formations couldn’t be compounded with one another. He had
once witnessed a 6-star formation master being blasted to
death in an attempt to compound formations. If an explosion
were to occur here, the Blacksmith School might just be wiped
out from the surface of the world.
Thus, he immediately stepped forward in preparation to
suppress the formation. However, just as he was about to make
a move, the young man abruptly shook his hand, and a spirit
beast inner core was thrown into the center of the mist.
Hu!
As soon as the inner core came into contact with the mist, the
sound of disharmony immediately dispelled. All of a sudden,
the formation was stabilized as if it had found its cornerstone.
“That… he found the balance point between the two
formations?” Yuan Hong widened his eyes in shock.
To make the rampaging formation calm down so swiftly, there
could only be one possibility. That fellow must have found the
balance point between the two formations and reinforced it.
“If I recall correctly… A Transcendent Mortal 8-dan
Glaciersnow Fish’s inner core. Considering its cold attribute, it
is indeed an ideal mediator for a fire attribute formation like
this…” Recalling the details of the spirit beast inner core
thrown out earlier, Yuan Hong couldn’t help but nod in
approval.
Not only had the other party found the balance point of the
two formations, he even wisely utilized a complementary
factor—the cold attribute Glaciersnow Fish inner core—to
mediate the flame energy. As the saying goes, “no shadow
creeps in the absence of light, and no light exists without the
presence of shadow”. Through a contrasting mediating factor,
he successfully stabilized the formation entirely!
“Compounding a formation to another through a set of well-
defined sequence, incredible!” To be able to go that far with
Earth Flame, this fellow was indeed a true genius!
It was no wonder why he declared confidently that he would
be able to fix the formation. It seemed like he did possess the
capability to back up his words.
As long as a balance was established with the formations, the
rest could be easily fixed through employing some workers.
Seeing the formation being stabilized, Zhang Xuan heaved a
sigh of relief.
When he first read about the Chamber of Flames in his book, it
was filled with so many flaws that he thought that it would be
difficult for him to successfully set it up. To his surprise,
everything went smoothly.
“I’m done.” With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan turned around
and reported.
“This is… the Chamber of Earth Flame?”
“How beautiful! With so many flames flying around the room,
can a human really step into it?”
“What an incredible heat! Senior Luo Yan, did you really
survive three minutes inside? I don’t think that I can even last
ten seconds in there before I am reduced to ashes…”
…
Looking at the exposed Chamber of Earth Flame, the crowd
flew into a commotion.
Due to the rumors surroundings the Chamber of Earth Flame,
there were very few who had opted to challenge. Thus, many
were ignorant about the conditions inside.
As the Passageway of Records hadn’t been restored yet, there
were no walls to conceal it. As a result, the situation within
was plain for everyone to see, and the fearsome heat within
left many astounded.
Leaping flames and blistering heat… How did the previous
record holder even last seventeen minutes under such extreme
conditions?
And did the fellow before them really last two hours within?
“Elder, I have successfully fixed the Chamber of Earth Flame.
I should be spared from compensation now, right?” Ignoring
the astonishment of the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Yuan
Hong and asked.
“It does seem to be repaired on the surface. However, I’ll have
to test the effects of the Chamber of Earth Flame personally to
verify it!” Yuan Hong waved his hands.
Even though the Chamber of Earth Flame seemed no different
from before, there was still a need to examine its effectiveness,
especially given the difference in the catalyst.
“Please do.” Zhang Xuan smiled as he gestured the other party
forward.
“Un. I was once in charge of maintaining the Passageway of
Records, so I have a good idea of how the conditions should
be like inside. I’ll go in to take a look!” Yuan Hong nodded.
In his years in the Blacksmith School, there was a period of
time where he was placed in charge of the amenities of the
school. He understood the structure of the Chamber of Earth
Flame well, and the best way to verify if it had been restored
was to test it out personally.
As such, Yuan Hong began making his way into the Chamber
of Earth Flame.
Weng!
As soon as he stepped in, the flames scattered in the area
began gathering around him, and the temperature started to
rise swiftly.
“Hm?” Noticing that the functioning in the Chamber of Earth
Flame was slightly different from what he saw earlier, Zhang
Xuan frowned.
At that instant, a thought suddenly struck him, and he swiftly
turned to Luo Yan and asked, “What material did the
Blacksmith School use to craft the formation plate used to
grab earth flame from beneath the ground?”
“Oh, it’s an alloy made of Verdantrise Rock and Furnace
Crystal!” Luo Yan replied after a moment of contemplation.
“Verdantrise Rock and Furnace Crystal?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes
widened in shock.
Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground abruptly
shook.
Hong long!
With loud rumblings, a massive surge of heat wave abruptly
rose from the ground, resulting in a pandemonium.
Following which, the Passageway of Records collapsed,
followed by the Blacksmith Guild’s main hall…
737 Consulting the School
Head
Hualala!
Dust rose rapidly from the ground. The master teachers who
had been spectating the sight abruptly backed away in fear.
Peng peng peng peng!
Consecutive collisions sounded as dozens of master teachers
were slammed violently against a wall.
Quickly stabilizing his posture, Zhang Xuan gazed at the sight
before him, and his lips began to twitch.
Not only had the Passageway of Records collapsed entirely,
half of the Blacksmith Guild’s main hall had also collapsed,
leaving behind a cloak of dust in the wake of its former glory.
The entire area screamed of a disaster, as if it had been
bombarded.
If Zhang Xuan’s action of collapsing the Chamber of Earth
Flame had sent everyone into a frenzy a moment ago, this was
at least ten times worse!
The Passageway of Records and its mechanisms and
formations along with half of the main hall had been
completely wrecked. Even if it is fixed eventually, the
Blacksmith School would still become a laughingstock for the
entire Master Teacher Academy.
There was probably no one who would have thought that a
mere record challenger would end up reducing the entire
branch into such a state!
It was fortunate that most of the master teachers in the
Blacksmith Guild possessed incredible cultivation. Protected
by their zhenqi, they sustained minimal injuries, but…
considering how a Chamber of Earth Flame was worth 20
high-tier spirit stones, how much will all of this cost?
Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched as he saw the sight before him
slowly turning dark. At this point, he was already on the verge
of tears.
There was nothing wrong with the Earth Flame which he had
tempered to replace the Earth Flame Heart, and the formation
had been reinforced to be extremely stable as well.
It should be impossible for anything to go wrong, but
something still did. The mistake lay in the formation plate
used to draw earth flame from the ground. The Verdantrise
Rock and Furnace Crystal were valuable ores, but they were
susceptible to heat under extreme conditions.
Typically speaking, those ores should be able to endure the
heat from Earth Flame, but there was one thing Zhang Xuan
had neglected.
The formation in the Chamber of Earth Flame was crafted in
the manner such that it would emit varying degrees of heat
depending on the cultivation of the person who stepped in.
When Yuan Hong stepped into the formation, the temperature
began rising swiftly, eventually exceeding the melting points
of those ores. Naturally, it began to lose its shape.
This was similar to delivery trucks from his previous life.
If one were to follow the weight limit, it could last for a very
long time. However, if one were to overload it, it could be
damaged very easily.
If that formation plate to retrieve Earth Flame from the ground
was crafted of better materials, this wouldn’t be a problem.
However, that wasn’t the case.
As the formation plate began to melt, the stability which
Zhang Xuan had created with great difficulty was shaken,
resulting in the violent Earth Flame running amok… As a
result, a calamity occurred.
In other words…
If it wasn’t Yuan Hong who entered, such a problem would
have never occurred!
It was due to the formation plate being too weak and Yuan
Hong being too strong that such an accident happened.
This was something Zhang Xuan hadn’t expected to happen.
Even the elder who had come up with this solution probably
couldn’t have imagined that the complex compound formation
he came up with would fall apart due to inferior quality
material.
“This isn’t my fault…” With a tearful face, Zhang Xuan’s lips
twitched uncontrollably.
While that was what Zhang Xuan believed, the others didn’t
share his thoughts. As the shaking ground calmed, Luo Yan
and the others stood up and glanced at the ruins around them
before turning to him. Their eyes were filled with so much
fury that it seemed as if they would devour him alive.
This was the core of their Blacksmith School! How were they
supposed to smith weapons now that it had been reduced to
ruins? How could they raise their heads proudly before the
other schools?
“What did you do…” Luo Yan spat through clenched teeth.
At this moment, he felt so angry that his hands were dying to
rip the fellow before him apart. In the end, he still chose to
suppress his anger, and turning to the side, he instructed, “You
two, keep a close eye on him, don’t let him escape. As for the
rest, follow me. We’ll go and save my teacher!”
This wasn’t the time to deal with that fellow yet. His teacher’s
safety was the current priority.
“Yes!” Two master teachers stepped forward and stood by
Zhang Xuan’s flanks, sealing his path of escape.
On the other hand, the others swiftly rushed to the ruins of
where the Chamber of Earth Flame once stood.
The explosion had caused the entire Passageway of Records
and the branch to collapse. Considering how Vice School
Head Yuan had been standing at the center of the explosion, he
was probably in a worse state than everyone else.
But just as they were about to start digging through the ruins,
“huala!”, a figure suddenly emerged amidst the dust—Yuan
Hong.
At this very moment, a huge portion of his hair had been burnt
away. His face was livid, and flames of rage were burning in
his eyes, and it seemed as if he was on the verge of going on a
rampage.
“Cough cough!”
As soon as Yuan Hong rose from the dust, he began coughing
violently, and fresh blood spewed from his mouth. His body
wobbled feebly.
“Teacher…”
“Vice School Head Yuan…”
Everyone immediately rushed up to him in worry.
The person before them was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a
Saint realm expert. How wounded must he be to be in such a
state?
“I’m fine!” Yuan Hong waved his hands as a sharp glint
flashed across his eyes.
“Where’s that fellow?”
Had he not used his full strength to suppress the explosion,
perhaps half of the entire Blacksmith School might have been
reduced to ashes by now.
Didn’t you declare confidently that there wouldn’t be any
problems?
Didn’t you reassure me time and time again that it would be
fine?
Tell me what is this then!
Why was I so foolish as to listen to your lies…
The more he thought about it, the more furious Yuan Hong
felt.
“He’s over there…” Luo Yan pointed to the side, only to see
the young man walking over under the “escort” of the other
two master teachers.
“Who in the world are you? What do you intend to do here?”
Yuan Hong roared furiously.
He was beginning to suspect that the fellow might have been
sent by the other schools to wreak havoc here.
Otherwise, how could a simple record challenge cause such a
huge stir? Wasn’t the very notion of it inconceivable?
“All I wanted was to take the 5-star blacksmith
examination…” Zhang Xuan sighed.
His goal was that simple, but who could have thought that he
would require Academic Credits for even that. Left with no
choice, he could only seek a way to earn some… He thought
that it should be a walk in a park, but in the end, not only did
he fail to earn his Academic Credits, he even got himself in
such a huge mess!
“Take the 5-star blacksmith examination? You call this taking
the 5-star blacksmith examination? Admit it, you’re here to
tear down our school!” Yuan Hong said as he gritted his teeth
furiously.
When other students take the examination, we earn Academic
Credits and money, but when it comes to you… Are you sure
you aren’t trying to slaughter us all!
If not for my swift reaction and high cultivation, I would have
died in there!
Have you ever seen anyone who tore down a guild while
trying to take an examination?
“I… really didn’t do it intentionally. How about this, I’m
willing to compensate for this…” Zhang Xuan’s face
reddened.
While everything that had happened felt like a cruel prank
from the heavens, the issue still ultimately originated from
him, so he had to carry the responsibility for everything that
had happened. The only thing he could do now was to offer
compensation.
“Compensate? What are you going to compensate us with?
Can you even afford to compensate us?” Yuan Hong was so
angry that his body began shaking in fury.
Gathered in the Passageway of Records is the achievements of
countless predecessors before them, how are you going to
compensate for that? Besides, you can’t even fork out ten
high-tier spirit stones, what can you offer us?
Even if we were to sell you, we won’t be able to earn that
much!
“Why don’t you tell me… how much spirit stones do I need to
compensate? I’ll try my best to earn that sum and repay it to
you…” Zhang Xuan said through clenched jaws.
At the very most, he would just have to do more part-time
work and have Yang shi appear to treat patients and offer
guidance. In any case, he would repay this debt.
While he couldn’t be entirely blamed for this incident, it
wouldn’t be fair to the other party if he were to try to shrug off
responsibility. Thus, he could only clench his jaws and
shoulder it.
“Repay?” Yuan Hong sneered.
You sure know how to talk!
As a mere 4-star master teacher, even if you were to work your
life away, you won’t be able to repay this!
“Do you know how much damage have you caused?” With a
sharp glint in his eyes, Yuan Hong bellowed. “There are a total
of 37 challenges in the Passageway of Records, each of them
containing the blood, sweat, and tears of countless
predecessors, as well as innumerable precious artifacts and
ores that couldn’t be bought with money! Furthermore, adding
in half of the guild branch into the mix, even three thousand
high-tier spirit stones wouldn’t be enough. Given so, you still
dare to talk about compensation? Tell me! How do you intend
to compensate?”
Blacksmith was an extremely money-consuming occupation.
Amenities required for smithing wasn’t cheap, especially for
advanced facilities to process high-grade ores. It wouldn’t be a
joke to say that every inch of the Blacksmith Guild was worth
gold.
To cause such immense damage to the Blacksmith Guild…
Even a 7-star low-tier master teacher would find it hard to
compensate all of this, needless to say, you!
“Three thousand high-tier spirit stones?” Zhang Xuan’s body
wobbled weakly.
He only had a high-tier spirit stone in possession at the
moment. Even if he were to sell all of his possessions, he
would only have at most ten. Three thousand… how could he
possibly afford such a sum!
Even if he were to disguise as Yang shi, he wouldn’t be able to
earn so much within a short period of time.
“What are the other record challenges here? Why don’t I… try
fixing them?” Zhang Xuan asked.
Since he couldn’t possibly fork the bill, he could only offer to
help fix as much as he could to lower his debt.
“You…”
Yuan Hong nearly died of anger after hearing those words.
That fellow arrogantly promised that he would be able to fix
the Chamber of Earth Flame, but what happened afterward?
From the collapse of a single chamber, the destruction
extended to half of the entire branch!
Furthermore, the damages increased by ten high-tier spirit
stones to three thousand. That was an increase of three
hundred folds!
He thought that the other party should at least comprehend
what kind of situation he was in and take a humbler attitude,
but to think that he was so brazen as to continue shooting his
mouth here…
Repair your head!
If I were to allow you to continue acting as you please, the
Blacksmith School or perhaps even the entire Master Teacher
Academy would be destroyed by you!
Furthermore, the Passageway of Records wasn’t something
that a blacksmith could fix by his own. There were also many
mechanisms involved, so the expertise of a celestial designer
was required as well.
No matter how skilled you are at smithing, you won’t be able
to fix them on your own as long as you are ignorant of
mechanical engineering!
“If it requires expertise on mechanical engineering as well, I
can go and take the celestial designer examination first…”
Perhaps realizing what Yuan Hong was thinking of, Zhang
Xuan quickly added.
“…” Yuan Hong body shook feebly once more.
Aren’t you getting more and more arrogant?
Take the celestial designer examination first? Do you think
that the examination will be so easy that you can pass it as and
when you like?
“Keep a close eye on this lad…” With his cheeks crimson with
rage, Yuan Hong felt that he might die from anger if he were
to continue speaking with the other party. Thus, he waved his
hands and turned his head away.
“Yes!” Luo Yan and the others hurriedly nodded.
“I’ll go and consult the school head on this matter. In the
meantime, make sure that he doesn’t get away…” Yuan Hong
instructed.
The current situation was already beyond his control. He had
to report it to the school head.
The school head would then decide on what to do with this
fellow!
“Yes!” the crowd answered.
“Vice School Head Yuan, the school head asks for you to go to
his office as soon as possible!” At that moment, a master
teacher suddenly rushed into the room anxiously and reported.
“He wants me to go to his office?” Yuan Hong was taken
aback.
“Could he be aware of what is going on here?”
While there was a huge commotion here, considering the
immense size of the Blacksmith School, and the far distance
between the school head’s office and here, the school head
shouldn’t have received the news yet. But if that wasn’t the
case, why would the latter be asking for him?
738 Golden Armored Cloak
But regardless, since the school head was looking for him, he
mustn’t keep him waiting. After instructing Luo Yan and the
others once more to not allow Zhang Xuan to get away at any
cost, he followed the master teacher to the school head’s
office.
The Blacksmith School was extremely large, taking up more
than several ten thousand mu of land. It was divided into the
Smithery, Staff Office, Learning Hall, and various examination
facilities.
(10,000 mu = 6,666,666m^2)
Yuan Hong was in charge of the examination facilities, which
was at the opposite end of the Staff Office.
Even so, with his incredible speed as a Saint realm expert, it
didn’t take him long to arrive before the school head’s office.
Stepping into the office, he saw the school head and the other
three vice school heads seated within, seemingly discussing
something vital.
Head of the Blacksmith School, Zhao Bingxu, one of the Ten
Great Master Teachers!
Of the entire Master Teacher Academy, his standing was
second to only the head of the Apothecary School.
Seated upright at the end of the room, he carried a dignified
and authoritative aura.
At this moment, the school head’s eyebrows were knitted
together, and the other three vice school heads had austere
expressions on their faces as well.
“School head, you were looking for me?” Yuan Hong asked
doubtfully as he headed towards an empty seat amidst the
group.
“You arrived at a timely moment. There’s something which I
need your input on!” the school head nodded as he flicked his
palm.
Huala!
A formation in the room was activated, creating a barrier
between those in the room and the rest of the world.
With the activation of this barrier, it would be impossible for
anyone outside to listen to the conversation within the room.
Of course, this also meant that news outside wouldn’t be able
to reach this room either as long as the formation was active.
Seeing the school head going to the extent of even activating a
formation to ensure perfect confidentiality, Yuan Hong was
bewildered.
“Since everyone has arrived, I’ll start then.” School Head
Zhao Bingxu nodded with a grim expression. “Just a moment
ago, Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo have gathered the Ten
Great Master Teachers together and announced something
vital!”
Yuan Hong’s face twisted in astonishment.
It must be a grave matter for Pavilion Master Mo and Elder
Mo to have to gather the Ten Great Master Teachers together
to confer about it.
“Could it be… news about the old principal?” One of the vice
school heads couldn’t help but ask.
The most crucial issue the Master Teacher Academy was
facing at the moment was the old principal going missing,
resulting in the lack of a leader to unite the academy together.
It would be great if there was news on him!
“That’s not it.” Zhao Bingxu shook his head gravely. “The
Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has appeared in the vicinity of
Hongyuan City!”
“Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?” Yuan Hong’s body
instantaneously tensed up.
As a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, he understood the
significance of an appearance of the Otherworldly Demonic
Tribe.
But for the school head to activate a formation of
confidentiality, the matter probably wasn’t as simple as a mere
appearance of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.
“That’s right. Senior Byzantium Helios has come under their
assault on Leiyuan Peak, and we are still unable to verify
whether he’s dead or alive at the moment.” Zhao Bingxu said
slowly.
The four men gathered here were the vice heads of the
Blacksmith School, important pillars supporting humanity.
They were trustworthy men whom he could entrust such
crucial intelligence to.
“Senior Byzantium Helios has gone missing?” Yuan Hong and
the others widened their eyes in astonishment.
They could hardly believe what they were hearing.
If that was truly the case, the situation must be truly dire!
Byzantium Helios Beast was the old principal’s tamed beast,
and his cultivation had long reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle. On
top of that, as a saint beast, he commanded strength far beyond
any of them here. If even he had fallen prey to the
Otherworldly Demons… how powerful must their enemies be?
“Un. Senior Byzantium Helios went missing even before he
could even send a message to us… Furthermore, based on the
marks of battle left on Leiyuan Peak, there must be at least ten
Saints among the Otherworldly Demons, and one of them was
at least Saint 2-dan at minimum!” Zhao Bingxu said grimly.
The reason why he rushed here to inform the other vice school
heads on this matter right after the conference was to have the
Blacksmith School act immediately. If they were to delay on
this matter, they might just miss the ideal window to save
Byzantium Helios Beast.
“At least ten Saint realm Otherworldly Demons?”
“One of them is at least Saint 2-dan?”
Everyone trembled upon learning that news.
If that was really the case, this matter would be far beyond
their ability.
“Should we… report this matter to the headquarter?” Yuan
Hong asked.
With the appearance of so many Otherworldly Demons
simultaneously, the Master Teacher Academy might just find
itself overpowered. Given such, it might be preferable to have
the headquarter send down stronger master teachers to deal
with this issue.
“Mu shi from the headquarter has already arrived at the
academy, and we have reported this matter to him as well. His
view was to have us deal with this matter as far as we can, and
if anyone succeeds in saving Senior Byzantium Helios, he
would become the next principal of the academy!” Zhao
Bingxu replied.
“The next principal?” Everyone’s eyes immediately lit up.
If Zhao Bingxu could become the academy’s new principal,
the standing of the Blacksmith School in the academy would
surely soar as well. It would only be a matter of time before it
overtook the Apothecary School as the first school in the
academy.
“Un. The reason why I have all of you gathered here is to have
you investigate the whereabouts of Senior Byzantium Helios.
Our Blacksmith School must find him before the others…”
Zhao Bingxu nodded, revealing his intentions.
“That’s no problem at all!”
“School head, rest assured. We’ll do our best!”
Hong Yuan and the others nodded.
This wasn’t just a matter regarding Zhao Bingxu’s promotion.
The appearance of the Otherworldly Demons would be a threat
to the entire Master Teacher Academy and even humanity as a
whole. Even without the incentive of the principal’s seat, they
were still obligated to do so.
“Good, that’s all for now. Return and make whatever
necessary arrangements!” Zhao Bingxu nodded.
“School head, there’s a matter I need to report!” Seeing the
school head dismissing them, one of the vice school heads
immediately stood up and said.
“I also have a matter to report…” Yuan Hong also hurriedly
said.
“Vice School Head Xiong, you’ll go first!” Seeing that the two
vice school heads had matters to report, Zhao Bingxu nodded.
Vice School Head Xiong Bing was in charge of the Learning
Hall, and he had the closest relationship with the students as
well.
“Alright!” Xiong Bing nodded. “It’s like this. A while back, a
student reported finding traces left behind by Elder Wu
Yangzi, and she requested the initiation of a mission on it…
Such matters often occur, so I didn’t think too much of it
either. So, I offered them a few Academic Credits as the
reward and sent them on their way.”
Wu Yangzi was the most talented blacksmith in the past ten
thousand years of history of Hongyuan Empire, and many
students viewed him as their idol. As a result, there were many
students who would approach him with news they had
gathered on Wu Yangzi and apply for a mission each year, but
most of them would turn out to just be mere rumors.
“Could it be… they succeeded?” Hearing Xiong Bing abruptly
raising this matter, a thought flashed across Yuan Hong’s head,
and his breathing began to hasten in agitation.
If this was true, it would cause a huge uproar in the
Blacksmith School!
Even though it had been long since Wu Yangzi had passed
away, he still commanded great prestige amongst the
blacksmiths in Hongyuan City.
“It’s still a little too early for me to verify whether it’s true or
not, but the one who reported the completion of the mission
is… the Sixth Princess!” Xiong Bing said.
“Sixth Princess? You mean Princess Yu Fei-er?” Zhao Bingxu
asked.
Yu Fei-er was a member of royalty, so even as one of the Ten
Great Master Teachers, he had also heard about her.
“That’s right. Not only so, there is Grade 2’s Luo Qiqi and
Xing Yuan from the Xing Clan!” Xiong Bing continued.
“I have heard of Luo Qiqi, she’s a famous blacksmith genius
in Grade 2. If we could groom her well, she would surely
achieve great things in the future. As for Xing Yuan, is he that
old fellow’s offspring?” Zhao Bingxu asked.
“He is!” Xiong Bing nodded.
“Why would they suddenly go searching for Elder Wu
Yangzi’s whereabouts?” Yuan Hong asked in bewilderment.
Each year, there were many students who would attempt to
search for Wu Yangzi’s whereabouts to uncover the truth
behind his disappearance, but often, the news they gathered
turned out to just be rumors amongst the populace. As the top
students of their grade, surely they should know better than to
pursue groundless rumors?
“I am not too sure on that, but just today, they came to me and
reported the completion of their mission. On top of that, they
brought Elder Wu Yangzi’s remains back… Due to the
immense significance of this issue, I dare not pass judgement
by myself. Thus, I hope that the rest of you can help me verify
the authenticity of this issue as well!” Xiong Bing said
gravely.
“Sure, we’ll be more than willing to. Where are those
students?” Zhao Bingxu said.
Everyone was taken aback to hear that the group had brought
back Wu Yangzi’s remains. Missions relating to searching for
Wu Yangzi’s whereabouts had always ended in a failure, but
this group claimed to have found his body…
If that was true, this would truly be a huge matter!
While Zhao Bingxu was a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith as well,
his skill was still terribly lacking as compared to Wu Yangzi. If
the group had brought back any secret manuals left behind by
Wu Yangzi along with them, the Blacksmith School could be
revolutionized!
“They are currently waiting outside the room. I’ll call them in
now!” Xiong Bing hurriedly said.
“Alright!” Zhao Bingxu nodded.
Xiong Bing stepped out of the room, and a moment later, he
returned with three students following behind him.
They were Xing Yuan, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er.
While Xing Yuan and Ye Qian had left Huanyu Empire earlier
than Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er, the speed of the aerial spirit beast
they took was far beneath that of the Great Violetwing Beast.
As a result, Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi ended up arriving earlier
than them.
As a result, it took them so long to gather together to report on
the matter.
“Xing Yuan (Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er) pays respect to School Head
Zhao and the other vice school heads!” The group clasped
their fists and greeted.
“Spare with the ceremony!” Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard as
his gaze fell on the group of three. “I heard that you found
Elder Wu Yangzi’s remains. Is that true?”
“That’s true. This is the reason why we’re here!” Xing Yuan
nodded affirmatively. “I beseech School Head Zhao to verify
the authenticity of the remains!”
With those words, he flicked his wrist, and a corpse appeared
before the crowd.
It was the body which they had found in the underground
chamber.
“This…”
Upon seeing the corpse, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the
others traded gazes, and their eyes narrowed.
As one of the top blacksmiths in Hongyuan City back in his
time, there were many paintings on him, and they were passed
down through the generations. The few of them had seen those
paintings as well, and while the corpse before them was
slightly withered, they were astonished to see that the
distinctive features were identical to the painting depictions!
In other words… there was a good chance that the corpse
before them belonged to Elder Wu Yangzi!
Could they have really accomplished what countless before
them had failed to do?
“Elder Wu Yangzi has once smithed a [Golden Armored
Cloak] which, unlike ordinary armor, could be concealed
beneath one’s skin. If this corpse has the Golden Armored
Cloak beneath his skin, there will be no doubt that he’s indeed
Elder Wu Yangzi!” Zhao Bingxu stood up and observed the
corpse carefully.
“Golden Armored Cloak?” Yuan Hong and the others were
taken aback.
They had never heard of this before.
“That’s right. Zhao Bingxu nodded as he gathered a surge of
sword qi on his fingertip and lightly sliced the corpse’s skin.
Si la!
A small incision was made on the corpse’s skin, revealing a
gleaming golden armor within.
“This is indeed the Golden Armored Cloak! There’s no doubt
about it, this is the remains of Elder Wu Yangzi!” Upon seeing
the yellow shine beneath the corpse’s skin, Zhao Bingxu
clenched his fists tightly in agitation, and his breathing
hastened.
A corpse could be faked, but it was impossible for the Golden
Armored Cloak to be faked. This was because its forging
method had already long disappeared from the face of the
earth!
There was only one possibility given that the corpse before
him was wearing it—he must be Wu Yangzi!
739 His Name is Zhang Xuan
“It’s true?”
“That’s great…”
Upon hearing School Head Zhao’s confirmation on the matter,
the faces of Yuan Hong and the others flushed crimson in
agitation.
As 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths, they understood the
significance of the words “Wu Yangzi” to Hongyuan Empire.
Back then, when this esteemed elder disappeared without a
trace, a huge turmoil broke out in the Blacksmith Guild.
Countless men stepped forth to lead the search for his
whereabouts, but their efforts ended in futility. Who could
have thought that the ones who would eventually uncover his
traces would be the students of the Master Teacher Academy?
They could already foresee the huge commotion that would
occur with the announcement regarding the discovery of this
corpse. This would boost the Blacksmith School’s prestige
amongst the students and blacksmiths.
“You have done well. I’ll have the school reward you
handsomely for your accomplishments!” Zhao Bingxu nodded
in commendation as he gazed at the students before him, proud
of them.
To be honest, he had also attempted to uncover Elder Wu
Yangzi’s trails when he was younger, but he eventually found
himself stumbling upon a dead end, leaving him no choice but
to give up.
“Thank you, School Head Zhao!” Xing Yuan and the others
clasped their fists.
Vice School Head Xiong Bing had thought that it would be
difficult for them to succeed when they first applied for the
mission, so he didn’t bother offering much of a reward.
However, with such great achievement, locating Wu Yangzi’s
whereabouts and finding his remains, it was natural that the
reward should be increased significantly.
“Since you have found Elder Wu Yangzi’s body, regarding his
heritage…” One of the vice school heads couldn’t help but ask
anxiously.
Back then, when the esteemed Wu Yangzi disappeared from
the world, he didn’t leave behind his heritage. This was also
part of the reason why after his disappearance, many had
searched far and wide for his whereabouts, in hopes of
uncovering his heritage.
Since these students were able to find his remains, could they
have obtained his heritage as well?
Given their current capability, Wu Yangzi’s heritage was no
longer crucial to them. They also wouldn’t stoop so low as to
steal the heritage from the students either, especially given
their standing. However, if the Blacksmith School could obtain
Wu Yangzi’s heritage, it would definitely allow many of their
blacksmiths to advance their smithing proficiency. This was
beneficial to the entire Blacksmith School.
“We managed to find his heritage… At the same time, I was
also accepted as Elder Wu Yangzi’s direct disciple. However, I
won’t be able to make the call to contribute the heritage to the
school by myself!”
The one who spoke this time around was Luo Qiqi.
“You found Elder Wu Yangzi’s heritage?”
“You can’t make the call yourself? True, your group did go
through a lot of effort to obtain the heritage. You should
indeed discuss among yourselves before coming to a
decision.”
“Don’t worry, if you don’t wish to make it public, I promise
that no one will be able to make things difficult for you…”
“The Master Teacher Pavilion has its own rules. There will be
no one who would risk bringing the ire of the Master Teacher
Pavilion upon themselves for a heritage!”
Upon hearing that the group had obtained the heritage,
everyone was astonished. But soon, they nodded in agreement.
The responsibility of master teachers was to impart knowledge
and enlighten the masses. But as noble as their mission was,
they were still mortal, and they had their own desires and
interests. It would be unreasonable to expect them to impart
everything they knew selflessly to others.
It was precisely for this reason that there was a classification
between direct disciple, normal students, and listening in.
Those who were listening in would only be imparted the bare
fundamentals whereas the direct disciples would be taught the
most profound of techniques.
This was also the reason why the standing of direct disciples
was higher than those listening in, with the latter having to
address the former as “senior”.
Since Luo Qiqi had become Wu Yangzi’s direct disciple and
inherited his heritage, it should belong to her. If she was
willing to pass it on, that would be goodwill on her part.
However, if she was unwilling to do so, they weren’t in a
position to say anything either.
This was the magnanimity that master teachers should have.
Otherwise, how could they be qualified to enlighten the
masses?
“Rather than saying our group went through a lot of effort, it
would be more accurate to say that that person went through a
lot of effort… As long as he agrees, I believe that Qiqi will be
more than willing to contribute the heritage to the Blacksmith
School!” Realizing that there was some misunderstanding
between them, Yu Fei-er quickly stepped forward to explain.
“That person?” Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others
glanced at one another doubtfully.
“Indeed. Not only was that person the one who helped us
obtain the heritage, he even saved all of us. If not for him, we
might have died within the underground chamber!” Gratitude
gleamed in Luo Qiqi’s eyes as she spoke.
“We can forgo the rewards that School Head Zhao has
promised us as long as he is amply rewarded!” Xing Yuan
added.
Even though he was frustrated by the complicated relationship
between Princess Yu Fei-er and that fellow, he still felt obliged
to repay the other party for saving their lives.
Sensing the earnest tone behind the duo’s words, Zhao Bingxu
frowned, “What happened? Did you encounter some kind of
danger while seeking Elder Wu Yangzi?”
Wu Yangzi’s disappearance back then was extremely abrupt,
there was no signs or marks left behind, as if he had vanished
into thin air. Even Zhao Bingxu, despite his immense
authority, could only fathom a guess on the happenings,
deducing that the Otherworldly Demons might have been
involved in this matter.
But as for the truth, there was no one who could say for sure.
Furthermore, after such a long time had passed, whatever
existing danger back then should have already dissipated.
“Dangerous can’t possibly summarize what we went through.
Elder Wu Yangzi was captured by the Otherworldly Demons
back then, and here is a personal note he left behind…” Luo
Qiqi nodded as she passed a book over.
This was the notebook which they obtained from Wu Yangzi
back in the underground chamber.
Written on it was the happenings in his capture and his
experiences with the Otherworldly Demons in the
underground chamber.
“This…”
After reading through the note, Zhao Bingxu’s eyes narrowed,
“Otherworldly Demon puppet? Could it be that… you have
met those in the underground chamber?”
“Indeed. Due to a moment of carelessness, we ended up being
surrounded, and we were almost killed. Despite the danger,
that person stepped forward and saved us. Furthermore, in
order to destroy those puppets, he even destroyed the
underground chamber, burying himself with them…” Luo Qiqi
recounted the affairs that happened that day.
Upon hearing about how that person stood bravely against an
Otherworldly Demon puppet to save Luo Qiqi, everyone fell
silent.
They tried putting themselves in the other party’s shoes, but
they realized that it would be difficult for them to put
themselves in danger in order to save a mere acquaintance.
Furthermore, that person even handed the heritage over to Luo
Qiqi without even taking a glance at it. Very few would be
willing to do so if put in his position.
There was no blacksmith who could remain unmoved before
Wu Yangzi’s heritage, and yet, that person willingly gave the
opportunity to Luo Qiqi. It would be hard to find anyone as
noble as he was.
As the five school head and vice school heads listened to how
that person braved through many Saint realm Otherworldly
Demon puppets without regard for his life in order to save Yu
Fei-er and the others, their mouths opened wide in
astonishment.
“If those Otherworldly Demon puppets were to escape from
the underground chamber, they would pose a fatal threat to
Huanyu Empire and perhaps even Hongyuan Empire. Many
will suffer under their tyranny. His actions have saved all of
us. He’s… truly a noble person!”
“Indeed. Putting his life on the line, he attracted all of the
Otherworldly Demon puppets away and collapsed the
underground chamber so as to stop them… Putting the lives of
others above his, he’s indeed a true master teacher!”
A long moment later, Zhao Bingxu and the others finally
spoke up, nodding in admiration and awe for the other party.
To charge into a despairing situation for humanity, there was
nothing greater than that!
Unwittingly, they thought of Kong shi.
Back then, Kong shi had established the master teacher
occupation for the advancement of mankind.
After tens of thousand years, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe
had long disappeared. While the Master Teacher Pavilion had
managed to remain true to its aims, the number hot-blooded
master teachers who were willing to truly put their life on the
line for humanity had been decreasing over the years, perhaps
even disappearing entirely.
Who would have known that they would find one right in their
Master Teacher Academy!
“He’s really a respectable master teacher.” Xing Yuan nodded.
“He was the one who helped me obtain this heritage. As long
as he gives his consent, I’ll contribute it to the Blacksmith
School without any hesitation!” Luo Qiqi said.
It was through Zhang shi’s blood and sweat that they obtained
Wu Yangzi’s heritage. If he agrees to it, she would hand it over
straight away. Otherwise, even at the risk of her life, she
wouldn’t divulge a single word about it.
“Judging from how noble that person you spoke of is, I’m sure
he’ll be more than willing to contribute this valuable
knowledge to the masses.” Yuan Hong remarked.
“I’m sure he will. He’s such a person after all…” After a
moment of thought, Luo Qiqi nodded.
Her apothecary teacher might be young, but he wasn’t one
who was obsessed with gains and losses. Even if she were to
seek his permission for this matter, he would surely give his
consent without any hesitation.
“I’ll contribute Wu Yangzi’s heritage to the Blacksmith School
then. However, I hope that the school can reward him for his
efforts!”
With those words, Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist and took out a
book.
It was the secret manual which many would go into a frenzy in
order to obtain it, Wu Yangzi’s personal smithing technique,
[Zither Forging Technique].
“This…”
Flipping through the book casually, Zhao Bingxu could tell
that it was authentic instantly, and his eyes reddened in
agitation.
The various interpretations and comprehension of smithing in
the manual were refreshing and novel. If this could be
imparted to the students of the Blacksmith School, their
smithing proficiency would definitely be raised by leaps and
bounds.
Even Zhao Bingxu himself might be able to surpass his
bottleneck and reach higher realms in his smithing with this!
“That person is indeed a great man. He has contributed greatly
to humanity. Where is that person now? Is he… still alive?”
Zhao Bingxu asked hesitantly.
Luo Qiqi had only said that that person chose to willingly
remain in the underground chamber in order to save them, not
mentioning whether he had survived that ordeal or not.
If that person was still alive, the Blacksmith School would
have to reward him handsomely for his immense
contributions. If he had already passed away… they would
ensure that his family members are well taken of so as to
honor his deeds.
“He’s alive, of course he’s alive!” Not expecting for there to
be such a misunderstanding, Luo Qiqi hurriedly clarified. “Not
only is he alive, he has also participated in the entrance
examination, and he should be a freshman in the academy
now!”
They hadn’t heard from Zhang Xuan whether he had passed
the entrance examination or not, but given his capability, it
shouldn’t pose a problem to him at all.
“Freshman? You mean to say that that person who saved
you… is a freshman of our academy?” Zhao Bingxu was
stunned.
The other vice school heads were also dumbstruck by that
revelation.
When they heard that that person had selflessly put his life at
stake to save them, they had thought that he would be a 5-star
master teacher a minimum, or perhaps even beyond that. Who
could have thought that it would be a humble freshman in their
academy?
“That’s right!” Luo Qiqi nodded.
“I see… What is his name then? I’ll send someone to find him
and convince him to join our Blacksmith School!” Yuan Hong
said.
Putting everything aside, just by the fact that he had
contributed the Zither Forging Technique to the Blacksmith
School would earn him the respect of countless students here.
“He’s my apothecary teacher. His name is… Zhang Xuan!”
Luo Qiqi announced proudly.
“Zhang Xuan?”
Yuan Hong froze for an instant as his body trembled to that
familiar name. With a shaky voice, he asked, “Is that Zhang
Xuan you spoke a young man in his twenties, around this tall,
and has a fair complexion?”
740 Meritorious
Upon hearing Vice School Head Yuan’s words, Luo Qiqi
pondered for a moment before nodding, “Teacher is indeed in
his twenties, and he does have fair complexion…”
After cultivating the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body,
his body became as smooth and flawless as an infant. It
wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe him as possessing “fair
complexion”.
“Zhang Xuan, a freshman, and in his twenties…” Yuan Hong
felt frenzied.
The person who had just caused immense destruction in the
Blacksmith Guild also went by the same name, and the
description fits to a T as well…
“What’s wrong, Vice School Head Yuan?” Seeing Yuan Hong
going into a daze after asking that question, Zhao Bingxu
couldn’t help but ask doubtfully. “Could it be that you know
Zhang shi?”
“I…” Yuan Hong had no idea how he should answer that
question. Still in disbelief, he turned to Luo Qiqi and asked
once again, “Does Zhang shi has a formidable teacher who is a
master teacher beyond 6-star?”
“Are you referring to Yang shi? I’m not too sure about the
details, but it does seem like he possesses means beyond a
normal 6-star master teacher!” Luo Qiqi nodded.
“Yang shi… Yang Xuan…” Yuan Hong’s body shook
intensely.
There was no need to ask any further, there was overwhelming
evidence to say that the two people described were the same
person.
That fellow had reported himself as Yang Xuan’s student. He
was also a freshman in his twenties, and the names were
similar too… No matter how you look at it, they were
definitely the same person!
What the heck was this!
As soon as he arrived at the academy, the first thing he did was
to destroy the Chamber of Earth Flame before reducing the
entire Passageway of Records to ruins, leaving the Blacksmith
Guild in tatters.
He thought that he might be a student sent from the other
schools to wreak havoc in the Blacksmith School, but who
could have thought that he had such a background?
Putting his life on the line to face the Otherworldly Demons
alone, giving away Wu Yangzi’s heritage without any
hesitation… Every single one of these deeds was incredibly
noble, leaving those who have heard of them with nothing but
awe for him.
A conceited God of Destruction and a selfless master
teacher…
How could they possibly be the same person!
This… Was he suffering from dissociative identity disorder?
“What’s wrong?” Seeing Yuan Hong’s face slowly being
reduced to tears, Zhao Bingxu asked once more.
As a 6-star master teacher, Yuan Hong should have at least
reached a level where he could conceal his emotions. Why
would he still show such a depressed expression?
“It’s like this. Didn’t I just said that I had something I needed
to report to you?” Hearing School Head Zhao’s question, Yuan
Hong swiftly recovered and clasped his fist.
“Un.” Zhao Bingxu nodded. “What is it?”
Previously, right after Vice School Head Xiong spoke, Yuan
Hong did say that he had something to report as well.
“That is… the Passageway of Records has collapsed, and half
of the Blacksmith Guild has been destroyed…” Yuan Hong’s
face reddened in embarrassment.
Despite being the person-in-charge of the examination
facilities in the Blacksmith School, the area under his
jurisdiction ended up being destroyed by a record challenger.
He would probably become a laughingstock for the other vice
school heads.
“The Passageway of Records and half of the Blacksmith Guild
has been destroyed? Is there an attack by the Otherworldly
Demons?” Zhao Bingxu’s eyebrows shot up in alarm.
As they had been busy discussing inside the office, and
communication with the external world had been terminated,
they hadn’t received news about the matter yet.
However, the Passageway of Records was constructed and
reinforced with incredibly resilient materials, allowing it to
withstand the trial of time over several millenniums. Unless
there was an invasion by the Otherworldly Demons, how
could it collapse all of the sudden?
“That’s not it!” Not expecting School Head Zhao to actually
make such a connection, Yuan Hong hurriedly clarified it
awkwardly. “Someone came to challenge the Chamber of
Earth Flame…”
Yuan Hong swiftly went through the happenings of the
incident.
“You are saying that… someone survived in the Chamber of
Earth Flame for over two hours? And when he finally came
out, the chamber collapsed, and the Earth Flame Hearts were
completely depleted?
“On top of that, he used Earth Flame to substitute as a catalyst
for the Earth Flame Hearts and successfully repaired the
chamber. However, as soon as you stepped in… it exploded?”
…
After hearing Yuan Hong’s recount, the other vice school
heads stared at him as if they had seen a ghost.
To survive the blistering heat in the Chamber of Earth Flame
for two hours straight, and even recreating it with Earth
Flame… Are you for real?
Was that even something a 4-star master teacher was capable
of?
One must know that even they, as 6-star master teachers, were
incapable of doing the same!
“Yes…” Yuan Hong nodded. “The person who caused the
commotion also goes by the name of… Zhang Xuan, and he’s
a freshman as well.”
“His name is Zhang Xuan? Could they be the same person?”
“To be able to save his peers from the Otherworldly Demon
puppets and destroy the underground chamber to trap them
down there, Zhang shi possessed both courage and wits. Only
a someone like him could possess such great capability!”
…
The other vice school heads remarked.
If someone had told them that a person had endured two hours
in the Chamber of Earth Flame and destroyed half of the
Blacksmith Guild, they would have never believed it.
However, after hearing about the incredible exploits of
Zhang shi, these feats seemed to be nothing much in
comparison.
“The Chamber of Earth Flame serves to test the resilience of
one’s physical body. The longer one can remain in there, the
stronger one’s physical body is deemed to be. If the both
Zhang shi are the same person, considering that he had
inherited Elder Wu Yangzi’s heritage and cultivated the
Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, it wouldn’t be too
difficult for him to last two hours inside!” Zhao Bingxu
nodded.
His first thought upon hearing that someone had lasted two
hours in the Chamber of Earth Flame was disbelief as well, but
as he recalled the matter regarding Wu Yangzi’s heritage, he
couldn’t help but consider the possibility.
Even though he had never seen the Quintuple Incandescence
Golden Body before, it was famed to be the best physical body
cultivation technique in Hongyuan Empire, paving the way for
Wu Yangzi to become the best blacksmith here.
“I… I didn’t know. I thought that he was intentionally causing
trouble, so I demanded him to compensate for the damages…”
Hong Yuan said anxiously.
If he had known that Zhang Xuan had really endured the heat
in the Chamber of Earth Flame with his own strength, he
wouldn’t have caused such a fuss.
Ultimately, the Chamber of Earth Flame was a record
challenge. If Zhang shi had truly endured the heat in the
Chamber of Earth Flame with his own capability, it could only
be said that the Chamber of Earth Flame was not sufficiently
well-built to match up to his capability… To demand the
challenger to pay for the reparation under such circumstances
was a huge embarrassment for the Blacksmith School.
And if Yuan Hong hadn’t asked for compensation, the mess
that came afterward wouldn’t have occurred either.
“We can’t blame him for this issue. There is indeed a huge
flaw with the design of the Chamber of Earth Flame, resulting
in its inability to hold up in the face of a true expert…” Zhao
Bingxu sighed.
“You’re right.” Yuan Hong nodded. “But now, the damage is
no longer limited to just the Chamber of Earth Flame. The
entire Passageway of Records and half of the guild has been
destroyed. What should we do about that?”
If it had just been the Chamber of Earth Flame, they could
easily forgo it. After all, ten high-tier spirit stones wasn’t a
huge sum for the Blacksmith School. However, the damage
had gone way farther than that.
“Regarding that… let’s just call off the debt!” After a long
contemplation, Zhao Bingxu waved his hand and sighed.
“Call it off? How can we…” Yuan Hong exclaimed in shock.
If they were to simply call it off, the Blacksmith School would
be incurring a debt of several thousand high-tier spirit stones!
As rich as they were, that was still an immense burden on
them!
“Are you thinking about the loss? His contribution of the
Zither Forging Technique to our Blacksmith School goes way
farther than a few thousand high-tier spirit stones!” Zhao
Bingxu shook his head.
Wu Yangzi’s heritage would boost the skills of the members of
the Blacksmith School by leaps and bounds. Zhang Xuan’s
contribution would benefit generations of students to come,
and that was worth far more than a few thousand high-tier
spirit stones.
If needed, the Blacksmith School was willing to fork out even
several ten thousand high-tier spirit stones for Wu Yangzi’s
heritage if it had to.
The Zither Forging Technique was not only elegant, it made
smithing into an art form. This encouraged immersion in their
work, allowing them to raise their understanding of smithing
subconsciously as they worked.
With this secret manual in hand, the Blacksmith School could
very well overtake the Apothecary School within a decade,
becoming the number one school in Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy!
Even Zhao Bingxu, the head of the Blacksmith School, was
incapable of such a feat, so how could such contribution be
valued only at a few thousand high-tier spirit stones?
They were on two totally different levels!
Given the immense contributions that Zhang Xuan had made
to the school, if they were to continue demanding
compensation from the other party over such a minor matter,
wouldn’t they make the other students disillusioned about the
school?
“Indeed! Not only should we cancel the compensation, we
should reward him even!”
“It’s only right for us to reward such talents to retain them in
our Blacksmith School!”
The other vice school heads expressed their support on the
matter as well.
There were many schools in the Master Teacher Academy, so
the competition over talents was extremely rife. No matter
what, they had to retain a talent like Zhang shi in the
Blacksmith School and have it become his main supporting
occupation. This way, if he were to make his name in the
world, the school’s reputation would also rise along with his!
On the other hand, Yuan Hong’s mouth twitched.
That fellow had nearly destroyed the entire branch, and not
only were they not going to penalize him, they were going to
reward him even… If that was the case, wouldn’t he lose his
authority among the students?
Nevertheless, he had no choice but to acknowledge School
Head Zhao’s words.
Contributing the Zither Forging Technique to the Blacksmith
School was indeed a huge merit. Even if Zhang Xuan were to
wreak havoc upon the entire Blacksmith School, as long as no
students were hurt in the process, his merit could easily wipe
off his wrongdoings.
In the end, the core of the Master Teacher Academy lay in its
people. As long as they had sufficient talents, the academy
could always be rebuilt.
The Master Teacher Pavilion in the higher ranked empires had
been assaulted by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe many
times, and its facilities and libraries had been destroyed again
and again. However, the heritage of master teachers still lived
on, guiding humanity to greater heights.
“Alright, the matter is decided then. Right, didn’t you say that
he intends to take the 5-star blacksmith examination? Bring
him to the Ocean of Weapons then. As long as he clears the
examination, I’ll take him in as my student…” Zhao Bingxu
chuckled.
It would be ideal if he could accept such a genius as his
student!
“Yes!” Yuan Hong nodded.
“As for the rest of you, you have done well in the mission as
well. I’ll obtain a few pills from the Apothecary School and
conduct a Meridian and Bone Cleansing for you personally!”
Zhao Bingxu turned to Luo Qiqi and the others and said.
“Meridian and Bone Cleansing? Thank you, School Head
Zhao!” Upon hearing those words, the faces of Luo Qiqi and
the others flushed in agitation.
Considering that it was a Meridian and Bone Cleansing by one
of the Ten Great Master Teachers, were it to succeed, they
would face no bottlenecks in their cultivation up until they
reached Half-Saint!
Meridian and Bone Cleansing was an extremely exhausting
process. Even a Saint realm expert wouldn’t do so easily. This
was the best reward they could receive for their efforts.
It was far better than earning Academic Credits!
“Yuan Hong, you should bring Zhang shi to the examination
hall now. Make sure to treat him amiably, don’t give him the
idea that our Blacksmith School mistreats meritorious
students!” Zhao Bingxu instructed sternly.
“Yes!” With a lowered head, Yuan Hong walked out from the
office, and a bitter smile emerged on his lips.
When he first arrived at the office, he was still thinking about
having the school head to issue a severe punishment to Zhang
Xuan… Who could have thought that there would be such a
huge turnaround?
How did things turn to this?
Just the thought of it left him extremely stifled within.
741 I Am Not a Blacksmith
Ye
“What’s going on?”
“Did you see that? This fellow cheated in the Chamber of
Earth Flame challenge and destroyed the entire area. On top of
that, he even intentionally directed the Earth Flame to tear
down the Passageway of Records!”
“Is that fellow insane, or is he simply sick of living?”
“I have no clue either, but since it isn’t a matter involving us,
let’s just watch quietly…”
A portion of the guild collapsing was no trifling matter. Before
long, a huge crowd had already gathered around the area, each
busy asking one another to satisfy their curiosity.
When they learned that it was a freshman who had caused
such a huge uproar, pity immediately surfaced in their eyes.
Even if he was tired of living, this wasn’t how he should seek
the end!
They were in the Master Teacher Academy, not some
countryside school. To cause such a mess and be caught
personally by Vice School Head Yuan Hong at that… It would
be perfectly accurate to say that he was a goner!
Even if he were to spend his life working here, he would never
be able to pay off the debt!
“Stand obediently!” Luo Yan glared at the young man coldly.
Knowing that his teacher was truly infuriated by this matter,
he dispatched eight experts to guard this fellow. If not for fear
that it might reflect badly on them, he would have already had
him pummeled!
For a freshman to go about wreaking havoc instead of staying
put in the freshman area, he deserved it even if he was
expelled from the academy!
“I don’t mean to do anything, I just want to check on the other
mechanisms in the Passageway of Records and see if they can
be fixed!” Seeing how the other students were so guarded
against him as if he was a burglar out to steal their valuables,
Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.
He was also very apologetic that such a situation had occurred.
All he’d wanted to do was take the 5-star blacksmith
examination quietly. Never had he thought that he would end
up in such a state.
In the end, he allowed greed to get the better of him. Earth
Flame Hearts were extremely valuable commodities, and who
knows how long it would be before he could encounter
another one?
Furthermore, he also hadn’t thought that the renowned Earth
Flame Heart’s reputation would precede its capability. He had
already tried to limit himself, thinking that he would stop once
his soul reached ten meters, but it coincidentally broke down
right when he reached that mark.
And as for the repairs, how could he have known that the
esteemed Blacksmith School would end up skimming on a
formation plate used to draw Earth Flame…
But it was all too late now. The only thing he could do now
was try to salvage the situation as best he could. Otherwise, if
he were to really incur a debt of three thousand high-tier spirit
stones, he would end up wasting many years here!
“You are thinking of repairing the other mechanisms? Let me
tell you, if you dare to lay even a finger on them, don’t blame
me for getting nasty!” Seeing that the other party lacked the
slightest remorse for his actions, attempting to put his demonic
claws on the other mechanisms as well, Luo Yan’s rage
immediately flurried.
‘What the hell is this!
‘If it wasn’t for your “fixing”, would the Blacksmith Guild
have been reduced to ruins?
‘If you don’t have the ability to fix it, don’t even try it in the
first place!’
“I can really fix them! What happened a moment ago… was
just an accident!” Zhang Xuan hurriedly explained. “I can
prove it to you. Bring me a higher quality formation plate, and
I’ll fix the Chamber of Earth Flame before your eyes…”
“You… You’re seeking death!” Seeing how that fellow was
still prattling on despite all he had done, Luo Yan’s rage finally
reached its breaking point. A powerful aura gushed forth as he
thrusted his palm toward the conceited fellow before him.
Hu la!
As a 5-star pinnacle blacksmith, his cultivation had already
reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm.
His palm thrust was bursting with might, threatening to tear
apart the fabric of space.
“Stop!” Just as the palm was about to reach Zhang Xuan, a
loud bellow suddenly sounded from afar. A silhouette rushed
forward, and with a light flick of his hand, he dispelled
the zhenqi that Luo Yan had gathered behind his strike.
Deng deng deng deng!
Luo Yan’s face reddened, and he was pushed several steps
back. A dull pain resonated throughout his body as his zhenqi
fell into disarray with his offense abruptly dispelled.
Upon catching a clear sight of the figure who had stopped his
offense, Luo Yan froze.
“Teacher…”
It was no other than his teacher, who was dying to strangle
Zhang Xuan a moment ago!
Wasn’t his teacher extremely furious with this fellow? Why
would he stop him from teaching this fellow a lesson?
Bewildered, he was just about to ask his teacher about the
matter when the latter suddenly turned around to look at the
young man behind him with a bright smile on his face. “Are
you alright? Are you injured? How dare that unfilial student of
mine lay his hands on you! Shall I teach him a lesson in your
stead?”
“Ah?” Hearing those words, Luo Yan’s body staggered from
shock.
What was this madness unfolding before him?
Was the person he was seeing really his teacher, the vice head
of the Blacksmith School?
Wasn’t he dying to strangle that fellow to death a moment
ago? Why did his attitude suddenly make a 180-degree
change…
“Didn’t you say that Vice School Head Yuan is extremely
angry?”
“Given that the branch has suffered such severe damage, who
wouldn’t be angry in his position? But that response of his… It
doesn’t seem like he’s angry at all?”
“That is a gross understatement. Look carefully, don’t you feel
that he’s fawning over that freshman?”
“Fawning? You are exaggerating! Vice School Head Yuan is a
6-star pinnacle master teacher and blacksmith! With such
esteemed standing, is there anyone in the school he needs to
fawn over?”
…
All of the students who had gathered for the commotion were
also dumbfounded.
With the branch suffering such catastrophic damage, they’d
thought that the freshman behind it would be heavily punished
to send out a stern warning to the others. But if that was the
case, what was with that declaration to teach Luo Yan a
lesson?
That bright smile and that attitude… No matter how one
looked at it, surely the vice school head was trying to fawn
over that fellow!
“Teach him a lesson? There’s no need for that; I’m fine!”
They weren’t the only ones who were baffled by the situation,
even Zhang Xuan, the perpetrator of this entire incident, was
confused by the abrupt twist in the plot.
Didn’t this elder march off furiously to the school head’s
office to bring forth a heavy penalty upon him? Why would he
suddenly treat him so kindly?
“It’s good that you’re fine!” Yuan Hong heaved a sigh of
relief. Following which, he turned his gaze to Luo Yan and
bellowed, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and apologize
to Zhang shi!”
Ever since leaving the school head’s office, Yuan Hong had
rushed all the way back here, fearing that the students might
have laid their hands on Zhang Xuan. And it was fortunate that
he did.
If that palm were to land on Zhang Xuan, it would strike out
whatever goodwill he had for the Blacksmith School along
with it.
If that were to happen, how were they going to keep him in the
Blacksmith School?
One must know that the school head had already expressed his
interest in accepting him as his direct disciple! If he were to
reject the Blacksmith School due to Luo Yan’s slap, how was
he going to explain this matter to the school head?
This unfilial student of his had nearly gotten him into deep
trouble!
“Apologize? I…” Luo Yan couldn’t help but feel that the
world had gone bonkers. “Teacher, why should I apologize to
him? He destroyed the Passageway of Records and half of the
Blacksmith Guild…”
“Enough!”
But before Luo Yan could finish his words, Yuan Hong
interrupted furiously. Waving his hands in annoyance, he
roared sharply, “Return back to your quarters and reflect on
what you have done! Without my orders, you are not to leave
your room!”
‘Just apologize when I tell you to, do you need to spout so
much nonsense?
‘Are you only going to be content when you land me into deep
trouble?’
“Teacher…” Hearing that his teacher was going to ground him
for no good reason, Luo Yan seethed with indignation, unable
to accept what was happening before him. At the same time,
the others in the area also glanced at one another,
uncomprehending of what Yuan Hong was up to.
“What are you all standing around for? The group over there,
take Luo Yan back to his quarters!” Yuan Hong instructed
sternly.
After issuing those orders, Yuan Hong turned his gaze back to
Zhang Xuan and said politely, “Zhang shi, aren’t you
intending to take the 5-star blacksmith examination? Allow me
to bring you to the Ocean of Weapons!”
“Ocean of Weapons? But… I don’t have any Academic
Credits…” Zhang Xuan uttered in bewilderment.
‘What is wrong with this fellow? Did he bump his head
somewhere?
‘It is one thing to teach Luo Yan a lesson, but to bring me to
the Ocean of Weapons as well?
‘I thought that the Ocean of Weapons is only open to those
with ample Academic Credits!’
“You don’t have any Academic Credits? Don’t worry, that’s
not a problem at all! The group over there, wait there for a
moment. Luo Yan, take out your Academic Credits token and
give Zhang shi two…” ordered Yuan Hong as he turned to the
departing group.
“I…” Hearing those words, Luo Yan nearly collapsed burst
into tears from sheer indignation.
‘Why should I?
‘That fellow caused a huge mess over here, but not only are
you sparing him from punishment, you are even asking me to
give him Academic Credits? Isn’t this favoritism too much!’
“Stop wasting time, hurry up!” Yuan Hong frowned.
“Alright.”
Nevertheless, Luo Yan dared not disobey the commands of his
teachers, so he obediently passed his Academic Credit Card
over.
Students were allowed to transfer Academic Credits amongst
themselves as well. Given that Zhang Xuan hadn’t received
his identity token yet, it went without saying that he hadn’t
received an Academic Credit Card as well. However, such a
small issue couldn’t possibly stumble a vice school head.
With a flick of his wrist, Yuan Hong took out an empty card
and transferred two points into it from Luo Yan’s card.
“Alright, Zhang shi. We have the Academic Credits now, so
let’s go!”
After doing what had to be done, Yuan Hong turned to Zhang
Xuan with a smile and gestured for him to head forward.
Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze, overwhelmed by the
happenings before him. He pointed to the rubble in the area
blankly and asked, “This… Don’t I have to compensate for
this?”
“You don’t have to worry about it. This isn’t your fault, so you
won’t have to compensate for this. I’ll have someone fix it up
later,” Yuan Hong replied.
“This… Alright then.” Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea
what was going on, he was still relieved to hear that he was
excused from payment.
Three thousand high-tier spirit stones was way beyond his
means. It would be best if he could be spared from
compensation.
“This…”
“Is this really the austere Vice School Head Yuan that I
know?”
“What kind of play is this?”
“It was just a moment ago that Vice School Head Yuan looked
as if he was going to tear that fellow apart. Yet, in just a few
short moments, he suddenly became like that…”
…
Taking that scene into sight, the master teachers gathered in
the area were trembling in frenzy.
This was a branch of the Blacksmith Guild! That fellow had
caused the collapse of half of the entire building, and yet, not
only was he not criticized for it, he was even granted so many
privileges.
This was way too abnormal!
Such a feeling resonated particularly strongly with Li Xuan
amidst the crowd. Her body was trembling uncontrollably, and
she nearly fainted from the sight.
She had been the one to show that fellow around ever since
he’d arrived at the Blacksmith Guild, and all this time, she had
thought of him as a conceited and naive freshman… For such
a person to actually win Vice School Head Yuan’s favor, what
was this world turning into…
…
Despite wracking his brain, Zhang Xuan was unable to find
any logical reason as to why the attitude of the elder before
him would change so abruptly. In the end, he could only
attribute it to Elder Mo and Pavilion Master Mo’s halo.
Sighing deeply, he followed Yuan Hong to the other half of the
Blacksmith Guild, which had, fortunately, remained intact
despite the previous explosion.
Before long, he was standing before a towering door.
“Zhang shi, this is the entrance to the Ocean of Weapons. To
take the 5-star blacksmith examination, you just have to place
your Academic Credit Card and 4-star emblem on the stone
pedestal over there and step through the door, and you will be
brought to the corresponding examination area.” With a gentle
smile, Yuan Hong gestured.
Just like the Passageway of Records, the Ocean of Weapons
was also a complex mechanism created using many unique
materials. In order to activate it, one would require sufficient
Academic Credits in their card, as well as an emblem a rank
lower than the examination one was going to take.
With these two objects, one would be able to activate the
mechanism and take the corresponding examination. This was
an extremely efficient system which spared the Blacksmith
Guild from having to devote too much manpower into
manning its examination facilities.
“I need a 4-star emblem for the examination?” Zhang Xuan
was taken aback.
“Indeed. Since Zhang shi is here to take the 5-star
examination, I believe you should already have the 4-star
emblem in your possession. Don’t worry, any emblem
distributed by the Blacksmith Guild is usable here!” Yuan
Hong explained, thinking that Zhang Xuan was worried that
the blacksmith emblem which he’d obtained elsewhere might
not be usable here.
“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly. “Is an
emblem really required? What do I have to do if I don’t have
one?”
“Don’t have one?” Yuan Hong froze. “What do you mean by
that?”
Zhang Xuan blushed in embarrassment.
“That is… I have yet to take a blacksmith examination. The
truth is that I am actually not a blacksmith yet…”
742 Taking the Blacksmith
Examination
“You aren’t a blacksmith yet?” Yuan Hong’s body swayed
weakly from sheer shock, and he nearly spewed a mouthful of
blood onto the other party’s face.
The other master teachers who had gathered in the area out of
curiosity also had their eyes bulging in astonishment.
‘You aren’t a blacksmith, and yet you are here to take the 5-
star examination? And you still dare to say that you aren’t here
to cause trouble?’
Blacksmithing was a part of the Upper Nine Paths, one of the
most prestigious occupations in the continent. Countless had
devoted innumerable years of their lives to refining their skills,
forsaking sleep and meals just to be accepted into this
esteemed organization.
Even the most talented of blacksmiths would require a decade
of training before they could challenge the 5-star organization.
Those who were less talented might even take fifty years just
to prepare for it!
And yet, a twenty-year-old fellow who wasn’t even a 1-star
blacksmith actually wanted to challenge the 5-star
examination?
‘Did you think that blacksmith is an occupation which you
could master on a whim?
‘You are taking it way too lightly!’
“I have learnt smithing on my private time, I just haven’t had
the time to take the examination yet…” Noticing everyone’s
dumbfounded gaze, realization struck Zhang Xuan, and he
hurriedly came up with an explanation. “Since that’s the case,
why don’t I start from the 1-star examination? Is it possible to
take the 1-star examination here? Or do I have to take the
apprentice examination first?”
Even though Zhang Xuan’s smithing capability was above
even that of Wu Yangzi, he had never taken any blacksmith
examination before. In terms of ranking, he was currently even
beneath that of an apprentice, let alone a blacksmith.
“Apprentice…” Hearing those words, Yuan Hong’s lips
twitched, and he grabbed his face in frustration.
If he hadn’t witnessed this sight for himself, he would never
have believed it to be true.
To think that a person who wasn’t even an apprentice yet
would come to the Blacksmith School and declare that he was
going to take the 5-star examination. On top of that, he even
created a huge fuss in the school, collapsing the Passageway of
Records along with half of the entire branch…
More importantly… despite all of this, one of the Ten Great
Master Teachers, Zhao Bingxu, was still interested in taking
him as his direct disciple!
All of this, he had seen with his own eyes. But even so, he
couldn’t help but feel as though he was in a dream.
“There’s no need for you to take the apprentice examination,
you can take the 1-star examination straight… For the time
being, just try to pass the 1-star examination first. As for 5-
star… we’ll talk about it in the future!” Suppressing the
frustration he was feeling, Yuan Hong turned to the master
teacher crowd behind and asked, “Does any of you have an
apprentice emblem?”
As a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith in the Blacksmith School,
even his weakest student was a 5-star blacksmith at the
minimum. As a result, he didn’t have any spare apprentice
emblems with him.
“Apprentice emblem?”
“Is there likely to be anyone with an apprentice emblem in the
Blacksmith School?”
…
The crowd in the area shook their heads.
Most of those gathered around were 5-star blacksmiths, and
even the weakest of the crowd was a 4-star at the minimum.
As such, it would be difficult for them to find an apprentice
emblem all of the sudden.
“This…” Yuan Hong looked around awkwardly.
What the heck was this!
To think that a day would come where a 6-star pinnacle
blacksmith like him would end up having to look for an
apprentice emblem, and fail to find one at that…
“Vice School Head Yuan, I have one here!”
At that moment, a timid voice suddenly sounded. Zhang Xuan
turned around and saw Li Xuan, the female receptionist who
had been bringing him around previously, stepping forward
and offering her emblem.
While she was working at the Blacksmith School, she wasn’t
too involved in the occupation. As a result, she was still an
apprentice blacksmith at the moment.
“Good…” Yuan Hong heaved a sigh of relief.
Taking the emblem, he imprinted Zhang Xuan’s name on it
before passing it to the latter.
“Zhang Xuan, this shall be your apprentice emblem. With this,
you should be able to activate the Ocean of Weapons and take
the 1-star blacksmith examination.”
“Thank you!” Zhang Xuan took the emblem and nodded.
He walked up to the stone pedestal, and just as he was about to
place his emblem and Academic Credit Card on it, he
suddenly recalled something and turned around. “If I were to
pass the 1-star examination, would I have to expend more
Academic Credits if I wanted to continue taking the 2-star
examination?”
“If you remain in the Ocean of Weapons, you won’t have to
expend any more Academic Credits. However, once you step
out of the doors, you will have to pay more Academic Credits
if you want to enter once more and take the examination
again,” Yuan Hong replied.
With two Academic Credits, one could activate the Ocean of
Weapons once. As long as the Ocean of Weapons remained
activated, there would be no need for one to expend any more
Academic Credits to re-activate it for the subsequent
examinations.
In a sense, it was like paying for a ticket to the museum. As
long as the entrance fee was paid, one could remain within
until closing time. It was only after leaving the museum that
one would have to repurchase another ticket to enter its
premises once more.
Upon hearing that he would have to expend more Academic
Credits to enter the Ocean of Weapons once more if he were to
leave the area, Zhang Xuan immediately asked worriedly, “I
won’t have to expend any more Academic Credits as long as I
remain within? Then… once I clear the 1-star blacksmith
examination, can I proceed on with the 2-star examination?”
The two Academic Credits he currently had didn’t come
easily. He would have to spend a great deal of effort in earning
more Academic Credits if he had to spend two for each rank
promotion.
Even if the elder before him was willing to finance him, he
would still feel guilty taking the Academic Credits of others
for his own use, especially considering how valuable they
were!
On top of that, if he were to accept the favor of others without
giving an equivalent return, he would owe a karmic debt to the
other party.
The reason Zhang Xuan had been reluctant to accept the favor
of others for free all along was due to the messy implications
that came along with it. If possible, he would like to avoid it
for as long as he could.
“Of course you can. However, the Ocean of Weapons will only
remain activated for four hours regardless of which
examination you are taking. Regardless of whether you are
able to successfully forge a weapon or not, you will be evicted
from the premises once time is up… I don’t think that you will
have sufficient time to challenge the other examinations after
clearing the 1-star examination!” Yuan Hong explained.
The underlying motive behind the creation of the Ocean of
Weapons was to accommodate for a greater number of
students in taking the blacksmith examination. Given that, if
they were to allow students to camp inside the facility after
paying two Academic Credits, wouldn’t that be contrary to its
primary purpose?
As such, a time limit of four hours was imposed on the system.
Regardless of how one’s progress in the examination was, one
would be evicted without fail once the time was up, even if
their weapon was already on the verge of completion.
If a student were to deem that four hours was insufficient for
them to clear the examination, the student could always pay
more Academic Credits to extend their time. In this case, an
Academic Credit would correspond to an additional two hours.
If the student successfully cleared the examination, the Ocean
of Weapons would distribute a new corresponding emblem.
Otherwise, they would leave empty-handed.
Since Zhang Xuan had two Academic Credits, he would be
allowed to stay within the Ocean of Weapons for four hours.
However, weapon smithing was an extremely lengthy process.
Four hours might be sufficient for him to smith a weapon to
clear the 1-star examination, but to be able to smith another
one for the 2-star examination in that limited time… It didn’t
seem too plausible.
Besides, smithing was an extremely laborious process that
consumed an immense amount of zhenqi. Considering Zhang
Xuan’s current cultivation, just smithing a single weapon
could easily consume up more than half of his zhenqi capacity,
so even if there was sufficient time, it would be nigh
impossible for him to smith two weapons consecutively.
As such, while Vice School Head Yuan thought that it was
good that Zhang Xuan was driven, he didn’t think that it was a
feasible idea.
Even he, as a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith, could only smith two
to three weapons within four hours. Anything more than that
was impossible.
Unlike pills, weapons, regardless of their grade, require
ceaseless hammering and refinement in order to shape and
refine it.
“Four hours? Alright then.” Hearing that he only had this
amount of time, Zhang Xuan nodded.
After clarifying everything, he placed his blacksmith
apprentice emblem and Academic Credit Card on the stone
pedestal, and with a bright surge of light, the doors to the
Ocean of Weapons opened.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked in.
The Ocean of Weapons seemed to operate via a mechanism
somewhat similar to the Passageway of Records. The room
Zhang Xuan stepped into was completely dark, and with an
abrupt rumbling beneath his feet, he was transported to a hall.
Placed within the hall were all kinds of ores and metals. There
was also a large cauldron and furnace by the side.
“This is supposed to be… an illusion?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t
help but mutter in awe. Taking a swift glance around him, he
realized that everything in this room was extremely vivid and
detailed, making it hard to discern it from reality.
Previously, the female receptionist, Li Xuan, had told him that
the Ocean of Weapons utilized an Illusion Formation in order
to simulate a lifelike smithing experience. This was indeed
what was happening to Zhang Xuan right now. Everything
around him was fake, regardless of how real it all looked.
Taking a look around him, Zhang Xuan saw a pile of books on
the table before him. He walked up to it and flipped through
them casually. Written in them were the smithing methods of
various weapons.
Examinees could pick any one of these smithing methods for
the examination if they wanted to, but this wasn’t a
compulsory criterion for the examination. As long as the
weapon they smithed reached a certain grade, they would be
deemed to have cleared the examination.
“I only have four hours. I must hurry so that I can take the 5-
star examination…”
Knowing that Academic Credits didn’t come easily, Zhang
Xuan wasn’t content with just clearing the 1-star examination.
It would be best if he could clear the 5-star examination in a
single go so that he wouldn’t have to return here again.
‘Thus… it would be best for the weapon I smith to be as
simple as possible so as to minimize the time spent on them!’
There was a clear difference in the difficulty between forging a
metal ingot into a sword and hammer, and the time required
for the both of them would be different as well.
‘Unlike pill forging where each ingredient must be carefully
prepared in order to forge a satisfactory pill, there’s no need
for me to be too thorough in the forging of the weapon. Since
only the grade of the weapon is being assessed here, there’s no
need for me to pursue perfection…’
A weapon’s grade was determined by factors such as its
resilience, flexibility, sharpness, medium for zhenqi, and such.
Aesthetics took a secondary role in determining the grade of
the weapon.
While going through the additional effort of hammering the
weapon into the perfect shape and size would boost the utility
of the weapon as well, this wasn’t a vital aspect of the
blacksmith examination.
Since that was the case… there would be no need for Zhang
Xuan to spend additional effort on shaping the metal ingot.
As long as he were to take careful note of the proportion of
metal used in creating the alloy, as well as the refinement and
quenching process, he should be able to create a decent
weapon.
After browsing through the books, Zhang Xuan frowned.
“It’ll take too long to hammer the metal ingot into the shapes
depicted in these books…”
Not only would it be hard to do so given his lack of practice in
hammering, more importantly, he also didn’t have the time to
waste on it either.
If he were to follow the smithing process listed in any of the
books, it would be impossible for him to successfully smith
any weapons without at least two hours of effort.
If that was going to be it, he wouldn’t even have enough time
to clear the 2-star examination!
“Forget it, I should just start first!”
Tossing the book aside, Zhang Xuan swiftly examined the
eight ores and metals on the table as he swiftly simulated the
various combinations of alloys he could make with them.
Having learned the Heaven’s Path Smith Art, his
understanding of smithing was already beyond most 6-star
pinnacle blacksmiths. While the ores and metals before him
were inferior materials that were suited only for smithing low-
tier weapons, as long as he were to complement their strengths
well, he would still be able to create a decent weapon.
“Alright, this should do!” Zhang Xuan muttered as a confident
smile crept onto his lips.
With a light flick of his wrist, the eight metals and ores
immediately rose from the table and flew into the searing
furnace.
Tzzzzzz!
As Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into the furnace, it began to
glow crimson. The ores and metals swiftly melted and flowed
out of the furnace from a groove by the side.
“Synthesize!”
With another flick of his wrist, the metallic fluid separated into
eight distinct fluids, and they began synthesizing with one
another through a series of sequences.
743 Is It Too Late to
Practice?
With nimble movements from his fingers, Zhang Xuan
precisely manipulated the metallic fluids with his zhenqi.
Those metallic fluids clashed with one another in midair,
producing resounding melodic metallic clangs reminiscent of
the music from a keyboard.
If a blacksmith were to be present here, he would surely be left
with his mouth agape upon seeing this sight.
This was no longer smithing but a performance! It was a
melody perfectly aligned with nature!
The reason Wu Yangzi’s Zither Forging Technique was so
sought after was due to its alignment with nature, making the
arduous smithing a pleasurable activity. However, the smithing
technique that Zhang Xuan was utilizing here was clearly far
more profound than the Zither Forging Technique!
Not only was it an enjoyment to the eyes and the ears, one
might even find one’s soul resonating in pleasure to it.
Heaven’s Path Smith Art!
Hu hu hu!
Before long, the eight metallic fluids were completely
synthesized with one another, forming a solid alloy. Following
which, Zhang Xuan threw the alloy into the water trough by
the side.
Tz la!
As soon as the searing metal alloy came into contact with the
water, steam immediately rose from the water surface.
This was the final step of smithing, quenching!
Typically, smithing consisted of three steps—synthesizing the
metals and ores into an alloy, forging the alloy into its intended
form, and quenching the weapon to strengthen the material.
Zhang Xuan had jumped from the first phase right into the
third phase, skipping the second phase.
In smithing, the forging phase was extremely important. If a
weapon was forged properly, it could enhance its grade as
well.
Skipping the second phase meant that his work couldn’t be
considered as a true weapon, and thus, its grade would take a
steep fall. However, it also spared him from the most arduous
and lengthy process of hammering his weapon into its
intended form, thus significantly speeding up his smithing
process.
Hu!
The searing alloy caused the calm water in the trough to
bubble furiously. After some time, Zhang Xuan flicked his
wrist, retrieving the alloy from the water.
Timing was essential for quenching. The duration for which a
weapon was immersed into a quenching fluid would affect the
quality of the end product.
Zhang Xuan had used eight different types of ores and metals
to create his alloy, each with vastly different properties. While
they could serve to complement each other’s strengths, if he
couldn’t grasp the perfect timing for the quenching, it could
introduce an imbalance within the weapon, causing the various
metals and ores to hinder the functions of one another. If that
were to happen, the resulting alloy would be severely
weakened, turning it into a failed product.
“Alright, this… should be it…”
Having completed the quenching process, Zhang Xuan
glanced at the metal lump in his palm and scratched his head
awkwardly.
If he were to take this metal lump out and call it a weapon, he
would surely be mocked by the other blacksmiths, and his
reputation would plummet. Fortunately, he was only in a
simulation.
Sighing deeply, he walked up to the grading pedestal and
placed the metal lump on it.
The grading pedestal served to gauge the quality of the
weapon smithed, and as long as the weapon achieved the
required grade, the examinee would be deemed to have cleared
the examination.
Weng!
A light buzz sounded, and a red light glowed.
Following which, a mechanic voice announced, “Using the
most basic Lava Stone, White Steel, Black Pebble… the
examinee has managed to smith a Phantom low-tier weapon.
Congratulations, you have passed the 1-star blacksmith
examination!”
“This metal lump has reached Phantom low-tier? Not bad…”
Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
In truth, this was his first time smithing, so he didn’t have a
precise gauge of how he had fared. To think that this lump of
metal would be considered as a Phantom low-tier weapon!
Weapons could be divided into five tiers—God, Saint, Spirit,
Phantom, and Mortal.
The criterion for clearing the 1-star blacksmith examination
was to smith a Mortal pinnacle weapon. Even though the
weapon Zhang Xuan had smithed using the Heaven’s Path
Smith Art was crude, bearing no semblance to a weapon
whatsoever, it was still graded as a Phantom low-tier weapon
due to the quality of its alloy.
If it were to be properly forged into a weapon, it could easily
reach Phantom intermediate-tier or even high-tier.
After clearing the 1-star examination, Zhang Xuan spoke up
without any hesitation.
“I request to challenge the 2-star blacksmith examination!”
Ji ya ya!
The entire area abruptly darkened, and the rumbling of
mechanisms whirring into action sounded. By the time the
area lit up once more, he was already in another hall.
The entire layout was similar to the 1-star examination hall,
but the area was visibly larger. There was a larger variety of
ores and metals placed on the table in the room, and most of
them were higher grade and rarer than the ones offered in the
1-star examination.
“Time to start work again!”
After swiftly examining the selection of ores and metals,
Zhang Xuan picked 17 of them and threw them into the
furnace. Working as he had previously, another metal lump
was soon standing in front of him before long.
This metal lump looked even more horrendous than the
previous one smithed. It was completely black, and no one
would ever be able to make a correlation between it and a
weapon.
This was the result of skipping the forging phase of the
smithing process.
The forging process was essential to giving shape to the alloy.
If one wanted a sword, one would have to hammer it into a
sword. If one wanted a dagger, one would have to hammer it
into a dagger.
However, putting aside the fact that this phase was extremely
time-consuming, hammering was also a skill that one could
only master through hands-on experience. With no prior
experience whatsoever, it would be nigh impossible for Zhang
Xuan to shape the weapons properly even if he were to attempt
it in earnest.
Since that was the case, he decided to skip it altogether.
Once again, he placed the metal lump on the grading pedestal.
Weng!
With a brilliant flash of red light, a mechanical voice
announced, “… the examinee has managed to smith a
Phantom intermediate-tier weapon. Congratulations, you have
passed the 2-star blacksmith examination!”
After clearing the 2-star blacksmith examination, Zhang Xuan
immediately moved on to the 3-star.
An hour later, taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan said, “I
request to challenge the 5-star blacksmith examination!”
After challenging four examinations consecutively, he was
starting to feel a little drained despite his pure zhenqi.
Hu la!
The mechanisms rumbled into action once more, and an even
larger room came into sight.
“They are all actually the same hall, it’s just my perception of
it that has changed…”
After undergoing the ‘venue switching’ procedure several
times, Zhang Xuan soon realized that despite the various
differences among the examination halls, the location where
he was hadn’t changed at all.
In the first place, the examination halls were only a simulation
created by the Ocean of Weapons, not a real location. As such,
changing the venue wasn’t a difficult job,
“Ashenstar Rock, Purpletopaz Metal, Greendust Stone… The
materials offered in this examination sure are far better than
the ones in the previous examinations…” Zhang Xuan
remarked in awe as he examined the selection of ores and
metals in the room.
There were plenty of rare materials in the previous four
examinations as well, but they paled in comparison to the
current spread before him.
Both the Ashenstar Rock and the Purpletopaz Metal were
materials which Transcendent Mortal experts would kill to get
their hands on. With them, they could forge top-notch
weapons.
However, these superior materials did little to alleviate the
grimness on Zhang Xuan’s face. While better materials did
allow for the forging of better weapons, the criterion to
clearing the examination was rising at an even faster pace.
To clear the 5-star blacksmith examination, he would have to
smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. It was impossible to
smith a weapon of that tier with just good materials in hand!
More importantly, one had to wield incredible control over the
metals and ores and command an extremely high
understanding of the quenching process. Otherwise, the
slightest mistake made could result in the wastage of these
precious materials.
Hu hu hu!
Zhang Xuan’s hands went through the various metals and ores
nimbly, synthesizing them together one by one. Unlike
previous times, he was working with the metals and ores in the
furnace this time around. As such, he had to regulate the
temperature in the furnace through his zhenqi simultaneously.
Each metal and ore had its own melting point. In order to
create a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, each material had to
be processed carefully to bring out the finest properties within
it in the resulting alloy, so the temperature had to be carefully
regulated in the synthesis phase.
Soon, just as Zhang Xuan’s zhenqi was just about to be
completely depleted, he finally finished synthesizing the last
ore into the alloy.
Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan threw the metal lump into the
water trough by the side.
“Quench!”
Tzzzzz!
A dense layer of mist formed around the water trough,
concealing it from sight. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of
Insight to keep a close eye on even the most trivial of changes
in the metal lump, and as its quality finally reached its peak,
he quickly took it out.
Based on his experience in the previous examinations, he
learned that it was easier for him to grasp the condition of the
quenching process through his Eye of Insight, thus further
enhancing the quality of the final product.
“Test!”
Once again, Zhang Xuan placed the metal lump on the grading
pedestal.
Weng!
A mechanical voice announced, “… the examinee has
managed to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon.
Congratulations, you have passed the 5-star blacksmith
examination!”
“I’ve passed the examination!” Seeing that it was a success,
Zhang Xuan’s body finally gave into exhaustion, and he fell
weakly onto the ground.
Even though he had skipped the hammering stage, it was still
tough work controlling the flames in the furnace with
his zhenqi. At this point, his zhenqi was nearly completely
depleted.
It was fortunately that he had still succeeded eventually.
“I should heal up first.” Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan
flicked his wrist, and a jade box appeared in his hands.
Opening the jade box, he immediately felt a gush of incredibly
pure spiritual energy blowing at him; it felt as if small needles
were pricking his skin, creating a tingling sensation.
A translucent stone sat inside the box.
This was Zhang Xuan’s first time using a high-tier spirit stone.
Those whose cultivation was too low would be unable to
assimilate the pure spiritual energy within a high-tier spirt
stones into their body. Even if they could absorb it, the
spiritual energy would still leak from the minuscule pores in
their meridians.
The meridians within the human body was similar to a sandpit
in some ways. There were many fine pores in them such that
while thick and viscous mud could flow through it, pure water
would usually seep right through those pores, resulting in
immense wastage.
In this analogy, the pure water would be referring to the
concentrated spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone.
Spiritual energy, in its purest form, was extremely fine, to the
point that it could easily seep through the smallest openings.
Even if an ordinary human were to try to absorb the spiritual
energy within a high-tier spirit stone, they wouldn’t be able to
retain the slightest bit of it in their body.
Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis
realm would the openings in one’s body be sealed like a
cocoon, forming a Seamless Body. Only then would one be
able to absorb the spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit
stone to strive for greater heights.
Zhang Xuan was currently only at Cosmos Bridge realm, three
realms away from reaching Chrysalis realm. Typically
speaking, even if he had a high-tier spirit stone in his
possession, he shouldn’t be able to use it.
However, having cultivated Heaven’s Path zhenqi, his body
had already been reformed by it, granting him a physical body
far stronger than other cultivators. On top of that, he had also
reached the Second Incandescence of the Quintuple
Incandescence Golden Body. This granted him enhanced
control over his body, allowing him to seal his pores to retain
the fine spiritual energy from the high-tier spirit stone within
his body.
Gu gu gu gu!
As the pure spiritual energy circulated in Zhang Xuan’s body
as per the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it was swiftly converted
into zhenqi before being deposited in his dantian.
His depleted dantian swiftly filled up, reaching full capacity
within thirty minutes.
“As expected of a high-tier spirit stone, I was able to recover
swiftly!” Zhang Xuan stood up and did some stretches.
If it had been a middle-tier spirit stone or a Spirit Gathering
Formation, it would have taken at least several hours for
his zhenqi to fully recover. However, through absorbing the
spiritual energy in a high-tier spirit stone via the Heaven’s
Path Divine Art, he was able to recover within just thirty
minutes. This was a pace comparable to most pills forged
specially for recovering one’s zhenqi!
‘I still have another hour to go!’ Zhang Xuan thought in
delight as he returned the high-tier spirit stone to his storage
ring.
With an hour left, perhaps he might have enough time to
challenge the 6-star blacksmith examination!
While his current cultivation was still a little too low, the depth
of his comprehension in smithing was superior to most 6-star
pinnacle blacksmiths. If he could pass the 6-star blacksmith
examination as well, he would be spared from spending even
more Academic Credits here.
Based on what he had seen and heard so far, he could tell that
Academic Credits were extremely difficult to earn. There
would surely be many places where he would require them in
the future, so it was best for him to save as much as possible
for the time being.
“Challenging the 6-star blacksmith examination is a little
beyond my current cultivation at the moment. If I want to clear
the examination, I won’t be able to skip the forging phase
anymore…”
The reason Zhang Xuan had been able to clear all of the
previous examinations was because of the superior quality of
the alloy he had created. As such, even though the weapons he
had smithed so far were just mere lumps of steel, they were
still able to reach the required grade.
However, in the 6-star examination, he would have to handle
ores and metals which were beyond his current cultivation,
and this meant that he wouldn’t be able to process them as
freely as he had all along. Due to that, it was unlikely that he
would be able to clear the examination based on the quality of
the alloy in itself.
In other words, if he wanted to clear the examination, he
would have to forge the weapon… However, he had no
experience with hammering whatsoever. If he were to start
practicing now… would he still be able to make it in time?
744 Attempting the 6-star
Blacksmith Examination
“I won’t be able to make it in time…”
Hammering, just like pill forging, was a hands-on skill which
could only be mastered through countless years of practice.
Even with the Library of Heaven’s Path guiding him along, it
would still be impossible for him to master the skill in time
with only an hour left on the clock.
Just as Zhang Xuan was distressed as to what he should do
next, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind, and his eyes
lit up in excitement.
“Wait… Even though I can’t forge a sword or those of that
sort, I can turn the iron lump into a hammer! That should be
much easier than other weapons…”
There were many intricacies behind swords and sabers which
made them extremely difficult to forge them, but that
shouldn’t be the case for hammers!
With just a few hits on the metal lump, he should be able to
create a hammer easily!
“Alright, it’s decided then!” With a smile on his lips, Zhang
Xuan shouted, “I request to challenge the 6-star blacksmith
examination!”
Weng!
The sight before Zhang Xuan changed once more, turning into
an even larger hall.
Many ores and metals that would have been difficult to find in
real life appeared before him.
After some contemplation, Zhang Xuan picked out a few
dozen of them and brought them to the furnace.
Xiong xiong!
Tossing the ores and metals into the furnace, Zhang Xuan
began with his smithing.
…
Meanwhile, Yuan Hong and a group of master teachers were
standing outside the Ocean of Weapons, waiting for the results
of the examination.
After all that had happened, it was already nearing midnight.
However, it didn’t seem like anyone had the intention to leave.
That Zhang Xuan fellow had caused such a huge mess in the
Blacksmith School, but not only did Vice School Head Yuan
not punish him, he even escorted him to the Ocean of Weapons
for him to take the blacksmith examination.
Everyone was curious to see what kind of legendary figure
Zhang Xuan was for a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith to treat him
with such respect.
“How far do you think he can advance in the Ocean of
Weapons?”
“Do you even need to ask? With just four hours on the clock,
he will only be able to clear the 1-star examination!”
“Even if he is a talented blacksmith who is capable of
producing weapons at an unprecedented speed, he’ll only be
able to clear the 2-star examination at the maximum. Anything
beyond that is physically impossible!”
“Indeed. Just take the forging process for example, in order to
hammer the alloy into the perfect shape, one would have to
spend at least an hour or two on it. Even seasoned blacksmiths
wouldn’t be able to go any faster than that!”
…
Everyone muttered with hushed voices.
Since that fellow declared that he would be challenging the 5-
star blacksmith examination, he should possess the ability to
smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon at the minimum.
However, due to the time limit within the Ocean of Weapons,
it would be difficult for him to reach 2-star.
Anything further than that would be plain impossible!
As such, there was no one here who really thought that he
would be able to clear the 5-star blacksmith examination
today.
Nevertheless, for a person who had never challenged the
blacksmith examination before, clearing two stars
simultaneously was still an incredible feat.
Just as everyone was waiting patiently for the results from the
Ocean of Weapons, footsteps suddenly sounded. Turning their
heads over, everyone saw a few elders walking over.
“Look, the school head is here!”
“No, it isn’t just the school head. The other vice school heads
as well… Why are they all here?”
“They probably heard about the matter here and came over to
take a look!”
The one who was leading the group was the head of the
Blacksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers,
Zhao Bingxu.
There were three elders walking behind him, and they were the
remaining three vice school heads.
After conducting a Meridian and Bone Cleansing for Luo Qiqi
and the others, they decided to head over here to see if the
legendary student would be able to clear the 5-star blacksmith
examination.
“School head!” As if having guessed that the school head
would come, Yuan Hong didn’t seem surprised in the least. He
clasped his fist and greeted the other party.
“How is it? Has he begun the 5-star blacksmith examination
yet? Judging from the current time, he should be done soon!”
Zhao Bingxu asked with a smile.
“5-star blacksmith examination… This…” Yuan Hong
muttered awkwardly.
Bewildered by Yuan Hong’s reaction to his words, Zhao
Bingxu asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong? Isn’t it Zhang shi
who is undergoing the examination inside at the moment?”
“It’s indeed him who is inside, but… it appears that Zhang shi
has never taken a blacksmith examination before, so he is
currently challenging the 1-star examination,” Yuan Hong
replied.
“He has never taken any blacksmith examination before?”
Zhao Bingxu exclaimed.
The other three vice school heads behind him were also
stunned by the revelation.
Since that fellow had never taken the 1-star examination
before, why in the name of Kong shi was he attempting to
challenge the 5-star examination?
“Yes.” Yuan Hong nodded. “His intention before entering the
Ocean of Weapons seemed to be to challenge the 2-star
examination after clearing the 1-star examination. I wonder if
he will be able to succeed.”
Before entering the Ocean of Weapons, that fellow had asked
if he could challenge the subsequent examinations as well, so
he was probably preparing to do so. It would be difficult, but
that fellow might just be able to pull it off.
“Are you curious? Actually, we can just take a peek at it!”
Zhang Bingxu chuckled.
“Take a peek? But the Ocean of Weapons is still in operation,
how do we take a look?” Yuan Hong was bewildered.
By right, as long as the Ocean of Weapons was still in
operation, it was impossible to know the results of the test
inside. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be waiting here.
“While it’s indeed impossible to see the results within the
Ocean of Weapons, we can always try to apply for the emblem
for him! If the emblem appears, it will mean that he has
cleared the 1-star examination!” Zhao Bingxu said as he
stroked his beard.
“That… Indeed! Why didn’t I think of that?” Yuan Hong
slapped his thigh and chuckled.
The emblem would be dispatched outside after one cleared the
examination in the Ocean of Weapons. As long as one had
cleared the examination inside, the system would distribute an
emblem when an application was sent in.
It was impossible to know the results of the blacksmith
examination directly since Zhang Xuan wasn’t out yet, but
they could use this method to know how far he was into the
examination!
If they were to succeed in applying for the 1-star emblem, it
would mean that he had already cleared the 1-star examination
and was in the midst of challenging the 2-star examination…
Such a simple matter, but to think that it had slipped his mind!
“Alright, I shall give it a try!”
Yuan Hong stepped forward, placed his hand on a button on
the gigantic doors of the Ocean of Weapons, and pressed it
lightly.
There was a momentary burst of light before an emblem fell
from an aperture below the button.
“Oh? He cleared the 1-star examination?” Yuan Hong
muttered as he grabbed the falling emblem.
It was Zhang Xuan’s 1-star blacksmith emblem.
Since it was dispatched, it could only mean that Zhang Xuan
had cleared the 1-star examination.
“Since he has cleared the 1-star examination, he should
probably be in the midst of the 2-star examination at the
moment…” Zhao Bingxu nodded.
“Hmm, it is about to be four hours soon. Let me give it a try to
see if he has passed the 2-star examination yet…” Yuan Hong
pondered for a moment before placing his palm back on the
button.
Weng!
Another burst of light, and an emblem fell from the aperture
once more.
“Th-this is the 2-star emblem? He has cleared the 2-star
examination as well?” Yuan Hong froze for an instant before
hurriedly reaching out to grab the falling emblem.
In his view, clearing an examination within four hours was
already extremely difficult in itself. Even if there was some
spare time after clearing the 1-star examination, the chances
were that the examinee would already be exhausted by then,
making it nearly impossible to clear the next one. Yet, this
fellow actually cleared two examinations consecutively… Was
this for real?
“He’s cleared the 2-star examination?” Zhao Bingxu was taken
aback as well.
He walked up to Yuan Hong, took the emblem from him, and
examined it carefully. Inscribed on it was Zhang Xuan’s name.
There was no doubt about it… he had cleared the 2-star
examination within the four-hour limit!
“But if he has cleared the 2-star examination, why isn’t he out
yet? Could it be that… he is trying for the 3-star
examination?” Yuan Hong widened his eyes at that thought.
If Zhang Xuan wasn’t out after clearing the 2-star
examination, did that mean that he was attempting the
subsequent 3-star examination?
To still have the strength to attempt subsequent examinations
after clearing the 2-star examination… What was that fellow
made of?
“That should be the case. However, given the limited amount
of time, it is impossible for him to clear the 3-star
examination…” Yuan Hong shook his head.
As a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith, he knew how difficult
smithing was.
Even with his current skills, he would only be able to smith
Phantom low-tier weapons within four hours at best. Anything
more than that was impossible!
To clear the 1-star and 2-star examination, Zhang Xuan would
have to smith at least two weapons. However, no matter how
proficient he was in smithing, he couldn’t possibly be faster
than a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith. As such, how could he
possibly be able to smith the third weapon?
“Let’s just try giving it a press…” Zhao Bingxu interjected as
he walked up to the door and pressed on the button.
Weng!
Yet another flash of light and emblem.
“This… a 3-star emblem?”
Not only did Yuan Hong leap in shock, even Zhao Bingxu was
stunned.
To smith three weapons within four hours, advancing from an
apprentice to a 3-star blacksmith… This speed was insane!
“Could it be possible that…”
The duo glanced at one another, only to see the shock in each
other’s eyes. Unable to stand the curiosity any longer, Yuan
Hong pressed the button once more.
Huala!
Again, another flash of light and another emblem.
Yuan Hong swallowed his saliva and uttered hoarsely, “4-
star… He is actually trying to clear up to the 5-star blacksmith
examination within four hours…”
When that fellow said that he would challenge the 5-star
blacksmith examination, Yuan Hong had regarded it as nothing
more than a joke. After all, how could anyone advance from
an apprentice to a 5-star blacksmith within a single day? But
who could have thought that he would actually succeed!
Since the 4-star emblem had appeared, it could only mean that
he was currently attempting for the 5-star blacksmith
examination.
To smith four weapons within four hours, and not to mention,
all four of them had to reach the required quality in order to
clear the examination… How in the world was that fellow
doing it?
Xiong Bing, who had been watching the scene, couldn’t help
but ask, “Do you think that it’s possible that… he might have
cleared the 5-star examination?”
“That’s impossible!” Hearing those words, Yuan Hong
immediately shook his head in denial. “If he had cleared the 5-
star examination, he would have been out by now. Why would
he still be inside?”
But despite the words Yuan Hong was speaking, his hand still
stretched out to press that button once again.
Huala!
And yet again, another emblem fell from the aperture.
