Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 1150

Chapter 1150: Golden Origin Cauldron vs. Vice Pavilion Master Tian

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“He isn’t dead yet?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. “Where is he then?”

Putting his trust in Zhang Xuan, Elder Xu had taken him to the Poison Hall. If the latter were to die as a result of that, he would surely feel deeply guilty.

“He was captured by King Zhongqing and is currently being held in the underground prison,” Ming Zhen said.

“Underground prison?”

“That’s all I know. It seems like King Zhongqing has spared them in order to have Elder Xu and the others concoct a more formidable poison for him, but I don’t know many details about the matter,” Ming Zhen explained.

“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Regardless of what King Zhongqing was up to, it was enough for him to know that Elder Xu and the others were still alive.

However, this was not the time to save them yet.

Otherwise, the others would surely use this as an excuse to attack him and pin some kind of crime on him.

After some questioning, Zhang Xuan confirmed that Elder Xu and the others were still fine at the moment, and he heaved a sigh of relief.

“You are currently afflicted with my poison, and only I have the cure for it. You are an intelligent man, so I believe I need not tell you what you should and shouldn’t say.”

“Y-yes!” Ming Zhen nodded hurriedly.

The young man before him was an individual who could even poison Hall Master Ruo’s Darkgold Venom Beetle, and not even Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai from the headquarters dared oppose him. His mastery in the Way of Poison could be said to have reached an unfathomable level, a level that Ming Zhen would never be able to achieve.

Since that was the case, the only option left for him was to follow the other party’s orders obediently.

His questions having been answered, Zhang Xuan released the isolation barrier around him with a wave of his hand.

Peng peng peng peng!

As soon as the barrier was released, a series of crashing sounds echoed in his ears.

Raising his gaze, he saw that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was still battling with the Golden Origin Cauldron.

With blazing flames burning within it, it was apparent that the Golden Origin Cauldron was using all its might to attack Vice Pavilion Master Tian. On the other hand, Vice Pavilion Master Tian also did not seem to be faring too well against the Golden Origin Cauldron’s relentless attack. A trail of blood was flowing down the corner of his lips, signifying that he had already suffered considerable internal injuries.

As powerful as Vice Pavilion Master Tian was, the Golden Origin Cauldron was no pushover either. For the time being, it seemed like the fight would still go on for quite some time more before it reached a conclusion.

After noting that the Golden Origin Cauldron was not at a disadvantage against Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to King Zhongqing.

At this moment, King Zhongqing’s body was completely covered in blood. There were at least fifty small holes on his body, sliced open by Sun Qiang. His breathing was extremely weak and erratic, and it felt like he might just pass away at any moment.

“You blind fool, how dare you torture me? You must not know whose butler I am,” Sun Qiang bellowed as he brandished the sharp dagger in his hand furiously, venting the grievances he had suffered before.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “Sun Qiang, calm down. Don’t accidentally kill him in the heat of the moment.”

“Don’t worry, Young Master!” Hearing the order, Sun Qiang nodded before whipping out a bottle of chili and spraying it over King Zhongqing’s wounds.

Seeing that King Zhongqing might really die if Sun Qiang was left to do as he pleased, he was just about to step forward to stop him when Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er suddenly walked over with deeply worried looks.

“Zhang shi, it won’t be easy to resolve this situation after blowing it up to this extent!” Yu Fei-er remarked worriedly.

Zhang Xuan had done it to save Sun Qiang, but still, the other party was still the First King of the Qingyuan Empire and the most authoritative vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. To pummel them viciously, if news of the matter reached the Master Teacher Pavilion, this could become a huge issue.

At best, only his master teacher license would be revoked.

“It’s no problem. If it were any other master teacher, I would not dare do something like this. However, if it’s this Vice Pavilion Master Tian… then there won’t be a problem at all.” Zhang Xuan shook his head as he mentally calculated the time. After which, he whipped out a jade token and tapped on it lightly, sending a message out.

“There won’t be a problem at all?” The duo was unable to comprehend Zhang Xuan’s words.

Vice Pavilion Master Tian could be considered one of the most esteemed and authoritative individuals in the Qingyuan Empire, so how could there be no problem at all?

“There’s no doubt that King Zhongqing has colluded with the Poison Hall, but not only did this Vice Pavilion Master Tian fail to investigate the matter clearly, he even shifted the blame toward me. There is bound to be something more between them!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Previously, he had indeed been a little hesitant to use forceful measures due to Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s appearance. However, when the latter issued an unfair judgement, he recalled the various news he had heard before, and a realization dawned upon him.

“Even if Vice Pavilion Master Tian chose to side with King Zhongqing due to their prior relationship, the latter’s claim isn’t entirely unjustified, so it can’t be considered collusion, can it?” Luo Qiqi frowned.

“Indeed. There isn’t sufficient evidence to conclusively prove that Vice Pavilion Master Tian is colluding with King Zhongqing. There are a few things that you are unaware of, and it isn’t convenient for me to talk about it for the time being. Don’t worry, Wu shi will deal with the situation once he arrives,” Zhang Xuan replied.

On the other hand, seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was about the matter, Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er heaved a sigh of relief.

“Young Master, I’m done teaching King Zhongqing a lesson.”

At this moment, Sun Qiang was finally done scattering his chili powder, and he returned with a satisfied look on his face. The previous frustration and indignation he had suffered from the other party’s torture had vanished without a trace.

Zhang Xuan swiftly turned around to look at King Zhongqing, only to see the latter breathing feebly, as if he would breathe his last breath at any moment.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually stepped forward and retrieved a gourd of fine wine with a flick of his wrist. He tilted the other party’s neck upwards and forced the gourd of wine into the other party’s mouth.