Grabbing it hurriedly, Yuan Hong rubbed his eyes and stared at
the name and rank inscribed on the emblem, and his body
began shaking intensely.
“A 5-star emblem… H-h-h-h-he has even cleared the 5-star
blacksmith examination as well? T-t-t-then… what
examination is he taking at the moment?”
Yuan Hong felt as if everything he had known about the world
was crumbling before his eyes, and tears threatened to spill
down his cheeks.
If they could apply for the 5-star emblem but that fellow
wasn’t out yet, didn’t that mean that the fellow was attempting
the 6-star blacksmith examination?
But how could that be possible?!
Even if he had sufficient time to attempt it… his cultivation
was too low to clear the examination!
In order to become a 6-star blacksmith, one must be able to
smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon at the minimum, and in order
to do so, the minimum cultivation one must possess was
Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm!
This was a well-known fact amongst blacksmiths. Until one
had achieved a Seamless Body at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan
Chrysalis realm, the inadvertent leakage of zhenqi would
result in imperfections in the smithing process, making it
impossible to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon.
For a weapon to reach Spirit pinnacle, it had to be rich in spirit
and nearly impeccable. If one couldn’t even control one’s body
perfectly, how could one possibly forge such a weapon?
Weng!
In the midst of his shock, Yuan Hong subconsciously reached
out to press the button once more, and with a flash of light,
another emblem fell from the aperture again.
“6-star…”
As if statues, everyone froze in place, and silence loomed
before the Ocean of Weapons.
745 Accepting You As My
Teacher’s Disciple
Usually in the four-hour timeframe in the Ocean of Weapons,
one would only be able to raise one’s rank up by a single star.
Yet, in a single seating, six emblems had been distributed by
the Ocean of Weapons!
This meant that… in a single breath, he cleared the
examination from 1-star all the way to 6-star, and it was all a
success!
For a freshman with a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation to
actually clear the 6-star blacksmith examination…
Everyone couldn’t help but tremble out of sheer agitation and
shock.
This was especially so for the female receptionist, Li Xuan.
Her eyes rolled up, and she nearly fainted on the spot.
Through her conversation with him, she could tell that he
possessed minimal knowledge of the Blacksmith School at
best. And yet, such a person actually cleared the 6-star
blacksmith examination…
She actually got impatient with a person who possessed the
capability of a 6-star blacksmith! As such a thought flashed
through her mind, she began shaking in fear. If there was a
hole in the ground at this moment, she would dive in without
any hesitation.
On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the other
vice school heads also nearly blacked out.
To forge six weapons within four hours to progress from a
mere apprentice to a 6-star blacksmith… Was he still a
human?
“School head, do you think that… you would be able to do it
as well?” Yuan Hong couldn’t help but ask with his quivering
lips.
School Head Zhao boasted the greatest capability in
smithing among them, and it was by a wide margin at that.
If there was any one of them who could match that
achievement, it would only be School Head Zhao.
“I…” After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu eventually
shook his head, “I couldn’t do it either!”
Despite his superior smithing speed, it was impossible for him
to complete six weapons within six hours.
In truth, the smithing of lower grade weapons didn’t
necessarily take less time than higher quality weapons.
It was true that lower quality materials were easier to process,
making the synthesis phase much easier. However, the forging
phase was still likely to be extremely time-consuming. While
the material would be easier to shape, special care had to be
taken in order to ensure that the weapon didn’t snap or deform.
As such, the forging of the weapon still had to be done step by
step.
In such a case, his incredible strength as a Saint didn’t provide
him much of an advantage.
If he were to start from 1-star, 3-star would probably be his
limit. Yet, that fellow actually reached 6-star in a single
breath…
Was this feat still humanly possible?
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yuan Hong asked hesitantly,
“Then… the matter regarding accepting him as your
disciple…”
“That…” A crimson tinge swiftly enveloped Zhao Bingxu’s
face as he found himself at a loss for words.
He was still thinking a moment ago that he would accept the
other party as his student and impart the essence of his
comprehension of smithing to him, thus creating a beautiful
legend for the Blacksmith School.
But… if that fellow was able to accomplish what he wasn’t
able to, he would only be humiliating himself if he were to ask
the other party to be his student!
Ji ya!
While the both of them were stuck in a dilemma and the others
were frozen in shock, the Ocean of Weapons’ doors abruptly
opened, and the silhouette of a young man came into sight.
At this moment, fatigue was written all over Zhang Xuan’s
face, and his movements were sluggish.
Even though he had recovered some of his strength inside
through absorbing the spiritual energy in the high-tier spirit
stone, he had still overexerted himself in the 6-star blacksmith
examination.
Ultimately, his current cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge
realm pinnacle. Even with the enhancement from Heaven’s
Path zhenqi and Heaven’s Path Golden Body, he was still
pushed to his very limits. Thus, after clearing the examination,
he had to rest for a moment before he could muster the
strength to stand up and leave.
Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had cleared the
examination!
At the current moment, he was already a quasi 6-star
blacksmith!
(In the Upper Nine Paths occupations, unless special
exceptions are given from the headquarters, as long as one’s
cultivation has yet to reach the required level, it could only be
considered as a quasi-rank.)
“Zhang shi…” Yuan Hong walked over with admiration
evident on his face.
If he was still a little conflicted a moment ago due to the
destruction of the various amenities, at this moment, he finally
realized how wise the school head’s decision was.
To be able to pass the 6-star blacksmith examination with just
a cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm, such talent had never
been seen in the Blacksmith School’s thousands of years of
history!
Given sufficient time, he would surely become yet another Wu
Yangzi of Hongyuan Empire!
With such a figure in the Blacksmith School, the reputation of
the school would soar, and more talents would opt to join their
ranks as well.
“Here is your emblem!” Yuan Hong stepped forward and
passed Zhang Xuan his quasi 6-star emblem.
“Thank you!” Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan nodded.
At this moment, another elder with a bright smile on his face
stepped forward.
“Zhang shi, I am Zhao Bingxu!”
“Zhao Bingxu?” Zhang Xuan glanced at Yuan Hong
doubtfully.
This name sounded extremely foreign to him. He didn’t know
anyone who went by such a name.
Looking at the puzzled expression on Zhang Xuan’s face, the
master teachers in the area staggered.
‘You came to the Blacksmith School to challenge its
examinations, but you don’t know who the school head is?
That’s really enough of you!’
Li Xuan could also feel tears pouring down her face.
She’d thought that Zhang Xuan was only ignorant of the rules
of the academy, but it turned out that… he was ignorant of
everything!
Yet, it was such an ignorant person who cleared the 6-star
blacksmith examination, bringing the school head and vice
school heads here just to meet him personally. On the other
hand, she could only serve as a humble receptionist in the
Blacksmith School…
Truly, how could the difference between two humans be so
great?
Knowing that the young man before him truly didn’t know of
the Zhao Bingxu’s identity, Yuan Hong hurriedly explained,
“Zhao shi is the head of the Blacksmith School, one of the Ten
Great Master Teachers…”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted
him.
“Zhang Xuan pays respect to School Head Zhao!”
While he had successfully cleared the 6-star blacksmith
examination, there was still a huge gap between him and the
head of the Blacksmith School and a member of the Ten Great
Master Teachers.
“It’s okay, there’s no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi. It
is heartening to see a man as young as you clear the 6-star
blacksmith examination!” Seeing the young man retaining his
humility despite his astounding achievement, Zhao Bingxu
nodded in commendation.
“Thank you for your polite words, I was just lucky…” Zhang
Xuan quickly replied.
With his current cultivation, it was extremely difficult for him
to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon. If not for a fair bit of luck
here and there, he would still be a 5-star blacksmith at this
moment.
“Luck favors the diligent and capable. It is rare to see a person
who can still remain level-headed in the face of success. I can
see why Luo Qiqi and the others are in awe of you,” Zhao
Bingxu said as he stroked his beard. He was getting more and
more fond of the young man before him.
Too many times he had seen young geniuses with their heads
in the skies due to just a few accomplishments here and there.
On the other hand, the young man didn’t allow his success to
go to his head. It seemed like his smithing ability wasn’t just
the only aspect of him that was admirable; his mental fortitude
was incredible as well.
If he could accept such a genius as his disciple, his reputation
would surely soar!
However… considering that the other party’s skills were not
beneath his, it would be unlikely for the other party to accept
it.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu smiled and said,
“Zhang shi, your talent in smithing is unmatched by any in the
younger generation! However, if you wish to reach greater
heights, you must have someone to guide and correct you…
With my shallow grasp of smithing, I dare not ask you to
become my student. However, if you wish, in the stead of my
teacher, I hope to accept you as his student!”
“Accept me as your teacher’s student?” Zhang Xuan was taken
aback.
“That’s right. My teacher is a 7-star master teacher in
Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and he possesses great prestige
there. I’m sure he would be more than glad to have a talented
blacksmith like you as his student!” Zhao Bingxu replied.
“School Head Zhao will accept that fellow as his teacher’s
student in place of his teacher?”
“If that were to happen, does that mean that Zhang shi would
be School Head Zhao’s junior?”
“This…”
“To become the junior of one of the Ten Great Master
Teachers, the student of a 7-star blacksmith… Regardless of
which title it is, there will be no one who will dare to stand in
his way in the academy!”
“This is amazing…”
…
Hearing the conversation between the duo, an uproar broke out
amidst the master teachers in the area.
Even Yuan Hong had nearly fell to the ground from shock.
He already found it shocking to hear of School Head Zhao’s
intentions to take Zhang shi in as his student, but for him to
become his junior instead… This was madness!
If Zhang shi were to accept that offer, wouldn’t that mean that
he would be a peer to them?
For a Grade 1 student who hadn’t even received his student
token yet to become the school head’s junior…
Yuan Hong, Xiong Bing, and the others glanced at one another
with bulging eyes.
But as insane as this matter sounded, Zhang shi had already
shown that he was qualified for that.
To advance from an apprentice to 6-star in a single breath…
This had never ever been done before, and this record would
likely remain unbroken for ages to come!
Perhaps the unfathomable Sage Clans in the Conferred
Empires might be capable of such a feat, but one thing was for
sure, this feat was beyond everyone in the Master Teacher
Academy.
“This…” Not expecting that there would be another person
who would attempt to take him in as his student once more in
the same day, this time in the stead of his teacher, Zhang Xuan
sighed deeply for a moment before shaking his head. “I am
truly apologetic, but I already have a teacher named Yang
Xuan. For the time being, I don’t intend to acknowledge any
teachers.”
If Zhang Xuan were to accept the other party’s offer, he might
find several restrictions imposed on him. At the same time, he
could easily accumulate any required knowledge by reading
through books. There was no need for him to learn from
another.
“He rejected the offer?”
“That was an opportunity to become School Head Zhao’s
junior!”
“The world has gone mad, truly mad! An opportunity to
become the student of the school head is something that
countless have dreamed of, and yet he rejected an offer to
become his junior… Slap me, I want to see if I am dreaming!”
“Rejecting an offer to become a student of a 7-star master
teacher, what else does he want?”
…
Everyone became petrified upon hearing that rejection.
Countless here had laughed heartily when granted the
opportunity of becoming School Head Zhao’s student, only to
wake up and realize in dejection that it was just a dream.
Yet, that fellow wasn’t even willing to become School Head
Zhao’s junior…
‘Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens?!’
At this moment, Luo Yan’s body was trembling in agitation,
and he nearly fell to the ground weakly.
He had sneaked out from his quarters, and it was only after
seeing this scene that he realized why his teacher’s attitude
would change so abruptly.
A junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers… Just this
title itself was deserving of Yuan Hong’s respect.
But what that left him tugging his hair in frenzy was that…
that fellow rejected that offer!
Screw that!
‘Big brother, let’s negotiate about this matter. Why don’t we
switch places… or rather, it’s fine if I can become your
disciple too!’
“You… aren’t willing?” Zhao Bingxu was stupefied as well.
He had already gone this far, accepting that fellow as his
teacher’s disciple out of fear that he wouldn’t be willing to
become his student, but who could have known that he would
be disagreeable to that as well!
‘Don’t you know that a formidable teacher means strong
backing as well? Do you understand the kind of privileges and
authority you will gain in the academy due to that?’
“School Head Zhao, thank you for your high appraisal of me!”
Zhang Xuan bowed. He had an indifferent expression on his
face, but the truth was that his heart was bleeding at this
moment.
He had already crafted Yang shi as an unparalleled expert of
the world. After all that had been said and done, he had little
choice but to go on with his lie.
If he were to take another as his teacher so easily, what would
that say about Yang shi?
How could he convince others that Yang shi was at least an 8-
star master teacher when his direct disciple would take even a
7-star master teacher as his teacher?
Argh, he would have no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit
he had sowed!
“I guess I was being a little too hasty…” Seeing the other
party’s determined attitude, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply.
“Pardon me for my ignorance, but may I know who Yang shi
is?”
Since Zhang shi could even reject the opportunity to become a
student of a 7-star master teacher, it could only mean to say
that Yang shi was a formidable master teacher himself… But if
that was the case, why hadn’t he heard of the other party
before?
“My teacher seeks a carefree life wandering the lands, not
wanting to be tied down by fame. As such, there are very few
who know of his name!” Zhang Xuan chuckled.
After a moment of pondering, Zhao Bingxu clasped his fist.
“I am interested in paying respect to the master teacher who is
capable of grooming such an outstanding student. May I
trouble Zhang shi to extend my regards to him?”
“You wish to meet my teacher?” Zhang Xuan froze.
“Indeed. You are an incredible genius, and I think that it’s a
pity if we simply leave your talent for smithing be. It’s normal
for a master teacher to have several teachers in his lifetime,
and even Kong shi himself acknowledged quite a few people
as his teacher—Tan shi, Li shi… Thus, I wish to meet
Yang shi and discuss this matter with him. If we just impart
the art of smithing to you, there shouldn’t be a conflict of
interest!” Zhao Bingxu said.
746 Zhang Xuan’s Flaw
“Ah…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
It seemed like the other party was truly determined to have
him become his junior.
However, despite the various benefits that could come from
the opportunity, he still thought that it was better for him to
turn down the deal. The privileges would come with a set of
responsibilities, and he wasn’t willing to bear them.
“Since Yang shi is also one of our own, surely it should be fine
for us to just meet?” Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard.
He was indeed interested in meeting the teacher behind such
an outstanding student.
“This… The truth is that my teacher has no fixed lodging, so I
don’t know where he is at the moment either. However, I’ll
make sure to relay your intentions to him the next time I meet
him,” said Zhang Xuan with a conflicted expression.
‘What the heck is this?
‘All I wanted to do was to read my books patiently, take all of
the required examinations, and leave dashingly. Who could
have known that… everyone I met would be so intent on
taking me as their student or their junior…
‘Do I look like an easy man?!
‘Seems like it’s about time to have Yang shi make an
appearance. Otherwise, if the Ten Great Master Teachers visit
me one after another, how can I read my books in peace?
‘I want to keep a low profile, you know!’
“Alright, that’s a promise then!” Zhao Bingxu chuckled.
“School Head Zhao and the other vice school heads, I have
overexerted myself in the 6-star blacksmith examination, so I
would like to return to my residence to rest. I’ll be taking my
leave now!” Fearing that Zhao Bingxu would continue asking
him about Yang shi’s affairs and put him on the spot, Zhang
Xuan clasped his fist.
“Right, you must be drained by now. You should quickly
return and have a good rest!”
“It must be exhausting to forge six weapons in four hours.
Let’s talk tomorrow then!”
…
It was only after hearing those words that it struck Zhao
Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others that the young man before
them had just finished forging six weapons. In a moment of
agitation, it had slipped their minds.
It was indeed rude of them to keep the other party with them
when he was already on the verge of collapsing.
“Thank you!”
Hearing their agreement, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
However, just as he was about to leave, Zhao Bingxu’s voice
sounded once more. “Since you have just joined the academy,
you must be staying at the shared dormitory at the moment.
Here is my personal token. Get yourself a residence in the
Elite Sector with this. This will make it more convenient for us
to meet and talk.”
As he said those words, School Head Zhao took out a token
similar to the one Elder Mo had given him previously and
proffered it to Zhang Xuan.
Back at the School Head’s Office, Yuan Hong had only spoken
about how Zhang Xuan had destroyed the Passageway of
Records. He didn’t mention that the latter had Elder Mo’s
token in hand.
Besides, Zhao Bingxu clearly intended this as a gesture of
goodwill to get on the good side of this rising talent. Were it
not for Yuan Hong’s own personal token commanding less
authority than the Ten Great Master Teachers’, he would have
wanted to give his own to Zhang shi as well.
“This…” Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise.
“Take it. My token should bring you some convenience in the
academy.” Zhao Bingxu nodded, indicating that it was fine for
him to accept the gift.
“Thank you, School Head Zhao!” At the other party’s
insistence, Zhang Xuan accepted the token.
He had already rejected the other party’s offer once, so it
would be disrespectful of him to turn down this gift as well.
However, as the crowd saw the look of reluctance on Zhang
Xuan’s face as he accepted Zhao Bingxu’s token, their mouths
twitched violently, and they nearly burst into tears.
One must know that it was difficult for an average student to
even meet School Head Zhao.
School Head Zhao had come personally to meet that fellow,
and not only did he reject the offer to become his junior, he
was even unwilling to accept the token… Where did this freak
come from?
Did he know how many of them wanted to pummel him to
death right then because of that reluctance on his face?
“I’ll be taking my leave then!”
Taking the token, Zhang Xuan immediately turned around and
left. Before long, he had already disappeared over the horizon.
“It sure is a huge pity…” Watching as Zhang Xuan’s silhouette
disappear, Zhao Bingxu shook his head.
“A pity?” Yuan Hong asked, uncomprehending of Zhao
Bingxu’s words.
“Zhang shi is an incredible genius. Despite his politeness, I
can still see the pride in his eyes. It will be hard to win him
over with material gains. It will be nigh impossible to retain
him in the Blacksmith School!” Zhao Bingxu sighed.
“You’re right.” After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Hong
nodded as well.
That was an opportunity to become School Head Zhao’s
junior, but he still rejected it without much hesitation… As
such, what else could the Blacksmith School offer him?
Surely there wasn’t anything as attractive as that?
“Let’s just take a step at a time and see what we can do. In any
case, make sure to treat him with respect and don’t offend
him,” Zhao Bingxu said.
After which, he turned his eyes to the Ocean of Weapons and
said, “Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing, follow me in. I am really
interested to see how he managed to forge six weapons in four
hours!”
Even Zhao Bingxu himself had to concede that it was
impossible for him to forge six weapons and advance from an
apprentice to a 6-star master teacher within four hours. How
did a Cosmos Bridge realm blacksmith accomplish a feat that
was even beyond him?
“Yes!” Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing nodded.
In truth, they harbored the same doubts as well.
Thus, the group pushed open the towering doors of the Ocean
of Weapons and walked in.
As the head of the Blacksmith School, Zhao Bingxu wielded
special privileges that allowed him to enter the Ocean of
Weapons even without using Academic Credits.
“Let’s look at the recordings of the examination!” Zhao
Bingxu said as he flicked his finger.
Weng!
The Ocean of Weapons whirred into action, and Zhang Xuan’s
figure from a moment ago, when he was still taking the
examination, appeared before the group’s eyes.
There was a special installation in the Ocean of Weapons that
allowed it to record the happenings in the examinations and
replay it, so that others could study and learn from outstanding
examinees.
Hu!
Under the gazes of the group, Zhang Xuan casually grabbed a
couple of ores and metals and threw it into the furnace. After
which, he retrieved them and synthesized them together before
tossing it into the quenching fluid straight.
“This…”
“He went straight into quenching without forging the
weapon?” Everyone froze in shock.
“However, forging is indeed the most time-consuming phase
in the smithing of a weapon. He could indeed save himself a
lot of time through skipping it. This is a brilliant idea! Why
didn’t I think of it?” Zhao Bingxu’s eyes glowed in excitement
as he slapped his thigh.
Of the three phases of smithing, the most arduous and
complicated procedure was, without doubt, hammering the
ingot into its intended shape. If one could skip this step, one
could indeed save a fair bit of time.
However… could the product of this smithing still be
considered a weapon?
Soon, they saw Zhang Xuan retrieving a metal lump from the
quenching fluid before placing it on the grading pedestal.
After which… he cleared the examination.
“To think that a mere alloy which hasn’t undergone
hammering yet could reach Phantom low-tier. Incredible!”
Xiong Bing nodded in commendation.
It was not without reason that weapons were called “creations
under a thousand hammerings”. The purpose of the forging
phase wasn’t just to shape the weapon but to strike out the
impurities in the weapon and balance out the alloy as well,
thus enhancing its quality. Yet, without a single hammering,
that fellow was able to make a mere metal lump achieve the
quality worthy of being deemed as a weapon.
Even as 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths, none of them were
capable of doing the same!
“To craft such a perfect alloy would require a thorough
understanding of every single property of the ores and metal,
so as to determine the temperature of the furnace, the timing of
the synthesis, and deduce the reaction from the synthesis…”
“On top of that, he has to work on the metals and ores
simultaneously in the synthesis process while controlling the
heat in the furnace through his zhenqi… To be able to
multitask that well, it could only mean that he has a powerful
soul as well!’
“Furthermore, to be able to remain unfazed at such proximity
to the furnace, and even grab the searing alloy barehanded…
How powerful must his physical body be?”
“His movements are fluid, devoid of the slightest hesitation.
This goes to say that he possesses mental fortitude, allowing
him to move confidently without allowing doubt to hinder
him!”
…
The longer they watched, the more astonished the group
became.
Synthesizing the metals and ores into an alloy and quenching
it straight after, they could easily do the same as well.
However, it was a different question whether they would be
able to clear the examination with what they created.
In fact, even the legendary grandmaster blacksmith, Wu
Yangzi, didn’t seem to be capable of this feat!
Was that fellow really an inheritor of Wu Yangzi’s heritage
and not his teacher?
Soon, they reached the 6-star blacksmith examination
simulation.
With each flick of a finger, a melodious metallic ring sounded.
Before long, a massive metal hammer appeared before Zhang
Xuan.
“This…”
“Is this really a weapon forged by a blacksmith?”
Judging by how skillful that young man was in his hammering,
they’d thought that the end product would astound them, just
as he had done many times before. Who would have thought
that… his work would turn out to be so hideous!
Are you sure that it is a metal hammer and not a steel tower?
Everyone glanced at one another speechlessly.
After watching the entire examination, Zhao Bingxu couldn’t
help but remark, “It seems like… Zhang shi does possess great
talent, but… his forging skills are still a little lacking!”
“Lacking is an understatement… It is as if he has never learnt
hammering before!” Yuan Hong shook his head.
Honestly speaking, not even an apprentice blacksmith would
create a hammer as terrible as his.
Flame control, synthesis, quenching… All of these, Zhang shi
had perfect grasp over. Yet, why would he simply fail so
utterly in the hammering phase?
One must know that this was actually the simplest phase of the
entire smithing process. It could easily be mastered through
repetition…
“But this works to our advantage as well. We can use this
opportunity to teach him and rally him to our Blacksmith
School!” Zhao Bingxu smiled.
He was still thinking about how he could win Zhang Xuan
over and tie him down to the Blacksmith School when this
opportunity appeared before him. With this, he could step
forward and guide the other party along, thus making him
indebted to the Blacksmith School!
“Yes, that’s a good idea!” The other vice school heads also
nodded in agreement as well.
Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have no flaws at
all. As long as he had a flaw, they could use it as an impetus to
approach him and build a close relationship with him.
Once he started learning from one of them, it would just be a
matter of time before he was tied down to their ship!
…
On the other hand, after returning to his residence in the Elite
Sector, fatigue finally set into Zhang Xuan’s body, leaving him
feeling weak throughout.
While he did cut some corners in his work, it still hadn’t been
an easy feat for him to smith six weapons within four hours.
His zhenqi was depleted, and his spirit and soul were worn
out.
If not for his soul having broken the ten meters bottleneck, he
might have just collapsed in the midst of the examination.
“I didn’t have a chance to examine it before, but it seems my
soul has undergone a qualitative change after breaking the ten
meters bottleneck.”
After absorbing some spiritual energy from his high-tier spirit
stone to recharge, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a matter.
Back in the Chamber of Earth Flame, when his soul had
successfully overcome the ten meters bottleneck, he vividly
felt some changes in his soul. However, with the chamber
collapsing on him right afterward and the various troubles
afterward, he hadn’t had the opportunity to check on it yet.
Since he had some time now, it would be good for him to see
what was going on.
His soul, physical body, and zhenqi: these were the three
factors that stood at the foundation of his strength. Through
past experience, he’d learned that it was essential for him to
maintain a perfect grasp of his condition so as to avoid any
unfortunate mishaps.
Activating the formation around him to block out any prying
eyes, Zhang Xuan sat on the ground and closed his eyes.
Hu!
His soul left his body.
At this moment, his soul was as enormous as a giant. Even
with his feet on the ground, his head could still easily reach the
roof of the residence.
“Introspection!”
Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to view the situation
in his soul.
“What is this? H-how is this possible…”
Upon first glance, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze, and shocked
exclamations escaped from his mouth.
747 Return of the Innate
Fetal Poison
Under the discerning gaze of the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan
could see a thin gray line floating amidst his massive soul. It
resembled a parasite, leaving him with an ominous feeling
within.
“This is… the Innate Fetal Poison?” Zhang Xuan narrowed his
eyes.
Even back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had
already noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in him. However, as he
began to cultivate the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, the poison
was suppressed by the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, thus crippling it
for the time being. As time passed, he began to pay less and
less heed to it.
Based on his previous investigation, he should be able to
resolve the problem by becoming a 9-star master teacher
before the age of thirty. Who could have known that… the
Innate Fetal Poison would actually slip into his soul?
He could suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his physical body
through his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, but how was he supposed to
deal with it in his soul?
Zhang Xuan’s face turned livid.
A soul was the foundation of a human’s consciousness. Its
destruction would spell irreversible death for one.
Zhang Xuan was still previously harboring the thought of
focusing on the cultivation of his soul such that even if he was
unable to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison, he could at least still
live on as a soul.
But from the looks of it, this idea was impossible now.
Unknowingly, the treacherous poison had managed to seep
into his soul.
As his soul was too weak before, he wasn’t able to perceive it.
However, as his soul broke the ten meters bottleneck and grew
even stronger and more sensitive, he finally noticed that
something was amiss.
“Or perhaps… has the Innate Fetal Poison been in my soul
from the very start?”
The Innate Fetal Poison was planted in him back when he was
nothing more than a fetus in his mother’s womb. Given how
vulnerable he was then, it shouldn’t have been too difficult for
it to spread from his body to his soul, or vice-versa.
However, considering how it had been some time since he’d
become a soul oracle, it didn’t seem quite possible for him to
have never noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul all
along. It was as if that congregation of Innate Fetal Poison had
been invisible to him all along!
Or could it be that it was simply too weak for him to perceive
then? If that was the case, could it mean that the Innate Fetal
Poison was leeching off his soul, growing along with it?
‘What should I do? Will the Innate Fetal Poison be triggered
sooner if I continue cultivating my soul?’ Zhang Xuan thought
grimly.
Without the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, it would be difficult for
him to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison. If the poison in his
soul were to trigger, he would be helpless before it.
What the heck was this!
The other protagonists that transcend to another world were
either top-notch geniuses or given overpowered artifacts that
allowed them to dominate the world. It was one thing for him
to have been born with average talent, but he was even given
such a ‘gift’ from the world. What crime did he commit in his
previous life to deserve this?
While the Soul of Heaven’s Path was indeed powerful, it
shared one common trait with the other souls—it was
incapable of harnessing zhenqi, and this included the Heaven’s
Path zhenqi as well. Without the Heaven’s Path zhenqi to
suppress the Innate Fetal Poison, it would be able to do as it
pleased in his soul.
In other words, his life and death hinged on the whim of that
monstrosity!
“Unless… I can find something to suppress it!”
If his Heaven’s Path zhenqi couldn’t help him suppress the
Innate Fetal Poison in his soul, he would just have to find
something else that could!
Otherwise, if that monstrosity were to get into a bad mood and
wreak havoc, he might just die a premature death.
It wouldn’t do to simply bank his fate on luck.
“Soul oracle is the occupation that specializes in the topic of
souls. I have received Mo Hunsheng’s heritage, but there isn’t
any method for me to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in
there. Furthermore, the heritage of soul oracles has been wiped
out by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it’s unlikely that I’ll be
able to find a solution from there…” Zhang Xuan
contemplated.
If he wanted to find something to suppress the Innate Fetal
Poison in his soul, he would have to first find something
compatible with his soul. To do so, he would first have to
deepen his understanding regarding souls.
However, with the heritage of the number one occupation
specializing in the study of souls extinct, he could only try to
find another substitute for it.
“Of the ten schools in the Master Teacher Academy, the
supporting occupations that can influence one’s soul are
painter, demonic tunist, and terpsichore. Painting can calm
hearts and build conception, but it possesses no offensive
capability whatsoever. On the other hand, demonic tunist and
terpsichore can beguile hearts and destroy souls. Thus, I
should focus on the latter two instead.”
The other supporting occupations such as beast tamer,
blacksmith, celestial designer, and physicians had little
regarding the study of souls.
At this point, the only two occupations which could possibly
help Zhang Xuan were demonic tunist and terpsichore.
Those two occupations specialized in the beguilement of souls,
so they should have a sizeable collection regarding the study
of souls.
“Un, I will pay those two schools a visit when dawn comes!”
Time waited for no one. Every day he waited meant an
additional day where he could be killed by the Innate Fetal
Poison.
However, it was already nearing midnight, so it was unlikely
that their facilities would still be open. Thus, it would better
for him to head there after daybreak.
Even though there was an event in the academy tomorrow, in
which the teachers of the academy would accept students
under their tutelage, it didn’t make a difference to him whether
he went there or not.
After all, if he intended to seek a teacher, he would have
already accepted Zhao Bingxu’s offer to become his junior. It
would be pointless for him to reject that offer and seek a
normal teacher instead.
Even if a student was left without a teacher at the end of the
event, it wasn’t the end of the world for him. For one, he could
still attend public lessons.
Besides, Zhang Xuan’s main goal for coming to the Master
Teacher Academy was to access the collection of books in
here. In view of that, it didn’t matter whether he had the
guidance of a teacher or not.
“I don’t think I can sleep tonight. I guess I shall take a look at
how Wang Ying and the others are doing!”
With the issue regarding the Innate Fetal Poison weighing
down his mind, it was unlikely that he would be able to rest.
Since that was the case, he might as well take a look at how
his students and butler were doing and provide them some
guidance on their cultivation.
Otherwise, they might find themselves lagging too far behind
Yuan Tao, Zhao Ya, and Lu Chong.
Thus, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out of his room.
Turbid clouds shrouded the night sky, and not a single star or
the moon was to be seen.
Even on such a dark night, it would be too conspicuous for
him to travel using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps,
especially since there were sentries keeping a lookout for the
aerial space in the academy given the presence of Saint realm
experts in the city. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to
summon the Great Violetwing Beast.
There were quite a few students in the academy who bore the
beast tamer occupation, so aerial spirit beasts were allowed to
travel to and fro unrestricted grounds in the academy.
Leaping onto the back of the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuan
flew out of the academy.
Before heading to Leiyuan Peak, Sun Qiang had already found
a residence, and he had informed Zhang Xuan of the address
as well. After a couple minutes of flight, a small residence
soon came into sight.
This residence was only a few hundred meters square large,
significantly smaller than the previous one they’d stayed in.
Nevertheless, in Hongyuan City where every inch of ground
was worth a fortune, it must have taken a huge deal of effort to
find a residence of this size.
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leap down from the Great
Violetwing Beast’s back, he suddenly frowned.
“Eye of Insight!”
With a sharp gaze, he surveyed his surroundings.
Soon, he saw a few shadows hidden inconspicuously in the
shadows around the residence, seemingly up to no good.
“They are all Ethereal Treading realm experts!”
While they had done a good job concealing their trail, they
were still unable to fool the Eye of Insight.
Zhang Xuan could feel immense power lying dormant in their
bodies, as if a crouching mighty dragon. Astonishingly, they
were all Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts!
Why would such experts be lurking around his residence?
Could it be that they meant Sun Qiang and the others harm?
“We have just arrived here, and Sun Qiang and the others have
nothing much of fortune on them either. How did they catch
the eye of such experts?”
While Ethereal Treading realm cultivators weren’t the top tier
power in Hongyuan City, they were definitely considered
experts here.
For so many experts to surround a small residence, what could
they be up to?
Surely Sun Qiang and the others didn’t have any possession on
them that could attract their attention?
“Forget it, this is a good opportunity to try out my new
strength!” A glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes.
At Leiyuan Peak, he had managed to advance his cultivation to
Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, resulting in his zhenqi strength
rising to 8,000,000 ding. In the Chamber of Earth Flame, he
had managed to achieve Second Incandescence in the
Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, thus enhancing his
overall physical strength to 8,000,000 ding as well. Factoring
in the 3,200,000 ding of strength from his soul cultivation, the
overall might he could harness added up to almost
20,000,000 ding.
This granted him the strength to fight with Ethereal Treading
realm advanced stage experts on equal grounds!
Since those fellows seemed to be up to no good, there
shouldn’t be any trouble using them as punching bags.
Hu!
With a leap, Zhang Xuan descended from the back of the
Great Violetwing Beast.
Since the Great Violetwing Beast was maintaining a high
altitude in the sky, the several men hidden in the shadows
didn’t seem to notice Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and activated the Red Dust
Heaven Ascending Step. As if a light feather, he slowly drifted
down amidst the cloak of the night sky.
“I should start from the weakest!”
There was a total of four men hidden in the area, and the
weakest of them was at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage.
Silently, as if an apparition, Zhang Xuan’s figure floated
stealthily toward the masked man hidden behind an ancient
tree.
By cloaking his vitals with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he was
able to erase his presence such that not even a Chrysalis realm
expert would be able to notice him.
He silently gathered his strength on his palm and pressed it
against the masked man.
The masked man behind the ancient tree felt an abrupt jolt on
his back before immense might began gushing through his
body, sealing every single one of his meridians.
Putong!
The next moment, he was already lying on the ground,
unconscious.
“Oh? This isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be!” Zhang
Xuan muttered.
It was just a day ago that he was still completely powerless
before an Ethereal Treading realm expert, but at this moment,
he could already incapacitate them without much effort.
After knocking the first one out, he turned his gaze toward his
second target and slowly made his way over.
The target this time around was an Ethereal Treading realm
intermediate stage expert. He was slightly warier, and Zhang
Xuan was discovered before he could make his way to him.
Just as he was able to exclaim to warn his other comrades, he
suddenly felt an extremely heavy pressure pushing on his soul,
rendering him incapable of speech.
It was an assault on his soul!
While he was an Ethereal Treading realm expert, he was far
weaker than Zhang Xuan when it came to the prowess of their
souls. As a result, he was paralyzed for half a second.
It was a short moment, but a moment was all it took to
overwhelm an opponent in a battle.
Hu!
Executing the same palm strike, the second target was also
knocked unconscious. Even at the point when his
consciousness faded, he wasn’t able to see the face of his
assailant.
“It was easier for these two because they are weaker, but it
probably won’t so as smoothly for the remaining two…”
After knocking out two of the four targets, Zhang Xuan
exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.
In terms of absolute strength, the two he had knocked out were
weaker than him. However, the remaining two were at
Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage and pinnacle
respectively, and this meant that both their cultivation and
absolute strength were higher than his.
As such, it wouldn’t be easy for him to assault them and knock
them out as easily as the other two.
“It’ll be troublesome if they band together upon noticing my
presence. I should clear one of them as fast as I can first!”
While it would be difficult to strike out the remaining targets
with a single strike, he should be able to overwhelm his
opponent swiftly using the element of surprise as long as he
attacked decisively. Thus, he pushed his foot powerfully
against the ground.
Hu!
With movements as swift as lightning, he rushed straight for
the Ethereal treading realm advanced stage masked man.
Heaven’s Path Movement Art!
Zhang Xuan’s movements were so fast that one could only
barely see a shadow flitting across the darkness.
“What?”
The huge gale raked up by the Heaven’s Path Movement Art
alarmed the remaining two targets. The Ethereal Treading
realm advanced stage masked man whom Zhang Xuan was
aiming for narrowed his eyes, and cold sweat suddenly began
trickling down his back.
However, it was already too late for him to do anything. Just
as he was about to flee, a fist was already heading straight for
his solar plexus.
Peng!
This punch harnessed the great momentum of the Heaven’s
Path Movement Art and the immense strength of the Heaven’s
Path Fist Art, creating an overwhelming might that couldn’t be
opposed.
Pu!
Before the masked man could react, he was already struck
squarely by the fist. Fresh blood spewed from his mouth as he
flew a dozen meters away, striking head first into a massive
boulder before passing out.
748 Spirit Emporium
“You are seeking death!” the final masked man howled.
He didn’t expect to be assaulted here, and his face turned livid.
Clenching his jaw, he drove his zhenqi, and the powerful aura
of an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert gushed from his
body.
Hu!
The masked man raised his hands, and his zhenqi suddenly
flooded the area. In an instant, the air around Zhang Xuan
grew viscous. There was an immense resistance against every
single movement he made, resulting in a huge dip in his
movement speed.
His strength didn’t pale too far in comparison to the other
party, but due to the difference in their cultivation, and thus the
comprehension of nature, his ability in utilizing zhenqi was far
beneath the other party’s. In a battle, this would pose as a
significant disadvantage.
In other words, while he could stand toe-to-toe with an
Ethereal Treading realm expert in a direct clash of strength, he
was still severely handicapped in a proper battle.
“Break!”
But even so, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t allow himself to be
defeated without any resistance. Gathering his strength, he
abruptly kicked forward.
Huala!
Under the immense force nearing 20,000,000 ding, the zhenqi
spatial lockdown shattered like a broken mirror.
Hu!
Activating the Heaven’s Path Movement Art once more,
Zhang Xuan charged right up to the masked man.
Hua la!
A fist as tough as adamantium shot forth for the masked man.
“Humph!” After the first clash, the masked man could already
see that his opponent’s cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge
realm pinnacle. While the other party might have raised his
strength significantly through some unknown means, it was
still a far way from reaching up to him, an Ethereal Treading
realm pinnacle expert!
There was no way he could lose to a Cosmos Bridge realm
opponent!
Gathering his zhenqi in his arms, he struck back with a palm
strike.
Hua la!
His hand carried great might that seemed to be more than
capable of collapsing mountains.
Spirit high-tier battle technique, Mountain Collapsing Palm!
In a moment of daze, it felt as if the heaven and earth had
dimmed in the face of this palm. Even if his opponent was
another Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert, he was
confident he could overpower the other party easily!
This was the strongest battle technique he had up his sleeves.
The bizarre means of the fellow before him had sent warning
bells ringing in his head, so he decided to use his strongest
technique right from the get go.
He thought that he would be able to send that fellow flying in
an instant with this strike, incapacitating him. But who knew
that before his palm could even reach, he would hear the other
party’s excited voice.
“A head-on confrontation? Great!”
Following which, the young man before him agilely dodged to
his left.
“This…” Upon seeing this maneuver, the masked man’s soul
nearly fled his body from fright.
The other party’s hand was headed right for where
the mingmen of his Mountain Collapsing Palm was located!
Every technique had its own flaws, this was something
inevitable. However, as long as one were to move with
sufficient speed, one could prevent one’s opponent from
exploiting one’s weaknesses. As such, in a battle among
experts, it was rare to see the striking of mingmen.
However, it was as if that fellow had known the flaws of his
Mountain Collapsing Palm from the very start, moving right
into his blind spot to strike his mingmen as soon as he began
executing the technique.
Putting aside how he knew the mingmen of his technique, to
be able to recognize it and react instantaneously, how deep of
an understanding of the Mountain Collapsing Palm must he
possess?
However, at this crucial moment, he had no time to process his
shock at all. His rapidly twitching eyes saw the young man’s
finger leisurely reaching for the weakness in his technique, but
due to the immense momentum from his offense, he couldn’t
move away at all.
Pu!
It was just a light jab, but his body was immediately sent
flying into the distance. His zhenqi was sent into disarray, and
fresh blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain. Eventually,
he struck a tree and fell to the ground.
That jab had precisely struck the center of his flow of zhenqi,
sending the zhenqi in his body into a devastating rampage
instantaneously, tearing apart his meridians and acupoints.
Even if he were to recover from his injury, his cultivation was
pretty much crippled at this point.
Sensing the changes in his body, tears flowed down the
masked man’s face.
He had practiced the Mountain Collapsing Palm to a very high
level, making it difficult for his opponent to notice the flaws in
his technique. How in the world did that fellow find it and
even strike it precisely without the slightest deviation?
If only he’d known that such a situation would occur, he
would have never used the Mountain Collapsing Palm against
that young fellow…
After knocking out all four of them, Zhang Xuan heaved a
sigh of relief and instructed, “Alright, bring those fellows to
me!”
Roar!
Hearing the orders, the Great Violetwing Beast immediately
got into action.
“Young Master, you’re here!”
“Teacher!”
Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others rushed out
upon hearing the ruckus outside, and they immediately saw
Zhang Xuan’s silhouette beneath the night sky.
The group walked into the residence, and after taking a seat,
Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, “Did you offend anyone in
the capital or cause any trouble somewhere?”
“Offend anyone? Cause trouble? We didn’t!” Sun Qiang
replied.
“If you didn’t do anything, why would four Ethereal Treading
realm experts be lurking around the residence?” Zhang Xuan
questioned sternly.
“Four Ethereal Treading realm experts?” Upon hearing those
words, Sun Qiang immediately leaped in shock.
At that moment, “putong!”, a stack of bodies was suddenly
tossed at the doorway of the main hall by the Great Violetwing
Beast.
“Take a look yourself!” Zhang Xuan pointed to the doorway.
Sun Qiang walked to the doorway and examined the faces of
those masked men before shaking his head in confusion. “I
don’t recognize any of these men…”
“If you don’t know them, why would they be loitering around
our residence?”
However, what Zhang Xuan faced was only the bewildered
gazes of his students and butler. Thus, he sighed deeply and
waved his hands. “Bring them in!”
Roar!
The four men were lifted and dumped into the main hall.
As they had been fighting in the dark previously, Zhang Xuan
didn’t have an opportunity to examine the profile of his
opponents. Under the illumination from the Night Illumination
Pearls in the room, he saw four middle-aged men, seemingly
in their forties. They had a dark skin-tone and a large
physique.
“Who are you? Why are you lurking around this residence?”
Zhang Xuan turned to the Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle
cultivator, the only one conscious of the four, and harrumphed.
“We were just passing by this area; we didn’t mean to alarm
you,” the other party replied.
“Passing by?” Seeing how the other party was still trying to
deny the matter, a sharp glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s
eyes as he waved his hands and instructed, “Kill them and toss
their bodies outside the city!”
He was already in a bad mood, and that fellow still dared to
play games with him.
Courting death!
Zhang Xuan wasn’t fond of bloodshed, but he didn’t mind
staining his hands with the blood of those who dared to
threaten the lives of his students and butler.
Roar!
Hearing the command, the Great Violetwing Beast
immediately nodded in excitement. With a deafening roar, its
talon swiped right for the four men.
If it were to land on them, their heads would surely explode on
the spot.
“D-d-don’t kill me! I’ll speak! I’ll speak!” The lack of
hesitation from the young man before him in ordering for their
deaths sent a cold chill down the man’s spine. “I was only
obeying orders from my master, I beg of you to spare my
life…”
The man knew that he would never get an opportunity to speak
again if he didn’t speak now, so he immediately gave in.
“Orders? Whose?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“The Spirit Emporium…” the man replied.
“Spirit Emporium?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
He had never heard of that place before, so why would the
other party go after him?
“You are from the Spirit Emporium?” Sun Qiang froze for an
instant before clasping his fist toward Zhang Xuan. “Young
Master, the Spirit Emporium is a shop in Hongyuan City
which deals with artifacts… Just today, I visited its
storefront!”
“You visited the Spirit Emporium?” Zhang Xuan asked
questioningly.
“Yes. After all, we are a little short on money at the moment…
Thus, I thought of selling the treasures you have gathered from
Huanyu Empire to tide us through this period, and after asking
around, I eventually found the Spirit Emporium,” Sun Qiang
explained.
Back in Huanyu Empire’s Mystical Treasure Hall, he had
acquired quite a few artifacts, but he hadn’t found an
opportunity to sell them so far. However, with their finances
running low, Sun Qiang had no choice but to sell those
artifacts.
Who would have thought that he would end up drawing eyes
to their group?
“I see.” After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan soon
got a clear grasp of the situation.
Even though the Spirit Emporium appeared to be a proper
business on the surface, it was in fact a black market headed
by a dangerous organization. Through their official business,
they were able to find potential targets which their members
could rob from to earn easy bucks.
Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, and the others possessed weak
cultivation, but they carried immense wealth with them. How
could the Spirit Emporium possibly let such an easy target go?
Thus, the Spirit Emporium dispatched these four men for
them. The main role of these four men was to scout their
targets to ensure that there were no experts in their midst. If
the targets were within their capability, they would then
conduct an attack and plunder their wealth.
“How dare they try to rob my students and butler? They must
be tired of living!” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.
They should already be thanking the gods that he hadn’t
brought destruction upon their organization yet, but to think
that they would be so brazen as to lay their eyes on his
students and butler instead!
Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and asked, “Where is the
Spirit Emporium?”
“It isn’t too far from here. It should be a ten-minute journey on
foot!” Sun Qiang replied.
“Alright then. Make preparations, we’ll pay them a visit at
dawn!” Zhang Xuan commanded with narrowed eyes.
If he hadn’t come back on a whim, what would be awaiting
him might very well be a river of blood and lifeless corpses.
Zheng Yang and the others had accompanied him throughout
his journey, and he had already regarded them as his kin.
Those who dare to inflict harm on his kin must be prepared to
face his devastating fury!
If he couldn’t even protect his students and butler, what was
the use of him pursuing even greater power?
“Yes!”
Hearing the veiled fury behind the young master’s words, Sun
Qiang nodded.
Having accompanied the young master from Tianxuan
Kingdom to here, he had gotten a clear grasp of the latter’s
personality.
The young master was an easy-going person who was usually
fine with anything. However, if anyone dared to threaten the
safety of those around him, he would transform into a demon,
destroying every single enemy in his way.
Back then, when Lu Chong was mortally wounded by Ding
Chong, Zhang Xuan charged singlehandedly into Xuanyuan
Kingdom to destroy its royal family, exacting vengeance for
his student.
Since the Spirit Emporium had dared to lay its hands on them,
the same fate would likely befall them.
Sun Qiang pointed to the four men in the center of the main
hall and asked, “What do we do with these men?”
Zhang Xuan harrumphed.
“Cripple their cultivation and tie them up. We’ll send them
back as gifts at daylight!”
“Yes!” Sun Qiang nodded before carrying the four men down
with the Great Violetwing Beast.
With their departure, only Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang, and his
other students were left in the room.
Zhang Xuan had them execute a battle technique each and
offered them some pointers on their techniques. Following
which, he imparted them a simplified version of the Cosmos
Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art before dismissing
them so that they could spend the night slowly deciphering its
essence.
After which, he returned back to his room.
Hu la!
With a flick of his wrist, a massive ape appeared before him.
Byzantium Helios Beast!
He had stuffed this fellow into the Myriad Anthive Nest earlier
this afternoon, and since there was some time now, he decided
to take it out.
“You… What do you want to do?”
The Byzantium Helios Beast had severe wounds inflicted all
over its body, and its body was tightly bound, sealing his
movements. Upon seeing the face of the ‘Otherworldly
Demonic Tribe’s royalty’, it immediately gritted its teeth and
roared in hostility, “Kill me if you want to, but don’t even
dream of making me betray my master!”
…
At the same moment, in a magnificent courtyard within the
Master Teacher Academy, an elder abruptly stood up.
“Mu shi, what’s wrong?” a calm voice asked by the side.
If the head of the Apothecary School was here, he would
surely recognize the owner of the voice was the ‘junior’ whom
Mu shi recommended here—Luo Ruoxin.
“Lady Ruoxin… I think I sense the aura of Byzantium Helios
Beast!” Mu shi replied.
Strangely, his attitude was extremely respectful, unlike how
one would usually treat a junior.
Most likely, Luo Ruoxin might really be a lady from one of the
Sage Clans, just as everyone had guessed.
749 Fatal Danger
“Byzantium Helios Beast?” The young lady frowned. “Do you
mean the tamed beast of the old principal?”
“That’s the case.” Mu shi nodded. “I am an old friend of the
old principal, so I am familiar with his tamed beast as well.
Even though the aura is extremely weak, I am certain that it is
him!”
As a close friend of the missing old principal, he was
acquainted with Byzantium Helios Beast as well.
It was just this afternoon that he heard that the other party had
been kidnapped by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how
could he remain calm when he sensed his aura at this very
moment?
Knowing what Mu shi was thinking, the young lady said, “Go
and take a look then.”
“Yes!” Mu shi nodded in gratitude before rushing in the
direction of where the aura was coming from.
Watching Mu shi’s departing back, Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply.
“Since it’s so easy for him to find what he seeks, why can’t it
be the same for me? If only I’d known earlier, I’d have
brought that with me. Now that I can only sense the rough
region where it is, who knows how long it’ll take before I can
find it…” Rubbing her glabella, she shook her head before
turning her gaze back to the night sky.
Just like that, the young lady stared deeply into the depths of
the night sky, creating a transient painting of tranquility.
…
“Hah, you sure are loyal to your master!” Seeing the
Byzantium Helios Beast declaring his fealty to his master,
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
Who knew what kind of magic potion the Otherworldly
Demons fed this fellow for it to obstinately hold onto their
secrets despite the beatings it had taken?
“Are you really not afraid of death?” Zhang Xuan asked
coldly.
“What is there to fear from death? If I can be with my master
after death, why should I be afraid?” the Byzantium Helios
Beast roared.
“This fellow…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
The other party was extremely adamant on his view, unwilling
to budge in the least.
What in the world was this?
The spirit beasts whom he had met before would usually be
settled with just a kick or two, but not only did this fellow
refuse to submit after all that beating, it still remained
obstinately loyal to its previous master.
Honestly speaking, even Zhang Xuan was feeling a little
impressed by now.
Its willpower was indeed commendable.
“This place isn’t wide enough…”
Seeing that the other party was unwilling to submit, Zhang
Xuan was just about to give it another beating when he looked
at the cramped room he was in and frowned.
The residence which Sun Qiang had gotten them was simply
too small. If he were to summon the puppets here to pummel
the Byzantium Helios Beast, the entire residence might just be
torn down by them.
If even this residence were to be destroyed, where else would
his students stay?
He had already used up his money on this residence, so it was
impossible to purchase another one at this point.
“Forget it, I’ll head outside the city then!” Zhang Xuan
muttered.
As long as he traveled a fitting distance away from the city
walls, he should be able to do as he pleased without alarming
anyone.
With such a thought in mind, he flicked his wrist and placed
that fellow back into the Myriad Anthive Nest.
After which, he walked out of his room, activated the Red
Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, and headed to the skies.
As the residence was located in a rural part of the city, there
were almost no guards or sentries stationed nearby, so there
was no need for him to restrict himself. Furthermore, as
unlikely as it was, it would still be better to have the Great
Violetwing Beast guard the residence in case the Spirit
Emporium sent another wave of assassins for them.
When it came to the safety of his students and butler, it was
better to be safe than sorry.
Right after Zhang Xuan left the residence, another figure
soaring through the night sky came to an abrupt halt.
“Hmm? His aura disappeared?” A white-bearded elder looked
around him in confusion and frowned—Mu shi.
As soon as he sensed the Byzantium Helios Beast’s aura, he
immediately rushed over. But just as he was about to zero in
on the source of the aura, it abruptly vanished, as if it had
never been there in the first place.
“Was he captured once more?” Mu shi frowned.
Even though he had declared that anyone who found the
Byzantium Helios Beast would be declared as the next
principal, this didn’t mean that he should remain idle when an
opportunity to save the latter appeared before him.
The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of his old
pal, and he had slain many Otherworldly Demons in his time,
saving countless humans from harm.
“There is someone there!” Scanning the area, Mu shi suddenly
spotted a silhouette on the horizon.
Even though he couldn’t determine the extent of the other
party’s cultivation, he should still be a Saint at the very
minimum, considering that he was capable of flight.
“To be traveling in the middle of the night, there’s something
amiss here…” Mu shi frowned. “I should go over and take a
look!”
With such a thought in mind, he rushed toward the silhouette.
Every single Saint realm expert in Hongyuan City wielded
immense prestige, and very few of them would choose to
travel in the night. On top of that, the other party appeared as
soon as the Byzantium Helios Beast’s aura vanished. This
made the situation even more suspicious.
‘Hmm? Someone is following me?’ In the midst of his flight,
Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed something, and his eyelids
started twitching.
His current plan was simple: find a quiet place, teach the
Byzantium Helios Beast a lesson, and force it to spew out the
whereabouts of the Otherworldly Demons it was serving. Who
would have thought that he would be followed as soon as he
left his residence?
“To be able to mobilize even Saint realm experts, it seems like
the water in the Spirit Emporium runs deeper than I thought!”
Considering how his pursuer was flying in midair as well,
there was no doubt about it—he was a Saint realm expert!
This fellow appeared right after he had subdued the four
masked men, so the chances were that the Spirit Emporium
had sent him here as well!
To have such an expert make a move over just that bit of
wealth, the Spirit Emporium sure was persistent!
‘Could it be that… there are some precious artifacts amongst
the items received from the Mystical Treasure Hall that I don’t
know of?’
As he had obtained simply far too many objects from the
Mystical Treasure Hall, he hadn’t bothered checking them
properly.
However, considering that it was from Huanyu Empire, it
should be unlikely for it to be worth much in Hongyuan
Empire. Yet, the Spirit Emporium actually mobilized a Saint
realm expert for his possession!
This was no different from making a mountain out of a
molehill!
‘I should lure him out of the city and get rid of him!’ The more
Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more furious he felt.
To send one wave after another, was the Spirit Emporium not
tired of such games yet?
‘Dispatching four Ethereal Treading experts is already bad
enough, but to even mobilize a Saint realm expert for us… Are
you really that intent on seeing me rip apart your organization?
‘So what if your men have reached Saint realm?
‘Not even the Byzantium Helios Beast could subdue me, let
alone more your men!
‘If a war is what you want, I don’t mind allowing Vicious and
the other Otherworldly Demon puppets to make another
appearance!
‘Did you think that you could climb over my head just because
I am a newcomer in Hongyuan City?
‘No, I should still hold myself back. The Byzantium Helios
Beast has pledged allegiance to the Otherworldly Demonic
Tribe, so there is no harm in killing him. However, the enemy
this time around is a human, and the Spirit Emporium is aware
of this operation as well. If the other party were to be killed
and an investigation were to be conducted, I might risk
exposing the existence of the Otherworldly Demon puppets!’
While Zhang Xuan wanted to eliminate the conceited fellow
pursuing him, he knew that he mustn’t act recklessly.
Saints were the top powers in the city. The death of any single
one of them would cause a huge uproar, so it would be best to
avoid that altogether. On top of that, given that the Saint realm
expert was dispatched to deal with Sun Qiang, the Spirit
Emporium would surely know that their group was the culprit.
If the Spirit Emporium were to pull some strings and make a
case against them, Zhang Xuan might eventually come under
scrutiny as well.
And if the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious were
revealed to be in his possession in the midst of the
investigation, it would be difficult for him to account for that.
After all, how could a mere 4-star master teacher possess the
ability to tame the head of the Otherworldly Demons and
make those puppets obey his orders obediently?
There was no way he could absolve himself of blame once this
was exposed, so he had to ensure that he wasn’t put into such a
situation in the first place.
‘But if I don’t get rid of him, that will be a potential threat
looming above me… What can I do?’
Considering the vicious deeds that the Spirit Emporium had
committed over the years, what if the Saint realm expert were
to lay their hands on him, or even worse, his students?
He couldn’t possibly just sit idly and watch it all happen!
‘Seems like it’s about time to let Yang shi make an
appearance!’ After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan
made up his mind.
With his current capability, without tapping into the strength of
Vicious or the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it was impossible
for him to stand against a Saint realm expert. The only way he
could get out of this situation was to… hoodwink the other
party!
This wasn’t his first time doing something like this anyway.
As long as the other party acknowledged him as his teacher,
the Spirit Emporium would be unable to send the other party
after him.
With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began reshaping his
appearance to take on Yang Xuan’s form.
As his mastery of Heaven’s Path Golden Body deepened, he
became more and more proficient in warping his muscles to
alter his physical appearance, making it difficult for even a 6-
star pinnacle master teacher to see through the disguise.
Not even Mo Gaoyuan had suspected that he and Yang shi
were the same person back then.
Considering that his back was against the other party, it was
late at night, and the other party hadn’t seen his appearance
yet, he should be able to discreetly alter his appearance
without the other party noticing.
After warping his appearance, he drove his Heaven’s
Path zhenqi to alter the aura around him to create a fleeting
and unfathomable impression.
When all was done, he heaved a sigh of relief before discreetly
sending a glance behind.
‘Flaws!’ Zhang Xuan muttered internally.
In a sense, the flight of a Saint could be considered as the
execution of a battle technique as well as it required one to
drive their zhenqi, so he was able to compile a book on the
other party via the Library of Heaven’s Path.
Weng!
The Library of Heaven’s Path jolted as a book materialized.
As Zhang Xuan’s body continued soaring ahead, his
consciousness was already immersed in the Library of
Heaven’s Path, reading the book which had just been
compiled.
“Mu Yuan, 7-star master teacher from the Qingyuan Conferred
Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Saint realm 3-dan cultivator.
Flaws: …”
‘7-star master teacher? Saint realm 3-dan cultivator?’ Zhang
Xuan’s lips twitched as he nearly fell from the sky.
What was with the backing of the Spirit Emporium?!
How could they possibly be able to mobilize a 7-star master
teacher as well?
Why would someone of the other party’s standing travel all the
way from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher
Pavilion just to grab his possessions? Was this for real?
‘It’s fortunate that I didn’t bring out the puppets, or else the
one who would have been destroyed is me…’ While Zhang
Xuan felt frustrated inside, he also felt relieved as well.
He could easily deal with Saint 1-dan and 2-dan spirit beasts
with his bunch of puppets, but it would be a little iffy when it
came to 3-dan.
At Saint 1-dan Void Pursuit realm, Saints would open the
Zhukong acupoint, thus gaining the ability of free flight.
At Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, Saints would open
their Incipient Eye, allowing them to extend their psyche over
a distance, perceiving everything within their range spiritually.
Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was, in some ways, similar
to Chrysalis realm. In the latter, one would gather the
zhenqi stored within the dantian to forge an Embryonic Core,
otherwise termed as Golden Core. As for the former, an
Embryonic Soul reminiscent of an infant would break out of
the Embryonic Core. As a result, this realm was also termed as
Origin Soul realm.
Once one’s soul had been tempered into an Origin Soul, it
would be able to tap into the power of the world. At this realm,
one could be considered to have taken one’s first step into
Sainthood, gaining the ability to overturn oceans and move
mountains at a thought.
Furthermore, this would be done not through brute force but
via zhenqi itself.
Against a Saint 2-dan, Zhang Xuan’s twenty Otherworldly
Demon puppets could still overwhelm them with numbers.
However, if the enemy was an Embryonic Soul realm expert,
such a strategy wouldn’t work.
Even if he were to call upon Vicious’ prowess as well, it was
impossible to tell if that fellow had any other trump cards up
his sleeves.
If he wanted to call upon the Otherworldly Demon puppets
and Vicious, he would have to be completely certain that he
would be able to kill the other party. Otherwise, it would bring
endless trouble upon him.
‘Forget it, I should see what kind of flaws he has and use it
against him!’
Since neither fight nor flight was an option, he could only rely
on his glib tongue to hoodwink the other party into obeying his
commands. Success, he would be spared from danger, but
failure… he would be squashed on the spot.
Swiftly browsing through the other party’s flaws, Zhang Xuan
suddenly saw something that left his mouth widened and eyes
bulging.
‘This…’
750 Who Are You?
The content of the book was simply too shocking. Even with
Zhang Xuan’s worldliness, he still found it hard to believe his
eyes.
‘Forget it…’
However, this wasn’t the time to touch on that, so he swiftly
closed the book and went through the contents once more in
his head. After ensuring that everything was correct, he drove
his zhenqi and abruptly stopped in midair.
Flinging his sleeves, he placed his hands behind his back and
stood silently, not even bothering to turn his head around. For
an instant, his dashing profile resembled an immortal
departing on the clouds.
“The friend behind, surely you should be contented with
following me this far?” His cold voice echoed in the night sky.
“Oh, I sensed the aura of a close friend, so I came over to take
a look. On my way, I happened to catch sight of you, and my
curiosity got the better of me… However, I must say that you
do look rather unfamiliar. Are you from Hongyuan City?”
Mu shi replied with a smile.
Even though he suspected that the man standing before him
was related to the disappearance of Byzantium Helios Beast,
he had no concrete evidence to prove it, so there was no way
he could accuse the other party of the matter. Thus, he decided
that he would engage the other party in a conversation in
hopes of uncovering some clues from his words.
Standing with his back facing the other party, Zhang Xuan
harrumphed.
“As a master teacher from Qingyuan Conferred Empire, how
many of Hongyuan City’s experts could you possibly know?”
“You know that I’m from Qingyuan Conferred Empire?”
Mu shi was taken aback.
All along, the other party hadn’t even turned around, and he
didn’t reveal his true cultivation either. How did the other
party know that he was from Qingyuan Conferred Empire?
“The convergence of zhenqi at the Yehai acupoint before
flowing through the Three Mystic Acupoints, Nihai, Wuwei,
and Durang. Gathering the wood attribute spiritual energy
from the world to nourish your body, but skipping out on
the Huaihai and Longzhen acupoints… Such a bizarre
cultivation technique doesn’t exist in Hongyuan City, or even
in Qingyuan Conferred Empire at that. If I’m not mistaken,
you must be a member of the Mu Clan, one of the Sage
Clans!” an impassive voice explained from the front.
“Who are you?” Alarmed, Mu shi narrowed his eyes.
There was nearly no one who knew that he was from the Mu
Clan, and this included his closest friends in Qingyuan
Conferred Empire as well. Yet, the other party spoke of it
casually as if it couldn’t be any more obvious… What was the
identity of the man standing before him?
On top of that, the zhenqi circulation method that the other
party had just mentioned was a secret art of the Mu Clan,
exclusive to their own clansmen. How could the other party
know about it?
Could he be… a member of the Mu Clan as well?
Astonished, Mu shi immediately extended his Spiritual
Perception over and examined the man in front of him, only to
realize that he was peering into an abyss. The other party’s
aura was so profound and deep that all he could manage was
to scratch at the surface.
Considering that the other party could see through his identity
and cultivation with a glance, but he wasn’t able to do the
same… Could it mean that the man before him was even
stronger than he was?
Since when had there been such an expert in Hongyuan City?
“Who am I?” Upon hearing Mu shi’s question, the man
seemed to have been thrown into an ocean of nostalgia.
Eventually, he shook his head and replied, “It seems it has
been far too long since my last appearance that those of the
younger generation can’t even recognize me!”
There was a short moment of silence before the man continued
asking impassively, “Who is the current head of the Mu
Clan?”
Mu shi was reluctant to respond to that question, but after a
moment of hesitation, he still decided to speak up. “The
current clan head is my uncle, Mu Yan. May I ask if the senior
in front knows of my uncle?”
The current head of the Mu Clan, Mu Yan, wielded immense
reputation within the Master Teacher Pavilion of Conferred
Empires, so there was nothing much for him to hide.
He phrased his words carefully to indicate his identity as well,
in hopes that he could exert some pressure on the other party
and gain dominance over this exchange.
“Mu Yan?” The figure in front shook his head. “Never seen
him before. However, I did meet with his father on one
occasion!”
“Father? You mean… Old Ancestor Mu Tian?” Mu shi froze
for an instant before shock embraced every inch of him.
Mu Yan’s father, as well as Mu shi’s grandfather, Mu Tian,
was an ancient relic whose age exceeded 1300.
While Sainthood did alter the fundamental nature of one’s
existence, allowing one to live a lifespan exceeding that of
ordinary humans, 1000 years was usually the limit for most.
Never had there been a Saint who had gone beyond 2000 years
in age before.
Thus, those who had lived beyond a thousand could be
considered an old ancestor of the clan, and they would hardly
leave the confines of the main residence.
To have met with Old Ancestor Mu Tian… Could the man be
another old monster from the same era as him?
But that was impossible!
Even if those from that era were still living at this point in
time, they wouldn’t dare to travel beyond the confines of their
residences so easily. In order to clutch onto the final sparks of
life, they had to utilize all kinds of means… Otherwise, the
heavens would mercilessly fall upon them and reap their lives.
While he was unable to see through the cultivation of the man,
he could clearly feel the overwhelming vitality within his
body. This was unlike the withering that those old monsters
suffered from.
“Yes, that lad Mu Tian…” The man spoke deeply, his voice
carrying the vicissitudes of life.
“Lad…” Mu shi’s eyebrows shot up.
Old Ancestor Mu Tian was a 1300-year-old ancient relic, and
yet the other party called him a lad?
Just as Mu shi was overwhelmed with shock, the person in
front of him spoke up once again.
“The zhenqi of your Mu Clan is centered around balance and
harmony, allowing them to conceal their aura at will.
However, your aura feels unstable, and it seems like your
meridians have grown rigid. It seems like it has been many
years since you have last returned to your clan.”
“This…”
The other party was right, it had indeed been many years since
he last returned to the Mu Clan. It was to the point where most
of those in the Mu Clan had already forgotten about his
existence.
“Your aura feels heavy. Wood attribute zhenqi should be
ethereal, but I can feel the heaviness of the metal attribute
within it. If I’m not mistaken, it isn’t that you are unwilling to
return to your clan, but that you were expelled from it,” that
voice continued.
“H-h-how did you know?” Shocked, Mu shi nearly lost control
of himself and plummeted to the ground.
The other party’s deductions were spot-on.
The reason why he hadn’t returned to his clan after so many
years was not because he was unwilling to, but that he had
been expelled and he was too ashamed to return.
However… this was a secret he had hidden in the depths of his
heart, and he had never spoken about it to another soul before.
On the other hand, the Mu Clan regarded it as a huge
humiliation, so it was impossible for them to have leaked the
news either. How did the man before him learn of this matter?
Did he really guess this much just by peering into his zhenqi
circulation?
If that was the case, wasn’t the man before him a little too
overpowered!
How could there be a person in the world with such discerning
eyes?
“As a person who cultivates wood attribute zhenqi,
your Yingtai and Tianmen acupoints should have a slight tinge
of green, but it is taking on a dark shade of red instead. With
just a glance, one can tell that it’s the result of conflicting
energies within your body. Of the five elements, wood curbs
earth, earth curbs water, water curbs fire, fire curbs metal, and
metal curbs wood. The only element that could cause such
immense damage to your body is metal. If I’m not mistaken,
someone must have planted some form of metal attribute
energy within your body, thus suppressing your cultivation and
talent!” the man in front replied.
“This…” Mu shi’s body stiffened.
Every single word that the other party spoke dredged up the
secrets which he had sealed in the bottom of his heart, leaving
him terrified and apprehensive.
The other party was right, he was indeed expelled from his
clan. However, it wasn’t that he was framed, but that he had
committed an unforgivable act.
The story had to be traced back to five hundred years ago.
Back then, the young and talented him had become a 6-star
master teacher before even reaching his forties, making him a
celebrated genius within the clan.
He’d thought that with such talent, even at the very worst, he
would become one of the core elders of the clan and leave his
mark in history. Who could have known that… in one of the
experiential training sessions, he would meet with a fair
maiden whom, after going through a life-and-death situation
with, he would deeply fall in love with.
He’d thought that even if nothing else in this world was
constant, their love would be perpetual. He devoted his entire
life to her, even going to the extent of imparting his clan’s
exclusive cultivation technique to her.
But eventually, he found out that the other party was making
use of him to exact vengeance on his clan.
His clan soon learned of this issue, and with the crime of
leaking out the clan’s confidential secrets and bringing an
enemy into their midst, he was expelled from the clan!
After leaving the clan, he learned that the woman had planted
a metal attribute energy deep inside his body at some point,
suppressing his cultivation.
As a result, despite five hundred years of effort, he had only
managed to progress from 6-star to 7-star high-tier, unable to
advance any further than that.
Ashamed, he had always hidden this wound in the depths of
his heart, unwilling to reveal it to anyone else. But the other
party was able to see through it just by looking at his acupoints
and zhenqi… Even 7-star master teachers didn’t possess such
an eye of discernment!
Could he be… an 8-star master teacher?
But how could that be?
Beyond 6-star, every single rank progression would become
exponentially more difficult, as if trying to surmount a
mountain that became increasingly steeper with every step
taken. Take him for example, it had been three hundred years
since he had become a 7-star high-tier master teacher, but he
was still unable to take the next step forward.
As such, 8-star master teachers were extremely rare, and each
and every one of them was a well-known figure whose
reputation resounded throughout the Master Teacher
Continent.
If the other party was an 8-star master teacher, he should have
at least heard of him… But the other party didn’t seem to fit
any of the profiles of the 8-star master teachers he knew.
Furthermore, why would an 8-star master teacher appear in
Hongyuan Empire?
“With your cultivation suppressed by the metal attribute
energy within you, you know that it is impossible for you to
progress any further in your cultivation. Thus, you decided to
stop cultivating altogether and spend your time with nature
instead… So many years have already passed, don’t you want
to return back to your Mu Clan and visit your family?” the
man in front asked.
“I… Even if I wish to return, how can I?” Mu shi’s face
flushed in agitation.
His clan was where his family and friends were, how could he
possibly not want to return?
But… How could he return?
Putting aside how his cultivation was beginning to decline
under the backlash of the metal attribute energy within his
body, just the deed he had done five hundred years ago left
him too ashamed to return.
“It was fate that I met that lad Mu Tian many years ago, and
it’s also fate that we met one another. Since that’s the case,
allow me to offer a pointer then. Perhaps, you might be able to
break out of the chains you are trapped in.” The man in front
waved his hands.
“Pointer?” Mu shi was surprised by those words.
“That’s right. While it’s hard for you to expel the metal
attribute energy in your body due to your cultivation being
suppressed by it, it isn’t entirely impossible to do it. I’ll impart
a zhenqi circulation method to you, and as long as you practice
it diligently, recovery won’t be an issue!” the man in front
said.
“You will… impart a zhenqi circulation method to me? Who
are you?” Mu shi narrowed his eyes.
In fear of crossing the laws of the world, high-ranked master
teachers wouldn’t offer their guidance to anyone easily, unless
there was a karmic debt involved.
Take Empyrean Kong shi for example, even though he was
known to have more than three thousand students, only 72 of
them had received his true heritage.
It was the first time that the both of them had met, so why
should the other party offer him a pointer?
He might have been a genius when he was younger, but with
his bodily function deteriorating and his cultivation declining,
the potential he once wielded had already been sapped dry.
What was the other party’s goal for helping him?
The ploy he had fallen into when he was younger had already
cost him dearly; he wouldn’t allow himself to fall into another
scheme easily.
“Who am I?” The figure in front burst into laughter.
“Are you doubting my identity?”
Hong long!
As soon as those words were spoken, an overwhelming aura
abruptly burst from that man’s body.
Upon feeling the oppressive aura that the other party was
exerting, Mu shi’s body tensed up, and his blood ran cold.
Before the compelling might of the other party, the strength
which he had always taken pride in seemed as weak as a
measly ant’s. It was as though, if the other party willed it so,
he could be torn to shreds the very next moment.
Hong long long!
Just as he was being suffocated by the immense power
crushing down on him, the other party’s aura abruptly
changed. This time, it felt as if it harnessed the might of the
world around him, creating an inviolable authority to his
presence.
It was as if the man before him was acknowledged by the
heavens, his presence carrying the weight of the world itself.
There was no being that was worthy of standing as an equal
with him.
“Celestial Master Teacher? You are… a Celestial Master
Teacher?”
A thought flashed across Mu shi’s mind, and his body began
shaking uncontrollably.
751 Grandteacher?
Celestial Master Teachers possessed the recognition of the
heavens. Their aura carried the might of the world, forcing all
beings to submit to them.
In the long history of the Master Teacher Continent, the only
man who was known to have become a Celestial Master
Teacher was only Kong shi himself. Even his direct disciples,
the 72 Sages, hadn’t reached such a level, and yet the man
before him was actually a Celestial Master Teacher…
A freezing chill ran through Mu shi’s body, and the immense
fear he felt left him incapable of speaking.
A Celestial Master Teacher was an existence whom even the
heavens recognized, and yet he actually doubted such a
person…
At this moment, he was really dying to give himself two sharp
slaps for the foolishness he had spouted!
Hu!
Amidst his trembling, the figure ahead of him casually waved
his hands, and that terrifying aura vanished instantaneously,
returning an unnerving calm to the night.
At the same time, the figure turned around as well.
He was a middle-aged man somewhere between his thirties
and forties. He had a pair of sharp eyes that were gleaming
with wisdom, and vaguely, one could see several thin strings
floating within.
“Eye of Insight…” Mu shi’s body trembled in shock yet again.
Even though it was said that a master teacher could
comprehend Eye of Insight upon reaching 6-star, the truth was
that only the greatest of geniuses were able to do so. Even
within the Sage Clans, it was extremely rare to see anyone
comprehending the Eye of Insight.
Putting everything aside, even him, a famed genius of the Mu
Clan back in his days, didn’t succeed in comprehending the
Eye of Insight.
If only he had comprehended it, he wouldn’t have been toyed
with by another back then, resulting in his current plight.
Of the Ten Great Master Teachers in Hongyuan Empire, not a
single one of them had comprehended the Eye of Insight…
Through this, it could be seen how difficult the feat was.
This explained why the other party was able to see through his
problems with just a glance and deduce that he was expelled
from the Mu Clan…
Probably only someone who possessed the Eye of Insight
would be able to do so!
At this instant, the final sliver of doubt that Mu shi harbored
finally vanished, leaving nothing but respect for the man
before him.
Not daring to pull his weight before the other party, he bowed
deeply and said, “I apologize for my insolence. I beseech elder
to enlighten me…”
“Alright.” The middle-aged man nodded. “That’s more like it.
You should be glad that I don’t have the interest of squabbling
with a junior. Stand still and don’t resist it!”
The middle-aged man raised his hand and flicked his finger.
Suddenly, Mu shi felt a jolt run through his body as a zhenqi
circulation method suddenly came into his mind. Every single
word was extremely vivid, as though they were imprinted right
onto his consciousness.
“Soul Impartation?” Mu shi’s face paled.
As a 7-star master teacher, his soul was already sufficiently
powerful to conduct Soul Impartation as well. However, to do
it from such a far distance away, and for the content to be so
clearly imprinted into his mind at that… Not even an 8-star
low-tier master teacher could do that!
Fearsome!
As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher!
“The Huaihai and Longzhen acupoints represent water and
dragon respectively; those are the acupoints where water
attribute spiritual energy usually gathers in the human body.
Due to the unique cultivation technique of the Mu Clan, it’s
inevitable that you avoided channeling spiritual energy into
those two acupoints.
“However, with your wood attribute zhenqi suppressed by the
metal attribute energy, you could use these two acupoints to
your advantage and resolve your problem. In the elemental
cycle, water gives rise to wood. It can empower your wood
attribute zhenqi, giving you the strength to overwhelm the
metal attribute energy rampaging within your body!”
After imparting the relevant knowledge, the middle-aged man
explained it impassively with his hands behind his back.
At this point, Mu shi had also just finished looking through
the zhenqi circulation method which the other party had
imparted him. Even though the middle-aged man only touched
on the very foundation of cultivation, it was directed toward
the root of Mu shi’s problem. It was as if the clouds which had
veiled his eyes had parted all of the sudden, and before him lay
a brand-new world.
If he were to practice the zhenqi circulation method, he was
confident that he would be able to suppress the metal attribute
energy in his body easily. Perhaps… after a three-hundred-
year stagnation, he might finally be able to take another step
forward once more!
To be able to see through the problems in his cultivation and
offer a solution to it… The man before him was truly
fearsome!
Bowing politely, Mu shi asked, “Teacher, I am deeply grateful
to you for your enlightenment. If it’s not beyond me, may I ask
for your esteemed name?”
As simple as the other party’s teachings might have been, it
had resolved the issues which had plagued him for several
centuries. Considering what the other party had done for him,
it wouldn’t be too much to address him as ‘teacher’.
Besides, if he could acknowledge such a formidable man as
his teacher and receive his guidance, he might just be able to
return to his clan one day.
“Teacher?” the middle-aged man opposite to him frowned.
It seemed as if he was displeased with that address.
“I apologize, I seem to have been getting ahead of myself.
Given that you are a peer of my old ancestor, I should be
calling you grandteacher…” Mu shi suddenly realized the
other party’s ties with his old ancestor, so he swiftly changed
his words with a fearful shudder.
“Ah?” Hearing Mu shi’s words, the middle-aged man seemed
to become even more astonished.
Naturally, the ‘middle-aged man’ was Zhang Xuan. The
reason he’d assumed Yang Xuan’s identity was in hopes that
he could strike fear into the heart of the other party and resolve
the current crisis he was in. He’d thought that with the zhenqi
circulation method he had imparted, the other party would
consider him as a half-teacher, and that would make him
abandon all malicious thoughts against him and his students.
Who would have thought that under his hoodwinking, the
other party would actually end up acknowledging him as his
teacher!
No matter what, the other party was a 7-star master teacher!
With such prowess, he could be considered a top-tier power in
Conferred Empires!
For such a figure to acknowledge him as his teacher, it was no
wonder that he would be shocked, so he ended up hesitating
for an instant. Who could have thought that the moment of
hesitation would cause a misunderstanding that resulted in the
other party addressing him as grandteacher instead…
The heck!
This change was a way too fast!
But since the other party had already addressed him as
grandteacher, it would be awkward to get him to address him
as teacher instead. Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded and said, “I am
Yang Xuan!”
“Yang Xuan…” Mu shi nodded as he jotted down the name in
his head. “May I know where I can find grandteacher if I have
any questions for you in the future?”
“It is the work of fate that we met, and it has come to an end
with my impartation. If fate wills it, we will meet once more.
Otherwise, it can only mean that our paths aren’t meant to
intersect.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.
It was too tiring for him to put on an act before a 7-star master
teacher. He was already exhausted with just a few minutes of
disguise, how could he possibly do it in the long run?
Thus, it would be best if they never meet again anymore…
“This…” Seeing that the other party was unwilling to get too
involved with him, Mu shi could only clasp his fist and bow to
bid the other party farewell in disappointment.
By the time he raised his head once more, the elder before him
had already vanished amidst the night sky.
“Yang Xuan, Yang shi…”
Reciting the other party’s name in his heart, Mu shi sighed
deeply.
With this matter dealt with, he returned to searching the area
for the Byzantium Helios Beast, but with no results
whatsoever, he could only return to the academy helplessly.
…
‘That was close!’
After getting out of Mu shi’s range, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh
of relief.
He’d never thought that Mu shi would actually be a member of
a Sage Clan, as well as a 7-star master teacher.
Why would a person of such strength and standing work for
the Spirit Emporium?
‘It seems like he was indeed looking for someone when he met
me…’ Zhang Xuan thought woefully.
Just what kind of luck did he have?
To think that even just a casual trip out of the city would end
with him meeting such a formidable expert! It was fortunate
that he had reacted swiftly to hoodwink the other party,
otherwise who knew what would remain of him now.
“Forget it. Since my luck isn’t too good today, I should return
to my residence and rest for the day. I’ll think about it after I
tear down the Spirit Emporium tomorrow!”
Zhang Xuan was still considering whether he should vent his
anger on the Byzantium Helios Beast, but considering the
string of misfortunes he’d experienced today, he decided to
drop the idea.
Reverting back to his original appearance, Zhang Xuan
returned to his residence. When he walked in, he saw that the
Great Violetwing Beast had already managed to make the four
men bow to it in submission.
Paying it no heed, Zhang Xuan returned straight to his room
and cultivated for a short moment. By the time he opened his
eyes once more, the sun had already risen.
Even though he hadn’t slept the entire night, he still felt
refreshed and energized.
Stretching his back lazily, he walked out of his room.
After eating breakfast, he called Zheng Yang and the others
over to decipher some of the intricacies in their cultivation
technique before finally heading to the Spirit Emporium with
the Great Violetwing Beast, Sun Qiang, and the four masked
men.
The Spirit Emporium was the place where most valuable
artifacts in Hongyuan City were traded. Even before reaching
it, there was already a huge crowd in the area.
“This is a black market, so there is no prohibition on the sales
of stolen items as well. On top of that, due to the shady
background of these items, their price tends to be lower than
the average market price, so it’s quite popular among
cultivators,” Sun Qiang explained.
There were laws in Hongyuan Empire prohibiting robbery and
related crimes, so it was impossible to sell stolen artifacts
openly. As such, they could only be sold at a lower price in
black markets, and the Spirit Emporium was the largest one in
Hongyuan Empire.
However, the low prices of its goods did attract a fair number
of cultivators.
After all, cultivating was an extremely money-burning activity.
Just like Zhang Xuan, most cultivators had no financial
backing, so they had to find some way to earn their own spirit
stones and resources to advance their cultivation. As such,
they were more than glad to scrimp wherever they could.
Soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at a majestic building several dozen
meters high.
“To think that the building is a complete system in itself. If
I’m not mistaken, it seems to be a massive, engineered product
by celestial designers!” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.
Despite the immense size of the Spirit Emporium, it felt like a
single entity rather than parts placed together. If his deduction
wasn’t off, there should be many mechanisms installed within
the building to turn it into a massive system of mechanisms.
As expected of the center of Hongyuan City’s artifact market,
even the venue was an incredible artifact in itself.
If this building were to be put on sale, there was little doubt
that it would fetch an astronomical price. Putting everything
aside, it would probably take dozens of 5-star celestial
engineers at least a year of hard work even if they were to
work day and night without rest.
Zhang Xuan walked up to the wall and placed his hand against
it. After looking through the details in the Library of Heaven’s
Path, he nodded in commendation before following the crowd
into the building.
The interior of the building was nothing short of magnificent.
All kinds of artifacts were laid around the main hall, and each
of them was of decent grade. Even though there was no price
labeled on them, considering how so many people were
rushing to obtain them, they should be at an affordable range.
“Young Master, look!” At that moment, Sun Qiang’s tense
voice sounded as he pointed at a certain direction.
Zhang Xuan traced his finger and saw a patrol team walking
around the area.
There were six members in the team, and each of them
possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan at
minimum. The one standing at the very front, presumably the
leader of the group, was a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan
Chrysalis realm expert.
“The patrol team is in charge of maintaining order within the
Spirit Emporium. If anyone were to cause trouble in the area,
they would be kicked out in an instant,” Sun Qiang explained.
Zhang Xuan nodded slightly in response.
With so many artifacts lying around the room, and not to
mention the vile deeds the Spirit Emporium did in the
shadows, if they didn’t possess some backing and power, their
business would have long been overturned by rivals and
enemies.
“This…” Doubtful, Sun Qiang opened his mouth to say
something, but he eventually closed it hesitantly.
Wasn’t the young master here to wreak havoc in their place?
But considering how even the patrol team possessed such
astounding strength, how were they supposed to cause any
trouble?
Most likely, they would be thrown out as soon as they tried to
start something.
Knowing what Sun Qiang was thinking about, a chilling smile
surfaced on Zhang Xuan’s lips.
“Violence is not the only way to wreak havoc…”
Since the Spirit Emporium dared to lay its hands on his
students and his butler, it must be taught a lesson.
But was violence the only way to teach someone a lesson?
They were in Hongyuan City, the capital of a Tier-1 Empire,
not some shady underworld city. On top of that, Zhang Xuan
was a master teacher himself, the role model of the populace.
How could someone as noble as him possibly go around using
his fists to beat others up?
On the other hand, Sun Qiang blinked in confusion,
uncomprehending of what Zhang Xuan was driving at.
“Just follow me!” Zhang Xuan chuckled as his eyes scanned
through the various artifacts placed on the shelves.
There was a wide assortment of items—ores, pills, armor,
weapon, formation plates… Anything that a cultivator needed,
it seemed as if one would surely be able to find it here.
The cultivators in the area were also busy roaming the area,
looking around for items suitable for their use.
After a casual walk around the main hall, Zhang Xuan
abruptly came to a halt. With a faint smile, he instructed, “Get
an attendant here!”
“Yes!”
Sun Qiang had no idea what the young master was up to, but
since the latter had issued an instruction, he dared not hesitate.
Thus, he immediately made his way to the front reception.
752 Zhang Xuan Buys an
Artifac
Not too long later, Sun Qiang returned with an attendant. As
soon as he caught sight of the young master, he couldn’t help
but freeze in shock.
At this moment, the young master was wearing an extravagant
robe that screamed exorbitance. In his hand was a foldable fan,
which he was using to fan himself leisurely. An arrogant smirk
sat on his lips. From afar, it looked as if he was a profligate
scion.
‘What is the young master up to?’ Sun Qiang thought in
bewilderment.
However, not wanting to foil the young master’s ploy, he
suppressed his astonishment and walked up to the latter,
clasped his fist, and greeted obediently, “Young master!”
Back in Tianxuan Kingdom, the old master had also brought
him to Tianyu Trading Firm once and behaved bizarrely. In the
end, Ling Tianyu made a personal visit to their residence and
even willingly gave up large sums of money to them. Could it
be that the young master was trying the same tactic as well?
“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded before shooting a sideward glance
at the attendant behind Sun Qiang. “You are the manager
here?”
The attendant smiled.
“I am not a manager, but I should be able to answer most of
your queries…”
The attendant was a young man who seemed to be in his early
thirties, possessing the cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-
dan. As an attendant here, he was in charge of introducing and
selling the products on display, so he did possess some
authority here.
“That’s good. I wish to buy a few items, recommend me some
of the more expensive artifacts here!” Zhang Xuan said
proudly as he waved his fan leisurely.
‘Expensive artifacts?’ Sun Qiang’s eyelids twitched.
He had conducted business at one point in his life, so he
understood the various conventions in the market. For fear of
being taken advantage of, most buyers would choose to
maintain a low profile, feigning a lack of money just to push
down the prices. Yet, the young master had actually asked for
the attendant to recommend the expensive artifacts… Wasn’t
this practically screaming ‘I have too much money on hand,
please take advantage of me!’?
Such a customer was a dream come true for any store
attendant; they would be mistreating themselves if they didn’t
attempt to make a killing out of him!
Wasn’t the young master here to exact vengeance?
Why did it seem as if he was trying to give money to the Spirit
Emporium instead?
As expected, upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, the eyes of
the attendant immediately lit up. He immediately walked up to
a nearby shelf and gestured toward an item. “Young Master,
this Bronze Gong is an excellent artifact smithed by a 6-star
blacksmith. It has reached Spirit intermediate-tier…”
On the shelf was a bronze gong with several inscriptions on it.
A cold gleam reflected off its surface.
“Let me take a look!” Zhang Xuan gestured for the attendant
to bring the Bronze Gong to him.
“Sure!” A gleam flickered across the attendant’s eyes as he
hurriedly took down the gong and passed it over respectfully
with both hands.
Zhang Xuan casually took it and slapped it lightly with his
palm.
Weng!
A resounding metallic call echoed from the gong, and a
powerful gale swept into the surroundings, creating an
immense pressure on the crowd in the area.
“This is good stuff…” Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan
casually tossed the gong to Sun Qiang before glancing
leisurely at the attendant. “How much does it cost?”
After a moment of hesitation, the attendant said, “Young
Master, this Bronze Gong was smithed personally by 6-star
Blacksmith Zhu Quan more than a hundred years ago. Not
only is it a powerful weapon, it can also be considered as a
valuable antique with significant history behind it. To be
honest, it’s one of the top treasures of our Spirit Emporium, so
the price… might be a little steep!”
“Here it comes…” Sun Qiang shook his head as he heard the
words and the tone of the attendant.
This fellow was indeed scheming. Seeing that the young
master was a ‘public gold mine’, he intentionally phrased his
words in a provocative manner, suggesting that the Bronze
Gong was beyond the financial ability of the young master.
It was a cliché trick, but somehow, it was peculiarly effective
on those prideful profligate scions…
Just as Sun Qiang was thinking that the attendant would be
sorely disappointed, the calm young master of his suddenly
harrumphed coldly. “A little steep? Are you trying to say that I
won’t be able to afford it?”
Sun Qiang clutched his forehead and nearly burst into tears.
‘Young Master… Are you sure that you are here for
vengeance?
‘Why does it seem like you are a new rich scion in town
asking for others to scam you of your wealth?’
“Of course not, there is no doubt that a man as noble as you
will be able to afford it…”
As if embarrassed by his previous doubts, the attendant smiled
awkwardly. After which, he gritted his teeth in hesitation, as if
he was going to make a huge loss from this deal, before
mustering up his determination and said, “This Bronze Gong
is worth five thousand middle-tier spirit stones, but your
straightforward and candid personality has won my respect.
Thus, if you really wish to buy it, I will negotiate with my
manager to sell it to you at three thousand spirit stones!”
‘Three thousand?’ Sun Qiang spewed a mouthful of blood.
What else could this be if not daylight robbery?!
An attendant was marketing this Bronze Gong to another
customer when he came yesterday, and the offered price was
only one thousand middle-tier spirit stone. But in the end, the
customer turned down the deal. Yet, this attendant actually
dared to say that it was worth five thousand, and even acted as
if he was making a huge loss by selling it at three thousand…
Did he take them to be fools?
Just as Sun Qiang was about to offer a word of advice to the
young master, the latter nodded in satisfaction and said, “The
work of a 6-star blacksmith is indeed worth such a price. Sun
Qiang, wrap it up. I will be taking it!”
“You will be taking it?” Unable to believe his ears, Sun
Qiang’s body swayed weakly.
Did the young master eat something wrong this morning?
Putting aside the fact that they didn’t even have three thousand
middle-tier spirit stones with them at the moment, even if they
did, they shouldn’t waste it on something as useless as this!
What 6-star blacksmith or Zhu Quan whatsoever, it was clear
that was all bullshit!
With that much money, one could easily afford a Spirit high-
tier weapon! Why would one spend it on this?
But since the young master had said that he would be taking
him, it would be inappropriate for him, as a servant, to refute
his decision. Thus, he could only go along with it.
The attendant also widened his eyes in surprise at the sight. He
hadn’t thought that Zhang Xuan would take the gong so
swiftly.
That useless object had already been sitting on their shelves
for several months, and despite their best efforts, they hadn’t
been able to sell it out. Yet, the other party actually bought it
without hesitation. It seemed like he had really happened upon
an easy gold mine this time around!
With a hand behind his back and the other fanning him
leisurely, Zhang Xuan said impatiently, “Is there anything
more expensive and better in the store? Don’t tell me that the
best product your Spirit Emporium has is only this Spirit
intermediate-tier Bronze Gong?”
It was as if the item he had bought was too cheap, unworthy of
someone of his standing.
“We do! Of course, we have far better products than the
Bronze Gong!” The attendant’s eyes lit up. Just as he was
about to lead the way to the other shelves, he suddenly paused
for an instant before asking, “Young master, regarding the
money for the Bronze Gong…”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust the young man before him, but it
was difficult to tell what could happen in the next moment. To
be safe, it would be better for him to collect the money first.
“Are you suggesting that I’ll renege on my payment? How
dare you!”
As if his dignity had been sullied, Zhang Xuan harrumphed
coldly. Just as he was about to fly to a temper, he suddenly fell
into a momentary contemplation before saying, “Fine, take
this. With this, you should work harder on finding items for
me!”
With those words, he flicked his wrist and threw a spirit stone
over casually.
The attendant caught it and subconsciously glanced at the item
in his hand. The next moment, he froze. “High-tier spirit
stone…”
The item that the other party had thrown over casually
contained spiritual energy so pure that he could feel a tingling
sensation in his skin.
It was actually a high-tier spirit stone!
High-tier spirit stones were only useful to Chrysalis realm
experts and above. However, due to its rarity, often, only Saint
realm experts would have it in their possession. Yet, the other
party threw it to him so easily just to purchase the Bronze
Gong…
He couldn’t help but feel his throat run dry.
“That’s right. A high-tier spirit stone is worth ten thousand
middle-tier spirit stone, so that should be enough to cover the
Bronze Gong, right?” Zhang Xuan sneered coldly.
“Enough, it’s more than enough…” The attendant hurriedly
nodded.
All the doubts he harbored regarding the customer before him
vanished in an instant.
How could a person who would fork out a high-tier spirit stone
easily possibly renege on his payment? Most likely, the other
party was a young master from some wealthy clan, and having
lived in luxury from young, he was accustomed to spending
such large sums of money.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and lead the way!”
Zhang Xuan snapped.
“Yes!” After seeing the high-tier spirit stone, the attitude of the
attendant became even more respectful than before.
He hurriedly led them through the crowd, and soon, they
arrived in the depths of the Spirit Emporium.
There were significantly fewer people here, but those who
were present here were notable personages in the capital. The
items that were placed on the shelves in the room were also
clearly much more valuable than those in the main hall.
Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the items.
“Spirit high-tier weapon, rare ores, a spirit fruit which can
extend one’s longevity…”
Under the discerning gaze of his Eye of Insight, he swiftly
identified the various items in the room.
As expected of the Spirit Emporium! Even to someone as
picky as Zhang Xuan, he couldn’t help but feel a little moved
by some of the items in the room.
Suddenly, his gaze stopped on a certain artifact, and the edges
of his lips crept up. Following which, he began walking
toward a jade box on the shelf.
Gesturing to the jade box, Zhang Xuan asked, “What is this?”
“This is a grade-6 Bottleneck Surmounting Pill! A
Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert can advance one’s
cultivation stage by consuming it, and there are no
prerequisites to it. On top of that, it was forged by Vice School
Head Luo of the Apothecary School personally, making it
extremely valuable!” the attendant said.
“Grade-6 Bottleneck Surmounting Pill?”
The higher one’s cultivation, the more difficult it would be to
advance it. It was truly incredible for a pill to be able to raise a
Chrysalis realm expert’s cultivation by a single stage without
any prerequisites to it. It was difficult to imagine the value of
the pill.
“Let me take a look,” Zhang Xuan said.
“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t allow anyone to touch it, but since
you are the one who wishes to look at it, I’ll bring it to you…”
Knowing that the man standing before him was a big fish, the
attendant agreed with a smile.
“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
The attendant stepped forward, opened the protective casing,
took the jade box from the shelves, and opened it gently.
Hong long!
A surge of pure spiritual energy gushed from the box, leaving
one feeling refreshed throughout. It felt like, if one consumed
the pill, one would surely make immense progress in one’s
cultivation.
Green mist drifted above the pill, and it felt as if it would
morph into a dragon at any moment and escape.
Despite only being Formation-grade, perhaps due to the
valuable medicinal herbs involved in the forging process, it
was still pulsating with energy. Most likely, its price would be
exorbitant as well.
“It’s a good pill…”
“A grade-6 pill! Even if I wanted to buy it, I couldn’t afford it
at all!”
“Indeed, it’s too expensive…”
The surge of spiritual energy from the opening of the jade box
had caught the eyes of many in the area.
The guests who were browsing through the other artifacts
shifted their attention to the source.
Seeing that the pill was catching many gazes, Zhang Xuan
waved his hands and said, “Close the lid. This pill is not bad.
How much does it cost? I’ll take it!”
Hearing that the other party would take it, the attendant closed
the lid swiftly and replied excitedly, “As this is a grade-6 pill
forged by the vice head of the Apothecary School, using 81
different valuable herbs, it’s inevitable that its price is higher
than other pills. If you want it, you can have it at a discounted
price of two high-tier spirit stone!”
“Two high-tier spirit stone?”
“What kind of lousy price is that?”
“Wasn’t it five thousand middle-tier spirit stones just a few
days ago? When did the price inflate to two high-tier spirit
stones?”
…
A huge commotion broke out in the area.
Most of those gathered were frequent guests of the Spirit
Emporium, so they had a rough gauge of the prices of the
items displayed here.
Even though the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill had reached
grade-6, it was only at a low-tier. On top of that, the pill had
barely achieved Formation. As such, it was only worth five
thousand middle-tier spirit stones at most. To actually attempt
to sell it for two high-tier spirit stones… That attendant must
be out of his mind!
Just as everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would turn it down
due to its exorbitant price, the other party glanced at the pill
and said, “A grade-6 pill for two high-tier spirit stones, that
isn’t too expensive. I’ll take it!”
“He’s going buy it?”
Everyone was stunned. They had seen plenty of foolish men in
their time, but never had they seen such a dimwit before!
Did price not matter to him when it came to buying items?
“That’s great. I’ll have it wrapped up for you right now…”
Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan would buy it, the attendant
leaped in joy. He hurriedly passed the jade box into Sun
Qiang’s hands.
However, at that moment, Zhang Xuan abruptly frowned in
worry and asked, “Could the items you sell possibly be
fakes?”
“Fakes? You sure are good at jesting!” the attendant swiftly
replied.