The black-robed young man from before, Butler Qin, was roughly around the same cultivation realm as him, and Ming Zhen was only slightly stronger than him, so he could still afford to directly infuse his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into their bodies without them noticing.

On the other hand, King Zhongqing was a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert. With the enhanced perception of his Primordial Spirit, it would not be too difficult for him to notice the presence of the Heaven’s Path zhenqi.

The Heaven’s Path zhenqi was one of his greatest secrets, so it was better to be safe than sorry.

Tzzzzzz!

The wine flowed down King Zhongqing’s throat, and it did not take long for the wounds inflicted on the latter by Sun Qiang to vanish without a trace.

While Zhang Xuan’s current cultivation was two realms lower than King Zhongqing, his Heaven’s Path zhenqi was still sufficiently potent to heal the latter’s wounds easily.

“Young Master…” Seeing Zhang Xuan heal King Zhongqing, Sun Qiang could not help but sigh in disappointment.

If only the Young Master had told him that they were going to heal the other party, he would have been far more vicious! He would have made many more decisive cuts and scattered more salt and pepper, and the vengeance would have felt far more fulfilling.

Noting Sun Qiang’s response, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, “He can’t die now, and there mustn’t be any wounds on him either. Otherwise… things might get troublesome.”

As he spoke, he poured a few more mouthfuls of fine wine down the other party’s throat. This time, however, he chose to hide the Heaven’s Path zhenqi within the other party’s body instead.

After he was done, he turned back to Sun Qiang. “What happened? How did you get captured by King Zhongqing’s men?”

In truth, Zhang Xuan had been rather perplexed about this matter. In the first place, there should have been many people who went by the name ‘Sun Qiang’ in the world. If one were to shout the name on the street, many passers-by would surely turn their heads around and respond.

Yet, of all the possible people, King Zhongqing had chosen to capture him and even deeply believed that he was the one they were looking for.

“This…” Upon hearing those questions, Sun Qiang scratched his head in embarrassment.

Seeing Sun Qiang’s reaction, Zhang Xuan knew that there was more to the matter than there seemed. Frowning, he ordered grimly, “Speak!”

“Yesterday, I went out to search for good food to eat. I walked into a restaurant, and right after I took a seat, I heard a group just beside me talking discreetly, and I thought that I heard my name…”

As Sun Qiang spoke, his face grew redder and redder. “Young Master, you also know that I’m quite a nosey person. When I heard my name, I went up to them to ask them what they were talking about. They said that they were looking for a person going by the name of Sun Qiang who possesses astounding strength and unparalleled talent, an individual truly favored by the heavens. When I heard that, I naturally thought that the person they had described had an uncanny resemblance with me. Thus, I secretly told them that my name is Sun Qiang, and after that… after that… they knocked me out…”

“…” Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless before even hearing the entire explanation. To think that this would be the situation!

He had long known what type of person his butler was, but still, this was truly ridiculous!

Did he really have to leap at every opportunity to pose? Honestly, from whom did he learn this from?

Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. Jeez, he sure is a worrisome fellow. If only he was half as low profile as me…

No matter where he went, he would do his best to ensure that he kept a low profile. He would never boast or showcase his capabilities and accomplishments in public, and he would never cause trouble either. If there was a perfect example of a humble man, he would definitely be it.

And yet, his butler just had to go around boasting here and there. He could still afford to talk big in smaller places like Tianxuan Kingdom, but to actually do it in Qingyuan City, which was filled with countless experts… that was no different from courting death!

In a sense, Sun Qiang brought his plight upon himself. Hopefully, he would learn after this incident and not act as recklessly as before.

Knowing his own mistakes, Sun Qiang lowered his head apologetically. “Young Master, I dare not do so in the future…”

His young master always managed to pull off his posing, and motivated by the other party’s successes, Sun Qiang had long wanted to give it a try himself. When he heard the others showering him with praises, he had thought that his time had come, so he had leaped at the opportunity. And yet, he had ended up being pummeled badly.

This sure was stifling!

“When we return, you will go into seclusion,” Zhang Xuan ordered. “If you aren’t able to reach Saint realm within three months, I’ll have you scram.”

“Yes…” Hearing that he had to reach Saint realm within three months, a bitter look surfaced on Sun Qiang’s face.

Ignoring his conceited and boastful butler, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the battle above him.

“Young Master, that fellow is simply too powerful; I can’t defeat him alone! Quick, give me some pointers!”

By this point, the Golden Origin Cauldron had fallen into a disadvantageous position. The tide of the battle was completely on Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s side, and anxious, the cauldron quickly turned to Zhang Xuan for help.

Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, “In a battle, using just brute strength won’t work. There’s a mingmen located on the Jianhai acupoint on his waist, give it a try!”

“Alrighty!” Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron roared excitedly and charged furiously toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian.

“You…” Not expecting the young man below to be able to uncover his flaws so easily, Vice Pavilion Master Tian panicked. He swiftly retreated in fear.

Seeing that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was retreating, Zhang Xuan continued speaking swiftly.

“Due a constriction in his meridians, when he gathers zhenqi before his chest, there’s a moment when the might of his attack will diminish for roughly 0.3 seconds. That is a good opportunity to launch a counterattack against him.”

As soon as the battle began, Zhang Xuan had compiled a book on the other party in the Library of Heaven’s Path, and when he flipped it open, he found that it was filled with flaws. Of them, the greatest flaw lay in the other party’s Primordial Spirit.

In normal circumstances, a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator should have an extraordinarily powerful Primordial Spirit, but the other party’s Primordial Spirit was filled with flaws. This peculiar situation had left Zhang Xuan slightly bewildered.

However, this was not the time to bother with the matter. What was more important was helping the Golden Origin Cauldron win the battle.

Hong long!

With Zhang Xuan’s pointers, Vice Pavilion Master Tian found the tide of the battle swiftly turning against him. In just a few breaths, he had already spurted several mouthfuls of blood, and his expression had turned livid.

At this rate, I’ll surely lose…

The flaws that the other party had pointed out so easily were all fatal weaknesses that could easily cost him his life! In normal circumstances, those flaws should not have been apparent to anyone else. Even true Leaving Aperture realm experts would have struggled to find them.

Yet, Zhang Xuan was able to list them one after another without any errors. This had truly left him deeply frenzied.

This won’t do—I have to kill that fellow. Otherwise, the one who will die is me!

Clenching his jaws furiously, a hint of callousness flashed through his eyes. With a powerful step, Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s body warped into a shadow, bypassing the Golden Origin Cauldron, heading straight for Zhang Xuan

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was in the midst of speaking to the Golden Origin Cauldron. He had not thought that the other party would go for him so abruptly. Before he could even react, the other party’s attack was right before him.

“Teacher!”

“Zhang shi!”

“Young Master!”

Everyone’s face warped in horror.

 

Chapter 1151: What a Huge Pit!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Everyone anxiously rushed to Zhang Xuan’s side.

The haughty young man who seemed to have the entire situation in his grasp a moment ago had already fainted, and a trail of blood was flowing down the edge of his lips. With just a look, it was apparent that he had suffered severe injuries.

“You bastards, I’ll kill you!” Luo Qiqi and the others roared furiously as they glared at Vice Pavilion Master Tian menacingly, seemingly wanting to devour him whole.

Oblivious to their glares, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was completely dumbstruck by the situation. Everything had happened so smoothly that he could hardly believe his eyes.

He had confidence in his strength, but judging from how the young man had been able to easily subdue King Zhongqing, the young man should have been able to dodge his attack as well. Because of that, he had prepared many follow up moves for when his initial assault inevitably failed. Yet, who would have thought that the most troublesome individual would be subdued with a single strike?

And more importantly, even though it had happened for a very brief instant, he could have sworn that he saw the other party shifting his body slightly to complement his offense, seemingly fearing that he would miss the attack.

To think that an individual would willingly take his palm strike, this was truly…

His palm harnessed immense strength that could crush a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert with ease. Was that not as good as courting death?

Just as Vice Pavilion Master Tian was completely bewildered by the situation before him, a loud roar suddenly echoed through the hall. Turning around, he saw the Golden Soul Lock falling from King Zhongqing’s body. The countless wounds on his body recovered at a visible rate, and within less than two breaths, he had already returned to his peak state, as if the torture he had undergone previously was nothing more than a brief nightmare.

When did that fellow obtain such formidable saint medicine?

Vice Pavilion Master Tian was rather close with King Zhongqing, but he had never heard that the latter had a medicine that was capable of swiftly healing one’s wounds. That was already comparable to the mystical means that Zhang shi had used on Sun Qiang previously!

“I’ll kill you!” Having recovered fully, King Zhongqing swiftly recalled the humiliation he had been put through just a moment ago.

With a furious battle cry, he immediately charged toward the unconscious Zhang Xuan. Along the way, he flicked his wrist and whipped out a sharp sword before brandishing it forcefully toward the latter.

In the previous battle, he had been subdued the whole time, depriving him of any opportunity to wield his weapon. Now that he knew how fearsome the enemy was, he knew that hesitation would be his downfall, so he decisively chose to execute his strongest offensive technique right from the very start.

Tzzzzzz!

A surge of sword qi burst across the room with a deafening sonic boom. Before this powerful sword art, even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert would have to back down temporarily.

“Don’t you dare hurt him!” Luo Qiqi, Yu Fei-er, and Sun Qiang raised their weapons simultaneously to protect Zhang Xuan.

Peng! Peng! Peng!

With three deep thuds, Zhang Xuan’s three allies were sent flying into the wall nearby. Their faces flushed crimson from the impact, and blood spewed wildly from their mouths.

The gap between them and a true Saint 4-dan expert was simply too huge. They did not stand a chance at all.

“Die!” After knocking the trio back, King Zhongqing continued slashing his blade toward Zhang Xuan, desiring to slice him in two.

“Hold it right there!”

At this moment, a furious bellow echoed. Following which, King Zhongqing felt a powerful surge of zhenqi morphing into a barrier right before Zhang Xuan, protecting the latter.

Despite the incredible might behind his sword, he found that he was unable to break that zhenqi barrier. Instead, the momentum he wielded in his offense seemed to backfire against him. The sword in his hand bounced back upon striking the barrier, flying back toward him.

Puhe!

Everything happened so fast that King Zhongqing could not even react. Before he knew it, his sword had already pierced his shoulder, and the powerful rebound sent him flying. He crashed into the wall, and the sword in his shoulder ended up lodged in the wall, leaving him hanging in midair like a scarecrow.

” Ahhh! ”

The excruciating pain caused a roar of agony to escape from King Zhongqing’s mouth.

Considering that he wielded a sword in hand and he had more than enough time to build up the momentum in his offense to the peak, his attack could be said to have reached the level of Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts. On the other hand, the other party had set up the zhenqi barrier hastily to protect Zhang Xuan, and yet, the barrier was still strong enough to cause his attack to rebound against him. Just how powerful was the other party?

Huala!

Before King Zhongqing’s horrified gaze, two figures appeared before Zhang Xuan with anxious looks on their faces.

“Principal Zhang! Principal Zhang!”

The two figures were Elder Wu Rufeng from the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hall Master Xing Tianming from the Combat Master Hall!