“The items sold in our Spirit Emporium have undergone the
appraisal of master appraisers, so it’s impossible for there to be
any fakes in here. If you were to find any fakes amidst our
goods, our Spirit Emporium will refund you tenfold of the
selling price!”
753 These Are All Fakes!
“Tenfold the selling price? Is that for real?” Zhang Xuan asked
worriedly, seemingly unconvinced by the attendant’s words.
“Of course! Our Spirit Emporium prides itself on its
credibility!” the attendant replied.
“I see… Since you are willing to go so far to guarantee your
credibility, I’ll trust you for now. I’ll pick out a few more
items first before paying for them together later on!” Hearing
the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Credibility? Sun Qiang’s mouth twitched.
An organization that murders others to steal their possessions,
what kind of credibility can it possibly have?
You’ve got to be kidding me!
The young master actually believes this kind of nonsense?
More importantly, regardless of whether the young master
believes that or not, we don’t have the money to pay for the
items!
The high-tier spirit stone given to the attendant previously was
the prize which the young master obtained back in the Master
Teacher Tournament. With even that gone, they were
completely broke. How could they possibly afford the
Bottleneck Surmounting Pill now?
Hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to pick a few more items,
the attendant nodded in excitement.
“That’s fine, feel free to!”
Since the other party was willing to toss a high-tier spirit stone
out so casually, it could only mean that he had no lack of
money. Besides, even if he couldn’t afford it then, with the
security around the Spirit Emporium, he couldn’t possibly take
the items away with him as well.
The attendants in the Spirit Emporium were paid on
commission depending on the amount of spirit stones they
earned for the store.
As long as he could seal this deal, he could easily earn a sum
greater than the sales commissions he had received over the
last few years.
“Un.” Nodding, Zhang Xuan walked around the shelves before
him, and raising his fan, he pointed to one item after another.
“This, this, this…”
Soon, he had already pointed out eight of the items.
Seeing Zhang Xuan pointing out so many items at once, the
attendant’s face slowly grew redder and redder.
The items placed on display here were the more valuable
artifacts in the store, and every single one of them was worth a
fortune. Perhaps, he might just be able to earn enough money
for his entire life through this deal!
The attendant wasn’t the only one who was reacting so
intensely to Zhang Xuan’s actions, the crowd in the
surroundings had frozen in shock as well.
Buying a grade-6 low-tier pill with two high-tier spirit stones
had already blown their minds, and yet that fellow was still
going on a shopping spree. When did such an extravagant, rich
man come to Hongyuan City?
“I’ll immediately take those items down for you!” The
attendant hurriedly took down the items pointed to in agitation
and began calculating the price.
“Leave those eight items aside, wrap the remaining items up
for me!” Zhang Xuan waved his fan casually.
Putong!
The attendant’s knees suddenly caved in at those words, and
he nearly collapsed to the ground in astonishment.
The lower jaws of the crowd fell to the ground.
Even Sun Qiang nearly keeled over from those words.
He knew that he had often behaved brazenly due to the old
master’s backing, but from the looks of it now, he couldn’t
even hold a candle to the young master!
To put aside the eight of the items and take everything else…
There were at least a hundred items on display here, and a
large portion of them were weapons and armor, which were
valued at several high-tier spirit stones at the very least! To
take all of them at once…
That would at least cost a hundred high-tier spirit stones!
Could he definitely afford such a sum?
He did know that he’d be pummeled to death if he failed to
fork out the money later on, right?
After a long moment, the attendant finally recovered
sufficiently to ask hoarsely, “You want… everything else?”
He was still thinking a while ago that, with the commission
from those eight items, he could easily live extravagantly for
the rest of his life, but the other party was actually intending to
take everything else except for those eight! He had truly
stumbled upon the God of Fortune this time around! As long
as he sealed this deal, he would have sufficient money to feed
ten generations of his descendants!
“That’s right. Wrap them up for me!” Zhang Xuan waved his
hands arrogantly.
“Yes!”
The attendant pinched himself hard, and it was only upon
feeling the sharp pain that he finally believed he wasn’t
dreaming. He hurriedly gathered all of the items together and
began calculating the price.
“All in all, there are 93 items, and the total sum is… 237 high-
tier spirit stones!” the attendant said with a quivering voice.
“237 high-tier spirit stones? That isn’t too expensive!” Zhang
Xuan nodded before gesturing to Sun Qiang, “Butler, pay
him!”
Pay him? Sun Qiang froze.
You are asking me to pay him? But I don’t even have a single
high-tier spirit stone on me, what am I supposed to pay him
with?
Just as Sun Qiang was at a loss for what to do, Zhang Xuan
abruptly raised his hand, seemingly stopping Sun Qiang from
making a move, before gazing at the pile of items warily.
“Wait a moment! Are you certain that every single item here is
authentic, and if I find any fakes, you will refund me tenfold?”
“Of course! All of the items here were personally verified by a
6-star appraiser, Master Mo Fei! There is definitely no
problem with their quality!” The attendant swiftly reassured
Zhang Xuan.
“I trust you, but I want to be absolutely sure that they are all
authentic. How about you invite Master Mo Fei here to
appraise them right before me? Only then can I dispel my
doubts and buy these items!” Zhang Xuan said.
“This…”
The attendant hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright
then. Please wait here for a moment, I will invite Master Mo
Fei over this instant!”
After which, he swiftly rushed off.
“Well, given the sheer volume of items he is buying, it’s
natural that he would want them reappraised to ensure that
they are authentic!”
“That’s true. However, I do know of that Master Mo Fei, and
while he’s a 6-star appraiser, he is living off the Spirit
Emporium’s payroll. Are his words really trustworthy?”
“Even if he were to spout nonsense, outsiders like us would be
none the wiser!”
“In any case, it seems like that fellow has no lack of money.
He is just probably asking for a reappraisal to calm his
mind…”
…
Taking the scene in sight, the crowd muttered among
themselves.
Typically speaking, most artifact dealers would seek a third
party to appraise their works so as to ensure reliability.
However, Appraiser Mo Fei was an employee of the Spirit
Emporium, and that cast doubt on his reliability.
As such, that young man was probably going to be
hoodwinked.
Amidst the muttering, the attendant finally returned with a
potbellied old man behind him.
The old man harrumphed with his chin tilted up proudly.
“Who wants their item appraised?”
Appraisers were the most sought-after occupation in the
market. Even the head of the Spirit Emporium had to treat him
with respect.
“Me!” Zhang Xuan folded his fan and pointed it at the stack of
items on the table. “I want to buy these items, so I need you to
appraise them for me!”
Mo Fei glanced at the items on the table, and his eyebrows
shot up.
“I have already appraised every single one of these items, and
there is no doubt about their authenticity. Why? Are you
doubting my judgement as a 6-star appraiser?”
“You have appraised everything here?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“That’s right. What are you waiting for? Bring the appraisal
certificates over!” Mo Fei waved his hands impatiently.
The attendant hurried off to the counter, and after some
fumbling, he returned with a pile of papers on hand.
These were the appraisal certificates of every single item on
the table, and they were all signed off by Mo Fei.
“I see that there are appraisal certificates for them, good…”
Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he took the appraisal
certificates from the attendant and began browsing through
them carefully. With a peculiar smile, he asked, “I heard that
the Spirit Emporium refunds tenfold of the selling price should
any items be proven to be a fake, may I confirm if that’s true?”
“Of course!” Mo Fei nodded proudly.
As a 6-star appraiser, he was confident in his appraisals.
“Alright then, I would like to turn your attention to this pill
first then…” With a light wave of his hand, the jade box
containing the grade-6 pill flew into his hand.
“Why? Are you saying that there’s a problem with the
Bottleneck Surmounting Pill?” Mo Fei frowned.
“It is written on the appraisal certificate that the vice head of
the Apothecary School used 81 different types of medicinal
herbs to create this pill which can allow any Chrysalis realm
expert to raise their cultivation by a stage. Is that true?”
“Of course!” Mo Fei flung his sleeves proudly.
“While this is indeed a grade-6 pill, it wasn’t forged by the
vice head of the Apothecary School. Furthermore, it was
forged using only 72 different types of medicinal herbs.
Judging by the slight yellow hue of the pill, it seems like the
blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Golden
Grassland Antelope. The slightly incongruous fragrance it
exudes hints at the addition of a Sicklepod Flower…”
Opening the box, Zhang Xuan slowly analyzed it bit by bit.
In a single breath, he pointed out the various key anomalies
regarding the pill.
With every single point that he mentioned, Mo Fei’s face
turned a shade paler.
As a 6-star appraiser, he could tell that the other party’s
judgement was spot-on.
It was as if the other party was present at the forging process!
To be able to deduce all of this in just a short moment, it could
only mean to say that the other party’s appraising ability was
above his!
“So what if you can list all of the ingredients used in its
forging? There are many variations to the Bottleneck
Surmounting Pill in the market. As long as it can advance
one’s cultivation, it can’t be considered a fake!” Seeing the
young man before him go on and on, Mo Fei finally snapped.
“Advance one’s cultivation?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“After all I have said, you still don’t understand? The blood
essence of the Golden Grassland Antelope is indeed extremely
beneficial to a cultivator, but that is only if it hasn’t been
mixed with Sicklepod Flower!
“Sicklepod Flower, otherwise known as the Flower of Eternal
Rest, has to be mediated using the Heptad Verdant Grass.
However, the apothecary who forged this pill has failed to do
so… In other words, not only will this pill not advance one’s
cultivation, the one who consumes it will even die of
poisoning!” Zhang Xuan said.
“Die of poisoning?”
“Is that true?”
“If that’s the case, that would mean that not only is this pill a
fake, it is even a weapon of murder…”
Hearing those words, everyone leaped in shock.
The reason a cultivator would spend their fortune on
purchasing a pill was so they could achieve a breakthrough in
their cultivation.
Yet, not only would they not be able to achieve a breakthrough
with this pill, it would even poison them to death! To part with
their life savings just to be poisoned, that would be a true
tragedy!
“Nonsense! This pill is rich in spiritual energy, how could it be
poisonous?” Mo Fei’s eyebrows shot up.
“You don’t believe me? Since that’s case… bring a Pill
Sample Beast over then! We will know the answer with a
quick test!” Zhang Xuan replied impassively.
“Fine!” Mo Fei harrumphed.
Soon, a Pill Sample Beast was brought over.
Pill Sample Beasts possessed a constitution similar to humans,
making them an ideal subject to test for the effect a pill would
have on humans.
“You should do it yourself lest you say that I tampered with
the Pill Sample Beast or the Bottleneck Surmounting Pill!”
Zhang Xuan passed the jade box over.
“Humph!”
With a cold harrumph, Mo Fei rubbed a bit of medicinal
powder off the pill and fed it to the Pill Sample Beast.
Pill Sample Beasts were extremely sensitive to poison; thus, a
small portion was more than enough for the test. Besides, if he
were to take too much, the Pill Sample Beast might end up
dying from the excessive influx of spiritual energy from the
pill.
Gugugugu!
As soon as the Pill Sample Beast ate the powder, its aura
suddenly intensified, growing stronger swiftly.
“Its cultivation is rising; this is clearly the effect of a normal
Bottleneck Surmounting Pill. What else do you have to say for
yourself?” Mo Fei turned around and sneered at Zhang Xuan
for his ignorance.
However, at that moment, the Pill Sample Beast’s surging aura
abruptly came to a halt, and its body began to convulse.
Pu!
A mouthful of pitch-black blood spurted from its mouth, and
the small white beast abruptly froze before collapsing to the
ground.
754 These Are All Fakes! 2
“What?”
“It’s dead?”
“Could it be that… the pill isn’t a Bottleneck Surmounting Pill
but poison?”
“That is way too scary! Imagine spending two high-tier spirit
stones just to buy lethal poison!”
“The Spirit Emporium has truly gone too far this time around!
Is this how it conducts business?”
…
Seeing the Pill Sample Beast breathing its last, a huge uproar
broke out amidst the crowd.
They couldn’t help but imagine what would have happened if
they’d purchased the pill. They would have been filled with
expectations for the future when they purchased the pill, only
to end up dead due to it. The huge contrast between their
expectations and reality was something that made the situation
even more unacceptable.
That Mo Fei had just confidently declared that the Bottleneck
Surmounting Pill was authentic a moment ago, but a minute
later, a Pill Sample Beast was poisoned to death by it… With
such a precedent, how could they possibly ever dare to buy
any pills from the Spirit Emporium in the future?
“This…” Mo Fei also froze on the spot.
In truth, he had carefully calculated the amount of powder to
feed the Pill Sample Beast. He was certain that it shouldn’t
have been sufficient to kill it with the dose he had rubbed off.
Yet, it still ended up collapsing in the end… Could the other
party be speaking the truth? This pill was not a Bottleneck
Surmounting Pill but a failed product turned into poison?
“So, is this considered to be a fake?” Zhang Xuan asked with a
cold smile.
“This… Fine! I admit that my judgement was off for this pill!”
With the Pill Sample Beast poisoned to death, there was no
way he could deny this anymore.
“Hah, you are saying that your judgement was off for only this
pill? Let me tell you, this pill isn’t the only thing you are
wrong about!” Zhang Xuan casually waved his hand, and the
Bronze Gong which he had picked out first flew into his hand.
“According to what you have written in the appraisal
certificate, this item was forged by a 6-star blacksmith, and it
possesses the ability to wipe out a soul. Even a soul oracle
would be utterly destroyed by a single knock on the gong!”
“Indeed. Even though the Bronze Gong is only a Spirit
intermediate-tier weapon, it has a long history behind it. The
lightning energy that has gathered within it over time grants it
sufficient power to destroy even a soul oracle!” Mo Fei
declared proudly.
He had studied the Bronze Gong carefully over a long period
of time, so he was confident that there wasn’t any mistake in
its appraisal.
“Since you are so confident, why don’t we give it a try?”
Zhang Xuan turned to the attendant standing by the side and
said, “You are a Consonant Spirit realm cultivator, so you
should have already started cultivating your soul as well. If
this weapon has the ability to destroy a soul, you should feel a
sharp pain in your soul when used against you.”
At which, he turned to Mo Fei and asked, “Do you have any
disagreements with this test?”
While the effects of the Bronze Gong were discounted against
most cultivators as their souls would be protected by their
physical body, they would still be more or less affected by it.
Furthermore, Consonant Spirit realm experts had barely
started cultivating their soul, making them even more prone to
any attacks on their soul.
“I have no objections to it!” Mo Fei replied.
The crowd who were watching the commotion also nodded in
agreement.
Soul oracles had already disappeared in the annals of history,
so it was impossible to test the Bronze Gong on them
anymore. However, it should work fine against a Consonant
Spirit realm expert as well.
“I will let you do it…” With the edges of his lips curled up,
Zhang Xuan passed the Bronze Gong to Mo Fei.
Mo Fei took the Bronze Gong over impatiently, and gathering
his zhenqi, he struck it powerfully toward the attendant.
However, the attendant remained completely unfazed by the
attack. In other words, the Bronze Gong didn’t have any effect
on the soul!
“H-how is this possible?” Mo Fei’s face turned ghastly pale.
Back then, he had even experimented with the Bronze Gong.
The lightning energy it harnessed was extremely effective on
souls, capable of even annihilating a soul oracle!
Why did its effects vanish all of a sudden?
Without that, this would only be an ordinary Bronze Gong,
worth nothing at all!
“The Bronze Gong’s effect of dealing with souls can only be
dispelled by a soul oracle, but the heritage of the soul oracles
has already vanished countless years ago. Thus, it is
impossible for anyone to have tampered with it… Have I
really appraised it wrongly?” Mo Fei muttered as cold sweat
trickled down his back.
Souls were an extremely complex subject, and the only
occupation to have truly uncovered their secrets were the soul
oracles. They were the only ones who could dispel the effects
on the Bronze Gong. No one else, not even a Saint realm
cultivator, could do the same.
However, the soul oracles had already been eradicated by the
Master Teacher Pavilion, so it was impossible for anyone to
dispel the effects of the Bronze Gong. Since the effect clearly
wasn’t there, could his appraisal have been wrong from the
very start?
It was one thing for him to have made a mistake, but to make
two of them consecutively… He was already beginning to
doubt his life.
Appraisers could only make three errors throughout their
entire career, and beyond that, they would be stripped of their
license. Was his career going to end here?
Ignoring Mo Fei’s slump, Zhang Xuan waved his hands, and a
pill cauldron flew in front of him.
“Moving on, let’s talk about this copper cauldron. You have
identified it to be a Nine Symphony Cauldron created by a 6-
star blacksmith on the appraisal certificate. It is capable of
producing Nine Symphony Flames which allows the heat to be
distributed more equally throughout the cauldron, thus making
it easier to fuse the medicinal herbs together. However, you
also stated that it is extremely difficult to tame its spirit and
make it acknowledge one as its master… May I confirm that
what I have just said is true?”
This was also another artifact in the Spirit Emporium, and it
had an appraisal certificate as well.
“Yes…” Mo Fei nodded.
This time, however, his tone wasn’t as confident as before.
“Even though the Nine Symphony Cauldron increases the
chances of successfully forging a pill, it is extremely difficult
to make its spirit submit. This is a fact that all appraisers
know, so there can’t be any mistake on that.” Mo Fei gritted
his teeth.
“This isn’t the Nine Symphony Cauldron, and it doesn’t have
such a troublesome spirit as well. It won’t even take me a
minute to make it submit to me!” Zhang Xuan said calmly.
“You will make it submit in less than a minute? How can that
be? If you can do so, I will admit that I am mistaken, and that
it is a fake!” Mo Fei sneered coldly.
You must be joking! It is a well-known fact that it is difficult
to make the spirit of a Nine Symphony Cauldron submit to
one. To make it submit to you in less than a minute?
You’re dreaming!
Not even a Saint realm expert could do that!
“You are the one who said those words!”
With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan walked up to the cauldron and
slapped it casually. “Acknowledge me as your master!”
Weng!
The next moment, a resounding buzz sounded from the
cauldron, as if it was shaking in excitement from meeting its
master.
“What?” Mo Fei’s body trembled uncontrollably, and he
nearly spurted blood.
That was clearly the sound of the cauldron acknowledging its
master, of that there was no mistake!
Due to the unique method in forging a Nine Symphony
Cauldron, its spirit was disjointed, making it extremely
difficult to win its loyalty. There were many who had spent
decades on it, only to fail eventually. Yet, this cauldron
actually acknowledged that young man in less than half a
minute… Was he truly mistaken once more?
The cauldron was a fake as well?
Just what was going on?
“These Lilac Sandalwood Beads can indeed keep one’s mind
composed when worn, but unfortunately, it is cursed. As a
result, not only will it not keep one calm, it might even cause
one to go berserk!”
“In your analysis, you said that this bottle of medicinal
solution is made using dozens of different poisons, and it is
extremely useful for tempering one’s body. However, I have
just taken a look, and the poison within hasn’t been neutralized
yet. Anyone who consumes it will die without fail!”
“You claimed that this ore can raise the grade of a weapon up a
notch by fusing it in. However, it is impossible to melt this ore
in the first place, so how could one possibly combine it within
a weapon?”
“This…”
“…”
After proving the issues in the appraisal of the first three
items, Zhang Xuan moved on to point out the problems of the
other items the attendant had taken out. He would pick up
every single item and pat off the dust on them before
explaining what was wrong with them.
With every problem he explained, Mo Fei’s face would turn a
shade darker.
By the time Zhang Xuan was done pointing out the errors in
everything, Mo Fei seemed as if he was already standing on
the threshold of insanity.
He had the attendants test the other items as well, and some of
them he even did it himself, but the conclusions were still the
same.
He was certain that the items here weren’t like that when he
was appraising them, why did all of them change all of a
sudden?
This was exceptionally so for the weapons he had checked.
Not only were the spirits within them difficult to tame, they
were aggressive even! If a cultivator were to buy one of them,
there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be killed by his sword
in his sleep!
“There are actually so many fakes here?”
“I have always trusted the products of the Spirit Emporium,
but to think that they were actually such a dishonest business!”
“How can I still trust them not to lie to me in the future?”
“It seems like I can’t buy anything from here anymore. The
items may be cheap, but if saving that bit of money could cost
my life, I would rather not take that risk…”
…
Watching the events unfold, the crowd in the area felt their
hearts turning cold.
The two main reasons they frequented the Spirit Emporium
despite the unlawful means they use to obtain their items were
due to the relatively lower prices of their goods and the
guarantee on its quality.
But even with the relatively lower price, if all they were going
to receive was a fake, what was the point?
Putting everything aside, if they had bought that Bottleneck
Surmounting Pill, not only would they be cheated of their
money, they might even lose their life… Who in their right
minds would pay just to have themselves killed?
“… So, this is a fake as well. All in all, everything here is a
fake!”
Zhang Xuan glanced at the attendants and Mo Fei calmly and
said, “All in all, you charged me 237 high-tier spirit stones for
these items. Given your refund policy… I believe that you owe
me 2370 high-tier spirit stones!”
“2370 high-tier spirit stones?”
“They said earlier that they would pay tenfold the selling price
should an item be deemed to be a fake. Now that everything
has been proven to be fakes, it is only right for the Spirit
Emporium to compensate him!”
“This is insane… Even if the Spirit Emporium were to sell of
its assets, it couldn’t possibly afford that!”
“Well, who asked them to brag about their refund policy? Not
to mention, they even dared to put up so many fake goods on
top of that. They had it coming…”
…
Hearing the young man’s words, everyone leaped in shock.
Putting aside the Spirit Emporium, it was questionable
whether even the royal family had 2370 high-tier spirit stones
in its treasury!
But considering how it was exposed before so many people, if
it were to default on its payment, its reputation would be
completely ruined. If so, they need not dream of operating in
Hongyuan City anymore.
“Amazing…” Sun Qiang’s eyes were glowing in respect.
He had been wondering how the young master would exact his
vengeance, but upon seeing this sight, he finally realized how
fearsome the young master was!
If they had walked into the store and threatened the Spirit
Emporium with violence, the Spirit Emporium would have
held the moral high ground, and no one could have said
anything no matter how the Spirit Emporium dealt with them.
However, the young master challenged them through
legitimate means, cornering them with the rules they had set
for themselves…
Let’s see how you will deal with that!
Even if you go to the Master Teacher Pavilion to mediate in
this matter, it is clear that you are in the wrong!
It was impossible for the Spirit Emporium to pay the 2370
high-tier spirit stones compensation. Even if it could, it would
be severely crippled financially. With its reputation in
shambles, it would never recover from this blow.
With so many fakes in the store, who would dare to buy from
them in the future?
“W-who in the world are you? What do you intend to do?”
It wasn’t too difficult to see through all of this. At this point,
the attendant was already on the verge of tears.
He’d thought that he had finally met his God of Fortune, and
he was looking forward to a life of extravagance. Who could
have known that it was a God of Misfortune instead? He might
very well lose his job due to this!
“Who am I? I am just a customer in your store. Don’t you
think that it’s only right for you to pay after trying to sell me
so many fakes?”
Zhang Xuan smiled.
755 Where Are My
Artifacts?
“I…”
The attendant’s body trembled.
In the many years the Spirit Emporium had existed, there had
never been a single person who had reported it for selling fake
goods. In just a single day, this man actually dug up so many
fake goods from their shelves…
He’d thought that the other party was just a profligate scion
who had too much money to spare, but he would be a fool if
he still couldn’t tell that it was an act at this point. That fellow
was clearly here to cause trouble!
“Call the boss here, fast! He’s the only one who can resolve
this matter at this point…” Mo Fei urged. It seemed as if he
had aged decades over the last few minutes.
As an appraiser, he could tell that there was no mistake in the
other party’s appraisals.
At this point, it was already an established fact at this point
that they did attempt to defraud their buyers.
In other words, as long as the other party demanded
compensation, there was nothing they could do about it. The
problem was already beyond their scope!
“Yes!” The attendant nodded and quickly rushed off.
Soon, a cold-faced middle-aged man strode into the room.
He was extremely tall with a slightly plump stature. The sharp
glint in his eyes seemed to suggest that he was a person who
would resort to unscrupulous means to get what he wanted.
His aura was obscure, but it felt transcendent. Most likely, he
was at least a Nascent Saint!
Indeed, if not for the backing of such an expert, considering
the vile deeds that the Spirit Emporium committed in the
shadows, it would have long been rooted from Hongyuan City.
The middle-aged man walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked
with narrowed eyes, “Are you the one who said that these
items are fakes?”
On the way here, he had already heard the full story from the
attendant.
Ignoring the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan waved his hands
and said, “Hurry up and decide on how you will compensate
me. Otherwise, trust me when I say that it won’t take long for
the entire Hongyuan City to learn about this!”
“You!”
Clenching his fists tightly, the hint of killing intent flashed
across the dark eyes of the Spirit Emporium’s boss.
All along, they had been the ones preying on others. To think
that a day would come when someone would be so arrogant as
to try to prey on them!
The boss of the Spirit Emporium harrumphed.
“This friend over here, I don’t know who you are or where you
come from, but allow me give you a word of advice: don’t
burn your bridges. Otherwise, who knows when it might come
back to bite you!”
“Are you threatening me?” Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly in
response. “A refund tenfold of the selling price, that is the
policy your Spirit Emporium came up by yourself. Are you
going to silence me now that a fake has really appeared in
your store?”
“This isn’t a threat, just a friendly reminder to you. The path
of a cultivator isn’t an easy one; I fear for your safety!” Seeing
the other party’s fearless attitude, the boss of the Spirit
Emporium was on the verge of exploding, but there was
nothing he could do.
If he were to make a move on the other party here, the
reputation of their Spirit Emporium which he had built
painstakingly over the years would be truly ruined.
The boss glanced at Mo Fei and sent a telepathic message to
him.
“Are those items really fakes?”
“I am not too sure either, but… when I reappraised the items
he picked out, they were completely different from before…
Even if I say that they aren’t fakes, no one will believe me…”
Mo Fei said.
Even if they weren’t fakes, the other party had already pointed
out the various flaws in them clearly. As such, who would still
want to buy them?
Take for example the valuable Spirit high-tier armor which
allowed its wearer to withstand attacks from a Transcendent
Mortal 9-dan expert amidst the stack of items the other party
had picked out. Its effects were incredible, but that fellow had
already revealed its flaws and how one could overcome it… If
so, what was the point of purchasing the armor?
In other words, even if the items were authentic, they were
already useless at this point. That would make them as good as
fakes.
“Damn it!” Hearing Mo Fei admit to the matter, the face of the
boss turned scarily livid.
“Are you done with the negotiations yet? If you are, pay up.
These items are worth 237 high-tier spirit stones, and with
your tenfold refund policy, you owe me a total of 2370 high-
tier spirit stones. Alright, I will give you a little bit of a
discount out of the kindness of my heart. 2000 high-tier spirit
stones, and I will drop this matter. Otherwise… for defrauding
your customers and attempting to scam a master teacher, I will
report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion to have them
to judge this case!” Zhang Xuan said calmly.
“You are a master teacher?” The boss narrowed his eyes.
Typically speaking, as long one didn’t commit any atrocities
against humanity, the Master Teacher Pavilion would not
interfere in most matters. However, if a master teacher was
involved in the case, there was a good chance that it would
intervene.
This was a privilege the Master Teacher Pavilion granted its
members.
Once the Master Teacher Pavilion intervened in the matter, the
various shady things they had done might be pulled to the
surface as well, and the entire Spirit Emporium could very
well be destroyed due to that.
Even though there were quite a few people who knew of the
Spirit Emporium’s doings in the shadows, they had no
evidence, and the Spirit Emporium had made sure to deal with
them accordingly, be it bribery or silencing them.
However, considering the means of the Master Teacher
Pavilion, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to get to the
bottom of the matter.
“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan replied.
After recovering from the shock, a thought flashed across the
boss’s mind, and he harrumphed.
“Even if you are a master teacher, considering your young age,
you should be a student of the Master Teacher Academy,
right?
“Considering how many students there are in the Master
Teacher Academy, I doubt that anyone will know if one or two
of them go missing!”
The Master Teacher Academy was a place to nurture budding
master teachers, and it was impossible to do so while keeping
the students in a safe environment. Thus, it wasn’t rare for the
academy to dispatch its students on dangerous missions, and
deaths weren’t infrequent.
“It’s indeed nothing much for a student or two of the academy
to disappear, but I’m afraid that School Head Mo of the Beast
Tamer School and School Head Zhao of the Blacksmith
School will disagree with your words!”
Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out
the two tokens given to him.
Since they were already in his possession, it should be fine for
him to make use of their authority.
Mo Fei’s body shuddered upon seeing the tokens, and he
hurriedly sent a telepathic message to the boss.
“Those are indeed the personal tokens of School Head Mo and
School Head Zhao… They are real!”
School Head Zhao and School Head Mo were part of the Ten
Great Master Teachers, and they were famous figures even
amongst the many Tier-1 Empires. Considering that they had
given their personal tokens to the young man standing before
them… their relationship was anything but ordinary.
“They are real?”
The boss had thought that he was only dealing with an
ordinary student, so the matter shouldn’t have been too
difficult to resolve. But who could have thought that the fellow
would carry two of the school heads’ personal tokens on him?
“Alright, I will give you a tea’s time to think over your
options. If you refuse to pay, I will head to the Master Teacher
Pavilion. It just happens that I have quite a close relationship
with Pavilion Master Mo, so I believe that he will happily seek
justice for me!” Zhang Xuan said as he stretched his back
lazily.
Since the Spirit Emporium dared to threaten those around him,
it should be prepared to face his wrath.
You want to be domineering?
Sure, let me crush you with my identity as a master teacher
then! Let’s see which of us is more domineering!
The face of the boss reddened in rage, but he dared not vent
his anger.
A tea’s time…
On the other hand, the attendant rushed forward and reported
something to him via telepathy.
Hearing the attendant’s words, the boss heaved a sigh of relief
before turning to Zhang Xuan. “There’s no need to wait a tea’s
time, we will pay!”
“For real?”
“The Spirit Emporium is going to pay?”
“But that is 2000 high-tier spirit stones! Putting aside the
Spirit Emporium, is there even so much money in Hongyuan
Empire?”
…
Seeing the boss of the Spirit Emporium abruptly changing his
mind, choosing to pay the sum, everyone was taken aback.
Even Zhang Xuan himself was a little taken aback by the turn
of events.
He had prepared a hand in case the other party refused to pay,
but never had he imagined that the other party would agree to
it instead.
“You paid a high-tier spirit stone to purchase the Bronze Gong
earlier. Even though you did say that you intended to buy the
other items, you haven’t paid for them yet… In other words,
we have only sold you a single item so far. With our refund
policy, we will repay you ten high-tier spirit stones!”
The boss waved his hands and instructed, “Hurry up and bring
ten high-tier spirit stones over!”
“Yes!” The attendant hurriedly nodded before leaving the
room. Soon, he returned with ten gleaming high-tier spirit
stones in hand and passed them over to Sun Qiang.
“This…” Sun Qiang was a little dazed, unable to catch up with
the happenings. He wasn’t certain whether he should accept it
or not.
While the young master had pointed out many items that he
wanted to buy, he hadn’t paid for them. All along, he had only
passed a high-tier spirit stone to the attendant.
Using this loophole, the Spirit Emporium regarded that as the
only transaction conducted and refunded him ten high-tier
spirit stones. While that was a substantial sum as well, it was
at least a cost the Spirit Emporium could afford to bear.
Regardless from which angle one looked at this matter from,
the other party’s response was also in line with the rules.
“Young Master…”
Unsure of what to do, Sun Qiang turned to Zhang Xuan, only
to see latter smiling calmly. “Are you sure that’s how you want
to play the game?”
“This master teacher over here, I am not sure what you are
trying to say. Our Spirit Emporium prides itself on its honor.
Since you paid us a high-tier spirit stone, going by our refund
policy, we have already compensated you with ten. Even if
you were to bring this up in the Master Teacher Pavilion, I
believe that there is nothing Pavilion Master Mo could say
about this.” The boss of the Spirit Emporium smiled, but his
eyes remained as cold as ever.
“On the other hand, you, as a master teacher, despite not
buying anything at all, attempted to hoodwink us out of 2000
high-tier spirit stones. Surely this would be bad for your
reputation if word were to spread?”
After hearing from the attendant that the fellow had only paid
a single high-tier spirit stone, he immediately thought of a
countermeasure.
A transaction can only be considered to have occurred when
the goods and money have been exchanged. Even if the items
we have here are fakes, you haven’t paid yet, so they still
belong to the Spirit Emporium. Naturally, we don’t have to
refund you for them.
“I see. Since that is the case…” Zhang Xuan glanced at the
boss of the Spirit Emporium impassively and said, “You have
taken my artifacts and placed them on sale for so long, but you
still haven’t sold them yet. It shouldn’t be too much for me to
take them away with me now, right?”
“Artifacts? When did we take your artifacts and place them on
sale?” The boss of the Spirit Emporium was momentarily
stunned by the ridiculous words spouted by the young man
before him.
This is the first time I’ve met you, when did I take your
artifacts?
Even if you want to frame me, surely you can do better than
that?
“You are denying it?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “All
artifacts have their own spirit, and it is impossible to win the
loyalty of the spirit without spending substantial time with
them. This is common knowledge amongst all cultivators, so I
believe that you, the boss of the Spirit Emporium, shouldn’t be
unfamiliar with it either.”
The boss couldn’t understand what the young man was driving
at, but he nodded in response.
It wasn’t easy to make the spirit of an artifact submit to one.
There were even a few who were unable to get the spirit of
their artifact to acknowledge them as its master even after
years of effort.
“That makes things simple then… Alright, I think I don’t have
to explain that only my own artifacts will listen to my
command, that should be more than obvious to all of us here.”
With an upright posture reminiscent of a taut spear piercing
through the heavens, Zhang Xuan abruptly bellowed with a
resounding voice, “What are you all waiting for? Pay respect
to your master!”
Huala!
As soon as those words were uttered, all of the artifacts in the
room flew into the sky and gathered around Zhang Xuan.
756 All Mine!
“This is the response of artifacts who have acknowledged a
cultivator as their master!”
“In the end, all of these artifacts actually belong to him? No
wonder he knows them so well…”
“Is he the true owner of the Spirit Emporium? These are the
most valuable artifacts here! If all of these are his, this would
mean that the Spirit Emporium is pretty much emptied out!”
…
Seeing the artifacts flying from their places, everyone was
stunned.
All of the artifacts which the young man had appraised before,
be they swords, chains, armors, cauldrons… each and every
one of them was floating around him, humming in excitement.
It was as if they had finally met with their master after great
difficulty, and they were unwilling to part with him!
All of the most valuable artifacts in the Spirit Emporium were
in there. If all of those artifacts belonged to the young man
before them… this renowned ‘treasure vault’ of Hongyuan
City would be emptied out!
Those artifacts made up seventy to eighty percent of the total
asset of the Spirit Emporium.
Surely the young man, and not the middle-aged man over
there, was the true boss of the Spirit Emporium…
Sun Qiang’s lips twitched.
The young master… sure is vicious!
He knew of the young master’s ability to make artifacts
acknowledge him swiftly. Back when he was appraising the
artifacts, he’d touched every single one of them while
explaining their properties. It was probably then that he’d
made them submit to him.
From the very start, there were only two options for the Spirit
Emporium. They could either obediently pay up or have their
assets emptied out!
With all the weapons acknowledging the young master, even if
he were to claim that everything was stolen from him, there
would be no one who would doubt his words!
“Y-you…” As expected, upon seeing all of the weapons
obeying the words of the young man, the boss of the Spirit
Emporium nearly fainted.
He’d paid a hefty price in order to procure those weapons, and
he was certain that they were unowned when he obtained
them. Why did all of them acknowledge that fellow as their
master?
Gaining the acknowledgement of an artifact was an extremely
troublesome matter. Without sufficient time, it was impossible
to succeed. For all of them to acknowledge him as their
master, it could only mean one thing…
In the very first place, all of these weapons belonged to him!
He felt fresh blood welling up in his throat, threatening to spill
forth at any moment.
In order to buy these weapons, the Spirit Emporium had even
incurred a heavy debt. If everything were to be taken away by
the other party, the business empire which he had built
painstakingly over the course of many years would collapse in
an instant.
Not only so, he would even fall into heavy debt as well.
“As everyone can see, these artifacts belong to me. However,
the Spirit Emporium stole them from me, and left with no
choice, I could only resort to such a course of action. All I
want now is to bring my artifacts away with me,” Zhang Xuan
said righteously.
“Those artifacts belong to you, and you want to take them
away? Pu!” Reaching the limit of his tolerance, the head of the
Spirit Emporium spurted a mouthful of blood.
Like heck they are yours, I bought them with a huge sum of
money… They are mine!
You are clearly a troublemaker wreaking havoc in my territory.
I have already given you ten high-tier spirit stones, what else
do you want?
Do you really intend to take my entire fortune away with you?
How the hell have I offended you that you must push me over
the cliff?
“Since these artifacts are mine, I will be taking them back
now. Sun Qiang, let’s go!”
Just as the boss of the Spirit Emporium was overwhelmed with
indignation, the young man before him swiftly stored all of the
flying artifacts in his storage ring and turned around to leave.
“You… Hold it right there!”
Knowing that everything would be over if he allowed the
young man to leave, the head of the Spirit Emporium roared
furiously. The aura of a Saint surged from his body, ready to
unleash a fatal strike on the young man before him at any
moment.
Zhang Xuan turned around and faced the boss fearlessly.
“Why? Are you going to resort to violence now? You should
know the consequences of snatching a master teacher’s
possession!”
If the Master Teacher Pavilion were to learn that the boss of
the Spirit Emporium had stolen a master teacher’s possession
before so many people, he would be severely dealt with.
Even if he was a Saint, he could potentially stand to have his
cultivation crippled or even face death!
“I…” A savage expression surfaced on the boss of the Spirit
Emporium. “I won’t snatch the artifacts through violence, but
unless you hand them over, don’t even dream about stepping
out of this building! Men!”
Huala!
The patrol squads swiftly rushed forward and block all of the
exits. Wielding a weapon each in their hands, they glared at
Zhang Xuan ferociously, as if they would tear him apart if he
dared approach them.
On the other hand, the crowd in the area who were dragged
into this matter turned pale in fright, and their bodies trembled
uncontrollably.
If they had known this would happen, they would never have
stayed on to watch the commotion. Now, they were doomed…
“To think that the boss of the Spirit Emporium would be so
underhanded as to bully a junior…”
Despite the impending battle that was about to fall upon him,
Zhang Xuan didn’t seem panicked in the least. Instead, he
sighed deeply. “To tell you the truth, I was still contemplating
whether I should give you a chance and leave some of the
artifacts behind. However, since you are so shameless, don’t
blame me for getting nasty then!”
Disappointment was reflected in Zhang Xuan’s eyes. Shaking
his head, he walked calmly over to the shelves, opened the
casing, and tapped on the metal hammer within it twice.
“This is mine!”
Following which, he walked over to another artifact and
tapped on it as well. “This is mine too!”
“Mine as well…”
“Still mine…”
“All mine…”
Soon, he tapped the eight remaining items in the room.
The boss of the Spirit Emporium was still wondering what that
fellow was up to when all of the artifacts suddenly hummed
excitedly, acknowledging Zhang Xuan as their master. Every
single one of them flew into the air and floated right by the
young man’s side.
“The heck…” The boss was on the verge of insanity.
That fellow was not planning to take away most of the Spirit
Emporium’s asset; he was planning on taking away all of its
assets!
If the other party was allowed to do as he pleased, everything
in the Spirit Emporium would be his in less than five minutes!
Screw him!
“Stop him!” the boss bellowed.
Hong long!
Hearing the boss’s command, the guards rushed at Zhang
Xuan to stop him, but the next instant, countless artifacts
abruptly appeared and struck them.
The artifacts were protecting their master!
If those guards wanted to get to Zhang Xuan, they would have
to get past the artifacts first.
Even though the offensive capabilities of the artifacts weren’t
too strong as there was no one driving them, they still
managed to stall the guards. These artifacts were the
possessions of the Spirit Emporium, so they didn’t dare to
strike too hard for fear of damaging any of them.
“Boss…” the head of the guards called out.
“All of you, scram!” Reaching the limits of his tolerance, the
boss roared.
The power of a Saint burst from his body, and under the
suppression of the violent aura, the floating artifacts fell to the
ground powerless with a jolt.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
“What are you doing? You know that you have to pay for
damaging my artifacts, right?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“Pay? Pay your head!”
Bursting with fury, the boss could maintain his composure no
longer and began hurling curses.
All of those items were my precious artifacts, but you used
some kind of sorcery to make them submit to you… You were
the one who stole my treasures, and you still want me to pay
you? How can there be such a shameless person in the world?
“Today, you need not try to leave!”
The more he thought about it, the more furious he felt. Thus,
he stomped his feet.
Hong long!
The Spirit Emporium began to tremor, and all of the doors
slammed shut. Two towering walls rose from the ground,
covering all of the shelves where the artifacts were supposed
to be placed.
“It’s a mechanism!”
“I have long heard that the boss of the Spirit Emporium paid a
heavy price in order to build this building, inviting forty
students of the Celestial Designer School to work day and
night for half a year to rush this out… I thought that those
were just rumors, but it was actually true!”
“Now that the Spirit Emporium has been locked down, how
are we supposed to leave?”
“I have no idea either… Let’s just hope that we won’t be
implicated in this matter!”
“I doubt so… That young man is a master teacher, so if the
boss were to kill him, we would be eyewitnesses to the
deed…”
…
Seeing the boss fly into a rage and activate the mechanism of
the Spirit Emporium to shut all of the exits, preventing anyone
from entering or leaving, the crowd that was trapped inside
stared at one another with faces pale with fright.
If the boss were to really kill that master teacher, they, as
eyewitnesses, surely wouldn’t fare any better either!
After all, if the matter were to be leaked to the Master Teacher
Pavilion, the boss would be pursued by them to the ends of the
world.
Standing beside Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang’s face paled as well.
The young master’s cultivation was only at the Cosmos Bridge
realm, but the enemy he was facing was a Saint… This time,
they were really in deep trouble…
Zhang Xuan had never told anyone about the Otherworldly
Demon puppets or Vicious, so Sun Qiang was unaware of their
existence as well.
“So, are you intending on killing a master teacher?” Seeing the
other party activating the lockdown function of the Spirit
Emporium, Zhang Xuan turned to the boss and frowned.
Gritting his teeth in rage, the boss sneered.
“Kill a master teacher? How could I dare to do so? However,
if you don’t hand over my possessions this instant, I fear that I
might not be able to hold myself back!”
“Your possessions? These artifacts addressed me as their
master and protected me, are your eyes too blind to see that?
On the contrary, my possessions have brought your store
prestige and class, so the least you can do is pay me the rental
fee, right?” Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly.
The boss staggered upon hearing those words.
He felt as if he might just die of anger if he were to continue
speaking if that fellow.
Pay you the rental fee? You stole my possessions, and you still
want me to pay you? Do you take me for a fool?
Hong long long!
An immense accumulation of zhenqi gathered in the boss’s
palm, as if of the materialization of his rage.
“I will give you one last warning. Return those items to me,
and I can consider sparing you. I won’t say this again,” he
threatened menacingly.
Were it not for his fear of School Head Mo and School Head
Zhao, he would have long made a move.
Even so, his overwhelming rage was threatening to remove all
reason from him, compelling him to make a move.
Seeing the mass of zhenqi in the other party’s hands
threatening to rip him to pieces any moment now, Zhang Xuan
shook his head.
“Warning? I have seen plenty of bandits in my life, but I have
never seen one who steals as brazenly as you do. You are truly
incredible! Since that is the case, allow me to let you in on a
secret then!”
He abruptly leaped several dozen meters forward and stepped
heavily on the ground before leaping in another direction.
He continued another seven times before returning back to his
original position.
“A secret? What are you up to?” Seeing that the fellow was up
to something once more, the boss glared at him warily.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan smiled brightly and said, “The
fact is… this Spirit Emporium is mine as well!”
Kacha! Kacha!
A series of mechanisms abruptly spun into action, and the
entire Spirit Emporium began to shake in euphoria.
“What? The Spirit Emporium… has acknowledged him as its
master as well?”
The boss felt as if the entire world had gone mad.
757 Taming the Boss
“Spirit Euphoria? The Spirit Emporium has acknowledged him
as its master?”
“What in the world happened?”
“How did that fellow do it?”
…
The crowd trapped in the room were shocked speechless.
At this moment, they finally realized the queerness of the
young man before them. With just a few pats here and there,
all of the artifacts acknowledged him as their master. With just
a few steps, even the Spirit Emporium submitted to him…
Was there anything in the world he couldn’t tame?
It was no wonder the boss of the Spirit Emporium was so
furious! If they were to see their own possessions being
claimed by others in such a manner, they would have gone on
a rampage as well!
“Young Master…” Sun Qiang’s eyelids twitched
uncontrollably.
He’d thought that when the young master said that he would
cause trouble, he would only force the other party to
compensate for the assault. But from the looks of it, that
wasn’t just it.
He was planning to overturn the other party’s entirety!
This was too vicious!
Even though the old master was also rather extreme as well, he
would at least hold back considering his position as a master
teacher. On the other hand, it was as if the young master was
completely out of control!
However… no matter what, the other party was a Saint! He
might be able to hold back for a moment in consideration of
the young master’s standing as a master teacher, but under
such relentless provocation, his tolerance would swiftly wear
thin…
By then, there would be no one but the old master who could
save them.
“I want you dead!”
As if Sun Qiang’s worst fears had come to be, the boss of the
Spirit Emporium roared furiously, and raising his palm, the
formidable might of a Saint realm expert came crashing
toward his young master.
“Young Master…”
Alarmed, Sun Qiang was just about to rush up to take the blow
for the young master when the latter abruptly raised his palm.
“Barrier!”
With those words, dozens of artifacts flew up and stood in
front of Zhang Xuan, protecting him from the blow. At the
same time, the ground rumbled as the whirring of mechanisms
echoed in the air. Several towering walls rose from the ground,
sealing both Zhang Xuan and the boss within it.
“Young Master…”
Seeing that Zhang Xuan was locked together with a rampaging
Saint realm expert in a narrow space, Sun Qiang immediately
rushed forward anxiously. To his shock, however, he realized
that the walls blocking him were made of an incredibly
resilient material which he couldn’t break with his current
strength.
“How could I have allowed this happen? If a mishap befalls
the young master, how can I ever face the old master?” Sun
Qiang cried as he punched the walls desperately.
Before meeting the old master, he had been nothing more than
a humble merchant, destined to spend his entire life in a daze
in Tianxuan Kingdom, never venturing out to see the wider
world beyond.
It was the old master who brought him out from the well he
was in, granting his great responsibility despite his humble
birth, and helped to raise his cultivation…
The old master had entrusted the young master to his care. If
something were to happen to the young master, he would be a
sinner!
“Young Master, nothing can happen to you…”
With a trembling body, Sun Qiang fumbled around the wall,
attempting to find any point of weaknesses on the wall which
he could exploit. However, the wall was built of materials far
beyond his current strength. No matter how hard he tried, he
was powerless before it.
Peng peng peng peng!
At that moment, the sound of fists and legs sinking into flesh
echoed from within the walls.
“The young master is getting beaten up…” Those sounds sent
Sun Qiang into utter panic.
His eyes reddened in anxiety, and his heart pounded in
apprehension.
“No, I must save the young master, even at the cost of my
life…”
He didn’t know what else he could at the moment, so he could
only try ramming at the wall with his body. However, at that
moment, a scream of agony sounded.
“AHHHH! Stop hitting me!
“I admit that I’m at fault; I beg you to let me off!”
Hearing that voice, the fidgety Sun Qiang suddenly froze on
the spot.
That voice didn’t come from the young master but… the boss
of the Spirit Emporium!
The boss was begging for mercy?
Could it be that… the young master was pummeling the Saint
realm boss within the walls?
Flabbergasted, Sun Qiang stared at the walls before him with
his mouth agape.
…
Returning back to the time when the boss of the Spirit
Emporium made a move on Zhang Xuan.
Zhang Xuan knew that even with the artifacts protecting him,
he wouldn’t last long against the boss. Thus, he immediately
activated the mechanism of the Spirit Emporium and
summoned the walls beneath the ground to seclude themselves
from the world outside.
This way, he would be able to do anything he wished without
worrying about prying eyes.
Hu hu hu!
As soon as those walls were in place, Zhang Xuan flicked his
wrist and whipped out a book and twenty Otherworldly
Demon puppets.
“Get him!” Zhang Xuan ordered.
With the experience from pummeling the Byzantium Helios
Beast, those puppets rushed at the boss and began beating him
viciously from head to toe.
All along, the boss had thought that he was only dealing with a
Cosmos Bridge realm lad, so there was nothing for him to
worry about. Who would have thought the other party would
suddenly summon so many Saint realm experts?
Before he could even process what was going on, heavy blows
were raining down him, leaving him with heavy bruises and
swelling everywhere.
After enduring the heavy beatings for a few moments, he
finally found an opening for him to escape. But just as he was
about to move, an overwhelming killing intent crushed down
on him, rendering him immobile. As such, he could only
continue to suffer the beating.
His current cultivation was only at Saint realm primary stage,
a far way off from matching up to the Byzantium Helios
Beast. Given how even the latter was done in, how could he
possibly withstand the onslaught of the Otherworldly Demon
puppets? In just a few moments, he was already utterly
subdued.
While the Spirit Emporium was important, how could it
compare to his life?
Considering that the other party could retain his composure
before his wrath, it was likely that he wasn’t some kind soul
either. If he didn’t beg for mercy, chances were that the other
party might just watch nonchalantly as he was beaten to death.
Left with no choice, he could only plead for his life.
“You want me to spare you? Offer your soul to me and
acknowledge me as your master!” Zhang Xuan replied
indifferently to his pleading.
Zhang Xuan did consider whether he should just kill the boss
of the Spirit Emporium, but the death of a Saint would likely
result in a huge storm in the city. That could mean a great deal
of trouble for him. However, he couldn’t simply let the other
party off either, especially after all that had happened. Thus,
after some contemplation, he’d decided to force the other party
into submission instead.
As long as he could hold the other party’s soul captive, he
wouldn’t need to worry about the other party divulging his
secret. At the same time, he would gain a Saint realm lackey
as well, which would give him more room to deal with matters
without resorting to the Otherworldly Demon puppets.
The Otherworldly Demon puppets were his trump card, but
they were a double-edged sword as well.
Anything related to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was
sensitive, and he might be branded as a traitor of humanity if
he were to be spotted with the puppets. Thus, it would be best
for him to limit his usage of them.
“You want me to offer my soul to you?” The boss was taken
aback.
In a sense, this was similar to the contract between a beast
tamer and their tamed beast.
However, establishing a contract between humans wasn’t as
simple a procedure. One had to have a profound understanding
of souls in order to do so. Of all the occupations, the only one
known to be capable of such a feat was the soul oracle.
If that fellow was asking this of him, did it mean that he was a
soul oracle?
But hadn’t that occupation gone extinct yet?
Seeing the hesitation in the boss’s eyes, Zhang Xuan
impatiently commanded, “Continue beating him, do not stop
until he’s dead…”
“Wait a moment!” The boss of the Spirit Emporium waved his
hands in a fluster as the puppets in the area marched
ferociously toward him once more.
As long as he could continue living, he wouldn’t hesitate to
acknowledge another man as his master.
He had once committed banditry, and ironically, the
experience ended up teaching him how valuable life was.
Before it, dignity and pride were mere transient qualities.
“I’ll… acknowledge you as my master!” the boss said,
knowing that it was either this or death.
He severed a portion of his soul, and a powerful force abruptly
pulled it into the glabella of the young man before him.
As a Saint realm expert, he had already gained a certain degree
of control over his soul, allowing him to sever a portion of it
easily.
“Formidable…” As soon as that fragment of his soul seeped
into the other party’s glabella, he saw an immense soul
reminiscent of a giant towering before it.
The boss’s face paled in fright.
He was a Saint realm expert, but the other party’s soul was
innumerable times larger and stronger than his.
In terms of the strength of their souls, he was no match for the
young man before him at all. It was as if pitting an
undeveloped child against a behemoth!
Could it be that… he is really a soul oracle? But even soul
oracles wouldn’t have such a powerful soul…
The boss’s body trembled in astonishment.
Even though he had never met a soul oracle before, he had
once read a few records on them. While soul oracles did
specialize in soul cultivation, it wasn’t to such an exaggerated
extent. The soul he was seeing before him shattered what he
had thought to be possible for a soul… Just how in the world
did the other party cultivate his soul?
And where did this freak come from?
Hu!
While the boss was immersed in his shock, the fragment of his
soul was fused into the other party’s soul. With this, as long as
the young man before him willed it, he would die
instantaneously. Not daring to show the slightest disrespect for
the young man, he hurriedly clasped his fist and bowed
respectfully. “Master!”
“Good, call me Young Master!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
After the affair with Mo Hunsheng, Zhang Xuan had some
experience with establishing a contract with other humans, so
it went much smoother this time.
“Yes, Young Master!” the boss replied politely.
Knowing that the other party was no longer able to stand
against him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He returned
Vicious and the other Otherworldly Demon puppets into his
ring before turning to the boss and asking, “What is your
name?”
Since the other party was his subordinate now, he should at
least know the other party’s name. After all, he couldn’t
possibly keep addressing the other party as ‘boss’!
“I am Wei Changfeng!” the boss replied.
“Braving through the wind and waves… You have a good
name. Alright, I’ll call you Little Feng then!” Zhang Xuan
nodded.
“Yes!” Wei Changfeng nodded hurriedly.
“Keep everything that has happened in here a secret. Not a
soul is to learn of it!” Zhang Xuan instructed.
“Don’t worry, Young Master. I won’t speak a word of it to
anyone!” Wei Changfeng replied.
For a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator to command twenty
Saint realm puppets… No one would believe his words even if
he were to divulge it!
After ensuring that the other party wouldn’t divulge the matter,
Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Following which, he
asked, “Do you know why I came to your Spirit Emporium to
cause trouble?”
“Forgive me for my ignorance, but I am unaware of the
reason!” Wei Changfeng replied with a sliver of doubt in his
tone.
“The reason is simple, your Spirit Emporium, out of greed,
attempted to lay its hands on my students and butler. These
men are your subordinates, right?”
With a casual grasp, the roof of the Spirit Emporium opened
up, and the Great Violetwing Beast flew in and tossed four
semi-dead fellows in.
Upon seeing the faces of the four men, Wei Changfeng’s face
twitched as he replied, “Yes!”
“I’ll leave it to you to deal with them!” Zhang Xuan waved his
hands.
“Also, I want you to clear whatever work you have the Spirit
Emporium as soon as possible and come work for me. Don’t
worry, as long as you do well, I will guide you in your
cultivation and bring you to greater heights!”
“Yes!” Wei Changfeng nodded in response.
As a servant, he could only take whatever his master said at
face value. He didn’t have the right to refuse the other party.
In truth, he didn’t really believe that Zhang Xuan would be
able to raise his cultivation.
After all, as a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, how could the
other party have the knowledge and experience to guide him, a
Saint realm cultivator, in his cultivation? That was a huge
joke!
“You don’t believe me?” Seeing through Wei Changfeng’s
thoughts, Zhang Xuan smiled.
“I dare not to!” Wei Changfeng swiftly replied.
“If I am not mistaken, the reason you started the Spirit
Emporium and stole the artifacts of others is all to save a
person, right?” Zhang Xuan asked impassively.
“H-how did you know?”
Wei Changfeng’s eyes widened in astonishment.His name,
Changfeng, originates from the idiom Chang Feng Po Lang,
which literally means riding the winds to overcome the waves.
This idiom is usually used to describe a person who charges
forth bravely despite the challenges ahead.Despite the mighty
name, Changfeng, Zhang Xuan still ended up giving him a
cute pet name.
758 Returning to the
Academy
When Wei Changfeng had executed a battle technique against
him, Zhang Xuan had already compiled a book on him via the
Library of Heaven’s Path.
Initially, he harbored great disdain for the other party for the
vile deeds he had done, but after learning of the reason behind
his actions, he couldn’t help but feel a little pity for him.
It wasn’t that Wei Changfeng was a person with insatiable
greed, but that he needed those to save a life.
“Regardless of how I know, I can tell you this. As long as you
serve me well, I will help you save her. Even if it is beyond
my means, I will do my best to find someone who possesses
the ability to do so!” Zhang Xuan said.
“Y-you…” Wei Changfeng’s body trembled.
The other party was right. The reason he had opened the Spirit
Emporium and gathered all kinds of artifacts in it despite
risking making a lot of enemies was all so to treat his severely
ill daughter.
His daughter’s vitals had been wounded when she was still a
fetus, resulting in her innate frailty from birth. He had sought
many famous physicians, but there were none who could offer
him a solution. In the end, it was a 6-star pinnacle physician
who had given him a prescription and told him that he could
lengthen the lifespan of his daughter by feeding her the spirit
contained within artifacts.
It was through this matter that his daughter had lasted the past
few years.
However, this only alleviated her condition temporarily, and
its effectiveness was wearing thin. If a cure couldn’t be found
soon, she wouldn’t have long to live.
However, this issue was only known amongst the Saints in
Hongyuan City. How did he learn of it?
“If the young master can really save my daughter, I will do
anything to repay the favor, even if it means braving through
hell!” Recalling the various incredible means of the young
man before him, Wei Changfeng couldn’t help but have his
hopes lifted. He immediately kneeled to the floor and bowed.
“I don’t need you to brave through hell for me. As long as you
serve me well, you will be well rewarded!” Zhang Xuan said
as he took out a wine gourd and passed it over. “Drink it!”
“Yes!” Even though Wei Changfeng was surprised by the
abrupt gesture, he didn’t dare to disobey the other party’s
words. Thus, he pried open the lid and gulped down the wine.
Gugugugu!
As the fine wine entered his body, he immediately felt a warm
surge of energy flowing through his veins. At a pace visible to
the eye, the injuries he had sustained from the puppets healed,
and before long, he had already made a full recovery.
“This is… Saint recovery medicine?” Wei Changfeng
narrowed his eyes.
Despite being a Saint realm expert and the head of the Spirit
Emporium, he had never seen a Saint recovery medicine with
effects as pronounced as this.
For his wounds to heal immediately after drinking it…
Perhaps, the young master might just be able to save his
daughter’s life!
“Let’s clear up this mess first!” Zhang Xuan said.
If he wanted to win the absolute loyalty of his subordinates, he
would have to strike a balance between the carrot and stick.
After forcing the other party in submission, it was only right to
give him some benefits so as to give him some expectations
for the future.
Otherwise, even if Zhang Xuan held his soul hostage, if the
other party’s heart wasn’t with him, that would be no different
from carrying a ticking time bomb around with him.
“Yes!” Knowing that it was impossible for the young master to
save his daughter considering that he had yet to achieve
anything for the other party, Wei Changfeng didn’t pursue the
matter.
Jiya!
The mechanisms rumbled, the wall isolating the duo slowly
vanished, and Sun Qiang and the others came into sight.
“Boss!”
The guards rushed forward anxiously, but upon seeing that
Zhang Xuan was still alive and kicking, the guards encircled
him and drew their weapons.
“Insolent!” Wei Changfeng leaped in fright upon seeing that
sight. “From today onward, he shall be my young master, so
you must address him as young master as well. You must treat
him with even more respect than me, and anyone who defies
this order will be killed. There will be no chances given!”
“Young master?” The guards were taken aback.
Did the boss hit his head somewhere?
The other party had just wreaked havoc in his territory, and he
was ordering them to address the culprit as ‘young master’?
But despite their bewilderment, they knew that the boss wasn’t
kidding given the grim expression on his face. Thus, they
lowered their heads and clasped their fists. “Paying respect to
the young master!”
“This…”
The cultivators watching the spectacle from the side were
stunned speechless.
They’d thought that it was incredible of that young man to
make all of those artifacts and even the Spirit Emporium
acknowledge him as their master… But to think that he would
even tame the Saint realm boss of the Spirit Emporium!
Could there be anything more exaggerated than this?
“Young Master…” Sun Qiang’s lips twitched.
He was still worried that some mishap would befall on the
young master… But from the looks of it now, his worries were
unfounded.
To tame a Saint realm cultivator despite being at Cosmos
Bridge realm, the young master was just a step away from
shattering the atmosphere!
“As expected of the old master’s student, he does have the old
master’s flair in him!” Sun Qiang remarked in awe.
After organizing the guards, Wei Changfeng turned to the
crowd and clasped his fist.
“Everyone, I ask of you not to speak a word of what happened
here today outside. You will have my gratitude for that.”
Even though these men hadn’t seen the battle for themselves,
it did seem that the young master intended to keep a low
profile, so it would be ideal for him to limit any rumors as far
as he could.
In any case, the young master hadn’t revealed his name at any
point, so these men would be unlikely to point him out
anyway.
“Don’t worry, Boss. Our lips are sealed!”
“Confidentiality has always been my strong suit…”
The cultivators hurriedly nodded.
Considering that a master teacher and the boss of the Spirit
Emporium were involved in this conflict, they would not dare
gossip about it for fear of losing their heads.
And more importantly… even if they were to talk about the
affairs that had happened today, others would simply take
them as lunatics!
After all, they wouldn’t have believed such a thing to be
possible either if they hadn’t witnessed it themselves.
Hearing the voices of agreement, Wei Changfeng turned to the
attendants and instructed, “Men, give these guests a gift
package each as compensation for the trauma they have
suffered from this incident!”
To be able to build a business empire from scratch and sustain
it for so many years in Hongyuan Empire wasn’t an easy feat.
Wei Changfeng was also quite a capable person himself.
With a suitable use of threat and reward, those men should
understand that it wouldn’t be to their advantage to talk.
“Good!” Seeing how Xiao Feng dealt with the incident
promptly, Zhang Xuan nodded in commendation.
In truth, the Spirit Emporium didn’t have as many fakes as
he’d claimed. Most of it was due to his framing.
Even though the appraiser did exaggerate about the grade-6
pill, it wasn’t so extreme that it could be considered poison. In
truth, the so-called poison was a surge of zhenqi which he
slipped into the pill while holding the jade box.
After learning the Heaven’s Path Poison Art, he could turn his
Heaven’s Path zhenqi into lethal poison on a whim.
With that, poisoning a Sample Pill Beast to death was not a
difficult feat at all.
If someone had realized what was going on and waited for a
moment longer with the pill, the zhenqi he had hidden inside
would have dissipated and lost its effect.
As for the Bronze Gong, as a soul oracle, it was exceedingly
easy for him to nullify its soul attack.
Most of the subsequent fakes that he had pointed out were also
tampered by him one way in another. He had identified their
flaws via the Library of Heaven’s Path and framed his cases
accordingly. As easy as that, everything in the room had soon
turned into a fake.
As for the acknowledgement by the artifacts, just as Sun Qiang
had thought, Zhang Xuan had already made them submit to
him while introducing the various ‘fakes’ to the crowd. If the
other party had chosen to compensate him, he would have left
without doing anything. Otherwise, he’d planned to tear apart
the other party’s nest with their own artifacts.
“Let’s return!”
Since Wei Changfeng had sent his men after Sun Qiang, it was
natural that he would know where their residence was. With
his soul shackled, he would surely come to them after
finishing up whatever he had to do at the Spirit Emporium.
With his goal achieved, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to
remain in the Spirit Emporium any longer. Thus, he and Sun
Qiang leaped onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and
soared into the sky, disappearing from everyone’s sight.
Back at the residence…
“Young master, these are the high-tier spirit stones that the
boss of the Spirit Emporium gave us earlier on!”
Sun Qiang passed over the ten high-tier spirit stones which he
had taken from Wei Changfeng earlier on.
“Alright!”
Grabbing hold of them, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
After which, he instructed, “You need not worry about money
any longer. Go ahead and find a larger residence for us.”
With the boss of the Spirit Emporium as his subordinate,
money was no longer an issue to them. Naturally, it was about
time for them to find a more fitting residence. Honestly
speaking, this place was a little too small for his liking. There
wasn’t even enough space for him to interrogate the
Byzantium Helios Beast.
“Yes!” Sun Qiang nodded.
“For the time being, you all won’t require high-tier spirit
stones for your cultivation. Here are some artifacts and pills,
deal with them as you deem fit. If it is of any use to your
cultivation, go ahead and use it!”
Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out the various items
which he had taken from the Spirit Emporium earlier.
Sun Qiang stored the items in his storage ring and nodded.
With these items, Zheng Yang and the others would be able to
advance their cultivation by leaps and bounds.
Sun Qiang suddenly recalled a matter and reported, “Young
Master, when I was out earlier today, I saw a residence that fits
our criteria. Not only is it in close proximity to the Master
Teacher Academy, it also has all of the amenities we require.
However… it seemed like someone has just purchased it!”
“It can’t be helped if someone has already taken it. Hongyuan
City is very big; it shouldn’t be too difficult for us to find
another larger residence,’ Zhang Xuan replied.
Since the residence was only purchased recently, it was
unlikely that the owner would be willing to sell it for the time
being. Since that was the case, they might have better luck
searching for another residence in the city. Besides, they
weren’t in a rush either.
“Alright. I will be in the Master Teacher Academy the next
few days. If there is anything urgent, contact me through the
Great Violetwing Beast. If that fails, go ahead and liaise with
Xiao Feng!” Zhang Xuan instructed.
After Zhang Xuan was done with the arrangements, he leaped
onto the back of the Great Violetwing Beast and flew for the
academy.
With this matter resolved, it was about time for him to head to
the Terpsichore School and Demonic Tunist School to browse
through their books.
He had to deal with the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul as soon
as possible so as to avoid any unexpected circumstances.
Zhang Xuan had the Great Violetwing Beast land at the Elite
Sector before sending it back to Sun Qiang’s side. Just as he
was about to ask around where the Demonic Tunist School and
Terpsichore School were, he suddenly heard knocking on his
door.
Opening his door, he saw Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, Song
Chao, and a few others standing at the doorway.
After the entrance examination, they had been settled into their
dormitories by Bai shi and the other seniors. Upon hearing that
Zhang shi had taken up a residence in the Elite Sector, they
came over to pay their greetings.
After trading a few pleasantries, Ruohuan gongzi dived into
the main topic at hand and asked, “Brother Zhang, there is an
event for students to find their teachers today. Are you going
to participate in it?”
“I will pass.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
He had no intentions of finding a teacher. With the Library of
Heaven’s Path, all he needed was an ample number of books.
“Actually, the reason we came to look for you today is to seek
Brother Zhang opinion on which teacher we should
acknowledge in the academy!” Ruohuan gongzi said
sheepishly.
In terms of age, he and Luo Xuan could be considered as
Zhang Xuan’s senior. However, in the Master Teacher
Continent, seniority was determined by one’s capability. In a
sense, addressing Zhang Xuan as a fellow peer could be
considered as a sign of respect to him.
“This… I am not too familiar with the teachers of the
academy.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
How could he know which teacher would be the best in the
academy? He wasn’t going to seek a teacher in the first place!
“You aren’t familiar with the teachers of the academy? How
can that be! We have already heard the rumors, and it seemed
like you even rejected School Head Mo’s offer to become his
direct disciple…” Luo Xuan exclaimed in disbelief.
Zhang shi had performed outstandingly in the entrance
examination, winning over School Head Mo’s admiration. As
such, the latter had offered to take the other in as his direct
disciple, only to be flatly rejected.
This matter had already spread like wildfire across the entire
academy.
Since you rejected even School Head Mo’s offer, doesn’t that
mean that you have a better candidate in mind?
“I haven’t thought that far yet. Speaking of which, since you
are here, does it mean that you already have a person in mind?
Why don’t you tell me? I will help you ask around!” Zhang
Xuan smiled.
Since they were asking for his opinion, they must have already
taken a look around and had a candidate in mind, just that they
were still feeling a little uncertain about their choices.
Most freshmen lacked connections with the seniors to enquire
about the various teachers in the academy. However, Zhang
Xuan was acquainted with Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er, as well as
several school heads in the academy.
If those didn’t work, he could also ask the students in the Elite
Sector; surely at least one of them would be willing to share
some insights.
Even though it had only been two days since Zhang Xuan had
cleared the entrance examination, he had already forged
several connections which allowed him to maneuver around
the academy easily.
759 Ashen Moon Faction
“The teachers of the ten schools will be conducting a public
lecture each on the ‘Impartation Podium’ later today. We hope
that Brother Zhang can attend it with us. Your eyes are far
more discerning than ours, so we trust your judgement more,”
Ruohuan gongzi said awkwardly.
After suffering multiple blows while competing with the man
before him, he knew better than anyone else that the other
party was a man of incredible capability.
If the other party could help him find a teacher, it would
definitely be far better than him fumbling around and trying
his luck.
There were only three days for students to find a teacher. Their
future was at stake here. They could soar to great heights with
a good teacher, but if they were to make a mistake with this,
they could potentially end up capping their future
accomplishments instead.
Eventually, they’d decided that it would be best for them to
consult Zhang Xuan on this matter. They had all come from
the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so they were familiar with one
another.
Even when compared to Hong shi and the others, Zhang shi’s
judgement was still far more precise and accurate.
“Impartation Podium? Public lecture?” Zhang Xuan was taken
aback.
Too overwhelmed by challenging the blacksmith examination,
he hadn’t had the time to learn what was going on in the
academy yet.
The Impartation Podium stood at the very center of the
academy, and it was usually the venue for most major events.
At the same time, it also served as a dueling platform for
students to resolve their differences.
As for public lectures, he had heard of them back when he was
still a teacher in Hongtian Academy.
To put it simply, it was a lesson which anyone could attend if
they wanted.
The public lectures served as a platform for students to assess
a teacher’s capability so that they could better choose their
teachers.
At the same time, it also introduced a fair degree of rivalry
among the teaching staff, encouraging them to work harder
and strive for excellence in their teaching.
“Yes, does Zhang shi want to head over as well?” Everyone
turned to look at Zhang Xuan.
Seeing the determined expressions on their faces, it was clear
that they wouldn’t give up easily on this matter. After all, it
was extremely easy for one to be overwhelmed by the sheer
number of master teachers conducting public lectures there.
This choice could potentially determine how far they would
rise as a master teacher, so they weren’t willing to take it
lightly.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan nodded.
“Alright, I will go with you all then. This will be a good
opportunity to see the standard of the teachers in the
academy…”
Since most of the teachers were participating in this event, it
was unlikely that there would be any people at the Terpsichore
School or Demonic Tunist School, making it difficult for him
to find the books he sought. Thus, he might as well make use
of the time to take a peek at the quality of lessons in Hongyuan
Master Teacher Academy so that he could have a rough gauge
of where he stood.
With Zhang Xuan having made up his mind, the group headed
left for the Impartation Podium. It was some distance away
from the Elite Sector, but with their current cultivation, it
didn’t take too long for them to arrive at their destination.
There was only one word that could be used to describe the
venue—congested.
All thirty thousand freshmen were currently standing atop the
Impartation Podium, in search of a suitable teacher for them.
There were also a couple of seniors who had decided to join in
the bustle as well. Despite the immense size of the podium, it
was completely packed with men. One would have easily
gotten lost if it had been their first time here.
Ruohuan gongzi had looked into the event beforehand, so he
began introducing the various technicalities regarding it.
“In order to better facilitate the freshmen around the various
public lectures held by the teachers, they have divided the
Impartation Podium in a manner such that there’s a narrow
passageway for movement, and as long as one walks along the
passageway, they will be able to listen to the lectures held by
all of the teachers.”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan glanced at the crowd ahead
of him, and indeed, he could see that most people were
heading in the same direction, which was likely where the
passageway Ruohuan gongzi mentioned was.
Standing on elevated platforms on both sides of the
passageway were teachers who were busy lecturing the crowd
gathered around them. Being too far away, the group wasn’t
able to hear the content of the lectures. Nevertheless, they
could see the intoxicated looks of the students listening to the
lectures, seemingly fully-immersed in the lecturers’ words.
Nearly all of the teachers in the Master Teacher Academy were
6-star master teachers, and at such a level, how could their
ability to impart knowledge possibly be lacking? No matter
how boring their lessons might be, their deep understanding of
cultivation easily made up for it. Their words carried a kind of
strength that drew people in, leaving the listeners deeply
entranced by the brand-new world opened to them.
“Juniors, may I interest you in the ‘Teacher Information
Documentation’?”
Just as the group was about to follow the crowd into the
passageway, a smiling young man suddenly walked up to them
and blocked their way.
The young man seemed to be in his thirties, possessing a lanky
figure reminiscent of a bamboo. A 5-star emblem stood on his
chest, which showed that he was at least a Grade-2 student in
the academy.
“Teacher Information Documentation?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
The young man glanced in the surroundings, and after
ensuring that no one was looking, he whipped out a book and
passed it over while whispering in a hushed voice, “Yes. Our
Ashen Moon Faction has specially compiled all of the
information regarding the teachers in the academy, as well as
their various unique characteristics, interests, and the results of
their students. Using this as a reference as you listen to the
various public lectures, you will be able to make a better
choice…”
“There is such a thing?”
Bewildered, Zhang Xuan took the book, and just as he was
about to flip it open, the young man before abruptly stopped
him.
“Every single one of us in the Master Teacher Academy
possesses a photographic memory. If I allow you to browse
through the book, how am I supposed to sell it? If you wish to
look at it, you will have to buy it…”
Anyone with a Soul Depth beyond 10 would possess a
photographic memory. Considering that the minimum
requirement to enter the academy was for one to be a 4-star
master teacher, it meant that every single student had a
photographic memory.
The Teacher Information Documentation contained extremely
precious information, and the other party was clearly intending
on using it to earn some additional money. If he were to allow
his customers to browse through it and memorize its contents,
who would bother buying the book?
“How much does it cost?” Ruohuan gongzi asked.
Since this document had been prepared by the seniors, it
should be accurate. If they could buy a copy, it would help
facilitate them in choosing which teacher to acknowledge.
“Our Ashen Moon Faction spent great effort to gather and
compile the information, so we have to charge a higher price
in order to recoup our losses. Each copy costs a hundred
middle-tier spirit stones, and the price isn’t up for
negotiation!” the young man said.
“A hundred middle-tier spirit stones?” Everyone was shocked.
Coming from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Ruohuan gongzi
had barely seen any middle-tier spirit stones in his life. Luo
Xuan, who had come from the strongest sect in the region,
fared slightly better in his financial position, but forking out a
hundred middle-tier spirit stones was still far beyond his
means.
As for Song Chao, he could hardly take out a middle-tier spirit
stone under Zhang Xuan’s beguilement back then, so asking
him to take out a hundred at once was clearly asking too much.
In other words, of all of them, Zhang Xuan was the only one
who could afford the document!
The price sure was steep!
Taking the distressed expressions before him into sight, the
young man hurriedly said, “You all find the documentation
expensive? You do know that there is detailed information on
each and every teacher in here, right? Once you find a suitable
teacher, it’s just a matter of time before you make the
breakthrough to become a 5-star master teacher. By then, you
won’t need to worry about having insufficient middle-tier
spirit stones anymore!”
There was a huge gap between each rank of a master teacher.
While there were limited opportunities for a 4-star master
teacher to earn middle-tier spirit stones, 5-star master teachers
didn’t have such a worry.
“Thank you for your concern, but we don’t need it!” Sighing
deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
A hundred middle-tier spirit stones for a document… That was
daylight robbery!
Besides, Zhang Xuan didn’t need such a thing either.
For one, he had just touched the book earlier, and a replica had
appeared in his mind… On top of that, his version was more
detailed with indications to mark which information was
inaccurate.
“You don’t need it? How could you not need it? Finding a
suitable teacher in the academy is of utmost importance! If
you take this lightly, you might just find yourself unable to
progress a single step forward as a master teacher, and
eventually, you might even end up being expelled by the
academy…” Not expecting the freshmen to turn down his
offer, the young man froze for a moment before hurriedly
trying to persuade them.
Rejecting a teacher that one had acknowledged was an
extremely troublesome process that could result in dire
consequences, so it was extremely important for the freshmen
to choose their teacher wisely.
If they were to make the wrong decision, their future would be
bleak.
“We really don’t need it. We bought a copy earlier, so we don’t
need another one!” Zhang Xuan said.
“You have already bought one?”
The young man froze for a moment before a thought struck
him, and he said, “Did you buy from the True Helios Faction
instead? I can tell you safely that the documentation they have
is incomplete and inaccurate, so you will be far safer buying
from me…”
“If I may ask, what are the True Helios Faction and Ashen
Moon Faction that you speak of?” Zhang Xuan asked in
confusion.
“You don’t know?”
The young man was shocked for an instant before nodding in
realization. “I forgot, you have just arrived in the academy, so
it’s natural for you to be unaware of it. Our academy has many
student organizations, and every single one of them was
established by the strongest students in the academy. Our
Ashen Moon Faction is led by Senior Long Cangyue while the
True Helios Faction is headed by Senior Xue Zhenyang!”
“Long Cangyue? Xue Zhenyang?”
“Un, both of them are esteemed Grade-5 seniors, and they
possess formidable strength. As long as you join any
organization, you will be given the opportunity to receive
pointers from the seniors!” the young man said proudly.
“Receive pointers?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment
before he understood what was going on.
To become a Grade-5 student, one had to be a 6-star low-tier
master teacher.
(Grade-1 students are at 4-star pinnacle and half 5-star; Grade-
2 students are at 5-star low-tier, Grade-3 students are at 5-star
high-tier; Grade-4 students are at 5-star pinnacle; Grade-5
students are at 6-star low-tier.)
Often, a teacher would be paired with many students, and this
left them little time to care for all of them. Thus, it would be
highly beneficial if they could receive the pointers of a 6-star
low-tier master teacher outside of lessons as well.
“Indeed. The academy is filled with many geniuses, and if you
can’t keep up, you will only lag behind. This means that you
might lose the opportunity to go on experiential training and
obtain valuable cultivation resources… If you wish to keep up,
the only way before you is to join one of these factions!” the
young man said.
Hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the
others couldn’t help but nod in agreement.
Unlike Zhang shi, they didn’t possess extraordinary talent or
capability. Unless they received all of the resources they could
get, it was impossible for them to stand out amidst all of the
geniuses in the Master Teacher Academy.
If they couldn’t stand out, they might lose out on many
valuable opportunities offered by the academy, thus limiting
their future achievements.
Thus, it was inevitable that they would have to join one of
these student factions.
“Alright, you will get to know more of it in the future, so there
is no need to worry about it at this point. For now, what is
important is for you to find a teacher who fits your criteria,
and the documentation offered by the True Helios Faction
won’t be enough for it. I am only saying this out of worry, but
you really should buy the one from our Ashen Moon Faction.
Not to brag, but our Senior Long Cangyue received a much
higher placing than Senior Xue Zhenyang in the Annual
Tournament…”
The young man continued to advertise the book in his hand.
“I appreciate your gesture, but we really don’t need it…”
If the book only cost one or two middle-tier spirit stone, Zhang
Xuan could still consider buying it. But a hundred? That was
clearly exploitation! How could he agree to it?
Thus, he decided to turn down the offer.
Seeing that the few freshmen before him were still unwilling
to buy the document after all he had said, the young man’s
face darkened.
“You refuse? That won’t do! Since you bought the
documentation from True Helios Faction, you must buy the
one from our Ashen Moon Faction as well. Otherwise, I can
tell you that you will face a lot of trouble in the future for
offending us!”
The smile had disappeared from his face, and his tone was
menacing.
“Face a lot of trouble? Are you threatening us?” Zhang Xuan
asked impassively.
The young man harrumphed.
“Threatening? Of course not, this is just a warning from me in
my capacity as your senior. Even though all of the students in
the Master Teacher Academy are master teachers, the water
here isn’t as calm as it seems!”
760 Meeting the White-robed
Lady Once More
“Oh? Why is that so?” Zhang Xuan asked with a smile,
unfazed by the other party’s threat.
“There is a limit to the cultivation resources, training fields,
and opportunities that the academy can offer to the students
each year. Even slots for working as the receptionists or
attendants of the various schools don’t come easily! If you
offend our Ashen Moon Faction, I can guarantee you that we
possess more than sufficient power to ensure that you won’t be
able to land yourself any missions or tasks year after year,
making it impossible for you to earn even a single Academic
Credit!” the young man said.
As a powerful student faction in the academy, it wasn’t too
difficult for them to make the life of a freshman a living hell.
“Unless…”
The young man paused. “Unless you join our Ashen Moon
Faction! Only if you join us will we extend our umbrella of
protection to you. No other faction will dare to seek trouble
with you, and there are also many faction-based missions and
tasks that you will be able to participate in to earn Academic
Credits. More importantly… if you join now, we can give you
a copy of our Teacher Information Documentation for free,
sparing you from the additional expense!”
“There are so many benefits from joining the Ashen Moon
Faction? But there is no such thing as a free lunch in the
world… What will we have to give in return?”
Ruohuan gongzi asked.
Since the faction was willing to offer its members so many
benefits, surely it had to receive something in return.
Otherwise, who would be so kind-hearted as to open a charity
in the competitive academy?
“Simple. Once you become a member, you must obey the
leadership of the Ashen Moon Sect. On top of that, you must
pay an Academic Credit to the faction each year and help
manage the businesses of the faction,” the young man replied.
“Pay an Academic Credit to the faction? Help manage the
businesses of the faction?” Everyone fell into deep thought.
As they had expected, such a sweet deal couldn’t possibly be
without its shortcomings.
Putting aside how they didn’t have a single Academic Credit
with them at the moment, even if they did, there was no
Academic Credit that came easily. One Academic Credit each
year was definitely a huge sum for them as Grade-1 students.
At the same time, they couldn’t help but be shocked by how
lucrative factions were. If the faction were to have a hundred
men, wouldn’t that mean that they would receive a hundred
Academic Credits annually?
It was no wonder the Grade-5 seniors would devote their time
to establishing student factions and offering pointers to the
members of their factions! With such benefits, they would do
it if they were in the other party’s position as well!
As for the businesses, their primary function was probably to
finance the expenses of the faction. After all, be it to build
connections, conduct activities, or to reward the contributions
of its members, they would surely need a source of income for
its operations.
As master teachers, the students all had supporting
occupations, so they could contribute to the finances of the
faction through offering pills they had forged or weapons they
had smithed.
For one, the young man before them who was marketing the
Teacher Information Documentation to them would probably
have to hand the profits earned over to the faction eventually.
The young man harrumphed.
“That’s right. You only have two options now. You can either
buy the document or join our faction, or else you can look
forward to endless trouble in the academy!”
“Zhang shi…” Ruohuan gongzi, Song Chao, and the others
quickly turned their sights over to Zhang Xuan.
The latter had already become their pillar of support, so in
times of difficulty, they couldn’t help but subconsciously look
toward him for help.
“My apologies, but we will be taking neither of the options!”
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
He wasn’t interested in the book nor the benefits the faction
had to offer.
No matter how powerful the student factions were, could they
be any greater than becoming the junior of one of the Ten
Great Master Teachers? Since he’d already turned down the
latter, how could he possibly be, in the least, interested in the
former?
“You have guts! You’d better pray that you manage to find a
strong backer in this event, or else be prepared to be put
through living hell in the academy!” Seeing that the group
before him rejecting his offer, the young man glared at them
ferociously before flinging his sleeves and leaving.
“Zhang shi, what should we do if they really come knocking
on our doors?” Song Chao and the others asked worriedly.
They didn’t have Zhang Xuan’s capability or backing, so
unlike him, they couldn’t afford to offend a powerful
organization in the academy.
Zhang Xuan waved his hands. “We are in the Master Teacher
Academy, so they dare not go too far. If they really try to pull
something, I will look for School Head Mo and School Head
Zhao to intervene in the matter, so you don’t have to worry.
For the time being, let us focus on finding a teacher for you
first.”
Since they were master teachers, even if they wished to
provoke another student, they would have to play within the
rules… And in a game of rules, Zhang Xuan was confident
that he could leave them on the verge of a breakdown.
Putting aside a mere student faction, even all of the Ten Great
Master Teachers might not be a match for him in that regard!
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s promise, the others felt a little
reassured.
“Alright, we will be depending on you then…”
As the group made their way to the passageway, they
encountered a few other factions such as the Descending
Lunar Faction and Demon Assembly Faction. They attempted
to persuade them to either join their faction or purchase their
intelligence as well.
Zhang Xuan casually took hold of their documents, and after
noting that they were all around the same as the one offered by
the Ashen Moon Faction, he turned them down politely.
Seeing the freshmen refusing all of their offers and rushing
straight to the public lecture, the seniors in charge of selling
the documents and promoting their factions shot them looks of
sympathy.
If one wanted to soar in the academy, there were two
conventions they would have to go through. One, they had to
find themselves a suitable teacher. Two, they had to join a
faction. Otherwise, if they were to go independent, they would
be vulnerable to any trouble, and every single step they took
would be fraught with difficulties. Academic Credits would
fall beyond their reach, causing their progress to stagnate.
Not bothered by those arrogant seniors, Zhang Xuan led the
group straight toward the passageway.
A long queue had formed at the entrance of the passageway.
On the very first stage, a forty-year-old teacher was currently
in the midst of his lecture. Despite the loud bustle in the
surroundings, the crowd beneath could still hear his voice
resounding by their ears clearly, as if he was speaking to them
personally.
“The core of cultivation lies in the heart. In the Consonant
Spirit realm, one seeks to achieve a harmony between the body
and soul, and in order to temper one’s soul, one has to temper
one’s heart first…”
According to a plaque hanging on the stage, he was a 6-star
high-tier master teacher from the Apothecary School named Li
Yuan, and the content of his lecture was regarding cultivation
in the Consonant Spirit realm.
After listening to it for a short moment, Zhang Xuan nodded.
Even though the middle-aged teacher’s lecture was still miles
away from matching up to him and there were several
mistakes in his understanding, Zhang Xuan still had to admit
that the content he delivered was novel. If it was anyone else
who was listening to this lecture, he might just receive a stroke
of inspiration and advance even further in the Consonant Spirit
realm.
However, it was useless to Zhang Xuan.
“This Li shi from the Apothecary School is very detailed in his
explanations, and he is very generous as well. If you were to
become his student, you should be able to get a huge discount
off his pills, sparing you a lot of money…” With a hushed
voice, Zhang Xuan swiftly introduced the profile of the
middle-aged teacher on the stage.
They had participated in the Master Teacher Tournament
alongside Zhang Xuan, and they knew that he possessed the
ability to view the content of a book without even flipping its
pages. Thus, they weren’t too surprised by his revelation, and
they took a mental note of his words.
Students were given three days to select their teacher after this
event, so there was no hurry. Most students would use this
time to sort out their choices before making their decision.
“Let’s continue on!” After gaining a clear assessment of the
unique traits and capability of the middle-aged teacher, Zhang
Xuan gestured for the group to proceed on.
The next teacher in the line was from the Physician School.
His lecture was regarding the fusion of the Way of Medicine
into cultivation, allowing one to remain resilient in the face of
severe illnesses.
“If you were to learn from this teacher, you might not improve
as fast as you would under the teacher from the Apothecary
School, but he will help you build a strong foundation which
will beneficial to you in the future!” Zhang Xuan introduced.
In the Master Teacher Academy, students could choose to join
one of the ten schools, and once they did so, they would have
to put the corresponding supporting occupation as their second
priority after master teacher.
Naturally, joining a school would grant the students certain
privileges as well. For example, if one were to join the
Apothecary School, they would be able to purchase pills at a
discounted price.
If one were to join the Physician School, they would gain
access to documents regarding the study of the human body,
allowing them to build up a strong foundation in their
cultivation.
The Blacksmith School had valuable physical body cultivation
technique manuals; the Beast Tamer School had private
mountains filled with rare beasts; the Painter School had high-
tier paintings that allowed one to calm their mind, enhancing
their rate of cultivation…
All in all, each school had their own strengths. Most students
would usually choose based on their interest and proficiency in
the occupation.
After walking around for a while longer, Zhang Xuan slowly
lost interest. Thus, he eventually searched for a less crowded
area to stop at and took out an empty book. Taking out a brush
and an ink slab, he swiftly copied down the accurate details
which he had gathered from the documents compiled by the
various factions, as well as what he had observed through the
public lectures.
“I have written down the details regarding the teachers in this
book, feel free to browse through it. It should be enough for
you to find a suitable teacher!”
This book, which had been verified using the Library of
Heaven’s Path, had no errors whatsoever. With it,
Ruohuan gongzi and the others should have no trouble finding
a suitable teacher for themselves.
“Un!” Ruohuan gongzi and the others nodded.
By corroborating the content of the book Zhang Xuan
compiled with the public lectures they had just listened to,
they would have more than enough information to make a
judgement themselves. There was no need for them to bother
Zhang shi over the issue anymore.
“While you all are looking at the book, I will go take a walk
around.” Passing the book to them, Zhang Xuan stretched his
back lazily. Just as he was contemplating whether he should
make his way to the Terpsichore School or Demonic Tunist
School, he suddenly caught sight of a silhouette which sent a
jolt through his body.
Is that… her?
It was an elegant white-robed figure walking amidst the
bustling crowd. Despite the clamor around her, her presence
seemed to bring about a soothing aura to the surroundings, as
if a calm painting.
This was the exact same sensation that he had felt from the
white-robed lady whom he had met at the Verdant Mountain
back in Huanyu Empire.
The world was big, so Zhang Xuan had thought that he would
never see the other party ever again after their abrupt parting.
But that familiar disposition and silhouette… Could it be her?
Fearing that it was just an illusion and he might lose sight of
her the next moment, he dared not turn his eyes away from
her.
Despite the congestion ahead, the crowd seemed to open up
before the white-robed figure through some mysterious force,
creating ample space for her to walk through. Yet, despite this
bizarre phenomenon, there didn’t seem to be a single person
amidst the crowd who had realized it yet, as if it was a
perfectly ordinary occurrence.
What an incredible ability! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.
This phenomenon could only be produced by the
comprehension of spatial laws.
Those students had clearly moved from their original
positions, but it seemed to them as if they were still standing
on the same spot.
Even Zhang Xuan didn’t possess the means to do the same.
“Is it really her?” Zhang Xuan muttered in a daze.
Back when he’d first met the white-robed lady in the Verdant
Mountain, he had sensed that the other party’s cultivation
wasn’t too high. That was why he’d rushed forward to save
her upon seeing that she had been encircled. Yet, when he was
suffering a backlash due to the incompatibility between his
soul and body, she was the one who’d intervened and
facilitated an impeccable fusion between his soul and body.
Such an ability was far beyond Zhang Xuan’s current means.
From this, it could be seen that she had concealed her true
strength. Even at this time, he was still unable to gain a clear
grasp of her strength.
“Flaws!” Zhang Xuan muttered, but the next moment, he
froze.
She isn’t using a battle technique?
He’d thought that such manipulation of space could be
considered as the usage of a battle technique, so he’d tried to
check it through the Library of Heaven’s Path. However, the
Library of Heaven’s Path remained completely silent.
In other words, the young lady before him wasn’t using a
battle technique.
Otherwise, the Library of Heaven’s Path would surely have
been able to compile a book on her!
So far, he had yet to encounter anything which the Library of
Heaven’s Path was unable to discern.
Hu!
Bewildered, Zhang Xuan was just about to walk forward to
take a closer look when the white-robed figure, as if sensing
his gaze, stopped and turned around.
A beautiful face came into sight.
It was indeed the white-robed lady he had met back then!
Even though there were certain differences to her facial
features due to some kind of disguise she was donning, those
were incapable of fooling his Eye of Insight. With just a
glance, he could tell that it was the young lady whom he had
met back in the mountains.
Unable to suppress his agitation, he rushed up to her and said
nervously, “Y-you are here as well?”
The young lady was scanning her surroundings, as if trying to
determine the source of the gaze when she suddenly caught
sight of him. Her eyes lit up, and a light smile surfaced on her
lips. For an instant, it was as if a hundred flowers had
bloomed.
761 You Are a Teacher?
That lady carried a unique poise which emanated an
inexplicable beauty when she smiled. Even Zhao Ya’s
disposition and beauty seemed to pale before her.
Forcing himself to remain calm so as to not lose his bearings
before the other party, Zhang Xuan asked, “Are you… a
student of this academy?”
For some reason, he couldn’t help but feel anxious and even a
little lost before this lady. This was a feeling he had never felt
from anyone before.
He was in the Master Teacher Academy due to clearing the
entrance examination and becoming a student here. Since the
other party was here as well, could it mean that she was a
student too?
It would be great if that was the case. The thought of being
able to spend many of the future days with the other party left
him with a tinge of anticipation inside.
However, the young lady shook her head.
“No?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback. “Then… are you the kin
of one of the elders here?”
There were strict rules in the Master Teacher Academy, and
other than the students and the staff, no one else was allowed
to step onto its premises.
If she wasn’t a student of the academy, could it mean that she
was the daughter or relative of one of the elders here?
Otherwise, how could she possibly appear within the
academy?
However, the young lady shook her head once more.
“Then…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head, and just as he was
about to continue guessing, a faint but graceful voice sounded
by his ears.
“Follow me.”
After which, the young lady before him began walking in a
certain direction.
“You can speak…” Zhang Xuan was stunned.
He hadn’t heard a word from the other party back when they
were on the Verdant Mountain, so he’d thought that she was
incapable of speech. Who would have thought that not only
could she speak, her voice would be so moving as well?
“Of course I can!” The young lady rolled her eyes with a
smile.
This fellow was truly a fool.
Back on Verdant Mountain, she had killed a ferocious spirit
beast who had tyrannized the region, thus winning her the
gratitude of countless other spirit beasts who resided in the
area.
Therefore, those spirit beasts paid her a visit to express their
gratitude, but in fear of disturbing her rest, they ended up
gathering and lingering in her surroundings instead. Yet, that
fellow had thought that she was under attack and forcefully
pulled her down into the lake.
They ended up swimming underwater for a long period of time
in an attempt to escape from the pursuit of the other spirit
beasts.
Even at the very end, he thought that he had saved her life. He
was truly a funny person.
But despite the misunderstanding, she knew that he had done it
out of the goodwill of his heart. Considering his bravery in
charging into an army of spirit beasts to ‘save’ her, she
eventually chose not to point out the misunderstanding.
He had saved her once, and she had returned the favor by
resolving the issue regarding his soul. With that, she’d thought
that their fate had come to an end, and they would never meet
again. Who could have known that a day would come when
they would meet once more?
“Are you a student here?” the young lady asked as they
walked side by side.
“Yes, I am a freshman who arrived just a few days ago. The
last time we met at Huanyu Empire, I was actually just about
to head here,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“I see.” The young lady nodded in realization.
So, he was a student here, no wonder she would see him here.
After a moment of silence as they walked amidst the crowd,
the young lady suddenly asked, “Have you chosen your
teacher yet?”
“Not yet… Actually, I have no intention of finding one at all.”
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“You don’t intend to find a teacher?” The young lady was
surprised. “Why?”
Master teachers who had enrolled here sought to further their
capabilities and reach greater heights. The insights of a high-
ranked master teacher were highly beneficial to one’s progress
as a master teacher, so why wouldn’t one find a teacher?
“It’s nothing much… I just haven’t found a suitable teacher
yet,” Zhang Xuan replied with an awkward smile.
It was not that he intended to lie to the other party, but he
dared not speak the truth. How could he say that the standard
of teachers here was too low, such that their lessons were
completely useless to him… If he were to really utter those
words, he would be pummeled to death by both teachers and
students alike in the next instant.
“What kind of teacher are you looking for? I might be able to
help you on this matter,” the young lady said.
Even though she didn’t have much of an understanding of the
teachers in the academy, given her eye of discernment, she
should be able to easily find a suitable teacher for him.
“This…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head in distress.
He had no intentions of acknowledging a teacher at all, so he
wasn’t too sure how he should respond to the other party’s
kind gesture.
After all, he had rejected even School Head Zhao and School
Head Mo… How could any of the other teachers compare to
them?
“I think that this teacher is not bad. His explanation of
cultivation techniques is quite detailed, and he analyzes them
in a systematic manner, starting from the basics before diving
into the intricacies, making it easier for the students to
comprehend the knowledge he is trying to impart.”
There was yet another moment of silence between the duo
before the young lady suddenly stopped before one of the
platforms and gestured to an old man who was in the midst of
lecturing a crowd.
Zhang Xuan glanced at the plaque hanging beside the old man
and noted that he was from the Celestial Designer School.
Having to deal with complicated mechanisms every day,
celestial designers tended to have logical and systematic
minds. Such a trait seemed to be particularly useful in the
impartation of knowledge too, as such lecturers would slowly
build up their reasoning based on sound logic, as if cogs
slowly placed into position to form a whole system. This made
their lectures far easier to understand and much more
memorable.
There were many freshmen gathered around him with agitated
looks on their faces, seemingly intent on acknowledging him
as their teacher.
However, while students had the right to choose their teacher,
teachers were allowed to choose their students as well.
The more capable a teacher was, the more popular they would
be amongst the students.
Considering the old man’s outstanding ability in imparting
knowledge, there should be a significant number of freshmen
who would apply to his tutelage. However, it remained to be
seen how many he would accept.
“He is indeed a good teacher, but he isn’t suitable for me…”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “Actually, you don’t have to find
a teacher for me. I don’t intend to acknowledge a teacher for
the time being. Let’s talk about you instead. What’s your
name?”