After taking a closer look, they realized that Zhang Xuan had already lost consciousness due to how dire his injuries were. With a livid face, Hall Master Xing stood up and roared, “To attempt to murder a master teacher in public, Tian Qing, how dare you?”

Boom!

Enraged, Hall Master Xing flicked his arm furiously.

“I…” Vice Pavilion Master Tian was about to explain himself, but before he could say a word, he was knocked to the ground by a powerful slap, and huge spurts of blood spewed from his mouth.

He had not even been a match for Hall Master Xing when the latter was still at Half-Leaving Aperture realm, let alone when the latter had achieved a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm!

After knocking down Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Hall Master Xing roared, “Men, apprehend those two fellows!”

Hualala!

Upon hearing the command, Division Head Liao, Division Head Zhou, Division Head Chen, and Division Head Yan rushed out from the shadows, and in the blink of an eye, they had already sealed the cultivation of the duo and captured them.

Despite being at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle as well, the same cultivation realm as King Zhongqing, they were combat masters, the representation of the strongest fighting prowess in their cultivation realm. It would be a difficult fight against them even when the duo was in their peak state, let alone their current severely injured states.

“Principal Zhang…”

After apprehending the two culprits, Hall Master Xing took out a recovery pill and fed it to Zhang Xuan. Following which, he used his zhenqi to help the latter assimilate the medicinal energy within the pill, and only then did the Zhang Xuan slowly come to.

“You are finally here,” Zhang Xuan said faintly with a relieved smile. He weakly turned his gaze toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing before continuing. “There might be some kind of misunderstanding between us. I hope that you won’t hurt them… Pu!”

Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, more blood spurted from his mouth.

“Principal Zhang!” Seeing that the other party was still speaking on the behalf of those two bastards, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing could not help but feel a little bitter for him.

It was those two bastards who had reduced him to his current state, and yet, he was still magnanimously asking for them to be spared! Where else could one find another individual as forgiving as that? He sure was kind to a fault!

On the other hand, King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian felt deeply frenzied as they watched the scene unfold before their eyes.

It was just a moment ago that Vice Pavilion Master Tian had been wondering why Zhang Xuan chose to take his attack face-on, and it turned out that… he was biding his time!

Now, the ones who were severely injured were the other party, and when Hall Master Xing and Wu shi appeared, King Zhongqing even nearly managed to claim Zhang Xuan’s life. How were they supposed to explain themselves in such a situation?

“Zhang Xuan was the one who made a move against us! He used that cauldron to…” Anxious, Vice Pavilion Master Tian turned around and pointed to where Ding Ding was previously, only to find that the cauldron that had arrogantly been threatening to reduce him to cinders a moment ago had vanished without a trace.

The other party had actually managed to stow the cauldron back into his storage ring within the short period of time!

“Shut your mouth!” Division Head Liao slapped Vice Pavilion Master Tian out of sheer anger, knocking the latter’s mouth out of place.

Principal Zhang had made such great contributions to their Combat Master Hall, and they had not even managed to show their gratitude to him yet when this fellow suddenly stepped in and reduced their benefactor to such a tragic state. If not for the other party’s identity as a master teacher, they would have surely killed him on the spot!

Unforgivable! This was truly something unforgivable!

Ignoring Vice Pavilion Master Tian, Wu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Principal Zhang, can you tell us what happened?”

“Save them first…” Zhang Xuan weakly raised a finger and pointed toward Luo Qiqi and the others.

“Alright!” Hall Master Xing raised a hand, and a division head quickly fed the trio a recovery pill each.

Seeing that the three of them were fine, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He then weakly turned his attention back to Wu shi and said, “Wu shi, do you still remember the matter concerning the news of the ancient domain being leaked to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?”

Back then, Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu had attempted to report the discovery of the ancient domain to the headquarters, only to have his intelligence covered up by a spy in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. After fleeing from the Qiu Wu Palace, the old principal had already explained the matter to them from the start to the end.

“Of course!” Wu shi nodded. “I have been looking into the matter since I returned, but I wasn’t able to find any conclusive proof.”

“I have been pursuing the matter as well, but in the midst of it… Sun Qiang was suddenly kidnapped by the men of Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing. They accused me of colluding with the Poison Hall and claimed that I am unworthy of being a master teacher. They even said that they wanted to send me into the Subterranean Gallery to have me make up for my sins… Cough cough!” As Zhang Xuan spoke, he gradually grew more and more agitated before coughing once more.

“They accused you of colluding with the Poison Hall and wanted to send you into the Subterranean Gallery?” Hearing those words, Wu shi flung his sleeves wrathfully, and coldness surfaced in his eyes. “Preposterous! How dare they slander an upright master teacher?”

Others might have been oblivious to the matter, but he knew full well that the young man before him was not only a Celestial Master Teacher but also a Celestial Saint. In the entire history of the Master Teacher Continent, there was only one figure who had achieved the same—Kong shi.

To accuse a Celestial Master Teacher of colluding with the Poison Hall and attempt to send him to the Subterranean Gallery over it?

Unpardonable!

“I refused to acknowledge their accusations, so they decided to force a confession out of me instead. You should also know that I am completely powerless against Primordial Spirit realm cultivators. It’s fortunate that you came quickly, or else we might have lost our lives here,” Zhang Xuan said with a terrified yet relieved look on his face.

Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing glanced at one another, and they nearly blew up on the spot.

Completely powerless against Primordial Spirit realm cultivators?

You call this being powerless? We were nearly pummeled to death by you!

If there’s anyone who is powerless here, it should be us, alright!

The duo felt so indignant that they could have choked from the sheer frustration they felt. They wanted to refute the other party’s words, but the combat masters had already sealed their movements, not allowing them to speak even a single word.

On the other hand, Sun Qiang, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er also exchanged glances, and their mouths twitched uncontrollably from the shamelessness that Zhang Xuan was displaying.

This was even more so for Yu Fei-er. She was rendered completely speechless by the sight before her.

She had nearly lost her mind when she saw Zhang Xuan lying unconscious on the ground after being struck squarely by King Zhongqing, but to think that… he was just feigning weakness!

With Wu shi, Hall Master Xing, and many division heads witnessing Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing attempting to murder him, those two would never be able to cleanse their names.

Previously, they had been worried about how Zhang Xuan would resolve the situation after making a brazen move on the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Who would have thought that he had already prepared a pit for the duo to fall into!

For those who dare to provoke Zhang Xuan… they had best be prepared to fall to the lowest point of their life!

With such thoughts in mind, the trio could not help but direct looks of sympathy toward Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing.

On the other hand, Wu shi and Hall Master Xing nodded in agreement after hearing Zhang Xuan’s words. “Indeed, I know your strength well. You aren’t a match for Primordial Spirit realm cultivators.”

Wu shi had spent a very long time together with Zhang Xuan in the Qiu Wu Palace, so he knew the latter’s strength very well. It would have been difficult for him to even match a Saint 3-dan cultivator, so how could he be a match for Primordial Spirit realm cultivators?

As for Hall Master Xing, he had exchanged blows with Zhang Xuan back at the Heart Division. While he had been surprised by the incredible reflexes that the latter had displayed during the battle, it had been apparent that the latter was still lacking the strength to stand against a Primordial Spirit cultivator head to head.

Not to mention, his opponents were the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion and a King who had forged his name on the battlefield.

Since Zhang Xuan was not a match for them, less had to be said about Luo Qiqi and the others.

“I was truly desperate, so I could only send a message to all of you…” After explaining the course of events, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before lying on the ground, his breathing still faint from the severe injuries he had incurred.

With just a look, it was clear that he had suffered grievous wounds. Even with the supplement of recovery pills, it was unlikely that he would make a full recovery any time soon.

The more Wu shi thought about it, the more angered he felt. Turning to the duo, he harrumphed coldly. “On top of slandering a fellow master teacher, you even attempted to force a confession. Tian Qing and King Zhongqing, the both of you sure are brazen! I shall have this matter reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them judge it!”

Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing’s faces paled. The pit that they had leaped into… seemed to be a little too big in proportion.

Slander?

Force a confession? Report to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?

Rather than a pit, it seemed like they had leaped into an abyss instead!

 

Chapter 1152: An Irrefutable Argument

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“What do you have to say for yourself?” Wu shi bellowed coldly.

“Wuu wuuu…” Vice Pavilion Master Tian anxiously spoke.

“Release his seal!” Hall Master Xing instructed.

Division Head Liao nodded before striking the other party from the back.

Vice Pavilion Master Tian immediately felt the surge of zhenqi that had been suppressing his movements being released, and he heaved a sigh of relief. With reddened eyes, he cried, “He is lying! He’s the one to make a move on us first…”

“Enough!” Hearing those words, Hall Master Xing stood up and glared at them sharply. “The reason why I allowed you to speak is in view of the fact that you are a master teacher as well. I thought that you would at least repent on what you have done, and yet, all your mouth is capable of spouting is lies and more lies… Tell me, where has your dignity as a master teacher gone to? You said that he made a move on you? Even the strongest of the four of them only has a cultivation of Saint 2-dan, and you are in King Zhongqing’s manor at that. Do you honestly expect anyone to believe those words?”

Hall Master Xing was so angered that he could explode on the spot.

Do you take me as a fool? At least come up with a more believable lie!

The both of you are still well and kicking, and you still dared to claim that Principal Zhang made a move on you?

Even if Principal Zhang had such intentions in mind, is he even a match for the both of you?

“I…” Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s body staggered in despair.

But I am already telling the truth… Look at us, we are injured as well!

Vice Pavilion Master Tian felt deeply stifled within, but he knew that the other party had already claimed the upper hand in this debate, and the fact that the other party had witnessed King Zhongqing attempting to kill Zhang Xuan was truly disadvantageous to them. At this point, vehemently pushing their point forward would only incur the other party’s repulse and disgust. Since that was the case, it would be better for them to direct the topic to something else for the time being.

“That person over there is known as Ming Zhen…” Suppressing his indignation, Vice Hall Master Tian pointed to an elder standing by the side and said. “He is the vice head of a Poison Hall located in Hongyuan Empire. Not too long ago, he arrived at the manor to report Zhang shi’s butler, Sun Qiang. He said that Sun Qiang is a particularly powerful poison master, and a while ago, he had arrived at their Poison Hall to arrange for the founder of the Poison Hall to be escorted to the headquarters. In view of the safety of Qingyuan Empire, King Zhongqing had no choice but to apprehend Zhang shi to interrogate him. Yet, who could have thought that he would attempt to forcefully take his butler away, thus resulting in this conflict…”

“The vice head of the Poison Hall?”

Wu shi and the others swiftly turned their gazes towards Min Zhen.

On the other hand, noticing so many master teachers and combat masters looking over towards him, Ming Zhen’s face was scared pale.

“You are from the Poison Hall?” Wu shi asked grimly.

As a master teacher, he bore little goodwill to those from the Poison Hall.

“That’s right.” Ming Zhen nodded as he flicked his wrist, taking out his poison master emblem and a token representing his identity as the vice head of the Poison Hall.

After taking a look and confirming that there was no mistake, Wu shi frowned, “You are here to report Sun Qiang?”

He wasn’t too familiar with Sun Qiang, but since the latter was Principal Zhang’s butler, how could he be a poison master?

But of course, there was still a need to clarify things before coming to a conclusion.