“My name?”
The young lady was just about to reply when agitated
exclamations suddenly sounded from the students around.
“I heard that a beautiful teacher has arrived in the academy,
and she is going to hold her public lecture soon. Let’s go and
take a look!”
“What is there to look at? We are searching for a teacher, not a
partner!”
“I heard that she is a master teacher dispatched here from the
Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion to
engage in experiential learning. Despite not even reaching
twenty yet, she is already a 6-star master teacher, and even the
Ten Great Master Teachers have to regard her with respect!”
“Is that true?”
“My uncle is a teacher here, and I heard this news straight
from him! If we can acknowledge her as our teacher, we will
surely be able to rise to great heights in the future!”
“If she truly is a teacher from the headquarters, her view must
be much broader than ours. Right, what is her name? I don’t
think there is anyone who fits her profile from the Teacher
Information Documentation I purchased earlier…”
“She is a new teacher in the academy, and not even the Ashen
Moon Faction or the True Helios Faction has seen her yet, so
naturally, they don’t have any information on her. However, I
did manage to get her name from my uncle. If I recall
correctly, I think it is… Luo Ruoxin!”
“That is a beautiful name! Alright, I have decided! I shall go
and listen to her public lecture…”
…
Amidst the bustle, many freshmen and seniors rushed forward
excitedly, seemingly fearing that they wouldn’t get a good spot
if they were to be late.
“Beautiful teacher?” Seeing the excited crowd, Zhang Xuan
was rendered speechless.
Just because a person was pretty didn’t mean that they would
be good at teaching.
“Let’s head over as well!” Hearing the mutters from his
surroundings, the young lady shook her head and made her
way over as well.
“You wish to see the beautiful teacher as well?” Zhang Xuan
was taken aback.
She was a lady herself, why would she be interested in the
beautiful teacher too?
The young lady simply flashed Zhang Xuan a mysterious
smile before proceeding ahead.
Zhang Xuan was bewildered, but he could only continue
following behind the other party’s back.
Soon, they arrived before a stage. By this point, a huge crowd
had already gathered in the area.
An old man was currently standing on the stage, tidying it up.
This stage seemed to have been erected just a moment ago,
and unlike the other stages, it was completely empty except for
a plaque that read “Luo Ruoxin”.
“Where is the beautiful teacher? Why isn’t she here? Are you
sure there is no mistake in your information?”
“Mistake in my information? You must be joking! Do you see
that elder on the stage? He is Elder Zhou from the Apothecary
School!”
“Elder Zhou? Which Elder Zhou?”
“Which other elder has the surname of Zhou in the Apothecary
School? Of course, it is Vice School Head Zhou!”
“Vice School Zhou is actually tidying up the stage personally
for the new teacher?”
“It seems like the academy has a really high opinion of that
Luo shi…”
…
Such discussions could be heard amidst the students.
“Vice School Head Zhou?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.
Of the ten schools, the Apothecary School ranked at the top.
Due to the standing of the Apothecary School, the various
leaders of the school also held incredible prestige as well. For
a vice school head of the Apothecary School to clean up the
stage personally, it seemed that Luo shi was no ordinary
master teacher.
Seeing Zhang Xuan’s expression, the young lady beside him
asked, “How is it? Are you interested in taking Luo shi as your
teacher?”
“Not really.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“Why? There are so many people here who seem to be
interested in her, why aren’t you?” the young lady asked.
Even among two master teachers of the same rank, most
would choose to acknowledge the one who had come from the
headquarters instead of the branch.
This was due to the difference in terms of worldly view.
Master teachers from the headquarters were likely to have
come into contact with higher ranked master teachers
themselves, and their understanding of cultivation tended to be
much deeper than master teachers from the branches.
Take Luo Qiqi for example, even though she was only a 5-star
apothecary as well, she was able to conduct a lesson for the
other 5-star apothecaries in Huanyu Empire.
“Even if she is a good teacher, she can’t possibly be better than
me. Why should I acknowledge a person who can’t even
match up to me as my teacher?” Zhang Xuan said confidently.
So what if the other party had come from the headquarters?
Could the cultivation techniques she had learned be more
detailed and aligned with nature than the Heaven’s Path
cultivation techniques?
That was impossible!
“Besides, even though the other students are calling her a
beauty, I highly doubt that is the case. If she is truly as
beautiful as the others claim her to be, why is she not here yet?
Perhaps, she might even be hideous!” Zhang Xuan continued
with a smile.
Even though he had never dated before, he knew better than to
compliment another woman before the lady he fancied.
Otherwise, he could very well incur her ire.
Besides, he thought that beauty was just a marketing means for
that Luo shi.
To master teachers, one’s appearance was nothing more than a
facade. What was truly important was their capability.
Most likely, the issue regarding Luo shi’s beauty might just be
an attempt by the academy to draw more students to her public
lecture so as to win her goodwill.
It wasn’t like such a matter hadn’t happened before.
“Hideous?” The eyes of the young lady narrowed into slits.
“That’s right. Don’t worry, you will see once she appears…”
Zhang Xuan nodded confidently.
Just as he was about to continue, Elder Zhou on the stage
suddenly caught sight of something and his eyes lit up. He
hurriedly flew over and clasped his fist toward the young lady
standing beside Zhang Xuan.
“Luo shi, you are here! We have already prepared the stage for
you…”
“Alright.” The young lady nodded before turning to Zhang
Xuan with an unreadable smile. “You said that I am hideous,
right?”
“Y-you are… Luo Ruoxin, Luo shi?”
Zhang Xuan’s body stiffened as his eyes bulged from their
sockets. “You aren’t a student… but a teacher?”
762 Library of Heaven’s
Path Upgraded 1
Zhang Xuan was flabbergasted.
He’d thought that the young lady who seemed to be of the
same age as him would be a student of this academy, but who
would have thought that she was a teacher dispatched from the
headquarter!
It was just a moment ago that he’d said that the teacher
dispatched from the headquarters would be hideous when it
turned out to be the young lady he was interested in… He
couldn’t help but fidget awkwardly.
If the young lady before him could be considered hideous,
there would be no one in the world who was deserving of the
word “pretty”.
Even though her disguise had dulled her ravishing features,
her ethereal disposition and elegant bearing still shone
through, making it impossible for anyone to avert their gaze
from her.
Looking at the silly fellow before her panicking, Luo Ruoxin
chuckled softly before turning around and leaping onto the
stage.
“How beautiful!”
“With such appearance, she must be the top beauty of our
academy!”
“Top beauty? That student over there, you must be joking. I
am from the Bewitching Devil Faction, and I can tell you that
Sister Yaoyao is the most beautiful of them all!”
“That’s just your own opinion. In my view, Senior Dongxin is
the prettiest!”
“I still think that Princess Fei-er is the best. The other seniors
are way out of our league, at least I might still stand a chance
with Princess Fei-er…”
“You wish to woo Princess Fei-er? Dream on! Haven’t you
heard how long Xing Yuan has courted her for? Honestly
speaking, I am still the most entranced by Luo Qiqi’s charms,
but it’s a pity that she isn’t interested in me at all…”
…
Upon seeing Luo Ruoxin, a huge commotion broke out
beneath.
The rumors regarding the appearance of a new beautiful
teacher had drawn many seniors here as well. In an instant,
excited discussions sounded amidst the huge crowd.
There were plenty of beauties in the academy as well, and
there was even an unofficial ranking list made on them.
However, every individual had their own fancy, so the seat
regarding the top still remained contentious.
“I am Luo Ruoxin, a new teacher of Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy!”
Paying no heed to the discussions below, Luo Ruoxin began
introducing herself. Her voice carried some kind of entrancing
property that immediately silenced the bustle below.
“The topic of my lecture will be how a cultivator can establish
harmony between his body and soul in the Consonant Spirit
realm.
“It is at the Consonant Spirit realm that a cultivator will start
cultivating their soul, and any mistake made in one’s
cultivation at this point can potentially create a rift between
one’s soul and one’s body, limiting one’s strength…”
After listening for a moment, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but be
impressed.
As expected of a master teacher from the headquarters! The
content was simple, but accurate and concise. Even he could
not find any problem with it.
No wonder the other party could easily resolve the issue
regarding the incompatibility between his body and soul. Her
understanding regarding the soul and body could be said to be
on par with his.
And that was an incredible feat.
Zhang Xuan possessed the Library of Heaven’s Path, and he
had gathered innumerable books so as to compile the perfected
Heaven’s Path Divine Art. Yet, the other party’s level of
understanding was actually equal to his… It seemed that Luo
Ruoxin wasn’t just an ordinary 6-star master teacher. Most
probably, she was under the guidance of a high-rank master
teacher as well.
Otherwise, it was impossible for her to have analyzed the
Consonant Spirit realm so thoroughly.
Soon, the lecture came to an end.
“I’ll be stopping the lecture here. Last but not least, if you
wish to become my student, you just have to clear my test. If
you fail it, I won’t accept you!” Luo Ruoxin waved her hand.
“Test? What kind of test?”
“We beseech Luo shi to elaborate more on the matter…”
It was only at this point that everyone finally awoke from the
entranced stupor they were in. They understood that if they
could take the other party as their teacher, they would be able
to advance their cultivation, and their eyes were gleaming with
anticipation.
“Simple, it’s memorizing books! If anyone can memorize
10,000 books within two hours, I will accept them as my
student!” Luo Ruoxin replied.
“10,000 books?” Hearing those words, everyone nearly fainted
on the spot.
Even with their photographic memory, memorizing two
thousand books or so was already the limit. Ten thousand
books… They wouldn’t even have the time to flip through all
of the books, so how could they memorize all of them?
They might still be able to give it a try if the test had been on
something else, but this… it was clearly impossible!
“With such a test… will she be able to get even a single
student?” Zhang Xuan also fell into a daze.
He could easily memorize ten thousand books through the
Library of Heaven’s Path, but it would be a difficult feat even
for him if he had to do it manually.
For one, he could be spared the additional time spent on
flipping through the books in the Library of Heaven’s Path,
allowing him to go through the content swiftly. On top of that,
his mind could process information far faster in the Library of
Heaven’s Path as well, allowing him to memorize ten thousand
books within two hours easily. But without it… it was doubtful
if even the Ten Great Master Teachers were capable of such a
feat.
Thus, to bring up such conditions… that could only mean that
Luo Ruoxin had no interest in accepting any students
whatsoever.
“Elder Zhou, I will be troubling you to deal with this
matter…”
Leaving behind those words, Luo Ruoxin leaped off the stage
with a light smile and headed toward Zhang Xuan. “Let’s go.”
“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded, and the duo walked away.
“Who is that fellow?”
“It seems like he is a freshman!”
“A freshman? How did that freshmen get to know Luo shi?
Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like they have quite
a close relationship?”
“What is going on…”
“Why can’t it be me in his place? In what way am I inferior to
him?”
“That person is… Zhang shi? As expected of the most
outstanding man amongst us freshman, he is able to even
seduce that beautiful teacher…”
“What do you mean by seduce? You are speaking as if Zhang
shi has gotten together with her through unscrupulous means!
That’s called flirting, alright!”
…
Seeing Luo shi leaving with a freshman, there were many
seniors who clenched their fists in anger, furious that they
weren’t in that freshman’s place. On the other hand, the
remaining freshmen looked upon the sight with eyes gleaming
in excitement, as if someone had done them proud.
But regardless of their reactions, Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin
walked straight out of the crowd without paying them any
heed. Soon, they were strolling along the lakeside of the
academy.
The scent of spring filled the air. A slight breeze blew, and the
verdant greenery along the lake danced lightly to it.
The brilliant rays of the sun struck the surface of the lake,
evoking a beautiful gleam on it.
Zhang Xuan slowly walked alongside Luo Ruoxin. Even
though there was nothing but silence between them, he felt the
utmost tranquility in his heart.
The various happenings over the past half a year replayed in
his head…
The time he had spent as a teacher in Tianxuan Kingdom,
when he accepted his first few students and imparted
knowledge to them…
The time when he challenged the master teacher examination
in Tianwu Kingdom and met Lu Chong in the midst of it…
The time when he stomped into Xuanyuan Kingdom and
challenged the entire kingdom by himself…
The time when he resided in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance
and clinched the champion seat in the Master Teacher
Tournament…
The time when he accidentally caused some trouble at the
Cleansing Lake in Huanyu Empire, venturing into the
underground chamber where they believed Wu Yangzi resided
in, and meeting the young lady beside him…
In his long journey, his cultivation had advanced from Zhenqi
realm all the way to Cosmos Bridge realm.
His Soul Depth had also been raised from the initial 0.1 to the
current 19.1, putting him on par with even 6-star master
teachers.
The various figures he had met in his journey flashed across
his mind as well.
Liu shi, Zhuang shi, Kang shi, Mo shi…
Zhao Ya, Lu Xun, Lu Chong, Shen Bi Ru, Mo Yu…
Be they acquaintances, students, or friends, they were all a part
of his life, and they had all played a role in making him who
he was.
The various knowledge he had acquired in his time also
flashed through his mind… Apothecary, painter, beast tamer,
poison master…
Hong long!
Just as these memories were floating in his head, he suddenly
felt an intense rumbling in the Library of Heaven’s Path in his
mind, and it was growing more and more intense as time
passed.
What is happening? Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in fluster.
The Library of Heaven’s Path was his greatest weapon that he
could fall back on in dire times. Did something go wrong with
it?
However, there wasn’t even time for him to think the matter
through. With his mind on the verge of exploding, the sight
before him grew blurrier and blurrier. Eventually, his body
swayed weakly and ‘putong!’, he collapsed to the ground.
Before losing consciousness altogether, he seemed to see Luo
Ruoxin rushing over toward him and remarking, “Why is he
fainting again? Is his body that weak…”
Weak?
Zhang Xuan felt like crying at this very moment.
The previous time he’d fainted was primarily due to the
incompatibility between his soul and body, and this time, his
Library of Heaven’s Path was suddenly acting up for no
apparent reason…
I am really not weak, it is just a coincidence!
Not only am I not weak, I am very fit as well. Trust me!
However, before Zhang Xuan could utter those words, his
consciousness had already faded to an endless abyss of
darkness…
…
An unknown period of time later, Zhang Xuan finally roused
from his temporary coma.
Opening his eyes abruptly, he realized that he was lying on the
bed in his Elite Sector residence.
Following which, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard an excited
voice, and a beautiful lady with a flawless complexion came
into sight.
“Teacher, you are finally awake…”
“Little Qi, why are you here?” Zhang Xuan asked in surprise.
The person before him was no other than the student whom he
had accepted back at Huanyu Empire, Luo Qiqi!
After leaving the underground chamber, they had left for
Hongyuan City together. However, after reaching the city, they
had separated as Zhang Xuan headed for the Academic Sea to
liaise with Hong shi and the others while Luo Qiqi returned
back to the academy to report on the progress of their mission.
“I heard from School Head Zhao that you are currently
residing in the Elite Sector, so I came over to look for you.
However, on my way there, I saw you fainted by the lake, so I
carried you here,” Luo Qiqi answered.
“I fainted by the lake? Then…” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“You wish to ask about Luo shi, is that right? She was beside
you when I arrived, and she took a look at your condition and
said that you were fine before entrusting you to me,” Luo Qiqi
replied.
“Entrusted me to you? So, she has already left?” Zhang Xuan
couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed within upon hearing
that news.
But giving it some thought, they were nothing more than
acquaintances who had a prior encounter before enrolling in
the academy. The other party had no obligation to send him
back to his residence.
Besides, she was currently a teacher, and he was currently a
student. Regardless of the reason, it wouldn’t be appropriate
for them to get too intimate with one another. Otherwise, it
would reflect badly on both him and her if malicious rumors
regarding them were to start spreading.
“That’s right. I heard that Luo shi only arrived in the academy
yesterday, how does teacher know her?” Luo Qiqi asked out of
curiosity.
Based on what she had heard thus far, Luo shi was a master
teacher dispatched here from the headquarters. It was only
yesterday that Mu shi arrived in the Master Teacher Academy
together with her, and before that, Zhang shi had been together
with them at Huanyu Empire. Thus, it seemed unlikely for
them to know one another!
“How do I know her? It’s just a coincidence… Right, the both
of you share the same surname. Is there any chance that you
knew one another before this?” Zhang Xuan asked.
Luo Ruoxin and Luo Qiqi shared the same character in their
surname—Luo.
At the same time, they were also extraordinarily beautiful
ladies as well. Could they be related with one another?
“There are many people out there who possess the Luo
surname; you are thinking too much into it!” Luo Qiqi
couldn’t help but chuckle at that deduction as she shook her
head.
Her teacher had always been a rather intelligent person, why
would he suddenly ask such a silly question?
Considering the immense size of the Master Teacher
Continent, there should at least be a few hundred million
people in the world who possessed the surname ‘Luo’. What
were the odds of two people possessing the ‘Luo’ surname
being related?
“That’s true.” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
It was only in the spur of the moment that he’d asked the
question, and he hadn’t thought too much into it.
“How long have I been out for?” Zhang Xuan asked as he sat
up from his bed.
“Around three days!” Luo Qiqi replied.
“Three days?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.
He was also out for three days the previous time. Why did it
seem as if he was fainting more and more regularly recently,
and for three whole days at that?
“That’s right. The three-day period for students to
acknowledge their teacher is already over.” Luo Qiqi shook
her head with a bitter smile on her face.
Her teacher had truly fainted at an untimely moment. These
three days should have been crucial to the future of the
freshmen, but he ended up sleeping through it.
763 Library of Heaven’s
Path Upgraded 2
However, based on what she knew about her teacher, it
shouldn’t be a huge issue.
Since he had rejected even Elder Mo and Elder Zhao, there
should be no other person in the academy who would worthy
of becoming his teacher.
“I see.”
As expected, after hearing her words, the young man before
her shook his head, but it didn’t seem like he was too affected
by the issue. Instead, he seemed to be more worried about his
acquaintance instead. “So… how many students did Luo shi
eventually take in?”
“If I recall correctly, Luo shi didn’t take in a single student at
all. The requirement she set was simply too strict. Memorizing
ten thousand books within two hours is an impossible feat!”
Luo Qiqi shook her head.
“She didn’t take in a single student?” Zhang Xuan was
perplexed.
Since she was a teacher of the academy, why didn’t she take in
a single student?
“Yes. I am not too sure what is going on, but this matter had
everyone baffled,” Luo Qiqi replied.
According to the rumors, Luo Ruoxin had been dispatched to
Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy by the headquarters for
experiential training, so she should have accepted a few
students in order to complete her training. But if that was the
case, why did she set such strict requirements?
It was as if she was uninterested in accepting any students at
all!
After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan eventually shook
his head and said, “I will ask her about it when I get the
chance to.”
Putting Luo Ruoxin’s issue aside, Zhang Xuan’s attention
finally fell on Qiqi, and with just a single glance, he was
startled. “You have made a breakthrough?”
The previous time he met her, Luo Qiqi was at Cosmos Bridge
realm pinnacle, the cream of the crop of the Grade-2 students.
Yet, in just a few days, she had made the breakthrough to
Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm!
“Yes, it is all teacher’s credit. As a reward for the mission, I
received School Head Zhao’s Meridian and Bone Cleansing,
allowing me to overcome my previous bottleneck!” Luo Qiqi
smiled.
If not for the Meridian and Bone Cleansing from School Head
Zhao, even though she was already at Cosmos Bridge realm
pinnacle, it would have still taken her several months or even
an entire year in order to take the next step forward.
Beyond Consonant Spirit realm, one had to not only
accumulate sufficient zhenqi but nourish one’s soul as well in
order to make a breakthrough. It was often the latter that was
more troublesome, requiring long periods of time just to
increase it the tiniest bit.
As a result, there were many Grade-2 students who were stuck
at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, unable to make the final
step forward.
However, in the Meridian and Bone Cleansing, not only had
School Head Zhao purified her zhenqi, he had also tempered
her soul, thus allowing her to make the breakthrough
instantaneously.
Yu Fei-er, Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and Ye Qian had also
benefitted greatly from the Meridian and Bone Cleansing as
well.
“My credit?” Zhang Xuan blinked.
Why was this his credit? And what did this have to do with
School Head Zhao?
“Did Teacher forget about the mission at the underground
chamber? You saved us and helped us retrieve Elder Wu
Yangzi’s body. That’s a huge contribution to the Blacksmith
School!” Luo Qiqi explained.
“Ahh…”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly understood why
Yuan Hong’s attitude toward him abruptly changed after
paying a visit to the school head’s office.
At this point, Luo Qiqi suddenly bowed deeply and said,
“Teacher, I apologize for handing the Zither Forging
Technique to the Blacksmith School without your approval, I
ask of you to punish me…”
She had only managed to obtain the Zither Forging Technique
manual with her teacher’s assistance, but without the latter’s
approval, she had handed it over to the school.
“You are the one who inherited Wu Yangzi’s heritage; you can
do whatever you want with it. Besides, the best way for the
Zither Forging Technique to shine is through handing it over to
School Head Zhao, so I believe that your decision was the
right one as well,” Zhang Xuan said.
Luo Qiqi was the one who had become Wu Yangzi’s student,
so it was only right for the technique to belong to her. In this
respect, it wouldn’t be right for Zhang Xuan to dictate what
she could do with it.
“Thank you, Teacher!”
Even though Luo Qiqi knew that her teacher would agree to it,
she didn’t expect him to approve of her actions immediately.
After all, the Zither Forging Technique was an incredibly
valuable smithing technique which many were dying to lay
their hands on. His magnanimity was indeed worthy of
respect.
After chatting for a moment longer, Luo Qiqi suddenly
recalled something and said, “Teacher, regarding the matter of
Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence, I tried looking into it and
there was someone who claimed that they knew where it was.
I made an appointment with them tonight, and it is going to be
time soon. I will have to head over to meet them.”
“Tonight?” Zhang Xuan glanced at the window outside, and
only then did he realize that the sun was beginning to set
beyond the western horizon, and the sky was beginning to
dim.
“I see. Let me grab some food first, and I will accompany you
to the meeting,” Zhang Xuan said after some contemplation.
The three days of sleeping had already emptied out whatever
that was in his stomach.
“I knew that Teacher would be hungry, so I prepared some
food!” Luo Qiqi chuckled as she flicked her wrist, and a huge
spread materialized before her.
“Thank you!”
Looking at the delicacies before him, Zhang Xuan’s appetite
was whetted, and he immediately dived into action.
While stuffing his mouth, he made use of this opportunity to
immerse his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path.
The reason he’d fainted three days ago was due to the
rumbling in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Since he had woken
up, it was imperative that he should check what had happened
to it.
As soon as his consciousness entered the Library of Heaven’s
Path, he froze.
This… Something is different about it…
Previously, the Library of Heaven’s Path had been a large hall
with towering shelves filled with books, expanding all the way
to the horizon. The basic layout was still the same, but
somehow, it felt larger, as if the ceiling and shelves were taller
than before, and the area had become more spacious.
It seemed like the rumbling had caused several changes in the
Library of Heaven’s Path. Not only had it grown larger, it had
also become much more majestic and grander.
Looking at it from afar, one couldn’t help but feel intense
pressure on one’s soul.
The Library of Heaven’s Path felt like a moon reflected in the
water before, ethereal and transient. At this very moment,
however, it felt palpable, as if it was a real library standing
before him.
“The Library of Heaven’s Path seems to have materialized
further, but… what is the use of it?” Zhang Xuan muttered
doubtfully.
He stepped forward and attempted to grab one of the books on
the shelves, but just like before, his hand simply slipped
through it.
In other words, even though the books seemed much more
tangible than before, they were still illusory. They could be
seen but not touched.
“Where are the books I have gathered before?” Zhang Xuan
mumbled as he walked around the library.
Fortunately, he soon arrived at a section where the books he
had gathered previously were. It seemed like they hadn’t
disappeared due to the changes in the Library of Heaven’s
Path.
Walking up to them, he casually grabbed one and began
flipping through it.
Huala!
With the flipping of the books, the sight before Zhang Xuan
blurred as the content of the book dove straight into his mind,
etching itself onto it.
This… Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.
Even when reading in the Library of Heaven’s Path previously,
he’d needed to read the words one by one in order to
memorize them. But at this instant, he was able to memorize
the content of the book just by flipping through the pages!
After several tries, he had verified the matter. As long as he
picked up a book with the intention to read it, the content
would automatically imprint itself onto his mind, sparing him
from the additional effort of reading it.
This is great… I will be able to pick up my reading pace in the
future! Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in agitation.
It seemed like along with the renovation in the Library of
Heaven’s Path, he had also gained an additional ability!
With his newfound ability, he could easily cover several
hundred thousand books in the Library of Heaven’s Path
within two hours!
In the future, he wouldn’t need to waste the hard-earned
golden pages on assimilating the knowledge within the books
anymore.
My pace of reading has quickened… Is it possible that my
other abilities might have been enhanced as well? Zhang Xuan
thought.
He swiftly extracted his consciousness from his mind and
glanced at the chicken drumstick he was currently tearing the
flesh out of.
“Flaws!” he muttered.
A book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path, and he
swiftly rushed to flip through it.
The thigh of Spirit Beast Boneless Chicken. Cooked by Master
Gourmet Wu Bushui of Drunken Heart Tavern using 47
different spices and herbs…
It took him just an instant to read through the entire book.
Nothing has changed at all! Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
Just like before, the flaws regarding the dish were compiled in
the book. There didn’t seem to be any additional ability
regarding this.
Hmm, I should try it on some other objects to verify the
matter. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan turned his sight to the
bookshelf before him.
The residences in the Elite Sector were filled with all kinds of
amenities that one might require. There were bookshelves
filled with books in the residence as well. However, they
weren’t cultivation technique manuals but books on the
geography and culture of Hongyuan City.
Zhang Xuan was just about to stand up and make his way to
the bookshelf when a thought suddenly came to his mind.
Thus, he sat down back down and muttered, “Flaws!”
Hu!
A book appeared in his mind.
This…
He was only giving it a try out of curiosity, not holding much
hope that it would work, but it actually did! A book had really
appeared! He swiftly dived into the Library of Heaven’s Path
to flip through the book.
It was a replica of the book which he had intended to take in
earlier.
He experimented a few more times, and the excited gleam in
his eyes intensified.
It seems like I can gather books in the Library of Heaven’s
Path without touching them…
Previously, the only way for him to gather a book was to touch
it with his hands. However, with his newfound ability, he
could compile books just by laying his eyes on them and
willing it.
In other words, gone were the days where he had to run
frenziedly in libraries to gather books!
Recalling those embarrassing days where he had been caught
running about in the various libraries, he couldn’t help but feel
a little moved within.
And more importantly, his efficiency to gather books had also
been boosted immensely!
Does this ability apply to other objects as well? Zhang Xuan
wondered.
He had only experimented with books so far, and he was
curious to see if this ability was extended to other items as
well. To his disappointment, however, it didn’t work on other
items.
It seemed like his newfound ability only worked on books at
the moment. He could gather books just by laying his eyes on
them, but as for artifacts and other items, he still had to lay his
hands on them in order to find their flaws.
Frustrated, he shook his head.
He had gotten excited over nothing.
If he could discover the flaws of other objects without
touching them, he would be spared a lot of trouble, and his
ability would be far more versatile as well.
Perhaps it was due to the Library of Heaven’s Path having yet
to reach the required level or an innate flaw in the heavens
itself, but he simply couldn’t realize the ability at the moment.
Or maybe I am just lacking practice, I should give it a few
more tries just to be sure…
The indignation Zhang Xuan felt made him unwilling to give
up, and he began experimenting once again.
And while he was busy experimenting with his abilities, Luo
Qiqi, who was sitting beside him, was stunned.
She had bought a table full of delicacies for her teacher to
enjoy, but the latter… One moment, he would pick up a
chicken thigh, stare deeply into it, and shake his head in
disappointment. The next moment, he would look around the
room, stare intensely at another object he’d laid his eyes upon,
and clench his fists in excitement.
It was as if those items were his friends. Countless different
expressions flickered across his face as he lay their eyes on
them, be it melancholy, graveness, relaxed, excitement,
delight, frustration…
Could he have gone bonkers due to the coma? Or did he lose a
part of his soul somewhere?
Surely a normal person would express so many emotions not
toward a chicken thigh but her, right?
No matter what, she was one of the most beautiful ladies in the
academy. Yet, she couldn’t even hold a candle to the charm of
a chicken thigh?
Just as she was sighing deeply, she saw her teacher stretching
his other hand forward to tear another chicken thigh before
staring at both thighs even more intently.
It was as if he was responding to her doubts. If one chicken
thigh wasn’t enough, how about two?
“…” Luo Qiqi.
764 Hu Yaoyao
It took a while before Zhang Xuan was finally done
‘inspecting’ the chicken thighs and put them down.
It seemed like, for objects other than a book, laying his sight
on them wasn’t enough. He still had to come into physical
contact with them in order to collect their information in the
Library of Heaven’s Path.
Nevertheless, it is good enough that I am able to gather and
read books faster than before! Zhang Xuan thought in
satisfaction.
It was embarrassing that a noble master teacher like him had
been forced to run around in the library in order to collect
books in the past. With the newly upgraded Library of
Heaven’s Path, he would be able to remain graceful while
taking in new knowledge.
Soon, he completed his meal and stood up. “I’m done. Let’s
go!”
Back at the underground chamber where Wu Yangzi had been
imprisoned before his demise, he had said that he had left his
most important heritage and treasure at the Three Stars of the
Earth Dragon. However, it had been two thousand years since
his passing, and putting aside whatever the Three Stars of the
Earth Dragon was, even finding his old residence was a huge
trouble in itself.
Luo Qiqi had been looking into the matter ever since her
return, and in the past two days, while she was taking care of
the unconscious Zhang Xuan, she’d happened to receive some
clues to the matter.
“Alright.” Luo Qiqi nodded.
As they were walking out of the residence, they suddenly saw
a young lady standing before the door, seemingly intending to
knock on it. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, she quickly clasped her
fist and bowed. “Zhang shi!”
“Ran Xiaoxiao?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.
It was the person who had challenged him back when he’d
first received the keys to the residence, as well as the second
runner-up in the Grade-1 Annual Tournament.
She had challenged him to a duel of Impartation of Heaven’s
Will, only to end up falling under his control and defeating the
first runner-up Wu Chan and third runner-up Xiao Nan in his
stead.
“Yes, I came here to thank Zhang shi for your guidance…”
Ran Xiaoxiao smiled.
Initially, she was extremely displeased to hear that a freshman
was going to take up the first residence available to Grade-1,
which was also the reason why she’d marched up to his
residence upon hearing the news and challenged him to a duel.
Yet, the other party had been able to point out the various
flaws in her cultivation directly, and it was then that she’d
realized the gap between her and the other party.
Under the other party’s guidance, she’d been able to overcome
her bottleneck, achieving a long-awaited breakthrough in her
cultivation. Out of excitement, she’d rushed to his residence in
order to express her gratitude. At the same time, she had also
heard some worrying news, so she came over to enquire about
it as well.
“There is no need to stand on ceremony. We are fellow
students, so it’s only right for us to help one another.” Zhang
Xuan waved his hands casually.
“If not for Zhang shi’s guidance, I would still be stuck at my
previous bottleneck, unable to take a step forward in my
cultivation…” Ran Xiaoxiao was just about to bow deeply to
express her gratitude once more when she suddenly caught
sight of the figure beside Zhang Xuan and widened her eyes.
“Senior Qiqi?”
She had been too excited to see Zhang Xuan earlier on that
she’d neglected the person who was standing behind him. To
her astonishment, it was the most famous Grade-2 senior of
the academy, Luo Qiqi!
Luo Qiqi nodded in response to her.
Ran Xiaoxiao was one of the top five geniuses of the Grade-1
students, so it was natural that Luo Qiqi had heard of her as
well.
“You two…” Ran Xiaoxiao blinked rapidly in shock.
Luo Qiqi was extremely famous in the Master Teacher
Academy, not just because of her incredible talent or her
beautiful features, but more importantly, it was said that she
had an extraordinary background as well.
She was known to be very diligent, spending most of her time
studying and cultivating. Thus, she rarely had any interactions
with the opposite sex. Why would she be in Zhang shi’s
residence?
On top of that, the sun had already disappeared beyond the
horizon, and darkness had set into the sky. For two people of
the opposite gender to meet under the same roof in the middle
of the night… What could they be up to?
“I am learning pill forging from Zhang shi. He is my teacher!”
Luo Qiqi replied.
“Teacher?” Ran Xiaoxiao widened her eyes in disbelief upon
hearing those words.
Zhang shi is just a Grade-1 student in the academy, and on top
of that, he only arrived a few days ago. For a Grade-2 genius
like you to acknowledge him as your teacher…
Not to mention, you are also one of the school belles! If word
spreads, won’t a riot occur amongst the men of the academy?
“If you are here to thank me, there is really no need for it. As
fellow master teachers, we should help each other wherever
we can.” Not wanting to be delayed here, Zhang Xuan waved
his hand as he prepared to leave with Luo Qiqi.
“AH!” Hearing those words, Ran Xiaoxiao suddenly recalled
the other reason she was there, and she quickly spoke up.
“Actually, there is another matter I need to talk to Zhang shi
about.”
“Oh?”
“Over the last few days, as I was walking around the academy,
I heard some news… The student populace is saying that you
have offended quite a few student factions, and it seems they
are going to coordinate with one another to deal with you!”
Ran Xiaoxiao said worriedly.
“I offended the student factions? When did I?” Zhang Xuan
was taken aback.
He did refuse to purchase the Teacher Information
Documentation from the factions back then… but surely, they
wouldn’t be that offended over such a small matter?
Besides, it should be his freedom to decide whether he would
buy something or not. For student factions consisting of
master teachers to band together against him over such a small
matter, that was plain ridiculous.
“You didn’t offend them?” Seeing the confusion on the other
party’s face, Ran Xiaoxiao shook her head. “These student
factions spend the entire year gathering information on each
teacher in order to compile them into a book so as to sell them
to the freshmen… However, their business ended up being
foiled by Zhang shi, and their morals were even questioned for
their doings. How could they possibly not be angry?”
“I foiled their business?” Zhang Xuan scratched his head in
confusion. “But I didn’t do anything at all!”
What the heck did I foil?
I have been unconscious the past three days, so what could I
have possibly done? Or are you saying that I actually
sleepwalked and did something that even I am unaware of?
“You didn’t do anything?” Ran Xiaoxiao sighed deeply in
frustration. “Does Zhang shi know the freshmen Jun Ruohuan,
Song Chao, and Luo Xuan?”
“I do,” Zhang Xuan replied.
“The three of them have distributed their own version of the
Teacher Information Documentation in your name for free,
and the content of the book has been shown to be even more
detailed and accurate than those sold by the other student
factions… This has caused a huge uproar amongst both the
freshmen and seniors alike,” Ran Xiaoxiao said.
“They distributed the Teacher Information Documentation for
free?” Zhang Xuan’s eyelids began twitching uncontrollably.
That explained everything!
It was out of goodwill for the trio that he’d compiled a version
of the Teacher Information Documentation based on the
information he had gathered from the others so that they could
better choose their teacher, but those fellows actually
distributed them freely to the other freshmen! Not to mention,
they even used his name!
While the other factions were selling theirs at a hundred
middle-tier spirit stones each, they were giving them away for
free, and their version was even more accurate at that… That
was practically spoiling the market. Of course they would
incur the ire of others!
However, it was unlikely that Jun Ruohuan and the others
were intentionally trying to screw him over. Most likely, they
were just intending to build up a good reputation for him
amidst the student populace, just that they failed to think the
matter through. As a result, they ended up offending most of
the student factions.
“Once a freshman offends the student factions, he will find
himself hindered throughout the academy. Zhang shi, you
must be careful… If things really come down to it, it might be
necessary for you to consider joining a powerful student
faction so as to come under their protection,” Ran Xiaoxiao
advised.
She was a member of a student faction as well, so she was
conflicted for a moment after hearing the news. But
eventually, she still decided to inform Zhang Xuan of this
issue.
Zhang Xuan might be powerless against the student factions as
an individual, but if he could come under the umbrella of one
of the more formidable factions, it would be harder for the
other factions to do anything to him.
“Thank you!” Knowing that the other party had chosen to
inform him of this matter at the risk of falling out with her
faction, Zhang Xuan thanked her earnestly.
To be honest, while it might be troublesome, he didn’t really
fear the student factions.
After all, from the start of his journey from Tianxuan
Kingdom until now, there was no lack of people he had
offended.
If they knew what was good for them, they would learn to stay
out of his way. Otherwise, he didn’t mind showing them his
true prowess.
Even the boss of the Spirit Emporium was nearly driven
insane by him, let alone a couple of students.
“I will be taking my leave then.” After saying all that needed
to be said, Ran Xiaoxiao clasped her fist and left.
“Those student factions are troublesome to deal with. Teacher,
you must be careful!” Luo Qiqi said with a frown as she
watched Ran Xiaoxiao’s departing back.
Having spent several years in the Master Teacher Academy,
she had seen plenty of the filthy doings of those student
factions. If they were to really put their mind to it, they could
even force a student to retire voluntarily in just a single day.
This was the reason those without backing or power had to
join a student faction. Otherwise, they would be too vulnerable
to survive in the academy.
“I understand.” Knowing that the other party was saying those
words for his sake, Zhang Xuan nodded.
Luo Qiqi was worried, but considering how Zhang Xuan had
School Head Mo and School Head Zhao’s protection, those
student factions shouldn’t dare to act too brazenly. Thus, she
decided not to think too much into it.
The duo walked along the streets, and soon, they arrived at a
gazebo beside the lake.
“This is the location I have agreed on with the other party,”
Luo Qiqi said as she came to a halt.
“Who is it? Are they a student of the academy?” Zhang Xuan
asked.
“I am not too sure either. I sent the request at the Succor
Tower, and someone responded to me. We made an
appointment to meet here. Unfortunately, there are no
additional details regarding the other party’s profile,” Luo Qiqi
replied.
“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
The academy’s Succor Tower was a place where the students
or even teachers could post requests such as to seek assistance
on certain subjects they were unsure of or to help them with a
certain problem in exchange of certain rewards. Often, the
reward tended to be Academic Credits.
In a sense, it worked in a similar fashion to the Wall of
Dilemma in the Physician Guilds.
It had been two thousand years since Wu Yangzi had
disappeared, and the map of Hongyuan City had also changed
significantly over the years. Without any additional assistance,
it would take forever for them to track down the location of his
old residence. Thus, Luo Qiqi decided to post a request at the
Succor Tower, promising Academic Credits in exchange.
She’d thought that it would take quite a long period of time
before she could receive an answer, but who would have
thought that she would receive a response on the third day?
However, as the identities of respondents and responders were
kept anonymous by the Succor Tower, it was impossible for
her to know who the other party was. Nevertheless,
considering that they were in the academy, the other party
should either be a student or a teacher.
“Let’s wait a little longer then,” Zhang Xuan said.
At that moment, a breeze suddenly blew, and a figure abruptly
emerged from the darkness of the night.
Under the dim illumination of the stars, one could barely make
out the silhouette of a lady. She was tall, but what particularly
stood out was her slender waist, which one could easily wrap
around with a single hand.
But despite her slender waist, she had a curvaceous figure
which would send the hearts of males running in agitation.
Hu!
Soon, the figure landed in the gazebo.
Finally, Luo Qiqi managed to catch sight of the other party’s
appearance.
She was a young lady in her late twenties. Just like Yu Fei-er
and Luo Qiqi, she had a beautiful face with distinctive
features, but unlike the duo, she commanded a bewitching air
around her.
“Senior Yaoyao?” Taken aback, Luo Qiqi quickly clasped her
fist and greeted her.
“Oh, so it’s you!” Recognizing Luo Qiqi and well, Hu Yaoyao
asked curiously, “Are you the one who is seeking out Wu
Yangzi’s old residence?”
“That’s right.” Luo Qiqi nodded. “Do you have any news
regarding that?”
“I do know something about it!” Hu Yaoyao nodded.
Hearing the other party’s confirmation, Luo Qiqi clenched her
fists tightly in agitation. However, at that moment, she
suddenly caught sight of the look of confusion on her teacher’s
face, so she quickly filled him in. “Teacher, she is a Grade-5
student from our academy, Senior Hu Yaoyao!”
“Hu Yaoyao?” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.
Hu Yaoyao, Luo Qiqi, Ran Xiaoxiao…
Was this a trend in the academy? Why did all of the ladies he
had met had such names?
“You don’t know me?” Seeing the confused look of the young
man before her, Hu Yaoyao was perplexed. She walked up to
him, and with an entrancing smile, she asked, “What’s your
name?”
“Me?” For some reason, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment
before replying earnestly, “I am Xuanxuan!”
765 Negotiations
“Pu!” Luo Qiqi nearly fainted on the spot.
However, with her sharp wits, she swiftly understood what
kind of bizarre thoughts were in her teacher’s mind, and a
helpless smile appeared on her face.
Her teacher was a person of great capability, but sometimes,
his thoughts tended to be eccentric.
“Xuanxuan?” Hu Yaoyao asked, bewildered by the bizarre
name she was hearing.
Fearing that the other party might misunderstand his
intentions, Luo Qiqi quickly replied, “He is my apothecary
teacher, Zhang Xuan!”
“Zhang Xuan? So, you are the freshman who wrecked the
business of our student factions?” Hearing that familiar name,
Hu Yaoyao suddenly recalled something, and a glint flashed
across her eyes.
A chilling smile emerged on her flawless face as she examined
the young man before her, determined to see what it was about
him that dealt such a heavy blow to the finances of so many
student factions at once.
Ever since the establishment of the Master Teacher Academy,
there had never been a freshman who had caused such a huge
uproar in the academy before, resulting in nearly all of the
student factions incurring huge losses.
However, no matter how she looked at the young man before
him, he had an honest face and an earnest gaze, completely
unlike how the rumors made him out to be. She couldn’t help
but feel a little surprised.
Hu Yaoyao turned to Luo Qiqi and asked, “You just said
that… he is your apothecary teacher? What is going on?”
Just like her, Luo Qiqi was a reputable figure in the academy,
famed for both her talent and beauty. In terms of prestige, the
other party might be beneath her at the moment, but that was
only due to her young age.
She had no doubt that with sufficient time, Luo Qiqi would be
able to surpass her.
Thus, she had been keeping tabs on this young lady since
shortly after she enrolled at Hongyuan Master Teacher
Academy.
Yet, such an outstanding person actually said that Zhang Xuan
was her apothecary teacher. This was particularly astonishing.
“Just like I have said, Zhang shi has been guiding me on pill
forging,” Luo Qiqi replied shortly, choosing not to go into
detail. “Since you know where the old residence of Elder Wu
Yangzi is, can you tell us where it is? Once we confirm the
location, I will compensate you with two Academic Credits.”
“I don’t want the two Academic Credits!” Since Luo Qiqi was
unwilling to explain, Hu Yaoyao also chose not to probe into
the relationship between her and Zhang Xuan.
“You don’t want them?” Luo Qiqi frowned.
The Succor Tower was basically like a market, a platform for
students to liaise with one another and conduct trades. Since
the other party had accepted the request, it could only mean
that she had acknowledged the reward as well. If so, what did
the other party mean by rejecting the reward?
Fiddling with her hair, Hu Yaoyao replied with a smile, “I can
tell you where Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence is, but… you
have to tell me the reason why you are willing to spend such a
heavy price for the information.”
It had been two thousand years since Wu Yangzi had
disappeared from the face of the world. There had been many
people who had inherited his old residence in this period of
time, so any treasure left there should have already been
swiped clean by others.
Yet, Luo Qiqi was offering two Academic Credits to purchase
information about his old residence. It was clear that she was
up to something.
“Pardon me, but I can’t tell you that!” Luo Qiqi shook her
head.
Wu Yangzi was the most famous blacksmith in the history of
Hongyuan Empire, so there was no doubt that the treasures he
had in his possession would surely be of exceptional value as
well.
There might be a few who would attempt to do them harm out
of greed if news regarding Wu Yangzi’s treasure was to be
made known.
“Oh?”
Seeing that Luo Qiqi was unwilling to talk about it, Hu
Yaoyao said, “If you refuse to say it… it only means to say
that our deal is through, and I won’t be able to tell you where
Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence is located. Let me just tell
you this, I am the only one who knows where it is. Even if you
were to search through all of the books in the academy, you
won’t be able to find his old residence without my help!”
Luo Qiqi turned to Zhang Xuan, and upon seeing him shake
his head, she said, “I see, but we will still have to turn down
your offer if that is the case. We will manage it one way or
another.”
Following which, she clasped her fist and bowed. “I apologize
for wasting your time. We will be taking our leave now!”
After which, she left the gazebo together with Zhang Xuan.
They were determined to find Wu Yangzi’s treasure, but even
so, they knew that they mustn’t let anyone else learn of it.
Otherwise, not only would they be unable to obtain the
treasure, their lives might even be threatened as well.
“Wait a moment…” Seeing that the other party would rather
abandon the deal than speak of their goal, Hu Yaoyao’s lips
curled up as she said, “Since you are unwilling to speak of it,
allow me to change the conditions then!”
Luo Qiqi halted in her footsteps and turned around.
“You should have heard the news by now, right? Zhang Xuan
has offended nearly all of the student factions in the academy,
including mine. As long as you hand him over to me, I will
show you to Wu Yangzi’s old residence!” Hu Yaoyao said.
“Hand him over to you?” Luo Qiqi frowned as her face
darkened. “Hu Yaoyao, I respect you as a senior, but this is a
grave humiliation. You want me to hand my teacher over to
you?”
She had already introduced Zhang Xuan as her teacher, but the
other party still demanded that she hand him over. This was no
different from a direct slap to her face!
As the saying goes, ‘A day as one’s teacher, a life as one’s
father!’
If she couldn’t even protect her own teacher’s dignity, what
remaining pride would she have?
Realizing the problem in her words, Hu Yaoyao swiftly
apologized. “Ah… I apologize for my inappropriate remark.
Even though Zhang Xuan is your teacher, he is a Grade-1
student of the academy as well… I ask of you to pardon my
discourtesy.”
Teachers were highly respected in the Master Teacher
Continent.
Heaven, Earth, Kin, Teacher, Sovereign.
Beneath the heaven and earth, the position of one’s teacher
was even above that of one’s country.
It had been ingrained so deeply into her that Zhang Xuan was
a Grade-1 student that she’d accidentally neglected the fact
that he was Luo Qiqi’s teacher as well. To insult one’s teacher
before one’s face was grossly disrespectful.
To display such blatant discourtesy for another’s teacher
despite being a master teacher, her reputation would be sullied
if this were to be made known to others.
After apologizing, she turned to Zhang Xuan and said,
“Zhang shi, since you have come here with Luo Qiqi, you
must be interested in locating where Elder Wu Yangzi’s old
residence is as well… As long as you agree to my conditions, I
will tell you where it is. What do you think of it?”
Seeing that the other party had decided to turn her efforts to
him instead, Zhang Xuan asked with an earnest smile, “What
are your conditions?”
“It’s simple. You ruined our Bewitching Devil Faction’s
opportunity to earn money, so it’s only right that you make up
for it. As long as you join us and help us earn a hundred
thousand middle-tier spirit stones within a year, I will tell you
what you want,” Hu Yaoyao said with a smile.
“Bewitching Devil Faction?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
“Is that your faction?”
There were many benefits to having a faction, so most of the
top Grade-5 students would choose to create and manage their
own factions. Zhang Xuan seemed to recall hearing something
about the Bewitching Devil Faction before, and from the looks
of it, it seemed to be related to the young lady before him.
Seeing the look of confusion on her teacher’s face, Luo Qiqi
sent a telepathic message over to fill him in.
“Hu Yaoyao, her name carries the character ‘Yao’. At the same
time, she possesses bewitching charm… As a result, her
faction is also known as the Bewitching Devil Faction!”
“That’s right, I am the leader of the Bewitching Devil
Faction.” Seeing that the other party was ignorant of this, Hu
Yaoyao was a little speechless.
To offend so many student factions despite not knowing who
their leaders were, this fellow sure was impudent.
“I see.”
Coming a realization, Zhang Xuan nodded. Gazing at the
seductive young lady whose voluptuous figure could easily
hasten a man’s breathing, he said calmly, “I am not interested
in joining any faction… As for earning a hundred thousand
middle-tier spirit stones, I don’t even have that sum myself, so
how could I possibly earn that for you? Choose another
condition!”
He was the type of person who would never allow himself to
be placed in a disadvantageous position, and yet the other
party wanted him to pay? That was a good joke!
“Change another condition? Sure!” Hu Yaoyao stretched her
back lazily, accentuating the beautiful curves on her body.
“Serve as my servant for a year, and I will forgive you for
crossing my Bewitching Devil Faction. At the same time, I can
tell you where Wu Yangzi’s old residence is as well.”
“Servant?” Zhang Xuan was speechless. That lady was truly
going further and further.
Shaking his head, he replied, “I wouldn’t even accept you as
my maid, and you want me to be your servant? You sure have
a vivid imagination…”
Zhang Xuan meant those words. In his opinion, the only thing
that was commendable about the other party was her beauty,
but even that paled far in the face of Luo Ruoxin.
He wouldn’t even be interested to have her serve as his
servant, and yet she wanted him as her servant? Dream on!
Hearing the arrogant words from the young man before her,
Hu Yaoyao’s face reddened in fury, and she snapped, “Then
there’s no way our negotiation can go on… I wish you luck in
your endeavor then!”
Born with both talent and beauty, she was a prideful person.
She had always been respected and admired by others, and
she’d thought that she was already doing the other party a
favor by offering to take him in as her servant. Yet, that fellow
turned her down so haughtily.
He would regret his decision.
After saying that piece, she turned around, and with a step, she
soared into the distance.
Exerting her strength as a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan
Chrysalis realm expert, she swiftly disappeared from the view
of the duo.
In truth, the Bewitching Devil Faction was one of the larger
student factions in the Master Teacher Academy. As its leader,
she had no lack of Academic Credits or spirit stones.
The reason she wanted Zhang Xuan to join them or to serve as
her servant was because he had embarrassed all of the seniors
with his previous deed. If she could make him submit to her,
her reputation would surely soar amidst the student populace.
However, that fellow didn’t know what was good for him.
Since the other party had already rejected her so bluntly, there
was no room for negotiation.
After Hu Yaoyao left, Luo Qiqi turned to Zhang Xuan and
said, “She is the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, and I
heard that she spent a great deal of effort compiling the
information in the Teacher Information Documentation. Yet,
her effort ended up in vain, so it’s inevitable that she carries
some hostility toward you… She was intentionally trying to
humiliate you, so there is no need to take it to heart…”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Zhang Xuan smiled. “But with this,
we have reached an impasse. Alright, leave this to me. I will
find a way to make her spit out the location of Elder Wu
Yangzi’s old residence obediently!”
“Leave it to you?” Luo Qiqi frowned. “Hu Yaoyao is an
extremely prideful and cunning person. It won’t be easy to
make her speak…”
In the past, there had been a handful of people who had
attempted to do in Hu Yaoyao, and all of them had ended up
paying a heavy price for their actions.
Even with her teacher’s capability, it wouldn’t be easy for him
to make Hu Yaoyao reveal the location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s
old residence.
“Don’t worry, wait for me at my residence in the Elite Sector. I
will be back very soon!” Zhang Xuan instructed with a smile
before he activated the Eye of Insight and followed Hu
Yaoyao’s trail.
In any case, he was already in a hostile relationship with the
Bewitching Devil Faction. There was no way he could mend
the relationship anymore, so perhaps he could attempt another
method instead.
“Teacher…” Seeing Zhang Xuan pursue Hu Yaoyao, Luo Qiqi
froze for a moment before yelling, “Senior Yaoyao is a student
of the Terpsichore School… She specializes in soul attacks, so
you must be careful!”
However, Zhang Xuan’s figure had already disappeared amidst
the night sky. Perhaps, he hadn’t heard her words at all.This is
a phrase saying that even if a person has only spent a day as
their teacher, they should treat him with as much respect as
their own father for life.This is a slightly tweaked Confucian
saying. The original is Heaven, Earth, Sovereign, Kin,
Teacher, and this denotes the various figures whom
Confucians should pay respect to, with the order denoting the
level of significance.Bewitching Devil Faction is “Yao Nie”
Faction in Chinese, which is a phrase to describe women who
are so beautiful that they can bring downfall to an empire.
766 The Price of the Origin
Heavy Water
Zhang Xuan didn’t hear Luo Qiqi’s voice. Executing the Red
Dust Heaven Ascending Step, he flew silently at an altitude
close to the ground.
His Eye of Insight had grown extremely sharp after
undergoing the third acknowledgement of Celestial Master
Teacher. Even though Hu Yaoyao’s trail was extremely faint,
he could still see it as clear as day.
Hmm? Where is she heading to? Zhang Xuan was perplexed.
The trail first lingered around the lake before abruptly heading
for a hill.
The hill looked extremely remote, and it seemed unlikely that
there would be anyone staying on it. Why would the other
party visit this hill at this ungodly hour?
Under the concealment of the night, Zhang Xuan advanced
ahead.
The hill was filled with many short shrubs, and at its very peak
was an octagonal gazebo.
There were many of such gazebos throughout the academy.
The purpose of it was so that the students could stop by them
any time they wished in case they suddenly stumbled upon an
enlightenment in their cultivation.
Often, inspiration came suddenly and left as abruptly. If one
were to miss that moment, one might miss it forever.
Sticking close to the greenery, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced
toward the gazebo. Before long, he saw a bewitching figure
standing within. Starlight fell upon her blurred silhouette,
creating a beautiful painting.
From afar, that entrancing profile was reminiscent of a
beautiful goddess of the night, rendering it impossible for one
to pull his gaze off her.
Other than Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan had never felt anything
toward any women before. Nevertheless, he still had to admit
that Hu Yaoyao did possess fatal charm.
“Isn’t it about time for you to come out?” At that instant, the
entrancing figure abruptly spoke up, breaking the silence of
the night.
Did she notice me? Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment, but
soon, he shook his head.
In order to not leave a trail behind him, he had executed the
Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step to remain floating in the air.
On top of that, he had been keeping a safe distance from Hu
Yaoyao, following her only by her faint trails through the Eye
of Insight.
With all of the safety precautions he had taken, it would be
difficult for even a Saint realm expert to notice his presence!
The next moment, resounding laughter suddenly erupted.
“Haha, Yaoyao sure is sharp. I only arrived just a moment ago,
but you have already noticed me…”
With the sound of the wind, a tall figure suddenly emerged
from the other end of the hill and leaped into the gazebo.
Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be in his early
thirties. His aura felt powerful, reminiscent of a torrential
river. Just like Hu Yaoyao, he was a Transcendent Mortal 9-
dan expert as well.
Upon reaching such a realm, it was already impossible to
discern the other party’s age through their outer appearance.
He might look like he was in his thirties on the outside, but
chances were that he was already in his fifties or sixties.
Even so, given the lifespan of two hundred years for a
Transcendent Mortal, he could be considered to be young.
Before Hu Yaoyao could speak, another faint voice sounded
by the side, and yet another figure walked into the gazebo.
“As a cultivator of the True Helios Art, your presence feels
like the searing sun in the sky. How can anyone possibly miss
that?”
It was a lady as well. She seemed to be of the same age as Hu
Yaoyao, and she possessed a beauty not paling to the latter.
However, the dispositions they commanded were the complete
opposite of one another.
As if a succubus, every single movement and gesture from Hu
Yaoyao would tug at one’s heartstrings, leaving one tempted to
make her their own. On the other hand, the other lady had an
aura of poise and indifference. Despite her beauty, the
coldness she exuded left others standing a distance away, not
daring to get close.
True Helios Art… Could that man be the leader of the True
Helios Faction, Xue Zhenyang? Zhang Xuan thought as he
looked at the two new figures in the gazebo.
He had heard by chance that the leader of the True Helios
Faction was a Grade-5 student named Xue Zhenyang, so he
immediately thought of the other party.
Just as Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, another figure
stepped into the gazebo. “Indeed, that fellow sure doesn’t
know how to conceal himself. Otherwise, Yaoyao wouldn’t
have noticed him so easily.”
It was as if that figure was a specter of the darkness. If he
hadn’t talked, not even Zhang Xuan would have noticed him.
It seemed as if he had just materialized out of nowhere.
“Long Cangyue, you might be able to tread silently in the
night due to your Frigid Moon Art, but you ended up making
yourself neither a man nor a woman. Don’t even compare
yourself with me!” Xue Zhenyang harrumphed.
“You are the one who is neither a man nor a woman! Are you
asking for a beating?” The young man named Long Cangyue
flew into a rage.
“Do you think I will be afraid of you? Come! It has been too
long since I have been able to work those joints of mine!” Xue
Zhenyang drove the zhenqi in his body, and the next moment,
an aura reminiscent of flames gathered around him as he
prepared to make an attack.
“Hah, a defeated loser dares to speak so haughtily to me?
Since a fight is what you want, a fight is what you’ll get!”
Long Cangyue sneered coldly.
In an instant, a tense atmosphere weighed down between the
duo.
“Enough! To fight right after meeting one another, can’t the
both of you tone down a little? Don’t you know we have some
important matters to discuss tonight?” Hu Yaoyao harrumphed
in displeasure.
Along with her words, the tense atmosphere gradually
dissipated. The duo harrumphed coldly and said, “Humph, I
guess we can fight on another occasion. For now, we should
discuss about the matter we have at hand.”
“Since everyone is gathered… Dong Xin, you can start now.”
With the duo toning it down, Hu Yaoyao turned her gaze to the
other lady of the group and gestured for her to begin.
The cold-faced lady, Dong Xin, paused for a brief moment
before reporting, “Okay. I went to that place and observed it
for two days. Just as Zhenyang has said, I am certain that the
item exists… However, the difficulty in obtaining it seems to
be greater than our initial estimates. I fear that it will be hard
to succeed with just the four of us.”
“Indeed, it won’t be easy for us to succeed. Putting aside the
difficult geographical terrain where the place is located, those
two fellows guarding it are also beyond our capability,” Xue
Zhenyang said with a frown.
“We will have to ensure that our plan is foolproof, or else we
might potentially end up losing our lives there,” Long
Cangyue added.
“Ensure that our plan is foolproof? Do we have the time to do
so? If I recall correctly, that item is going to be ripe in just a
month’s time, and the moment it happens, those two fellows
will surely consume it to refine their bones and meridians. By
then, we will have lost our opportunity to get it!” Xue
Zhenyang flung his sleeves and harrumphed.
“Zhenyang is right, we won’t have a chance if we don’t act
decisively. We have to get to it before it ripens and obtain it as
soon as it happens. Otherwise, if we lose this opportunity, it
will take us at least several dozen years of hard work in order
to reach Half-Saint!” Hu Yaoyao nodded with a frown.
“We all understand that logic, but the problem lies with how
we can breach the defense of those two huge fellows!” Xue
Zhenyang shook his head before turning to the cold-faced
young lady. “Dong Xin, you are famed genius of the Beast
Tamer School. Do you have any idea how we can deal with
those two fellows?”
“Those two fellows possess the Ancient Bloodline, so it will
be hard to distract them with ordinary items. Didn’t I tell you
all to purchase some Origin Heavy Water before I went to
scout? That item has the effect of purifying the Ancient
Bloodline, so it might work as a bait against them. As long as
we can distract them momentarily, we might be able to get to
the fruit!” Dong Xin said before turning the group to ask, “So,
have you bought it yet?”
“How can we possibly have the money to buy it? A single
bottle of it costs more than a hundred thousand middle-tier
spirit stones! It is not like you don’t know how much money
we have at hand.” Xue Zhenyang replied with a bitter smile.
Even as Grade-5 students, it was still hard for them to fork out
a hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones at once.
Origin Heavy Water? Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan’s
heart suddenly leaped in agitation.
In total, there were five dans to the Quintuple Incandescence
Golden Body. Even though he’d fused many physical body
cultivation techniques with it, he still needed four items to
serve as a catalyst to cultivate the last four dans.
The Third Incandescence happened to require the Origin
Heavy Water.
However, Zhang Xuan had only known its name before.
Regarding its appearance or where he could find it, he had no
idea whatsoever. He’d never thought that he would receive
news about it from the mouths of these people.
It seemed like they were intending to purchase the Origin
Heavy Water!
A hundred thousand middle-tier spirit stones… That is
equivalent to ten high-tier spirit stones! My, how expensive it
is! Zhang Xuan exclaimed in frustration within.
Based on his understanding of the Quintuple Incandescence
Golden Body, if he wanted to fully cultivate the Third
Incandescence, he would at least require ten bottles of the
Origin Heavy Water. However, he only had ten high-tier spirit
stones at the moment, which was far from sufficient for him to
obtain enough of it!
Hearing Xue Zhenyang’s complaint, Dong Xin asked, “Didn’t
a new batch of freshmen arrive just a few days ago? I thought
you all would have made a killing there?”
The student factions of the academy would usually be able to
earn substantial wealth for themselves whenever new students
arrived in the academy. On top of that, this was the once-in-a-
decade massive intake of the academy, and according to the
rumors she had heard, there should be thirty thousand
freshmen this year. With so many of them, even if they were to
earn just three middle-tier spirit stones from each of them, they
would still easily scrape together a hundred thousand!
“Make a killing? We even made a loss, you know! Haven’t
you heard of that matter two days ago?” Long Cangyue shook
his head in frustration.
“Heard of what? I came here as soon as I could to deliver this
news to you all, so I haven’t heard anything yet. What
happened? Did the academy interfere in the matter?” Dong
Xin asked bewilderedly.
She had spent the past few days in that area in order to gather
intelligence for their operation. As a result, she had only
returned earlier that night, so she wasn’t too sure about the
happenings in the academy.
However, it was a convention for the senior to exploit the
freshmen, and the academy had never interfered with it in
previous years. There shouldn’t have been any reason for them
to do it that year.
Besides, the practice had its merits as well. Firstly, it could
dampen the conceit that most freshmen came in with, teaching
them that there was always a mountain higher than the other.
Secondly, participating in a faction also served as a social
platform for master teachers to interact and coordinate with
one another, which helped them to build camaraderie to deal
with the Otherworldly Demons if the time ever came.
Since the academy didn’t interfere in this matter and the
freshmen had no choice but to step right into their scam, the
various factions should have been able to earn a substantial
sum. But if that was the case, why did the others look as if
they had made a loss instead?
“A freak amidst the freshmen wrecked our entire business.
The entrance examination this year was conducted by your
Beast Tamer School, so you should know some details
regarding it, right?” Long Cangyue said.
“Yes.” Dong Xin nodded. “It was conducted by Elder Mo, and
he started preparing for it since several months ago.”
As a genius of the Beast Tamer School, she had a close
relationship with most of the teachers and elders there. As
such, she had been let in on the matter regarding the entrance
examination even before it had been announced.
In preparation for the examination, Elder Mo had been going
around capturing malicious spirit beasts, and Dong Xin had
helped capture a few of them herself as well.
“The rules of the entrance examination this time around are
rather simple. Obtain the inner core of a Transcendent Mortal
4-dan pinnacle spirit beast, and you will obtain one point… Do
you know how many points that freak of a freshman earned?”
Long Cangyue asked.
It had been several days since the freshman examination had
finished. As the leader of the Ashen Moon Faction, it wasn’t
too difficult for him to gather some intelligence regarding the
happenings there.
767 I Saw Zhang Xuan
“How many?”
Looking at the look of disbelief on the other party’s face,
Dong Xin couldn’t help but feel a little curious at how well the
freshmen did. “Since he is a freshman, his cultivation should
probably be at Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle. Even if he
were to make the breakthrough to Cosmos Bridge realm, it
would already be an incredible feat for him to kill three
Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beasts within a single
day. Three of them would give him 120 points… Could his
score have exceeded a thousand?”
A Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle spirit beast was worth 40
points. It was already rather formidable for one to slay three
spirit beasts of the same cultivation realm as one in a single
day. Even if one were to multiply that by ten, that would only
be 1200 points.
Scoring 1200 points was indeed an incredible feat for a
freshman, but surely it wouldn’t produce such a look of
disbelief on the face of the leader of the Ashen Moon Faction?
Hearing those words, Long Cangyue scoffed. “A thousand
points? If it was only that much, would I need to be so
shocked?”
“Let me tell you this straight, he obtained a grand total of
43,724 points…”
“H-how many did you say? 43,000 points?” Hearing those
words, Dong Xin nearly fainted on the spot.
She had participated in the capture of those spirit beasts, so
she knew how difficult it was to locate and hunt them down.
On top of that, they had targeted the aggressive spirit beasts
who had a record of hurting others, and they were far more
difficult to deal with than the spirit beasts enclosed in a cage.
Every single of them was incredibly cunning, and a lapse in
one’s concentration could easily lead to one’s death. Yet, a
freshman had actually obtained more than 40,000 points in
such an examination… Wasn’t this joke a little too much?
How many spirit beasts must he have killed to obtain such a
result?
Could he have single-handedly slaughtered every last spirit
beast in the mountain?
“That’s not all. The points he obtained weren’t from killing the
spirit beasts, but by… taming them!” Long Cangyue added.
“Taming them?” Dong Xin exclaimed sharply.
Taming a spirit beast was far more difficult than killing one.
Even her, a renowned genius of the Beast Tamer School,
would have to spend several months or even years in order to
achieve the required intimacy to tame one. Yet, to tame
multiple spirit beasts in a day… Not to mention, enough of
them to obtain 40,000 points… Just how many spirit beasts in
the world did he tame!
Seeing Dong Xin’s expression, Long Cangyue could tell what
she was thinking, so he said, “He tamed more than four
hundred spirit beasts… Furthermore, according to the accounts
from the dozens of eye-witnesses in the area, he did it within
just two hours!”
“Two hours…” Dong Xin couldn’t help but swallow a
mouthful of saliva.
Even she didn’t have the ability to do the same.
“It’s this incredible feat that won him School Head Mo’s favor,
and School Head Mo offered to take him in as his disciple!”
Long Cangyue said.
“Take him in as his disciple? School Head Mo?” Dong Xin
was stunned.
All along, she had been working hard in the hope that her
effort could catch School Head Mo’s eye. However, School
Head Mo never seemed to notice her.
As a result, she’d thought that School Head Mo had no
intention of accepting any disciple at all. Who knew that he
would end up favoring a freshman over her?
“That’s right. However, what is the most unbelievable thing
about this matter is that… the fellow actually rejected the
offer!” Long Cangyue’s eyes flew around the place.
The first time he heard of that news, he had also been rendered
dumbfounded.
To actually reject School Head Mo, one of the Ten Great
Master Teachers… He sure was gutsy!
At this moment, Dong Xin felt as though she had been struck
by lightning.
Countless students in the academy were vying to become
School Head Mo’s student, and yet that fellow actually
rejected the offer? Did he have a screw loose somewhere?
“That’s not all, there is still more to come. After that fellow
heard many people had failed the examination, he gave away
his points away to them so that they could all clear the
examination!” Long Cangyue said.
“Gave away his points?”
Dong Xin widened her eyes in astonishment as her body
swayed weakly from side to side. “The points one obtains in
the entrance examination can be used to trade for Academic
Credits… Given his accomplishment in the examination, he
could easily have received ten Academic Credits! Even if he
has no interest in Academic Credits, he could easily apply for
twenty high-tier spirit stones from the academy with his
score… And yet, he gave them away?”
The points could be traded for Academic Credits and high-tier
spirit stone? Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nearly
spewed blood from his mouth.
If he’d known that those points could be traded for Academic
Credits and high-tier spirit stones, he would have never idled
around in the entrance examination! He would have surely
rushed around the mountain, taming, and killing as many spirit
beasts as he could!
At the very least, he would have strived for a million points!
Or if it came down to it, he could even have handed the
Byzantium Helios Beast over…
Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts were worth 10 points,
Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts were worth 100 points,
Perfect Harmonization realm spirit beasts were worth 1,000
points, Ethereal Treading realm spirit beasts were worth
10,000 points, Chrysalis realm spirit beasts were worth
100,000 points, Half-Saint beasts were worth 1,000,000
points, Nascent Saint beasts were worth 10,000,000 points…
Then a Saint beast should be worth at least 100,000,000
points, right?
Furthermore, that fellow was at Saint 1-dan pinnacle, which
meant… 400,000,000 points!
Calculating by proportion, wouldn’t that mean that he could
receive 100,000 Academic Credits or 200,000 high-tier spirit
stones from the academy?
Regret dyed Zhang Xuan’s guts green.
If he had that many Academic Credits and high-tier spirit
stones, would there be anywhere that he couldn’t go?
He would be able to make his round through all of the libraries
in the academy, and perhaps, he might already be on his way
to a Conferred Empire now!
I will look for Elder Mo later… Perhaps, I might still be able
to exchange the Byzantium Helios Beast for some Academic
Credits…
Zhang Xuan thought about the matter for an instant before
eventually shaking his head. But putting aside the fact that the
entrance examination is already over, which means that the
academy has the right to refuse to give me the corresponding
Academic Credits and high-tier spirit stones, even if I am able
to do so, I won’t be able to explain to them how I managed to
capture the Byzantium Helios Beast. On top of that, it would
reveal my possession of the Otherworldly Demon puppets…
It would be impossible for him to explain the presence of the
Otherworldly Demon puppets at the moment, and even if he
could, they were currently his greatest trump card, so it would
be unwise for him to reveal their existence as well. Thus, even
though it was a huge shame, Zhang Xuan still decided to drop
the matter in the end.
“To be honest, even I can’t help but be in awe of how generous
that fellow is!” Long Cangyue continued.
“But that still isn’t all. When you hear what he did afterward,
you will surely go mad!”
“Oh?” Suppressing her shock, Dong Xin turned to look at
Long Cangyue.
On the other hand, Hu Yaoyao and Xue Zhenyang were
listening to the conversation between the duo silently. Judging
from the looks of helplessness on their faces, it was likely that
they had long heard of it.
“Shortly after clearing the entrance examination, that fellow
headed to the Blacksmith School, and god knows what he did,
but he destroyed the entire Passageway of Records along with
half of the Blacksmith Guild…” Long Cangyue revealed.
“Passageway of Records?” Blacksmith Guild?” Dong Xin
gasped in shock. “Vice School Head Yuan didn’t kill him for
that?”
As one of the senior students of the academy, she was aware of
Vice School Head’s austere and fiery temper. He expected
students to abide by the rules strictly, and he tolerated zero
nonsense from others.
To destroy the Passageway of Records along with half of the
entire Blacksmith Guild… He should be glad that Vice School
Head Yuan didn’t strangle him to death on the spot!
“Kill him? I also thought that would be the case as well when I
heard about it… But not only did Vice School Head spare
Zhang Xuan, he even treated him with the utmost politeness
and led him to the Ocean of Weapons personally to take the
blacksmith examination! And that fellow, within four hours
within the Ocean of Weapons, progressed from a mere
apprentice to become… a 6-star blacksmith!” Long Cangyue
said.
“W-what did you say? Within four hours… he took the 1-star
examination all the way to the 6-star examination?” Dong
Xin’s mouth slowly widened in shock.
No words could explain what she was feeling at the moment.
That fellow’s previous deeds were incredible, but it was at
least remotely possible. The world was huge, and there were
all kinds of incredible geniuses out there. They weren’t so
arrogant as to think that they would be the top of the world.
But what the heck was with clearing the 1-star to 6-star
examination within 4 hours?
More importantly, the prerequisite to taking the 6-star
examination was for one’s cultivation to reach Transcendent
Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm. This wasn’t just a condition
imposed by the Blacksmith Guild, but that it was
fundamentally impossible for a cultivator beneath that
cultivation realm to clear the examination.
For one, the purity and quantity of their zhenqi would be
insufficient to evoke the heat in the flames, making it
impossible for them to melt most ores that 6-star blacksmiths
were expected to process.
Are you sure you aren’t messing with me?
“That matter alarmed School Head Zhao, and he insisted on
taking that fellow in as his teacher’s student, or in other words,
his junior… But that fellow rejected it yet again!”
Long Cangyue could clearly perceive the disbelief in Dong
Xin’s eyes, but it was all the truth.
Many had witnessed Zhang Xuan’s deeds in the Blacksmith
School, and as the leaders of the largest student factions in the
academy, it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to verify the
authenticity of the news.
“School Head Mo offered to take him in as his disciple, and
School Head Zhao offered to acknowledge him as his junior…
but they were rejected?”
Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Dong Xin fell into deep
thought for a few moments before lifting her gaze to ask,
“That freshman is indeed a formidable figure, but… what does
he have to do with the issue regarding the finances of the
student factions?”
Thinking about it now, they had been talking about the lack of
money in their student factions just a moment ago when the
topic had suddenly shifted to that fellow. Could that freshman
be responsible for the student faction’s business failure?
“As you know, the main source of income of student factions
during the start of the term is from the sales of the ‘Teacher
Information Documentation’ to the incoming freshmen, but
somehow, that fellow managed to obtain an even more
accurate and detailed version of it and gave it away for free…
With that, who else would buy ours? Not only so, our
reputations were even dragged down into the gutters. Quite a
few freshmen who were intending to join our factions ended
up backing out due to that scandal!” Long Cangyue explained
with a hint of fury in his voice.
That matter had caused significant losses to his Ashen Moon
Faction, so he’d ordered an investigation into the culprit of the
affair, Zhang Xuan. Who could have known that the results of
the investigation would be so baffling?
If it had been any other freshmen, he would have stomped
right up to them and given them a good pummeling so as to
beat the rules into their bones. But this fellow… how could he
dare to touch a person whom School Head Mo and School
Head Zhao favored?
“…” Not expecting such a situation, Dong Xin was at a loss
for words.
But indeed, if there was a free and better version, who would
want to waste a hundred middle-tier spirit stones on their
document?
“Then… don’t any of you have a way to deal with him?”
“What can we possibly do against that fellow? His cultivation
might not be too high, but he has the backing of two of the Ten
Great Master Teachers. Unless you wish to offend those two,
there is hardly anything we can do about him… Since all of us
are gathered here today, let’s discuss that matter as well.”
Long Cangyue sighed deeply as he turned his gaze to the
group.
“Not only did he spoil our market, his actions also sullied our
reputations as well. We have to punish him or else we might
risk losing our authority amongst the student populace!”
“Indeed, we can’t let him go that easily!” Xue Zhenyang
narrowed his eyes and harrumphed.
“So, do you two have any ideas yet?” Dong Xin asked.
“This…” Long Cangyue and Xue Zhenyang glanced at one
another and smiled bitterly.
School Head Mo and School Head Zhao were two gigantic
barriers standing in the way of their vengeance, and there was
hardly any way they could circumvent them. If they really had
an idea in mind, they would have long carried it out. Would
they still allow Zhang Xuan to get off scot-free even to this
day?
At this moment, Hu Yaoyao suddenly spoke up with a soft
chuckle. “Speaking of that fellow, I met him today!”
“You met him?” The others immediately turned their sights to
Hu Yaoyao.
Even though they had nearly died from shock due to the many
rumors they had heard regarding Zhang Xuan, none of them
had been fortunate enough to meet him yet.
The other party had caused a huge storm right from the
moment he’d enrolled at the academy, so they hadn’t had the
chance to see his appearance for themselves yet.
“Yes. I believe you all should know the genius of the Grade-2
students, Luo Qiqi, right?” asked Hu Yaoyao as she glanced at
them.
“Of course!” Dong Xin replied.
Luo Qiqi had been enrolled at the academy for barely a year,
but she had already advanced from 4-star pinnacle to 5-star
low-tier. Such speed was astounding even when taking into
consideration the innumerable geniuses that had come before
her in the academy.
Possessing both looks and talent, it was inevitable that they
would be aware of her.
“I saw her together with Zhang Xuan earlier, and she had
addressed him as her teacher!” Hu Yaoyao said.
“Teacher?”
“Luo Qiqi addressed him as her teacher? You… Are you sure
you aren’t pulling our legs?”
“Luo Qiqi has a mysterious background, and it is rumored that
she is the princess from some empire. I have tried looking into
her background myself, but I wasn’t able to uncover anything
substantial about her either… A person like that actually
acknowledged a freshman as her teacher?”
Long Cangyue, Xue Zhenyang, and the others could hardly
believe their ears.It’s said that one’s guts will turn green upon
death, so this phrase is kind of saying that the person is feeling
so regretful that they could die.
768 Terpsichore School
“It is not the aged but the skilled who becomes the teacher,
this has always been how we master teachers work.
Considering how Luo Qiqi was willing to address him as her
teacher without the slightest indignation in her voice, it can
only mean that he possesses ability surpassing her
significantly in certain aspects,” Hu Yaoyao said.
There was no human who could possibly be skilled in all
aspects. Even the most formidable of cultivators had their own
weaknesses.
As a result, there were cases where a higher ranked master
teacher acknowledged a lower ranked master teacher as their
teacher.
Even Empyrean Kong shi had sought guidance from Tan shi,
an inconspicuous 5-star master teacher from the remote Tan
Kingdom.
Understanding this fact, the others nodded in agreement. After
which, Dong Xin asked, “Since you have met him, what is
your evaluation of him? Are there any flaws he has that we
can exploit against him?”
“We barely traded a few words, so I am unable to make a
complete evaluation of his character. Nevertheless, based on
what I have seen so far, he seems to be an honest and upright
person. It doesn’t seem like he will do anything against his
principles. However, if there is one flaw I have to name about
him… it will be that his words are infuriating!” Hu Yaoyao
said.
Even though she was a 6-star low-tier master teacher, she was
still unable to discern anything significant about Zhang Xuan.
The only thing that she came out of the encounter with was her
raging fury from the other party’s words.
“His words are infuriating?” The others blinked in surprise.
To make a person like Hu Yaoyao, who could take most things
in her stride, angry, that fellow was indeed a genius in some
ways.
After a moment of contemplation, Hu Yaoyao added, “Oh,
right! That fellow seems to be interested in the old residence
of Wu Yangzi. I feel that we can use this as a leverage against
him to teach him a lesson!”
Even though the competition among the four of their factions
was rather rife, perhaps due to mutual respect for one another,
the four of them were surprisingly on relatively good terms.
“Wu Yangzi’s old residence? It’s good that he has something
that he desires; we should be able to use it against him. Why
don’t we give him a false location and set up a trap there so as
to teach him a lesson? This way, we might be able pull him out
of School Head Mo and School Head Zhao’s notice to teach
him a lesson!” Xue Zhenyang’s eyes glowed in excitement.
The years of cultivating the True Helios Art had slowly shaped
his personality to be more forceful and decisive. If it was
something he could resolve easily with brute force, he
wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
“That isn’t safe. If he were to report the matter to School Head
Mo and the others afterward, we will surely be punished for it!
We have to find a way to make him suffer without having him
speaking about it. In order to do so, it will be best if we can
find something to threaten him with so that he won’t dare
speak of it,” Long Cangyue said.
Unlike Xue Zhenyang’s straightforward personality, Long
Cangyue tended to be more thorough and scheming in his
actions.
Since Zhang Xuan was favored by School Head Mo and
School Head Zhao, it would be safe to assume that they would
be inclined to protect him if something happened. Thus, they
had to be careful when dealing with him, or else they would
suffer two of the Ten Great Master Teachers’ wrath, and that
wasn’t a joking matter at all.
Thus… the only way it would be safe for them to strike was to
obtain some kind of material they could blackmail him with,
so that even if they were to make him to suffer, he wouldn’t
dare speak up about it.
A thought came to Dong Xin’s mind, and her eyes lit up.
“Something to threaten him with… That is indeed a good idea!
Yaoyao, you are better than us with such matters. I recall there
are quite a few students who have crossed the Bewitching
Devil Faction over the past few years, and while they ended up
suffering immensely for their actions, none of them dared to
speak up about it.”
Hu Yaoyao’s reputation in the academy was resounding. This
wasn’t just due to her incredible talent in cultivation and her
beauty, but for her unconventional means in dealing with
problems as well. There were many master teachers who had
challenged her authority in the past, but she had managed to
resolve them beautifully while giving the other party the
humiliation of their life.
“Now that you speak of it, I do have an idea in mind. Doesn’t
that fellow like to sell others his favor? Since that’s the case,
why don’t I drag his reputation down to his gutters and let him
understand the price of offending me, Hu Yaoyao!”
A sharp glint flashed across Hu Yaoyao’s dark eyes as a
chilling smile crept onto her face. “And that Luo Qiqi as well.
It seems like she cares for her teacher quite a fair bit… If she
were to learn how shameless and immoral her teacher is…
Let’s see if she will still be able to respect him as before!”
Knowing that Hu Yaoyao would never say anything she was
unconfident of, the eyes of the others lit up in excitement.
“Leave this matter to me. However, I want an additional share
of that item for dealing with that fellow. This request of mine
isn’t too much, isn’t it?” Hu Yaoyao said.
“An additional share?”
“… Fine. As long as you can deal with that fellow, we will
give you an additional share!”
The others nodded in agreement.
“That’s good. For the time being, you should focus your
efforts on acquiring the Origin Heavy Water. We’ll set off once
the preparations are ready. As for Zhang Xuan, just wait for
the good news! As long as he wants to know the location of
Wu Yangzi’s old residence, he will have no choice but to obey
my commands obediently,” Hu Yaoyao said as her lips curled
up.
Obey her commands obediently? It seems like she has some
plan up her sleeves… Zhang Xuan thought.
Considering how confident Hu Yaoyao sounded, it seemed she
had already found a sure-kill way to deal with him.
Zhang Xuan mused over the various possibilities for a
moment, but without anything else for him to work with, it
was impossible for him to determine the other party’s next
course of action. Thus, he could only give up in the end.
If the other party was going to go after him, he would just
have to deal with it accordingly when the time came.
At the very least, he did know of the other party’s intentions,
so he wouldn’t be caught completely off-guard when
something happened.
After Hu Yaoyao and the others were done negotiating, they
swiftly left the gazebo and flitted down the hill.
Only after ensuring that everyone was gone did Zhang Xuan
finally stand up.
Even though I know that she means me harm, I still have to
get the location of Wu Yangzi’s old residence out of her…
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually decided
to follow Hu Yaoyao. He activated the Eye of Insight and
hurried off in the direction the latter had departed in.
As for the treasure which Hu Yaoyao and the others seemed to
be targeting, that had nothing to do with him, so he had no
intentions in getting involved either. As for the Heavy Origin
Water, since he knew that it was possible to procure it with
high-tier spirit stones in Hongyuan City, he would just have to
earn sufficient money to purchase it in the future.
Thus, the only thing left for him to do was to find Wu Yangzi’s
old residence.
Considering Wu Yangzi’s prestige and standing in Hongyuan
City back then, it was likely that his treasure would hold great
wealth. Thus, as long as Zhang Xuan could lay his hands on it,
he would not need to worry about having insufficient funds for
his cultivation anymore.
Following Hu Yaoyao’s trail, he soon arrived at a vast
courtyard.
There are so many ladies here…
As Zhang Xuan slowly crept within manor, he soon realized
that something was amiss.
For some reason, the number of female students in this manor
was disproportionately higher than the male students.
Furthermore, each and everyone one of them had an elegant
figure and beautiful face.
While they were unable to compete with top beauties in the
academy such as Hu Yaoyao and Luo Qiqi, the charm that they
exuded would still be irresistible for most men.
The number of male master teachers had always been higher
than the number of female master teachers, yet the number of
female master teachers here far exceeded the male master
teachers. Zhang Xuan found the situation before him
completely bizarre.
The density of people increased the further Zhang Xuan
progressed, so he had no choice but to slow down in order to
avoid detection. It was fortunate that he possessed the Eye of
Insight, allowing him to clearly discern the actions of others
and take precautions in advance. On top of that, he possessed
the Heaven’s Path zhenqi and Red Dust Heaven Ascending
Step, allowing him to move discreetly without alarming
others.
An hour later…
Following the trail, Zhang Xuan soon found himself
penetrating into the depths of the manor.
“Xinru, keep watch for me outside. I will be preparing some
things, and I don’t want to be interrupted.”
After advancing a moment longer, Zhang Xuan suddenly a
crisp voice ahead of him. It was Hu Yaoyao’s voice. He
swiftly rushed to hide behind a huge tree in the vicinity.
Following the source of the voice, he saw Hu Yaoyao standing
right before a room.
“Yes!” the lady named Xinru replied with a nod.
Xinru was a young lady in her twenties, and she possessed an
exceptional figure and beauty as well.
Is Hu Yaoyao intending to prepare her hand to deal with me?
Having eavesdropped on the conversation among Hu Yaoyao,
Xue Zhenyang, Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin, he knew that
Hu Yaoyao was intending to deal with him.
This might be a good opportunity to see what the other party
was up to so that he could come up with a suitable
countermeasure for it.
With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan slowly flew to the
top of the room which Hu Yaoyao was standing before.
His movements were as light as a feather, leaving no sound
whatsoever.
Hu!
After landing on the roof, he gently pried open one of the brick
tiles above and peeked down.
Just as his gaze fell into the room, Hu Yaoyao stepped into the
room as well.
Under the warm glow of the many Night Illumination Pearls
embedded in the room, Hu Yaoyao could be seen dressed in a
crimson silk robe, which further accentuated her perfect
figure.
Her smooth white skin, long and slender neck, exquisitely-
shaped earlobes, silky pitch-black hair… No matter how one
looked at her, Hu Yaoyao was like a bewitching devil that one
couldn’t avert one’s gaze from.
Huala!
Just as Zhang Xuan was staring intently to see what Hu
Yaoyao was up to, the other party abruptly walked up to her
bedframe and gently pulled at the knot by her waist.
The crimson robe she was wearing immediately slipped down
her body, revealing her pristine skin.
From top to bottom, there was not a single piece of cloth on
her. Her beautiful figure lay bare in the room.
“…” Zhang Xuan was speechless.
He’d thought that the other party would prepare some kind of
artifact or trap to deal with him, so he’d climbed onto the roof
to peek on the other party, hoping that he could perhaps use
this to blackmail her into revealing Wu Yangzi’s old residence.
Who knew that the other party would strip off her clothes as
soon as she returned to the room… This was way too weird!
The sky had darkened just a moment ago, so she couldn’t
possibly be intending to go to sleep. But if that was the case,
why was she taking off her clothes?
He truly couldn’t understand what was going on in that
woman’s head.
Never mind, I shouldn’t look any further! Knowing that his
actions would be nothing but despicable if he were to continue
peeking, he decisively placed the roof tile back.
If he were to be branded as a perverted peeping Tom because
of this matter, that would be truly unfortunate… Just the
thought of it sent shivers down his spine.
Hu Yaoyao’s room was situated at the highest point in the area,
and it was the largest one as well. Sitting on its roof, he could
easily see everything in the other courtyards. In a few of them,
he saw a few ladies dressed in resplendent outfits moving
about.
Their elegant garments and their bewitching movements left
him in an entranced state with just a single glance.
It was only after driving his zhenqi that Zhang Xuan finally
recovered, and he immediately fell into deep contemplation.
Could this be… the Terpsichore School?
The fact that they were able to make him momentarily lose his
senses through their dancing meant that their gestures carried
the ability to beguile souls, and the only occupation in the
academy that was capable of such a feat was terpsichore.
This also explained why this manor consisted mainly of
women as well.
It will be awkward for me to remain here considering that Hu
Yaoyao is naked inside… But since I am already at the
Terpsichore School, I might as well pay their library a visit so
that I don’t make this trip a waste!
Knowing that it would be suspicious for him to remain here,
Zhang Xuan decided to postpone the matter for the moment
and visit the library so as to deal with his Innate Fetal Poison.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of
Insight and began scanning his surroundings. Soon, his gaze
fell on a towering building in the distance.
Three beautifully calligraphed words, carrying both elegance
and a historic aura, came into sight—Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion.
I should go over to take a look!
With eyes gleaming with excitement, Zhang Xuan flitted off
into the darkness.
769 Night at the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion
The Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion was large and
majestic, standing tall and conspicuous even amidst the deep
darkness of the night.
In several breaths, Zhang Xuan landed on the branch of a large
tree just outside the building.
The libraries of the academy require a student token and
Academic Credits to enter… Zhang Xuan scratched his head
in distress.
He’d thought that he would be able to access the library freely
as a student of the academy, but based on what he saw at the
entrance of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, that didn’t
seem to be the case.
Just like the Ocean of Weapons in the Blacksmith School, the
doors to the libraries could only open by scanning one’s
student token and paying the required amount of Academic
Credits. Unfortunately, Zhang Xuan had neither of the two, so
it was impossible for him to enter.
If he were to attempt to barge in and trigger some kind of
protective formation due to it, he might even attract the
attention of the school’s elders, bringing himself trouble.
But I am already here… Am I to return empty-handed? Zhang
Xuan muttered in frustration.
The matter regarding his Innate Fetal Poison could not wait.
His goal was just standing before him, and if he were to return
just like that, he might possibly regret it for life.
Wait… The mechanisms and formations protecting the
Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion are indeed useful against
cultivators, but can it block off souls? After all, souls are
intangible existences, rendering most mechanisms and
formations ineffective against them. Perhaps, I might be able
to enter the premises this way… Zhang Xuan thought.
Based on Zhang Xuan’s analysis, it seemed like the formations
and mechanisms around the library could only sense tangible
beings. As such, it might be possible for him to sneak in as a
soul.
Furthermore, while he could only duplicate books in the
Library of Heaven’s Path by touching them in the past, with
the new upgrades it had just undergone, he could replicate
them just by laying his eyes on them… In other words, even
with just his soul, he could gather every single book in the
Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion into the Library of
Heaven’s Path easily!
Let me give it a try!
The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more excited he
became by the idea. Thus, he hid his body well amidst dense
shrubs before drawing his soul out.
As if an apparition of the night, his soul gradually approached
the tightly shut doors of the Terpsichore Compendium
Pavilion silently. At its entrance, he saw several students
standing guard to keep away intruders.
Despite the intangible nature of souls, they were still bound by
the laws of the world. One of the manifestations of such a
phenomenon was their inability to pass through concrete walls,
and unfortunately for Zhang Xuan, the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion was made of an airtight material which
prevented even souls from slipping through.
Just as he was contemplating about how he could enter, he
suddenly heard footsteps behind him as a figure approached
the doors of the library.
The figure walked up to the doors and bowed deeply to the
several students at the entrance.
“Seniors, I would like to access the library to check some
information.”
She was a lady in her thirties, and the master teacher emblem
pinned on her chest had five stars on it.
5-star low-tier master teacher, she was a Grade-2 student.
One of the seniors glanced at her and said, “Your student token
and Academic Credits token!”
Most likely, the seniors standing guard at the entrance were
taking this job as a way to earn additional Academic Credits to
finance their expenditure.
“Yes!” The student quickly passed her student token and
Academic Credits Token over.
A moment later, the senior nodded and said, “You are a Grade-
2 student, so you can only browse through the books of Grade-
3 and below. If you attempt to look at any book beyond that
tier, you will be expelled from the library immediately. On top
of that, you are only given twenty hours of reading time for
each Academic Credit you spend, and you are not allowed to
take out any books from the library.”
“Yes!” The student nodded in response.
As a Grade-2 student of the Master Teacher Academy, she was
accustomed to the rules of the library.
“Ok, you may enter now!”
After emphasizing on the rules, the senior waved her hand to
gesture that the student may pass. Carrying her student token
and Academic Credits token, the student walked up to a stone
pedestal in front of the doors and placed them on it. Jiya! The
doors to the library opened.
This is a good opportunity for me to enter as well!
Upon seeing a chance to slip into the building, Zhang Xuan
immediately got to action and dived in behind the student as
well.
After entering through the doors, a vast hall immediately
appeared before his eyes. The walls were embedded with
Night Illumination Pearls of all sizes, making its interiors as
bright as day.
Shelves of books were positioned orderly in the hall, and the
books on them were innumerable.
As expected of the Master Teacher Academy! Their collection
of books is indeed astounding… Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
Terpsichore was one of the more uncommon occupations, so
the number of books on them was severely limited. However,
the members of the Master Teacher Academy were all master
teachers who had unique insights and had their own
understanding of the occupation. Over time, more and more
books had been added to the collection, resulting in the
impressive compendium that lay before him at this very
instant.
“I should collect them all first and look at them later…”
Considering the number of books that were in the library, it
would take a considerable amount of time if he had to go
through them one by one.
Zhang Xuan’s soul moved to the very first bookshelf at the
corner and began scanning through them.
Flaws!
Muttering in his head, he could feel that book after book was
being replicated in the Library of Heaven’s Path.
It was as if his eyes were scanners, allowing him to replicate
the content within books entirely just by laying his eyes on
them. This allowed him to copy books at a rate far quicker
than he did by running.
This is really great! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly.
Hualala!
Books were filling up the shelves in the Library of Heaven’s
Path at an unprecedented rate.
Four hours later, Zhang Xuan was finally done taking in all of
the books in the hall, and he compiled them into a Heaven’s
Path manual.
On to the second floor…
After Zhang Xuan was done with the first floor, he proceeded
on to the second floor.
There were significantly fewer books here than on the first
floor, but the content covered within them was more profound.
Just like apothecaries and blacksmiths, terpsichores were also
ranked from 1-star to 9-star. Contained on the first floor was
the basic knowledge regarding dancing from apprentice to 4-
star pinnacle whereas the second floor contained the dancing
art and cultivation technique manuals corresponding to 5-star
primary terpsichores.
Zhang Xuan took all of the books on the shelves into the
Library of Heaven’s Path without any hesitation.
Two hours later, he was done collecting the books on the
second level.
Continuing on…
It wasn’t easy for him to get into the Terpsichore Compendium
Pavilion, so it would be a huge shame if he didn’t make use of
this opportunity to take in as many books as he could. Thus, he
hurried off to the third floor.
Technically speaking, a Grade-1 student was only allowed to
browse through the books on the first and second floor. This
rule was set by the academy in order to discourage ambitious
students from attempting what was far beyond their capability,
and various measures were implemented to enforce it.
However, while these measures could stop students, they
couldn’t do the same to souls. With a thought, Zhang Xuan’s
soul turned into a stream that flowed right through the
formation blockading the stairs and arrived at the next floor.
There were even fewer books on the third floor, and Zhang
Xuan finished them in just an hour.
After which, he did the same for the fourth, fifth, and sixth
floor.
It only took him another two hours to collect the books on the
remaining three floors.
In other words, in less than ten hours, he had made duplicates
of the innumerable books in the Terpsichore Compendium
Pavilion in his head!
With a slight smile on his face, Zhang Xuan thought in
satisfaction, I will examine them carefully when I return to my
residence!
He had been thinking that he would have to pay a visit to the
Terpsichore School someday to browse through the books, but
who could have known that he would accomplish this while
following behind Hu Yaoyao?
Furthermore, now that he had learned that he could easily
access the libraries in the Master Teacher Academy through
his soul, wouldn’t he be able to do so for the other schools as
well?
If that is the case, I should be able to cover all of the books in
the ten schools within ten days. By then, I would have
sufficient books to push my cultivation to higher realms as
well, perhaps even reaching Saint realm. With that, my work
at the Master Teacher Academy will be done! Zhang Xuan’s
eyes lit up in agitation.
As long as he had sufficient books to compile the Heaven’s
Path Divine Art, advancing his cultivation would be as easy as
eating and drinking.
The main reason he had chosen to enroll in the Master Teacher
Academy was so that he could access their trove of books.
The upgrade of his Library of Heaven’s Path had truly come at
an ideal time.
With this, he would be able to access the knowledge from the
various schools as he pleased, and his lack of Academic
Credits wouldn’t be an issue anymore.
Ten days should be enough for him to cover everything in the
Master Teacher Academy. After compiling them into the
respective Heaven’s Path manuals, he would be able to make a
breakthrough both in his cultivation and master teacher
ranking.
Just the thought of advancing six realms— the Perfect
Harmonization realm, Void Treading realm, Chrysalis realm,
Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and Saint realm—and bringing the
ten supporting occupations to 6-star pinnacle left his heart
trembling in excitement…
I should go through the terpsichore books first…
However, Zhang Xuan knew that it wouldn’t be as simple as
that. Thus, shrugging the thought off with a smile, he turned
his consciousness back to the Library of Heaven’s Path.
Hu!
New Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean Art manuals appeared
before his eyes.
There was a total of six of them, consisting of books from 1-
star to 6-star.
Let me see if the portions regarding souls…
Zhang Xuan swiftly turned his gaze outside and noticed that
the sun was already setting. It didn’t seem like there would be
sufficient time for him to learn the entire Heaven’s Path
Terpsichorean Art, so he chose to focus his attention on the
content regarding souls instead.
Huala!
At Zhang Xuan’s will, the books regarding soul cultivation
flew from the shelves and gathered in front of him.
Compile! he commanded silently, and yet another book
appeared before him.
This was the book that could potentially suppress the Innate
Fetal Poison in his soul. Unable to suppress his agitation,
Zhang Xuan immediately started browsing through it.
It didn’t take long for him to finish reading it all.
By then, his face was already looking incredibly awful.
These are only methods to strengthen one’s soul, and they
aren’t even complete. They won’t be much help in dealing
with the Innate Fetal Poison…
The books he had collected were sufficient to form a Heaven’s
Path manual, but it was only effective in strengthening one’s
soul. Against the Innate Fetal Poison, it was nearly completely
useless.
In other words, after all the effort he had put in that night, he
didn’t have a way counter the Innate Fetal Poison to alleviate
the threat he was under yet.
What do I do now… Zhang Xuan thought frustratedly.
To him, the most urgent matter at hand was to suppress the
Innate Fetal Poison in his soul. Otherwise, if the Innate Fetal
Poison was triggered on a whim, that might very well be the
day he would breathe his last breath.
He’d thought that, given the nature of the terpsichore
occupation, the terpsichores would possess a deep
understanding of souls, and he might be able to find a solution
to his problems here.
But it seemed like he was being too naive.
If the Innate Fetal Poison could be dealt with that easily,
Empyrean Kong shi wouldn’t have to rush all the way to
become a 9-star master teacher to resolve it properly. He
would have long found a solution before then.
Nevertheless, these methods are still effective in building up
the resilience of one’s soul. I should try to compile them with
the soul oracle techniques and see if I can perfect them!
The soul cultivation techniques he had obtained from Mo
Hunsheng ranged from Transcendent Mortal 1-dan to 9-dan,
but he didn’t have enough books to complete them then.
Perhaps, if he were to fuse these books together with them, he
might be able to compile new Heaven’s Path Soul Art
manuals.
Currently, the strongest Heaven’s Path Soul Art manual he had
was still at Consonant Spirit realm, so his soul cultivation was
still capped there as well. With the new books he had gathered,
it was worth giving it a shot.
Compile!
Zhang Xuan tried putting the books together with his soul
cultivation technique manuals.
Hula!
Two new books appeared before Zhang Xuan’s gaze. He
swiftly grabbed them and flipped them open.
“These are the Cosmos Bridge realm and Perfect
Harmonization realm soul cultivation techniques. There are…
no flaws at all! They have reached the level of Heaven’s
Path!” Looking at the content of the books, Zhang Xuan nearly
burst out laughing out of sheer delight.
He’d thought that his trip had been a wasted one, but who
would have thought that he’d be able to compile the 6-dan and
7-dan Heaven’s Path Soul Art manuals using the books he had
gathered from the library?
With these two books, he would be able to advance his soul
cultivation to Perfect Harmonization realm, thus enhancing his
fighting prowess significantly.
Even though the advancement of his soul cultivation wouldn’t
be able to resolve the threat concerning the Innate Fetal
Poison, it would at least help to suppress the Innate Fetal
Poison a bit.
It seems like it’s already morning. Time for me to return…
By the time Zhang Xuan was done, the brilliant radiance of the
sun rays was already spilling in from the eastern horizon of the
skyline. It was dawn.
770 6-star Terpsichore
One of the reasons Zhang Xuan was able to slip into the
Terpsichore School in the first place was due to the
concealment of the night. Even with his aura hidden by
utilizing the unique nature of his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, there
was a huge chance that someone might spot him if he were to
attempt to sneak off in the day.
If he didn’t leave right now, he would be stuck in the library
once the crowd start spilling into the school.
Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan’s soul rushed to the
first floor of the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, heading
for the doors.
The student whom he entered with was still busily looking
through the shelves. However, judging from the deep frown on
her forehead, it seemed she hadn’t found the book she was
seeking yet.
Zhang Xuan didn’t know what she needed, so he couldn’t help
her even if he wanted to. Thus, he headed straight for the main
door.
Hmm?
Zhang Xuan walked up to the door and tried to open it, but to
his alarm, it wouldn’t budge.
In order to prevent any unauthorized personnel from entering
the premises, a special mechanism was installed to ensure that
the doors wouldn’t open without the presence of a student
token and Academic Credit token. Unless one possessed
strength beyond the level of a Half-Saint, it would be
impossible to open!
Zhang Xuan was only able to get in earlier by following the
student in front of him. As long as no one tried to enter or
leave the library, he would be trapped within!
What do I do now? Zhang Xuan thought frustratedly.
It was still dawn, so there were still very few people in the
Terpsichore School at the moment. If he were to delay it any
longer, he might very well be found!
For an unaffiliated individual to be snooping around the
Terpsichore School in the early morning, there was no way he
could explain that!
But if it wasn’t opened, the formations and mechanisms
constructed around the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion
were more than sufficient to prevent a soul like him from
leaving even if they weren’t able to perceive him.
Zhang Xuan turned to look at the student in the library
worriedly, but the latter didn’t seem like she was about to
leave anytime soon. Sighing deeply, he could only continue to
wait patiently.
Forget it, there’s no use worrying over this. I should just make
use of this time to study the Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean
Art…
Since there was nothing he could do in this situation, he
decided to find a quiet spot in the library and immerse his
consciousness in the Library of Heaven’s Path to read through
the terpsichorean books he had just compiled.
He had a full compilation of Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean Art
from 1-star to 6-star, and detailed within them were the
cultivation techniques for the various terpsichorean arts.
Since he couldn’t do anything else at the moment, he flipped
open the 1-star Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean Art and began
browsing through it seriously.
With the new upgrade of his Library of Heaven’s Path, he
could take in the content of a book just by flipping open the
book, thus allowing him to understand and assimilate the
essence of it even faster than before.
To become a terpsichore, one must have a powerful soul and a
dance that is closely aligned with nature… The purpose of
dancing is to enhance the strength of the soul to the utmost
limit, thus drawing out its full might…
The knowledge regarding terpsichores flowed through his
head.
Before long, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
He had fully assimilated the knowledge regarding the 1-star
Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean Art.
In other words, even if he were to take the examination at this
very instant, he would be able to clear the 1-star terpsichore
examination easily.
The prowess of a terpsichore was highly dependent on their
soul, and Zhang Xuan had cultivated his soul to be beyond ten
meters large. The level that others could hardly reach in their
life, he could achieve it as easily as merely eating or drinking.
Drawing his consciousness out of the Library of Heaven’s
Path, Zhang Xuan noted that the student was still busy looking
for her book and had no intentions of leaving yet. Thus, he
moved on to study the 2-star Heaven’s Path Terpsichorean Art.
While martial artists wield their battle techniques, and
terpsichores wield their terpsichorean arts. Terpsichores
essentially aim to utilize their art form as a weapon for murder.
The world trembles beneath a dance, and in the next moment,
a soul perishes. The dance serves as a medium for terpsichores
to engage in soul attacks…
Reading the content in the book, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help
but nod in agreement.
Terpsichorean arts, just like the soul techniques of soul oracles
and the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, were offensive
techniques for dealing with souls. But different from the
others, terpsichores utilized their dance as a medium to
amplify the effectiveness of their offense.
… Since it serves as a medium, does it mean that, once one
reaches the very peak, one will be able to engage in powerful
soul attacks even without using the dance as a medium?
As Zhang Xuan continued to read on, a certain line appeared
before him.
Engage in powerful soul attacks even without using the dance
as a medium? Does that mean… the Swordless Realm? Zhang
Xuan thought in agitation.
He might not know much about terpsichorean arts yet, but he
did have some mastery in the field of swordsmanship. Based
on what he knew, if one were to cultivate their swordsmanship
to the peak, they would be able to utilize even a blade of grass
or a pebble by the roadside as a sword. Going further, they
might even be able to execute the full prowess of a sword art
without a weapon in hand.
That was to say, the sword only served as a medium in order to
execute the techniques. Even without a sword in hand, one
could still execute a sword art, perhaps even more fluidly,
completely, and agilely.
What Zhang Xuan was reading was very unlike the knowledge
imparted in the conventional books that terpsichores read. His
road of cultivation was directed toward the ultimate endpoint
—for the swordless to surpass any sword, for the formless to
surpass any form.
Reading on…
…Terpsichorean arts aim to utilize movements as a medium to
engage in soul attacks. In essence, even walking and the
slightest gestures could be considered as movements, so they
could, as well, be considered as terpsichorean arts…
A true terpsichore dances not with a routine set of movements
but with even the most casual of gestures…
…
Before long, Zhang Xuan was done browsing through the
book.
He closed eyes to slowly savor and comprehend the
knowledge he had just taken in.
Geji! Geji!
Crisp echoes sounded from his soul as a new world unfolded
around him.
2-star terpsichore, reached!
Continue!
The more Zhang Xuan studied, the more excited he became.
Thus, he went on to finish the remaining books as well.
Four hours later, he was done browsing through all of the
books and assimilating their knowledge.
As if his massive soul had been tempered, it looked much
more transparent and purer.
Terpsichores utilize their dance as a means to beguile, enchant,
attack, or even kill the soul of another… Even though Zhang
Xuan had never learnt terpsichorean arts before, he had
comprehended the most profound and innate essence of the
occupation. Currently, his knowledge regarding the occupation
was unmatched by anyone beneath 7-star.
If he were to take the examination at this very moment, he
would definitely qualify for 6-star pinnacle.
I finished the books much faster than I would have before!
Zhang Xuan thought.
In the past, it would have taken him at least twelve hours in
order to learn another occupation from scratch to 6-star
pinnacle.
However, he did it with terpsichore using only six hours.
Where is that student? Standing up, Zhang Xuan glanced
around the room to search for the female student who was in
the library with him, and he suddenly froze.
The vast Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion was empty, and
not a single person was in sight.
The heck! When did she leave? Widening his eyes in shock,
Zhang Xuan nearly fainted.
He had been too immersed in his cultivation that he hadn’t
noticed that the student whom he had followed in had already
left!
As the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion required Academic
Credits to enter, there was rarely anyone in it. From his arrival
last night until now, this student was the only one who had
entered the premises. Now that she was gone, how was he
supposed to leave the area?
Was he going to be locked in there for several days straight?
Zhang Xuan felt a tinge of helplessness.
What the heck was this! If only he’d known, he wouldn’t have
immersed himself so deeply into his cultivation.
It’s nothing much for me to be confined here, but my body is
still in the vicinity. If someone were to find it, I will be in deep
trouble…
As a soul, he was highly indiscernible and was unaffected by
the mechanisms and formations governing the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion, so being trapped here wasn’t too much
of an issue for him.
The problem was his body.
Even though he had hidden it in the best spot he could find, it
would be a stretch to say that it would be able to hide from the
discerning eyes of the many master teachers of the Terpsichore
School for extended periods of time, especially in the day.
It would be a calamity if he were to be found by anyone.
Seeing that it was already nearing noon, Zhang Xuan could no
longer hold himself back any longer. He rushed up to the door,
hoping to find a gap or any other openings which he could
escape through.
However, after circling around the entire Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion, he could only sigh deeply in
frustration.
Looks like there really is no way for me to escape…
The mechanisms and formations set up in the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion were extremely powerful, and it was
impossible for anyone to force them open.
If Zhang Xuan’s physical body was there, he could’ve
compiled a book on them just by touching them, and
exploiting its flaws, he would have been able to escape easily.
Incapable of touch, however, his soul was unable to do so.
His Eye of Insight was currently too weak to see through the
formation and mechanisms as well… Was he doomed to
continue waiting helplessly here until someone arrived?
Zhang Xuan’s eyes twitched as helplessness washed over him.
Forget it, I will just continue to wait. Surely there will be
someone who will visit the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion
by the end of the day…
Since Zhang Xuan was unable to find a better solution to his
dilemma, he could only resign himself to fate. Just as he was
about to find a place to bide his time, ‘jiya!’, the doors
suddenly creaked open.
Hmm? Someone is here?
Not expecting that someone would arrive that quickly, Zhang
Xuan leaped up in excitement. He hurriedly rushed behind the
doors to hide as he waited for an opportunity to rush out of the
library.
Hu!
A resplendently dressed lady carrying a graceful disposition
walked into the room.
After stepping across the threshold, she was just about to walk
toward the shelves when her eyebrows suddenly knitted
together. She glanced at the direction where Zhang Xuan was
hidden and howled, “Who is it? Come out!”
Sensing her gaze on him, Zhang Xuan’s body stiffened in
tension.
It should have been hard for anyone to notice him in his soul
form, especially since he was lying dormant in the corner. Yet,
the other party had actually noticed him instantly. How could
that be?
A Saint realm expert? Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed warily.
There was only one possibility for this—the other party was a
Saint realm expert!
With the breakthrough to Saint realm, one would gain a certain
level of comprehension regarding the nature of space. Even
though Zhang Xuan had concealed his presence well, his
disguise was not perfect due to the limitations of his
cultivation. For one, the flow of spiritual energy where he was
standing would be slightly disturbed due to the presence of his
soul, thus betraying his presence.
“What? You aren’t going to come out?” Frowning deeply, the
lady harrumphed coldly as she raised her palm and grabbed
toward the space where Zhang Xuan was situated.
Hong long!
A sudden burst of zhenqi abruptly froze everything in place.
Zhang Xuan felt an immense pressure strangling him,
threatening to dissipate his soul.
As big as his soul was, it only possessed the cultivation of
Transcendent Mortal 5-dan pinnacle. That was far from
matching up to a Saint realm expert!
They were two completely different levels!
Escape!
Knowing that he would die if he were to allow the other party
to do as she pleased, he immediately drove his cultivation, and
with a powerful burst of strength, he managed to barely break
free of the other party’s restraint. Without any hesitation
whatsoever, he rushed right for the doors.
Hong long!
The movement of his immense soul disturbed the spiritual
energy in the surroundings, stirring up a burst of wind.
“This is… a soul?” The lady’s face turned grim.
While she did sense a presence in the room, she’d only
thought that it was someone who had used some kind of
technique or ability to conceal their presence. She’d never
even considered the possibility that it would be a soul.
Soul oracles had already vanished several dozen millenniums
ago. For one to suddenly appear in the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion… where could he have come from?
And what was he up to?
“Where do you think you are going…” With a sharp shout, the
lady darted forward to grab the escaping soul.
Hong long!
With a Saint realm expert exerting her full might, the space
within several thousand meters was immediately sealed in
place.
This is truly bad…
After barely darting out of the library, Zhang Xuan was just
about to escape into the air when the area around him suddenly
turned incredibly viscous. It was as if he had fallen in a marsh.
As much as he tried, he just wouldn’t move.
Is this the ability of Saint realm experts, ‘Zhenqi Spatial
Lock’?
Zhang Xuan stiffened tensely.
771 The Foolish Deeds of the
Body
Saint realm experts possessed the ability to seal space, leaving
those who were within the area of its effect feeling as if they
had fallen into an ocean of mud. Limited by the spatial
lockdown, they would only be able to utilize a tenth of their
original movement speed and strength.
This ability was known as Zhenqi Spatial Lock, and only Saint
realm experts were able to overcome it.
With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth
and continued trudging forth.
However, with his speed being reduced to a tenth under the
effects of the Zhenqi Spatial Lock, his speed was barely any
different from that of a snail.
“Trying to escape me? Dream on!” With a light harrumph, the
lady flicked her fingers thrice toward Zhang Xuan.
Peng peng peng!
A powerful shockwave engulfed the area around Zhang Xuan,
and he immediately felt a stifling sensation in his chest. His
massive soul trembled uncontrollably as a splitting headache
assaulted his consciousness. It felt as if he was going to lose
control of his body at any moment.
A soul attack… Zhang Xuan thought with a grave expression.
With three simple flicks, the lady was able to inflict grievous
injuries upon Zhang Xuan’s soul. Considering her skillful use
of the soul attack, she must be one of the upper echelons
governing the Terpsichore School, perhaps an elder or even
higher.
I must return to my body this very instant or else I might really
end up being killed by her… A chilling sensation swept over
Zhang Xuan as he realized the dire situation he was in.
If it had been any other Saint realm expert he was dealing
with, and this was inclusive of the Ten Great Master Teachers
such as School Head Mo and School Head Zhao, it would
have been difficult for the other party to wound his soul.
Due to the soul’s intangibility, it couldn’t be hurt by physical
means. Only those who wielded soul offense techniques could
possibly inflict damage upon a soul.
To Zhang Xuan’s misfortune, the person he was facing was an
upper echelon of the Terpsichore School, which meant that she
had a thorough understanding of souls. To such a person,
erasing his soul from existence was no difficult feat.
If his soul were to dissipate, that would be complete and utter
death. There would be zero possibility that he could come
back to life.
There was no way he could survive the attacks of a Saint
realm terpsichore as a soul, so the only chance he had at
surviving this ordeal was to return back to his physical body.
This would reveal the location of his body, but he had no other
option at the moment.
After all, this was a much better alternative than having his
soul dissipated on the spot.
Bearing the excruciating pain his soul was in, he rushed right
for the tree at the courtyard, where his body was located.
However, before he could get far, he heard yet another
harrumph beneath him. “You still wish to continue on?”
Huala!
The lady raised her palm and thrusted it at the air several
times.
An overwhelming force tore through space and struck Zhang
Xuan. For an instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if he had been struck
by a comet, and his soul flipped several times in the air, nearly
ripped apart by the sheer force of the attack.
It was fortunate that his large soul had allowed him to
distribute the immense force across his soul body, thus
reducing the severity of the damage he sustained. At the same
time, as a cultivator of the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, his soul
energy was particularly pure, granting exceptional resilience to
his soul. Otherwise, he would surely have been killed under
the blow.
But even though he had managed to survive the attack, he still
felt as if someone had attempted to tear his soul into two, and
the wounds on his soul had worsened as well.
Knowing that he would surely die without fail if the other
party were to continue attacking, Zhang Xuan intended to
make another charge for his body behind the tree when an idea
popped into his mind, and he held himself still.
The might of the other party’s attack was more than sufficient
to kill any ordinary soul oracle. It was only due to the
immense size and exceptional resilience of his soul that he was
able to remain intact.
If he were to attempt another charge for his body, the other
party would surely sense his presence and be astounded by the
durability of his soul. In response to that, she would execute an
even stronger attack against him. If this were to happen,
regardless of how big or resilient his soul was, the only fate
awaiting him was death.
But… if he could make the other party think that she had
managed to kill him, he just might be able to escape with his
life…
As expected, when he paused in the air and manipulated his
soul to emulate a dissipated soul, the lady looked visibly
relieved.
Sensing the lack of movement in the air, the lady suddenly
recalled something, and her face darkened.
“Soul oracles betrayed humanity back then, opting to become
a weapon for the Otherworldly Demons. For one of them to
appear here at this moment… could it be related to that
incident? If that’s the case, I shouldn’t have killed it
immediately…”
Countless years ago, the soul oracles and their heritage were
wiped clean from the face of the earth by the Master Teacher
Pavilion. If anything related to them was still existent in the
world, the chances were that the Otherworldly Demons were
involved in the matter as well.
For a soul oracle to appear right after the incident at Leiyuan
Peak, no matter how she looked at the matter, it was
impossible for the two incidents to be unrelated!
Realizing that she had allowed a potential clue leading her to
Byzantium Helios Beast slip through her fingers, she couldn’t
help but regret her impulsive actions.
At this instant, the lady suddenly recalled something.
“Wait… if that person is a soul oracle, why would he try to
escape from the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion at this
time? But if he isn’t a soul oracle, what else can he be?”
Soul oracles were of the yin attribute, which made them highly
vulnerable to yang energy. As a result, they dared not appear
in broad daylight, or else they would be putting themselves at
risk of being seared by the sun rays.
Even if they managed to survive the exposure to the sun rays,
they would be in for a round of excruciating pain and a sharp
decline in their cultivation afterwards due to the Searing Yang
Decline.
Considering how that the other party had rushed out as soon as
he found an opportunity to do so, he clearly did not fear the
sun… Could that mean that he wasn’t a soul oracle?
But if that was the case, what else could he be?
As a Saint realm expert, she knew that the world was far larger
than she could ever imagine. There were many unique
occupations with mystical means that ordinary cultivators
could hardly fathom. Even with her broad knowledge base, she
dared not outright refute the possibility of anything.
For example, she had heard of a species of saint beast known
as the Weakscaled Beast. It was a massive beast with an
exterior as dark as ink, making it a conspicuous existence no
matter where it went. However, as soon as it stepped into
water, its body would immediately turn completely
transparent, as if it was invisible.
Could the fellow she had just encountered be such a lifeform
as well?
This was a plausible hypothesis as well.
Otherwise, no matter how powerful a soul oracle was, a
human’s soul couldn’t possibly expand to be beyond ten
meters large, right?
That would be sheer insanity!
Upon that realization, the lady’s eyes suddenly widened in
astonishment. “Damn it, that would mean that fellow is
feigning death!”
If her enemy was truly a soul oracle, there was little doubt that
her soul attack would have ripped the other party apart.
However, if her enemy was a saint beast instead, it would be
likely that it would possess thick and tough skin that granted it
superior defenses. If so, it was unlikely that her soul attack
would have been able to kill the other party.
In other words… there was a good chance that the other party
was feigning death!
“Trying to fool me? Don’t even think about it!”
With a livid expression, the lady raised her leg and stomped
forcefully on the ground.
Hong long!
The earth immediately shook intensely as waves of zhenqi
surged into the surroundings as if searing heat waves.
She noticed it?
For a moment, Zhang Xuan had thought that he’d managed to
fool the other party. However, upon hearing those words, he
realized that his deception had failed. Left with no choice, he
was just about to attempt another dash for his physical body
when one of the branches of a certain tree abruptly shook…
Putong!
A corpse-like figure suddenly fell face-down from the tree,
creating a huge depression on the ground.
Upon seeing the sight, Zhang Xuan nearly fainted from utter
horror.
Who else could that figure be if not his body!
He’d thought it would be safe to hide his body amidst the
trees, but that lady’s attack had caused the trees to sway,
resulting in his body falling from its hiding spot.
It was just a few moments ago that he was still thinking that
even though his soul had been discovered, as long as his body
remained hidden, he would still be safe. After all, considering
the fact that souls were intangible, it was impossible to see
their true form without the Eye of Insight. Thus, as long as his
soul could flee for the time being, returning only after the
storm had cleared to fetch his body, he would be able to get
away scot-free.
However, with his body faceplanted in the ground right before
the other party, his identity was already compromised. There
was no way he would be able to remain in the Master Teacher
Academy anymore!
“Who are you?”
While Zhang Xuan was feeling so frustrated that he could
spew blood, the lady howled in astonishment and immediately
raised her palm to strike the fallen body.
Hong long!
A violent torrent of zhenqi that harnessing destructive might
fell upon Zhang Xuan.
Now that her attention is away from me, I should make use of
this opportunity to return back to my body…
Knowing that this was the only chance he was going to get,
Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and immediately rushed for his
body. But at that moment, his faceplanted body abruptly
placed its palms against the ground to push itself up before
flitting away swiftly.
Its speed was so fast that its movements were a blur.
Heaven’s Path Movement Art!
This is… Mind of Void…
Upon seeing the sight before him, Zhang Xuan’s soul swayed
weakly. If souls could faint, he would probably have fainted
there and then.
Having comprehended Mind of Void, his body could move
instinctively in times of danger even if its soul was not in it.
Realizing the immense might behind the other party’s palm,
his body gauged that it wasn’t the other party’s match, so it
immediately fled so as to avert the danger.
Looking at the distant back of his body, Zhang Xuan nearly
burst into tears.
The heck!
If you had just waited a split second longer, I would have
already freaking returned back to my body! Think of what an
awkward situation you have left me in…
Furthermore, with the speed you are fleeing at via the
Heaven’s Path Movement Art, how am I to catch up with you?
Zhang Xuan’s soul was only at Consonant Spirit realm
pinnacle whereas his body possessed the cultivation of
Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Pair that with the Heaven’s
Path Movement Art and Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps…
If his body were to flee with all its might, the distance between
them would only grow further and further!
Screw this!
“You scoundrel, where do you think you are running off to?”
Seeing the young man who had fallen from the tree running
away, the lady nearly exploded from fury. Pushing against the
ground, she soared into the sky and pursued the fleeing figure.
With the incredible speed Zhang Xuan’s body was traveling at
via the Heaven’s Path Movement Art, even the lady had to
dash with all her might in order to keep up with him.
Hurry up and catch him!
Seeing the lady rushing for his body, Zhang Xuan heaved a
sigh of relief. The next moment, however, a bizarre expression
appeared on its face as what he had just asked for dawned on
him.
The hell!
To be cheering when another was attempting to capture his
body… There was just some kind of inexplicable peculiarity to
the situation.
This was all that foolish body’s fault! If not for it, why would
he be in such a dilemma now?
Wait a moment… If my body is caught, it will be even more
difficult for me to slip back into it…
After a moment of depression, Zhang Xuan suddenly realized
that even if his body were to be caught, the lady would never
allow his soul to slip into his body. Thus, he immediately
rushed off to chase his body as well.
However, the next sight he saw left him dumbfounded. His
body was crashing through wall after wall as it fled with all its
might.
Calm down, stop doing that! Zhang Xuan bellowed within as
he watched the sight before him with an aching heart.
All actions conducted under the effects of Mind of Void was
instinctive, so it was impossible for it to conduct precise
movements like a living human. Even so, to be crashing
straight through walls, that was a little over the top!
You are supposed to save me from danger, not to leave my
body bruised all over!
Even if you get out of this situation alive, if you leave my
body mortally wounded in exchange, what good will you have
done?
“You better stop right there!” Just as Zhang Xuan was
wallowing in self-pity at his unfortunate plight, the lady ahead
of him caught up to his body. With a flick of her hand, several
surges of zhenqi gathered and sealed the space around his
body, forming an invisible cage around it.
Peng! Peng! Peng!
Sensing the immense threat looming over it, his body executed
the Heaven’s Path Fist Art in an attempt to break open the
cage. However, with just a total might of 16,000,000 ding
from his zhenqi cultivation and physical body, it was
impossible for him to break the zhenqi cage constructed by a
Saint realm expert.
Knowing that the other party wouldn’t be able to break free of
her Zhenqi Spatial Lock, the lady turned to the figure before
her and asked with a sharp glint in her eyes, “Who are you?
Why were you snooping around the Terpsichore Compendium
Pavilion?”
Peng peng peng peng!
Naturally, Zhang Xuan’s body, driven only by its instincts, was
unable to answer the question. It continued striking the cage
frenziedly, creating loud sonic booms.
“You are courting death!”
Seeing that the other party actually dared to snub her, the
lady’s face flushed crimson in rage. She raised her hand, and a
destructive force swiftly gathered on her palm.
From the looks of it, if the figure before her continued to
remain silent, she would simply kill him.
Mind of Void was an ability that only the most powerful soul
oracles possessed. However, with the disappearance of the
soul oracles and their heritage, the knowledge regarding Mind
of Void had vanished as well. This was the reason—despite
being a Saint and a 6-star pinnacle master teacher—the lady
was unable to tell that the figure standing before her was just a
soulless body incapable of speech.
If my body is smashed into minced meat, it will be of no use
even if I do get it back…
At this moment, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the scene.
Seeing that the lady preparing her hand to smash his body into
pieces, his soul nearly dissipated from fright. Not daring to
waste a single second, he immediately dived straight through
the cage and into the glabella of his body.
Unlike the Zhenqi Spatial Lock, the zhenqi cage didn’t harness
the spatial laws of the world and could only block physical
beings. It couldn’t interfere in the passageway of a soul at all.
As soon as his soul entered his body, he immediately saw
immense energy gathered on the lady’s palm that was on the
verge of landing on him, so he hurriedly had his body stop
whatever he was doing. Clasping his fist, he spoke
resoundingly, “Elder, thank you for helping me suppress my
inner demons, sparing me from the fate of going berserk…”
772 Dance of the Rippling
Cloud Robe
The reactions his body made was simply too unnatural that he
could only attempt to pass it off as his inner demons acting up.
Otherwise, there was no other way he could explain his
unnatural actions.
Naturally, he couldn’t talk about Mind of Void either as it was
intricately linked with the soul oracles.
As for the soul the other party noticed earlier, as long as he
adamantly denied it, there was no way the other party could
investigate the matter and trace it back to him.
“Inner demons?”
As expected, upon hearing those words, the lady in the sky
dissipated the violent energy in her hand. However, given that
she didn’t dispel the zhenqi cage, it seemed that she still
carried some doubts towards Zhang Xuan’s words.
From the looks of it, it seemed that she was intending to hear
Zhang Xuan’s story out, but if she were to detect any
falsehood in his words, she wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.
“Indeed. I am a freshman of this academy, and I was intending
to enter the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion to read up on
some books so as to prepare myself for the terpsichore
examination. However, on my way here, an inspiration
suddenly struck me, and in order to prevent others from
interrupting me, I can only hide on a tree for the time being…”
Zhang Xuan explained.
“Sudden inspiration?” The lady frowned.
Cultivators did have moments of sudden enlightenment from
time to time, and they disappeared as abruptly as they
appeared. Thus, it was important for one to muse over it as
soon as possible so as to not allow it to slip their minds. For
this purpose, the academy had built innumerable gazebos all
over the academy so as to allow students to rush in and focus
their attention on developing their sudden inspiration.
If that fellow really had a sudden stroke of inspiration, it
wouldn’t be too far-fetched for him to hide in the midst of the
trees for fear of being interrupted.
“What is the relationship between you and the thing hiding in
the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion then?”
But of course, just because it was logical didn’t mean that it
was necessarily true. Ultimately, this was just a one-sided
story from the other party. She wasn’t ready to believe it so
easily.
It was just a moment ago that she spotted an uninvited guest
within the library, and the next moment, this fellow fell from
the tree. It was difficult to believe that the both of them
weren’t related!
“Pardon me, but I am not very sure what elder is asking me. I
was in the midst of pondering about the details regarding the
[Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe] when a stroke of
inspiration hit me, but due to a slight mistake I made, my
cultivation almost went berserk. I have only recovered from
my berserk state just a moment ago, so I’m not too sure what
has happened in between…” Zhang Xuan replied sheepishly.
It was best for him to feign ignorance and deny his
involvement vehemently right from the start. Once it was
established that he was involved in the incident, the matter
could potentially spiral out of his control.
“Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe? That is a grade-6
terpsichorean art that only 6-star terpsichores are able to
comprehend. What is a freshman like you pondering over it
for? Are you taking me for a fool?” The lady harrumphed in
displeasure.
The fellow before her was seemed to be only in his early
twenties, and he had also just said for himself that he was a
freshman of the academy. Yet, he also said that he was musing
over a grade-6 terpsichorean art. It was obvious that there was
a clear contradiction in his words, so it was inevitable that she
would get even more suspicious of him.
Thus, she began gathering power in her palm once again,
ready to make a move should the other party fail to come up
with a good explanation for his words.
But on the other hand, seeing that he had managed to divert
the other party’s attention away from the appearance of his
soul in the library, he heaved a sigh of relief within. After
which, he flicked his wrist and took out an emblem, “Even
though I am a freshman, I am a 6-star blacksmith as well.
Thus, it shouldn’t be too bizarre for me to be musing over a
grade-6 terpsichorean art, right?”
“6-star blacksmith?” Seeing the six shining stars on the
emblem, the lady frowned.
The emblems were made out of a special material, making it
impossible to falsify them. In other words, the other party was
truly a 6-star blacksmith.
Blacksmith was one of the Upper Nine Paths occupations.
Considering that he was even able to achieve such heights as a
blacksmith, it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise for
him to be musing over a grade-6 terpsichorean art.
“Yes. The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe is one of the
stronger grade-6 terpsichorean arts, and if executed well, it can
even beguile a Saint realm expert, leaving him deep in a
trance. However, after analyzing it for some time, I realized
that despite the impressive prowess of the technique, it has
several conspicuous flaws that need to be corrected.”
Seeing that he had managed to capture the other party’s
attention, a faint smile crept onto Zhang Xuan’s lips as he
continued, “Firstly, just as the name ‘Dance of the Rippling
Cloud Robe’ suggests, the technique requires resplendent
clothes and accessories in order to maximize its effectiveness.
However, if you were to find yourself placed in a dangerous
position abruptly and a battle was imminent, would your
opponent give you time to change your clothes and accessories
to prepare for battle? This is the greatest flaw in the technique
I have found so far. Next, even though the terpsichorean art is
indeed enchanting, it hasn’t reached the level where one is
unable to guard against it. On top of that, the soul energy
consumption for the dance is enormous, making it extremely
exhausting for the terpsichore executing the technique as well.
In other words, if the technique were to fail to work on your
enemy, there is a good chance that you might already be too
drained to fight any longer, thus making it a double-edged
sword. This is the second flaw…”
“… This is the third flaw!”
“… This is the fourth flaw!”
…
“… This is the seventeenth flaw!”
Word shot out from Zhang Xuan’s mouth like a machine gun,
leaving the other party no chance to interject at all. In a
mouthful, he pointed out seventeen flaws in the Dance of the
Rippling Cloud Robe.
There was a detailed introduction to this terpsichorean art in
many of the books in the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion.
He had glanced through them momentarily, so he had a clear
idea regarding their content. Thus, it wasn’t too difficult for
him to dig up those flaws.
If he wanted to pull the other party’s attention away from the
matter regarding the soul entirely, he would have to dominate
the conversation so as to dictate the flow of the conversation.
The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe was one of the more
common terpsichorean arts used by 6-star terpsichores, so
Zhang Xuan knew that he would be able to shock the other
party by pointing out their flaws. Judging from the shocked
look on the other party’s face, he knew that he had succeeded.
“You managed to analyze… so many flaws in the
terpsichorean art?” The lady could hardly believe her ears.
She had often used this terpsichorean art herself, but even she
hadn’t noticed most of those flaws at all. Yet, the young man
before her actually pointed all of them in a single breath, so it
was inevitable that she would be shocked.
As a 6-star terpsichore, she was sufficiently proficient in the
occupation to conclude swiftly that there was no mistake with
the other party’s analysis regarding the flaws of the Dance of
the Rippling Cloud Robe at all!
To be able to see what even she had neglected… Just what
kind of eyes did the fellow before her possess? Could he really
be here to take the terpsichore examination?
“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
“Do you have any proposed solutions for the flaws you have
listed?” Hearing the confidence in Zhang Xuan’s voice, the
lady couldn’t help but ask.
“I wasn’t too sure before, but my sudden inspiration has given
me some insight into the problems. I might be able to solve
some of them now.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
“The first problem I have raised is that the clothes worn must
be resplendent. However, I believe that it is a misinterpretation
of the technique. The main focus of the terpsichorean art lies
in the ‘Rippling’ and not the ‘Cloud Robe’. What truly draws
people in is not the beautiful clothes but the ripples flowing
through them with each movement. Take me for example,
even if I were to execute the technique in my plain clothes, its
offensive ability is still not one to sneeze at…”
As Zhang Xuan spoke, he raised his arm and lightly shook it.
Weng!
Zhenqi flowed across his sleeves, creating layer after layer of
ripples on it. In an instant, it was as if a stone was thrown into
a lake, bringing life and harmony to the once stagnant water.
Despite the young man’s ordinary wear, under the effects of
the harmonious ripples, she was still put under the illusion as
if he was dressed like a majestic deity of the heavens. In an
instant, the beautiful aesthetics permeated deep into her soul,
bringing her inexplicable pleasure.
His disposition and exterior changed in just a split instant, as if
the dirty beggar from a moment ago had turned into the
charming prince in a night banquet.
Unwittingly, she found herself delving deeper and deeper into
a trance.
She quickly shook her head to regain her senses, and it was
only then that she realized that the other party’s motion had
already stopped. The other party was still wearing the same
old clothes, as if nothing had happened at all.
“Impressive!” The lady’s heart jolted in astonishment.
As a 6-star terpsichore, she had always been the one to charm
others. Yet, the other party managed to make her lose herself
momentarily despite his humble clothes. Most likely, his
understanding of terpsichorean arts had already far surpassed
her, reaching a level she had always dreamed of.
Seeing the shock on the other party’s face, Zhang Xuan knew
that he had already succeeded in convincing the other party
about his identity, and he heaved a breath of relief. With a light
chuckle, he continued, “As for the second flaw regarding the
high soul energy consumption of the technique, as long as one
were to drive his soul energy in such a manner, one will be
able to avoid…”
Given his current proficiency as a terpsichore, it wasn’t too
difficult for him to resolve the flaws in the Dance of the
Rippling Cloud Robe.
That terpsichorean art was highly demanding on the soul
energy consumption, making it extremely damaging to the
terpsichore executing the technique as well. However, if the
terpsichore were to drive her soul energy using his circulation
method, she would be able to lower the soul cultivation
expended to less than a third while enhancing the might of the
technique by a significant amount as well.
“Th-this…” Hearing the formula, the lady swiftly did some
calculations, and her eyes slowly widened in disbelief.
She had just given the soul energy circulation formula a brief
try just a moment ago, and she realized that the other party
was right!
Not only did the fellow before her revolutionize their
understanding of the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, he
even enhanced the efficiency of the technique immensely as
well!
“As for the third flaw…”
Amidst her shock, the other party continued on proposing the
solutions to the problems he had listed.
The fourth flaw, the fifth flaw, the sixth flaw…
In a few moments, he had proposed unique solutions to
resolving all seventeen flaws he had listed!
“If we were to implement the changes you have proposed to
the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, its prowess will be
boosted by more than twofold. If I were to execute it, I would
be able to even beguile a Saint 2-dan expert, rendering him
helpless in battle…” The lady felt her throat dry up, and her
body stiffened from the sheer agitation she was feeling.
How could someone with her eye of discernment possibly not
notice how valuable and fearsome the revised Dance of the
Rippling Cloud Robe was?
To be able to list out seventeen flaws and resolve them
impeccably… Despite his young age, the fellow before her
possessed an understanding of terpsichorean art that was far
beyond her imagination!
“This is all I have just gotten from my inspiration regarding
the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe. I hope that this will be
useful in perfecting the technique. If there is anything else that
you are unsure of, feel free to ask me. I will try to answer
everything within my means!” Zhang Xuan said with a smile.
Forced to a corner, he had to apply the knowledge he had just
learned on the spot. Otherwise, considering how even ten of
him wouldn’t be a match for a Saint realm expert, it wasn’t too
difficult to imagine how tragic his outcome would be.
Fortunately, everything seemed to have turned out well.
“It just happens that I do have some problems I wish to consult
you on. It is regarding the Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean
Art. Every time I attempt to cultivate it, I feel a heavy and
stifling sensation in my heart. May I know if there is any way I
can resolve the issue?” The lady hesitated for a short moment
before asking.
There were indeed some issues regarding the cultivation of her
terpsichorean art that had confounded her for some time.
Considering how the fellow before her was able to further
refine the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, perhaps he
might be able to resolve the problems she was facing?
“Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art… Are you referring to
the technique created by 6-star Terpsichore Zui Linglong three
thousand years ago?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“Indeed!” The lady nodded.
“The Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art can stir one’s soul
and produce a fragrance that reaches up to ten li away, inviting
birds and bees to dance in joy to it. It is one of the most
advanced grade-6 terpsichorean art, possessing immense
power. If you feel a heavy and stifling sensation in your heart
upon its execution, if my deduction fails me not…”
Frowning deeply, Zhang Xuan paused for a brief instant as he
assessed the lady before him before asking, “You haven’t been
in love before, have you?”
“I… That’s right.” The lady nodded.
She had dedicated her life to the terpsichore, spending her time
doing nothing but cultivate. Never had she met a man who had
caught her eyes, so naturally, she hadn’t had the opportunity to
fall in love as well.
“That’s indeed the problem! Zui Linglong created the Fleeting
Fragrance Terpsichorean Art in the days when she first came
to know love. Innocent and pure, she and her lover had vowed
to spend their days together until their hair lost its color and
their lives came to an end. This terpsichorean art consisted
only of a few simple movements, but it reflected her
expectations for the blissful life ahead of her. You have never
been in love before, so it will be hard for you to grasp these
kinds of emotions. As a result, your intent is not aligned with
your dance, and forcefully executing it will only cause you to
suffer injuries instead!” Zhang Xuan explained.
“Alright, why don’t I modify this terpsichorean art for you to
remove this flaw. If you wish to learn it…”
With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan turned to the other party and
said:
“I can teach you!”(Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe: It is
often said that deities are dressed in clouds, so cloud robes
refer to the clothes don by divine beings. At the same time, the
word also refers to the resplendent dresses donned by
dancers.)
773 Poor
“Teach me?” The lady’s eyes lit up.
The Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art was currently the
strongest technique she possessed, but she had never been able
to successfully cultivate it. If she could master the technique
after its modification, it would surely augment her fighting
prowess significantly.
Zhang Xuan contemplated for a moment before saying,
“That’s right. The core of this terpsichorean art lies in its
intent. Even though you have never experienced the deep
anticipation in wanting to spend your life together with a
person you deeply love, you have experienced the loneliness
and determination in striving for excellence in your
cultivation. Even though that is a different emotion from the
former, it doesn’t pale in its intensity. If you can tap into it,
you will still be able to draw out immense power from the
terpsichorean art.”
“I ask of you to enlighten me!” The lady clasped her fist and
bowed.
From their previous conversation, she could already tell that
the other party’s understanding of terpsichorean arts far
surpassed hers.
Master teachers believed in taking the proficient as their
teacher. Even though she was a Saint realm expert, it wouldn’t
be a humiliation for her to humbly seek guidance for the
doubts she was facing from someone weaker than her.
“Okay!” Seeing the other party’s polite attitude, Zhang Xuan
nodded in commendation.
A true master teacher should always remain humble and
prepared to learn from the strengths of others, regardless of
how young or weak they might be.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan reshaped the
Fleeting Fragrance Terpsichorean Art to fit the intent the other
party was capable of drawing out. He reconfirmed the
feasibility and effectiveness of the technique before imparting
it to the other party.
Hearing the details of the revised Fleeting Fragrance
Terpsichorean Art, the lady slowly went through every part of
it so as to better comprehend the technique, and the
astonishment on her face gradually increased. Realizing that
the technique imparted to her was tailored to her needs, she
turned to the other party with eyes filled with awe.
The lady hurriedly dispelled the zhenqi cage around Zhang
Xuan, clasped her fist, and earnestly apologized, “Pardon me, I
was reckless…”
If she had been thinking that the other party intended to steal
something from the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion earlier,
such a thought had already vanished from her mind by this
moment.
While the collection of books in the library was beneficial to
most students and teachers, it was already no longer useful in
advancing her proficiency as a terpsichore.
Since it was useless to her, considering the fact that the other
party’s comprehension of the terpsichorean art was even
deeper than hers, what could possibly interest him in there?
It seemed like the young man before her really had nothing to
do with that fellow she had found hiding in the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion earlier. The entire matter was just a
coincidence.
“May I know how I can address you?” Having thought this
matter through, the lady’s attitude became much politer than
before.
“Elder, you are too polite. I am Zhang Xuan, a freshman who
has just enrolled at the academy!” Zhang Xuan quickly
replied.
“Zhang Xuan? You are Zhang Xuan?” Taken aback, the lady’s
eyes slowly widened into huge circles.
“You know me?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“Of course, you are the student whom School Head Mo
proactively wanted to take under his wing and School Head
Zhao wanted to acknowledge as his junior… These two
matters have spread like wildfire amongst the teachers in the
academy! I would have to be living under a rock to not have
heard of it…” the lady said with a bitter smile.
This freshman had broken far too many records right after his
arrival. While he might still be little known amongst the
student populace, he had already caused a massive stir
amongst the teachers.
Never in the history of the Master Teacher Academy had there
been a student who had earned the favor of two school heads,
only to reject the both of them flatly.
“I thought that Zhang shi only possesses outstanding talent in
beast taming and smithing, to think that your understanding of
terpsichorean arts has reached such astounding depths as
well…” the lady said with eyes gleaming in admiration.
She had tried looking into Zhang Xuan’s background at one
time, and according to the rumors, he had a teacher who was
sufficiently capable to even offer pointers to Pavilion Master
Mo.
How could such an outstanding figure possibly intend the
Terpsichore School harm? There was no benefit that the
Terpsichore School could offer him.
Thus, it could only mean that she had wronged him.
“Elder, you are too courteous. The study of terpsichorean arts
is deep and expansive, I have barely scraped the surface!”
Zhang Xuan quickly replied.
Each occupation that had withstood the test of time was
powerful and profound in its own right. Even though Zhang
Xuan had gained a deep understanding of terpsichores over the
past few hours, it was just the tip of the iceberg of the entire
occupation. As such, his words were not just humility.
The lady nodded. “To be able to remain humble despite your
achievements, it is no wonder School Head Mo and School
Head Zhao have such a high opinion of you!
“My name is Wei Ranxue, and I am an elder of the
Terpsichore School. Honestly speaking, your mastery as a
terpsichore is far above mine, so you need not address me as
elder; just ‘Little Wei’ will do. I might have more problems
regarding terpsichorean arts that I will require your advice on
in the future, so I will be in your care.” Since the other party
had offered her valuable guidance, he could be considered as
half a teacher to her.
As such, despite her older age and higher cultivation, she
couldn’t accept Zhang Xuan addressing her as ‘elder’.
“Alright then.” Seeing the other party’s earnest expression,
Zhang Xuan could only nod in agreement.
In truth, such a situation was nothing much.
This was somewhat similar to the relationship between him
and Luo Qiqi. Despite the latter’s higher cultivation and older
age, she still addressed him as teacher nonetheless.
This was one of the conventions amongst master teachers—
taking the proficient as one’s teacher. At the same time, this
was also a nod to a master teacher’s humble pursuit of
knowledge.
Recalling the matter beforehand, Wei Ranxue turned to look at
Zhang Xuan thoughtfully.
“Zhang shi, I seem to recall you saying that you are here to
take the terpsichore examination… Does that mean that you
don’t have an emblem yet?”
“I have been learning my terpsichorean arts from my teacher
all along, so I haven’t had a chance to take the terpsichore
examination yet,” Zhang Xuan said.
“You have never taken the terpsichore examination? This is no
problem at all. Unlike those Upper Nine Paths occupations,
where one has to go through all kinds of examinations in order
to obtain their emblem, with my testimony that your
comprehension of terpsichorean arts is beyond mine, I will
apply for a 6-star terpsichore emblem for you right now and
deliver it to you later!” Wei Ranxue chuckled.
The ranking system amongst the Upper Nine Paths was much
stricter, and one had to go through all kinds of examinations in
order to advance a rank. At the same time, there was a rigid
prerequisite on one’s cultivation realm as well.
Even though terpsichores were one of the ten supporting
occupations taught in the Master Teacher Academy, it was a
Lower Nine Paths occupation. As such, it didn’t have
requirements as strict as the others. As long as Wei Ranxue
served as a guarantor of his abilities, she would be able to
apply for a 6-star pinnacle terpsichore emblem for him
straightaway, thus sparing him the trouble.
“Thank you for this…” Not expecting the other party to
volunteer to help him apply for the 6-star terpsichore emblem,
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he immediately clasped his fist
in gratitude.
Once the application passed, he would have two 6-star
supporting occupations. Four more and he would be able to
take the 6-star master teacher examination.
“You’re too polite!” Wei Ranxue replied. With a smile on her
lips, she invited, “If Zhang shi doesn’t mind, do you want to
take a seat in the Terpsichore Hall? I wish to learn more about
your insights regarding terpsichorean art!”
“That… With my current state, I think I shall not impose on
you. Furthermore, I have only just recovered from my berserk
state, so I will need to rest for a moment…” Zhang Xuan said
as he glanced at his muddied clothes.
His body was first face-planted into the ground before bashing
through innumerable walls in an attempt to escape. He had
also been injured by the other party’s soul attack, thus leaving
him with both internal and external injuries. Therefore, he
needed to return to his residence to recuperate from his
wounds.
“Ah, pardon me for my discourtesy…” It was only at this
moment that Wei Ranxue recalled that the other party had just
gone berserk a moment ago, so she immediately apologized in
embarrassment.
“I’ll be bidding farewell now then!” Heaving a sigh of relief,
Zhang Xuan turned around and walked away.
The Terpsichore School was severely lacking in male students,
and considering that it was already noon, it was inevitable that
Zhang Xuan would catch the gazes of many as he walked
amidst the crowd. However, he couldn’t care less at the
moment.
Rushing forward, he soon returned back to his residence in the
Elite Sector.
“Teacher, you are injured?”
As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the room, Luo Qiqi
immediately walked up to welcome him. However, upon
seeing his unkempt look, she froze in shock.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s not a problem at all. I’ll go take a
rest first.” Too exhausted to explain, Zhang Xuan pushed open
the doors to his room and walked in.
His physical wounds weren’t a problem. By circulating his
Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he would be able to recover from them
swiftly. The main problem lay with his soul.
He had taken several heavy blows from a Saint realm expert,
leaving his soul with a feeling as if it had been ripped apart. If
not for the extraordinary resilience of his soul, it might have
already dissipated by now.
Hu!
Zhang Xuan took out a high-tier spirit stone from his storage
ring.
Without any hesitation, he began driving his cultivation
technique, and pure spiritual energy began flowing from the
high-tier spirit stone into his body, mending his injuries.
The wounds on his soul were more difficult to treat than his
physical injuries. Even with the Heaven’s Path Soul Art and a
high-tier spirit stone, it still took him some time.
Only after relentless effort over four hours did his soul finally
regain the glow and power it had before.
Recalling the various matters that had happened today, a
feeling of helplessness couldn’t help but wash over Zhang
Xuan. I really should be more careful the next time I wish to
browse through books!
He had been thinking of taking all of the books in the Master
Teacher Academy into his Library of Heaven’s Path and
leaving the empire, but it seemed like this thought was far too
naive.
For one, there were many restrictions imposed on the libraries
throughout the academy. Even as a soul, it wouldn’t be easy
for him to enter or leave those areas.
It was fortunate that he had read the Heaven’s Path
Terpsichorean Art up to 6-star beforehand, allowing him to
convince the other party that he wasn’t there to cause any
harm. But there was no guarantee that he wouldn’t be caught
before he was done reading through the books the next time,
or that the person he encountered would be as patient and
rational as Wei Ranxue.
“Forget it, I should focus on cultivating my soul first!”
In the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, Zhang Xuan had
managed to compile two Heaven’s Path Soul Arts. Now that
his soul energy had recovered, it was about time for him to
start cultivating.
The higher his soul cultivation was, the faster he could browse
through the books, and the better he would be able to conceal
himself from others.
Hu!
Zhang Xuan took his clone out and imparted the simplified
versions of the Heaven’s Path Soul Art to him as well.
Constructed out of a God artifact, his clone possessed an
incredibly resilient body. His core weaknesses came mainly
from his low zhenqi and soul cultivation realm.
Due to the lack of a suitable soul cultivation technique, his
soul cultivation realm had been stuck at Consonant Spirit
realm for quite a long time.
Since Zhang Xuan had managed to obtain the next two dans of
the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, it was best for them to cultivate
together. After all, his clone was also a part of his fighting
prowess as well.
Zhang Xuan and his clone drew their souls out of their bodies
simultaneously, and holding a high-tier spirit stone each, they
began to drive their zhenqi according to the cultivation
technique they had.
Pure spiritual energy flowed into their souls, and the aura they
exuded swiftly grew stronger and stronger.
After an unknown period of time…
Hong long!
With a sudden jolt, both of their souls achieved a
breakthrough, reaching Cosmos Bridge realm.
However, they didn’t stop cultivating there.
Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage!
Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage!
Cosmos Bridge realm advanced stage…
An hour later, both Zhang Xuan and his clone’s souls reached
Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle simultaneously.
Even though his clone was cultivating the simplified version
of Heaven’s Path Soul Art, his rate of cultivation was able to
remain on par with the main body due to it being nourished by
the Nine Hearts Lotus over an extended period of time.
Kacha!
Just as they were about to strive for a higher realm, with a
‘kacha’, the high-tier spirit stones in their hands abruptly
shattered into dust.
Both the souls of the main body and the clone were ten-meters
tall, so the spiritual energy required for them to achieve a
breakthrough was significantly higher than normal souls as
well. As a result, one high-tier spirit stone was only barely
enough for them to advance from Consonant Spirit realm
pinnacle to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle.
“Continue!” Zhang Xuan said through gritted teeth.
If advancing to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle would take him
a high-tier spirit stone, it was hard to imagine how many more
he would require in order to reach Perfect Harmonization
realm or even higher.
Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan took out the remaining eight
high-tier spirit stones he had and split them equally between
him and his clone.
“Let’s start!”
Drawing his soul out once more, Zhang Xuan resumed his
cultivation.
Spending one high-tier spirit stone, he managed to make the
breakthrough to Perfect Harmonization realm.
Spending yet another one, he reached Perfect Harmonization
realm intermediate stage.
Before long, he was done consuming all four high-tier spirit
stones, and his cultivation stopped at Perfect Harmonization
realm advanced stage. To think that even four high-tier spirit
stones wouldn’t be sufficient for him to reach pinnacle!
Isn’t this rate of consumption a little… way too high?
Looking at the powdery remains of the ten high-tier spirit
stones which he had gathered with great difficulty, Zhang
Xuan couldn’t help but feel incredibly frustrated.
He was only at Perfect Harmonization realm, but the rate of
consumption of spirit stones was already astounding. Without
a doubt, the number of spirit stones he would require would
only increase exponentially. Where in the world was he
supposed to gather that much money?
He’d thought that he had already become a little tycoon with
ten high-tier spirit stones in his possession, but in the blink of
an eye… he was poor once again!
774 Hu Yaoyao’s Invitation
Origin Heavy Water costs ten high-tier spirit stones per bottle.
I need ten bottles to cultivate the Third Incandescence of
Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, so in other words, I
require a hundred high-tier spirit stones!
Considering that I have expended four spirit stones cultivating
from Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle to Perfect Harmonization
realm advanced stage, in order to reach pinnacle, I will need
two high-tier spirit stones or perhaps even more. Beyond that,
Ethereal Treading realm, Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint… The
number of high-tier spirit stones will only increase
exponentially. Without at least a hundred high-tier spirit
stones, I won’t be able to go far…
Zhang Xuan’s head began aching.
It seemed like his wish of reaching Saint realm within ten days
was nothing more than a pipe dream at this point.
Putting everything aside, just the lack of spirit stones was
already a huge problem in itself.
I really should start finding a way to earn more money…
Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in distress.
It was clear that he would need to find a stable source of
income, but several hundred high-tier spirit stones was no
small sum.
It would be hard to find a viable solution at a whim.
I should take a look at how much I have progressed for the
time being…
He could slowly contemplate the issue regarding earning
money in the future. For the time being, he looked inward in
order to assess his current strength as a result of the recent
breakthroughs.
With his soul reaching Perfect Harmonization realm, his
strength had soared once more, leaping from 3,200,000 ding to
10,000,000 ding!
Factoring in the 8,000,000 ding he could harness from both his
physical body and zhenqi cultivation, he had a maximum of
26,000,000 ding at his disposal, putting him on par with a
Chrysalis realm primary stage expert!
(Chrysalis realm primary stage 25,000,000 ding, intermediate
stage 28,000,000 ding, advanced stage 31,000,000 ding,
pinnacle 34,000,000 ding!)
It must be said that the rate at which he was growing was truly
frightening.
Zhang Xuan turned to his clone and noted that the latter had
also stopped at Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage.
Noticing Zhang Xuan’s gaze on him, his clone’s eyes gleamed
in excitement. “Shall we have a duel?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head awkwardly. “Ah… I’ll pass…”
Even though his clone’s cultivation was mainly derived from
his soul, his physical body was simply too powerful; it would
be a grave mistake to gauge his strength just by his soul
cultivation alone. Furthermore, it seemed his physical body
was gradually growing stronger as he advanced his soul
cultivation.
With Zhang Xuan’s current strength, he could easily defeat
opponents with higher cultivation realm than him. But even so,
he was still a far way off from matching with that fellow.
If he were to challenge the other party to a duel, there was not
a shadow of a doubt that he would be utterly crushed.
It was already extremely embarrassing that he, as the main
body, was unable to defeat his clone. Why would he
intentionally ask for a beating on top of that?
Returning his clone to his storage ring, Zhang Xuan pushed
open his door and walked out.
As he made his way to the main hall, Luo Qiqi suddenly
walked up to him and greeted him.
Zhang Xuan had already changed into a fresh set of clothes.
With the advancement of his soul cultivation, his eyes seemed
to have grown a little profounder, and his aura had become
more indiscernible, creating an unfathomable aura around him.
“Teacher, Senior Hu Yaoyao has just sent a letter over inviting
you to a night banquet,” Luo Qiqi said as she assessed Zhang
Xuan with doubtful eyes.
Yesterday, when her teacher had returned injured in the
afternoon, she’d thought that it was a result of a confrontation
with Hu Yaoyao while trying to get the location of Elder Wu
Yangzi’s old residence out of her… But considering the fact
that Hu Yaoyao had sent an invitation letter to them just a
moment ago, that possibility could be eliminated.
The chances were that her teacher hadn’t met Hu Yaoyao
outside of the first meeting.
But if that was the case… where did he go the previous night?
And who was it that injured him?
“Night banquet? What night banquet?” Zhang Xuan was taken
aback by those words.
Was Hu Yaoyao already going to make her move against him?
“Here, take a look at this!” Luo Qiqi raised her hands to pass
an envelope over.
Zhang Xuan took the envelope from her hands and opened it.
Contained within the envelope was an invitation letter, and
putting aside the pleasantries written, the content was mainly
speaking about how she’d felt a strong affinity with them
when they’d met the previous night. Therefore, she’d decided
to extend an invitation to them for her night banquet, and she
hoped that they wouldn’t turn down her goodwill.
The address was the Terpsichore School, Cloud Sparrow
Lodge.
“Cloud Sparrow Lodge?” Zhang Xuan asked questioningly.
“That is Senior Hu Yaoyao’s private residence. It is located
within the Terpsichore School!” Luo Qiqi explained.
Fearing that her teacher wouldn’t understand, she further
elaborated, “The Elite Sector is divided into four subsectors,
namely D, C, B, and A, which correspond to Grade-1, Grade-
2, Grade-3, and Grade-4 students respectively. Grade-5
students don’t reside in the Elite Sector. Instead, outstanding
Grade-5 students can have private residences constructed for
them in the school of their main supporting occupation.
Naturally, the location and facilities of those private residences
are far better than those in the Elite Sector!”
Zhang Xuan nodded.
He had heard it from Huang Xing and the others when he first
arrived at the Elite Sector.
Of the four subsectors, he was currently living in Sector D.
Sensing the scent of a scheme from this matter, Luo Qiqi said
with a frown, “Teacher, the other party refused our request
yesterday, but she still chose to send us this abrupt invitation
letter today. I fear that she is up to no good…”
“There is no doubt that she is up to no good. However, if we
don’t go, it will be impossible for us to locate Elder Wu
Yangzi’s old residence,” Zhang Xuan analyzed calmly.
Hearing those words, Luo Qiqi could only nod in agreement
with a bitter smile on her face.
If there was another way around this matter, they would have
already made a move. However, with the other party holding
the vital information they required, they could only play along
with her games.
“Since that’s the case, what is there for us to hesitate about?
Since she has invited us to a night banquet, we will just have
to head over to take a look!” Zhang Xuan said.
He had headed over to the Hu Yaoyao’s residence in the hope
of sounding her out, but in the end, due to the other party
abruptly stripping, he could only abandon his original
intention.
It was just a matter of time before they would have to confront
one another. This night banquet might be a trap prepared for
him, but it was also an opportunity to get the location of Wu
Yangzi’s old residence out of her.
Naturally, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t give this chance up so easily.
He was severely lacking money at the moment. If he could
find Wu Yangzi’s treasure, he might be able to free himself
from the troubles he was facing.
Hearing her teacher’s decision, Luo Qiqi made up her mind as
well and asked, “Then… should we head off now?”
“Now?” Zhang Xuan glanced at the sky, and only then did he
realize that the sun had already set.
It was already afternoon by the time he returned from the
Terpsichore School, and his recuperation and cultivation had
taken him around five hours or so. As a result, by the time he
was done, the sky was already pitch black.
“Let’s head off then!”
It was already about time for the night banquet to start, so they
had to make haste.
Leaving the residence, the duo headed straight for the
Terpsichore School.
While the Terpsichore School wasn’t as large as the
Blacksmith School, its size was still nevertheless impressive.
It took some time before the duo arrived at the courtyard
where Zhang Xuan had seen Hu Yaoyao stripping last night.
“So, this is the Cloud Sparrow Lodge…” Zhang Xuan nodded.
Based on what he had seen yesterday while following Hu
Yaoyao, the residence was much more majestic and larger than
the surrounding residences and those in the Elite Sector as
well.
“This residence wasn’t called the Cloud Sparrow Lodge
initially. According to the rumors, back when Senior Yaoyao
was taking the 6-star terpsichore examination, she wore a
magnificent dress and performed the Dance of the Rippling
Cloud Robe. Her dance was so alluring that it attracted the
excited chirping of the visiting Cloud Sparrows, and their calls
resounded for a very long time even after the dance had
ended… In commemoration of that event, this residence was
renamed the Cloud Sparrow Lodge,” explained Luo Qiqi via
zhenqi telepathy, knowing the story behind the name.
Zhang Xuan nodded in response.
The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe did possess such
astonishing capability when paired with resplendent clothes. It
could easily beguile humans and beasts alike, sending them
into a feverish state.
Cloud Sparrow was a small savage beast that possessed
minimal fighting prowess. However, it was a connoisseur of
art, and its excited chirping could be considered the greatest
applause and recognition to a dancer.
“That matter solidified Senior Hu Yaoyao’s standing in the
Terpsichore School, and even the head of the Terpsichore
School accepted her as her direct disciple!” Luo Qiqi
continued.
The head of the Terpsichore School was naturally one of the
Ten Great Master Teachers as well. Being the direct disciple of
such an incredible figure, little had to be said about Hu
Yaoyao’s standing in the Master Teacher Academy.
This was also one of the reasons the Bewitching Devil Faction
had grown to become one of the largest factions in the
academy with innumerable followers.
At that moment, ‘jiya!’, the doors to the Cloud Sparrow Lodge
creaked open, and the lady whom Hu Yaoyao had addressed as
Xinru yesterday night walked out and clasped her fist
respectfully.
“The two of you must be Zhang shi and Luo shi, right?”
As Zhang Xuan had been too focused on Hu Yaoyao the
previous night, he’d neglected the lady before him. However,
standing at such proximity to one another, he realized that her
cultivation had reached a fair level as well.
Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert.
With this, she could probably be considered as one of the top
experts amongst the Grade-4 students.
Yet, she was still ordered around as a subordinate in Hu
Yaoyao’s residence. It seemed Hu Yaoyao’s influence was
greater than he had initially thought.
“We are!” Luo Qiqi replied.
“Faction Leader Yaoyao has instructed me to escort you in,
please follow me!” With a graceful smile, Xinru turned around
and led the way.
Following behind her, Zhang Xuan and Luo Qiqi stepped into
the Cloud Sparrow Lodge.
As Zhang Xuan had been too engrossed in following Hu
Yaoyao’s trail and avoiding the eyes of others last night, he
hadn’t thought much about the residence. Strolling through it
leisurely now, however, he realized that the residence was
enormous! It was at least seven times larger than his residence
in the Elite Sector.
In the courtyard, there was a pond in which many koi fishes
were swimming to and fro. Beautiful flowers were cultivated
in the area, and they exuded a light but refreshing fragrance.
Furthermore, there seemed to be a Spirit Gathering Formation
constructed beneath the residence. The spiritual energy in the
area was even more concentrated than that in the Elite Sector.
Even if an ordinary human incapable of cultivating were to
live in this residence, their body would be nourished by the
concentrated spiritual energy, leaving them energized and
invulnerable to most common illnesses.
“This way!” Xinru gestured with her hands.
After walking through a long corridor, walking across two
small bridges in between, they finally arrived at the main hall.
The interior of the main hall was brightly lit, as if it were
daytime.
“There is no one inside?”
Stepping into the main hall, Zhang Xuan scanned the room,
and he was surprised to see that it was devoid of people.
There were small wooden tables laid out for both the host and
the guests in the vast room, and they were filled with fine wine
and food. However, the person who had invited them, Hu
Yaoyao, was nowhere in sight.
“Faction Leader Yaoyao has some urgent matters to deal with,
so she had to leave for a moment. She will be back very soon,
so she instructed me to lead you to the main hall to take a seat
first,” Xinru explained with a smile.
“I see!”
Based on the conversation he had overheard yesterday, Zhang
Xuan knew that Hu Yaoyao intended to deal with him. Most
probably, her absence was also a part of her plan as well.
Knowing that it would be futile for him to probe deeper, he
shrugged the matter off with a smile.
After which, he and Luo Qiqi walked over to the two empty
guest seats and sat down.
Zhang Xuan had to admit that the other party did make ample
preparations for this night banquet. The dishes on the table
were all top-grade delicacies made of the meat of valuable
spirit beasts. With just a sniff, one would immediately start
salivating.
Just this table in itself is probably already worth several
hundred middle-tier spirit stones. As expected of the leader of
the Bewitching Devil Faction, she sure is rich… If I really find
myself in need of money, perhaps I could find some way to
shake some out of her… Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked his
lower jaw.
It was just a moment ago that he had gone bankrupt, so such
extravagance felt exceptionally stinging on his eyes.
Since that fellow could spend several hundred middle-tier
spirit stones just on a meal itself, she should surely have some
money to spare for a poor man like him?
“Enjoy your meal, I will take a look at how our faction leader
is doing…” Xinru walked up to their table and poured them a
cup of wine before backing out of the main hall with a
courteous smile.
“Teacher, what do you think she’s trying to do?” Looking at
the lavish spread before her, Luo Qiqi was bewildered.
“Regardless of what she is up to, I will make her reveal the
location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence today. Don’t
worry!” Zhang Xuan replied confidently.
If it had been a day ago, he would have been hesitant to speak
such words.
However, after a night of studying at the Terpsichore
Compendium Pavilion, he was now a 6-star terpsichore whom
even Wei Ranxue was in awe for. No matter what Hu Yaoyao
was up to, he was confident that he would be able to deal with
whatever she was going to throw at him.
If it came down to it, he could even utilize his terpsichorean
art and beguile her to resolve the situation.
“Alright.” Luo Qiqi was still a little apprehensive inside, but
she still nodded in response.
She had no idea where her teacher’s confidence came from,
but since he dared to utter such words, he must have an idea in
mind!
775 Luo Qiqi Faints
After chatting casually for a moment, silence gradually
returned to the room. As Zhang Xuan raised his wine cup, he
activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the room discreetly.
A moment later, a slightly perplexed expression flickered
momentarily across his face.
Other than the Spirit Gathering Formation, there was no other
formation or mechanism that he could see through his Eye of
Insight.
Didn’t Hu Yaoyao intend to deal with him?
Why hadn’t she prepared anything then?
Did she really think that she could subdue him without any
preparation?
Just as Zhang Xuan was in deep thought, Luo Qiqi suddenly
called out. “Teacher, look over there!”
Turning his sights to the direction her finger was pointing
toward, Zhang Xuan saw a two-meter tall weapon rack with a
slightly yellowish shield hanging on it. There were slight
traces of patina, which hinted at the long history behind it.
“It is probably just a decorative artifact,” Zhang Xuan replied
Judging from the design of the weapon, it was probably
smithed as an ornament. It wasn’t uncommon for large clans to
hang such items in their main hall in a display of power.
“I have read many books regarding Elder Wu Yangzi, and
according to the records, he smithed a total of 124 weapons in
his life, and 17 of them are shields. One of them, the ‘Blazing
Moon Copper Shield’, has a bizarre fiery moon design, and it
resembles that of this shield,” Luo Qiqi said with a frown.
“Blazing Moon Copper Shield?” Hearing those words, Zhang
Xuan began examining the shield more carefully.
Even though it was quite a distance away from them, with
their keen eyes, they could still easily see the fiery moon
reminiscent of the sun inscribed onto it. Unlike ordinary
shields, it also had an irregular hexagonal shape. On the
whole, the shield seemed exceedingly queer.
Realizing the significance of Luo Qiqi’s words, Zhang Xuan
asked agitatedly, “You mean that… this is a shield smithed by
Elder Wu Yangzi?”
“Yes!” Luo Qiqi stood up and walked toward the corner of the
main hall and began examining the shield carefully.
The more she studied the shield, the grimmer her expression
became.
Still in his seat, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the shield as
well. While the shield was ancient, it had an extremely
complex workmanship that, based on Zhang Xuan’s
comprehension of smithing, bore a striking resemblance to that
of the Zither Forging Technique.
Eye of Insight!
Lines of insight rippled in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as the
information regarding the shield appeared before him.
This was indeed left behind by Elder Wu Yangzi… Zhang
Xuan was taken aback.
He’d thought that it was only an imitation, but the evidence
was pointing to it being authentic.
“It is said that Elder Wu Yangzi smithed the Blazing Sun
Copper Shield in remembrance of his late wife, so he never
put this artifact up on sale before. Many thought that it had
disappeared along with him, but to think that it would actually
be here,” Luo Qiqi exclaimed in shock.
Clenching her fists tightly, she continued, “It seems Senior
Yaoyao really does know where the old residence is. There is a
high chance that she might have unearthed it from there!”
Zhang Xuan also shared the same thoughts as Luo Qiqi.
Since this shield had never been put on sale before, there was a
high chance that it had been hidden in Wu Yangzi’s old
residence, and Hu Yaoyao had managed to find it by some
stroke of luck.
After examining the shield, Luo Qiqi was just about to return
to her seat when she abruptly froze again.
“There’s also a sword here!”
On the wall not too far away from them hung a sword in its
scabbard. A weapon rack had hindered her view of it from her
seat, so Luo Qiqi hadn’t noticed it previously. It was only after
walking up to the shield that she managed to get a clear view
of the sword.
Just like the shield, the sword hilt and scabbard also carried
traces of age on it. With just a single glance, one could tell that
it was an ancient artifact. Walking up to the sword to assess it,
Luo Qiqi’s frown deepened.
Eventually, she took it down from the wall.
Luo Qiqi wasn’t the type to take the possession of another
easily. For her to take the initiative to step forward to take
down the sword, it could only mean that she had noticed
something peculiar about it. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan asked,
“What? Was this sword smithed by Wu Yangzi as well?”
“Yes. If I’m not mistaken, this should be the ‘Blazing Moon
Blade’ that Elder Wu Yangzi left for his daughter. This sword
has also never been sold on the market before. If there is a
fiery sun inscription on the blade, that would mean that my
deduction is correct,” Luo Qiqi explained as she placed her
hands on the scabbard and the hilt and pulled.
Huala!
A chilling glint flashed from the body of the sword, sending a
shiver down the spines of those in its vicinity.
“A good sword that is!” Zhang Xuan exclaimed.
Even though this sword wasn’t on par with his Glacier Rain
Sword, it was still an incredible creation that had managed to
reach Spirit pinnacle.
“There’s indeed a fiery sun!” With her eyes fixated on the
sword, delight surfaced on Luo Qiqi’s face.
But before her delight could bloom into a smile, a light buzz
sounded from the sword.
Weng!
The sword trembled violently, as if the spirit within it was
protesting in fury.
“This is bad!” Hearing that sound, Zhang Xuan narrowed his
eyes. He hurriedly stood up and rushed up to her, but despite
his swift reaction, he was still a step too late.
As if sapped of her strength, Luo Qiqi’s figure abruptly
staggered and fell weakly to the side.
Zhang Xuan immediately caught Luo Qiqi’s falling figure and
placed his forefinger and middle finger on her wrist to feel her
pulse. A moment later, he heaved a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness there isn’t anything wrong with her. It seems
she has only lost her consciousness…
Fearing that Hu Yaoyao would suddenly spring something on
them, Zhang Xuan had chosen to remain in his seat and wait
patiently for whatever was to come and deal with them. He’d
thought that the other party would resort to using formations
and mechanisms against him, but who could have known that
she would spike the sword instead?
Knowing that Luo Qiqi was fine, Zhang Xuan tapped on a few
points of the sword first before grabbing the Blazing Moon
Sword to examine it.
There is no poison on it. It seems Luo Qiqi was indeed
attacked by the spirit within the sword instead. Still, to think
that this sword would have the ability to jolt one’s soul!
Most formidable artifacts would possess some kind of unique
ability. Take the Bronze Gong that Zhang Xuan had seen in the
Spirit Emporium previously for example, it had the ability to
destroy one’s soul.
With a strike of the gong, one’s physical body and soul would
suffer immense damage.
From the looks of it, the Blazing Moon Blade did possess the
ability to jolt one’s soul. It was out of a moment of
carelessness while touching it that Luo Qiqi was attacked by
the spirit within, resulting in her loss of consciousness.
Realizing what was going on, Zhang Xuan gently placed Luo
Qiqi down on the table by the side before harrumphing coldly.
“Come out!”
While artifacts did possess offensive capability of their own,
their fighting prowess was severely limited without someone
driving them. It was just like how he’d managed to tame
almost all of the treasures of the Spirit Emporium, but he was
still unable to rival Wei Changfeng.
Even though the Blazing Moon Blade had reached Spirit
pinnacle, making it difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal 9-
dan expert to tame the spirit within, it was still impossible for
it to render Luo Qiqi unconscious so easily.
Without a doubt, Hu Yaoyao had tampered with the weapon.
The other party knew that they were anxious to seek out Wu
Yangzi’s old residence, so she intentionally placed the shield
there in order to draw their attention to it first. After
confirming that the shield was safe, and due to the shock from
the discovery of another product of Wu Yangzi’s hands, their
guards would be down when they approached the sword, thus
allowing it to successfully knock them out.
Hu Yaoyao’s intended target was probably Zhang Xuan, but
Luo Qiqi had ended up falling for it instead.
Given that such a trap had been prepared for them, the other
party must have been hiding in the surroundings, observing
them quietly from the shadows.
There was a brief moment of silence before a soft chuckle
echoed in the room.
“No wonder you were able to deal a heavy blow to nearly all
of the student factions, you are indeed a smart person!”
The door opened, and Hu Yaoyao’s slender figure stepped into
the room. She was dressed in a burgundy dress which
emphasized her curvaceous figure beautifully.
It seemed she had devoted more effort to dressing up for this
occasion. She looked much more charming and seductive than
the previous day.
“For a Grade-5 student to pick on a freshman, don’t you think
that this will reflect badly on your reputation?” Zhang Xuan
glanced at her figure impassively.
“My reputation? I invited you to my night banquet out of
goodwill, but in my moment of absence, you took my sword
without permission. Don’t you think that the one whose
reputation will be reflected badly is you?” Hu Yaoyao stepped
forward leisurely and chuckled.
A slight and refreshing fragrance drifted from her body,
tingling one’s senses.
It was no wonder her faction was known as the Bewitching
Devil Faction. As if a mischievous fox spirit, her gestures and
movements carried a kind of seductive charm and pulled at
one’s heartstrings.
It wasn’t too difficult to imagine that there would be an army
of master teachers in the academy who would be willing to
throw themselves into flames without batting an eyelid for her.
But while this kind of deadly charm might be effective on
others, Zhang Xuan remained completely unfazed by it.
Shaking his head, he gazed at Hu Yaoyao nonchalantly, as if
merely looking at yet another human being.
“It is out of curiosity that we stepped forward to admire the
artifacts you have put on public display; why should that
reflect badly on us? On the other hand, despite inviting us
over, you chose to hide and observe us from the shadows. I
don’t think that it can be any more apparent who is the one
who is up to no good.
“But since we won’t be able to come to a consensus on the
matter, let’s not waste our breath and get straight to the
business at hand. Where is Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence?”
“Hmm?” Hu Yaoyao was slightly taken aback.
On top of being a 6-star terpsichore, Hu Yaoyao was a 6-star
demonic tunist as well. At her current level of expertise, she
was already capable of utilizing her voice as a medium to
unleash her prowess as a demonic tunist.
Right from the start, she had been using a terpsichorean art
and a demonic tunist art simultaneously to bewitch Zhang
Xuan. Under such an assault, even a Transcendent Mortal 9-
dan expert would find it difficult to retain their rationality!
Given that the other party was only a Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivator, even if he wasn’t bewitched by her, his soul should
have at least been rendered feeble by the attack. How could he
possibly remain completely unfazed and even rationally
question her back?
“Regarding the matter of the old residence, I will speak as
long as you agree to my conditions!” Despite Hu Yaoyao’s
doubt, she didn’t allow it to appear on her face.
With a seductive smile that scratched at one’s soul, she said,
“Join my Bewitching Devil Faction and obey my commands
obediently, and not only will I tell you the location of Elder
Wu Yangzi’s old residence, I will even lead you there myself!”
“Obey your commands obediently?” Zhang Xuan glanced at
her somewhat mockingly. “Aren’t you already trying?”
“To be able to tame several hundred spirit beasts in a breath
and win School Head Mo and School Head Zhao’s favor, there
is no doubt that Zhang shi possesses an exceptionally powerful
soul. Even if I were to use all of my means, it is questionable
they will be effective on you… It won’t be feasible for me to
make you submit through my terpsichorean arts, I admit at
least this much.”
At this point, Hu Yaoyao’s crimson lips curled up playfully.
“But… what about Luo Qiqi?”
“Qiqi? What do you mean?” Zhang Xuan frowned upon
hearing those words.
“Luo Qiqi has been attacked by the spirit of the Blazing Moon
Blade. If you don’t treat her soon, it’s very possible that the
damage to her foundation might become permanent, making it
nigh impossible for her to make any progress in the future,”
Hu Yaoyao replied with a taunting smile.
Damage to her foundation? Permanent? Zhang Xuan was
taken aback.
A jolt on one’s soul could only render one unconscious at
most. Damaging one’s foundation and rendering it nigh
impossible for one to make any progress… Where in the world
did she find the confidence to spout such bullshit?
Zhang Xuan was perplexed for a moment before it suddenly
dawned on him.
The other party must have thought that he was lacking in the
study of souls, and on top of that, his worry for Luo Qiqi could
have sent his mind into disarray, making it impossible for him
to think rationally. She thought that, by exaggerating things,
she could force Zhang Xuan to submit to her terms.
On the off chance that Zhang Xuan refused, she could have
prepared a Record Crystal somewhere in advance to take down
this scene. When Luo Qiqi finally roused from her sleep, she
would show it to her and sow discord between them. With
such a precedent between them, there would be a permanent
rift between their relationship as a teacher and a student.
This was indeed checkmate. Zhang Xuan would have been
trapped no matter what he chose.
To save Luo Qiqi, he would have to agree to her conditions.
Disagree, and he would potentially lose Luo Qiqi’s trust
forever.
Regardless of the choice, she would be the final victor!
As expected of the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, she
was indeed a fearsome adversary!A specific term in antiques.
It means the changes to the color and texture of a surface as
the result of the passage of time, which includes normal wear
and tear.
776 Bewitching Devil!
That’s a good plan, but it’s a pity that she found the wrong
opponent! With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan shook his
head.
It must be said that Hu Yaoyao had indeed planned this well.
Anyone who was ignorant of souls would be in a state of panic
at this moment, forced to choose one of the two options.
However… this problem was nothing for Zhang Xuan at all.
As a soul oracle, the true master in the study of souls, he could
think of at least a dozen ways off the top of his head to wake
Luo Qiqi from her sleep instantaneously.
The only reason he hadn’t done so yet was to see what Hu
Yaoyao had prepared for him. It would be truly disappointing
if this was all she’d got.
With this much, how could she possibly declare that she would
take him down so confidently last night?
Zhang Xuan shook his head and said with a tinge of
disappointment in his voice, “Save petty ploys like that for
others. Are you actually so naive to think that you can ruin our
teacher-student relationship through this?”
He and Luo Qiqi were comrades who had survived a life-and-
death situation together. How could such a cheap ploy possibly
foil their relationship?
“You are smarter than I thought. However…” Realizing that
Zhang Xuan had seen through her thoughts, a hint of
astonishment flashed across Hu Yaoyao’s eyes. However, the
smile on her face only deepened.
In the next moment, she abruptly reached out her hand and
flicked lightly.
Si la!
A surge of sword qi shot forth from her fingertips, and severed
the cloth concealing the unconscious Luo Qiqi’s shoulder,
revealing her smooth shoulder and neck bone.
“If Luo Qiqi were to wake up to this and realize that her
teacher actually harbors some lustful thoughts toward her, do
you think that she will still be able to remain as trusting of you
as before?” Hu Yaoyao chuckled.
“Even if she doesn’t doubt your character, I can just take the
recording of this scene and spread it amongst the students of
the academy, saying that you intend to make sexual advances
toward Luo Qiqi… I wonder if the students will be more
inclined to believe my words or yours. Honestly speaking, I
am curious to see how many fans of Luo Qiqi will stand up in
her stead!”
Zhang Xuan frowned.
If Hu Yaoyao were to really take a snippet of the recording and
frame it in a suggestive manner, considering the Bewitching
Devil Faction’s influence in the academy, it wouldn’t be too
difficult for her to turn the student populace against him.
While Zhang Xuan had no qualms about being misunderstood,
such rumors could ruin Luo Qiqi’s reputation as well.
Naturally, this was a situation Zhang Xuan wanted to avoid.
“I intended to give you a chance, but you just had to keep
pushing your luck…” Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed.
The next moment, he raised his hand, lifting it to his forehead.
It was a simple action, reminiscent of the gesture one would
make when adjusting one’s fringe. But for some reason, the
movement felt extremely natural and graceful, as if a dance
performance.
Hu Yaoyao thought that the young man before her would start
to panic helplessly before her, but upon seeing this gesture, she
froze.
Hong long!
The next moment, an overwhelming pressure gathered and
rushed for her soul, inducing tremendous dizziness in her
head.
Damn it, this is a terpsichorean art! How can he possibly know
any terpsichorean arts? Hu Yaoyao’s face paled under the
pressure, and she nearly lost consciousness.
As one of the top students of the Terpsichore School, she had
intended to make use of her terpsichorean art to pressure the
other party into submitting to her. However, before she could
succeed, she was already struck squarely by the other party
using the same method she was going to use against him! The
immense frustration she felt from being outdone in her field of
specialty left her on the verge of spewing blood.
However, considering the limitations of the other party’s
cultivation, no matter how strong his soul might be, it would
be impossible for him to leave her dizzy for too long. As soon
as she recovered, she would make him regret his actions!
Vowing angrily, Hu Yaoyao was just about to focus her soul
energy to dispel the dizziness in her mind when she suddenly
felt a searing energy gushing right for her.
“To dare assault me, you are courting death!”
Realizing that the other party was attempting to launch an
attack on her in her weakened state, Hu Yaoyao strenuously
lifted her palm to retaliate.
Based on the intelligence she had received, Zhang Xuan was
only a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator. Even in her
moment of weakness, it was impossible for him to subdue a
Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert like her!
At Chrysalis realm, one’s power would have crystallized into
the form of a golden core, granting them strength almost
reaching up to that of a Saint. How could she possibly be
defeated by a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator in a fight?
Hu la!
Just as her palm was about to clash with Zhang Xuan’s attack,
she suddenly felt the assault before her vanish with a slight
gust of wind. The next moment, she suddenly felt yet another
immense might gathering behind her.
How did he withdraw his attack so quickly? Narrowing her
eyes, Hu Yaoyao’s heart leaped in shock.
In her moment of weakness, it had already taken all she had to
focus all of her might to protect her front.
She could clearly feel a violent strength reminiscent of the
raging torrents of a river rushing for her, but with her reaction
dulled by vertigo, it was impossible for her to retaliate on time.
Peng!
Struck squarely on her back, Hu Yaoyao’s face paled as her
entire figure catapulted forward before crashing heavily onto
the ground.
Pu!
Blood spewed from her mouth. In this short encounter, she had
already sustained grievous wounds.
Feeling her internal organs being jolted from their original
position, Hu Yaoyao was overwhelmed with shock. “The
strength he commands is on par with a Chrysalis realm
primary stage cultivator? How is that possible?!”
There was no doubt that the other party’s palm carried a might
exceeding 25,000,000 ding. Otherwise, given the resilience of
her body as a Chrysalis realm expert, even if she was caught
off guard, it was impossible for her to be wounded so heavily.
Wasn’t the other party a Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle
cultivator?
Yet, not only did he manage to successfully assail her soul, he
was even able to command a might of 25,000,000 ding… Just
how in the world did he do it?
Another mouthful of fresh blood spurted by Hu Yaoyao’s
mouth. The next moment, she felt someone lifting her body
up, and her body immediately tensed in alarm.
Soon, as the dizziness she felt began to dispel, she got a clear
sight of the situation before her.
At this moment, she was being held up by Zhang Xuan, who
was looking at her with a frustrated expression.
His expression seemed to be saying that he didn’t intend to
make a move at all, and she was the one who forced him into
resorting to physical violence.
Seeing this, Hu Yaoyao’s slender figure trembled once more,
and yet another mouthful of fresh blood spewed from her
mouth.
She was a Grade-5 student, a Chrysalis realm expert… She
should have been the one teaching the other party a lesson…
Yet, at this very moment, it seemed as if she was a
mischievous student who was taught a lesson after being
caught pranking someone instead…
Can anyone tell me how in the world everything suddenly
came down to this?
To think that she, one of the top Grade-5 students in the
academy, would end up being utterly subdued by a freshman
in the academy. The immense frustration she was feeling at
this moment from the stark contrast between expectations and
reality left her on the verge of going insane.
“Spew out the location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence,
and I can drop everything that has happened today!” Zhang
Xuan said impassively.
With Zhang Xuan’s mastery of terpsichorean arts, which was
on par or even higher than most 6-star pinnacle terpsichores,
and his extraordinarily powerful soul, it wasn’t impossible for
him to assail Hu Yaoyao’s soul while she was unguarded.
After which, by exerting the incredible might of 26,000,000
ding he commanded from his body, soul, and zhenqi, it wasn’t
too difficult for him to overpower the weakened Grade-5
genius.
If Zhang Xuan wanted to, he could even have killed the other
party easily!
“Humph!” Hearing the threat in the young man’s words, Hu
Yaoyao sneered coldly.
At this point, she had already recovered from her shock, and
she taunted with a provocative smile, “So what if I don’t spew
out the location of Elder Wu Yangzi’s old residence? What can
you do about it? Are you going to kill me for it?”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned.
Despite all that Hu Yaoyao had done, her actions didn’t
warrant death.
On top of that, putting aside the fact that she was a master
teacher and that they were in the Master Teacher Academy
which prohibited killing amongst fellow students, just the fact
that it might be possible that what Hu Yaoyao had claimed was
true—that she was the only one who knew where Wu Yangzi’s
old residence was—made it an unwise decision to kill her.
If they were to really kill her, it was possible that they might
never be able to find Wu Yangzi’s treasure anymore.
“Of course, I won’t kill you for something as trivial as this.
However… I can seal your acupoints and hang you on a
flagpole so that everyone passing by can admire the
embarrassing state of the leader of the Bewitching Devil
Faction!”
Throwing Hu Yaoyao on the ground, Zhang Xuan placed his
hands behind his back and glanced down at her coldly.
Are you trying to compete with me to see who can be more
shameless?
Hah, you must be joking with me!
When I was at the peak of my shamelessness, you were still
playing in the mud!
“You dare…” As expected, upon hearing those words, Hu
Yaoyao’s smile vanished, and her face turned livid.
To be honest, she’d thought that she was already quite a
brazen person herself, but to think that this fellow would be
even more brazen than her!
One must know that she was one of the top beauties in the
academy, and a slight smile or a small gesture could send
butterflies fluttering in the stomach of another.
There were many men who would be more than willing to do
anything to please her, but not only did this fellow beat her up
mercilessly, he even wanted to hang her on a flagpole…
Screw you!
“You can try me if you want to,” Zhang Xuan replied coldly.
“You…” Hu Yaoyao glared at Zhang Xuan furiously with
gritted teeth.
Considering how the fellow before her had caused such a huge
uproar in the academy as soon as he had arrived—destroying
the Passageway of Records in the Blacksmith Guild and
provoking the four biggest school factions in the academy…
She might still harbor some doubts if it was anyone else, but
this fellow… she could totally see him doing it!
Putting everything else aside, she could still feel a stabbing
pain in her organs from the heavy blow on her back.
Considering how he was able to strike her so heavily without
any hesitation, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he would
hang her on a flagpole.
But to submit to a freshman… Impossible!
Ever since entering the academy, she, Hu Yaoyao, had always
been the one to get the better of others. When had she been
bullied like that before?
If she were to give in, what pride would she have to remain in
the academy?
Not to mention, what would the members of her Bewitching
Devil Faction think of her as well?
But if she adamantly refused to submit… what if that lunatic
were to really do it?
Frustrated, Hu Yaoyao clenched her teeth so tightly together
that it felt as if they would chip soon. In that moment of
dilemma, her gaze suddenly fell on Luo Qiqi, and a thought
flashed through her mind.
Si la!
She extended her right hand to her left shoulder and tore off
the cloth of her dress, revealing her smooth shoulder.
“If you wish to hang me on a flagpole, so be it! However… be
prepared to face the consequences then. If I were to say that
you tried to take advantage of me, I wonder what will happen
to you. For a master teacher to engage in such despicable
acts… will you even be able to retain your master teacher
license?” Hu Yaoyao chuckled cunningly.
Challenge me?
Try again a century later!
“…” Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless by the other party’s
antics.
He finally understood why the other party was called the
Bewitching Devil.
If it had been Luo Qiqi who’d met with such a situation, she
would have been overwhelmed with embarrassment and
humiliation. Yet, Hu Yaoyao actually went to the extent of
ripping her clothes apart!
If she were to run out in such a state and scream that Zhang
Xuan had taken advantage of her, there would really be quite a
few people who would believe her.
Ultimately, ladies were often viewed as the weaker gender,
making it easier for them to win the sympathy of others,
especially for those as beautiful as Hu Yaoyao.
Even though Zhang Xuan had nothing to fear as he hadn’t
done anything at all—the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn’t
act without concrete evidence on hand, and it was illogical to
think that a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan cultivator could
actually take advantage of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan
cultivator—but considering the large fan-base that Hu Yaoyao
had, he would definitely face a fair bit of trouble following
such rumors.
That would truly be annoying for him.
All Zhang Xuan wanted to do was to spend his time in the
Master Teacher Pavilion peacefully, reading his books and
making some breakthroughs in his cultivation before leaving
quietly. Why was this simple wish of his so difficult to
achieve?
Seeing the young man before her fall speechless, Hu Yaoyao’s
eyes curled into crescents, and she chuckled softly. Enduring
the severe pain her body was suffering from, she stood up and
walked up to Zhang Xuan. Standing half a chi away from him,
she taunted, “What? Are you scared now?”
With their bodies nearly pressed against one another, Zhang
Xuan could clearly smell the unique fragrance that she exuded.
Troubled by her actions, however, Zhang Xuan frowned and
subconsciously took a step backward.
Just as he was considering whether he should send another fist
at the other party to make her behave, an astonished voice
abruptly sounded.
“Teacher… and Senior Yaoyao… What are you two doing?”
Unknowingly, Luo Qiqi had woken up amidst their
confrontation, and looking at the two who were just slightly
more than a chi away from one another, she exclaimed in
alarm.33.3cm
777 She Was the One Taking
Advantage of Me!
The Blazing Moon Blade had only jolted Luo Qiqi’s soul.
While she had fainted from the impact, there was actually no
significant damage done, and she would awaken once her soul
calmed down.
The moment she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was
her teacher and Hu Yaoyao’s bodies pressed closely together,
as if lovers rendezvousing in the night.
This was especially so with the clothes of the latter ripped by
the shoulder, revealing her silky skin. If one were to look from
the side, one could even see hints of her voluptuous figure…
Bewildered by the scene before her, she couldn’t help but
exclaim in shock.
“Wuuuu! Qiqi, you are finally awake…”
Hearing that voice, Hu Yaoyao anxiously covered her body as
she backed away from Zhang Xuan with fear and anguish
reflected in her eyes. Pointing at Zhang Xuan with a trembling
finger, she cried, “It is out of kindness that I invited the both of
you for dinner, but… your teacher actually tried to take
advantage of me! With this, how can I possibly face others in
the future?”
The more Hu Yaoyao spoke, the more miserable she looked.
With her face still pale from the injury she had incurred
previously, she seemed like a damsel in distress, bullied by a
hoodlum but had no way to redress her grievance.
“Stop fooling around!” Unexpectedly, Luo Qiqi shook her
head in response to Hu Yaoyao’s words. “Teacher tried to take
advantage of you? Senior, you must be mistaken somewhere!”
“…”
Hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao’s body staggered weakly,
and she nearly fainted on the spot.
Big sister, can’t you take a look at the situation before you?
Look at the wretched state I am in, as well as the fear in my
eyes. Surely any rational person could tell that I have been
taken advantage of?
Fool around? Which eye of yours saw that I am fooling
around? I have been taken advantage of, alright!
“Putting aside the fact that my teacher isn’t your opponent,
even if he was, there’s no way he would be interested in you.
So, you can rest assured that he would not lay a single hand on
you!” Luo Qiqi replied earnestly.
Back then, after surviving the ordeal in the underground
chamber in which Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned, she, Yu
Fei-er, and Zhang Xuan had been together for more than half a
month. Both she and Yu Fei-er possessed beauty on par with
Hu Yaoyao, but Zhang Xuan didn’t even spare them an
additional glance throughout their journey. Given such, why
would he take advantage of Hu Yaoyao whom he had only met
twice?
Even if you wish to put on an act, at least show some
professionalism in crafting your story!
Pu!
With Luo Qiqi’s merciless words adding salt to her injury, the
severe wound she had incurred before aggravated, and fresh
blood spewed from her mouth once more.
What the heck is this!
Who am I?
A famed beauty of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, an
existence whom no man can remain unmoved before, Hu
Yaoyao! Yet, when I said that I have been taken advantage of,
not only did you toss aside my words as if they were nothing,
you even said that… he was completely uninterested in me!
“What right does he have to be uninterested in me? Why won’t
he lay a hand on me?” Hu Yaoyao spat through gritted teeth.
The more she thought about the matter, the angrier she felt. At
this moment, she could almost explode from sheer fury.
“Calm down. My teacher is an unparalleled talent, so his
standards are extremely high. It’s only natural that he’s not
interested in you!” Luo Qiqi consoled.
“…” Hu Yaoyao’s body trembled in frenzy, unable to believe
what she was hearing.
Are you sure you are consoling me?
Why does it feel like you are pricking my heart with a needle
instead?
I am Hu Yaoyao!
To think that a day would come where I would actually be
snubbed by a man…
The outcome of this matter had Hu Yaoyao nearly going
insane from the sheer ridiculousness of the situation.
However, she didn’t remain frenzied for too long. No matter
what, she was still a Grade-5 student, the leader of one of the
largest student factions in the academy. Despite her raging
fury, she still managed to forcefully calm herself down.
Harrumphing coldly, she said, “Fine! Even if he is uninterested
in me, it’s a fact that he bears lustful intentions toward you! If
you don’t believe me, look at your clothes!”
Luo Qiqi might have been able to remain confident of her
teacher’s morals when looking at the matter as a third party,
but when she was involved in it as well, surely her confidence
would waver!
“Me?” It was only then that Luo Qiqi realized that her clothes
had been ripped apart by a surge of sword qi as well, baring
her smooth shoulder.
“Really?” Luo Qiqi’s eyes lit up as she hurriedly turned her
gaze to her teacher, only to meet with his clear and pure eyes.
Thus, she could only shake her head with a bitter smile and
say, “Teacher isn’t interested in me either…”
“…” Hu Yaoyao’s body trembled uncontrollably yet again.
What in the world was this!
She had made meticulous preparations to drag Zhang Xuan’s
reputation into the gutter, leaving him incapable of raising his
head before others. But who could have known that… Luo
Qiqi would actually be so trusting of him!
If he is uninterested in both you and me, who in the freaking
world can catch his eye then?
Hu Yaoyao had always used her appearance and figure to deal
with men, and never once had she failed before. Yet, on this
day, she’d suffered a crushing setback.
Not only so, even at this point, she could still feel her organs
churning within, leaving her face paler and paler.
When had she, Hu Yaoyao, suffered such a crushing blow
before?
If others were to learn of this, how could she continue to keep
her head high before them?
It was just the previous day that she’d declared confidently to
Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and the others that she would
definitely subdue Zhang Xuan, and she had even invited them
over to watch the show she had prepared…
But if there was still any show to be seen at this point, it would
only be her humiliating herself!
As fury swiftly grew and clouded her mind, she furiously
roared, “I will kill you…”
She could no longer care less about anything else at this
moment. Gathering immense might in her hand, she thrust her
palm forward to strike Zhang Xuan.
Dong dong dong!
But before her palm could reach Zhang Xuan, a series of
knocking suddenly sounded from the door. Following which,
the calm voice of a lady called out, “Yaoyao, are you in
there?”
“Teacher…” Hearing the voice, Hu Yaoyao immediately
leaped in shock.
“Teacher? Could that person be… School Head Wei?” Luo
Qiqi exclaimed in astonishment.
It was common knowledge in the academy that Hu Yaoyao’s
teacher was the head of the Terpsichore School. Since Hu
Yaoyao was addressing the person at the door as her teacher, it
could only mean the latter was School Head Wei.
“School Head Wei? Teacher?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback
for an instant as well.
However, in the next moment, his eyes lit up. He hurriedly
rushed up to Hu Yaoyao, grabbed her hands, and placed it on
his chest.
“What are you doing?” Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly
rush forward to grab her hands, Hu Yaoyao was flabbergasted
for a moment before hurriedly retracting her hands.
Si la!
But unbeknownst to her, her finger had been hooked onto
Zhang Xuan’s clothes. As a result, when she retracted her
hands, she ended up tearing a portion of his clothes as well. In
the next moment, the zhenqi of the young man before her
abruptly flew into disarray, and his face reddened. With a spurt
of fresh blood, he suddenly flew backward.