“This…” Ming Zhen’s face distorted slightly, and after a long moment of hesitation, ‘putong!’, he kneeled to the ground. With reddened eyes, he exclaimed, “Wu shi, I beg of you to redress the grievances of our Poison Hall!”

“What happened?” Seeing the other party’s abrupt actions, Wu shi’s frown deepened.

“King Zhongqing captured all of our comrades from the Poison Hall and imprisoned them in his underground prison. He coerced me to accuse Zhang shi of that, or else he would kill my brothers… It’s also out of desperation that I chose such a course of action! Wu shi, I implore you to return us justice!” Ming Zhen cried in grief.

“You… Nonsense! Utter nonsense!”

Those words left both Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing exploding on the spot.

That fellow was clearly one of their own, and they were still depending on him to serve as their eye-witness, and yet… how could he turn against them at this crucial moment?

You said that we coerced you?

You were the one who fled here after the Poison Hall exiled you!

Furthermore, you were the one who willingly revealed the location of the Poison Hall, and that was why King Zhongqing was able to dispatch his soldiers to eradicate them… How in the world did you suddenly become a victim over a blink of an eye, and what did you say? We used the lives of your brothers to threaten you?

You were the one who wanted to kill them in the first place! How could we use their lives to threaten you?

“Shut your mouths!” Wu shi flung his sleeves and bellowed furiously. After which, he turned his gaze back to the poison master and said, “You need not fear, continue speaking.”

“Yes! If Wu shi doubts my word, you can search King Zhongqing’s underground prison. My brothers from the Poison Hall is currently being imprisoned there. If you were to find any falsehood in my words, I’m willing to accept any punishment!” Ming Zhen cowered backward slightly, but the resolution in his eyes was apparent. It was as if he was deeply fearful, but for the sake of justice, he was willing to take a leap of faith and testify against the true masterminds.

His body was still plagued with the other party’s poison, so he knew what he should say and what he shouldn’t. Furthermore, at this point, it was apparent that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian was no match against Zhang shi in terms of playing such trickery.

Clearly, this was the best opportunity for him to ‘leap out of the darkness and return to the light’.

“You…”

The words spoken and the subtle gestures that hinted at a mix of fear and courage from Ming Zhen left Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing so enraged that flames could erupt from their heads.

If Ming Zhen had chosen to side with them, they would have been able to turn the tables on the other party! Yet, who could have thought that the latter’s words would become the nail that sealed the lid of their coffin instead?

On the other hand, Luo Qiqi, Sun Qiang, and Yu Fei-er glanced at one another with their eyes widened and mouth agape in disbelief.

There was only a brief exchange between Zhang shi and that ex-vice head of the Poison Hall, and yet, he actually managed to convince the latter to side with them and speak completely different words from before… This was too formidable!

With this, no matter which perspective they looked at the situation for, they were in an absolutely advantageous position.

Even though Zhang Xuan was the one who had insulted a 7-star master teacher despite possessing only the identity of a 6-star master teacher, flouting the rules of formalities, at some point in time, the story had turned into the latter abusing his seniority to take advantage of Zhang Xuan, intentionally attempting to accuse him of something he hadn’t done…

At this point in time, the duo would never be able to cleanse their reputation anymore.

“Head to the underground prison to take a look. Check if there are any poison masters there!” Ignoring the despairing duo, Wu shi turned to a master teacher beside him and instructed.

In this rescue operation, the Combat Master Hall wasn’t the only one that had dispatched their forces. The Master Teacher Pavilion had also brought many master teachers over as well.

When Wu shi received Zhang Xuan’s distress call on his Jade Communication Token, he immediately brought everyone that he could call upon in the Master Teacher Pavilion over, not daring to hesitate in the least.

“Yes!” The master teacher quickly turned around and left.

Not too long later, the master teacher returned and clasped his fist, “Reporting to Wu shi and Hall Master Xing, in the underground prison of King Zhongqing Manor, there are indeed many captured poison masters, and every single one of them are severely injured…”

“As I expected!” Upon hearing that report, Wu shi’s face turned incredibly awful. He turned around to look at Vice Pavilion Master Tian and sneered, “To use the members of the Poison Hall to slander Principal Zhang; Vice Pavilion Master Tian, you can be assured that I’ll report this matter in detail to the headquarters!”

Every single clue fitted together with pieces on the puzzle, forming a flawless story. At this point, there was no longer any need to listen to their explanation anymore.

With the advancement of his cultivation to Half-Leaving Aperture realm, as well as the merit he had accrued from exploring the Qiu Wu Palace, he was swiftly promoted to become the other vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, putting him on equal standing as Vice Pavilion Master Tian. In terms of actual authority and influence, he was still beneath that of Vice Pavilion Master Tian, but considering that the latter had done something as immoral as this, he still held every right to investigate the matter.

“I…” Vice Pavilion Master Tian glared at Zhang Xuan hatefully, but at this point, he knew that there was nothing he could say that would change the situation anymore.

He thought that it would be easier for them to deal with the latter by pinning a crime on him—this way, the matter wouldn’t come back to bite them in the future—but who could have thought that the other party would actually use it against them?

It must be said that Zhang Xuan’s adaptability was truly formidable. In just a short moment that they had let their guards down, they ended up falling for his trap.

“I hope to have Pavilion Master Gou deal with this matter personally. If the results then are still the same as what you have concluded here, I would have nothing to say about reporting this matter to the headquarters.” Vice Pavilion Master Tian gritted his teeth and said.

He could tell that Wu shi and Hall Master Xing had a deep relationship with Zhang Xuan. At this rate, there was no way he would be able to cleanse himself of his suspicions.