Peng!
His back crashed into the doors of the main hall, and even
though he managed to land on his feet eventually, his ghastly
pale face and trembling limbs seemed to indicate that he could
collapse at any moment.
“What are you doing?” Seeing the other party grab her hands
at one moment and spurting blood and flying backward in the
next, Hu Yaoyao was completely bewildered. She couldn’t
understand what he was up to, but an ominous premonition
grasped her heart, telling her that she was going to be in for a
round of misfortune.
“Yaoyao?”
However, the situation left her no time to think the matter
through.
After hearing the commotion in the room, School Head Wei
immediately rushed forward to strike open the door with her
palm.
Pah!
In the next moment, a lady who seemed to be in her thirties
flitted into the room with a gust of wind.
“Teacher!”
“School Head Wei!” Upon seeing the figure who entered, Hu
Yaoyao and Luo Qiqi immediately bowed deeply without any
hesitation.
The lady was none other than the head of the Terpsichore
School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers!
“What happened?” School Head Wei asked with a frown.
She had barged in after hearing the fighting sounds in the
room. After entering, she saw Hu Yaoyao standing unharmed
at the center of the room. On the other hand, however, a
severely injured young man was lying feebly against the wall
not too far away.
“Zhang shi?” Taking a closer look at the severely injured
young man, School Head Wei couldn’t help but exclaim in
astonishment.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was also stunned by what he
saw.
The lady was none other than the Saint realm expert whom he
had met earlier this afternoon, Wei Ranxue!
When did she become the head of the Terpsichore School?
Wasn’t she just an elder?
But considering that the Ten Great Master Teachers were also
known as the Ten Great Elders, it wasn’t really a mistake to
say that she was an elder of the academy either…
Seeing Zhang shi, who was half a teacher to her, lying by the
side of the room severely injured, Wei Ranxue immediately
asked anxiously, “Zhang shi, what’s wrong?”
With a pale face, Zhang Xuan said weakly, “Thank goodness
you came at a timely moment. Otherwise, Hu Yaoyao might
have really violated me!”
Violate you? Upon hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao nearly
fainted from anger.
Brother, that’s my line!
You are the one who is going to be cursed at by others for
years to come for attempting to take advantage of me…
How did I become the one who attempted to violate you?
If things had gone according to her plan, she would have made
everyone think that he had malicious intentions at heart, and
through exerting pressure on him via the student populace
afterward, she would force him into submission!
But how did the tables end up turning on her?
At this moment, she finally understood why the other party
had grabbed her hands previously. After all that had happened
just now, Zhang Xuan’s clothes were ripped, and his body was
severely wounded. No matter which angle one looked at him
from, he seemed like a pitiful person who had been humiliated
and was powerless to retaliate.
“Teacher…” On the other hand, Luo Qiqi clutched her
forehead with her hand.
She knew that her teacher wasn’t a person who would allow
himself to be bullied, and as she had expected, the tides ended
up turning on Hu Yaoyao instead.
Trying to frame my teacher? You’d better prepare to have the
favor returned to you!
“Violate you?” Wei Ranxue was taken aback as well.
With grave indignation on his face, Zhang Xuan spoke through
gritted teeth. “That’s right. She invited me over, hoping to
learn terpsichorean arts from me, but I rejected her. Who could
have known that sword over there would assault Luo Qiqi and
me? If not for the fact that I haven’t recovered from my
internal injuries yet, how could I possibly be humiliated like
that?”
“Y-you! How dare you slander me!” Hu Yaoyao was on the
verge of going insane.
Learning terpsichorean arts from you? I did invite you over,
but how in the world was I to know that you are capable of
terpsichorean arts as well!
Furthermore, internal injuries? What internal injuries do you
have? I am the one who has internal injuries, not you!
Hu Yaoyao had thought that she was already scheming
enough, but who could have known that she would actually be
outwitted by an even more shameless fellow!
“I slandered you? Since you are still denying it, do you dare to
swear that you didn’t attempt to assault Luo Qiqi using that
sword?” Zhang Xuan said aggrievedly as he stared at Hu
Yaoyao in indignation.
“I…” Hu Yaoyao wanted to refute Zhang Xuan’s claim, but
she had no idea how she could explain the situation.
She did prepare something in the sword which ended up
knocking Luo Qiqi out.
“Can’t do it, right? Since that’s the case, do you dare vow that
you didn’t declare that you were going to kill me and attempt
an attack on me?” Zhang Xuan pressed on.
“That’s because you… Shameless!” Agitated, Hu Yaoyao’s
breathing hastened, and her chest leaped up and down along
with her breathing. At this point, she was on the verge of
exploding from rage.
She did declare that she was going to kill Zhang Xuan, but that
was just a figure of speech in a moment of anger after being
provoked by him…
Interjecting the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan declared in a
feeble voice, “I am only a weak Cosmos Bridge realm
pinnacle cultivator whereas you are a Chrysalis Bridge realm
pinnacle expert. With three whole cultivation realms between
us, I am powerless before you. But even if I were to be killed,
I won’t allow myself to be humiliated!”
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Hu Yaoyao seemed to have
suffered yet another heavy blow, and her body trembled
uncontrollably.
You call that powerless? Doesn’t that mean that if you were to
possess power, I would die with even just at a glance from
you?
You were the one who nearly killed me, and yet you still dare
to say such words… How can your skin be so thick?
However, the urgent matter at hand was to placate her teacher
first. Hu Yaoyao immediately turned to her teacher in order to
explain the matter, only to see that the extreme lividness on the
other party’s face.
“Hu Yaoyao, how dare you!”
“Teacher…” Hu Yaoyao had never seen her teacher flying into
such a rage before, and her face immediately paled in fright.
“Don’t you even think that I am oblivious to the trouble you
usually cause! I only choose to turn a blind eye to it all as long
as it doesn’t affect your studies. Yet, you took my kindness for
granted and attempted to make a move on Zhang shi. Tell me,
who gave you the guts to do something like that?” Wei Ranxue
roared furiously.
Zhang shi was half a teacher to her; she was indebted to him
for his guidance. It was one thing for Hu Yaoyao to trouble
others, but to dare lay her hands on her benefactor… This was
going over the top!
“I…” Hu Yaoyao’s body froze.
“Kneel down!” Wei Ranxue ordered sternly with a tight frown
on her forehead.
778 Apprentice Hu Yaoyao
“Teacher…” Hu Yaoyao’s eyes reddened in indignation as she
bit on her scarlet lips. After a moment of hesitation, her knees
fell to the ground.
She was filled with hatred for Zhang Xuan, but she dared not
to defy her teacher’s orders.
“Little Wei, it’s fine… I believe that she only did it out of a
moment of folly.” At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke
up.
“Little Wei?” Hu Yaoyao almost failed to resist the urge to
claw at her hair.
Her teacher, Wei Ranxue, was one of the Ten Great Master
Teachers, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, as well as the head
of the Terpsichore School. Yet, a twenty-year-old freshman
actually dared to address her as Little Wei…
“This student of mine has always been mischievous. I usually
leave her to do as she pleases as long as she doesn’t go
overboard, but I didn’t expect her to go for you as well. If I
don’t punish her strictly today, she will never learn her
lesson!” Wei Ranxue replied.
With her eye of discernment, she could tell that something was
amiss with the situation. It was unlikely that things were as
what Zhang shi had put them out to be. However, considering
Hu Yaoyao’s character and her past deeds, she could roughly
fathom the happenings.
Her student had always been mischievous, but too busy with
her work as a school head, she never really had a chance to
discipline her student over such matters. Thus, she decided to
make full use of this opportunity to teach her student a harsh
lesson so that she wouldn’t cause even greater trouble in the
future.
Putting everything aside, given the deep understanding of
terpsichorean arts that Zhang shi possessed, she had been
thinking about how she could convince the latter to conduct a
lecture in the Terpsichore School for the students, but by the
time she knew it, Hu Yaoyao had already provoked him.
Are you intentionally working against me? How do you expect
me to convince him to conduct a lecture in our school after
such a matter?
“Teacher…” Not expecting her teacher to trust Zhang Xuan’s
words over hers, Hu Yaoyao panicked.
“Enough! I am speaking to Zhang shi, there’s no place for a
junior like you to butt in. Reflect on your actions silently!”
Wei Ranxue flung her sleeves and harrumphed.
“Junior…” Hu Yaoyao’s body trembled.
Those words… Did that mean that the other party was her
senior too? But wasn’t he just a freshman in the academy?
“Zhang shi, allow me to apologize to you in the stead of my
troublemaking disciple. Here is a Miniature Restorative Pill, it
should be of some help in the recovery of your wounds!”
Flicking her wrist, Wei Ranxue took out a jade bottle and
passed it over.
“Miniature Restorative Pill? The grade-6 pill?” Zhang Xuan
was astonished.
Miniature Restorative Pill was a well-known grade-6 pill that
was effective even on injured Saint realm experts. Just a single
one of them was easily worth several high-tier spirit stones in
the market!
To give it away so casually… The other party was so generous
that he was already starting to feel a little embarrassed.
“How do you want me to deal with this troublemaking disciple
of mine? Zhang shi, feel free to speak your mind, I’ll surely do
as you request!” Seeing Zhang Xuan take the pill, Wei Ranxue
heaved a sigh of relief before continuing.
Since the other party had taken her Miniature Restorative Pill,
it was unlikely that he would ask for something extreme in
exchange.
“How to deal with her?” Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of
contemplation.
In truth, had Hu Yaoyao not tried to sow discord in the
relationship between him and Luo Qiqi, he wouldn’t have
flown into a rage either.
It was due to her lack of respect for the sacred relationship
between a teacher and a student that he was determined to
teach her a stern lesson so as to let her know that there were
some boundaries that one simply shouldn’t exceed. Step
beyond the boundary, and an action would be nothing but
despicable.
“I am lacking an apprentice recently, so why don’t you have
her follow me for three months, and we will call this matter
off?” Afer a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan proposed.
Hu Yaoyao had yet to reveal the location of Wu Yangzi’s old
residence, so it was best to keep her around for the time being
so that he would have plenty of opportunities to try to get it
out of her.
“Apprentice?” Hearing the request, Hu Yaoyao nearly fainted
on the spot.
She, a 6-star terpsichore, was going to serve as an apprentice
to this fellow?
What kind of joke is this?
There is no way my teacher will agree to this!
Otherwise, what will become of my teacher’s dignity?
Just as Hu Yaoyao was certain that School Head Wei would
reject the other party’s request, she saw the latter’s eyes lit up
in agitation, “That will be for the best! Allow me to thank you
in place of Yaoyao then!”
Zhang shi’s comprehension of terpsichorean arts had reached
an astounding level. If Hu Yaoyao could become his
apprentice and learn from him, she would definitely progress
leaps and bounds as a terpsichore!
Honestly speaking, even Wei Ranxue was feeling a little
envious of the opportunity presented to Hu Yaoyao, so how
could she possibly turn it down?
“Teacher!” Hearing those words, Hu Yaoyao exclaimed in a
panic.
“Enough! It’s only due to the good karma you have accrued
over the past few lifetimes that you are given the opportunity
to become Zhang shi’s apprentice. From today on, you shall
leave this residence and follow Zhang shi. Study well and
return accomplished!” Interrupting the other party’s words,
Wei Ranxue said.
As the other party’s teacher, she did have the right to make
such a decision in the stead of her student.
“Apprentice…” Hu Yaoyao muttered sorrowfully through
gritted teeth. At this point, she felt as if tears would spill from
her eyes at any moment now.
Her teacher actually agreed to that fellow’s request? Why?
She had invited that fellow over to teach him a lesson and take
him in as her subordinate. Yet… in a bizarre twist of events,
she became the other party’s apprentice instead!
What the heck was this!
“Thank you, Little Wei!” Seeing the other party agreeing to it,
Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
“Zhang shi, here is your terpsichore emblem. Also, do take my
personal token with you as well. There are many rules in the
academy, so you might find yourself inconvenienced on many
aspects. However, with this in hand, you should be spared lots
of trouble!”
Wei Ranxue had made the application with the Terpsichore
Guild headquarter right after she returned earlier in the
afternoon, and it didn’t take too long for her to receive the
approval from them. After obtaining the 6-star emblem for
Zhang Xuan, she immediately went to look for Hu Yaoyao to
have her pass it on to the latter, but who knew that she would
see such a sight as soon as she arrived?
“Thank you!” Zhang Xuan said as he took the emblem and
token from Wei Ranxue’s hands.
Honestly speaking, he hadn’t expected the other party to be so
efficient.
“I won’t impose on you any longer then, farewell!” After
chatting for a moment longer and deciding that Hu Yaoyao
would report to his residence tomorrow, Zhang Xuan left the
Cloud Sparrow Lodge with Luo Qiqi.
After the duo left, Hu Yaoyao turned to her teacher and asked
anxiously, “Teacher… why?”
She couldn’t understand why her teacher, one of the Ten Great
Master Teachers, would actually make her serve as an
apprentice to that fellow.
“Zhang Xuan’s understanding of terpsichorean arts has
reached an extremely profound level such that he could even
be my teacher! The Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe which
you have danced for your 6-star terpsichorean examination
previously, he has identified seventeen flaws in them and
corrected them impeccably! Here is the manual which I have
edited based on his guidance. Just take a look at it, and you
will know how incredible a figure he is!” Flicking her wrist,
Wei Ranxue whipped out a book.
After hearing Zhang shi’s explanation regarding the flaws and
the solutions to them, she immediately returned back to her
residence to compile them into a book, and in the midst of
doing so, she had gained a deeper insight of terpsichorean arts
as well.
At the same time, she couldn’t help but be awed time and time
again by the ingenious modifications the other party made to
the Dance of the Fleeting Cloud Robe. If Hu Yaoyao had
danced the version modified by Zhang Xuan in her 6-star
terpsichorean examination, perhaps what she would have
attracted wouldn’t just be a few Cloud Sparrows but a mighty
dragon of the heavens.
Realizing this, she immediately rushed to the Cloud Sparrow
Lodge to instruct Hu Yaoyao deliver Zhang Xuan’s emblem in
her stead. The purpose of this was to allow the duo to interact
with one another and foster a close relationship, as well as to
teach her student to remain humble as there was always a
mountain taller than the other.
But who could have known that she would end up seeing the
both of them crossing blows instead as soon as she arrived at
the Cloud Sparrow Lodge? Since it was impossible to reverse
what that had happened, she decided to just go along with
Zhang Xuan’s wish and send Hu Yaoyao over to serve as his
apprentice.
While Hu Yaoyao might suffer a little under the other party, as
long as she were to work hard and learn well from him, she
could possibly surpass her very soon and become a 7-star
terpsichore, or perhaps even go beyond that.
“He corrected the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe? There is
a flaw in it?” Hu Yaoyao replied subconsciously in disbelief.
This dance had been passed down for innumerable years, and
despite having cultivated it for a very long time, she had never
found anything amiss with it. Yet, her teacher said that that
fellow had identified seventeen flaws in it?
Perplexed, Hu Yaoyao flipped open the book and began
browsing through it. Just a split moment later, she was already
drawn in by the content of the book.
Her leisurely gaze slowly turned grim, and her face turned a
shade paler with each page she flipped.
As a talented 6-star terpsichore, even though her
understanding of terpsichorean art still wasn’t able to match
School Head Wei Ranxue’s, it was still something she could
take pride in.
In the book, her teacher had marked the flaws out clearly
along with their implications, and the modification to resolve
the respective issues were written beneath them. As a veteran
practitioner of the Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe, she
could swiftly tell that there wasn’t any mistake with the
analysis.
“Teacher… Are these modifications really made by him?”
After a long moment of silence, Hu Yaoyao gulped down a
mouthful of saliva before slowly turning her gaze to her
teacher.
“Un.” Wei Ranxue nodded affirmatively.
If she hadn’t witnessed it personally, she would have also
found this hard to believe.
It was only due to the exchange she had with Zhang Xuan that
had her convinced of the latter’s deep understanding of
terpsichorean arts.
“This…” Hearing the confirmation by her teacher, Hu Yaoyao
suddenly recalled how her soul was assaulted by Zhang Xuan
previously, leaving her in a state of dizziness.
Back then, the other party didn’t even dance at all… In other
words, he had turned a casual gesture into a terpsichorean art!
Even her teacher was incapable of such a feat!
“Alright, study hard and serve Zhang shi well. This is a
precious opportunity, don’t waste it!” Knowing that it would
take some time for her student to accept this, Wei Ranxue left
her with a piece of advice before leaving the residence to give
her some space to think things through.
Hu Yaoyao was a rare genius with an astounding talent for
terpsichorean arts, but it was exactly due to that which gave
rise to her excessive pride. Perhaps this setback might help her
to mature both as a terpsichore and a master teacher!
After her teacher left, Hu Yaoyao turned her gaze to the
modified manual once more, and a short moment later, she
started to dance.
She wanted to try for herself to see if the modified manual was
feasible in practice or not.
As her beautiful figure moved gracefully around the room, it
was as if flowers had instantaneously bloomed in the area. A
bewitching scent gradually drifted from the main hall.
As the koi fishes in the courtyard caught the scent, they fell
into a trance and, ‘putong! putong!’, they sunk to the bottom
of the pond. The flowers in the residence, captivated by the
scent, began swaying along in harmony, and their petals
fluttered in a calm breeze.
If there had been a human in the residence, he would have
fallen into a stupor as well. Not even a Half-Saint expert
would have been able to remain unfazed before it.
A moment later, the dance finally stopped.
As Hu Yaoyao’s body came to a halt, everything settled down
and returned back to normal. However, she continued standing
in a daze, as if she had been overwhelmed by her own dance
as well. At this moment, a single thought dominated her mind
—this was what a true terpsichorean art should be!
Everything she had learned before couldn’t even come close to
this!
Hu!
Unknowingly, tears began streaming down her cheeks in her
moment of agitation.
“I am… crying?” Hu Yaoyao muttered blankly as she placed
her hands on her cheeks and felt the moisture on it.
Even though she was able to draw out significant prowess
from her Dance of the Rippling Cloud Robe in the past as
well, she had been missing the very quintessence of the
terpsichorean art, leaving her far from truly mastering it.
However, at this very moment, she felt as if the terpsichorean
art had fused with her soul, becoming a part of her.
What she had done before could only be considered as an
emulation of the terpsichorean art’s form, missing out on its
intentions entirely.
It was only in this instant that she was finally able to grasp the
true essence of the dance!
“Just… how deep of an understanding does he have of
terpsichorean arts to refine the Dance of the Rippling Cloud
Robe to this extent?” Exhaling deeply, Hu Yaoyao couldn’t
help but mutter beneath her breath.
“Faction leader, Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue
seeks an audience!”
Just as Hu Yaoyao was immersed in her thoughts, Xinru
suddenly walked into the room and reported.
“Bring them in!” Hu Yaoyao said.
She thought that she would definitely be able to take down
Zhang Xuan tonight, so she had gone ahead to invite the others
over to show off her work.
Who could have thought that someone was indeed taken
down… but the person ended up being her instead.
“How did it go? Where is Zhang Xuan? How did you deal
with him?” As soon as the group walked into the main hall,
Xue Zhenyang immediately asked.
“Indeed, tell us how you taught him a lesson! Did you force
him to listen to you through brute force, or did you convince
him by bewitching him?” Long Cangyue added.
In their perspective, since Hu Yaoyao had declared that she
would be able to do it, she would surely succeed. After all, her
ability in this field was truly no joke.
To be honest, even they would be a little apprehensive at the
notion of going up against her, especially after hearing about
the vicious methods she had used to deal with her opponents.
“How I taught him a lesson?”
Hu Yaoyao turned around and bowed slightly towards the
group, “Zhang Xuan’s private apprentice, Hu Yaoyao, greets
you all!”
779 Establishing a Faction
“A-a-apprentice?”
“Zhang Xuan’s apprentice?’
For a short moment, Xue Zhenyang and the others were
stupefied by what they had heard.
What is going on?
Didn’t you say that you would teach Zhang Xuan a lesson?
How did you end up becoming his apprentice instead?
There were two types of apprentices. One type was those who
were new to the occupation, having yet to receive even their 1-
star emblem. They would follow an official member of the
occupation and learn under them.
The other would be a lower ranked member of the occupation
serving as a private apprentice to a higher ranked member.
To distinguish between the two types of apprenticeships, the
latter was often known as a private apprentice.
While the goal for a private apprentice was to learn from their
master, the truth was that their standing was beneath that of
even a student, and they were expected to deal with all sorts of
miscellaneous issues for their master.
As the top students of the academy, each of the four of them
had private apprentices under them. For example, Xinru was
Hu Yaoyao’s private apprentice.
But weren’t you going to make Zhang shi submit to you?
Why did you become his private apprentice instead?
“I failed. I wasn’t Zhang shi’s match… You all can leave
now.” After reintroducing herself, Hu Yaoyao waved her hand
to gesture for the rest of them to leave, unwilling to speak any
more.
“This…”
They had come to celebrate the victory, but after hearing those
words, Dong Xin, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue could
only leave with bewildered looks.
“What is going on?”
After leaving the residence, the trio stared at one another in
confusion.
“From the looks of it… it seems her plan has failed, and she
even ended up being taught a lesson by Zhang Xuan instead!”
Dong Xin said.
Based on her understanding of Hu Yaoyao, this was the only
possibility she could think of.
“That seems to be the case…” Xue Zhenyang scratched his
head. “But that’s Hu Yaoyao! I have exchanged blows with her
several times, and I have suffered quite a bit due to her
unconventional means. To think that she would actually suffer
such a crushing defeat to a freshman…”
“There seems to be something uncanny about that freshman…
but the more uncanny he is, the more interested I become in
him!” Long Cangyue said as a sharp glint flashed through his
eyes.
They were all the top geniuses of the Master Teacher
Academy, so when had they feared a challenge from another
before?
For a freshman to foil their businesses so brazenly as soon as
he arrived, they had to retaliate in order to uphold their
authority.
“Honestly, I am also rather interested in him as a person as
well.” Dong Xin chuckled.
At this point, she remembered something and turned to Xue
Zhenyang. “Didn’t you dispatch some men to deal with those
freshmen who assisted him?”
“I thought that Hu Yaoyao would be able to succeed, so I
dispatched my men to put those troublemaking freshmen in
order before coming here… Judging by the time, it should
already be done by now!” Xue Zhenyang replied.
Dong Xin pondered for a moment before shaking her head.
“Given the strength of your subordinates, they shouldn’t face
any problems dealing with those freshmen. However… those
freshmen have Zhang Xuan backing them, and we have yet to
take the latter down. You were too rash; you should have
waited for news of Hu Yaoyao’s success first. As the saying
goes, a cornered dog bites. If we push him too far, we might
end up getting burnt ourselves too.”
“So what? From the moment he foiled our business, we were
already destined to be enemies. Even if you are willing to be
compassionate to your enemy, do you think that your enemy
will do the same for you? You must be joking! Besides, my
men challenged them in a manner which is in accordance to
the school rules. Even if Zhang Xuan wishes to get even with
me over that, what can he do? As long as my men didn’t
breach the rules, not even School Head Mo or School Head
Zhao will be able to say a thing about the matter!” Xue
Zhenyang spoke confidently with a light chuckle.
“Unless… he is able to surpass my subordinates in terms of
battle techniques, he will just have to accept it as it is!”
“Your men challenged him in the field of battle techniques?”
Long Cangyue burst into laughter. “Indeed, you are the big
senior of the Martial Arts School, the pride of the school head.
Your understanding of the spear has already reached an
unfathomable level. Having received your impartations, your
subordinates’ comprehension of martial arts should also be
top-notch. Battle techniques require years of training in order
to refine one’s form and intention to perfection and achieve a
harmony between them. No matter how talented Zhang shi is,
he’s still far too inexperienced. It is unlikely for him to have
achieved great accomplishment in the field of martial arts as
well.”
Unlike most supporting occupations where it was possible for
one to make swift progress, one could only take a step at a
time for battle techniques. Only through persistent effort over
a long period of time could one accomplish anything.
Xue Zhenyang had a fiery and reckless personality, but his
understanding of battle techniques, especially in the field of
spearmanship, was unmatched amongst the students of the
Master Teacher Academy.
Rumor had it that he had already comprehended the Heart of
Weapons, achieving perfect harmony with his spear.
“Indeed. Even though we are master teachers, we are
cultivators as well. If we don’t show them what we seniors are
capable of, they might just think that we have spent our years
in the Master Teacher Academy achieving nothing!” With his
back as straight as a spear, Xue Zhenyang spoke with absolute
confidence.
He was no match for Hu Yaoyao in terms of scheming—in
fact, he had been outwitted each and every time—but in terms
of fighting prowess, the latter wasn’t a match for him.
His spear possessed might reminiscent of a mighty dragon.
Even amongst all of the Grade-5 students in the academy,
there was only a handful who could match him in a battle.
“You’re right. Supporting occupations are important, but the
most important aspect of a cultivator is ultimately still
strength. Let’s head over and see your subordinates teach those
freshmen a lesson!” Long Cangyue chuckled softly.
“Alright!” Xue Zhenyang nodded.
With this, the trio began walking toward the freshmen living
quarters.
…
Shortly after leaving Hu Yaoyao’s old residence with Luo
Qiqi, as Zhang Xuan reached his residence in the Elite Sector,
he saw Ruohuan gongzi standing anxiously outside his door.
“Zhang shi, Senior Qiqi!” Upon seeing the both of them,
Ruohuan gongzi’s eyes immediately lit up, and he rushed up to
them.
“I was just about to find you!” Zhang Xuan harrumphed
coldly.
“Find me?” Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback.
“You were the one who distributed the Teacher Information
Document to the other freshmen for free, right?” Zhang Xuan
questioned coldly.
That fellow had distributed the book that he had compiled for
them to the other freshmen without his knowledge, and he had
even used his name in doing so. Due to that incident, he had
become an eyesore for all of the student factions.
He had done nothing at all, but this grudge just suddenly fell
on him, bringing him so much trouble… He hadn’t even
confronted Ruohuan gongzi to settle this score with him, but
the latter had already come knocking on his door.
He sure was brazen!
“That was the least I could do; Zhang shi need not thank me
for it!” Upon hearing those words, Ruohuan gongzi waved his
hands magnanimously, as if saying that he only did what he
had to.
The least that you could do?
No need to thank me for it?
Zhang Xuan nearly choked on his saliva.
The other party had screwed him over so badly, but why did he
act as if he had done an anonymous good deed instead?
As frustrated as Zhang Xuan was feeling at this very instant,
seeing the grim expression on Ruohuan gongzi’s face, it
seemed that the latter had something urgent that required his
help. Thus, he decided to put the matter aside for the moment
and asked, “Did something happen?”
“Due to the matter with the Teacher Information
Documentation, there were quite a few seniors who have come
to challenge us over the past few days. Today, three experts
arrived at the freshmen living quarters, and the words they
spoke were truly infuriating. Out of fury, we accepted their
challenge to a duel, but in the end… we were defeated
tragically, and quite a few of us were severely injured,”
Ruohuan gongzi said.
Most of the freshmen were at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan
pinnacle, and only a small handful had reached Transcendent
Mortal 5-dan and 6-dan. On the other hand, even the weakest
of the seniors were at the Cosmos Bridge realm. How could
they possibly be a match for them?
Seemingly noticing the doubts running through Zhang Xuan’s
mind, Ruohuan gongzi replied, “They suppressed their
cultivation realm to our level and challenged us to a battle of
pure martial arts…”
“Martial arts?” Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant before
nodding in realization.
If the seniors had suppressed their cultivation realm to be of
the same level as the freshmen, the battle would be decided
mainly by the expertise and skillful utilization of their martial
arts. In that case, it would at least be a fairer match between
the two.
“Indeed. They have been standing outside the living quarters,
saying that they will only back down if someone is able to
defeat them. Otherwise, they will make sure to beat us until we
dare not take a single step out of our rooms!”
After saying those words, Ruohuan gongzi lifted his gaze, and
with a conflicted expression, he continued, “On top of that…
they said that if no one is able to defeat them by today, they
want Zhang shi to make a public apology to them, and all of
the freshmen will have to purchase a copy of the Teacher
Information Documentation!”
“Public apology? Me? What does this matter have to do with
me?” Zhang Xuan was speechless.
So what if the seniors challenged the freshmen? What did this
have to do with him?
For him to make a public apology… just how in the world did
he cross them this time?
“This…” Ruohuan gongzi scratched his head in
embarrassment as he said, “You also know that joining the
factions established by the seniors will require quite a
substantial membership fee each year. However, as freshmen,
how could we possibly have the money to pay for the
membership fee? Thus… all of us decided to join the student
faction you established…”
“The student faction I established? When did I establish a
student faction?” The more Zhang Xuan listened to the other
party’s words, the more bewildered he became.
Was it really still him they were talking about? Just when in
the world did he establish a student faction?
“Well… I thought that Zhang shi’s act of giving away your
points in the entrance examination for free to the other
students was an attempt to rally them together under you, so I
assumed that you were going to establish a faction yourself.
On top of that, the only person who all of us freshmen are
awed by is you, and all of us are willing to listen to your
commands as well. Thus, after some discussion, we decided to
start a student faction with you as the leader,” Ruohuan gongzi
said.
“I am the leader?” Zhang Xuan felt as if the world had gone
mad.
Unknowingly, he actually became the leader of a faction… It
was as if they were pushing him into a sea of flames!
“Indeed. Zhang shi, we hope that you won’t turn this position
down. Without an affiliation to any student faction, it is too
difficult for a freshman to thrive in the academy. In fact, one
might even be hindered at every step taken. Of the thirty
thousand freshmen, you are the only one who commands the
respect and admiration of everyone. If you don’t step up to the
position as the leader, who else can?” Ruohuan gongzi said
anxiously.
“Besides, the seniors have been doing whatever pleases them,
oppressing the freshmen as and when they like just because
they have been in the academy for a longer period of time than
we have. If we don’t unite together to fight back against them,
we will never be able to stop their tyranny.”
“This…” Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan hesitated.
He was displeased at being pushed to the forefront of the
conflict despite having done nothing at all, but
Ruohuan gongzi’s words did carry some truth in them.
Without being affiliated with any student faction, it would be
hard for a freshman to survive in the academy.
Due to the matter with the free Teacher Information
Documentation, there were already a fair number of seniors
who carried hostility toward the current batch of freshmen. If
they didn’t unite together to fight back, their life could be
made extremely difficult.
“Didn’t you guess that such a situation would happen when
you gave the Teacher Information Documentation out for
free?” Zhang Xuan glanced at Ruohuan gongzi coldly.
As knowledgeable master teachers, how could Song Chao,
Luo Xuan, and the others be unaware that their actions would
offend the seniors?
“Back then, we only did that out of indignation. The seniors
had intentionally raised the price of the Teacher Information
Documentation, knowing that we would have no choice but to
purchase it. On top of that, they conducted forceful deals,
pummeling the students who refused to purchase it to serve as
a warning to the others against rejecting them…
“Furthermore, even if we were to buy from one of the student
factions, we might end up offending another student faction
instead, thus resulting in us getting bullied regardless of the
choices we make…
“Therefore, after some discussion with the others, we agreed
that instead of living pathetically under their oppression, we
might as well stand up and return the favor. As a result, we
decided to distribute the book which you’d given us to the
other freshmen.”
Ruohuan gongzi’s face reddened as he added, “For this matter,
I ask of Zhang shi’s forgiveness. We only did it because we
were forced into a corner as well!”
“Jeez…” Zhang Xuan sighed.
Having attended the public lecture event, he had a rough idea
of the situation there as well.
He had been stopped by a member of the True Helios Faction,
and the latter took a particularly arrogant attitude with them,
threatening that ‘If you don’t buy my Teacher Information
Documentation, you will be making an enemy out of the entire
True Helios Faction’.
Considering that the freshmen who had just enrolled into the
academy were the weakest amongst the student populace and
that they had no connections to tap into either, they couldn’t
afford to offend any of the student factions.
Zhang Xuan was fortunate in the sense that he had won Elder
Mo’s favor during the entrance examination. As a result, most
seniors wouldn’t dare to provoke Zhang Xuan in fear of
bringing Elder Mo’s ire upon themselves.
Realizing this, Zhang Xuan sighed in resignation and asked,
“Fine. Since you have initiated a student faction in my stead,
what is it called? I should at least know this much, right?”
Seeing that Zhang Xuan had accepted the matter,
Ruohuan gongzi heaved a sigh of relief and replied, “The
student factions are often named after their leader. For
example, the True Helios Faction’s name is derived from Xue
Zhenyang, and the Ashen Moon Faction’s name is derived
from Long Cangyue… Thus, we also took your name into
consideration in naming our faction so as to make it apparent
who our leader is!”
“My name? So, our faction is called the Zhang Xuan Faction?”
Zhang Xuan asked.
“No, it’s called…”
At this point, a look of excitement appeared on
Ruohuan gongzi’s face as he said, “Xuanxuan Faction!“The
names of the student factions are taken directly from the name
of their leaders. True Helios Faction is also known as the
Zhenyang Faction in hanyupinyin.Likewise, the Ashen Moon
Faction is known as the Cangyue Faction.
780 Why Don’t You Stay as
Our Gatekeeper?
“Xuanxuan Faction…” Upon hearing the name, Zhang Xuan
nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.
I understand that the names of most student factions have two
characters, so you wanted to do the same as well. I know that
unlike Xue Zhenyang and Long Cangyue, my name only has
one character, but surely you can just add my surname in as
well! Xuanxuan Faction… Xuan your head!
Look at the names of the other student factions! True Helios
Faction, Ashen Moon Faction… Each of them sounds majestic
and impressive, but as for mine… Don’t you think it sounds a
little too cute for the name of a faction?
“Yes. Our initial intention was to go with Xuan Faction, but
there were quite a few people who opposed to it, saying that it
is an inauspicious name, as if casting doubt on the future of
our faction. They proposed for it to be named Xuanxuan
Faction instead. This way, it gives an unfathomable and
profound feeling to those hearing its name!” Ruohuan gongzi
explained[1].
“…” Zhang Xuan’s body swayed weakly.
To think that even his name would be scorned…
“Those seniors have come to challenge our faction, and as you
are the leader of our faction… it’s only natural that they’ve
demanded an apology from you. However, none of us are a
match for them, so I can only ask for Zhang shi’s help with
this issue…” After explaining the matter, Ruohuan gongzi
revealed the purpose behind his visit.
His initial thought was to first build up the Xuanxuan Faction
and only bring Zhang Xuan in once everything was in place.
But who could have known that the other party would go to
the extent of blockading their entrance? Left with no choice,
he could only head here to ask Zhang Xuan for help.
“Alright, since it’s my student faction, it won’t do for me to
just watch by the side while someone is hindering and beating
up my members. Let’s head over to take a look,” Zhang Xuan
said as he rubbed his glabella in frustration.
At this moment, Zhang Xuan felt like he was Zhao
Kuangyin[2], being forced to don the yellow robe[3] after the
coup at Chen Bridge.
Even when idle, disaster would still somehow find its way to
him as if he was a magnet attracting trouble. Without any prior
warning, he suddenly found himself as the leader of a faction.
Just what in the world was this?!
It would be too late even if he were to turn down the position
now. The seniors and the other student factions had already
decided that he was the ringleader behind the mess, and they
would do everything they could to bring him down. Rather
than standing against them alone, he might as well stand up as
the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction and organize its members
to stand against the seniors together.
Honestly, his only goal here was to read books and live his life
in peace, but somehow… he found himself becoming the
nemesis of the seniors and the messiah of the freshmen…
Just the thought of it left him feeling a little stifled.
Unlike Zhang Xuan, who had been given the highest of
privileges right after his enrollment in the academy, freshmen
usually lived in shared dormitories in a corner of the academy.
With Ruohuan gongzi leading the way, it didn’t take long for
the trio to arrive at the dormitories.
The area was filled with many high-rise buildings, and a vast
square stood at the very center of the buildings.
There were several dueling platforms on the square with chairs
and tables scattered around them. Looking at the sides of the
square, there were quite a few cleaning tools lying in the
corner. It seemed this was the area where duels were often
conducted, and it was frequently cleaned to maintain the area.
At this moment, the square was packed with countless
freshmen.
Even though it was already in the middle of the night, there
were several torches lit around the square, and quite a number
of Night Illumination Pearls were floating above as well,
bringing light to the area.
On the dueling platform at the very center of the square, three
men stood proudly as they gazed down at the crowd beneath
them with an air of superiority.
“Those three are the seniors who came to challenge us,”
Ruohuan gongzi said.
Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the trio.
Instead of the usual master teacher robe that students wore,
they were dressed in tight training clothes.
The first one seemed to be in his late twenties, and he was
slightly taller in stature than the other two. There was a well-
groomed beard on his face, and what was particularly striking
about him was the aggressive glint in his black eyes.
Held in his hand was a majestic Nine-ringed Saber which was
nearly half of his height in length. Bulky and heavy, it was a
weapon that demanded immense strength from its wielder.
The second one had long arms and legs, but his figure was
slightly slimmer than the others’. He held no weapon in his
hands, but his figure was reminiscent of an agile ape.
The third wielded a long spear that extended over two meters
long. His very presence felt sharp like a keen blade, as if he
would slice apart even the air itself.
“Not bad!” Zhang Xuan offered a rare compliment to the trio.
As expected of veteran martial artists, he could already feel the
aura they were exuding even from a distance away. It was no
wonder they dared to challenge all of the freshmen; they did
possess the strength to act so arrogantly.
Recognizing the trio, Luo Qiqi sent him a telepathic message.
“They are from the True Helios Faction!”
“True Helios Faction?”
“Yes. I recognize the three of them, they are Grade-4 students.
Their cultivation levels have already reached Transcendent
Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle.
“The one who is wielding the Nine-ringed Saber is called Bai
Shuang[4]. Due to the stark contrast with his dark complexion,
he was mockingly addressed as White Face in the beginning.
However, as he comprehended the Saber Heart and began
making his name as a skilled saber user, others began calling
him the White-faced Frenzied Saber. As time went by, this
name stuck with him, so he decisively chose to change his
name to Bai Mian[5]. Even within the Martial Arts School, he
can be considered as a famed genius!” Luo Qiqi explained.
“The second is known as Yuan Gang. Due to his long arms and
his exceptional proficiency in close-quarters combat, he was
given the nickname Supreme Ape. After hearing that name,
instead of flying into a rage, he even took delight in it,
thinking that it was particularly suited to him. As a result,
others also began addressing him as such.
“As for the last one, he is called Ying Qin, and he is the
strongest of the group. He learned his spearmanship straight
from Xue Zhenyang, and he once severed a river several dozen
meters wide. This feat bore testimony to his immense strength
and aptitude with the spear, so came his reputation as
the ‘River Severing Steel Spear’!
“The three of them are experts of the Martial Arts School,
possessing exceptional talent for battle techniques.
Considering that they are the ones challenging the freshmen…
it will indeed be difficult for the freshmen to defeat them!”
Luo Qiqi shook her head.
Of the entire Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the students
of the Martial Arts School possessed the greatest fighting
prowess. Skilled in battle techniques, they were capable of
utilizing profound maneuvers in battle to turn the tables on
their opponents.
Even among the powerful students of the Martial Arts School,
these three men stood amidst the top. For a bunch of freshmen
who had never undergone the advanced training of the
academy, it was nigh impossible for them to defeat such
opponents.
Even with their cultivation suppressed, their sharp insight into
the flow of battle and reaction speed weren’t things that
Clarifying Turbidity realm or Consonant Spirit realm
cultivators could match.
“They are from the Martial Arts School? I see!” Zhang Xuan
nodded.
Back then, when he was traveling to Hongyuan City, Luo Qiqi
had touched on the Martial Arts School while introducing the
basic system of the Master Teacher Academy to him.
Unlike the other schools, the Martial Arts School wasn’t
affiliated with any supporting occupation. It was constructed
for the sole purpose of raising the fighting prowess of the
master teachers.
Most of the students of this school had achieved a profound
understanding in the study of martial arts, making them
unmatched in a duel against their peers.
Taking the trio on the dueling platform for example, even
amongst Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle experts, they could
be considered as the cream of the crop. Considering the skills
that they possessed, it was no wonder they dared to provoke
all of the freshmen at once. They indeed had nothing to fear.
“Is there anyone else?”
While they were speaking, another freshman was defeated by
Supreme Ape Yuan Gang. The latter sneered coldly as his gaze
swept across the crowd. “Is this all this batch’s freshmen has?
I thought that you were still alright, but it seems like I
overestimated all of you. With capability like yours, you all
still dared to create a faction? How laughable!”
“You… I’ll fight you!” Hearing the other party mocking them,
a freshman couldn’t suppress his rage and stepped forward.
This freshman was at Consonant Spirit realm intermediate
stage, so Yuan Gang suppressed his cultivation to equal his. As
soon as the battle started, Yuan Gang’s figure immediately
disappeared. Before the freshman could even process what
was happening, he was already struck in his chest, and the
impact sent him flying from the dueling platform.
“They aren’t a match for them at all…” Zhang Xuan shook his
head.
The freshmen consisted of the top geniuses from the various
areas, but there was simply too huge a gap between them and
the top students of the Martial Arts School. It was no wonder
Ruohuan gongzi had rushed to his residence to bring him over.
It was indeed impossible for the freshmen to defeat them on
their own.
They were simply on two completely different levels.
With several millenniums of history behind it, the Martial Art
School possessed the most valuable of insights from countless
preceding master teachers. On top of that, there were
formidable master teachers who were experts in combat
themselves guiding the students personally. Perhaps if the
freshmen were given a few more years to refine their skills in
the academy, they might still be a match for the trio. But at this
very moment… it was impossible for them to stand against the
trio.
“Let’s head over!” Knowing that none of the freshmen would
be a match for the trio, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before
making his way forward.
“Zhang shi is here!”
“Our faction leader has come!”
“This is great, we are saved…”
“Faction leader, these old students are too much. You must
teach them a lesson in our stead!”
“Indeed! We can’t simply let them step over us like that…”
Before Zhang Xuan could reach the dueling platform, there
were already several freshmen who had recognized him, and
they shouted in agitation. Following which, the other freshmen
in the surroundings immediately turned their gazes over, their
eyes glowing with relief and hope.
This young man before their eyes had done a lot for them. He
had given out his points in the entrance examination, allowing
more than twenty thousand students to successfully enroll into
the academy as well. After which, he had given out the
Teacher Information Documentation for free, sparing them
from the extortion ploy of the seniors.
Furthermore, at this very moment, he was the head of
Xuanxuan Faction, their leader. His arrival was like an
injection of confidence to them, as if they had finally found
their pillar of support.
The crowd swiftly opened up a pathway for them, allowing
Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi, and Ruohuan gongzi to walk right up
to the dueling platform.
Beneath the dueling platform lay several dozen injured
students. Even though their injuries weren’t too severe, they
were left in quite an unsightly manner.
“Zhang shi…”
Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Song Chao, Luo Xuan, and the
others rushed up to him agitatedly.
Ever since they had known Zhang Xuan, there had not been a
single occasion they could recall in which the latter had been
incapable of something. The trio on the dueling platform
might be impressive, but they had absolute confidence in
Zhang Xuan. In their view, it was already a certain victory for
them from the moment Zhang Xuan arrived on the scene.
While a wave of excitement washed across the crowd beneath,
the trio on the dueling platform also glanced down to look at
Zhang Xuan.
“So, he is the legendary Zhang Xuan? He looks so-so!” the
dark-faced Bai Mian sneered.
“Regardless of whether he is so-so or not, we must make him
learn the price of offending our True Helios Faction!”
Supreme Ape Yuan Gang harrumphed.
“Be careful when you strike later on. Our faction leader has
already warned us about his incredible background. It’ll
suffice for him to learn of our prowess; there’s no need to go
too far. It won’t be in our favor if this matter reaches the
elders,” Ying Qin instructed.
“Don’t worry. We know what to do. He’s just a freshman; I’ll
leave him on his knees, begging for mercy, within three
blows!” Bai Mian declared confidently with a sneer.
With a flick of his wrist, his immense saber flew in an arc,
creating a deep resounding whir in the air. Stabbing his saber
into the platform, he glanced at Zhang Xuan coldly and asked,
“You are Zhang Xuan?”
His voice was overflowing with aggression toward Zhang
Xuan.
Looking at the hostility the other party was exuding, as if he
had wronged the other party grievously somehow, Zhang Xuan
could only nod helplessly. “Others do address me as such.”
“Good. Do you dare duel against me?” With a provocative
smile on his lips, Bai Mian issued his challenge. “Don’t worry,
I’ll suppress my cultivation to your level. I won’t take
advantage of you.”
“A duel?”
Seeing the other party challenging him to a duel right away,
Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before replying, “That’s fine by
me, but if I am not mistaken, you seem to have said that you
want me to apologize to the True Helios Faction and have all
of the freshmen purchase the Teacher Information
Documentation if the freshmen lose this confrontation. Is there
such a matter?”
“That’s indeed the case!” Bai Mian nodded smugly.
“Since you have imposed a bet on the duel, what do you have
to offer if you lose then?” Zhang Xuan questioned.
“Us?” Bai Mian was slightly thrown off his momentum by the
question. However, he recovered swiftly and answered,
“There’s no way we will lose!”
A higher-grade student challenging a lower-grade student—
while it was a challenge in name, it couldn’t be clearer to
everyone that this was just a means to teach the other party a
lesson and impose hierarchical order upon them! Given such,
how could they possibly lose?
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “There’s no way you will lose?
Don’t be so certain about it. There’s no such thing as a sure
victory in a duel.
“If you aren’t willing to put anything on the line, why should I
waste my time fighting with you?”
You wish to bet with me without putting anything at stake?
You must be joking with me!
If there’s nothing to earn, why should I tire myself out?
“This…” Not expecting the other party to raise the issue about
the stakes as soon as he arrived, Bai Mian turned to the other
two to seek their opinions.
Ying Qin had a frown on his face as well. After a moment of
contemplation, he stepped forward and said, “Zhang shi is
right. Since we have imposed conditions on you, it’s only right
for us to put something on the line as well. How about this? If
we lose, I’ll take back everything I have said and apologize to
all of you.”
“Apologize?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “How about this instead? It
hasn’t been long since our Xuanxuan Faction was established,
and it just so happens that we are lacking some servants to
guard our doors. If you lose, you shall back out of the True
Helios Faction to watch our doors. What do you think of
that?”
[1] In Chinese, there are quite a few characters with the same
hanyupinyin but different intonation. In this case, the Xuan in
Zhang Xuan has the same pronunciation as the word for
“unreliable/unlikely (to succeed)” and the word for
“profound/mystical”. The Xuan for unreliable/unlikely to
succeed doesn’t make sense when repeated consecutively, so
by putting two of them together, it can be considered as
‘nullifying’ the inauspicious aspect of the name.
[2] Zhao Kuangyin was the first emperor of the Song Dynasty.
It’s interesting how Zhao Kuangyin had not intended the coup
at all—there has been no evidence to show that he was the
mastermind behind the coup, and on the contrary, there are
records detailing his loyalty to the Later Zhou Dynasty—but
due to a certain twist of fate, the soldiers under him conducted
a mutiny and urged him to take the throne. In the end, Zhao
Kuangyin could only take on the power reluctantly, and he
eventually managed to become the emperor without any
resistance.
[3] Yellow robe refers to the imperial robe worn exclusively
by the emperor, especially during morning assemblies where
important decisions regarding the country is made.
[4] Bai Shuang, when translated into English, means White
Frost.
[5] Bai Mian means White Face.
781 Imparting a Saber Art
Maneuver
“Watch your gates?” Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and Yuan Gang
clenched their fists tightly after hearing those words, nearly
exploding on the spot.
They were Grade-4 students, Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle
experts. Yet, a freshman actually wanted them to watch their
gates?
Was this even a bet anymore?
This was clearly an attempt to humiliate them!
“Weren’t you confident that you wouldn’t lose just a moment
ago? If you won’t lose, surely the content of the bet won’t
matter to you, right? What, has your confidence wavered?”
Zhang Xuan gazed at the trio with a slight smile on his lips.
“Change the conditions!” With a livid expression, Ying Qin
flung his sleeves and harrumphed.
Even though they wouldn’t lose, they couldn’t bring
themselves to accept such a bet. The other party was clearly
belittling them!
“It seems you aren’t as confident as you seem. Well, there’s no
need to be embarrassed about losing. Everyone loses
sometimes; there’s no shame in it,” Zhang Xuan consoled.
“You!”
Hearing those words, Ying Qin, Bai Mian, and Yuan Gang
nearly spewed blood.
What do you mean by embarrassed? What do you mean by
saying everyone loses sometime and there’s no shame in it?
We aren’t afraid of losing; we just find your conditions
humiliating!
Just as they were about to refute the other party’s words, the
other party suddenly lowered his head, seemingly falling into
contemplation. “If you are really that afraid of losing, why
don’t I offer some guidance to some of the freshmen and send
them up to fight against you? If that’s still too much for you to
accept… how about those you have just defeated? Surely you
should be a little more confident with that? I don’t think I can
go any lower than this…”
“You…”
Seeing how the other party was going further and further, Ying
Qin’s fury peaked. “Fine! We will accept your conditions!
You’d better pray that you are as capable as your mouth, or
else just wait and see!”
Upon receiving the other party’s agreement, Zhang Xuan
nodded in satisfaction before issuing a set of instructions.
“Good! Ruohuan and Song Chao, send a few men to construct
a gate at the entrance. Otherwise, there will be nothing for
them to watch later on.”
The living quarters of the freshmen were enclosed, and there
was an entrance for students to enter and leave the premises.
However, there was no gate at the entrance. It would be
awkward if those fellows had nothing to watch over when they
lost.
“Alright!” Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao nodded before
leaving to settle the matter.
“You are courting death!”
Seeing how the other party was acting as if victory was
assured for him, Bai Mian finally reached the limit of his
tolerance. His dark face warped in savagery, and the enormous
saber in his hands also buzzed in resonance to his emotions.
Turning to Ying Qin, he said, “Allow me to teach this fellow a
lesson!”
After saying those words, he immediately walked to the center
of the dueling platform, and with eyes as sharp as lightning, he
bellowed, “Zhang Xuan, I shall be your opponent for the first
match. Come!”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “Calm down, there’s no hurry.
Youngsters nowadays sure don’t know the virtue of patience.”
“You…” Suffering yet another blow, Bai Mian’s face turned
even darker than before.
We might look young, but we are all in our fifties, you know?
You are only a brat in your early twenties, and yet you dare to
call us youngsters? How shameless can you get?
“Is your mouth the only thing you have? If you are a man,
you’d better come up here this instant!” Knowing that it was
impossible for him to win a verbal war with the other party,
Bai Mian gritted his teeth in anger.
“I won’t take advantage of you; you will surely lose if I head
up there. Like I said before, I will find a few freshmen to fight
against you. Since I have already given my word, I’ll honor
it!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.
Ignoring the frenzied Bai Mian above, he turned to the
freshmen and asked, “Is there anyone here who was defeated
by this fellow and wields a saber?”
Upon hearing the question, the crowd stared at one another
bewilderedly.
They’d thought that Zhang shi had only said those words to
provoke the seniors into agreeing to his conditions, was he
really serious about it?
But they had already lost, and it had been a crushing defeat at
that! Even if the wounds they had suffered weren’t substantial,
there was no way they could defeat them!
“I… lost just now!”
After a short moment of silence, a freshman suddenly waved
his hand and walked out from the crowd.
It was a young man in his mid-twenties with a cultivation of
Consonant Spirit realm primary stage. There was a glaring and
hideous saber cut on his body, which even though it wasn’t a
serious wound, it seemed as though he would have been sliced
into two if his opponent had put slightly more strength into the
attack. It was only due to his opponent’s mercy that he was
still living at this very moment.
“Not bad!” Zhang Xuan assessed him carefully from head to
toe before nodding in approval. “You shall go up to the
dueling platform and defeat that fellow later on!”
“I…” The young man leaped in shock. With a conflicted
expression, he said, “I am not a match for him. I wasn’t even
able to withstand a single blow of his previously!”
When he faced Bai Mian just a few moments ago, as soon as
the duel started, before he could even raise his saber, he was
sliced through by the other party’s weapon. Given the huge
disparity in strength, he would lose no matter how many times
he challenged Bai Mian!
“It’s fine. I’ll impart a saber art maneuver to you right now,
and if you execute it well on the stage later on, you should be
able to defeat him within a single blow,” Zhang Xuan said.
“A saber art maneuver?” the young man repeated in disbelief.
What use was a single maneuver?
Given the other party’s deep comprehension of saber arts, even
if he were to learn a hundred saber art maneuvers, there was
still no way he could match up to the other party!
“That’s right. Pass me your saber!” Paying no heed to the
other party’s shock, Zhang Xuan nodded nonchalantly.
“Alright…” Even though the freshman had no idea what his
faction leader was up to, he still passed his saber over
obediently.
“Damn it!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan was really going to impart
a saber art to an opponent he had defeated and make him go up
against him once more, Bai Mian nearly exploded from fury.
It was already challenging the limits of his tolerance for the
other party to act as if victory was already in his grasp… But
the other party then went on to choose an opponent he had
utterly defeated just a moment ago to teach him a saber art,
hoping that he could defeat him…
What kind of game are you playing over here?
I wouldn’t be a genius of the Martial Arts School if I could be
defeated that easily!
You are too smug!
Arrogant and conceited!
Even the head of the Martial Arts School wouldn’t dare to
make such claims!
“Bai Mian, since Zhang shi is going impart a freshman a saber
art to challenge you, we shouldn’t take advantage of them
either. Inhibit your senses to avoid learning anything about the
saber art ahead of the battle!”
Ying Qin’s complexion looked awful as well. However, as a
master teacher, he still had a reputation to uphold.
Given their deep comprehension in battle techniques as
geniuses of the Martial Arts School, if Zhang Xuan were to
teach the freshman before them, it was likely that they might
have already mastered the technique before the freshman
could even make sense of it. If that happened, would there
even be a need to carry on with the duel? The outcome would
have already been decided!
Even if they were to win, it would reflect poorly on them.
At the very least, if they were to inhibit their senses to avoid
learning anything about the saber art ahead of the battle, there
would be nothing the other party could say upon the
conclusion.
“Alright!” Bai Mian nodded.
However, just as he was about to inhibit his senses, Zhang
Xuan turned his gaze to them and said, “There’s no need to go
through so much trouble. Since you are students of the Martial
Arts School, I believe you should have a deep understanding
of battle techniques. Since that’s the case, I ask of you to take
a look at it during my impartation and correct any mistakes in
it!”
Bai Mian and Ying Qin stared at one another blankly with
blinking eyes.
That fellow… Was his head stuck in between a gate or did a
donkey kick him foolish? You want your faction member to
challenge me in the field of saber arts, and yet you still want
me to take a look at it in advance?
What kind of logic is that?
Just as Bai Mian was at a loss about what he should do, he
suddenly received a telepathic message from Ying Qin. “Since
he wants us to take a look, let’s just do as he says. He is the
one telling us to take a look anyway, so surely he can’t
complain about it when he loses!”
Ying Qin was the leader of the group, so Bai Mian could only
agree to it. Thus, he focused his gaze on the young man
imparting a saber art below.
“It will only be a single move, so watch closely!”
Ignoring the dumbfounded crowd, Zhang Xuan chuckled, and
with a slight flick of his wrist, he performed a diagonal slash.
The saber moved at an extremely slow speed, as if the slow
stroke of a brush on paper.
You call this a saber art? Bai Mian was completely
flabbergasted.
Even when he had only just started learning saber arts when he
was five, he had never executed such an ugly move before. In
no way was this a saber art! Even the technique used to split
lumber in two was much more elegant than this!
He was still wondering what kind of formidable saber art the
other party was going to teach the freshman that was capable
of defeating him in a single move, but who would have
thought that the other party would execute such crap instead?
Are you fooling around with me?
At this moment, Bai Mian wasn’t the only one whose mind
was in turmoil. The young man whom Zhang Xuan was
imparting the saber art to was also nearly on the verge of tears.
He’d thought that, given how confident the faction leader was,
he must have had some powerful move to teach him. Never
had he thought that it would be something like that…
Given his eye of discernment, he could tell that there was
absolutely no skill or anything deeper lying beneath that slash.
Such a haphazard, slow, and powerless attack wouldn’t even
kill an ant, could he really defeat a Grade-4 senior whom he
wasn’t even able to withstand a single blow from previously
with something like this?
In an instant, all of the confidence he had before escaped from
his mind.
Just as the young man was overwhelmed by helplessness, not
knowing what Zhang shi was up to, he suddenly heard a faint
voice sounding by his ear. Following which, a thought
suddenly emerged within his mind, and his body jolted in
response. “The crux of my saber art lies not in the form but the
intent. This is the essence of my saber art, comprehend it
well!”
“This is… Soul Impartation?” Sensing the new battle
technique in his mind, the young man’s eyes widened in
shock.
Soul Impartation was said to be an ability that only 7-star
master teachers were capable of utilizing. Why was their
faction leader able to use it as well?
Seeing the young man fall into a daze, Zhang Xuan sent a
telepathic message over to chide him. “Don’t let your thoughts
wander, make good use of the time you have to comprehend
the cultivation technique. Take note of the Saber Intent which I
have imparted you as well. Use it along with the saber art later
in the duel as well!”
“Yes!” Recovering from his astonishment, the young man
quickly turned his focus to the saber art in his mind. In there,
he felt a concentration of Saber Intent which carried an aura so
sharp that it left one feeling powerless before it.
“This…” The young man narrowed his eyes.
He might not be as experienced and knowledgeable as Bai
Mian in the field of saber arts, but as a practitioner of the saber
as well, he was still able to tell at a single glance how
powerful the concentration of Saber Intent was.
As long as he imitated it, his comprehension of the saber
would definitely advance by leaps and bounds, reaching a
level beyond imagination.
He drove his zhenqi through his body according to the
imparted saber art while tapping into the concentration of
Saber Intent, and for an instant, it was as if sharp blades had
flickered across his eyes. After grasping the rough flow of the
technique, the young man took a deep breath and bowed all
the way down to his waist level. “Thank you, faction leader!”
Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually. “It’s alright. Now, go
and defeat that fellow!”
Not only did Bai Mian possess an exceptional aptitude for
saber arts, he had also immersed himself in its training for
several decades now. Even if Zhang Xuan were to impart the
simplified Heaven’s Path Saber Art to the young man, it would
still be difficult for him to defeat Bai Mian right now. Thus,
Zhang Xuan could only impart a portion of his Saber Intent as
well.
Weapon Intent was something fleeting and intangible. Just like
a sensation or a certain state of mind, it was impossible to
describe it entirely through words. Even if one had
comprehended it, it was nigh impossible to transfer Saber
Intent to another party.
However, Zhang Xuan cultivated the Heaven’s Path Saber Art,
which was the most direct interpretation of the quintessence of
the world, making his Saber Intent wholesome and flawless.
By tapping into his capabilities as a soul oracle as well, it was
still possible for him to transfer a portion of his Saber Intent
over without it dissipating for the other party to use.
“Yes!” Taking a deep breath, the young man nodded.
With a leap, he stepped onto the dueling platform.
If he had still been a bit apprehensive at the thought of facing
Senior Bai Mian earlier, thinking that there was no chance he
could defeat the other party, at this very moment, having
learned a move from the simplified version of the Heaven’s
Path Saber Art and harnessing Zhang Xuan’s Saber Intent
within him, all fear had vanished from his mind.
“You really think you can win against me like that?” Seeing
the fellow really leaping up to the dueling platform to
challenge him after learning a completely useless saber art
which couldn’t even be used to chop lumber, Bai Mian felt as
if he was about to explode with anger.
“Pardon me!” The young man nodded before raising his saber.
In an instant, an aura that felt as if it could split the heavens
burst into the air, and in the next moment, the saber was
already falling on Bai Mian.
Huala!
Despite the young man’s Consonant Spirit realm primary stage
cultivation, the cold glint of his saber extended across
several zhang instantaneously as if a streak of lightning,
tearing through space to crush Bai Mian.
“Lightning Flash of Saber… T-this is an ability that only those
who have comprehended Saber Heart can use! How is it
possible that you…”
Bai Mian’s body trembled in shock. His eyes were bulging as
if they would drop off at any moment. He could hear a
deafening rumble swiftly crescendoing next to him, as if it was
going to cast him into oblivion.
782 Wretched Competition
Just like any other weapon, if one’s saber art was aligned with
nature, one would be able to comprehend Saber Intent, and
only after that would it be possible for one to comprehend
Saber Heart.
This was similar to how, in swordsmanship, one had to first
comprehend Sword Intent before they could comprehend
Lower Sword Heart, Middle Sword Heart, and Higher Sword
Heart.
Even as a genius of the Martial Arts School, specializing in the
study of saber art, Bai Mian was only at Saber Intent pinnacle,
a considerable distance away from comprehending Saber
Heart.
Yet, the incredibly sharp aura his opponent exuded along with
the Lightning Flash of Saber… The other party was actually
utilizing a technique that only one who had comprehended
Saber Intent could use!
How was that possible?
When he fought with the freshman earlier, he could clearly
sense that the latter had only comprehended the bare basics of
Saber Intent, a long distance away from matching him. Yet,
with just that single saber art maneuver Zhang shi had
imparted to him, his comprehension of the saber had actually
advanced by so much?
Damn it… Bai Mian’s body trembled in shock.
In the midst of a battle, however, he swiftly responded to the
freshman’s attack, raising his saber to defend against the
move.
While he was shocked by the freshman’s feat of
comprehending Saber Heart in just a short moment, he still
didn’t think that he would lose.
After all, he had seen the technique Zhang shi had imparted to
the freshman, and it was littered with hundreds of flaws. On
top of that, it was incredibly slow. As long as he moved
swiftly and curbed the other party with speed, he would still be
able to overwhelm him and achieve an easy victory.
Hu!
In that split moment when Bai Mian’s enormous Nine-ringed
Saber was about to meet the freshman’s saber, the freshman’s
saber abruptly twisted in an elegant arc, bypassing Bai Mian’s
weapon to cut down on him.
It was as if Bai Mian’s defense meant nothing to him at all.
This is… Distillation of the Profound, Surpassing Technique
Through Ability? Bai Mian’s body stiffened.
While he was studying the saber, a master teacher whom he
deeply respected had once told him that upon reaching a
certain level of mastery in the saber, one could reduce
complex saber arts into simpler and more concise techniques.
But this simplification of the saber art didn’t mean that it had
become weaker. On the contrary, the lack of extraneous
movements meant that there were fewer flaws that one could
exploit against the technique, making it even more difficult to
oppose.
Bai Mian had thought that such a realm existed in a world far
beyond his, and he could possibly never encounter it in his
entire life. But… he was seeing it from the freshman at this
very moment!
The saber art which the freshman was executing was not
complex at all. It was just a simple slash without anything
fancy to it, but it carried a might capable of slicing through
anything.
Bai Mian felt as if his entirety had been overwhelmed by the
might of the slash. Regardless of what technique he utilized,
there was no way he could stand against the slash.
Flee! In that instant, fear took over Bai Mian’s instincts. Not
daring to take the slash face-on, he immediately retreated
hurriedly.
Retracting one’s saber art abruptly in the midst of its execution
would lead to a backlash in one’s zhenqi, but given that Bai
Mian was an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert utilizing
the might of a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage expert at
the moment, he could easily suppress it. Thus, despite the
seemingly distressed state he was in, he hadn’t suffered much
damage from this move.
Huala!
Taking two steps back, Bai Mian was just about to raise his
saber to counterattack when the freshmen before him swung
his saber furiously once more at him.
This time, the attack felt even sharper and more powerful than
before.
The slash had harnessed the remaining force from the previous
slash to amplify its might more than twofold. At that moment,
it seemed as if a tempest had struck the dueling platform.
This is… Accretion of Saber Might? Bai Mian was on the
verge of spurting blood.
He had thought that after the freshman had put his might into
the first blow, his strength would surely decline considerably.
Who knew that not only would that not be the case, he would
even amplify his second slash significantly through accruing
the might from the first!
Even the first slash was already beyond his capability, so how
could he possibly withstand the might of two slashes at once?
Thus, he retreated once again.
Hu hu!
Seeing Bai Mian retreating once again, the freshman felt a
burst of confidence, and he launched his third slash decisively.
As if tributaries gathering into an ocean, the might of the three
slashes converged with one another to produce an unopposable
force.
The young man was only at Consonant Spirit realm primary
stage, but through harnessing the capability of Saber Heart to
converge the might of three slashes together, he could easily
overwhelm a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage or
even an advanced stage cultivator!
No, this won’t do… If I allow him to continue building up
strength, I’ll surely lose without doubt! Realizing the crux of
the problem, Bai Mian’s face turned grim.
His initial thought had been to dodge the attack, and at the
moment the other party’s strength died down, he would be able
to do as he pleased. But who could have known that the other
party’s saber art would only grow stronger with time, its might
amplifying with each slash?
From the very first dodge he had made, he had already lost the
initiative. If he were to continue avoiding the attacks, the odds
would only continue stacking against him, and eventually, he
would be overwhelmed.
It’s do or die… Gritting his teeth, Bai Mian’s strength surged
frenziedly from his arm as he swung his saber to face the
freshman’s slash.
Spirit high-tier battle technique, River Severing Furious Saber!
This technique was said to have been created by a Saint realm
expert. Out of vengeance for the grievances his lover had
suffered, he drew his saber and slashed down furiously,
permanently dividing a river several ten thousand meters long
in two.
This was the strongest saber art he had after cultivating for so
many years.
Even though he was lacking zhenqi to execute it perfectly after
suppressing his cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm primary
stage, through his deep understanding of saber arts, he still
managed to pull it off.
Saber qi immediately gushed forth from his saber to collide
with the freshman’s ferocious slash.
Hong long!
With a deafening reverberation, the two sabers collided with
one another. In an instant, Bai Mian’s face reddened as the
might from his River Severing Frenzied Saber was
overwhelmed instantaneously. Following which, the amplified
slash continued falling furiously toward him, seemingly about
to rip his meridians apart.
This is bad… Bai Mian’s face turned livid.
While the thought of being unable to withstand the slash had
crossed his mind, he didn’t think that it would be to such an
extent. Despite his retaliation, the slash still continued flying
toward him with unabated might.
In that desperate moment, Bai Mian roared furiously, and his
cultivation, which he had suppressed initially, began rising
rapidly.
Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage!
Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage!
Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle!
Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage!
His cultivation had to rise by an entire realm before he was
able to dispel the overwhelming saber qi before him.
Peng!
Due to Bai Mian’s forceful counterattack, the freshman was
knocked back, and a mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his
mouth.
Even though he had sustained some damage from the last
attack, his eyes were glowing with excitement.
“You have lost!”
The other party had been forced to unseal his cultivation in
order to withstand his blow, which meant that he had broken
the rules, and thus, he had lost!
Upon hearing those words, Bai Mian’s face turned as pale as a
sheet of paper, and he muttered feebly, “I… I have lost…”
There was no other choice for him but to admit it. So many
eyes had seen him being forced into a corner, unable to
retaliate at all. This was his utter defeat!
It was just a moment ago that this freshman had been defeated
by him in a single blow, but in the next moment, he was
defeated by the latter instead… Despite being the person in
question here, the situation before him felt so mystical that he
could hardly believe what had just happened.
That Zhang shi had only imparted a single move to the
freshman… and the latter had gained sufficient strength to
defeat him? Just how in the world was that possible?
Bai Mian wasn’t the only one who couldn’t get to grips with
the situation. All of the freshmen beneath also felt as if their
eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets.
They had witnessed the prowess of the freshman before and
after he had learned Zhang shi’s saber art… To allow the
freshman to gain the power to defeat a genius of the Martial
Arts School just by imparting a single move to him, this was
just way too exaggerated!
Was their faction leader in truth a deity in disguise?
“Faction leader, I-I succeeded! I managed to defeat a Grade-4
student! I…”
Upon hearing Bai Mian’s confirmation, the young man
immediately leaped down from the dueling platform excitedly
and rushed up to Zhang Xuan with clenched fists.
Having executed the saber art, he understood just how
powerful the move which the faction leader had imparted to
him was. As long as he studied it thoroughly and practiced
diligently, his understanding of the saber would surely soar,
allowing him to become a saber master!
As such, it was inevitable that he would be so excited.
Pah!
However, before he could finish his words, Zhang shi abruptly
slapped him on his head with a livid expression, as if a senior
chastising a disappointing junior.
“Faction leader…”
The freshman was stunned, not knowing what was going on.
Why was the faction leader angry? He had defeated his
opponent!
“After that disappointing performance of yours, you are still in
the mood to celebrate? Honestly, can you even call what you
have just did saber art? In the very first move, if only you had
utilized the full extent of your strength, your opponent
couldn’t have dodged at all. It was a duel you could have won
in a single move, and yet you dragged it on for three moves.
Don’t you feel ashamed of yourself?”
The more Zhang Xuan spoke, the angrier and more
disappointed he felt. If he could, he would truly have wanted
to knock some sense into the fellow.
No matter what, the other party was a half 5-star master
teacher. How could he be so slow on the uptake?
He had personally imparted a simplified version of the
Heaven’s Path Saber Art to the other party and even
transferred a portion of his Saber Intent to him. And yet, that
fellow still required three blows to defeat his opponent. That
was a disgrace!
Win in a single move… Bai Mian nearly spurted blood upon
hearing those words.
I am a Grade-4 student, a genius of the Martial Arts School…
It’s already incredible that you were able to grant a freshman
the strength to defeat me within three blows just by imparting
a saber art to him, and yet you are still disappointed by it…
“Yes…” Hearing the chastising from the faction leader, the
young man could only hang his head in shame.
The faction leader was right. If he put his full strength into the
very first blow, Bai Mian would have surrendered
immediately. Things wouldn’t have dragged on to the third
blow, Bai Mian wouldn’t have resorted to a desperate struggle,
and he wouldn’t have been injured either.
“Alright, at least you are repenting. However, take note of this
in the future. No matter who your opponent is, you have to
strike decisively. The slightest bit of hesitation could cost your
life!” Seeing the other party’s regretful expression, Zhang
Xuan’s rage finally alleviated slightly.
Sighing deeply, he waved his hands and turned to the dueling
platform once more. “Which one of you is next?”
“I shall be your opponent!” Yuan Gang stepped forward.
Bai Mian’s defeat had shocked him deeply as well. At this
point, he knew better than to underestimate the young man
standing before him.
“Alright.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “Who was defeated by him
earlier?”
“Me!”
“Faction leader, I lost as well!”
“You didn’t lose as badly as I did. Allow me to do it!”
“The hell you lost badly, you only fell from the stage! Look at
me, I was even slapped by him. I am in the most wretched
state of all. Let me challenge him!”
“Look, I even spewed blood! Let me do it…”
…
Upon Zhang Xuan’s call, a huge commotion broke out beneath
the stage. All of those who had been injured previously
immediately rushed up indignantly, howling in agitation.
They had witnessed how the freshman who had been defeated
in a single blow earlier turning the tables on Bai Mian after
Zhang shi’s guidance. If they could learn a thing or two from
Zhang shi as well, their fighting prowess might be able to soar
like his.
With such a good opportunity lying before them, only a fool
would give it up!
“To think a day would come that I would see such a sight
before me…”
On the stage, Yuan Gang and Ying Qin’s mouths twitched.
The heck!
The freshmen had always gone out of their way to avoid any
confrontations with their seniors—after all, the disparity in
strength was as clear as day. Never had they seen any
freshman volunteering to challenge the seniors so energetically
before.
Moreover, it was one thing for them to fight over the
opportunity, but screw their competition over who was in a
more wretched state!
The more wretched one’s state was, the weaker they were in
the previous confrontation.
To still be vying for the opportunity after being defeated so
tragically, what do you take us seniors for?
Aren’t you all being too arrogant!
Watching as the crowd below argued over who was in a worse
state, Ying Qin’s face turned more and more livid. There were
even a few of the freshmen who had regretful expressions on
their faces, as if lamenting how they hadn’t allowed Yuan
Gang to get a few more punches on them.
Eventually, Ying Qin came to the limit of his tolerance, and he
sent a telepathic message to Yuan Gang. “Make sure to subdue
them decisively. You mustn’t show them any mercy at all! It’ll
be a grave humiliation on us and the True Helios Faction if we
lose again!”
In truth, Bai Mian’s loss had already introduced some doubts
into their minds. They realized that they had grossly
underestimated Zhang shi’s capability. However, the arrow
was already nocked, and it was too late for them to back down.
No matter what, they had to win the next round. Otherwise,
they just might end up becoming the gatekeepers of the
Xuanxuan Faction.
“Don’t worry, I’ll give it my all!” Yuan Gang nodded grimly.
While the duo was speaking, Zhang Xuan was done picking
out his next competitor as well. It was a young fellow whose
face was bruised to the point that there was not the slightest
uninjured area to be seen. His nose and teeth were slightly
crooked, and a stream of blood flowed uncontrollably from the
edge of his mouth.
I remember that fellow! But… I don’t recall beating him up so
heavily? Could it be that, just so he would appear more
wretched than the others, he chose to beat himself up?
Upon seeing the appearance of the other party, Yuan Gang’s
eyelids began twitching uncontrollably, and he nearly keeled
over.
783 Challenging Zhang shi
As a 5-star high-tier master teacher, he had an eidetic memory.
When he was fighting with the other party, he had only used
the Light Breezy Hands to knock him off the dueling platform.
Yet, at this very moment, the other party’s facial features were
warped hideously, and blood was dripping down from his
mouth… Just how freaking severe were his injuries?
If he had suffered such severe injuries earlier in the battle with
him, he couldn’t possibly still be standing here. Someone
would have already sent him to a physician!
Most likely, he had beaten himself up intentionally just so he
could receive Zhang shi’s guidance… Or else, the situation
simply didn’t make sense!
Just as Yuan Gang was feeling extremely frustrated within,
Zhang Xuan begun imparting a battle technique to the other
party.
In his view, it was highly likely that Bai Mian had only been
defeated by the freshman due to his carelessness. Thus, this
time, he widened his eyes to pay attention to every single
detail regarding the fist art which Zhang shi was imparting to
the severely injured young man.
However, just like the previous saber art, no matter how he
looked at it, he just couldn’t see any deeper technique or
intention behind it.
After a while, he was completely bewildered.
He could easily execute a fist art like that back when he was
only three… Did Zhang shi really think that he could be
defeated with that?
Nevertheless, there is something peculiar about Zhang shi. I
should remain on my guard. Later, I shall attack my opponent
as soon as we get on the stage!
Unable to comprehend the essence hidden within Zhang
Xuan’s fist art, Yuan Gang decided to just achieve a swift
victory.
Given his deeper insight into battle techniques and the control
of his strength, as long as he could gain the initiative, it
shouldn’t be too difficult for him to defeat a freshman swiftly.
Right after he had decided his plan for the battle, the bruised
young man finally stepped onto the dueling platform.
“Senior!” the young man greeted.
“Let’s hurry up and get it over with,” Yuan Gang said.
Crrk crrk crrk!
With a series of creaking sounds, Yuan Gang’s slender body
abruptly grew taller, and his limbs grew longer as well.
Spirit high-tier battle technique, Supreme Ape
Transformation!
Having spent more than a decade cultivating this battle
technique, he had already fully grasped the essence of it,
allowing him to bring out the full might of the technique.
“Here I come!”
Without giving the other party an opportunity to even respond,
Yuan Gang immediately charged forward as soon as the duel
began.
His movement was as swift as the silhouette of an eagle
swooping down for its prey. In the blink of an eye, his figure
was already standing right before the bruised young man, and
with his fingers bent into hooks, he clawed ferociously at him.
The crux of the Supreme Ape Transformation lay in its speed,
and the attacks were mainly hacking, clawing, and grabbing.
This was a technique that an elder of the academy had come
up with after studying the fighting technique of apes.
Sharp glints reminiscent of daggers flashed from the edges of
Yuan Gang’s fingers as they headed right for the bruised
young man’s body.
Not bad!
Looking at how Yuan Gang went for his opponent decisively
without holding back, Yin Qing heaved a sigh of relief.
They had already lost a match. If they were to lose another,
they would have lost the bet.
It was fortunate that Yuan Gang wasn’t an inflexible person
who allowed his pride to get over his head. Knowing that there
was something peculiar about his opponent, he opted to go
with his strongest move right from the start.
“Yuan Gang’s claw harnesses great power. If I were his
opponent, I would first take a step back and wait for the
momentum of his attack to die down before retaliating,” Ying
Qin muttered contemplatively.
As peers from the same student faction, Ying Qin often
sparred with Yuan Gang, so he had a clear idea of how
fearsome the Supreme Ape Transformation was. Due to the
formidable speed of the technique, it was nearly impossible to
dodge at close quarters.
Curious to see how Yuan Gang’s opponent would respond to
his attack, Ying Qin turned his gaze back to the stage, only to
see the other party standing still on the spot, retaliating to
Yuan Gang’s attack with a punch of his own.
“This…” Ying Qin blinked in shock.
Was the opponent intending to trade blow for blow?
But Yuan Gang’s claw was far swifter than his fist! If he were
to remain in the same position, he would surely be struck by
Yuan Gang’s claw first!
Hu la!
Before the doubt in Ying Qin’s mind could vanish, he
suddenly saw the speed of the opponent’s fist abruptly
accelerate. At the current speed, it was likely that both of their
attacks would land on each other at the same time.
In other words… the opponent was aiming for a mutually
assured destruction!
Peng!
As Ying Qin had predicted, the duo struck one another
squarely.
Deng deng deng! Deng deng deng!
Yuan Gang was knocked eight steps backward from the impact
of his opponent’s fist while his opponent was left with deep
claw marks on his chest.
“Good!”
Despite being injured in the first encounter, the bruised young
man didn’t seem to have lost his courage in the least. On the
contrary, he grew more and more excited. Without any
hesitation, he charged right toward Yuan Gang once again.
Regardless of how profound Yuan Gang’s move was and how
much damage he would sustain from them, his focus was only
on one thing—landing his punch on Yuan Gang.
Peng!
They traded another blow. Even though the bruised young man
was injured, Yuan Gang didn’t fare any better either. Suffering
two consecutive heavy blows, his face paled, and with a sweet
sensation at the back of his throat, he spurted a mouthful of
blood.
I finally understand… Ying Qin narrowed his eyes as he
tightened his fists in agitation. It is indeed a good plan.
Zhang shi sure is a formidable opponent…
At this moment, he finally understood the reasoning behind
the bruised young man’s fighting style.
Ultimately, one couldn’t become a master at close quarter
combat just by learning a single move. It required the
accumulation of experience and refinement through practice
over countless years. Understanding this, Zhang shi decisively
imparted a fist art with overwhelming offensive ability.
Since it is impossible for us to win in a battle of skill, we
might as well abandon the very notion of it. We shall go head
to head with you instead! Even if we suffer grievous wounds
in the midst of doing so, we won’t let you get off the hook
easily either!
If you land a blow on me, I will make sure to return the favor
twofold to you! As long as I possess sufficient strength and
speed in my attacks, the one to fall will ultimately be you!
How vicious!
It seems like Zhang shi didn’t select his candidates randomly.
This fellow was willing to even punch himself in order to earn
the opportunity, and that reflects how tenacious he is… Ying
Qin thought with a livid expression.
Honestly speaking, he did wonder why Zhang Xuan had
chosen the person who had beaten himself up. Given the
latter’s sharp eye of discernment, surely he should have been
able to tell that those wounds were self-inflicted?
But at this moment, he realized that it was an intentional
action on the other party’s part.
If a person was willing to hurt himself for an opportunity, how
could he possibly back down in a crucial moment?
A person with such a personality was the most suited for a
battle of trading blows!
It seems like… Yuan Gang is going to lose! Ying Qin shook
his head.
They were all currently of the same cultivation realm, but
considering the incredible might behind the bruised young
man’s fist art, as well as his determination to win the duel, it
was just a matter of time before Yuan Gang fell in defeat.
It was not that Yuan Gang was weak, but such a battle simply
wasn’t his forte. The Supreme Ape Transformation which he
cultivated was built on the natural instincts of apes, and this
included their natural aversion toward danger as well. As such,
Yuan Gang’s instinctual response toward harm was not to fight
but to flee.
Naturally, Yuan Gang also understood the bruised young
man’s intentions, and he knew that if he wanted to win, he had
to attack decisively and persevere to the very end. However,
the contradiction between his instincts and actions resulted in
an inevitable hesitation in his movements, which hindered him
from fighting decisively.
Peng peng peng!
As expected, after trading five blows, Yuan Gang finally
reached the limit of his perseverance, and after a stagger, his
body collapsed to the ground weakly. He had been defeated by
a freshman.
That ape guy is not bad! Zhang Xuan nodded in
commendation.
The Heaven’s Path Fist Art harnessed immense strength
behind each of its blows. Even though Zhang Xuan had only
imparted a move from its simplified version to the bruised
young man, it was still an incredible feat for Yuan Gang to
endure five punches before collapsing.
“Faction leader, I won…” The bruised young man leaped
down the dueling platform excitedly and bowed deeply to his
faction leader with respect gleaming in his eyes.
Previously, when he fought against Yuan Gang, he was unable
to even take a single blow from him. Yet, after receiving his
faction leader’s guidance, he was able to overwhelm Yuan
Gang and defeat him. Regardless of whether it was his faction
leader’s grasp over battle strategy or his comprehension of
battle techniques, they had reached a level beyond his
imagination.
“Good, you have done well. Drink this!” Zhang Xuan flicked
his wrist and passed a gourd over.
“Yes!” Taking the gourd, the bruised young man gulped down
the fine wine within, leaving not a single drop behind. The
next moment, he suddenly felt a tingling feeling throughout
his body, and the injuries he had sustained swiftly healed.
“That is Saint recovery medicine…” The bruised young man
widened his eyes in shock.
In order to treat his injuries, his faction leader was willing to
even take out a gourd of Saint recovery medicine for his
consumption. To go this far for him…
Faction leader, from this day onward, I shall remain a member
of your faction until the moment of my death!
There’s nothing in this world that can change my decision…
…
“Zhang shi’s means are indeed incredible!” Seeing the
freshman who was pummeled recovering entirely from his
wounds in the blink of an eye while Yuan Gang was still
convulsing on the ground, on the brink of death, Ying Qin
shook his head and sighed deeply before turning to look at
Zhang Xuan with a profound gaze.
Regardless of whether it was his ability to impart techniques,
his grasp over battle techniques, or his charisma around his
subordinates, he was indeed worthy of respect.
Taking a deep breath, Ying Qin grasped his spear tightly and
said, “Having lost two consecutive rounds, we have already
lost the bet. However… I find it hard to come to terms with
my defeat without witnessing Zhang shi’s prowess with my
own eyes. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi will agree to a fight
against me!”
As Zhang Xuan’s side had already achieved two out of three
wins, the trio had already lost the bet. However, having yet to
force Zhang Xuan into action, he couldn’t help but feel a little
indignant inside. Thus, he wanted to challenge him so as to see
how powerful the young man, who could give the other
freshmen the strength to defeat his peers through just a
moment of guidance, was.
If he lost, so be it. He would have no regrets whatsoever at the
very least.
“You wish to challenge me?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a
moment before nodding. “Alright then.”
This fellow with the spear was likely to be the strongest of the
three. He should be a fine opponent for him to test out his
newfound strength with the advancement in his cultivation he
had made recently.
Thus, Zhang Xuan leaped up to the dueling platform as well.
While being able to guide others to victory was indeed a
testimony to his prowess, it wasn’t as impactful as witnessing
it in a battle. Only in a real battle could the full extent of one’s
skills be seen.
“Since Zhang shi possesses the cultivation of Cosmos Bridge
realm pinnacle, I shall suppress my cultivation to that of your
level too…” Seeing the other party agree to it, Ying Qin
nodded before forcefully suppressing his cultivation of
Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle down two realms.
“Suppress your cultivation?” Seeing Ying Qin’s action, Zhang
Xuan shook his head. “You will die like that…”
He had cultivated his soul, physical body, and zhenqi, along
with his Eye of Insight and Library of Heaven’s Path, that
fellow wouldn’t even be much of a match even if he were to
fight him at Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle.
Yet, he was still thinking of suppressing his cultivation. How
bold!
“Zhang shi, don’t worry. Even though you have a deep
understanding of battle techniques, I am not that bad either,
especially in the field of spearmanship. I can proudly say that
there are none at my level who can rival me!” Ying Qin
replied confidently.
He had seen what Zhang shi had done, and that was indeed
impressive. However, he had confidence in his ability as well.
This was the trust he had in himself after countless years of
sweat, tears, and blood honing his spearmanship.
As long as he had a spear in hand, he would be able to face
any enemy.
“Alright then…” Seeing how confident the other party was,
there was nothing else Zhang Xuan could say.
Seeing Zhang Xuan standing barehanded on the dueling
platform, Ying Qin asked doubtfully, “Zhang shi, where’s your
weapon?”
“My weapon? You have already suppressed your cultivation; if
I were to use a weapon on top of that, I would truly be
bullying you… How about this then?”
Zhang Xuan turned to Ruohuan gongzi and said, “Ruohuan, I
recall that there is a feather duster beneath the stool over there.
Bring it over to me!”
784 Zhang shi, Isn’t Yours
Too Short?
Feather duster? Ying Qin’s body swayed weakly from side to
side.
The spear in my hand is a Spirit high-tier weapon crafted using
the finest Xuan Jade of the Eastern Sea. It has a length of 2.3
meters, and the tip is specially made out of Gelid Jadeite
Essence, possessing incomparable sharpness capable of slicing
through metal and carrying the effect to slow down the
thoughts of one’s enemy…
I have such a powerful weapon in my hands, and yet you wish
to fight against me using a feather duster?
That item is only made out of ordinary bamboo! It would be
sliced into two with even the slightest touch, how in the world
do you expect to fight against me?
Not only him, Ruohuan gongzi was completely stunned as
well.
Using a feather duster to deal with a Spirit high-tier weapon?
Zhang shi… don’t you think you are going too far humiliating
the other party?
But… what is with the inexplicable joy I am feeling at the
sight of this?
“Great, I’ll be right back!” With his lips curling up
uncontrollably out of excitement, Ruohuan gongzi
immediately ran off.
“You…” Seeing the gleeful look on Ruohuan gongzi’s face,
Ying Qin felt his innards boiling with fury. “Zhang shi, I am
earnestly challenging to a duel, and since you have agreed to
it, I hope that you can take it seriously. As fellow master
teachers, don’t you think it’s improper for you to humiliate me
like that?”
“Humiliate?”
Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I am truly not trying to
humiliate you, and you aren’t qualified for me to go that far
either. The reason I am not using a spear against you is due to
the excessive power of my spear art. I fear that I might
accidentally kill you if I fail to control my strength well, and
that would be very troublesome. While a feather duster is
indeed a little weaker, it’s much easier to control it, so I will be
able to avoid injuring you!”
He really didn’t have any intention of humiliating Ying Qin.
He could see why the latter would think so, but if he wanted to
humiliate him, he could have easily defeated him in a single
blow without any weapon at hand as well.
Honestly speaking, it was out of respect for the other party that
he chose to even use a feather duster as a weapon.
“You…” Ying Qin was so furious that he started laughing
uproariously instead. His eyes narrowed into menacing slits as
he bellowed, “Fine! Let me see how powerful your spear art is
then!”
For a top Grade-4 student to be told by a freshman that he was
fearful that he might accidentally kill him… Ying Qin felt so
much fury boiling within him that he could’ve charged
forward to tear the other party apart then and there.
In the midst of their conversation, Ruohuan gongzi had
already gathered more than a dozen feather dusters from the
surroundings and threw them onto the stage for Zhang Xuan to
choose.
Zhang Xuan casually picked up one of them before turning to
Ying Qin. “We can start now.”
“You’re seeking death!”
Seeing that Zhang Xuan was truly intending to use a feather
duster to fight against him, Ying Qin roared in fury as the
spear in his hand pierced forward with might reminiscent of a
massive dragon.
A gale so powerful that it felt as if it could tear one into shreds
whipped up in the surroundings.
Infused with zhenqi, the Spirit high-tier spear pierced through
the air, producing a deafening sonic boom as it headed straight
for Zhang Xuan.
“Strong…”
Upon seeing the move, Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the
others couldn’t help but narrow their eyes.
Even though Ying Qin had already suppressed his cultivation
to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, the power that he displayed
in his attack was still far beyond what they could withstand.
Perhaps it might be an exaggeration to say that this move was
unrivaled by all Cosmos Bridge realm cultivator, but it was no
joke to say that less than a handful of Cosmos Bridge realm
cultivators in the academy would be able to take this blow.
In fact, most Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage
cultivators would be forced to retreat in the face of this move,
not daring to confront it head-on.
Could Zhang shi really be able to stand against such a
powerful attack with a feather duster in hand?
Everyone subconsciously turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan,
only to see him standing nonchalantly before the other party’s
might. A slight smile emerged on his face as he stretched his
hand forward and snapped his forefinger and middle finger
together.
Kacha!
Just like that, the incomparably powerful spear was held
lightly in Zhang Xuan’s fingertips.
As if fallen deep into a marsh, the ferocious dragon of a spear
from a moment ago found itself incapable of moving no matter
how hard it struggled.
Pah pah pah pah!
While holding onto the spear, Zhang Xuan raised his feather
duster and struck Ying Qin’s face relentlessly.
In just the blink of an eye, crimson streaks had already filled
the latter’s face.
“The heck… it is actually possible for such a situation to
happen in a battle?”
“Why does it feel like an adult caning a child?”
“Indeed… This is supposed to be a serious battle, but this…”
…
The crowd beneath the stage was stunned.
When they saw Ying Qin’s spear art earlier, they had nearly
been scared out of their wits, thinking that Zhang shi would be
defeated by it. Who could have known that Zhang shi would
end up stopping the spear with just two mere fingers instead!
No matter how hard Ying Qin tugged or pushed, the spear was
firmly trapped between Zhang Xuan’s fingers, refusing to
budge at all. This had left him open to the lashing of Zhang
Xuan’s feather duster.
Everyone had thought that this would be an intense battle
between two experts, but in the end… it turned out to be a
one-sided slaughter instead!
“Ah!” Ying Qin hadn’t expected the other party to be skillful
enough to even grab a spear harnessing such immense might
so easily. Panicked, he struggled with all his might, but he was
unable to pull the spear out of Zhang Xuan’s fingers at all.
Flustered, he howled, “Let go!”
At the same time, he gathered all of the zhenqi in his body to
pull the spear back to him with his full might.
As long as the spear remained in the other party’s grasp, he
would be powerless against him.
“You want it back? Here you go!”
Feeling the force pulling the spear away from his fingers
growing stronger and stronger, Zhang Xuan abruptly let go
with a smile.
Deng deng deng deng!
The sudden disappearance of the force from Zhang Xuan’s
side caused Ying Qin to fall backward abruptly. In an attempt
to stop himself from tumbling back, he ended up leaving a
series of heavy footprints in the dueling platform.
“You! Die!”
Even though Ying Qin was left in quite an awkward position,
having succeeded in pulling his spear out, he felt another burst
of confidence returning to him. With a roaring whiz from his
spear, he swept it toward the Zhang Xuan.
Since the pierce failed to work, surely a sweep would be fine!
In the next moment, however, the figure before him suddenly
blurred, and a pair of fingers abruptly materialized from
nowhere and easily halted the movement of his spear.
What is going on… Ying Qin’s body shook wildly.
In order to prevent the other party from grabbing his spear, he
had put his full might into the sweep. How did the other party
still manage to grab his spear?
That should have been impossible!
Before he could give it much thought, the feather duster began
raining blows down on him once more.
Even though it was only a stick made out of bamboo, it had
zhenqi infused into it. As such, a lashing from it felt even
more painful than being whipped by a leather belt. With just a
few strikes, Ying Qin’s face was already covered in
lacerations, and blood was dripping down his face profusely.
“Damn it!”
Despite facing an opponent with the same cultivation level as
him at the moment, he still ended up being struck bloody by a
feather duster. Ying Qin felt as if he was going to go mad.
With an abrupt pounce, he leaped upward while tugging the
spear forcefully out of Zhang Xuan’s grip.
Exerting his full might until the point which his zhenqi was
about to explode from overexertion, the other party’s force on
his spear abruptly disappeared once again.
Huala!
As a result, Ying Qin’s figure fell back yet again. However,
this time, before he could steady his figure, Zhang Xuan had
rushed forward to grab his spear once more, and the feather
duster began lashing him again.
The heck… Ying Qin was on the verge of tears.
He had fought many battles ever since he had started
cultivating, but never had he had a duel like that before.
The moment his spear shot forth, the other party rushed to
grab his spear and lash him viciously. While he was trying to
pull his spear out of the other party’s grip, the other party
would abruptly let go, resulting in his loss of balance. But yet
again, making use of his state of vulnerability as a result of his
loss of balance, the other party would charge forward to grab
his spear again…
That’s cheating!
Can’t we have a proper duel?
“AHHHH!”
The more he thought about it, the more furious Ying Qin felt.
Fury raged furiously in his chest like blazing flames.
Hong long!
In his state of rage, he finally let go of the suppression of
his zhenqi, resulting in his cultivation swiftly surging back to
normal.
Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage… Perfect
Harmonization realm intermediate stage… Ethereal Treading
realm pinnacle!
In the blink of an eye, he had reached the peak of his strength
once again.
Upon the recovery of his strength, he immediately turned his
attention back to Zhang shi once more, seemingly about to
charge at him again, only to see the latter had already retreated
several meters away.
Holding a feather duster in his hand, the other party questioned
him nonchalantly, “Are you admitting defeat?”
“Admitting defeat? Impossible! Through the battle we had, I
realized that you aren’t merely a Cosmos Bridge realm
pinnacle cultivator… Do you dare fight against me at my full
strength?” Ying Qin gritted his teeth.
After being struck so viciously on his face, how could he
possibly admit defeat and let the other party get away just like
that?
Besides, considering how the other party could grab his spear
so easily and firmly such that even he was unable to extract it
from his fingers, that showed that his strength far exceeded
any Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle cultivator. Since that was
the case… even if he were to use his full strength against the
other party, that couldn’t be considered bullying.
“Fine by me,” Zhang Xuan replied calmly.
In the first place, he had intended for Ying Qin to use his full
strength, but the latter obstinately insisted on suppressing his
cultivation for the sake of fairness. This situation worked
better with him; he would finally be able to try out his strength
like that.
“Let’s start then.” Zhang Xuan raised his feather duster to
gesture for the other party to come at him.
“Wait a moment!” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s movement, Ying Qin
couldn’t help but recall how badly he had been thrashed just a
moment ago, and he shuddered in fear. Gritting his teeth, he
said, “I wish to compete with you in terms of spear art, but
your feather duster is too short, turning the duel into a close
quarter battle instead. May I ask of you to use a spear to fight
with me?”
What Zhang Xuan had done earlier—grabbing his spear and
lashing him viciously—couldn’t be considered as a spear art
but close quarter offense.
A spear’s length granted it a long reach, but at the same time,
it also limited its utility in a narrow space.
He couldn’t allow the other party to turn the battle into a close
quarter combat like before, or else even with his restored
cultivation, it was extremely likely that he would end up badly
thrashed like before.
“Close quarter combat? Spear?”
How could Zhang Xuan possibly not understand the other
party’s intention? Letting out a soft chuckle, he said, “You
mean that… my feather duster is too short for you, so you
want me to fight you with a longer weapon?”
“That’s right!” Ying Qin nodded.
“Fine by me as well!” Zhang Xuan nodded before turning to
Ruohuan gongzi. “Help me tie these feather dusters together,
end-to-end.”
“Yes!” Ruohuan gongzi nodded as he leaped onto the dueling
platform and tied the feather dusters together using some
string from his storage ring.
With more than a dozen feather dusters connected end to end,
the ultimate product was more than ten-meters long, and it
resembled a long wooden branch.
It was truly a novel sight to watch as the bunch of feather
dusters rose up like a flagpole, and countless feathers swayed
amidst the wind.
“This should be long enough, right?” Zhang Xuan asked as he
took the long rod over.
“Of course!” Ying Qin’s eyes lit up.
Due to his spear being too long, he had been unable to display
his prowess in close quarters, which resulted in the eventual
lashing he’d received. However, now that Zhang Xuan had
made his weapon ten meters long, the tables would be turned
on him.
He had no doubt that the other party would be completely
crushed, and he would be able to exact vengeance for the
humiliation he’d received.
Hearing the other party’s approval, Zhang Xuan flicked his
‘long spear’ made out of more than a dozen feather dusters to
the side, preparing himself for the battle. He then said
nonchalantly, “I hope that you won’t complain anymore when
you lose this time.”
“Of course, I won’t. However, you are the one who should be
careful!” Ying Qin replied confidently.
The feather duster spear was more than ten meters long.
Provided he could get within a distance of ten meters of Zhang
Xuan, the other party would be helpless before him.
Excited, Ying Qin swung his spear casually and said, “Let’s
begin!”
Seeing the other party’s confidence, Zhang Xuan raised his
spear vertically upright, as if a lightning rod connecting to the
heavens. At the same time, he beckoned with his left hand and
chuckled lightly. “Come, I’ll give you a 39 meters head start!
[1]”
[1] This is a meme from China. In 2016, there was a news
which said that a woman hacked another female student with a
40 meters blade, which turned out to be a typo as the blade is
actually 40 centimeters long. Nevertheless, it still resulted in
quite a few memes created by netizens such as those in here
[http://www.fanjian.net/jbk/ssmcd.html]. One of the funniest
ones I found was a 42.195km blade with the caption “I’ll let
you run a marathon first”.
785 The True Spear Ar
In his previous life, Zhang Xuan had once seen a picture of a
small person holding a forty-meter-long saber taunting his
opponent, saying that he would first allow him to get a 39
meters head start.
At this moment, this was exactly the kind of feeling Zhang
Xuan got.
With more than a dozen feather dusters connected together, his
weapon seemed just like a flagpole. In comparison, his
enemy’s spear felt no different from a short twig.
With such a long weapon in hand, he felt as if he had nothing
to fear.
“Let’s begin then!” With a roar, Ying Qin stepped off with his
right foot and charged straight at Zhang Xuan, aiming to close
the distance as soon as possible.
Considering the length of Zhang Xuan’s weapon, as long as he
could get within a ten-meter radius of him, he should be safe
from the other party’s offense.
The other party had previously used a feather duster to lash
him. With this opportunity, he would return the favor to him!
“Do you really think it’ll be that easy for you to close in on
me?”
How could Zhang Xuan possibly not understand Ying Qin’s
intentions? With a slight smile, he executed the Heaven’s Path
Movement Art and drew an additional ten-meter distance
away from Ying Qin in an instant before stabbing his feather
duster spear toward Ying Qin.
Hu!
A ten-meter long feather duster spear couldn’t possibly be as
agile as a spear or as swift as a sword. Yet, for some reason, it
still managed to block Ying Qin’s advancement.
Or to be exact, the spear was precisely positioned such that
there was no way for Ying Qin to avoid it if he were to
continue charging forward with his current momentum.
Damn it! Ying Qin’s complexion turned awful upon realizing
that his advancement had been impeded.
He immediately twisted his body to dodge the other party’s
attack before rushing to another location to charge forward
once more. However, just as he was about to do so, the feather
duster spear appeared right before him once again.
The speed this time around was far swifter than previously.
Moreover, it was directed at one of his mingmen, leaving him
no choice but to avoid it as well.
“Humph!”
He immediately leaped backward to dodge the attack before
rushing at another direction.
With a burst of his zhenqi as an Ethereal Treading realm
pinnacle expert, his speed was as swift as a soaring dragon.
But… despite his speed, Zhang Xuan’s feather duster spear
seemed to be even faster than him. Every time he attempted to
approach the other party, a spear would abruptly emerge to
block his path. It was as if Zhang Xuan knew where he would
attack from.
As such, despite the bulky and burdensome weapon the
opponent was wielding, Ying Qin felt as if he was facing an
impregnable fortress. No matter how hard he tried, he simply
couldn’t breach the other party’s defenses.
“This…”
Ruohuan gongzi and the others swallowed a mouthful of saliva
as they widened their eyes in shock.
They had thought that it would be hard for Zhang shi to deal
with Ying Qin when the latter released the suppression on his
cultivation. After all, two realms was indeed a huge gap to
overcome. But who would have thought that with just a feather
duster spear, Zhang shi would be able to ward off the other
party perfectly, leaving him prowling helplessly at a ten-meter
distance away?
While this couldn’t be consisted a victory, considering that
Zhang shi was facing an opponent with a far higher cultivation
than him, it was indubitably an impressive feat.
It was at that moment that someone amidst the crowd suddenly
shouted, “Do you all feel that there’s something weird about
this battle? I can’t really put my finger on it, but… it doesn’t
feel like a duel at all!”
“Indeed!” Luo Xuan frowned as he felt that there was
something amiss with the situation as well. After a moment of
contemplation, he muttered, “It is like… toying like a
monkey?”
“Now that you say it, it does seem like that…”
Ruohuan gongzi nodded in agreement.
Words of agreement rippled through the crowd as well.
At this moment, it seemed as if the awe-inspiring Ying Qin
from a moment ago was being played by Zhang shi like a
monkey. Zhang shi would stand, unmoving, on the spot and
flick his feather duster spear slightly, and Ying Qin would
suddenly leap backward and rush off in another direction
before attempting to charge toward Zhang Xuan again.
But before he could charge in, the bamboo spear would arrive
before him, and he would leap backward once more…
Such a cycle had been ongoing since the start of the battle.
Honestly, it truly resembled those street performers played
with their monkeys.
To play a Grade-4 student like a monkey…
Zhang shi sure was incredible!
Luo Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others had once viewed
Zhang shi as a target for comparison, but upon seeing this
sight, they could only swallow a mouthful of saliva and watch
silently.
Even if they were to cultivate for another ten years, it was
doubtful they would be able to wield the strength he had at this
very moment!
…
“Damn it!”
As the crowd below realized that, Ying Qin had also noticed
this detail as well. Furious, he gritted his teeth so tightly that
they were on the verge of chipping off.
He had thought that with the opponent wielding such a long
weapon, as long as he could get into close quarters, he would
be able to subdue him easily. Who could have known that the
other party would be so skilled with a spear? Every single
move that the other party made casually came at trajectory that
was difficult for him to defend, and they were all aimed at
his mingmen as well.
In other words… there was no way for him to get close at all!
At this moment, the short reach of his spear became his
weakness instead. The other party’s spear was more than ten
meters long whereas his was only two meters. With his spear
being unable to reach the other party, how could the duel go
on?
Shouldn’t the one with the shorter weapon be at an advantage?
Why does it feel as if I am the one being disadvantaged
instead?
If this goes on, not only will I lose, I will even become a
laughingstock! Ying Qin thought with a livid expression as he
heard the comments from the crowd below.
If word were to spread that he had been toyed with like a
monkey by a freshman, there would be no way he could keep
his head up before his peers and his juniors.
That spear of his is crafted by connecting feather dusters
together, so its quality is subpar. If I directly clash with it, even
if I’m injured in the encounter, I should be able to snap it!
Ying Qin pondered as he flitted across the battlefield.
There was no way he could achieve victory under the current
circumstances. The urgent matter at hand was to find a way to
close in on his opponent, and the only way to do so was to
snap the feather duster spear…
Considering that those feather dusters were only made of
ordinary materials, with his strength as an Ethereal Treading
realm expert, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to reduce
them to dust with his zhenqi.
Alright, I’ll do just that then! Gritting his teeth, Ying Qin
pumped his zhenqi furiously, and with his arms covering his
chest, he charged forward furiously, paying no heed to the
movement of the feather duster spear at all.
Kacha! Kacha!
As he had predicted, the feather duster spear was unable to
withstand his might at all.
Due to the long length of the feather duster and the low quality
of the materials used to craft it, it was impossible for Zhang
Xuan to pump zhenqi into it efficiently to reinforce its
resilience. Thus, upon contact with Ying Qin’s rampaging
zhenqi, it was swiftly reduced to dust.
“This is bad…”
“That’s cheating!”
Anxiety swept through the crowd as they watched the sight.
Zhang shi had already given him a huge advantage by
wielding a feather duster spear, and yet he shamelessly
destroyed it. That was cheating!
“Let’s see how you stop me now that I am already right before
you!” With a roar, Ying Qin raised his spear and pierced right
at Zhang Xuan.
At his current proximity from the other party, his spear
wielded the absolute advantage in the collision. With this
blow, he would win the duel!
“Do you think that you can win with just this?” Seeing the
other party’s excited look, Zhang Xuan shook his head. He
abruptly released his grip, and the feather duster spear fell to
the ground.
He let go of his weapon? Ying Qin was taken aback by the
abrupt turn of events.
A weapon was a cultivator’s most prized possession. It was an
unspoken rule to never release one’s weapon in battle—what
would a spear master be without his spear? How could Zhang
Xuan simply throw his weapon aside like that?
At that moment, the young man before Ying Qin chuckled
lightly as he spoke. “A weapon is just an extension of one’s
limbs. A spear art doesn’t require a spear to be executed!”
The next moment, Zhang Xuan leaped into the sky and his
aura abruptly changed.
Boundless Spear Intent gathered around him, and in that
instant, it felt as if he was the personification of the spear
itself. He was the spear, and the spear was him; there was no
distinction between the two.
“T-this… This is the realm of Spear-Man Union?” Ying Qin’s
body stiffened as his eyes narrowed in astonishment.
Legend had it that if one were to reach a certain level in the
comprehension of Spear Heart, they would be able to become
the spear themself.
Even without a spear in hand, they could wield their body like
a spear through the manifestation of their Spear Intent and
challenge anyone who stood in their way!
But even Senior Xue Zhenyang had yet to reach such a realm.
How did the man before him achieve such heights?
However, in the midst of a duel, he didn’t have the luxury of
entertaining any miscellaneous thoughts. Zhang Xuan’s
manifestation of a spear was already right before him. The
other party’s fingertip had manifested into the edge of the
spear, and with a sharp glint, it clashed with the tip of his
spear.
Hong long!
An immense force crushed down on Ying Qin as he felt an
overpowering Spear Intent rushing through his body,
shattering his defense in an instant.
Pu!
Fresh blood spurted frenziedly from his mouth as his figure
was sent flying into the air, retreating at a rapid pace.
Padah!
After flying several dozen meters, he crashed heavily onto the
ground. A moment later, the tip of his spear was plunged into
the ground some distance away from him.
Pu!
Yet another mouthful of crimson blood spewed from his
mouth.
“I’ve lost…”
Looking at the nonchalant Zhang Xuan on the dueling
platform, he clenched his fists tightly in agitation.
He had never thought that even when he had exerted the full
extent of his strength, he would still be defeated by a single
finger from the other party.
Such strength was already comparable to Senior Xue
Zhenyang, the leader of the True Helios Faction.
Just as Ying Qin was wallowing in the sorrow of his defeat,
Zhang Xuan’s calm voice was suddenly heard.
“Do you know the reason for your loss?”
Ying Qin struggled his feet and said, “I know that I have lost. I
will back out of the True Helios Faction to become Xuanxuan
Faction’s gatekeeper. You need not mock me any further about
this matter…”
A person who lived with the spear had a backbone just like the
spear.
Since they had agreed on it beforehand, he would keep his end
of bet and become the gatekeeper of Xuanxuan Faction.
However, he wouldn’t allow himself to be humiliated any
further.
“Mock?” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“I am only telling you to set your priorities straight. What you
should be pursuing is the Way of the Spear, not the spear in
your hand!”
“What do you mean?” Ying Qin was slightly taken aback by
Zhang Xuan’s words.
“Spearmanship is both an artform and a capability. It shouldn’t
just be what you do with a spear but what you feel with your
heart as well.”
With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan turned to Ying
Qin with a profound gaze in his eyes and said, “Just like when
you were struck by my feather duster in close quarters, if only
you had let go of the spear in your hand, what you could have
gained would have been a brand-new world. But… it’s a pity
that you weren’t able to do so.
“That’s the reason you lost.”
“I…” Ying Qin was stunned.
Indeed. When the other party was holding onto his spear and
lashing him with a feather duster, he could have let go of his
spear. Even if he was barehanded, he would still be able to
fight. Even if he couldn’t win, he would still be able to flee. At
the very least, he wouldn’t have been struck so horrendously
as he had been back then.
“Afterwards, when I fought you with the feather duster spear,
it was indeed a wise move on your part to close the distance
between us. However, you neglected the fact that
spearmanship doesn’t simply lie in the spear. In a true spear
art, the man is in the spear, and the spear is in the man as well!
That’s the reason you were caught off guard when I let go of
my spear and attacked you directly,” Zhang Xuan continued.
“I…” Ying Qin’s body froze in shock.
The other party was right.
Training with the spear, he had already viewed the spear as a
part of him. This was the reason he couldn’t bring himself to
let it go earlier in the battle.
Instinctively, he thought that he would be unable to fight once
he released his spear.
“If you aren’t able to let go, how can you comprehend the
quintessence of the spear and grasp profound spear arts?”
Zhang Xuan said with a smile.
“Let go? Quintessence?” Ying Qin muttered these words in a
daze.
Ever since he had started learning the spear, he had thought of
his weapon as a part of him, just like his limbs and eyes.
How could a human simply let go of their limbs and eyes so
easily?
But in the previous battle, Zhang Xuan had given him an
impactful lesson. Sometimes, one had to let go.
Letting go could open up a whole world before one, bringing
one release and freedom. Perhaps, one might even notice
something one had never noticed before.
Seeing that Ying Qin was starting to understand what he was
saying, Zhang Xuan continued, “Spear in the heart, and heart
in the spear—that’s what spearmanship truly is. The thing you
hold in your hand is nothing more than a tool!”
“The heart in the spear is the true spear?” Ying Qin ruminated
over those words with his eyes closed. A moment later,
exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, he opened his eyes once
more, and the confusion in his eyes had given way to clarity.
Putong!
Kneeling on the floor, Ying Qin lowered his head in respect.
“Thank you for your guidance! I beseech Zhang shi to take me
as your student and impart your spearmanship to me!”
786 Xue Zhenyang’s
Determination
“Stand up! As long as you work diligently for the Xuanxuan
Faction, I will guide you in your spearmanship!” Zhang Xuan
nodded.
The Xuanxuan Faction had just been established, and
considering it was a faction consisting solely of freshmen, it
was in dire need of credible fighting power. However, Zhang
Xuan didn’t have the time to protect its members every time
something happened, so he needed to bring in sufficiently
powerful cultivators to ward off troublemakers.
Considering that these three were geniuses of the Grade-4
students, they were indeed the most suitable candidates.
This was also the reason Zhang Xuan had provoked them into
agreeing to the bet of becoming the gatekeepers of Xuanxuan
Faction.
He wasn’t intentionally trying to humiliate them. He was
hoping that through their presence, the troublemakers would
have to stop and think for themselves whether they could
really afford to provoke the Xuanxuan Faction or not.
Ying Qin stood up and said, “Alright. The three of us will back
out of the True Helios Faction to join the Xuanxuan Faction!”
At this moment, he wasn’t just awed by the other party’s
fighting prowess but his character as well.
Even in a duel, the latter intentionally used a feather duster
against him just to teach him that the foundation of
spearmanship didn’t lay in the weapon itself.
This comprehension hadn’t led to an increase in his fighting
prowess yet, but it did open up a brand-new world before him.
Now that he knew the general direction in which he should
advance, as long as he built on it, he would surely be able to
climb to great heights.
“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded before turning his gaze back to the
crowd.
“Faction leader, faction leader!”
“Faction leader, faction leader!”
…
Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd began shouting ‘faction
leader!’, and before long, more and more people joined in the
chant, and it grew louder and louder. Eventually, everyone was
shouting vehemently as they stared at the young man on the
dueling platform with deep excitement and admiration
gleaming from their eyes.
If they had still harbored doubts as to whether it was truly the
correct decision for them to follow Zhang shi previously, at
this very moment, they knew that they had made the right
decision.
He was able to easily defeat the geniuses of the Martial Arts
School, the top fighters of the True Helios Faction. As long as
he was around, what else did they have to fear?
This is our faction leader!
The pillar of support for us freshmen. As long as he is around,
we have nothing to fear!
Feeling the earnest emotions from the crowd, Zhang Xuan
couldn’t help but feel a little moved as well. At this moment,
Ruohuan gongzi stepped onto the stage and raised his hand.
The chanting immediately quietened down.
“In the Master Teacher Academy, every batch of freshmen
faces the oppression of the seniors. This is to beat the
arrogance and conceit out of them, teaching them that there is
always a higher mountain, a world beyond what they see! This
should have been a good tradition to uphold within the
academy, but… as time passed, this tradition nurtured a sense
of superiority within them, and they got more and more
overboard in their actions, turning the culture of humility into
a toxic cesspool!” Ruohuan gongzi’s voice was heard clearly
throughout the crowd.
“They forced us into purchasing their products at excessively
inflated pricing. They forced us to join their factions and
become tools for them to earn their fortunes and Academic
Credits. And if we refused, they would use their connections
to deprive us of crucial resources needed to survive in the
academy! Are we freshmen supposed to sit idly and allow
them to oppress us like that?
“We can’t!
“We can’t, and we won’t! We won’t allow them to oppress us
like that! We won’t allow them to turn us into their money-
earning slaves! We won’t allow our dignity to be trampled
beneath their feet! We are master teachers. We are the leaders
who will guide humanity to higher grounds, not pitiful beings
who can be bullied by anyone!
“We might be weak individually, but even oceans are made of
tiny droplets of water. If we can gather our strength together,
we will find the might to stand against them! Thus, we must
unite together as one!
“On this note, I nominate Zhang shi to be our leader! In order
to allow many of us to enroll in the academy, he willingly gave
away his own points in the entrance examination. So that we
wouldn’t be taken advantage of by the seniors, he compiled his
own version of the Teacher Information Documentation and
distributed it for free. To uphold the dignity of us freshmen, he
stood up and defeated the Grade-4 students who came to
oppress us, convincing them to lend a hand to our cause!
“His selfless character is a role model for all of us! If such a
man is going to be our leader, I am willing to join the
Xuanxuan Faction and listen to his commands!
“What about the rest of you?”
Ruohuan gongzi’s gaze fell on the crowd as his voice echoed
resoundingly, “Are you willing to stand up as well?”
“We are willing to join the cause!”
“We will join the Xuanxuan Faction!”
…
With thirty thousand freshmen shouting simultaneously, it
seemed as if the buildings in the area would collapse due to
the sheer volume.
“Good! Since everyone is agreeable, our Xuanxuan Faction
shall be officially established today, and Zhang shi will be our
leader!” Ruohuan gongzi roared.
Even though most knew of the existence of the Xuanxuan
Faction due to Ruohuan gongzi’s attempt to gather members,
its formation had yet to be officially announced. As such,
making use of this opportunity when everyone was gathered
together, he decided to announce its establishment. From this
moment onward, the largest student faction in the academy
was no longer the True Helios Faction nor the Bewitching
Devil Faction but the Xuanxuan Faction!
The faction established by Zhang Xuan, a freshman who had
barely arrived in the academy for less than five days.
“Xuanxuan Faction! Xuanxuan Faction!”
“Xuanxuan Faction! Xuanxuan Faction!”
…
Deafening chanting sounded from the excited crowd.
Even if a student were to join a senior’s faction, while they
would be protected from the oppression from other student
factions, they would still face oppression from the seniors in
the same faction. The only way for them to escape that
altogether was to establish their faction!
Furthermore, given Zhang shi’s noble character, they were
more than willing to obey his commands as well!
Thus, the crowd agreed to join the Xuanxuan Faction without
any hesitation.
“Since everyone is agreeable, allow me to invite our faction
leader up to say a word or two!” Interjecting in the chanting,
Ruohuan gongzi turned to Zhang Xuan and gestured him
forward.
“Me?” Zhang Xuan was caught off guard by that remark. But
facing the expectant gazes of thirty thousand freshmen, he had
no choice but to step forward. “There’s only one thing I have
to say. We might be freshmen, but we aren’t inferior to the
seniors. What the seniors can do, we can accomplish as well!
Only through standing on our own two feet will others
acknowledge our strength. If we don’t even respect ourselves,
who will respect us? Thus, I will warn the members of the
Xuanxuan Faction against provoking others, but if anyone
comes to provoke us, we shall not back down!”
“Well said!”
“We will let them know our prowess!”
A wave of cheering swept across the crowd.
It had only been five days since they’d enrolled at the
academy, but many of those present had already suffered great
grievances from the oppression of the seniors. Thus, those
words touched the depths of their hearts, leaving them deeply
moved.
Seeing this, Ying Qin and the others also felt their blood
running wild in passion. It was at this very moment that they
couldn’t help but think that perhaps… it wasn’t a bad decision
to join the Xuanxuan Faction.
Most other student factions operated by forcing others to join
their ranks, so their members were united on the surface but
divided internally. However, the members of the Xuanxuan
Faction were all united in their wills. Perhaps, they might
achieve greatness that no other student factions had before!
…
As the student faction was being established, Xue Zhenyang,
Long Cangyue, and Dong Xin were also about to arrive at the
dormitories of the freshmen.
They had been rushing there ever since leaving Hu Yaoyao’s
residence, but due to the significant distance between both
places, it had taken them quite a while.
“Faction leader!”
Before long, row after row of towering buildings appeared in
their sights. They were just about to sneak in under the cover
of the night to see how Ying Qin was doing teaching the
freshmen a lesson when they suddenly saw a figure rushing
toward them before stopping right before them.
“How is Ying Qin doing?” Xue Zhenyang asked.
The other party was the subordinate whom he sent to scout the
situation.
“This…” The figure hesitated for a moment before replying,
“Ying Qin, Yuan Gang, and Bai Mian… have been defeated by
Zhang shi, and as per their bet, they have left the True Helios
Faction to join the Xuanxuan Faction!”
“Defeated? Left the… True Helios Faction?” Xue Zhenyang
was flabbergasted.
Before coming over, he had declared confidently that there
would be no problems given that he had sent Ying Qin over.
Never had he imagined that such a situation would happen
instead!
“Yes!” The figure nodded.
“What happened? Putting aside Yuan Gang and Bai Mian,
Ying Qin received my personal guidance! How could he have
lost?” Xue Zhenyang was unable to believe his ears.
Yuan Gang and Bai Mian might have still been a little lacking,
but Ying Qin was one of the top fighters among the Grade-4
students! The other party had followed him for many years,
and he had imparted his spear art to him unreservedly… How
could he have lost to the freshmen who had just enrolled into
the academy?
Dong Xin and Long Cangyue were also dumbfounded by the
situation before them.
Ying Qin might not have been a member of their factions, but
as one of the most capable members of the True Helios
Faction, they were acquainted with him as well. An Ethereal
Treading realm expert, 5-star high-tier master teacher,
challenged the freshmen to a duel of battle techniques… but
lost?
Were their ears playing tricks on them?
“I recorded the scene of the duel. You will understand once
you take a look…” Knowing that it was hard to convince them
of the matter, the figure flicked his wrist, took out a Record
Crystal, and passed it over.
Xue Zhenyang hurriedly took it and infused his zhenqi into it.
A few moments later, the scene of the duel appeared before
everyone’s eyes.
“The freshmen actually managed to defeat Bai Mian and Yuan
Gang easily after receiving his guidance?”
“With a feather duster, he was able to beat Ying Qin into
submission?”
…
Upon seeing the content of the Record Crystal, the trio was
stunned.
To allow to a freshman to defeat a Grade-4 student after a
short moment of guidance… Such a feat was way beyond
them!
“Even though he was only using a feather duster, he still
managed to subdue Ying Qin by exploiting the flaws in his
spear art. This eye of discernment… just how deep an
understanding of spearmanship must one possess to be able to
do so?” Xue Zhenyang muttered hoarsely as his body trembled
uncontrollably.
As a master of the spear, he could tell the prowess of Ying
Qin’s attacks. Even he would be forced to dodge when facing
them!
Yet, not only did Ying Qin’s opponent manage to overcome
his spear art, he even did so casually by catching hold of his
spear using his fingers, as if it was as simple as picking up a
rock at the side of the road…
To be able to do this so leisurely, this could only mean that he
had seen through the main flaws of Ying Qin’s spear art and
used them against him.
How frightening must his eye of discernment be?
“It is no wonder Hu Yaoyao ended up becoming his
apprentice. His understanding of the spear has reached an
unfathomable level… Zhenyang, if you were to fight with him,
would you be able to defeat him?” asked Dong Xin, turning to
Xue Zhenyang.
“I…” Xue Zhenyang clenched his fists tightly as hesitation
flashed across his eyes for a moment. However, his eyes
swiftly grew steadfast once more as he said, “I might be
unable to defeat him now, but… as long as I am able to reach
the tenth dan of the Fallen Leaf Spear, it won’t be hard for me
to defeat him!”
As the leader of the True Helios Faction, a celebrated genius
of the Martial Arts School, how could he falter that easily
before an opponent?
“If I recall correctly, you reached 9-dan three years ago. If it
was that easy to reach 10-dan, you wouldn’t have been stuck
for so long!” Dong Xin shook her head, thinking that it was
unlikely for Xue Zhenyang to succeed.
“Don’t worry, I have already comprehended the essence of the
tenth dan. All I am lacking now is an impetus for me to make
the breakthrough!”
Back then, in order to overcome his bottleneck, Spear Emperor
Lu Xinqing had wandered through the streets to experience the
world of the ordinary mortals, and from there, he created the
10 Dans of the Fallen Leaf Spear.
After a moment of hesitation, an unwavering determination
appeared in Xue Zhenyang’s eyes as he declared, “Tomorrow,
I shall leave the academy and wander the world to
comprehend the various intricacies of life in order to find the
inspiration to achieve the breakthrough to 10-dan. I will not
return to the academy until I manage to achieve the
breakthrough!”
787 Wei Changfeng’s
Daughter
The establishment of a student faction was not an easy task.
There were all kinds of administrative tasks to be done, such
as deciding the organization structure, the rules of the faction,
and the registration of the members. By the time they were
done, it was already nearing dawn.
As a faction established by freshmen, the Xuanxuan Faction
had no membership fee. However, it did have a strict
organizational system that all members had to adhere to. This
was necessary to bring sufficient resources into the faction for
its operations.
Of course, such important decisions couldn’t be decided
overnight, and they were still under discussion.
Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered with such matters, so he left
it up to Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others, and
returned straight to his residence in the Elite Sector.
However, before he could even take a rest, he suddenly heard
knockings on his door. One of the seniors in charge of
managing the Elite Sector stood at the door.
“Zhang shi, you have a visitor!”
Zhang Xuan glanced behind the senior and saw a fatty, who
stepped forward and greeted, “Young Master!”
“Thank you, senior.” Seeing that it was Sun Qiang, Zhang
Xuan first thanked the senior before pulling Sun Qiang into
the residence.
“What happened?”
It had just been a few days ago that he had visited Sun Qiang
and the others at the residence. For Sun Qiang to come looking
for him so suddenly, could it be that something bad had
happened?
“It’s Wei Changfeng. After making arrangements for the Spirit
Emporium, he visited the residence seeking Young Master,”
Sun Qiang replied.
“He is looking for me? Didn’t I tell him to follow your
instructions? Is he acting defiant?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Wei Changfeng had become his subordinate after he had
wreaked havoc in the Spirit Emporium. However, as he had to
return to the Master Teacher Academy, he had instructed Wei
Changfeng to obey Sun Qiang’s commands instead. Could it
be that he was refusing to listen to Sun Qiang?
“That’s not it. He… insisted on meeting young master. Left
with no choice, I could only come over to find you,” Sun
Qiang replied.
It wasn’t easy to gain access to the Master Teacher Academy.
Even he had to go through quite a bit of effort before he could
reach Zhang Xuan’s residence.
“He insisted on meeting me?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
“Yes. I asked him what’s wrong, but he refused to speak a
word. He said that he would only speak before you, so I had
no other choice but to come here,” Sun Qiang said with a bitter
smile.
“This… Alright then, I’ll meet him.”
It was unlikely for a Saint realm expert like Wei Changfeng to
go all the way to seek him for some minor issue. Since he had
made such a request, it must be an urgent matter. Thus, Zhang
Xuan swiftly left the academy with Sun Qiang.
Soon, they arrived at the residence where Sun Qiang and the
others were currently living.
“Young Master!” Wei Changfeng immediately rushed up upon
seeing Zhang Xuan’s figure.
It had only been a few days since they’d parted, but Wei
Changfeng looked as if he had aged several years. His eyes
were bloodshot, and it seemed as if he had undergone some
kind of turmoil.
“This… what happened?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.
As a Saint realm expert, Wei Changfeng could easily live for a
thousand years. As long as he didn’t do anything that would
sap his life force, it was impossible for him to age so quickly!
Furthermore, taking his lifespan into consideration, the ageing
of several years in his appearance would translate to a loss of
several decades of his lifespan.
Putong!
Wei Changfeng’s knees fell to the ground, and he pleaded,
“Young Master, please save my daughter. She’s… reaching her
limit!”
“Hmm?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
Through the Library of Heaven’s Path, he had learned that the
reason Wei Changfeng had established the Spirit Emporium
was to gather as many as artifacts as possible to feed their
spirit to his daughter to sustain her life.
Considering the number of artifacts that Wei Changfeng had
gathered, it should have been sufficient for his daughter to
hold on for several decades as long as nothing severe occurred.
It was also due to this that Zhang Xuan was in no hurry to save
his daughter.
Given all that, why did his daughter suddenly fall into a
critical state after just a few days?
“I have no idea either. She was still fine initially, but two days
ago, her state suddenly worsened. I tried feeding her the spirit
of the artifacts, but it was completely ineffective. Young
Master, please save my daughter!” Wei Changfeng pleaded
desperately with reddened eyes.
For so many years, he had done everything he could to sustain
his daughter’s life. If the latter were to really succumb to her
illness, he wouldn’t have the will to live on either.
His young master had been able to see through his situation
with a glance, and considering the extraordinary means he had
displayed back in the Spirit Emporium as well, perhaps… he
might really be able to save his daughter.
This was the last hope that he had.
“Bring me to her!”
The only way for Zhang Xuan to ascertain his daughter’s
current condition was by meeting her personally.
“I have brought her over. She’s currently in my room…” Wei
Changfeng hurriedly pointed.
Fearing that his daughter might not last that long, he decided
to bring his daughter over as well.
“Good!” Zhang Xuan nodded as he hurried into the room.
The residence which Sun Qiang had found only had eight
rooms in total, and all of them were only around ten square
meters large. Furthermore, due to the bad positioning of the
residence, the rooms were rather dark even in the day.
By the corner of the room was a wooden bed, and lying on it
was an extremely thin young lady who seemed to be around
fifteen years old or so. Her face was peculiarly pale, and her
black hair had a slight yellowish tinge to it. In a coma, her
eyes were tightly shut.
“Her illness is really severe!” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Even breathing seemed to be difficult for the young lady
before him. Through his Eye of Insight, he could see that the
other party’s bodily function had already declined fatally, and
there was not a single healthy meridian in her body. It felt as if
she could just breathe her last at any moment.
It was no wonder Wei Changfeng was panicking. His daughter
was indeed already on the verge of death. If she wasn’t treated
soon, it was doubtful whether she could even last until
nightfall.
“Until two days ago, she was still able to maintain her
consciousness and converse with me. Even though there were
times when her illness would act up, she would be fine once
she consumed the spirit of the artifacts… But two days ago,
the spirit of the artifacts became completely ineffective in
curbing her illness. As a result, she fell into a coma and hasn’t
woken up since then,” Wei Changfeng swiftly explained the
symptoms anxiously.
“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded as he assessed the young lady
carefully, but eventually, he could only shake his head
helplessly.
His current understanding of the Way of Medicine was still
only at 4-star. Due to his limited knowledge, even with the Eye
of Insight, he was still unable to precisely identify the root of
the problem plaguing the young lady.
Thus, without any hesitation, his hand reached forward to read
the young lady’s pulse.
The young lady’s skin felt chilling to the touch, as if an ice
cube.
After which, Zhang Xuan muttered inaudibly, “Flaws!”
Weng!
A book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.
Just like artifacts, Zhang Xuan could compile a book on an
unconscious living being in the Library of Heaven’s Path by
coming into contact with them as well.
Zhang Xuan hurriedly flipped the book open.
Wei Ruyan, a citizen of Qingyuan City, possessing the Innate
Poison Body…
The content of the book immediately surfaced in Zhang
Xuan’s mind as though it was imprinted on it.
Innate Poison Body? This lass possesses the Innate Poison
Body? Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
Unique constitutions were extremely rare on the Master
Teacher Continent. In his entire journey, the only people he
had met with unique constitutions were Yuan Tao and Zhao
Ya. To think that this unconscious young lady would possess a
unique constitution as well!
Innate Poison Body is an ideal constitution for cultivating the
ways of the poison master. However, in her current state… it is
questionable whether she will be able to live or not! Zhang
Xuan shook his head.
Unique constitutions were formidable, but until they were
awakened, the possessor of the unique constitution would be
nothing more than an ordinary human.
Clearly, this young lady hadn’t awakened her unique
constitution.
Back when Zhang Xuan was in the Red Lotus Ridge Poison
Hall, he once read several books regarding the Innate Poison
Body, but the details were extremely vague. As a result, he had
no idea how the Innate Poison Body could be activated, and
what would happen once it was activated.
In any case, the urgent matter was the illness she was suffering
from, so Zhang Xuan continued reading.
… She has once suffered an attack from a Saint realm expert
while she was still in her mother’s womb, resulting in the
Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood. Flaws: …
Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. Deficiency of Spirit, Soul,
and Blood?
Just as the name suggested, the Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and
Blood meant that one’s spirit, soul, and blood were impaired
compared to those of an ordinary human. Often, this was a
result of a problem in the development of the fetus, especially
the lack of nutrients.
It would be difficult for a person suffering from such an illness
to survive due to their spirit, soul, and blood being too weak to
sustain their core bodily functions. In fact, more often than
not, a fetus suffering from such an illness wouldn’t even
survive until childbirth.
Yet, not only did the young lady succeeded in coming to this
world alive, she even managed to live to such an age… This
was truly a miracle in itself.
“Under normal circumstances, it would have been difficult for
Ruyan to be born given her condition. However, my wife
expended all of her vitality to protect Ruyan, giving her the
strength to be born into this world. In the process, however,
my wife… lost her life,” Wei Changfeng explained, seemingly
noticing Zhang Xuan’s thoughts.
His face was nonchalant, and his voice was steady, but the
sorrow deep within his eyes couldn’t be concealed.
“Ruyan has inherited my wife’s life and will. Even at the cost
of my life, I can’t allow anything to happen to her!”
Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly to
reassure him that he would try his best.
He could understand where Wei Changfeng was coming from.
His wife had given her life to protect their daughter and bring
her into this world. If he couldn’t even protect their daughter
after all that, how could he face his wife in the netherworld?
Over the years, regardless of how heavy a price he had to pay,
as long as there was a ray of hope for his daughter, he would
clutch at it desperately.
“Young Master, is there still hope for Ruyan?” Wei Changfeng
asked with worry reflected in his eyes.
“Her bodily functions have nearly come to a complete halt.
I’m afraid that it will be extremely difficult to save her.”
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
After reading Wei Ruyan’s book, he realized that this matter
was extremely problematic.
Over the years, this matter had evolved beyond a simple
Deficiency of Spirit, Soul, and Blood problem. In order to
sustain Wei Ruyan’s life, she had been consuming a lot of
nourishing items, but her body was simply too weak to take all
that nourishment. As a result, her bodily functions ended up
being destroyed by the excessive energy in her body instead.
On top of that, with her soul slowly growing weaker with time,
she could be said to already have one foot in the grave.
It was no wonder even 6-star pinnacle physicians were
helpless before her problem. Even for Zhang Xuan, despite
having traced down the very source of her affliction, he was
still at a complete loss, having no idea where he was supposed
to start.
Hearing that the young master didn’t say that it was entirely
impossible, Wei Ruyan immediately pleaded. “Young Master,
I ask of you to save Ruyan. As long as Ruyan recovers, I am
willing to serve you for my entire life!”
“Since you have sworn loyalty to me, I will definitely do
whatever I can for your daughter. However, the affliction
plaguing your daughter is a tricky one to deal with. Not only is
your daughter’s body in a weakened state, her soul is also far
too feeble at the moment. To treat her, we must first find a way
to allow her to regain her consciousness. However, to do so,
we must strengthen her body first…” Zhang Xuan rubbed his
glabella in frustration.
The reason Wei Ruyan was in a coma was due to her body
being too weak to harness her soul. To make an analogy, her
body was like a gunny sack while her soul was like water,
resulting in her soul gradually weakening over time. If her soul
weakened beyond a certain point, her consciousness would
eventually fade altogether.
But… it was impossible to treat her physical body without
rousing her consciousness.
It was possible to nourish her body through medicinal herbs,
but its effectiveness would be severely limited without her will
tenaciously driving her body to complement the treatment.
This resulted in a paradox. To regain consciousness, she would
require a sufficiently strong body to harness her soul. But to
nourish her body to become sufficiently strong, she had to
regain consciousness first… Such was the difficult situation
Wei Ruyan was facing.
Even Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel his head aching at the
situation before him.
“What do we do?” Wei Changfeng asked anxiously.
Having come into contact with medicinal herbs and treatment
methods on a daily basis in order to treat his daughter, even
though he had never taken the physician examination, his
comprehension of the Way of Medicine in this specific field
could be said to be on par with most 5-star or even 6-star
physicians.
Even without the young master saying anything, he knew very
well the condition his daughter was in.
Could it be that the young master was helpless before this
situation as well?
Was he doomed to watch as his daughter withered before his
eyes?
Zhang Xuan contemplated for a moment before replying,
“Calm down, I have a way to stabilize her condition for the
time being. However, it is unlikely to work for long. In order
to treat her once and for all, we have to first find a medicinal
herb capable of nurturing the soul. As long as I can find a way
to peg her soul to such a medicinal herb to nurture it, I should
be able to rouse her consciousness, and the rest will be easier
to deal with!”
788 Metastasis of the Innate
Fetal Poison
Even 7-star physicians would have been helpless in such a
situation, but Zhang Xuan was different.
Possessing the capability of a soul oracle, if it were to come
down to it, he could even draw the other party’s soul out to
nourish it directly before placing it back into her body.
However, given Wei Ruyan’s current feeble body, if he were to
draw her soul out, there was a chance that she might succumb
to her frailty and die. Thus, that could only serve as his final
resort.
“Medicinal herb? What medicinal herb do you need?” Wei
Changfeng asked anxiously. “Give me the name, and I’ll
definitely find it no matter how much it takes!”
“I don’t have a specific name to give you, but the medicinal
herb must at least reach Saint tier and possess the ability to
nurture souls. Furthermore, the herb must be alive… On top of
that, I will need a Grand Intermittence Pill!” Zhang Xuan said.
“A living saint herb? And a Grand Intermittence Pill, the g-
grade-7 pill?” Wei Changfeng’s face paled.
If it had been anything else, given his strength as a Saint realm
expert and his influence as the head of the Spirit Emporium, it
wouldn’t have been too difficult for him to find them as long
as he were to devote his resources into it. But those two
items… that would be difficult.
This was no longer a problem of whether he had the
connections to obtain them or not, but that it was very possible
that these items might not even exist in the entire Hongyuan
City!
If it was on some other occasion, he might still have been able
to head to a higher tier empire to search for those items.
However, Wei Ruyan’s current condition didn’t permit him the
luxury of time!
“Only a living saint herb possesses sufficient vitality to nurture
her feeble soul. As for the Grand Intermittent Pill, I believe
that you should have heard of it as well. As long as one hasn’t
hurt one’s foundation, one will be able to recover from even
the most severe of injuries easily by consuming this pill, and
this includes severed limbs as well! This pill is also extremely
effective in tackling physical frailty,” Zhang Xuan explained.
The Grand Intermittent Pill harnessed the ability to stimulate
the vitality within a human body, allowing even one’s severed
limbs to regrow.
Considering that Wei Ruyan’s bodily functions had nearly
come to a complete halt, only a pill of such a level could
alleviate her condition.
Any pill weaker than that was likely to be completely
ineffective on her.
“I understand… I might still be able to find a living saint herb
in Hongyuan City, but where am I to search for a grade-7
pill?” Wei Changfeng clenched his fists tightly in distress.
As rare as saint herbs were, there were still some who
cultivated them in Hongyuan City. As long as one could offer
them a satisfying price, it wasn’t too difficult to obtain it.
But… it was nearly impossible to find a grade-7 pill here.
“Hmm.” Zhang Xuan also frowned.
Even the most capable of apothecaries in Hongyuan City were
at 6-star pinnacle, and it was impossible for them to forge
grade-7 pills. Not to mention, the Grand Intermittent Pill was
one of the more advanced pills amongst grade-7 pills.
“For the time being, let me see if I can find some other way to
strengthen her body.” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan turned
his sight back to Wei Ruyan.
At this moment, Zhang Xuan was considering trying the
Heaven’s Path zhenqi to nourish Wei Ruyan’s body.
The Heaven’s Path zhenqi possessed the ability to allow one to
recover from one’s injuries swiftly. While Zhang Xuan had
never tried to see if it was capable of stimulating the regrowth
of severed limbs, there was no doubt regarding its ability to
heal most wounds.
If it could be used as a substitution for the Grand Intermittence
Pill, they could be spared from the effort of having to find a
grade-7 pill.
Thus, placing his wrist on Wei Ruyan’s wrist, he sent a surge
of Heaven’s Path zhenqi into her body.
Her meridians are completely blocked?
Zhang Xuan had thought that he would be able to send his
Heaven’s Path zhenqi throughout Wei Ruyan’s body to trigger
her vitality, but who could have known that he would meet
with a blockade shortly after entry?
To his astonishment, the meridians in her body were like
sealed tunnels, unconnected to one another.
Helpless, Zhang Xuan retracted his finger.
This is probably a result of the attack from the Saint realm
expert she suffered back when she was still a fetus. As a self-
protective mechanism, her body automatically sealed her
meridians to limit the damage. Furthermore, as she has been in
this condition for too long, it would be dangerous to attempt to
force her meridians open, especially while she’s
unconscious…
Zhang Xuan swiftly got a rough grasp regarding the situation.
Maybe I should try this!
Despite his initial failure, Zhang Xuan didn’t despair. He
flicked his wrist and took out a box of silver needles.
Hu!
With a light shake of his hand, the silver needles fell on the
various acupoints throughout Wei Ruyan’s body, and using
them as a medium, Zhang Xuan sent surges of his Heaven’s
Path zhenqi into her body.
“Good, it worked!”
As the Heaven’s Path zhenqi seeped into Wei Ruyan’s body,
her ghastly pale face finally began to regain a red glow.
“It worked…” Wei Changfeng’s body trembled in agitation.
Seeing that it was effective, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of
relief. He continued to infuse his zhenqi into the other party’s
body through the silver needles.
However, just as Zhang Xuan was about to circulate his
Heaven’s Path zhenqi throughout Wei Ruyan’s body to nourish
it, he suddenly noticed something, and his eyebrows shot up in
alarm.
“No, something’s wrong!”
He immediately rushed to retract the silver needles, but before
he could do so, the face of the young lady before him suddenly
turned pale once more, and her body abruptly convulsed
intensely.
“Damn it!”
Zhang Xuan swiftly retracted all of the silver needles from
Wei Ruyan’s body as fast as he could.
However, it was already too late. As if struck by lethal poison,
white foam seeped out from the edges of the young lady’s
mouth, and after a slight moment of trembling, her body fell
deadly still.
“D-dead?” Wei Changfeng quickly rushed forward to check
the condition of his daughter, and upon realizing that there was
no pulse, his eyes immediately turned crimson in fury.
He had thought that the young master might be able to save his
daughter, and clutching this final straw of hope, he had rushed
over to seek his help. Who could have known that the latter
would actually treat his daughter to her death!
In that instant, the final spark of hope in his heart faded, and
madness overtook his rationality.
“This…” Zhang Xuan was also in a frenzy by the situation
before him.
The Heaven’s Path zhenqi had never failed him before. Why
would something crop up this time around, causing Wei Ruyan
to lose her life?
“It must be the effects of her Innate Poison Body…” Zhang
Xuan’s face turned livid as realization struck him.
The other party’s Innate Poison Body seemed to have clashed
with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, resulting in a backlash.
Considering the incredibly feeble state that Wei Ruyan was
already in, how could she possibly withstand the impact of the
backlash? Due to the heavy toll on her body, she breathed her
last.
I promised Wei Changfeng that I’ll treat his daughter, but such
an unfortunate mishap happened instead… Zhang Xuan sighed
deeply.
Even though Wei Changfeng wouldn’t be able to do anything
to Zhang Xuan with his soul being held hostage, it was a fact
that Zhang Xuan had promised to treat his daughter.
Just a moment ago his daughter had still been breathing, albeit
on the verge of death. Yet, in the midst of his treatment, his
daughter ended up losing her life.
It might have been an unfortunate accident, but there was no
way anyone could accept this easily, especially not Wei
Changfeng, who had devoted his life to saving his daughter.
I must save her!
Whether it was for Wei Changfeng, his own reputation, or Wei
Ruyan herself, Zhang Xuan couldn’t allow the young lady to
die just like that. Thus, he placed his fingers on the other
party’s pulse once more and compiled a new book on her
condition.
In the blink of an eye, he browsed through the entire book.
Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan instructed, “Little Feng,
leave the room for a moment!”
“Leave the room?” Wei Changfeng asked with an awful look
on his face.
“That’s right. She isn’t completely dead yet. She has just fallen
into a deeper coma due to the backlash from the collision of
energies. I need to use my secret art to save her, so I need you
to leave for a moment.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands, urging
him to leave quickly.
“This…” Wei Changfeng’s face turned incredibly ugly after
hearing those words.
Her heart has stopped, and her body was beginning to stiffen.
Yet, you are calling this a coma?
Who do you think you are fooling?
“Hurry up! If you don’t want to see her dead, get out of the
room this very instant!” Zhang Xuan roared furiously.
“Alright then.” Seeing the young master fly into a rage, even
though Wei Changfeng was still feeling deeply displeased on
the inside, he still walked out of the room and closed the
doors.
In the end, this was the final sliver of hope he had left. He
could only pray that what Zhang Xuan was saying was true.
After he left, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply and sat on the
ground.
He had used the Library of Heaven’s Path to check on Wei
Ruyan’s condition just a moment ago, and detailed on it was
not that Wei Ruyan had fallen into a deeper coma but that…
she was really dead!
However, even though she had breathed her last, her soul had
yet to leave the confines of her body entirely yet.
While it wasn’t incorrect to define a person in such a state as
dead, considering how not even a 7-star physician would be
able to treat such a condition, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled
one of the techniques that Mo Hunsheng had imparted to him
had the effect of guiding a soul back to its body.
Thus… since there was no better solution at hand, he decided
to give it a try!
Otherwise, Wei Ruyan truly would be doomed!
This technique is damaging to my soul, but at this moment… I
have no other choice!
Since he had decided to save Wei Ruyan, he wouldn’t allow
anyone or anything, not even the grim reapers, to take her
away, even if he had to pay a heavy price for it.
Thus, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out from his glabella.
Floating in the air, he saw Wei Ruyan’s soul gradually
separating from her body, as if attracted by some inexplicable
force of nature.
Seal!
Knowing that it would be impossible to save her once her soul
was taken away, Zhang Xuan immediately formed a few hand
seals before pushing his palm down on her soul.
Soul Art, Soul Summoning!
This capability had the mystical ability of summoning a soul
through a suitable medium.
Huala!
With the suppression from his palm, the soul immediately
returned back to her body.
However, just this wasn’t enough to reverse her death.
Even though Wei Ruyan’s soul had been temporarily secured
by Soul Summoning, her death had already created a
considerable rift between her body and her soul, making it
difficult to fuse them together again.
I have to enter her consciousness!
It was impossible to mend the rift from the outside. Zhang
Xuan would have to enter her consciousness, just like how he
had saved Lu Chong previously. Thus, without any hesitation,
his massive soul seeped right into her consciousness.
In a vast sea of consciousness, a thin and frail-looking young
lady was floating in the air a short distance away with her eyes
tightly shut, seemingly in a deep sleep.
It was Wei Ruyan’s soul.
I will have to strengthen her soul first… There’s only one
feasible way to do it at the moment, and that is to nurture her
soul through mine! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly
together.
Due to the other party’s soul being too weak at the moment, it
was impossible to fuse it together with her body. Thus, there
was a need to strengthen her soul first.
And the best method to do so was to nurture her soul through
his!
In essence, this method meant feeding a portion of his soul to
the other party.
Even though it was an effective method, it would also severely
weaken oneself as well. As such, unless it was for the closest
kin, there was no soul oracle who would be willing to resort to
this.
To be honest, Zhang Xuan was also a little hesitant to go so far
for a person whom he had only met a moment ago.
But ultimately, even though Wei Ruyan had already been in an
extremely feeble condition back then and could possibly have
died at any moment, it was a fact that his treatment had led to
her death.
Since he had wronged her, it was only right for him to correct
it.
Besides, the lengths to which Wei Changfeng had gone for his
daughter had also touched him. It would be an unfortunate
tragedy if the father and daughter were to be separated by the
boundary of life and death.
Tzzzz!
Zhang Xuan’s soul reached for Wei Ruyan’s finger, and using
her arm as a medium, he injected concentrated soul essence
into the latter’s body so as to nourish her soul.
As his soul essence depleted at a rapid pace, it didn’t take too
long for Zhang Xuan to feel deep fatigue.
Soul essence to a soul was just like blood to a body. Giving it
away to another was extremely damaging to his soul. The
fatigue he was feeling at the moment was only a minor side
effect; in the very worst-case scenario, his soul could even lose
its stability and dissipate.
However, since he had already begun this, it was already too
late to back down. Suppressing his fatigue, he continued to
pump his soul essence into the other party’s soul.
Under the massive influx of soul essence, Wei Ruyan’s feeble
soul finally began to grow denser.
It is effective…
Upon seeing that his method was working, Zhang Xuan
heaved a sigh of relief. However, just as he was about to
continue pumping more soul essence into the other party, a
thought suddenly flashed through his mind, and his eyes
widened in shock. He immediately activated his Eye of
Insight, and his soul began trembling in agitation.
Sh*t, the Innate Fetal Poison… is spreading!
789 Poison Soul Constitution
Initially, the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul was wrapped
together in a bundle by the corner, making it an inconspicuous
existence.
However, with his soul weakening swiftly due to the
transfusion of his soul essence, the Innate Fetal Poison began
its assault. At this moment, it had already spread to more than
half of his entire soul, and its march was still showing no signs
of stopping.
I’m done for… Zhang Xuan’s face paled in fright.
The Innate Fetal Poison was something even Empyrean
Kong shi had been helpless before in his time! If he were to
allow it to consume his soul, there was no doubt that he would
be immediately poisoned to death. No one would be able to
save him!
Even though Zhang Xuan had failed to find what he was
looking for at the Terpsichore School, he hadn’t panicked too
much. He had thought that as long as he were to proceed
carefully, he would be fine for the time being.
Yet, in his moment of anxiety, he’d neglected the presence of
the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul and transfused his soul
essence to another, granting the Innate Fetal Poison an
opportunity to strike!
What in the world is this!
I must be the first one in the world to die due to an attempt to
save another’s life!
On the verge of tears, just as Zhang Xuan was contemplating
drawing back the soul essence he had pumped into the other
party, he suddenly felt a warm surge of energy flowing back
from the young lady’s body.
Upon contact with this surge of energy, the Innate Fetal Poison
immediately fled in fright, as if having met its nemesis.
This… Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.
The Innate Fetal Poison was a high-grade poison which was
extremely difficult to deal with. So far, the only thing that
Zhang Xuan had found to be effective in suppressing it was
the Heaven’s Path zhenqi. In order to save his soul, he had
tried many methods in hopes of being able to keep the Innate
Fetal Poison in check, but none of them worked.
Yet, why was it suddenly retreating so fearfully all of the
sudden?
A thought flashed through Zhang Xuan’s mind, and he
muttered beneath his breath, “Could it be… the Innate Poison
Body?”
Through the Library of Heaven’s Path, he’d learned that Wei
Ruyan possessed the Innate Poison Body, just that she hadn’t
activated it yet.
Could the Innate Poison Body possess the ability to curb the
Innate Fetal Poison as well?
“No, it doesn’t seem to be the Innate Poison Body. Could it be
the… Poison Soul Constitution?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in
agitation.
The Innate Poison Body granted one an innate resistance to all
poison. In fact, the consumption of lethal poison would only
further temper one’s physical body.
However, such an effect didn’t extend to one’s soul. If afflicted
by a soul poison, it was still possible for a person possessing
the Innate Poison Body to be poisoned to death.
Unless… that person possessed the Poison Soul Constitution
as well.
The Poison Soul Constitution worked in a manner similar to
the Innate Poison Body. It granted one’s soul perfect immunity
to all poison.
Considering that Wei Ruyan’s soul was able to help him
suppress the Innate Fetal Poison plaguing his soul, there was a
high chance that she possessed such a constitution.
It’s no wonder she’s still so feeble despite absorbing the spirit
of so many artifacts! Her body has already been extremely
frail since birth, and yet she still had to bear the burden from
the sheer might of two unique constitutions within her. It is
truly a miracle that she has survived to such an age! It sure is
hard to say whether she has been blessed or cursed by the
heavens… Zhang Xuan exclaimed internally as realization
struck him.
Unique constitutions were extremely powerful, but their sheer
power created a heavy burden on one’s body as well. It sure
wasn’t easy for Wei Ruyan to come this far with two unique
constitutions within her.
I should try it out to see if my deduction is right!
With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began to draw back
the soul essence he had pumped into the other party’s soul.
Gu gu gu!
As soon as the soul essence he had drawn back came into
contact with the Innate Fetal Poison, the latter immediately
retreated in horror as if electrified.
Hahaha, this is great! Zhang Xuan laughed joyously to
himself.
He had been agonizing over how he could curb the Innate
Fetal Poison when the solution to his problem simply fell from
the heavens. Excited, Zhang Xuan quickly hastened the flow
of his soul essence.
Tzzzz!
As he circulated his soul essence with Wei Ruyan, the Innate
Fetal Poison was slowly driven back to the corner where it
came from, not daring to make a move at all.
Even though he couldn’t get rid of it yet, he was at least able
to suppress it for the time being.
This sure is a blessing in disguise! Only after suppressing the
Innate Fetal Poison entirely did Zhang Xuan finally heave a
sigh of relief, and excitement gleamed in his eyes.
Nurturing the soul of another was never an easy feat. To allow
Wei Ruyan’s soul to recover from its feeble state, he would
have to expend a significant portion of his soul essence,
leaving him in a severely weakened state.
Nevertheless, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was truly glad
that he had made the decision he did. Who could have known
that the sacrifice he made for Wei Ruyan would end up saving
his life as well?
When his soul essence fused with the latter’s soul, it also
gained a certain degree of the properties of the Poison Soul
Constitution as well. At this current moment, even if someone
were to feed him lethal poison capable of dissipating one’s
soul, he would be completely unaffected by it. On the contrary,
his soul might even grow stronger as a result of it.
I’ll have to stop here today.
Along with the transfusion of his soul essence, the fatigue
Zhang Xuan felt gradually weighed heavier and heavier on
him. Eventually, reaching his limit, he had no choice but to
extract his soul from the other party’s consciousness.
Honestly speaking, Wei Ruyan’s soul was simply way too
feeble. Even with the nourishment of his soul, he was still
unable to awaken her fully in a single try.
Hu!
As Zhang Xuan’s soul returned to his physical body, he
immediately turned his gaze to assess Wei Ruyan’s condition
once more.
Even though the latter had yet to awaken, she had regained her
breathing and heartbeat, and there was a healthy red glow on
her face as well. At this moment, it felt as if she was only
asleep.
For the time being, she shouldn’t be in danger.
However, if she wasn’t treated soon, it was unlikely that she
would be able to survive for too long. Her physical body was
simply far too weak.
Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan shouted, “Alright, come
in!”
Jiya!
The anxious Wei Changfeng immediately rushed into the room
in a fluster, and after taking a look at his daughter, he heaved a
sigh of relief. Following which, he turned to his young master,
and upon seeing the latter’s pale face, he suddenly felt a pang
of guilt.
Seeing the young master’s treatment causing his daughter’s
death had left him so infuriated that he almost wanted to kill
him. However, at this very instant, he realized that everything
the young master had done was to save his daughter!
For the young master to be severely weakened after the
treatment, it was clear how far he had gone for her…
Despite the other party devoting his efforts to saving his
daughter, he actually misunderstood his intentions…
“I’m sorry, Young Master…” Wei Changfeng lowered his head
apologetically.
“I’ve said that as long as you remain loyal to me, I will
definitely do everything I can to save your daughter!” Zhang
Xuan shook his head as he spoke with a powerless voice.
“Guard me, I need to recuperate.”
Leaving those words behind, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and
took out a jade bottle. Opening it, a round pill fell into his
palm, and he consumed it whole.
It was the Miniature Restorative Pill that Wei Ranxue had
given him.
Gugugugu!
The pill dissolved as soon as it came into contact with his
mouth, turning into a warm gush of medicinal energy that
surged through his body. His soul, which had been severely
depleted while trying to nurture Wen Ruyan’s, slowly began to
heal.
A moment later, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas before
standing up.
Through the medicinal energy of the pill and his meditation,
his soul was able to recover to its original state.
“Young Master!” Wei Changfeng clasped his fist to greet
Zhang Xuan.
“Un.”
Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to the young lady on the bed once
more, and after confirming once more that her status had
stabilized, he heaved a sigh of relief. “We will still need the
two items which I listed previously. Don’t waste your time
waiting here, hurry up and find them!”
“Yes!” Wei Changfeng nodded. However, a moment later, he
frowned. “I have given it some thought, and I think that there
just might be a living saint herb in Hongyuan City. However…
I might require Young Master to lead the way!”
“Where is it?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.
Wei Changfeng was a Saint realm expert, and yet there was
still a place in Hongyuan City which he couldn’t access?
“It’s in the Master Teacher Academy,” Wei Changfeng replied.
“The Master Teacher Academy?” Zhang Xuan was stunned for
an instant before realization struck him.
Indeed. Having been able to enter its premises freely as a
student, Zhang Xuan had overlooked its tight security. The
entire academy was filled with many experts, and there was no
lack of Saint realm cultivators amidst them. Even a person of
Wei Changfeng’s strength would dare not charge in recklessly.
Thus, he required a student such as Zhang Xuan to bring him
in.
“Yes. The vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, is not
only a physician but a herbologist as well. He cultivates quite
a few precious medicinal herbs in his garden, so if there is
anywhere we can procure a living saint herb in Hongyuan
City, it is from him!” Wei Changfeng said.
Zhang Xuan nodded. “That’s good, let’s make a move then!
The longer we drag it out, the harder it’ll be to treat your
daughter!”
“Yes!” Wei Changfeng replied.
After the discussion, just as the duo made their way out of the
room, they saw Sun Qiang, Wang Ying, and the others
standing before them.
They turned to Zhang Xuan as soon as they saw him walking
out of the room and greeted him.
“Teacher!”
“Young Master!”
Over the past few days of absence, Wang Ying and the others
had made significant progress in their cultivation once again.
The aura they exuded felt much more condensed than before.
With everyone gathered in the same area, Zhang Xuan
couldn’t help but notice how cramped the residence was once
again. Shaking his head, he turned to Sun Qiang and asked,
“Have you found a larger residence yet?”
“Reporting to Young Master, I have searched the area, but
there are simply no larger residences in the vicinity,” Sun
Qiang said embarrassedly.
It wasn’t that he had been lazing about, but all of the better
residences near the Master Teacher Academy he found had
already been purchased by the other students. Up until this
point, the best residence that was available that he had found
so far was still the one they were living in.
Knowing that Sun Qiang wasn’t intentionally slacking off,
Zhang Xuan didn’t blame him. Instead, he turned to Wang
Ying and the others and instructed, “I see. Alright, Wang Ying,
Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang, you should help Sun Qiang look
around as well. The sooner we find a suitable residence, the
sooner we can move. This place is simply far too cramped…”
With another three people on the job, they should be able to
find a suitable residence sooner.
In any case, spending all of their time cooped up indoors
cultivating wasn’t ideal for them either. There should be a
balance between work and leisure. It would do them some
good to take a stroll outside and enjoy the city.
“Yes!” Wang Ying and the others nodded.
“Let’s go!” After delegating several other matters, Zhang
Xuan left for the Master Teacher Academy with Wei
Changfeng beside him.
Even though he still hadn’t received his student token yet, he
had the tokens of three of the Ten Great Master Teachers in his
possession, so bringing another person into the academy
wasn’t a problem for him.
After traveling for another hour, they finally arrived at the
Physician School.
The Physician School was ranked fifth out of the ten schools
of the academy. Nevertheless, due to the nature of their
occupation, there was no master teacher in the academy who
was willing to offend them.
After all, there was no way anyone could guarantee that they
could remain healthy for their entire life. As cultivators, there
was a much higher chance that a day would come when they
would require the help of the Physician School than any of the
other schools in the academy.
Even before reaching the Tower of Physicians, the building
located at the very center of the Physician School, Zhang Xuan
could already see a large crowd walking in and out of the area.
Astonishingly, it seemed to be even more bustling than the
Blacksmith School.
As they were heading over, Zhang Xuan suddenly asked, “The
price of saint herbs aren’t cheap. Have you prepared the
money yet?”
He had no high-tier spirit stones with him at the moment, so
there was no way he could afford a saint herb. Besides, Wei
Ruyan was Wei Changfeng’s daughter, so it was only right for
the latter to pay.
“I have prepared some money. It should be enough to afford a
saint herb,” Wei Changfeng replied.
As the head of the Spirit Emporium, even though most of his
artifacts had been swept away by Zhang Xuan, he still had
quite a bit of savings left with him.
While saint herbs were expensive, the savings which he had
accrued over many years should be sufficient to afford it.
“That’s good!” Zhang Xuan nodded.
Advancing ahead, an imposing tower soon came into their
sight.
Tower of Physicians!
This was the grandest building within the entire Physician
School, and the Vice School Head You Xu whom Wei
Changfeng spoke of resided here.
Following behind the crowd, Zhang Xuan stepped through the
entrance of the tower.
The first floor was a vast hall with countless master teachers
walking around the area.
Shelves of precious herbs filled the room, and by the corner
stood several physicians to attend to those who required a
diagnosis. Most master teachers would choose to pay this
place a visit to resolve any existing conditions they had or to
purchase recovery herbs before embarking on their mission.
Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings, but he wasn’t sure
where Vice School Head You Xu’s living quarters were. Thus,
he could only head to the reception with Wei Changfeng
beside him.
790 Ten-leafed Flower
“What do the both of you need?” the receptionist asked with a
smile upon seeing Zhang Xuan and Wei Changfeng.
The receptionist was a lady in her early thirties. She wore a
tight-fitting physician robe which accentuated her beautiful
figure.
Like Luo Qiqi, she was also a 5-star low-tier master teacher, a
Grade-2 student. Most likely, she had taken this job in order to
earn Academic Credits as well.
“We wish to meet Vice School Head You Xu.” Zhang Xuan
dived right into the matter at hand.
“You wish to meet Vice School Head You?” The receptionist
was slightly taken aback. With a doubtful voice, she asked,
“Do you have an appointment with him?”
“We don’t!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
The receptionist also shook her head. “I will have to apologize
then. Vice School Head You is a busy man, so I can’t take you
to meet him if you don’t have an appointment.”
As a vice head of the Physician School, a 6-star pinnacle
master teacher, even the nobility of the country would have to
make an appointment in advance to meet him. How could a
mere student be allowed to meet him as he pleased?
Judging from the other party’s young age, he was likely to
only be a Grade-1 student. A minor figure like this wouldn’t
even be qualified to meet the manager of the Tower of
Physicians, needless to say a vice school head! Indeed, the
ignorant were brazen!
“Then… how can we make an appointment with him?” Zhang
Xuan asked.
“I have no idea,” the receptionist replied snappishly.
She had already made it clear through her words, but the other
party still continued to pester her. A hint of displeasure flashed
across the receptionist’s eyes.
On the other hand, Zhang Xuan scratched his head, troubled.
He’d thought that the matter could be easily settled—he would
meet with Vice School Head You Xu, ask him about the
medicinal herb, negotiate the price, and they would be done.
But who would have thought that he would be hindered at the
very first step?
However, considering the other party’s standing as the vice
head of the Physician School, this should have been expected.
Otherwise, if he were to meet anyone who sought an audience
with him, he wouldn’t have any time left for himself anymore.
After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, “Since that’s
the case, I have something in my possession that I hope you
can pass to Vice School Head You in my stead. Perhaps, he
might be willing to meet me after seeing it.”
“I apologize, but I am not your courier. If you really wish to
meet Vice School Head You, please return only after you have
the qualification to speak with him. Now if you will excuse
me, I have things to attend to…”
Seeing that the other party was still refusing to give up, the
receptionist shook her head in displeasure and rejected him
flatly. However, just as she was about to chase him away, he
suddenly flicked his wrist, and a token appeared in his hand.
On the surface of the token was a majestic image with rows
after rows of buildings inscribed on it. It was a picture of the
Master Teacher Academy.
The token of the elders?
Gedeng! The receptionist’s words suddenly came to an abrupt
halt.
As a Grade-2 student, she was naturally able to recognize the
personal tokens of the elders of the academy. How could a
freshman possess such an important item?
In the midst of her shock, the young man flicked his wrist and
took out two other identical tokens.
Placing the personal tokens on the receptionist table, Zhang
Xuan requested, “I have three tokens here. Can you take a look
to see which of them is closer with Vice School Head You and
deliver it to him?”
“This…” Astonished, the receptionist flipped over one of the
tokens, only to see the words ‘Mo Zhu’ written on it.
“Mo Zhu? The head of the Beast Tamer School, School Head
Mo?” The receptionist shuddered in shock.
With trembling lips, she flipped over the second token, and she
nearly blacked out.
Written on the second token was a name as well—Zhao
Bingxu.
It was the head of the Blacksmith School, School Head Zhao!
“He possesses both School Head Mo and School Head Zhao’s
personal tokens?” the young lady uttered in shock as her
trembling hand reached for the third token and flipped it.
Wei Ranxue!
It was the head of the Terpsichore School!
The Ten Great Master Teachers were figures who stood at the
very top of the academy, existences far beyond her. Despite
being a Grade-2 student, she had hardly seen them around in
the academy. It was only during the Academy’s Annual
Celebration and the Annual Tournament that she would get an
opportunity to see them from afar.
Yet, the young man before her actually took out three of their
personal tokens at once…
The receptionist felt as if she was going to burst into tears.
She had thought that the other party was only a mere
freshman, but who could have known that he would have such
powerful backing?
If you are so formidable, you should have just headed up to
meet Vice School Head You directly. Why did you even bother
wasting your breath on me?
While her face had gone pale in shock, the young man before
her asked with a doubtful voice, “How is it? Are these tokens
useless as well? I knew it, those fellows were indeed
bragging… If the tokens won’t work, will it be better if I call
them over?”
“Cough cough!” The receptionist nearly died from shock.
To say that three of the school heads were bragging, and even
propose to call them over…
Just who was the young man standing before her?
To think that she had snapped at him just a moment ago…
Her face paled as her body shook uncontrollably. “There’s no
need for that! The tokens work perfectly fine!”
Fearing that she would earn the ire of the school heads, the
receptionist hurriedly pushed the tokens back to Zhang Xuan
before walking out from the receptionist desk. “Follow me!”
Regardless of whether the other party meant those words or
not, the fact that he could whip out the personal tokens of three
of the Ten Great Master Teachers was more than enough to say
that he was a figure whom she couldn’t afford to offend.
“Thanks.” Seeing that the personal tokens had really worked,
Zhang Xuan nodded before following behind the receptionist
with Wei Changfeng.
Not too long later, they arrived at the entrance of a vast
courtyard.
“This is the residence of Vice School Head You!” the
receptionist gestured and said.
Zhang Xuan turned his attention to the residence.
As expected of the residence of the vice head of the Physician
School, it was indeed much larger than Hu Yaoyao’s residence.
Even though he couldn’t get a clear view of the formation
surrounding the residence, he could still feel the dense
spiritual energy drifting in the surroundings.
Dong dong dong!
Stepping forward, the receptionist knocked on the gates.
Jiya!
A middle-aged man opened the gates from the inside.
“Sun laoshi, these two men seek an audience with Vice School
Head You,” the receptionist hurriedly said.
“Seek an audience with Vice School Head You?” The middle-
aged Sun laoshi frowned.
He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan, and after confirming that
he had no idea who he was, he turned his gaze to Wei
Changfeng. The next moment, his eyes lit up. “So, it’s the
Boss Wei from the Spirit Emporium! I’ll report your presence
to my teacher this instant!”
As a Saint realm expert and one of the top figures in
Hongyuan City, Wei Changfeng was rather well-known in
Hongyuan City as well.
Hearing those words, Wei Changfeng nodded.
As Sun laoshi turned around and returned back into the
residence, the receptionist nearly fell limply to the ground
from horror.
As Wei Changfeng had been standing silently behind Zhang
Xuan without saying a word like a subordinate, she had
assumed him to be a person unworthy of notice. Never could
she have imagined that he would be the boss of the Spirit
Emporium!
To take a Saint realm expert as a subordinate… Just who in the
world was the young man before her?
It didn’t take long for Sun laoshi to return. He bowed deeply
and gestured for them to head into the residence. “This way
please!”
“Thank you.”
Ignoring the receptionist, who seemed to be on the verge of
going bonkers, Zhang Xuan stepped into the residence.
The next moment, the refreshing scent of medicinal herbs
filled his nose. Concentrated spiritual energy seemed to linger
by his ear like a mini whirlwind, producing a soft whimpering
sound.
Consonance of the Spiritual Energy? Zhang Xuan was
stunned.
This phenomenon was a result of a consonance produced by
accumulating an overwhelming amount of treasures in an area.
Scanning through the courtyard, Zhang Xuan swiftly caught
sight of a small medicinal herb garden. That was where the
Consonance of the Spiritual Energy was coming from. All
kinds of herbs were being cultivated in the garden, creating a
beautiful harmony of vibrant colors. It was a pleasure just to
look at them.
Broken Yin Grass, Smile Embodiment Flower, Seven Hearts
Spearmint… There are so many saint herbs here? Zhang
Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in astonishment.
The garden was considerably small, containing only several
hundred medicinal herbs. However, every single one of them
was a top-grade herb, and one could even see quite a number
of saint herbs with just a swift glance.
Hmm? That is… a Ten-leafed Flower? As Zhang Xuan
carefully observed them while walking along the garden, his
eyes suddenly lit up.
The Ten-leafed Flower was a saint herb as well.
Upon reaching maturity, ten different colored flowers will
bloom on the ten leaves of the medicinal herb, and the flowers
corresponded to the three hun and seven po of a human’s soul.
If they could procure this saint herb to nourish Wei Ruyan’s
soul, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to
awaken her within a single week.
At that moment, Wei Changfeng asked him via zhenqi
telepathy, “Young Master, will that Ten-leafed Flower do?”
Clearly, he had also caught sight of the same medicinal herb as
him.
In order to save his daughter, he had studied a great deal on
medicine, granting him in-depth knowledge regarding
medicinal herbs.
“Yes, the Ten-leafed Flower can save your daughter’s life.
However, it’ll be preferable to procure one whose flowers
have already bloomed so as to maximize the effectiveness of
the treatment,” Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively.
The Ten-leafed Flower being cultivated in the medicinal herb
garden was still quite some time away from blooming.
However, it was unlikely that Wei Ruyan would be able to
wait so long. Even though the effectiveness of the treatment
would be lowered using an immature Ten-leafed Flower, it
should still be sufficient to save her life.
Hearing the young master’s confirmation, Wei Changfeng
heaved a sigh of relief. With his goal lying right before him, he
couldn’t help but feel agitated within.
At that moment, Sun laoshi suddenly reported with a
resounding voice, “Teacher, Boss Wei is here!”
Shifting their gazes, they soon saw an old man applying
fertilizer to one of the medicinal herbs with a bent back not too
far away.
The old man seemed to be in his sixties or seventies, and he
had a long grayish beard.
The medicinal herb which he was tending to was a crimson
flower with clear vein lines on it. The old man carefully dug
the soil around the crimson flower and poured a scarlet fluid in
before placing the soil back.
Demonic Blood Flower? Zhang Xuan frowned.
He had read about this flower in a book before. Even though it
was a saint herb, there were very few people who chose to
cultivate it.
It wasn’t because the flower was inauspicious but that it was
simply too difficult to provide for it.
This was because the Demonic Blood Flower required the
nourishment of blood to survive!
Just cultivating a single Demonic Blood Flower would
potentially require the blood of more than a dozen spirit
beasts.
It seems Vice School Head You isn’t young anymore…
But even though it was hard to provide for, it had an incredible
effect as well. Once matured, consuming it could boost a
person’s vitality, extending their lifespan.
This was probably the reason Vice School Head You was
taking care of it so diligently.
Otherwise, why would a master teacher spend so much effort
on cultivating such a medicinal herb?
“Un.” Without turning his head over, the old man waved his
hands to gesture that he had heard Sun laoshi.
The old man first flattened the ground around the Demonic
Blood Flower and washed his hands in a basin in front of him
before turning his attention to them.
“I have long heard of Boss Wei’s reputation, pleased to meet
you,” Vice School Head You said with a smile.
“I have also long heard of Vice School Head You’s aptitude in
cultivating medicinal herbs, and I must say that I am truly
impressed by your medicinal herb garden!” Wei Changfeng
clasped his fist.
“I dare not claim any aptitude in it, it is just a hobby of mine.
May I know the reason for Boss Wei’s sudden visit?” asked
Vice School Head You.
As fellow Saint realm experts, even though they had never met
before, they had at least heard of each other’s name on other
occasions.
Considering that they had not spoken to one another before, it
was likely that Wei Changfeng’s visit meant business.
“Vice School Head You sure is a candid man. I do have a
request to ask of you…” Wei Changfeng bowed. “I hope to
purchase Vice School Head You’s Ten-leafed Flower!”
“Ten-leafed Flower?”
Glancing at the saint herb which was pulsating with spiritual
energy in the courtyard, Vice School Head You shook his head
and replied, “Pardon me, but that medicinal herb is not for
sale!”
Wei Changfeng immediately panicked. “I require the
medicinal herb to save my kin, I hope that Vice School Head
You can do me this favor…”
“I have already said that the medicinal herb is not for sale. Sun
Yuan, send our guests out!” Vice School Head You waved his
hands.
“Yes!”
Sun laoshi stepped forward and bowed. “This way please.”
“This…” Wei Changfeng looked at Vice School Head You
with an anxious frown.
“I know that it is somewhat rude of me to suddenly arrive at
your residence and ask for your medicinal herb, but I truly
need it to save someone. Vice School Head You, I am willing
to pay any price for your Ten-leafed Flower as long as it is
within my means!”
791 Price
“It’s not a problem of the price, but my teacher simply has no
intention of selling any of these medicinal herbs. I ask for your
understanding!” Sun Yuan bowed.
Hearing those words, Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws
anxiously.
As long as the other party was willing to sell it, even if he had
to risk bankruptcy, he would surely purchase it. But… if the
other party wasn’t willing to sell it, he couldn’t possibly go to
the extent of stealing it, right?
Putting aside whether he was a match for Vice School Head
You or not, just the fact that they were in the Master Teacher
Academy quickly dispelled such thoughts.
“I truly require this saint herb to nourish my daughter’s soul in
order to save her. I beseech Vice School Head You to just do
me this favor…” Taking a deep breath, Wei Changfeng
kneeled onto the floor.
“Haa…” Seeing Wei Changfeng’s actions, Zhang Xuan sighed
deeply.
For his daughter’s sake, he had already kneeled twice.
For a Saint realm expert to put down his dignity and
everything he had for another… this is a parent!
Their love for their children is simple and innocent, noble and
powerful. For their children, they are willing to do anything.
“I said that I won’t sell it! Even if you kneel to your death
here, my decision will not change. You should leave!” Vice
School Head You waved Wei Changfeng away impassively,
unmoved by Wei Changfeng’s actions.
“Vice School Head You…” Wei Changfeng’s fingernails dug
deep into his flesh.
They were all Saint realm experts, existences that stood at the
top of Hongyuan City. Yet, despite kneeling down and
pleading with Vice School Head You, the latter still remained
unmoved.
Seeing that Vice School Head You was unwilling to relent at
all, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Just as he was about to step
forward to speak in Wei Changfeng’s stead, a series of
knocking suddenly sounded from the gates.
Dong dong dong dong!
Sun Yuan left to get the door, and before long, he returned
with a middle-aged man behind him.
The middle-aged man clasped his fist. “Vice School Head You,
my teacher requires a Saint-tier Origin Harnessing Grass for
his pill forging!”
“Origin Harnessing Grass?” Vice School Head Xu nodded.
“Sun Yuan, go and get it for Zhuo shi!”
“Yes!” Sun Yuan nodded. He walked into the herb garden, dug
out a light green-colored medicinal herb, and passed it over to
the middle-aged man.
“Thank you!” The middle-aged man nodded as he flicked his
wrist, taking out ten high-tier spirit stones. “Here is the
payment for the medicine!”
Vice School Head You took the spirit stones, and the middle-
aged man placed the Origin Harnessing Grass in his storage
ring before leaving.
In just a few minutes, this deal was completed.
“Vice School Head You, didn’t you say that you aren’t going
to sell any medicinal herbs? Why did you sell it to that
Zhuo shi then?” Seeing how the middle-aged man was able to
obtain a medicinal herb so easily from You Xu and yet he had
been rejected even though he had already gotten onto his
knees, Wei Changfeng clenched his fists in fury, and veins
popped out from his temples.
Watching the scene, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows also knitted
together into a frown.
If it was You Xu’s principle not to sell medicinal herbs to
anyone, there would be nothing that they could say… But the
other party had rejected Wei Changfeng’s desperate request
only to sell a medicinal herb to that Zhuo shi so easily the next
moment…
This preferential treatment was way too much!
Vice School Head You harrumphed in response. “Zhuo shi’s
teacher is the head of the Apothecary School, School Head Lu
Feng. I have a close relationship with him, so naturally I am
willing to sell my medicinal herbs to him. But on the other
hand… I don’t think that you and I are so close that I need to
sell my medicinal herbs to you, right?”
“I…” Wei Changfeng clenched his jaws in indignation, but
there wasn’t anything he could refute about Vice School Head
You’s words.
The other party was right. Considering that there was no
relationship between them, there was no reason the other party
had to sell the medicinal herb to him. If the other party was
willing to sell it, it would be goodwill on his part. But if he
wasn’t, it would be his freedom of choice to do so as well.
Unable to watch on any further, Zhang Xuan stepped forward
and clasped his fist. “Vice School Head You is right, but the
main use of a medicinal herb should be to save lives.
Physicians should have compassion in their hearts; they
shouldn’t disregard a life just because they aren’t close with
the other party! The life of Boss Wei’s daughter is currently
hinging on your Ten-leafed Flower, so I ask of Vice School
Head You to have mercy on her!”
“Who are you to butt into our conversation?” Vice School
Head You frowned in displeasure.
He was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher, a vice head of the
Physician School. When had he been preached to by another
before, not to mention, by a twenty-year-old brat at that?
“I am Zhang Xuan, a freshman of the academy,” Zhang Xuan
replied.
“Oh, so you are that Zhang Xuan?” Vice School Head You
sneered. “I’ve heard of you. You might have won School Head
Mo and School Head Zhao’s favor, but before me, you are
nothing more than a junior. Know your place!
“Despite being a student of this academy, you chose not to
focus your efforts on your study and instead went around
stirring trouble, sullying the reputation of master teachers. If
you were my student, I would have long expelled you from my
lineage!”
At this point, he glanced at Zhang Xuan disdainfully and said,
“Before you incur my ire, you’d better leave this instant.
Otherwise, don’t blame me for getting nasty with you.”
“Getting nasty with me?”
“Indeed. Since you are a freshman, you’d better act like one
and obey the rules. Yet, here you are, brazen, conceited, and
disrespectful… If you continue acting like this, I don’t mind
teaching you a lesson in your teacher’s stead!” With his hands
behind his back, Vice School Head You flung his sleeves.
“Teach me a lesson in my teacher’s stead? You?”
Sensing the other party’s hostility toward him, Zhang Xuan
didn’t bother holding back either. “Who are you to talk about
the reputation of the master teachers? That is something for
the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Master Teacher Academy
to decide! Besides, even though we are in your residence now,
this is the property of the academy. Chase me away… Are you
sure you are qualified to do so? If I recall correctly…”
At this point, Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up in a smirk. “You
aren’t the school head yet, right?”
If others were to treat him with respect, Zhang Xuan would
regard them with respect as well.
But the other party had spoken about how he’d sullied the
reputation of the master teachers and that he would expel him
from his lineage right from the get-go… No matter how good
Zhang Xuan’s temper was, how could he tolerate this?
Reputation was extremely important to a master teacher.
Without a clear reputation, how could they earn the respect of
others?
This was also one of the reasons Zhang Xuan eventually chose
to transfuse his soul essence to Wei Ruyan despite the risks.
Yet, the other party had insulted him as soon as he began to
speak. That was a clear provocation, and it had already crossed
his bottom line.
“Audacious! Do you know who you are speaking to?” Not
expecting a freshman to talk back to him, Vice School Head
You’s face turned livid with rage.
“Who am I speaking to? Of course I know, 6-star master
teacher You Xu, the vice school head of the Physician School!
But do you know who you are speaking to?”
With an upright back, Zhang Xuan emanated an overwhelming
aura of confidence.
“I am the honored guest of Pavilion Master Mo, School Head
Mo, School Head Zhao, and School Head Wei, and they have
entrusted their personal tokens to me as a symbol of that. On
top of that, I am a 6-star blacksmith and a 6-star terpsichore.
Yet, you dare to insult and threaten me… Isn’t it clear who is
the one who is being audacious here?”
A master teacher couldn’t allow their dignity to be trampled
upon.
That was all the more true for a Celestial Master Teacher like
him!
“You…” Vice School Head You narrowed his eyes in fury.
He had heard of Zhang Xuan’s affairs as well. The latter had
raised a huge storm as soon as he’d arrived in the academy,
and at this point, there was probably no one in the academy, be
it the freshmen, seniors, or even teachers, who didn’t know of
his name.
Vice School Head You harbored a deep dislike for those who
showed no regard for the rules, so he had intended to teach
Zhang Xuan a lesson so as to suppress his arrogance. Who
would have thought that the tables would turn on him instead?
The other party was right. The personal tokens of the three
school heads represented their very presence. To chase three
school heads away from his residence was a huge act of
disrespect toward them, so it was indeed a faux pas on his part.
Even though he was a 6-star pinnacle master teacher as well,
his standing was nowhere on par with the Ten Great Master
Teachers.
“I brought my subordinate here to purchase a saint herb from
you, and if you have any request for us, we are more than
willing to listen. However, despite being a 6-star master
teacher, you made a verbal assault on me as a person, insulting
me as you pleased. If I report this matter to the academy, I
wonder if they will be willing to redress my grievances!”
Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.
“You… Good, good!” Not expecting that the words he had
uttered in a moment of fury would actually be used against
him, Vice School Head You’s complexion turned incredibly
awful.
A master teacher should have a bearing worthy of one.
As a 6-star master teacher, it was truly unbecoming of him to
insult and humiliate a 6-star blacksmith.
If this matter were to be reported to the Master Teacher
Academy, while it was unlikely that he would suffer any
severe punishment, it would indubitably leave a stain on his
records. Furthermore, if the students were to learn of his
matter, he would be unable to keep his head held high in the
Physician School.
He had long heard of Zhang Xuan’s astounding deeds, but he
didn’t think that his words would be so sharp as well.
Knowing that he would only corner himself further if he were
to continue bickering with the other party, Vice School Head
You chose to change the topic decisively. “It took me a lot of
effort to cultivate the Ten-leafed Flower. However, seeing that
you really need it, I can consider selling it to you.”
Vice School Head You’s abrupt change in his words left Zhang
Xuan and Wei Changfeng bewildered. The duo exchanged
doubtful glances.
“However, the price might be a little steep!” Vice School Head
You said.
“Please speak!” Wei Changfeng clasped his fist.
Even though he had no idea what the other party was up to, it
was still good news for him that the other party was willing to
sell the Ten-leafed Flower to him.
“I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a
Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed
Flower for it!” Vice School Head You said.
“Cloudmist Flower?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Despite being a 4-star physician, he had never heard of this
medicinal herb before.
Just as Zhang Xuan was going to ask what it was, he suddenly
saw Wei Changfeng’s face turning pale, and his body began
trembling lightly.
“You know what it is?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“The Cloudmist Flower is a unique plant that appears only in
the Cloudmist Ridge of Hongyuan Mountain Range. However,
it isn’t a medicinal herb… If one dries it first before boiling it
in water, it will produce a stream of billowing steam
reminiscent of the clouds. The Cloudmist Flower is an
extremely precious tea leaf!” Wei Changfeng explained.
“Tea leaf? Exchanging a tea leaf for the Ten-leafed Flower?”
Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
The Ten-leafed Flower was a Saint-tier medicinal herb. Even
in the market, it would easily fetch at least ten high-tier spirit
stones. To exchange it for a tea leaf… Wasn’t this too good a
deal?
“Yes!” Wei Changfeng nodded. He opened his mouth once
again to continue speaking, but at the very last moment, he
changed his mind and turned to Vice School Head You instead.
“Alright, I’ll agree to it!”
“Good. I’ll be waiting for your good news then.” Chuckling
lightly, Vice School Head You waved his hands.
“Rest assured! As long as you keep the end of your promise,
I’ll definitely succeed!” Wei Changfeng said with his fists
clenched tightly behind his back. Taking a deep breath, he
turned to Zhang Xuan and said, “Young Master, let’s go!”
Since the negotiation was over, Zhang Xuan nodded, and the
duo left the residence.
Shortly after they left, Sun Yuan turned to his teacher and
asked, “Teacher, the Cloudmist Ridge is filled with saint
beasts. Even if a master of beast taming like School Head Mo
were to venture in there, it would be hard for him to return
alive… To ask Boss Wei to pick a Cloudmist Flower from
there, isn’t that task a little… too dangerous?”
“Too dangerous? Of course I know! But you should have
heard about Wei Changfeng’s deeds in Hongyuan City as
well… Vermin like him is much better off dead! As for that
conceited and disrespectful Zhang Xuan, it would be best if he
went along as well. But even if not, he shall learn that a 6-star
master teacher… isn’t a person whom he can offend that
easily!” Vice School Head You sneered.
792 It’s Yours!
After leaving the residence, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask
Wei Changfeng, “Is there something wrong with the
Cloudmist Flower?”
No matter how he thought about the matter, it was bizarre that
You Xu would suddenly change his mind and sell the Ten-
leafed Flower at such an inexpensive price.
“That’s not it. It’s just that it isn’t too easy to procure the
Cloudmist Flower. Young Master, don’t worry about this. I’ll
surely get it by hook or by crook to save my daughter!” Wei
Changfeng replied with a determined glint in his eyes.
“Is that really it?” Zhang Xuan was still a little doubtful about
the matter.
His impression of Vice School Head You wasn’t too good, and
he didn’t think that the latter would be so kind as to let go of
his Ten-leafed Flower for a stalk of tea leaf.
“Young Master, don’t worry. This issue might be a little
problematic, but I’ll surely get it done!” Wei Changfeng
assured.
Even to save his daughter, he couldn’t allow the young master
to bear the risk along with him.
Although he wasn’t able to see how the treatment went, the
fact that the young master had needed to consume a whole
Miniature Restorative Pill to recuperate reflected how far he
had exerted himself in order to save his daughter.
The young master had already gone this far to save his
daughter, so he couldn’t allow him to worry over this matter as
well.
“Alright then… If you truly need help, feel free to tell me.
Even though my cultivation might be beneath yours, I do have
quite a few aces up my sleeves!” Seeing that Wei Changfeng
was unwilling to speak about it, Zhang Xuan decided not to
probe any further.
“Thank you, Young Master!” Wei Changfeng nodded.
“The Cloudmist Ridge is quite a distance away, so I’ll have to
rush a bit to make it back in two days. I will have to make
some preparations as well, so I’ll be taking my leave first!”
“Okay, go on.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
Even though he still couldn’t help but feel that something was
amiss, considering that Wei Changfeng was a Saint realm
expert and the boss of the Spirit Emporium, he decided to put
his worries aside.
Hu!
After bidding Zhang Xuan farewell, Wei Changfeng
immediately leaped into the sky, and in just a few moments, he
had already disappeared from sight.
Saint realm experts were capable of flight, and even without
aerial spirit beasts to carry them, they could travel tens of
thousands of kilometers each day.
I should return to my residence as well!
After Wei Changfeng’s departure, Zhang Xuan sighed a breath
of relief. He was finally done settling the matters he had at
hand, and fatigue began to set in once again.
Meeting Hu Yaoyao, browsing through the books in the
Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, cultivating, establishing a
student faction, saving Wei Ruyan… Due to this whole string
of events coming up one after another, he had already been
awake for two days.
Fatigued, he headed right for his residence in the Elite Sector
right after leaving the Physician School.
As soon as he pushed open the door to his residence, he saw
Luo Qiqi walking up to him excitedly. “Teacher!”
In the time of Zhang Xuan’s coma, in order to better take care
of him, Luo Qiqi had created a spare key so that she could
access the residence easier.
“You’re here.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
After the establishment of the Xuanxuan Faction, while the
others were discussing the various administrative and
logistical matters, he had Luo Qiqi return to take a good rest.
“Teacher, Senior Hu Yaoyao has been here since this
morning…” Luo Qiqi told him via zhenqi telepathy.
“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.
The previous night, after teaching that conceited lass a lesson,
he instructed her to report at his residence in the morning. It
seemed like she was at least still punctual.
Walking into the main hall, Zhang Xuan saw Hu Yaoyao
waiting inside. The air of superiority she’d held before had
disappeared, and instead, Zhang Xuan could see a hint of
respect and deference in her eyes.
The matter yesterday had left her slightly fearful.
She had utilized all her means against Zhang Xuan, but not
only were they ineffective, she even had the favor reversed on
her, resulting in her being berated by her teacher… On top of
that, after practicing the revised Dance of the Rippling Cloud
Robe and realizing how exceptional it was, she dared not pull
her weight before the other party anymore.
Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Hu Yaoyao clenched her fists
tightly and bowed slightly.
“Zhang shi.”
As expected of one of the top beauties of the academy. Despite
being dressed in the standard master teacher robe, the
disposition she commanded, along with her movements and
gestures, naturally left one’s heart fluttering.
Her barely visible curvaceous figure under the loose robe
seemed to spark one’s imagination.
However, Zhang Xuan was completely impervious to all of
that. He glanced at her nonchalantly and asked, “Do you know
why I chose to take you in as my apprentice?”
Hu Yaoyao nodded. “You want me to tell you where Wu
Yangzi’s old residence is.”
Saying those words, she couldn’t help but feel slightly
frustrated.
She was the leader of the Bewitching Devil Faction, a famed
beauty and genius in the academy… Yet, he seemed so
reluctant to have her become his apprentice… Just the thought
of it left her feeling frenzied within.
Just how could there be such an oddball in the world?
She had thought that with her charms, she would be able to
make any men obey her commands. But before Zhang Xuan,
she felt as if her charm was worth less than a high-tier spirit
stone.
“That’s right. You can speak now.” Seeing Hu Yaoyao
understand her current position, Zhang Xuan nodded in
satisfaction.
Indeed. That was the sole reason he had decided for her to
become his apprentice. Otherwise, why in the world would he
bother getting involved with such an eccentric and problematic
person? It was not as if he had a lack of subordinates.
“Even if I were to point out the location, you will probably
find it hard to believe. Instead, why don’t I take you there
instead?” Hu Yaoyao offered.
“Fine by me. Lead the way then.” Zhang Xuan gestured
toward the door.
Even though he was extremely exhausted at the moment, there
was still some time before nightfall. Besides, it would be
better to get this over and done with as soon as possible too.
“Alright then.”
Hu Yaoyao nodded and made her way out of the residence.
Zhang Xuan beckoned for Luo Qiqi, and the two of them
followed closely behind her.
Leaving the Master Teacher Academy, they walked through
several streets and alleys, and soon, a magnificent manor
appeared before their eyes.
Its incredible size and spectacular architecture gave the manor
an air of majesty around it. With just a glance, one could tell
that it belonged to someone extraordinary.
“This is the place!” Hu Yaoyao came to a stop before the
magnificent manor and gestured.
“Here?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
The courtyard, walls, bricks, and even the architecture style
were all new! There was no sign of age whatsoever. This was
Wu Yangzi’s old residence?
Was this for real?
As one of the greatest blacksmith in his time, even if Wu
Yangzi had gone missing, there would surely have been
someone to maintain his residence to serve as a historical
monument for future generations to honor him.
But this residence was completely brand new. There was no
sign of wear and tear at all!
It was no wonder Hu Yaoyao had declared confidently that no
one other than her knew the location of Wu Yangzi’s old
residence.
Even if someone managed to trace down the location to this
magnificent manor, there was no way they would believe that
this was it!
“This was the place where Elder Wu Yangzi lived two
thousand years ago!” Hu Yaoyao nodded.
“But this entire manor is brand new; there isn’t any sign of it
being Wu Yangzi’s old residence at all. How can you be
certain that this is it?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask.
Luo Qiqi was also curious about this.
This matter concerned the treasures that Wu Yangzi had left
behind. If they couldn’t even find his old residence, it would
be impossible for them to obtain his treasure.
“I can’t tell you how I know, but I can tell you for sure that
this is it. Of the entire Hongyuan City, I am the only one who
knows this!” Hu Yaoyao replied with a mysterious smile.
“Alright then.” Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was unwilling to speak,
Zhang Xuan knew that it would be useless even if he probed
on.
In any case, the important thing was that they had found Wu
Yangzi’s old residence. Anything else was of little concern.
Thus, he turned his attention back to the manor.
The entrance had crimson doors made out of teak. Reeking of
paint, it seemed like it had just been refurbished not too long
ago.
The doors were tightly shut, but one could hear the sound of
builders at work inside.
However, what was peculiar was even though the manor was
in the midst of refurbishment, there was not a single person
outside, not even a guard.
Typically speaking, manors of such a size would have guards
standing at the doorway to ward off intruders and uninvited
guests. However, there was nothing of that sort here. It was as
if no one lived here.
“Shall I knock on the door?” Luo Qiqi asked.
“Let’s hold that off for now…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“Let’s find a place to take a seat first.”
For the time being, it was good enough for them to have
confirmed that this manor was where Wu Yangzi’s old
residence was situated.
In order to find the treasure, it was likely that they would have
to search throughout the manor, but if they were to do it
recklessly, they might just make the owner suspicious, and that
could complicate the matter. Thus, it was imperative that they
planned this through.
For starters, it would be best for them to look into who the
owner was before deciding on the next course of action.
After looking around, Zhang Xuan found a teahouse not too
far away which had a clear view of the manor. Thus,
beckoning the other two, the trio headed there.
Even though the teahouse was near the main street, as it was
already approaching evening, there weren’t many people in
there, and it was relatively tranquil.
Heading straight to the second floor, they ordered a pot of tea.
Afterward, as a waiter filled their cups, Zhang Xuan tossed
him a middle-tier spirit stone and asked, “Lad, I have a
question to ask you!”
The waiter’s eyes lit up upon seeing the spirit stone, and he
hurriedly clasped his fist. “Gongzi, feel free to speak. As long
as it’s not beyond me, I will answer any question you have!”
“To whom does the manor over there belong to? It doesn’t
look bad!” Zhang Xuan pointed to the manor opposite to the
teahouse as he spoke.
“That manor? I’m not too sure of that either. It has been
switching hands quite often recently. In the two years that I
have been here, its owner has already changed thrice… no,
with this, it should be the fourth time!” the waiter replied with
a smile.
“It is already at its fourth owner? Why? Isn’t it situated in a
prime location?” Zhang Xuan asked, puzzled.
“It is! That manor is close to the Master Teacher Academy,
and it is facing the main street too. There is truly nothing to
complain about its location! I’m not too sure about the details
as well, but two years ago, when I first started working at this
teahouse, it was a merchant who was living in there. However,
I heard that two months after he bought down the manor, it
seemed like an internal conflict broke out within his clan, and
his business was adversely affected. Facing financial
problems, the merchant had no choice but to sell the manor.
“The one whom the merchant sold the manor to was a high-
ranking official of Hongyuan City. However, not too long after
he got the residence, he was dispatched to another city to serve
as its governor.
“Thus, the manor was then passed on to a gentleman whose
surname is Zhao. He’s a friendly person, and he often comes
here for tea as well. He stayed in the manor for almost a year,
but just a few days ago, he sold the manor to another person.
The new owner seems to be an extremely affluent person. I
heard that in order to have Zhao move away as soon as
possible, he even paid him an additional sum. Currently, he’s
still in the midst of refurbishing the manor, so I don’t think he
has moved in yet. So far, I haven’t had the chance to meet the
new owner, so I’m not too sure who he is either,” the waiter
said.
“It was just sold a few days ago?” Zhang Xuan fell into
thought.
He couldn’t help but recall how Sun Qiang had said that he’d
found a residence with an ideal location a few days ago, but
another person had taken it before he could. Could it be that
this manor was the residence which Sun Qiang had been
talking about?
“Thank you, you may go now.” After asking a few more
questions and confirming that the waiter knew nothing about
the new owner, Zhang Xuan gestured for the waiter to leave.
He sent a telepathic message to the Great Violetwing Beast to
have it bring Sun Qiang over before returning back to sipping
on his tea.
Not too long later, the Great Violetwing Beast appeared in the
vicinity of the teahouse, and Sun Qiang leaped off its back and
hurried toward Zhang Xuan.
“Young Master, you were looking for me?” Sun Qiang bowed.
“Yes. Is the manor over there the one that you were talking
about previously?” Zhang Xuan asked.
Sun Qiang took a look at the manor before nodding. “Indeed.