Just the very act of slandering and accusing another master teacher was more than sufficient for him to lose his current position. Perhaps, he might even be stripped of his master teacher license.

At this rate, he could only bank his hopes on Pavilion Master Gou. With his involvement, perhaps there might still be hopes for a reversal.

“You want to have Pavilion Master Gou to investigate this matter? Let me tell you this then. Your direct disciple has duped the intelligence regarding the existence of the ancient domain from the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu, two years back and relayed the intelligence to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, nearly causing a calamity to occur. I have already looked into this matter, confirmed it, and reported it to Pavilion Master Gou. And now, you are intentionally slandering and accusing Principal Zhang… Even if you were to bring him in, nothing will change!” Wu shi harrumphed coldly.

Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s face paled.

The reason why Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu and the others were hesitant to liaise with the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion after they were duped of their intelligence was because the person who had duped their intelligence had an exceptionally high standing!

And he was the direct disciple of Vice Pavilion Master Tian!

After Wu shi returned, he had been looking into the case carefully, and he found concrete evidence to formally charge Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s direct disciple of the matter.

It was also due to this matter that Zhang Xuan dared to make a move. In the first place, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was already under investigation, and yet, the other party still dared to make a move against him. Since that was the case, he didn’t mind pinning another accusation on him.

And besides, even though it was more of a gut feeling at this point, there were quite a handful of doubtful points about Vice Pavilion Master Tian himself back in the short interaction they had earlier as well…

“Men, bring Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing back to the Master Teacher Pavilion!” Wu shi instructed.

Typically speaking, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn’t deal with a local officials easily. After all, such actions could easily result in dissension between the royal family and the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, the King Zhongqing’s attempt to slander and accuse a master teacher of a crime had truly touch the bottom line of the Master Teacher Pavilion. This was an insult to the dignity of the number one occupation in the world, so he had to be dealt with.

Otherwise, if everyone were to regard master teachers as pushovers, how were they to maintain order in the world?

Master teachers mustn’t be sullied, these weren’t just mere words. Those who tried to climb over the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion would have to pay a corresponding price for their actions.

“Yes!”

The master teachers stepped forward and took the two men from the hands of Division Head Liao and the others before leaving the hall.

After the duo was brought away, Wu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked worriedly, “Principal Zhang, are you still alright?”

“I’m fine…” Zhang Xuan shook his head. With Luo Qiqi’s support, he stood up and bowed apologetically, “Even though Vice Pavilion Master Tian was the first to make a move against me, it is a fact that I did retaliate against him, and that’s against the formalities of the Way of Teacher. In order to make up for my mistakes, I have decided to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion after I recover from my injuries. I hope that you can pardon me for this!”

“You want to crash our Master Teacher Pavilion?” Veins immediately popped up on Wu shi’s forehead. “If you’re worrying about that matter, there’s really no need to. Your actions constitute as self-defense, so there’s no one who would say a thing about that matter. I’ll also report this matter to the headquarters, so that no one will be able to use this matter against you in the future…”

If a master teacher were to truly err, there was only one way he could cleanse his crimes—pavilion crashing.

Back then, in order to avenge Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan had single-handedly challenged Xuanyuan Empire, and in the midst of doing so, he had no choice but to fight against the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion as well. That was against the formalities of the Way of Teacher, and that was also why he had to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion afterwards in order to cleanse his name.

Pavilion crashing was the act of single-handedly challenging the trials set up by the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was equivalent to using the strength and wits of an individual to go against an entire Master Teacher Pavilion… and it was a nigh impossible to succeed.

For this reason, there were only a small handful of people who had succeeded in pavilion crashing in the entire history of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

However, while that rule may apply to others, when Wu shi recalled the identity and incredible means of the young man before him, he dared not agree to it.

Back in the Qiu Wu Palace, even he had willingly chosen to abide by the other party arrangement… Regardless from which aspect one was looking at, the young man before him was truly incredible. As formidable as the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion may be, Wu shi had no confidence whether it would be able to remain standing after the latter had made his round on it.

Furthermore, once the pavilion crashing succeeded, they would have to heed the other party’s unconditionally, and that would be a true embarrassment to their Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Since Wu shi has said such words, I’m reassured…” Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he turned to Hall Master Xing and asked, “It’s due to me that the members of the Poison Hall are implicated into this matter. May I trouble Hall Master Xing to take them back to the Combat Master Hall to take care of them for the time being?”

“You want me to take them back to the Combat Master Hall?” Hall Master Xing was taken aback.

“Indeed. While poison masters have a poor reputation, if we could bring them over to our side as allies, that would surely be a great boost to our fighting forces. Without a doubt, they would prove to be a sharp edge in dealing against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Thus… if possible, I hope to have them join the Combat Master Hall and form a division of their own!” Zhang Xuan revealed his true intentions.

StarveCleric StarveCleric

 

Chapter 1153: Meeting Elder Xu Once More

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While he was not the one who had orchestrated the incident, it was partly due to him that the Poison Hall had ended up in its current state. If they were handed over to the Master Teacher Pavilion, many self-righteous individuals would surely speak up against them, and it was hard to say what kind of fate would befall them in the future.

However, if they were to be taken to the Combat Master Hall instead, the situation would be entirely different.

Not only would the poison masters be able to resolve their current crisis, they would also be given a new identity that would allow them to walk in the open. Just based on these two benefits alone, the poison masters would not reject his proposal.

Additionally, if the Combat Master Hall could capitalize on the strength of the poison masters, their overall prowess would surely increase by leaps and bounds.

“That won’t do!” Hall Master Xing’s face twitched, and he hurriedly waved his hands to reject the suggestion.