That’s the residence which I wanted to purchase, but an
affluent man clinched the deal instead…”
Both the size of the manor and the location which it was
situated in fitted the young master’s request perfectly.
However, it was a pity that they didn’t have sufficient money
to outbid the other party, or else there was no way he would
have given up on it.
“Do you know the details of that affluent man?” Zhang Xuan
asked.
After a moment of contemplation, Sun Qiang replied, “That…
I’m not too sure either. However, I think it should be possible
to get his details by visiting the realtor agency where the trade
was made!”
To officialize the sales of a residence, the documents regarding
the exchange of deed had to be filed at a realtor agency. As
such, it shouldn’t be too difficult to uncover the identity of the
new owner of the manor.
“Find out who the new owner of that manor is. I want the
answer within two hours!” As Sun Qiang used to be in the
realtor industry as well, he was more familiar with the various
proceedings in the field, so it shouldn’t take him too long.
“Yes!” Nodding affirmatively, Sun Qiang left the teahouse.
Around an hour later, he returned with a peculiar look on his
face. His eyes were widened in disbelief, as if he had just seen
a ghost.
“What’s wrong?” Seeing Sun Qiang’s expression, Zhang Xuan
was slightly puzzled.
“Young Master, is there any other freshman in the Master
Teacher Academy who goes by the name of… Zhang Xuan
too?” Sun Qiang asked with a bizarre look on his face.
“I should be the only one.” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Didn’t I
ask you to look into who the new owner of the manor is? Why
are you asking that instead?”
Considering Zhang Xuan’s fame in the Master Teacher
Academy, he should have at least heard about it if there was
anyone of the thirty thousand students who shared the same
name as him.
“If there is no one who shares the same name, then…”
At which, Sun Qiang took in a deep breath and said, “I think
the manor belongs to you!”
793 Zheng Yang Accepts a
Disciple
“Mine?” Zhang Xuan was stunned. His hands trembled, and
tea spilled from the cup he held in his hands. “What do you
mean by it belongs to me?”
“I just went to the realtor agency to look into the matter, and
according to the document filed there, the new owner goes by
the name of Zhang Xuan!” Sun Qiang seemed to be in a state
of disbelief as well as he spoke.
“I found it weird as well, so I asked them about that Zhang
Xuan’s occupation and identity. The answer I received was
that he is a Grade-1 freshman of the Master Teacher Academy.
This is also why I asked Young Master if there is anyone who
shares the same name as you among the freshmen. If there
isn’t… the only possibility left is that the owner of the manor
is you!”
“This…” Zhang Xuan blinked in a daze, nearly fainting from
shock.
He had never seen this manor before, and he didn’t have the
money to buy such a large manor either. How could it possibly
be his?
If it had been a day before, he would have been certain that it
must be a freshman who just coincidentally shared the same
name as him. However, Zhang Xuan had replicated a copy of
the registry with the names of all of the Xuanxuan Faction’s
members in it yesterday, and checking it, there was no one
with the same name or even a similar sounding name to his.
What was going on?
“What about the buyer? Did you get any information on the
person who bought the manor?” Zhang Xuan asked.
If he was registered in the deed, someone must have made the
deal in his stead.
But… what was the motive behind doing this?
“I tried looking into it as well, but it seems like even the
realtor agency has no idea who the buyer is. They left no
information whatsoever with the realtor agency, only saying
that the new owner will take over the house once the
refurbishment is done,” Sun Qiang replied.
The more he tried to dig deeper into the matter, the more
bewildered he became.
He had attempted to buy the manor, but he couldn’t outbid the
other buyer. Yet, mysteriously, the manor was suddenly put
under the young master’s name?
“This…” Zhang Xuan also found the situation bizarre as well.
He had heard of people giving the wrong amount of money
when purchasing items, but he had never heard of people
putting down the wrong name on a deed when buying a home.
Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but turn to the lady before him and
ask, “Luo Qiqi, was this you?”
Of the entire Hongyuan City, the one who was most likely to
do such a thing was this student of his.
Luo Qiqi shook her head. “How could it be me? Even if I
wished to buy it, I don’t have the money to afford such a grand
manor…”
“That’s true…” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Considering the location and size of the manor, its price could
possibly reach up to a hundred high-tier spirit stones… Even
with Luo Qiqi’s mysterious background, it didn’t seem likely
that she would have so much money on hand with her.
“Then… could it be Yu Fei-er and the others?”
If it wasn’t Luo Qiqi, the only few he could think of were Yu
Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others. Coming from prestigious
clans, not to mention that Yu Fei-er was the Sixth Princess of
Hongyuan Empire at that, it wasn’t implausible for them to be
able to afford such a manor.
“Fei-er, Xing Yuan, and the others went into seclusion to
cultivate after undergoing the Meridian and Bone Cleansing to
attempt to make a breakthrough to the Perfect Harmonization
realm. I don’t think that they have the time to bother about this
matter…” Luo Qiqi shook her head.
If they had the time to do something like that, they would have
long come to pay a visit to Zhang Xuan, especially since that
they had parted abruptly at the underground chamber.
Since they didn’t even have the time to do so, how could they
possibly have the time to buy a manor for him?
Besides, Yu Fei-er was her close friend. If she had done
something like that, there was no reason she would have
hidden it from her.
“Then… who could it be?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
Mo Gaoyuan, School Head Mo, and the others were plausible
candidates, but Zhang Xuan didn’t think that it was likely to
be them.
Even though they were interested in getting on good terms
with him, there were many ways for them to do it. Purchasing
a manor and refurbishing it to give it as a gift to him was
going overboard, especially in view of their identities as 6-star
master teachers. Such actions could easily make them the
laughingstock of the city.
“Forget it. Since the other party has written my name on the
deed, it should be a matter of time before they appear before
me. Otherwise, won’t their money have been spent in vain?”
After a moment longer of pondering, Zhang Xuan was unable
to figure out who it was, so he decided to just put it aside for
the time being.
Considering the amount of money invested into purchasing
and renovating the manor, it would be foolish for the person in
question not to claim credit for their actions.
“Teacher, are we going to move into the manor then?” Luo
Qiqi asked.
“Not yet. Since the deed is registered under my name, the
person behind this should come to look for me once the
refurbishment is done. At that moment, we shall move into the
manor openly!” Zhang Xuan gestured.
Since it was already his manor, there was no need for him to
worry about the matter anymore. But just to be safe, it would
be best for him to meet the person behind it first to confirm
their intentions before doing anything.
“Alright!” Luo Qiqi nodded.
“Sun Qiang, tell Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang that
they can stop looking for a residence,” Zhang Xuan instructed.
“Yes, Young Master!” Sun Qiang replied.
“Alright, let’s return to the academy then!”
Since the owner of the manor was confirmed to be him, his job
here was done. After issuing several instructions to Sun Qiang,
he returned back to the academy with Luo Qiqi and Hu
Yaoyao.
As soon as he returned back to his residence in the Elite
Sector, he went to his room and began meditating.
After conditioning his body for around four hours, his fatigue
finally vanished.
Turning his sight outside, he realized that it was already the
middle of the night. The sky felt a little heavy and gloomy that
night. As if someone had pulled a black veil across the sky,
there was not a single star or moon to be seen.
Since I am free at the moment, I should pay the Physician
School a visit to read their books! Zhang Xuan thought.
Ever since the previous treatment for Wei Ruyan, he realized
that his knowledge regarding the Way of Medicine was still
lacking, so he had been thinking about paying a visit to the
library of the Physician School.
The more knowledge he accrued, the better chance he stood at
saving Wei Ruyan.
Thus, without any hesitation, he drew out his soul, and he
began making his way to the Physician School.
From the incident with Wei Ranxue, he had learned that even
in his form as a soul, he still had to operate carefully due to the
presence of Saint realm experts in the academy. Thus, he
advanced slowly, and it took him an hour before he was able to
get into the vicinity of the Tower of Physicians.
The library is over there…
While Zhang Xuan was in the Physician School earlier, he had
made sure to take a look around to confirm the location of the
library. Thus, it didn’t take long before he reached his
destination
The gigantic building he was currently floating before
emanated a solemn and academic aura.
Just like the Terpsichore Compendium Pavilion, entry into its
premises required a student token and Academic Credits.
Thus, Zhang Xuan waited patiently outside.
Unlike the Terpsichore School, the Physician School was
ranked fifth in the academy, and it had several ten thousand
students under it. As such, there were many students who
visited the library each day, so the wait shouldn’t take too
long.
As expected, a few minutes later, a student walked out from
the entrance. Making use of this opportunity, Zhang Xuan’s
soul slipped in.
Upon entering the library, an incredible collection of books
immediately appeared before his eyes.
“Alright, I should begin!” Chuckling lightly, Zhang Xuan
started scanning through the books with his eyes, and books
began materializing in the Library of Heaven’s Path at an
incredible speed.
…
When Zhang Xuan went back to the Master Teacher Academy,
Sun Qiang also returned to their residence.
When night fell, he saw Wang Ying and the others returning
with their heads hanging in disappointment.
It was a difficult feat, searching for a suitable residence in the
vicinity of the Master Teacher Academy. Otherwise, Sun
Qiang would have already found something by now.
“Where is Young Master Zheng Yang? He didn’t return with
you all?”
Just as Sun Qiang was about to tell them that there was no
need to search any longer, he suddenly realized that Zheng
Yang was missing, and he frowned.
“We don’t know either. We separated in the morning to scour
the area for a suitable residence, and I only met Wang Ying on
the way back. However, there should be no need to worry. He
is probably on his way back,” Liu Yang replied.
“Zheng Yang is a wary person, and he has inherited teacher’s
heritage. He should be fine!” Wang Ying nodded.
Of Zhang Xuan’s direct disciples, the one who had the
strongest adaptability was Yuan Tao, followed by Zheng Yang.
It would already be a blessing to the world if he didn’t attempt
to do anyone in; how could anything possibly happen to him?
While they were speaking, a figure walked into the courtyard.
Who else could it be if not Zheng Yang?
“Uncle Qiang!” Zheng Yang rushed up with excitement
gleaming in his eyes.
Seeing Zheng Yang’s expression, Sun Qiang asked doubtfully,
“Did you find a residence?”
“That’s not it… It’s just that I encountered something today,
and I wish to discuss it with you!” Zheng Yang scratched his
head in embarrassment.
“Discuss with me? What is it?” Sun Qiang asked.
Zhang Xuan had left his students in Sun Qiang’s care, so they
would often turn to Sun Qiang for most decisions.
“It’s like this… While I was outside, I met a person who is
interested in learning spearmanship from me. I wish to take
him in as my disciple and allow him to stay here for a few
days. Is that fine?” Zheng Yang asked embarrassedly.
“You wish to take in a student?” Sun Qiang widened his eyes
in shock.
You are still a student yourself, but you wish to accept a
student?
“That’s right. I saw that that fellow possessed quite a high
aptitude in spearmanship, so I gave him some pointers
casually. Who would have thought that he would insist on
acknowledging me as his teacher afterward? He even gave me
quite a sum as a school fee… Seeing how sincere he was, I
couldn’t bear to turn him down,” Zheng Yang said hesitantly.
When he was out looking for a residence earlier in the day, he
coincidentally stumbled upon a bullying incident, and out of
rage, he drew his spear and taught the bullies a lesson. A
young man happened to catch sight of him in action, and
impressed by what he saw, the other party insisted on learning
spearmanship from him.
After studying diligently under Zhang shi over the past half a
year, Zheng Yang’s spearmanship had already reached an
unfathomable level. Upon hearing that someone was interested
in learning from him, he couldn’t help but offer him a few
words of guidance. To his surprise, that young man was
extremely intelligent, comprehending what he imparted in an
instant.
Even though his spearmanship was still a little weak, it was
fortunate that his foundations were considerably solid. As a
result, Zheng Yang’s interest in taking the other party as his
disciple was piqued.
However… considering that he was still a student himself, he
felt that he should discuss this with his teacher first.
But since this teacher wasn’t around, the second-best option
would be Uncle Qiang.
“He paid you a school fee? How much?” Sun Qiang asked.
“It is all in here!” Zheng Yang passed a storage ring over.
Perplexed, Sun Qiang took the storage ring and had a look
inside. The next instant, his eyes widened in shock. “Twenty
thousand middle-tier spirit stones? And so many pills as
well… Is this the school fee he paid to acknowledge you as his
teacher?”
Other than the twenty thousand middle-tier spirit stones, there
were various herbs and other miscellaneous stuff inside as
well.
Totaling the entire value of the items in the ring, it must be
worth at least at least fifty thousand middle-tier spirit stones…
The other party had paid so much money to learn
spearmanship from Zheng Yang?
Just where in the world did Zheng Yang find such a wealthy
lad?
“That’s right. I wish to take him in as my student… but I fear
that Teacher will disagree with it. Uncle Qiang, please help me
convince my teacher about this…”
“Don’t worry! Given the school fee… Ahem! As a master
teacher, the young master surely wishes to spread his teachings
far and wide, so you don’t have to worry about it!” Sun Qiang
smiled.
After the time he had spent with the young master, how could
he possibly not know the latter’s character?
As long as one was willing to fork out sufficient money…
Putting aside a single disciple, he would even accept an army
of them without any hesitation!
794 The Excited Xue
Zhenyang
“That’s great!” Hearing that there was no problem with it,
Zheng Yang heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly turned to the
entrance excitedly and said, “Come in!”
“Yes!”
Hearing those words, a young man wielding a spear walked
into the residence. His aura felt condensed and sharp,
reminiscent of a blade piercing into the heavens.
In his early thirties, the young man had sharp facial features,
which gave him a masculine appearance.
“Uncle Qiang, Wang Ying, and Liu Yang, this is the student I
have accepted!” Zheng Yang introduced.
“Student Xue Zhenyang pays respect to seniors!” the young
man greeted with a clasped fist.
“Xue Zhenyang? Your cultivation… seems to be considerably
higher than Zhenyang, isn’t it? Why did you choose to
acknowledge him as your teacher?” Sun Qiang frowned.
While he wasn’t able to gauge the exact level of the other
party’s cultivation, he could tell that it was definitely far above
Zheng Yang’s.
Why would an expert of his strength acknowledge a young
child as his teacher?
“Even though my cultivation is higher than Zheng laoshi, my
comprehension of spearmanship is far beneath him. It is my
honor to be able to learn from someone as capable as him!”
Xue Zhenyang said respectfully.
Naturally, this was the same Xue Zhenyang from the Master
Teacher Academy, the leader of the True Helios Faction, as
well as the fellow who was determined to challenge Zhang
Xuan.
Having decided to devote his heart to master the 10-dan of the
Fallen Leaf Spear, he left the Master Teacher Academy to
embark on a training expedition, and in the midst of doing so,
he unintentionally caught sight of Zheng Yang’s spearmanship.
While the latter’s cultivation was far beneath his, his
understanding of spearmanship had already achieved the level
of Spear-Man Union, harnessing immense might.
In a brief conversation with the other party, he realized that the
latter’s comprehension of spearmanship had already achieved
the level of Distillation of the Profound, a direct interpretation
of the peak of spear art. As a result, he couldn’t help but want
to learn from him.
He could see that if he were to learn diligently under the other
party’s tutelage, he would be able to grasp the 10-dan of the
Fallen Leaf Spear perfectly very soon. By then, he would be
able to destroy Zhang Xuan and restore the honor of the True
Helios Faction!
It was never a humiliation for a master teacher to learn from
someone weaker or younger. On the contrary, there had been
many such cases in history.
In the philosophy of master teachers, students are not
necessarily inferior to their teacher, and teachers are not
necessarily greater than their students. Each and every person
has their own strengths, and it is the one proficient in the field
that becomes the teacher.
Even Kong shi had studied under those weaker than him,
needless to say, other master teachers.
“I see!” Sun Qiang nodded.
As the butler of the old master and the young master, he had a
rough understanding of the various doctrines of the master
teachers too.
Considering that Zheng Yang was a direct disciple of the
young master, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to teach a
nobody.
“For the time being, you don’t have to look for a new
residence anymore, so just focus your efforts on your
cultivation. Zheng Yang, it’s fine if you want to impart
your spearmanship to him. I’ll report this matter to the young
master for you!” Seeing that the other fellow was sincere in
wanting to acknowledge Zheng Yang as his teacher, Sun Qiang
decided to let them be.
“Un!” Zheng Yang nodded before turning to Xue Zhenyang,
“Study diligently for the next few days. Once you reach a
satisfactory level, I will bring you to meet my teacher. His
comprehension of spearmanship is at least ten times more
formidable than me, so don’t you embarrass me!”
As he spoke those words, admiration gleamed in his eyes.
“Teacher, rest assured! I will study diligently so as to not
disappoint grandteacher!” Xue Zhenyang nodded his head in
agitation.
It was no wonder why people said that the true experts live in
the streets. Just a random person he met in the streets already
possessed such formidable spearmanship, and he even had a
teacher who was ten times more formidable than him…
As long as he pursued this teacher of his, he had no doubt that
he would be able to achieve the 10-dan of Fallen Spear Art
soon, and perhaps… he might even find himself reaching a
level he had never thought to be possible!
“Un. I will be sparring with your Senior Aunt Wang Ying now,
so do watch closely to see how I utilize my spear in the
battle!” Zheng Yang said as he drew his spear.
Battle techniques weren’t just about comprehending their form
and intent. More importantly, one must learn how to
incorporate them into battle as well.
As such, sparring was the best way to deepen one’s
understanding of battle techniques.
“Roger!” Xue Zhenyang nodded excitedly.
“Wang Ying, I’ll be troubling you…”
With a swift movement, Zheng Yang’s spear suddenly pierced
right for Wang Ying with a sharp whiz.
As fellow students, they often sparred with one another, and
they were extremely familiar with each other’s strength and
battle techniques. Upon seeing the pierce, Wang Ying smiled
lightly, and with a swift step, her figure vanished like an
apparition, dodging the spear.
Hu!
Following which, as swift as lightning, Wang Ying sent a kick
right for Zheng Yang’s spear. Even though she was executing a
battle technique, her movements carried a peculiar elegance to
them, reminiscent of a butterfly threading amongst flowers.
“What a formidable movement art and leg art…” Xue
Zhenyang widened his eyes in astonishment.
His Senior Aunt Wang Ying’s cultivation might be far beneath
him, but her mastery of leg arts and movement arts were far
above those teachers of the Martial Arts School.
In fact… he even doubted whether his teacher, the head of the
Martial Arts School, School Head Xu Changqing, would be
able to execute such a move as well. Her movements were
simple, but every single aspect of it, be it the timing,
trajectory, or force, was flawless. He had never seen anything
like this before!
Hu hu hu hu!
The duo soon completed their sparring. In the process, Xue
Zhenyang stared at every single action they made carefully,
not daring to even blink for fear of missing the slightest detail.
In this battle, both sides were incredible. The spearmanship,
movement art, and leg art utilized in the battle had left his
heart thumping with excitement and awe, as if a new world
had opened before him.
“Zheng Yang, why don’t we give it a go too?” Liu Yang
stepped in and asked with a smile.
This was the first time any of them had accepted a student, and
for someone as young as they were, it was inevitable that they
would be tempted to show off before the other party’s student.
“Sure!” Zheng Yang agreed to it heartily. Raising his spear
once more, he charged at Liu Yang.
Xue Zhenyang hurriedly turned his attention to the duel,
curious to see what his Senior Uncle Liu Yang was capable of.
Unlike Senior Aunt Wang Ying, Senior Uncle Liu Yang
couldn’t move at unbelievable speed, and he didn’t seem to
specialize in leg art either. However, what was incredible
about him was the sheer might of his fist. Before the attack of
Zheng Yang laoshi could strike him, he had already sent out a
powerful punch aimed precisely to jolt away Zheng Yang’s
spear.
Zhenqi burst from his acupoints, and his fist hurtled forward
with the roar of a tiger.
“What a formidable fist art… Given the same cultivation
realm, even Yuan Gang, who specializes in fist arts, wouldn’t
survive a single strike from him…” Xue Zhenyang was
overwhelmed by agitation.
He thought that it would take him some time before he could
gain a greater insight into spearmanship and comprehend
higher tier battle techniques. Who could have thought that in
the very first day of his journey, he would have already met so
many formidable people.
Even though the teacher, Senior Uncle, and Senior Aunt whom
he had just acknowledged weren’t as strong as him, their
understanding of battle techniques had far surpassed that of
most master teachers in the academy.
Perhaps, even surpassing some of the elders as well!
Unbelievable!
Soon, after his teacher and Senior Uncle Liu Yang were done
sparring, the duo smiled at one another before turning to Xue
Zhenyang, “How is it?”
“Teacher, Senior Uncle, and Senior Aunt, if it isn’t too much,
I… have a request to ask of you.” Taking a deep breath, Xue
Zhenyang suppressed his agitation and bowed with a clasped
fist.
“Oh?” Seeing Xue Zhenyang’s grim expression, everyone
immediately pricked up their ears in curiosity.
“It’s like this… I have established a faction, and most of my
followers are interested in battle techniques, spending most of
their life devoted to the study of martial arts. If it isn’t too
much to ask, may I invite teacher, Senior Aunt, and Senior
Uncle to conduct a few lectures for them to impart to them the
essence of battle techniques?” Xue Zhenyang asked nervously.
“Lecture?” Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang glanced at
one another with a distressed look on their faces. “We are not
master teachers, how can we lecture?”
In the Master Teacher Continent, ‘lecture’ was a word that was
usually associated with only master teachers. They might
possess a deep understanding of battle techniques, but to
lecture others despite not being a master teacher… Wouldn’t
they be overstepping their boundaries if so?
“Even though you aren’t master teachers, you have reached a
level of mastery in your field of battle techniques which most
master teachers would never achieve in their lifetime. Even
though it might not be much, I’ll have my followers pay a
school fee for the lecture as a token of our sincerity…” After a
moment of hesitation, Xue Zhenyang said.
If he could invite the three of them to his faction to lecture his
followers, the fighting prowess of his followers would surely
soar. If so, it would only be a matter of time before the True
Helios Faction became the number one faction in the
academy!
With that, he would be able to cleanse the humiliation he had
suffered from Zhang Xuan.
“School fee? How much?”
Before Wang Ying and the others could respond, Sun Qiang,
who had been listening to the conversation by the side, asked
with an excited gleam in his eyes.
As the butler of the group, he was in charge of the finances
and logistics of the group. Naturally, he understood the
importance of money as well.
Currently, the spirit stones earned by the young master weren’t
even enough to sustain his cultivation. It was about time for
them to step up and provide for themselves.
If Wang Ying and the others could make use of this
opportunity to earn a bit of money, they would be able to
overcome the current financial crisis they were suffering from.
The young master would surely be more than delighted to see
this.
“This… I will have each of them pay a hundred middle-tier
spirit stones to you. I have a total of 500 followers, so it should
add up to fifty thousand middle-tier spirit stones…” Xue
Zhenyang said.
The True Helios Faction was a famous faction in the academy,
with over two thousand members under their command.
However, the only ones whose field of specialty intersected
with these three probably only numbered five hundred.
“Five hundred? A hundred from each person?” Sun Qiang’s
eyes lit up.
Through a single event, they could earn more than fifty
thousand middle-tier spirit stones!
“I see… Why don’t we set the price at two hundred, and not
only will they impart the essence of battle techniques, they
will also decipher the foundation of cultivation. Don’t worry, I
can guarantee that this is a deal you won’t regret it!” After a
moment of contemplation, Sun Qiang said.
“Foundation of cultivation?” Xue Zhenyang was taken aback.
“That’s right. Wang Ying, tell him a bit about the cultivation
method of the Prolonged Longevity realm!” Sun Qiang
nodded.
“Yes!” Wang Ying nodded, and after organizing her thoughts
for a moment, she began to speak.
The Prolonged Longevity realm was the first dan of
Transcendent Mortal, and it laid the foundation for all of the
realms to come. If cultivated improperly, not only would one’s
further progress slow, it might even create an invisible cap on
the person’s eventual accomplishments!
Wang Ying hadn’t read many books on the topic before, but as
a cultivator of a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path
Divine Art and having learned directly from Zhang Xuan, her
understanding of the subject had reached an astonishing level.
With just a few words from her, Xue Zhenyang’s body was
already convulsing with excitement.
The proposed cultivation method allowed the cultivator to first
built a strong foundation before delving deeper into the
cultivation realm, creating an extremely stable base… Not
even the greatest teacher in the academy could come up with
something as ingenious as that!
It could be said that this cultivation method was close to
perfection. Just by hearing a small portion of it, Xue Zhenyang
had already benefitted greatly from the impartation.
“This is wonderful! If my followers can listen to this as well,
they would be able to reinforce their foundation and cultivate
even faster!”
The more Xue Zhenyang thought about it, the more agitated he
became. He immediately turned to look at Wang Ying and the
others in agitation, as if he was looking at a mountain of gold.
Even though he had no idea what master teacher could groom
such talented students, there was one thing he did know… The
rise of the True Helios Faction was on the horizon!
If his followers could listen to their lecture as well, not only
would the members of the True Helios Faction enjoy
tremendous progress in their cultivation and understanding of
battle techniques, the True Helios Faction would also be able
to attract a steady stream of students applying for it!
With this, he would be able to rise over the others and reach
the top!
Hahaha, Zhang Xuan! Let’s see how you can compete with
this!
Xue Zhenyang’s eyes lit up with excitement, and for a brief
moment, he could almost see the radiant future of the True
Helios Faction before him.
795 Nothing Must Happen
To You!
“How is it? This deciphering of the foundations of cultivation
is worth two hundred middle-tier spirit stones, right?” Seeing
Xue Zhenyang’s expression, Sun Qiang could immediately tell
that he was drawn to the content of Wang Ying’s words, so he
pushed on with a smile.
He had absolute confidence in the old master and the young
master’s interpretation of cultivation.
Since the old master was able to make so many formidable
master teachers submit him, surely winning over a nobody like
the other party should be a walk in the park for his
grandstudent?
“Worth, it is definitely worth two hundred middle-tier spirit
stones!” Xue Zhenyang nodded vehemently.
“Good. So as we have agreed, each lecture conducted by Wang
Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang will cost two hundred
middle-tier spirit stones for each person. I will have to ask you
to first prepare the spirit stones in advance before the lecture,
or else… I’m afraid that we’ll have to drop the matter!”
As a true merchant, Sun Qiang was determined to wring the
greatest benefit out of any deal he made.
“Two hundred middle-tier spirit stones per lecture?” Xue
Zhenyang’s lips twitched violently. Nevertheless, he
still nodded swiftly, “Alright!”
Master teachers did conduct public lectures from time to time,
and the price they charged tended to be on the pricey side.
Considering the deep comprehension of cultivation and battle
techniques that the three of them possessed, charging two
hundred middle-tier spirit stones could already be considered
as cheap.
When Kong shi first established the Master Teacher Pavilion,
while his ideology was to enlighten the masses and bring
humanity to greater heights, his intent wasn’t to impart
everything unreservedly to everyone.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t pass down his heritage to only the 72
Sages.
It was said that Kong shi’s initial intent regarding the Master
Teacher Pavilion was indeed accessible knowledge without
discrimination. However, there was an event where a student
had misinterpreted his cultivation technique and imparted his
flawed interpretation on to many talented geniuses, resulting in
their eventual downfall.
Considering the profoundness of battle techniques, it was
extremely easy for one to veer down the wrong path without
proper guidance from a teacher.
Knowledge is as destructive as it is beneficial. This was also
the intent behind the saying ‘knowledge is not to be divulged
indiscriminately, and skills are not to be passed down easily’.
Master teachers were humans as well, they had limited time
and energy on their hands. Thus, they could only focus their
efforts on a few students at a time to pass their true heritage
down to.
This was also the reason why there was the eventual
classification of direct disciple, normal student, listening in,
and half-teacher.
From that perspective, conducting public lectures could be
considered as an additional service performed by master
teachers, and master teachers did require money as well. Thus,
it became a convention to charge a fee for such public lectures.
“Good! We’ll leave the arrangements to you then! When will
the lecture be?” Seeing Xue Zhenyang agree to it, Sun Qiang
nodded in satisfaction.
Just as they were frustrated over the lack of money, the other
party came and delivered a carriage of it to them. He sure was
a good man!
However, this was indeed a viable source of income. If they
were to find themselves tight on their finances at any moment,
they could just conduct public lectures, and money would start
rolling in…
“It would be best for it to be done as soon as possible! Is
tomorrow morning fine?” Xue Zhenyang asked.
Since this was an opportunity for the True Helios Faction to
soar, it would be best for it to be done as soon as possible!
“Morning?” Not expecting the other party to be so anxious,
Sun Qiang hesitated for a moment before nodding, “That’s
fine as well!”
This wasn’t a serious matter anyway, so it shouldn’t be a
problem. He could just report it to the young master once it
was over.
“Great! I will bring you all to the Master Teacher Academy
with me tomorrow morning then!” Hearing the other party
agree to it, Xue Zhenyang nodded in excitement.
“Master Teacher Academy?” Hearing those words, everyone
leaped in shock. Sun Qiang asked in astonishment, “You are…
a master teacher?”
“Indeed!” Xue Zhenyang nodded.
“This…” Everyone glanced at one another with a troubled
look on their faces.
They had thought the other party was a nobody, but to think
that he would be a student from the Master Teacher
Academy…
Young master was currently in the academy as well. Wouldn’t
it be bad for them to conduct a lesson there without asking for
his permission?
“Uncle Qiang, what do we do?” Everyone’s gaze gathered on
Sun Qiang, and Zheng Yang sent a telepathic message over.
“This… It shouldn’t be anything much, I think… So what if
the ones you are going to lecture to are master teachers? There
are plenty of master teachers out there who have submitted to
the old master. Isn’t even Pavilion Master Mo filled with
admiration for him as well? As the grandstudent of such a
figure, there’s nothing for you to be afraid of! As long as you
explain the concepts the young master has imparted to you
carefully, there shouldn’t be any problem!” After a moment of
hesitation, Sun Qiang replied with gritted teeth.
What about the Master Teacher Academy? He had never
feared anything before, so why should he fear it?
It was the other party who was inviting them over to conduct a
lecture, not that they were forcing the other party into it.
Moreover, to allow money that was nearly in their pockets to
slip away…
“Then… on teacher’s side…” Wang Ying asked worriedly.
“Leave the young master to me, you just have to focus your
effort on conducting the lecture… As long as you do a good
job, the young master shouldn’t have any objections to the
matter!” Sun Qiang replied.
Given the dire state of their finances, surely beggars couldn’t
be choosers?
It wasn’t easy for them to meet a God of Fortune. It would be
a huge shame if they were to let this opportunity slip past their
fingers.
The young master should be able to understand the rationale of
their action.
“Alright… Teacher has been taking care of us all along, it’s
time for us to do something for him!”
Wang Ying and the others clenched their fists tightly.
The resources for their cultivation had always come from their
teacher. Since this was a rare opportunity to give back to him,
it was natural that they would be excited to do so.
“It’s decided then. Xue Zhenyang, you should rest here
tonight. Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and Liu Yang will follow
you to the Master Teacher Academy tomorrow!” Having come
to a decision, Sun Qiang turned to Xue Zhenyang and said.
“Roger!” Xue Zhenyang nodded excitedly.
…
Hu!
After several hours, Zhang Xuan finally finished taking in all
of the books in the library of the Physician School into the
Library of Heaven’s Path, and he heaved a sigh of relief.
After which, making use of the opportunity of another
student’s entrance, he slipped out of the library and returned
back to his residence.
“Compile!”
With a thought, the books came together and formed six
books, ranging from 1-star to 6-star.
Since he was already a 4-star physician, there was no purpose
in reading the earlier books. Thus, he picked up the fifth book
straight.
Huala!
The content of the book flowed into Zhang Xuan’s head, and
he swiftly began assimilating the knowledge.
It took a while before he was able to fully comprehend the
wisdom contained within the book.
Following which, he turned to the sixth book.
An hour later, he was done assimilating the knowledge within
it as well.
After that, he went back to browse through the earlier four
books, and as he had expected, their crux was identical to what
he had compiled earlier.
“Right now, my knowledge in the Way of Medicine should be
on par with 6-star pinnacle physicians…”
After he was finally done studying the six Heaven’s Path
Physician Art manuals, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply.
Zhang Xuan’s current knowledge in the Way of Medicine
ranked at the very peak of 6-star pinnacle. Even the head of
the Physician School would be no match for him, and he might
even be able to rival some of the less proficient 7-star
physicians too.
“Wei Ruyan’s illness…”
With the advancement in his understanding of the Way of
Medicine, Zhang Xuan began pondering over Wei Ruyan’s
illness once more. But after some time, he eventually shook
his head.
The young lady was struck a heavy blow while she was still in
the womb, resulting in her suffering from a Deficiency of
Spirit, Soul, and Blood. Her condition was so weak that there
was nothing he could do other than to nourish her soul and
physical body.
“As long as I obtain the Ten-leafed Flower and pair it with
some additional medicinal herb to complement its effects, I
should be able to hasten the recovery of her soul.”
Vice School Head You Xu’s Ten-leafed Flower hadn’t matured
yet, so its effects wouldn’t reach ideality. However, with
Zhang Xuan’s newfound knowledge, he would be able to
complement the Ten-leafed Flower with several other
medicinal herbs to boost its effectiveness.
“Yet another night has passed!”
Putting aside those thoughts from his mind, Zhang Xuan
stretched his back lazily as he walked out of his room, only to
realize that the sky had already lit up.
The rays of the sun fell upon the courtyard, reflecting a
brilliant gold on the ground.
“Teacher!”
After eating breakfast, Zhang Xuan was just about to head out
when Luo Qiqi walked into the residence.
“You came at a good a time. There’s something that I forgot to
ask you yesterday!” Zhang Xuan said with a smile as he
suddenly recalled something that he had neglected yesterday.
He had been too shocked after learning that the manor where
Wu Yangzi’s old residence used to be situated at belonged to
him that he forgot to ask Luo Qiqi about that matter.
“Teacher, please speak!” Luo Qiqi said with a perplexed
expression.
“Have you heard of the Cloudmist Flower before?” Zhang
Xuan asked.
He had noticed some peculiarities in Wei Changfeng
yesterday, but he had shrugged it off thinking that it shouldn’t
be a problem for him as a Saint realm expert. However, the
more he thought about it, the more he felt that things weren’t
that simple.
“Cloudmist Flower? Is teacher referring to the flowers that
grow on the Cloudmist Ridge which can be processed into tea
leaves?” Luo Qiqi pondered for a moment before replying.
“Yes, that’s it!”
He hadn’t heard of the Cloudmist Ridge before, but Wei
Changfeng did say that the Cloudmist Flower could be dried to
serve as a tea leaf, and the tea brewed from it produced
billowing clouds and had a refreshing fragrance, making it a
sought-after product.
“According to what I have heard from Yu Fei-er, the
Cloudmist Flower is a very precious commodity. Not only is it
rare, it is very difficult to harvest it as well. Even if one were
to take the entire Hongyuan Empire into account, there is
barely a few stalks of it. Even the royal family will only use it
to welcome esteemed guests of the empire!” Luo Qiqi replied
after a moment of contemplation.
“It’s so rare?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A moment later,
a frown emerged on his face as he asked, “You mentioned that
it’s very difficult to harvest earlier, what does that mean?”
“The Cloudmist Ridge is located in the midst of Hongyuan
Mountain Range, and it is home to countless spirit beasts and
saint beasts. Any human that steps into the Cloudmist Ridge
will suffer their ferocious assaults, making it a dangerous
territory to tread. Even a master of beast taming such as
School Head Mo wouldn’t dare to venture too deep into it!”
Luo Qiqi said.
“This is also the reason why the Cloudmist Ridge is classified
as a Forbidden Land!”
“Forbidden Land?” Gedeng, Zhang Xuan’s heart skipped a
beat as his complexion turned awful.
“Indeed!” Seeing Zhang Xuan’s expression, Luo Qiqi asked
doubtfully, “What’s wrong, teacher?”
“If a Saint realm expert were to enter the Cloudmist Ridge to
harvest a Cloudmist Flower, what will happen?” Zhang Xuan
asked anxiously with a sharp glint in his eyes.
“A Saint realm expert? The odds are that he won’t be able to
return alive. Even the stock of Cloudmist Flowers that the
Hongyuan Empire royal family possesses comes from
occasional expeditions with over a dozen Saint realm experts
in the team. Even so, they dare not to venture too deep to
harvest more for fear of their life. How could a single Saint
realm expert survive in such lands alone? He would surely be
killed!” Luo Qiqi shook her head.
“Surely be killed? Damn it!” Zhang Xuan’s fists shook
uncontrollably.
He finally understood why Wei Changfeng’s complexion
would look so awful after hearing about the Cloudmist Flower.
It seemed like he knew the dangers associated with it!
“That explains why that darned You Xu changed his mind…
So that’s what he’s going for!” Zhang Xuan said with a livid
face.
An aura reminiscent of the brewing of a tempest gathered
around him, ready to burst at any moment.
“Teacher…” Luo Qiqi’s body stiffened upon seeing his state.
Ever since she first met her teacher, the latter had been able to
keep his calm regardless of how bad the situation before him
was. Back then, in the underground chamber, when the both of
them were in dire straits, he was still able to deal with it with
composure. Yet, seeing him in such a state… Just what could
have happened?
“I’m fine!” Seeing the worried gaze of the young lady before
him, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before asking, “Where is
the Cloudmist Ridge?”
“The Cloudmist Ridge is around a thousand li east from here.
Its name is derived from the clouds that shroud it all year
round, making it a conspicuous landmark!” Luo Qiqi said.
“I’ll be going out for a moment!”
Upon learning the location, Zhang Xuan immediately rushed
out of his residence and began running.
At the same time, he sent a telepathic message out, and not too
long later, the Great Violetwing Beast appeared before him.
Leaping onto its back, they headed eastward.
Wei Changfeng, since you have pledged your allegiance to me,
I won’t allow anything to happen to you!500km
796 For What?
The Great Violetwing Beast was capable of flying at an
incredible speed. The distance of a thousand li was covered
swiftly.
In the meandering Hongyuan Mountain Range, a towering
mountain was shrouded amidst clouds. The sun rays falling on
it refracted to form a brilliant myriad of colors. Accompanied
with the rich spiritual energy on the grounds and the
occasional calls of beasts and fowls, it felt like a heavenly
realm.
“So this is the Cloudmist Ridge!” Recalling Luo Qiqi’s
introduction, Zhang Xuan stared at it with a grave expression.
Even before reaching, he could already feel the concentrated
spiritual energy spilling from it, as if a natural Spirit Gathering
Formation had been erected on the mountain. Without a doubt,
such a blessed land would have countless powerful spirit
beasts and saint beasts on it.
“I need to speed up!”
Knowing that Wei Changfeng might be in danger at this very
moment, Zhang Xuan urged the Great Violetwing Beast
forward. However, as they reached the foot of the mountain,
the Great Violetwing Beast seemed to have felt some kind of
fearsome aura which rendered it unwilling to advance forward
regardless of what he said. Thus, he could only have it wait at
the bottom of the mountain while he ventured up alone.
“Eye of Insight!”
Activating the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, Zhang
Xuan scanned his surroundings carefully as he advanced
forward to search for Wei Changfeng’s trail.
The Cloudmist Ridge might only be a portion of Hongyuan
Mountain Range, but nevertheless, it still extended over
several hundred kilometers. On top of that, visibility here was
also impaired by the clouds drifting in the area. If Zhang Xuan
were to search randomly, it would be unlikely for him to find
the other party even if he were given a year.
By then, the other party would have been long dead.
“Hm? I can’t find his trail?”
After scanning the region, Zhang Xuan was unable to find
anything at all, and his eyebrows shot up.
Logically speaking, considering that Wei Changfeng had only
set off a day earlier than him, he should be able to pick up his
trail through the Eye of Insight easily. Yet, to be unable to find
anything at all… what was happening?
“Wei Changfeng must have intentionally erased his trail…”
After a moment of thought, the truth dawned on Zhang Xuan.
Considering that he was venturing into a land filled with saint
beasts, if he were to leave behind any trail, the enemy could
use it to track him, and he would be placed in an extremely
dangerous position.
Realizing this, Wei Changfeng must have intentionally erased
his trail so as to avoid the attention of the saint beasts.
“How do I find him now?” Zhang Xuan frowned.
He thought that he would be able to find the other party’s trail
easily with the Eye of Insight, but given the current
circumstances, how was he to save Wei Changfeng?
If he were to search aimlessly, it was more likely that he would
get lost before he could even find Wei Changfeng.
“Right!” Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted, a thought
suddenly appeared in his mind, and he took out the football-
sized object from his storage ring.
Myriad Anthive Nest!
In terms of finding something, there was nothing more
efficient than this fellow!
Hu!
The Myriad Anthive Queen appeared before Zhang Xuan.
Over the past few days, it seemed to have become much
thinner, and its body was distorted like a fried dough biscuit.
“What happened to you?” Seeing its state, Zhang Xuan was
taken aback.
On the other hand, the Myriad Anthive Queen’s eyes flew
around the place in fury.
Don’t you know very well what happened to me?
You forcefully stuffed the Byzantium Helios Beast into my
nest, leaving me to squeeze with that huge fellow. If it wasn’t
for the blessing of the heavens, I might have already been
squeezed to death!
But as frustrated as the Myriad Anthive Queen was, she didn’t
dare to complain to Zhang Xuan.
“Alright, the reason why I brought you out is to have you
scout the Cloudmist Ridge for me. I want to find a person!”
Knowing that this wasn’t the time to be concerned with the
state of the Myriad Anthive Queen, Zhang Xuan instructed.
The Myriad Anthive Queen nodded, and opening its mouth, it
breathed out a round ball.
Weng weng weng!
The ball grew larger and larger before abruptly bursting, and
countless Myriad Anthive Ants burst forth from it, infiltrating
the surroundings inconspicuously.
“Master, there is no sign of any humans in the area!”
A few minutes later, the Myriad Anthive Queen reported.
“No sign?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Search the area further up
the mountain. At the same time, keep a lookout for the saint
beasts as well. The moment you find any, report it to me
immediately!”
There might be many saint beasts in the area, but it was highly
likely that they had segmented the mountain amongst them. As
long as they could find the saint beast in charge of the territory
they were treading through and avoid it, they should be able to
avoid danger.
“Yes!” the Myriad Anthive Queen nodded.
Using its unique ability, it relayed the orders to the Myriad
Anthive Ants.
“Let’s advance up the mountain!”
Soon, after the Myriad Anthive Queen was done analyzing the
beasts in the area, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
The strongest beast at the foot of the mountain was only at
Ethereal Treading realm. There was no saint beast yet.
With this intelligence, Zhang Xuan advanced up the mountain
with the Myriad Anthive Queen using the safe path found by
the Myriad Anthive Ants.
“Master, there seem to be some traces of a fight ahead…”
After advancing some distance, the Myriad Anthive Queen
suddenly sent a telepathic message over.
“Are there any corpses?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“There is no human corpse there!” Knowing what Zhang Xuan
was worried about, the Myriad Anthive Queen replied.
“Bring me over,” Zhang Xuan said grimly.
“Alright!”
The Myriad Anthive Queen pointed the direction where the
battle had occurred, and Zhang Xuan flew over discreetly.
Soon, he arrived in an area where marks of battle could be
seen.
Activating the Eye of Insight, he scanned the surroundings
carefully.
The battle happened around ten to twelve hours ago…
On top of those three Virescent Sound Beasts, I can also see
traces of a human from the battle marks in the surroundings,
Even though these Virescent Sound Beasts aren’t too strong,
possessing only the cultivation of Perfect Harmonization
realm, they possess exceptionally sharp noses. Most likely,
they must have caught the scent of the human and followed it
here, resulting in the eventual fight.
Two of them were struck dead in a single blow, but the final
one managed to let out a howl in his moment of death.
Alarmed, the human smashed its head swiftly in order to
silence it. However, even though the Virescent Beast had only
managed to let out a momentary shout, its sharp voice should
have attracted the attention of plenty of spirit beasts.
Soon, Zhang Xuan finished analyzing the details of the battle
swiftly. Most likely, the human was Wei Changfeng.
Even though the battle had ended swiftly, it had still ended up
leaving a disturbance in the spiritual energy in the area. This
was no different from having one’s location exposed.
Having alarmed the saint beasts and spirit beasts in the area,
the danger faced from venturing further in was greater than
ever.
He went in that direction!
As Zhang Xuan analyzed the scene carefully, a gleam flashed
across his eyes as he found a trail left behind by Wei
Changfeng while he was escaping, and he hurriedly followed
it.
Most likely, Wei Changfeng must have known that it was no
longer of any use to hide his trail with his general location
revealed. He would be easily uncovered if the beasts were to
comb the area. Under such circumstances, rather than wasting
his time on clearing his trail, he decided that it would be better
for him to escape as far as he could.
However, it must be said that Wei Changfeng was truly an
intelligent person. Knowing that it was only a matter of time
before the beasts caught up with him, he chose to take the
narrow path up the mountain.
Treading on the narrow path, the spirit beasts and saint beasts
would be unable to exploit their numerical advantage against
him. On top of that, the massive bodies of the beasts would
hinder them on this narrow path, limiting the prowess they
could exert.
But naturally, there was a huge flaw in this course of action
too. He might still be able to hold his ground at the start, but as
his strength depletes battle after battle, he would find himself
with nowhere to escape to, as though a noose was slowly
tightening on his neck.
Proceeding onward, Zhang Xuan saw quite a few dead spirit
beasts along the path.
Perfect Harmonization realm, Ethereal Treading realm,
Chrysalis realm…
As the strength of the spirit beasts rose, the battles grew more
and more intense. A distance later, Zhang Xuan finally
stumbled upon a Half-Saint beast’s carcass.
It was a Darkface Steel Bear, and it was killed by a saber
slashing through its head.
A Half-Saint has already appeared even though I haven’t
reached the middle point of the ridge yet… and the beasts will
only grow stronger the further up the mountain we proceed…,
Zhang Xuan thought grimly.
The more kills Wei Changfeng made, the more beasts he
would attract. Even though he was a Saint realm expert, he
would eventually reach the limit of his stamina.
I should make haste!
With an ominous feeling weighing on his heart, Zhang Xuan
hurried forward. Perhaps all of the spirit beasts and saint
beasts had been attracted by Wei Changfeng, or maybe the
Myriad Anthive Queen’s information network was truly that
effective, he had managed to steer clear of any beasts in his
way forward.
However, the deeper he ventured, the more intense his eyelid
twitched.
Soon, Zhang Xuan stopped at a battlefield.
The surrounding fauna and flora had been completely tramped
by the shockwave of battle. There was a massive depression
that extended for over several hundred meters. In the
depression, one could see a dense concentration of narrow
slash marks and huge smash marks.
All in all, it was a complete upheaval.
There are three Nascent Saint realm Blacktail Fox!
With the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan swiftly analyzed the
surroundings, and his face darkened.
Even though Nascent Saint realm Blacktail Foxes were no
match for Wei Changfeng, they were known to be cunning and
their expertise at conducting surprise assault. Based on the
marks of battle, it seemed like Wei Changfeng had suffered
considerable injuries in the fight as well.
Zhang Xuan casually bent down and picked up a tattered piece
of cloth on the ground. It was stained crimson with blood.
This happened two hours ago…, Zhang Xuan clenched his
fists tightly.
Knowing that he was getting closer and closer to Wei
Changfeng, he continued rushing ahead.
Not too long later, he stumbled upon another battlefield.
It was an even more intense battle this time. Two Saint realm
beasts were lying on the floor, devoid of life. One of them had
an arm hanging from the tip of its mouth, and until this point,
fresh blood was still spilling from the end of the arm.
It’s Wei Changfeng’s arm!, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes as
he recognized the arm before him.
Assaulted by Saint realm beasts and having an arm torn off
him, even if Wei Changfeng managed to slaughter his
opponent, it was unlikely for him to be able to proceed much
further with all the injuries he had suffered in the battle.
With a brief glance at the surroundings, he also realized that
the ground was deeply stained with a human’s blood. With
such injuries, Wei Changfeng would die very soon if he wasn’t
treated.
That fellow… Does he really need to go that far? Even if we
fail to obtain the Cloudmist Flower, we can always find
another alternative together…, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply in
lamentation.
Encountering saint beasts with strength comparable to his, Wei
Changfeng must have known that it was nigh impossible for
him to pass them. Even if he did, it wasn’t a guarantee that he
would find the Cloudmist Flower, and it was impossible for
him to return with the Cloudmist Flower in hand either.
A person as smart as him should have known it was futile and
suicidal for him to proceed on!
Hurrying ahead, he advanced yet another several hundred
meters and saw a saber stabbed deeply onto the cliff face along
the path. The saber was dripping with blood, probably from
the deceased saint beast encountered earlier.
Through the various marks of battle, Zhang Xuan could tell
that Wei Changfeng’s weapon was a Spirit pinnacle saber.
Astonished, he hurried forward to pull the saber out.
It’s broken?
Upon pulling it out, Zhang Xuan realized that the saber was
already snapped into two. It seemed to have been cleanly
sliced apart by some kind of unbelievably sharp weapon, and
the entire patch in the surroundings was dyed red as well.
For a Saint realm expert to have its Spirit pinnacle weapon
snapped in battle, just what did Wei Changfeng encounter?
Taking a swift scan of the surroundings, Zhang Xuan suddenly
rushed forward, bent down, and picked up a clump of thick
hair from the ground.
This is the hair of a… Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle Ancient
Ape?, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened as if the underside of a pot.
Wei Changfeng’s cultivation was only at Saint realm 1-dan
intermediate stage. Given his current fighting prowess, it
would be difficult for him to match even a Saint realm 1-dan
intermediate stage saint beast, not to mention a Saint realm 1-
dan pinnacle Ancient Ape…
He is in true danger this time around. It’ll be difficult for him
to survive…, Zhang Xuan thought worriedly as he rushed
ahead.
As long as Wei Changfeng gave up at this point, he might still
stand a chance at escaping. Just what was it that made him
push on despite sustaining such severe injuries?
797 This is a Father’s Love
Deep in the Cloudmist Ridge.
Peng peng peng peng!
A figure was knocked back and crashed heavily into the cliff
face. His face was as pale as a sheet of paper, and blood was
spilling from his mouth.
He had lost a hand, and most of his bones had snapped from
the many intense battles he had fought. Breathing raggedly, it
felt as if he was just clutching to the final flicker of his life.
The enemy he was facing was a massive ape-like saint beast. It
had a pitch-black body and enormous fists, and it possessed
fearsome strength to fit its stature.
“I have not taken the Cloudmist Flower, I can’t die just yet!”
Clenching his teeth, he pulled himself out from the cliff face
through sheer resolution, and with his gaze fixated in the
distance, he immediately charged over.
“Damn it!” Seeing how that fellow was still persisting on, the
ape snorted heavily and charged at the man once more.
Upon reaching the level of a saint beast, the ape was already
capable of speaking human speech.
It had encountered the human an hour ago, and considering
that the other party was a Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage
cultivation, he thought that he should be able to easily send the
other party fleeing with fear with a strike of its fist.
Who could have thought that the other party would disregard
his injuries entirely and charge on resolutely, as if he was in a
trance?
Pursuing the human, it had already landed over twenty clean
punches on him.
With the incredible might of its fists, even a fellow Saint realm
pinnacle beast would have succumbed by now. But no matter
how many blows it landed on him, he just couldn’t be stopped.
Hong long!
With a swift leap, the ape smashed that human into the ground,
shattering innumerable bones in his body further.
Pu pu pu!
The human spewed yet another mouthful of fresh blood with
so much force that it felt as if he would spew his innards out as
well. The ape thought that he had finally defeated the human
with this blow, but the other party abruptly leaped out from the
ground in the next moment and trudged on.
“Just what is that fellow up to?” The ape couldn’t comprehend
the human’s persistence.
All lifeforms, be it human or beast, carried a natural deference
for life. They were driven by a natural tendency for survival,
and they would do anything they could to clutch on to life.
Yet, that fellow rushed forward adamantly with no regard for
his life.
“Soon… I will reach the area where the Cloudmist Flowers
grow soon…” Paying no heed to the Ancient Ape, Wei
Changfeng glanced at the surroundings as a spark of hope lit in
his black eyes.
He was thinking that he would sneak onto the mountain,
harvest a stalk of Cloudmist Flower, and leave quietly, but
who could have thought that he would be so unlucky as to be
spotted by the Virescent Voice Beast so early in, drawing in
powerful beasts to him.
To be honest, as the boss of the Spirit Emporium, Wei
Changfeng possessed many unique artifacts that would have
allowed him to escape even from the Saint 1-dan pinnacle
Ancient Ape. But… if he were to do that, it would be
impossible for him to make it within the two day deadline that
You Xu set.
He needed the Cloudmist Flower to trade for the Ten-leafed
Flower in order to save his daughter’s life. For that goal, even
if death was at the very end of the path, he would tread on it
without any hesitation!
Peng!
Struck yet again, Wei Changfeng was sent tumbling on the
ground. With each blow, Wei Changfeng could feel his
strength and consciousness being driven out from his body.
In a moment of daze, he could vaguely see a figure beckoning
him over…
…
“I haven’t met him yet, and I don’t even know his gender, but
he’s our child. Even at the risk of my life, I can’t allow
anything to happen to him!”
Sitting cross-legged on the ground, a stream of tears flowed
down her face as she faced him, “I know that you love me, and
you will respect my decision…”
“No…” He wanted to reach out to stop her, but at this very
moment, his strength was sealed. No matter how hard he
struggled, his body just wouldn’t move.
“With the severe injuries I carry on me, my life is already
limited. I want to give my life to him and allow him to live on
in my stead…”
With a dull moan, she transferred the remaining strength she
had in her towards her womb, granting her child the strength
to come to this world. A resounding cry of an infant echoed in
the cavern…
Finally, he managed to break the seal that bound him, but by
this point, she was already lying on the ground, devoid of
strength. In his embrace, she smiled, “Changfeng, I’m sorry.
Take care of our child and bring her up well…”
Before she could finish her words, her body had already
slumped lifelessly.
…
“Your daughter has suffered considerable damage in the
womb. I fear that she won’t live more than three months!” An
old man shook his head.
He gritted his teeth as he heard those words.
This life was one she had exchanged her life for. If his
daughter were to die, how could he face the woman he deeply
loved?
Thus, he traveled the world, searching for renowned
physicians to treat his daughter.
“The spirit of artifacts can grant her soul the power to support
her body, allowing her to live on… but this is only a temporary
a measure. Its effectiveness will eventually wear out…” a 6-
star physician told him.
“As long as she can live on, I am willing to pay any price…”
he replied with clenched fists.
Thus, he built the Spirit Emporium and went around scouring
for as many artifacts as he could, resorting to even
underhanded means to obtain them…
Finally…
His daughter’s condition improved.
“Papa…”
A young voice sounded. His eyes reddened, and at that
moment, he felt as if everything he had done had paid off.
This was because… she was his daughter!
As well as her daughter!
…
“Where is mama?”
An eight-year-old child asked him. The gleam in her eyes and
the slight frown on her forehead seemed like an exact replica
of hers.
“She… has gone to a faraway place…”
Holding his daughter dearly, his eyes couldn’t help but redden.
…
“Father, am I reaching my end? I feel so tired and
exhausted…”
“You will be fine. Father will save you…” he spoke with a
lump in his throat.
“The Ten-leafed Flower can save your daughter’s life…” the
young master told him.
“I need a stalk of Cloudmist Flower. If you can bring me a
Cloudmist Flower within two days, I will trade my Ten-leafed
Flower for it!” Vice School Head You Xu said with a nod.
…
“I can’t die yet. If I were to die, there will be no hope for
Ruyan as well!”
Many scenes flashed across Wei Changfeng’s eyes as he
struggled to his feet once more.
If he didn’t require the Cloudmist Flower to save her daughter,
he would never have been able to push on so far. The Ancient
Ape behind him might not be able to comprehend his actions,
and Zhang Xuan might not be able to understand his tenacity,
but only he knew that he would do anything for his daughter.
In this world, there was nothing more important than his
daughter!
“Almost…”
He rushed across the hill, and all of the sudden, the clouds
before him parted, and a beautiful white flower appeared in his
sight.
“Cloudmist Flower…” Wei Changfeng’s body trembled in
agitation.
The only reason why he had trudged on this far was for this.
Finally, his goal was right before his eyes!
Peng!
Just as he wanted to rush forward to pick the flower, he was
suddenly kicked by the Ancient Ape from the back.
Tumbling on the ground furious once more, Wei Changfeng
felt his consciousness blurring. He felt lethargic and
powerless, and an urge to rest welled up within him.
“I must obtain it…”
But he still climbed to his feet once more. Rushing forward, he
swiftly grabbed the flower and kept it in a jade box.
Hu!
In that instant, he heaved a sigh of relief, and the edges of his
lips curled up.
In that instant, he felt that all of the injuries he had sustained
was worth it.
With this, the young master would be able to save his
daughter. Even if he were to die, he would be able to stand
before her proudly and say that he had protected their
daughter!
“All this… for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower?”
Seeing the contented smile on that human, the Ancient Ape
had an unbelievable look on its face.
It was still wondering what it was that would drive a human to
persevere on even at the expense of its life, but to think that
this would be all…
A Saint realm expert losing his life over a mere tea leaf… Was
this really worth it?
Taking its reactions into sight, Wei Changfeng simply smiled.
How could a beast understand human emotions?
With the item he came for in hand, he took in a deep breath
and began trudging down the mountain.
“Hmph! Regardless of what you are here for, the Cloudmist
Ridge isn’t a place where you can come and leave as you
please!”
With a furious roar, the Ancient Ape charged forward and
clawed at Wei Changfeng.
Pu he!
How could the severely injured Wei Changfeng stand against
the Ancient Ape? His chest was immediately pierced through,
and fresh blood spewed from the wounds.
“I…” Wei Changfeng staggered backward weakly. He tried to
draw on all of his strength to retaliate, only to realize that he
was completely depleted.
His body had already reached its very limit!
He could feel an immense force tugging at his soul, seemingly
trying to draw his soul somewhere.
“Is this death? I should be able to meet her now… right?”
His consciousness gradually blurred as his soul began
departing from his body to enter an unknown dimension.
“Wei Changfeng!”
In that final moment, he vaguely saw a figure rushing towards
him in his blurred vision, and an anxious voice called his
name.
“Young master?”
Feebly, he muttered, “Why did you come? It’s dangerous
here…”
The reason why he dared not tell the young master about the
condition of the Cloudmist Ridge was due to his fear that the
young master would insist on tagging along with him. If
something were to happen to the young master, there would be
no one who could save his daughter!
“Dangerous? If you knew it was dangerous, why didn’t you
tell me?” Zhang Xuan roared furiously.
He had rushed all the way here, but from the looks of it, he
was still too late.
He could feel that the other party’s life force had already
withered. Not even a 7-star physician would be able to save
him now.
Placing his fingers on the other party’s acupoint, Zhang Xuan
furiously pumped his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into Wei
Changfeng’s body in hope for a miracle. However, as if a bag
filled with holes, his zhenqi simply leaked out of the other
party’s body, unable to do any good at all.
“Young master, don’t bother. I know that I… won’t make it…”
Flicking his wrist, Wei Changfeng passed a jade box over with
trembling hands, “This is the Cloudmist Flower…”
“You…”
Zhang Xuan’s face was livid. He really didn’t expect that
fellow to go so far just for a stalk of Cloudmist Flower.
“You must save her…” Wei Changfeng’s voice slowly grew
fainter and fainter.
“Don’t worry, I will save her. I will let her live an ordinary, no,
a life far better than an ordinary one…” Zhang Xuan said
hoarsely.
“Thank you, young master…”
Wei Changfeng nodded, but in the next moment, his soul
finally succumbed to the force and disappeared into the
unknown dimension, and his body slumped back powerlessly.
“Changfeng…”
Sensing the final flicker of life within his subordinate fade,
Zhang Xuan’s eyes reddened and he roared furiously.
At this moment, how could he still not comprehend the reason
behind Wei Changfeng’s actions?
Everything he did was for his daughter!
This is.. a father’s love!
The simplest and most selfless love in the world!
…
“Human, this isn’t a place where you can enter as you
please…”
Upon seeing yet another person rushing in and disregarding its
presence even, the Ancient Ape roared in fury.
“This isn’t a place where I can enter as I please?” Zhang Xuan
raised his head and gazed at the Ancient Ape. “You are the one
who killed Wei Changfeng?”
His eyes were filled with coldness and savagery.
Huala!
In the next moment, more than twenty Saint realm puppets
appeared abruptly and rushed for the Ancient Ape.
“Make it suffer a fate worse than death!”
798 Earth Vein Spirit
Essence
“What?”
Not expecting a weak human whom he could easily squeeze to
death with a finger of his to have so many Saint realm puppets
in his possession, the Ancient Ape’s body stiffened. It
immediately turned around to flee.
But with so many Saint realm puppets going after him
simultaneously, how could it possibly stand any chance at
escaping?
Pi li pa la!
The sound of fists and kicks sinking into the flesh echoed
resoundingly.
With the experience the puppets had from dealing with the
Byzantium Helios Beast, they were able to deal with the
Ancient Ape efficiently.
In just a few moments, there was not a single unharmed spot
on the Ancient Ape, and it was teetering on the verge of death.
“Don’t kill me! I am willing to be your tamed beast!” the
Ancient Ape pleaded. At this point, with its life at stake, it
couldn’t care less about its dignity as a saint beast anymore.
“I don’t need it!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands coldly.
It would indeed be convenient for him if he had a Saint realm
1-dan pinnacle tamed beast serving him. But for killing Wei
Changfeng… Zhang Xuan wanted it to pay with its life!
Otherwise, how could he face Wei Changfeng’s daughter?
“Kill it!”
Turning his gaze away from the Ancient Ape, Zhang Xuan
drew out his soul.
If his Heaven’s Path zhenqi couldn’t save Wei Changfeng,
perhaps his means as a soul oracle might still stand a chance.
But after taking a look, he could only shake his head
helplessly.
Wei Changfeng was simply far too severely wounded. If not
for his sheer determination to obtain the Cloudmist Flower, he
would have already died hours ago.
As soon as the tension in his mind was released, his soul was
immediately absorbed into an unknown dimension,
disappearing from the face of the world.
Putting aside him, not even Kong shi would be able to save
Wei Changfeng.
“Don’t worry, I will take good care of your daughter!” Zhang
Xuan said solemnly as his soul returned to his body.
Even though it hadn’t been long since he met Wei Changfeng,
and there were even some unpleasant memories between them,
Zhang Xuan was still filled with respect for him. Wei
Changfeng wasn’t a good man, but he was a good father. He
was willing to lay down everything he had for his daughter,
and that was truly admirable.
Knowing that it was impossible to save Wei Changfeng, Zhang
Xuan kept his corpse in his storage ring before turning to the
Ancient Ape once more. At this point, it had only a few
breaths left in it.
Even though it was a Saint 1-dan pinnacle beast, it was still no
match against twenty powerful puppets who knew not of
exhaustion or pain.
“Human, as long as you don’t kill me, I will let you in on a
secret…” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s gaze on it, the Ancient Ape
anxiously made an offer.
It knew that it would surely die if it didn’t do anything, so it
could only make a gamble.
“A secret? What secret can you offer me?” Zhang Xuan asked
disdainfully.
“It’s the location of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence! As long as
you spare me, I can bring you to it…” the Ancient Ape
hurriedly spoke.
“Earth Vein Spirit Essence?” Zhang Xuan was slightly taken
aback.
“Indeed! That is the condensation of spiritual energy that
accumulates only within major earth veins. The spiritual
energy contained within Earth Vein Spirit Essence is far easier
to absorb than those within spirit stones, making it highly
useful for cultivators beneath Saint realm!” the Ancient Ape
explained hurriedly, fearing that Zhang Xuan wouldn’t know
what it was.
Zhang Xuan was moved by the offer.
At the current moment, what he was lacking direly at the
moment was spirit stones to provide ample spiritual energy for
his cultivation. If he could obtain the Earth Vein Spirit
Essence, he could be spared a great deal of effort.
Even though he had never heard of the Earth Vein Spirit
Essence before, considering that it was the condensation of
spiritual energy within major earth veins, it must be incredibly
valuable.
“The reason why saint beasts of Cloudmist Ridge disallow
humans from entering the mountain is to protect the Earth
Vein Spirit Essence. As long as you don’t kill me, I can bring
you over…” the Ancient Ape offered.
“I will be able to find it even without you!” Zhang Xuan
uttered coldly as he raised his hand, and the puppets
immediately continued raining blows on the Ancient Ape.
At the same time, Zhang Xuan drew his soul out of his body
and formed a series of hand seals.
Soul Art, Soul Search!
As the culprit who killed Wei Changfeng, the Ancient Ape had
to die. There was no room for negotiation at all.
Under normal circumstances, given Zhang Xuan’s current soul
cultivation, it should have been impossible for him to conduct
a Soul Search on a Saint realm expert. However, a saint beast’s
soul was typically weaker than a human Saint realm expert’s,
and that fellow has also been beaten to the point that it was on
the verge of dying.
On top of that, Vicious was also helping him by the side.
As a result, the Ancient Ape succumbed swiftly to the Soul
Search.
Tzzzzzzz!
Dragging out the Ancient Ape’s soul, its memories and
knowledge began flowing in Zhang Xuan’s mind.
“There’s indeed a lake of Earth Vein Spirit Essence here!”
Browsing through the Ancient Ape’s memory, Zhang Xuan’s
eyes lit up.
The other party didn’t lie to him, there was indeed Earth Vein
Spirit Essence on the Cloudmist Ridge. It was for fear that
humans would discover its existence that they guarded the area
faithfully.
To be honest, the Ancient Ape hadn’t expected to run out of
luck as well. If it had been anyone else, the other party might
have chosen to spare it in consideration of the Earth Vein
Spirit Essence. But never in its dreams would it have expected
the young man before it would be a soul oracle possessing the
ability of Soul Search!
While I do know the location of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence
now, it won’t be easy for me to get to it. There are four saint
beasts of the Ancient Ape’s level guarding it… If I had really
followed this fellow there, even with my puppets, it would
have been unlikely for me to have escaped with my life!
The existence of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence might be true,
but the Ancient Ape wasn’t speaking the entire truth.
If Zhang Xuan had really listened to it and followed behind it,
he would have found himself encircled by four Saint 1-dan
pinnacle saint beasts and countless Half-Saint and Nascent
Saint beasts. Even with the Otherworldly Demon puppets he
had in his possession, it would be extremely difficult for him
to break free.
After all, even though the puppets felt no pain and could fight
fearlessly, they were still limited by the spiritual energy within
them.
After the previous few uses, their energy reserves were already
half depleted. Unlike in the underground chamber, where there
was a river filled with spiritual energy that could be used to
recharge the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it wouldn’t be so
easy to do it here.
Once the puppets ran out of energy, given Zhang Xuan’s
current strength, the only fate before him would be death.
Even at the expense of its death, the Ancient Ape intended to
drag him down with it.
Under the forceful impact of the Soul Search, the Ancient
Ape’s soul dissipated into nothingness. After procuring its
inner core and other useful parts and storing them in his
storage ring, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation,
Based on what it said, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is made
out of spiritual energy. Even though its purity isn’t on par with
high-tier spirit stones, it is far easier to absorb it, such that
even plants could absorb spiritual energy from the Earth Vein
Spirit Essence. If I were to give it to the Ten-leafed Flower, I
could make it bloom within a single day!
After studying the effects of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence
according to the Ancient Ape’s understanding of it, Zhang
Xuan’s eyes lit up.
While spirit stones had incredible reserves of spiritual energy
within them, their solid form made them less efficient and
effective in terms of absorption rate as compared to the Earth
Vein Spirit Essence.
If spirit stones were coal, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence would
be kerosene.
While coal was capable of producing greater heat over a
longer period of time, in terms of ignition speed and utility,
fuel was still inherently superior.
If Zhang Xuan could obtain that, he would be spared from
finding the hundreds of high-tier spirit stones he would require
to reach Saint realm!
The Earth Vein Spirit Essence is located at the direct center of
the Cloudmist Ridge. It isn’t too far from here, but… four
Saint realm 1-dan beasts are guarding it. On top of that, there
are also many Nascent Saint and Half-Saint beasts in the
area… It won’t be easy for me to bypass them!
Having learned the existence of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence,
it was natural that Zhang Xuan would want to obtain it.
However, with his current strength, he would only die if he
were to attempt to charge in forcefully.
Vicious could suppress a Saint realm 1-dan beast easily, but
there was nothing he could do when there were too many of
them.
After all, he had only just awakened, and he was merely a little
more than a heart at the moment. Naturally, his strength was
still far from his peak.
Besides, it wouldn’t be safe to rely solely on Vicious. If
Vicious were to attempt a mutually assured destruction and
refuse to help him, he might very well end up losing his life.
Thus, it would be best to depend on himself wherever
possible.
“Looks like I should still rely on my soul!” After a moment of
contemplation, a thought emerged in Zhang Xuan’s mind.
It would be impossible for him to infiltrate the center of the
Cloudmist Ridge in his physical body. No matter how well he
hid his trail, considering the dense concentration of spirit
beasts and saint beasts in the area, he would definitely be
found easily. However, it would be a different case if he was
just a soul.
Unlike saint realm cultivators, saint beasts had far weaker
souls. It would be harder for them to sense the presence of
souls.
If Zhang Xuan were to play his cards well, he might be able to
creep in silently and smuggle the Earth Vein Spirit Essence
out.
“Alright, it’s decided then!”
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan sat on the floor and drew
his soul out.
With a slight flick, he kept his physical body within the
storage ring.
The Myriad Anthive Nest was extremely squeezy with the
Byzantium Helios Beast and the Myriad Anthive Queen
packed inside. Despite the harsh conditions in the storage ring
for a living body, considering Zhang Xuan’s current
cultivation realm and the resilience of his physical body, it
should be fine if it was just for a few hours.
“What should I do about the ring…”
Since he had stored his physical body and his clone within the
storage ring, it would be safer for him to bring it along with
him wherever he went. Otherwise, if a spirit beast were to find
his storage ring and take it away, it would be too late for tears.
But if he were to carry something tangible with his soul, that
would be going against the very purpose of infiltrating into the
center of the Cloudmist Ridge as an intangible soul. He would
be giving away his location to his enemies!
“Wait… what about the Myriad Ants?” A thought suddenly
struck Zhang Xuan.
He might be unable to bring the storage ring with him, but he
could leave it with the Myriad Ants!
Despite their small size, those ants were still savage beasts. It
wasn’t too difficult for them to fly with a ring.
Furthermore, the intelligence network they shared allowed
them to avoid spirit beasts and saint beasts in advance as well.
They could follow his soul silently and bring the storage ring
to where he wanted it to be.
Even if some beast really managed to obtain the storage ring
from them, as long as there were Myriad Ants keeping tabs on
its location, he would still be able to find some way to retrieve
the ring.
“It’s decided then!”
Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to the Myriad Anthive
Queen to inform it of his plan, and a Myriad Ant immediately
flew over to carry the storage ring. As he had expected, it had
no problem flying while bearing the weight of the ring.
“Good. Fly close to the ground, near the shrubs…”
Seeing that his plan was feasible, Zhang Xuan issued it several
instructions before advancing to the center of the Cloudmist
Ridge.
After the Soul Search he had conducted on the Ancient Ape,
he had gained an insight into how the beasts were distributed
on the Cloudmist Ridge. With the Myriad Ants scouting the
area as well, Zhang Xuan’s soul managed to avoid the
detection of the spirit beasts and saint beasts.
An hour later, he arrived before a towering cliff.
Before the cliff was a gigantic waterfall that produced a
deafening rumble reminiscent of thunder as it cascaded from
the peak. The water eventually led to a river which meandered
into the horizon.
“It should be here…”
Zhang Xuan raised his gaze and stared at the waterfall. It was
completely concealed behind the cascading water, but if he
stared at it intently, he could still barely see the outlines of a
cavern behind the waterfall. If one hadn’t known in advance, it
would have been impossible to notice it.
Based on the Ancient Ape’s memory, the Earth Vein Spirit
Essence was inside the cavern.
Instead of rushing into the cavern, Zhang Xuan first scanned
the surroundings, and as expected, he found a couple of saint
beasts who possessed strength on par with the Ancient Ape
camping in the area. Slightly further away, he sensed the
presence of at least a dozen Saint realm primary stage,
intermediate stage, and advanced stage beasts.
“It’s fortunate that I didn’t come here in my physical body…”
Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Had he brought his physical body over, he would have
definitely been surrounded and killed.
On the other hand, a soul was intangible and nearly
indiscernible. As long as he didn’t exert any power, it would
be difficult for the enemies to notice his presence.
799 Breakthrough to Perfect
Harmonization Realm
“You head in first!”
Zhang Xuan first issued elaborate instructions to the Myriad
Ant carrying his storage ring for it to proceed into the cavern
without drawing anyone’s attention first before slowly flying
over himself.
“It has been some time since Ancient Ape headed out. Why
isn’t he back yet?”
Before he could reach the cavern, he heard a voice from the
surroundings.
Two saint beasts not too far away from the cavern were
currently chatting.
The other saint beast harrumphed. “Who knows? But in any
case, I heard the enemy is a Saint realm intermediate stage
human, so he should be more than enough to subdue the other
party. He’s probably just toying with him at this point. After
all, it has been some time since any humans came to the
Cloudmist Ridge!”
They were conversing in the Ancient Beast Language, but
Zhang Xuan could still understand their words without any
problem.
“Indeed… At least the humans know their place. Knowing that
we are around, they dare not come over at all!” the first saint
beast said.
Seeing that the two saint beasts were too engrossed in their
conversation to notice him, Zhang Xuan dived straight into the
cavern.
If it had been any other soul oracle, even if the saint beasts
were ignorant in the study of souls, they would still have
noticed the yin aura it exuded. However, having cultivated the
Heaven’s Path Soul Art, his soul was complete, leaving it with
no distinct aura. As if a light breeze, it would be extremely
difficult for any unskilled personnel to notice it.
Making use of the massive torrent of water from the waterfall,
Zhang Xuan was able to conceal his movement and slip into
the cavern without any issue as well.
The cavern was vast, and it was filled with slightly damp air.
Zhang Xuan met up with the Myriad Ant and took the ring
from it before advancing forward.
The further he advanced, the more humid the surroundings
seemed to become. At the same time, the spiritual energy also
grew more and more concentrated. At his current location, the
spiritual energy concentration was already far above even that
of Vice School Head You Xu’s residence.
It was indeed a blessed land for cultivation. One would be able
to easily achieve what would have taken others several days
elsewhere in a single day.
It’s no wonder the saint beasts maintain such a tight defense
around the Cloudmist Ridge. There is no way anyone would
be willing to give up on such a blessed land… Zhang Xuan
thought.
Not only was the spiritual energy in the surroundings
concentrated, it was incredibly pure as well. Its level of purity
was sufficient to even satisfy Zhang Xuan’s demands easily.
Advancing forward, Zhang Xuan soon reached the end of the
cavern.
There, he saw a round lake of around eight meters in diameter.
Within it was an emerald fluid which carried a refreshing air to
it. It felt like one would be able to progress greatly in one’s
cultivation just by absorbing a small portion of it.
This is the Earth Vein Spirit Essence? It’s indeed impressive!
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
Even though he had learnt of its mystical effects from the
Ancient Ape, it was still very difficult for him to believe that
such an incredible item could exist in the world until he finally
laid his eyes on it himself.
While its purity was still slightly lacking compared to a high-
tier spirit stone, it made up for it with its overwhelming
quantity. Even a thousand high-tier spirit stones together might
not match the sheer amount of spiritual energy contained
within the lake.
The mountains in the Hongyuan Mountain Range are a
naturally occurring Spirit Gathering Formation, and the
Cloudmist Ridge stood at the very center of the formation. As
a result, a vast amount of spiritual energy has accumulated in
the area. However, the clouds in the surroundings hinder the
diffusion of the spiritual energy, and as time goes by, the
spiritual energy eventually condenses into spirit essence…
Zhang Xuan deduced as he recalled the geographical terrain in
the surroundings and the various sights he had seen so far.
Nevertheless, to form a lake as big as the one before Zhang
Xuan, it should have taken at least ten thousand years.
If I can take all of this away, not only will I have no problem
advancing to Saint realm, there will even be spare for Zheng
Yang and the others’ use as well… Zhang Xuan thought in
delight.
With this treasure, their lack of spirit stones wouldn’t frustrate
them anymore!
But… how am I supposed to store an entire spirit essence
lake?
While Zhang Xuan’s storage ring was indeed large enough to
put in a lake as big as this, he didn’t have any container to
store it!
He did have a few wine gourds on him, but those were
insignificant compared to the entire lake.
What could he do?
There was nothing that felt worse than stumbling upon a
mound of treasure only to realize that one only had the
inventory to store an insignificant portion of it.
Even in his form as a soul, it took a fair bit of luck for him to
sneak in here without drawing the attention of the saint beasts.
There was no guarantee that it would be the same the next
time he came here.
As a result, he had to take away as much as he could this time
around. Otherwise, he would be allowing such an ideal
opportunity slip through his fingers.
After a moment of contemplation, a thought popped into
Zhang Xuan’s head.
Perhaps I can use beastskin!
There were quite a few sheets of beastskin in his storage ring.
Perhaps, he could tie them together to make a container.
Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan accessed his storage ring
and pulled out several large sheets of beastskin.
He skillfully manipulated his soul energy to form threads to
weave them together, forming a gigantic container. Afterward,
he plunged it into the lake to store as much spirit essence in it
as possible.
Gugugugugu!
Soon, the beastskin container was full with over twenty tons of
liquid in it.
Zhang Xuan swiftly stored the beastskin container into his
storage ring.
There is still more than half left… Seeing that there was still a
lot of spirit essence left in the lake, Zhang Xuan stroked his
lower jaw.
Since he was already there, if he didn’t clean out the place, he
would have a nagging feeling at the back of his mind that he
had missed something important.
Sigh, obsessive-compulsive disorder sure is frustrating!
Besides, the saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge had a hostile
relationship with humans, and they had slain countless humans
over the years. Every droplet of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence
left meant an additional droplet to nourish the enemy.
However, having used up even his beastskin, there was
nothing else he could use as a container in his storage ring
anymore.
It was impossible for him to store any more than that!
I wonder if there are any objects that could be used to store
spirit essence around here…
Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but after he found that he
was still unable to come up with any feasible solution, he
decided to take a look around the cavern to see if there was
anything he could use.
Hmm? What’s this?
Drifting alongside the lake, a pile of items suddenly appeared
before Zhang Xuan’s eyes, and his eyebrows shot up.
These are… human bones?
Taking a closer look, the pile was astonishingly human bones!
Scanning the surroundings, there were several hundred other
similar skeletal piles all around the cavern!
Aren’t humans forbidden from entering this area? How can
there be human skeletons here?
Zhang Xuan was bewildered.
With the tight defenses the saint beasts and spirit beasts had
organized on the Cloudmist Ridge, it should have been
impossible for any humans to get in here. Thus, the presence
of so many skeletons was unnatural.
Perplexed, Zhang Xuan drifted down to take an even closer
look.
Most of the skeletal piles were male, and not too far from the
pile, he found several weapons. These weapons weren’t too
high tiered, averaging at around Spirit intermediate-tier.
Zhang Xuan picked one up using his soul energy, but upon
attempting a slash, the weapon immediately snapped in two.
It seemed the weapon had suffered severe damage in the midst
of an intense battle, resulting in the loss of its durability.
It appeared that an army had barged into the cavern in hopes of
securing the grounds, only to eventually fall in defeat.
Hmm?
As Zhang Xuan was casually looking around, he suddenly
caught sight of a storage ring.
Interested, he immediately immersed his consciousness into
the ring.
There’s nothing inside. Seems like someone has already
emptied it out… Zhang Xuan shook his head.
Even though spirit beasts were unable to access storage rings,
saint beasts could. Considering the sheer number of saint
beasts in the area, if there had been anything good in those
storage rings, they would have already long emptied them out.
How could they possibly leave anything behind for him?
These are… books?
Just as Zhang Xuan was going to back out of the storage ring,
he suddenly caught sight of an insignificant pile of items in the
very corner of the storage ring. Proceeding closer, he realized
that they were all books!
Saint beasts had their own heritage, and the innate differences
between a human and a beast also made it impossible for them
to take up human cultivation techniques and battle techniques
as well. As such, these books were completely useless to them.
Zhang Xuan’s eyes swiftly scanned through them and
replicated them in the Library of Heaven’s Path.
Indeed, they really are cultivation technique and battle
technique manuals! Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.
Most human cultivators had the habit of carrying dozens of
books with them in their storage rings for reference or
studying purposes.
It was the same here as well. The storage ring had over a
hundred books in it.
They spanned over Cosmos Bridge realm, Perfect
Harmonization realm, and Ethereal Treading realm. However,
due to the lacking quantity, Zhang Xuan was still unable to
form a Heaven’s Path Divine Art out of them.
Perhaps there might be other storage rings in the area. If I can
find more books, I just might be able to compile a complete
Heaven’s Path Divine Art…
Since Zhang Xuan was in no hurry either, he scanned through
the area carefully, and before long, he had unearthed more
than twenty storage rings.
For several hundred corpses to only have so many rings, the
rest must have been claimed by the other saint beasts.
Just like the ring Zhang Xuan had looked into before, the
valuable items had also been emptied out of them, leaving
behind only a couple of books.
Zhang Xuan swiftly replicated the books in his Library of
Heaven’s Path.
There are over a thousand Perfect Harmonization realm
cultivation technique manuals, five hundred for Ethereal
Treading realm, and two hundred for Chrysalis realm…
Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.
He still didn’t have sufficient books to compile a complete
Heaven’s Path Divine Art for Ethereal Treading realm and
Chrysalis realm, but with over a thousand for Perfect
Harmonization realm, he should be able to do so for that one.
Compile!
Before long, a Perfect Harmonization realm Heaven’s Path
Divine Art appeared before his eyes. Flipping through it
casually, its contents appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind.
Since I am unable to take away the remaining Earth Vein Spirit
Essence, I might as well cultivate here and save as much as I
can…
Since there was nothing that could be used as a container in
the surroundings, Zhang Xuan decided to take this chance to
raise his cultivation realm as well.
Thriftiness is a virtue. What can be saved should be saved.
Zhang Xuan took out his physical body and returned his soul
into it. After which, with a flick of his wrist, his clone also
appeared before him.
Just like his main body, his clone had also only cultivated up
to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Given the sheer amount of
Earth Vein Spirit Essence remaining in the lake, it should be
more than enough to share between him and his clone.
Thus, after informing his clone about the situation, Zhang
Xuan stepped into the lake first.
Tzzzzz!
Driving the Perfect Harmonization realm Heaven’s Path
Divine Art, the spirit essence around him began flowing into
his body through his acupoints.
Hong long!
With a crisp echo, he successfully achieved a breakthrough
from Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle to Perfect Harmonization
realm.
With the rise in his cultivation, the rate at which he could
absorb spiritual energy increased as well. Due to the
overwhelming speed he was absorbing the spirit essence at, a
vortex formed within the lake.
Perfect Harmonization realm primary stage!
Perfect Harmonization realm intermediate stage!
Perfect Harmonization realm advanced stage!
…
In just an hour, Zhang Xuan’s cultivation had reached Perfect
Harmonization realm pinnacle.
Now for my soul…
After he was done raising his zhenqi cultivation, Zhang Xuan
immediately drew out his soul and continued cultivating.
His soul had already reached Perfect Harmonization realm
advanced stage, so it only took him ten minutes to reach
pinnacle.
With his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation reaching new
heights, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Feeling the
immense power he wielded within, his eyes glowed in
excitement.
Typically speaking, it would have taken him at least several
dozen high-tier spirit stones in order to raise his soul
cultivation and zhenqi cultivation to Perfect Harmonization
realm pinnacle. However, to be able to do this for free, he
couldn’t help but feel extremely comforted within.
Alright…
Standing up, Zhang Xuan glanced at the spirit essence to see
how much of it was left when he suddenly froze.
At this very moment, he could see the floor of the spirit
essence lake, which had a diameter of eight meters. In a little
more than an hour, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence had been
almost completely depleted.
How is this possible?
Zhang Xuan had only advanced his cultivation to Perfect
Harmonization realm pinnacle, so how could he have used so
much of it?
He subconsciously turned his gaze to his clone, and his eyes
narrowed in shock. Unable to hold himself back, he cursed,
“Screw you, you damned wastrel!”
800 Zheng Yang Lectures!
At this moment, he saw that his clone’s soul had also left his
body, and it was currently absorbing the spiritual energy in the
lake frenziedly.
With all the absorption he had done, his soul had doubled in
size, reaching around twenty meters tall and nearly filling the
entire cavern.
Most of the remaining spirit essence had been absorbed by that
fellow before him.
Even though his clone’s soul cultivation was still at Perfect
Harmonization realm, the sheer size and power surrounding
the soul felt reminiscent of a deity, as if it wielded boundless
power in its hands.
After breaking the twenty-meter bottleneck, the soul seemed to
have undergone some kind of mysterious metamorphosis yet
again. It became considerably more resilient, and the strength
it wielded seemed to have grown far more fearsome as well.
Against such a huge soul, even Lu Chong’s soul, which he had
seen in the latter’s consciousness back then, paled in
comparison.
Zhang Xuan had barely used a hundredth of the spirit essence
to raise his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation to Perfect
Harmonization realm pinnacle, but that fellow actually sapped
the entire lake dry… Just the thought of it left him so frenzied
that he could tear his hair out.
Even though it was indeed true that he had no way of taking
away the remaining Earth Vein Spirit Essence, he still couldn’t
help but feel his heart bleed upon seeing that huge lake being
reduced to nothing.
Hu!
Hearing Zhang Xuan’s roar, his clone’s soul immediately
slipped back into his body, and an incredible aura burst from
its body, leaving Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitching
uncontrollably.
Zhang Xuan wasn’t a match for it before, and he was even less
so now.
Despite coming from the same origin, his clone’s soul had
been nourished by the Nine Hearts Lotus, granting it strength
far greater than the main body.
For the main body to be inferior to the clone… How
humiliating!
Nevertheless, considering that they shared the same
consciousness, they could be considered as one entity. His
clone’s growth was also good news for him.
“You should return to the storage ring for now!”
Knowing that it was impossible to make his clone spit out the
spirit essence that it had absorbed, Zhang Xuan could only
sigh helplessly and have his clone return to the storage ring.
He, on the other hand, leaped out of the lake and began
assessing himself internally.
Having reached Perfect Harmonization realm pinnacle, the
current strength that he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation
was 14,000,000 ding, which was comparable to an Ethereal
Treading realm primary stage expert.
Additionally, the maximum power he could draw from his soul
cultivation had also reached 11,000,000 ding. Adding in the
8,000,000 ding from his physical body, his overall maximum
strength currently stood at 33,000,000 ding, which was nearly
on par with a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm
pinnacle expert.
(Chrysalis realm pinnacle—34,000,000 ding)
With this kind of strength, he could definitely be ranked
amongst the top of the student populace. Nonetheless, it was
still far from matching up to the saint beasts camping outside.
I should leave now!
With his work done, Zhang Xuan immediately drew out his
soul and placed his physical body in the storage ring. Holding
it himself, he carefully sneaked out of the cavern.
“Wait a moment, why does it feel like the spiritual energy
concentration inside has fallen?”
“Let’s take a look!”
But before he could reach the cavern entrance, he suddenly
heard the bellows of the saint beasts outside.
In that split moment, Zhang Xuan swiftly hid the storage ring
behind a boulder before lying motionlessly with his soul
pressed against the wall.
Hu!
Right after he did that, two saint beasts abruptly appeared at
the entrance of the cavern and rushed in at a speed so fast that
it nearly stirred up a hurricane.
It was due to the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that the cavern was
unbelievably rich in spiritual energy. However, along with its
depletion, the concentration of spiritual energy in the area
began falling at a perceptible rate. No matter how slow the
saint beasts were, it was impossible for them to not notice it.
Now is my chance, I should quickly leave!
Knowing that the saint beasts would comb through every nook
and cranny once they noticed that the lake of spirit essence had
been completely depleted, Zhang Xuan dared not waste a
single moment. He quickly picked up his storage ring and
darted out of the cavern.
“AHHHHHH!!! SOMEONE STOLE THE SPIRIT
ESSENCE!”
“Damn it, who was the one who did it!”
Right after Zhang Xuan left the cavern, he heard a deafening
roar from within. Not daring to waste even a split second, he
immediately dived into the waterfall.
In the next instant, a pressure so great that it felt as if even the
earth would be reduced to dust burst out from the cavern,
enveloping the area.
“Someone has sneaked into our Cloudmist Ridge. All beasts,
listen to my command. Comb through the entire mountain and
eliminate any suspicious people you see!”
Hong long!
Countless spirit beasts and saint beasts roared resoundingly in
response, shaking the entire mountain.
Looks like I won’t be able to escape for the time being…
With all of the spirit beasts and saint beasts of the Cloudmist
Ridge combing the area to search for him, it would be difficult
for Zhang Xuan to escape even in his state as a soul. Thus, he
decided to advance under the concealment of the river for the
time being.
However, a short moment later, a dozen spirit beasts suddenly
dived in to search the river.
It was truly fortunate that Zhang Xuan was currently in his
soul state. With his storage ring hidden amidst the gravel of
the seabed, there was nothing that could betray his presence to
those spirit beasts. As such, after scouring the seabed for a
moment, they were still unable to find anything at all, so they
could only back out.
After swimming for an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan
finally reached the end of the river. By the time his soul finally
left the river, the sky was already dark.
Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings, and there were still
quite a number of spirit beasts around. However, it would be
nigh impossible for any beast beneath Saint realm to notice his
presence.
Even so, Zhang Xuan still decided to proceed carefully.
Sometimes, the sensitivity of a spirit beast to its surroundings
far surpassed what humans could even imagine. It would truly
be unfortunate if he were to be caught and encircled at this
point.
Thus, he slowly proceeded down the mountain, stopping from
time to time whenever he felt that a spirit beast’s attention was
focused nearby. As a result, it was already dawn by the time he
reached the foot of the mountain.
Finally, when he was a safe distance away from the Cloudmist
Ridge, he found a discreet location and took out his physical
body. After returning his soul to his physical body, he
summoned the Great Violetwing Beast and swiftly returned to
the academy.
He might have failed to save Wei Changfeng, but he was
determined to save his daughter!
So far, it had been an entire day since he had left the
Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.
…
While Zhang Xuan was preoccupied with his business at the
Cloudmist Ridge, a huge commotion had broken out in the
Master Teacher Academy.
Sun Qiang had rushed to Zhang Xuan’s Elite Sector residence
in order to report the matter of someone being interested in
learning battle techniques from Zheng Yang and the others to
him, but of course, the latter was nowhere to be found.
At the same time, Zheng Yang and the others had also entered
the headquarters of the True Helios Faction, following behind
Xue Zhenyang.
In a vast courtyard…
“Gather everyone!” Xue Zhenyang issued a command as soon
as he returned.
Not long later, everyone in the True Helios Faction was
standing before him.
As expected of one of the top few factions in the academy. The
entire True Helios Faction consisted of more than two
thousand people, and its members spanned from Grade-1 to
Grade-4.
Seeing that all of the members were gathered there, Xue
Zhenyang’s gaze scanned through the crowd before he began
speaking. “The reason I have gathered you all here today is to
announce to you all that I have found an expert to impart the
essence of battle techniques to the faction members!”
“An expert?”
“Hasn’t the faction leader been the one who has been giving us
lessons on battle techniques? Did he manage to find someone
more formidable than he is?”
Everyone looked at one another doubtfully.
All along, other than the teachers they were under, the one
who had been guiding them in their battle techniques had been
Xue Zhenyang.
Xue Zhenyang was one of the greatest talents in the Martial
Arts School, so they had benefited greatly from his teachings
as well. In truth, this was also the very reason most of them
had chosen to join the True Helios Faction.
Yet, he had gathered all of them to tell them that there was
another expert who would be guiding them on their battle
techniques… Was he for real?
“Allow me to introduce you to my new spearmanship teacher,
Zheng Yang. The lecture today will be conducted by him. He
possesses transcendental skills in spear arts, so I believe that
you will benefit greatly from his lecture!” Xue Zhenyang
introduced with a wave of his hand.
“Zheng Yang?”
“Spearmanship teacher?”
“But this fellow seems to be only sixteen or seventeen years
old!”
“A lad as young as him is going to explain spearmanship to
us?”
Seeing a young man walk up to the podium, the crowd was
completely dumbfounded.
They were the cream of the crop amongst master teachers, the
geniuses of the geniuses. Yet, to have a teenage child lecture
them… Wasn’t this taking them too lightly?
“Today, what I will be talking to you about is the fundamentals
of spearmanship…”
Standing before such a huge crowd, Zheng Yang couldn’t help
but feel a little anxious. However, as he began speaking about
spearmanship, the confidence and pride in his heart dispelled
the doubts in his mind, and his words gradually grew smoother
and more fluent.
“It’s possible to interpret spearmanship in such a manner?”
“Formidable! Just by listening to his lecture, I feel like my
understanding of spearmanship has been brought up several
notches!”
“The concepts that he’s teaching are profound, but he is able to
bring them across directly through simple words. On top of
that, the concepts that he’s explained are applicable not only to
the spear but other weapons as well!”
“His lecture has deepened my understanding of
swordsmanship as well…”
…
The crowd initially had their reservations about having a
teenage child lecture them, and they were prepared to see the
other party make a fool out of himself. However, just by
listening for a moment, they were completely awed.
As young as the person before them might be, the concepts
that he spoke of were a direct interpretation of the crux of
spearmanship. It was very likely that even the elders in the
academy might not have as deep an understanding of
spearmanship as he did.
It was no wonder the faction leader went all out to invite him
there and gathered all of them together to listen to his lecture.
He was indeed more than qualified for this.
…
“What did you say? Xue Zhenyang invited a spearmanship
expert from the streets to conduct a lecture for his members?”
In the Ashen Moon Faction, Long Cangyue stared at the
reporting student with eyes filled with disbelief.
“Yes! The person he invited has an extremely deep
understanding of spearmanship. Two hours into the lecture,
almost half of the spear practitioners of the True Helios
Faction had already achieved a breakthrough!” the reporting
student replied.
“Almost half of them made a breakthrough?” Long Cangyue
was shocked.
Making an advancement in one’s mastery of a weapon was far
more difficult than making an advancement in one’s
cultivation. The latter could be achieved through diligence and
good resources, but the former was highly dependent on one’s
aptitude. It was easy to learn theories, but comprehending the
core of the concept was another different matter.
Yet, to make half of the spear practitioners achieve a
breakthrough in just two hours…
Just how did that fellow do it?
Where in the world did Xue Zhenyang find such a monstrous
figure?
“If this matter is true, the True Helios Faction will only grow
stronger and stronger… I will have to look for Dong Xin to
discuss this matter!”
Realizing the significance of this matter, Long Cangyue
immediately made his way to Dong Xin’s residence anxiously.
…
“Preposterous!”
In the school head’s office, the head of the Martial Arts
School, Xu Changqing, flung his sleeves furiously after
hearing a teacher’s report.
Xue Zhenyang was his direct disciple. He could condone him
causing trouble from time to time, but to invite a teenage child
over to the Martial Arts School to lecture their students…
Wasn’t that making a mockery out of their school?
If word were to spread, how could their Martial Arts School
hold its head high before the other schools?
“I’ll go and take a look!”
Harrumphing coldly, Xu Changqing left his room and walked
swiftly to the True Helios Faction’s headquarters.
Before long, he had arrived before the courtyard.
There are so many people here? Xu Changqing’s eyebrows
shot up in astonishment at the sight before him.
The courtyard, from the podium to the very entrance, was
completely packed with people. There was literally a sea of
people before him!
Even though the True Helios Faction was a student
organization, Xu Changqing still knew a thing or two about it.
Based on what he knew, the True Helios Faction should only
have had two thousand people or so.
But the crowd before him… no matter how he looked at it,
there should at least be five thousand people here!
Five thousand people had gathered there to listen to the lecture
of a teenage child?
Ridiculous! This was utterly ridiculous!
Just as Xu Changqing was about to step into the courtyard, a
plump man holding a basket in his hand abruptly stepped over
and blocked his way. “It will cost you two hundred middle-tier
spirit stones to enter.”
“I have to pay to enter?” Hearing those words, Xu
Changqing’s face turned livid.
It was already bad enough that Xue Zhenyang found a person
of doubtful background to conduct a lecture in the Martial Arts
School, but to think that he would have to pay two hundred
middle-tier spirit stones to enter… This was even costlier than
the lecture of normal 6-star master teachers!
Furthermore, the more students there were in a lecture, the
cheaper it should have been.
There were nearly five thousand people in there, and yet they
were still charging two hundred spirit stones per person…
Didn’t that mean that they would earn a million middle-tier
spirit stones in just a single lecture?
Please, not even a 7-star master teacher charged others in such
a manner!
“Why? You can’t afford it? Why even bother coming here
when you can’t even afford it? No wonder you still can’t
graduate despite being so old!”
Seeing that the old man before him was trying to barge in
without paying, the plump man harrumphed in disdain. “So,
you’re broke!”