“Why not?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

“As you know, poison masters are used to living carefree lives. I fear that it would be difficult for our Combat Master Hall to control them. Furthermore, as you know, the cultivation techniques that they practice are unorthodox and depraved; master teachers look down upon this.” Hall Master Xing shook his head. “No matter what, the Combat Master Hall is still a branch of the Master Teacher Pavilion.”

In order to raise their cultivation, poison masters reared poisonous bugs, consumed lethal poison, and even used their life force to cultivate Gu. Most of their means had already breached the moral code of the master teachers.

Combat masters were a type of master teacher, so if they were to accept the poison masters, how would their peers view them in the future?

Combat masters did strive to obtain greater strength, but the means by which they did so were important as well. They had principles to follow, so they could not simply go around accepting everyone.

“That’s simple. I’ll teach them a new cultivation technique that is orthodox and upright. On top of that, I’ll instruct them to heed Hall Master Xing’s words, so you need not worry about being unable to control them,” Zhang Xuan said.

It was indeed true that the horrific practices common in the cultivation of poison arts were unacceptable to the masses, but this was not a matter that was too difficult to resolve.

As long as he imparted his simplified Heaven’s Path Poison Art to them, not only would they be able to advance their cultivation swiftly, there would also be no need for them to resort to unorthodox means anymore!

“This…” Hall Master Xing contemplated over the issue.

It might have felt as if the young man before him was making light of the matter, but having seen the other party’s capability in person, he had absolute trust that the other party would be able to pull it off.

A person whose understanding of battle techniques was so deep that he could master a Saint low-tier battle technique to Consummation eleven breaths after first looking at the manual might really be able to alter poison cultivation techniques to make them orthodox.

If the person before him could resolve those two problems, accepting the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall was something that he could consider. After all, it was indeed the truth that the addition of poison masters to their ranks would bolster their forces considerably.

Putting everything aside, it was precisely due to the usage of poison that King Zhongqing had been able to rise to his current rank within a short twenty years.

At this point, Wu shi suddenly interjected. “While poison masters have a poor reputation, the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have never ordered their elimination shows that there’s a purpose to the existence of the poison master occupation and that they are willing to give the Poison Hall a chance. If Principal Zhang really has a way to convince the poison masters to work for the welfare of mankind, I’ll report this matter to the headquarters and convince them of this matter. I believe that they would be glad to see this as well!”

Poison masters were the worst enemies to make, and at the same time, they were also the most reliable allies to have.

Their capability in group battles was nothing short of phenomenal. If they could assist in the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, mankind would stand a far better chance.

While the Poison Hall headquarters were well-concealed, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was bound to know where it was. Yet, over numerous millenniums, they still had not taken action against them as they did for the soul oracles. This was more than sufficient to show that they were not unpardonable.

Furthermore, these poison masters that were currently locked in the King Zhongqing Manor’s underground prison had grown up on the island just beside Jingyuan City, and they had rarely ventured out of the island. They might have been poison masters, but they had never harmed anyone.

Since they had never harmed anyone or committed any evil deeds, would it not be a little presumptuous of them to kill them just because of their occupation? If so, what would become of the values that master teachers preached?

“Alright!” Hearing Wu shi agree to the matter, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

While Hall Master Xing’s cultivation was higher than Wu shi’s, in terms of standing, the latter was still a notch higher. Since Wu shi had said such words, he must have had a feasible plan in mind to carry out the matter.

“Please wait here for a moment. I’ll head to the underground prison to talk with the poison masters and see if I’m be able to convince them. If it does not work out, we’ll just have to find some other way to deal with them,” Zhang Xuan said.

“This… But Principal Zhang, what about your wounds?” Wu shi asked worriedly.

“Don’t worry. With my constitution and your recovery pill, I’m fine now. It won’t impede me from talking with them.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand with a smile.

Recalling the various incredible means that the young man possessed, Wu shi knew that while the injuries the other party had sustained were considerable, they would not pose much of a problem for him. Thus, heaving a sigh of relief, he continued. “That’s a relief. However, poison masters are known to be rather scheming, so allow me to follow you to the underground prison. This way, I’ll be able to protect you if anything happens.”

“It’s fine. Given your current standing and identity, I fear that your presence will be pressurizing to them. It’ll do for me to face them alone.” Zhang Xuan turned down Wu shi’s goodwill.

If he wanted to convince Xu You and the others to obediently join the Combat Master Hall and obey their words, he would surely have to reveal his identity as Sun Qiang to them. Naturally, this mustn’t be done before Wu shi, or else the latter would learn about his identity as a poison master.

“This…” Wu shi hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. “Alright then, I won’t enter the underground prison with you. However, we will be waiting outside, and once we notice that something is amiss, we’ll immediately barge in and make a move!”

“I’ll be relying on the both of you then,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, knowing that the duo was worried about him.

Led by the master teacher from before, it did not take long for the crowd to arrive at the entrance of the underground prison.

Wu shi and Hall Master Xing stood guard outside while Zhang Xuan entered the underground prison alone.

The prison was dimly-lit and eerie. There were all sorts of powerful formations set up here and there to prevent the escape of the imprisoned cultivators.

Shortly after walking in, ‘ge ge ge’, Zhang Xuan’s bones and muscles began rearranging themselves to assume the appearance of ‘Sun Qiang’.

“Elder Xu…” Very soon, Zhang Xuan found Elder Xu, and just as the master teacher had said, it seemed like he had been subjected to harsh torture. He was clearly much skinnier than he had been two months prior, and his aura felt withered as well.

With just a look, it was apparent that his wounds were not light.

There were roughly a hundred other poison masters captured in the underground prison. As for the other members of the Poison Hall… it was hard to say whether they were alive or dead.

“Founder!” Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Elder Xu and the others were stunned for a moment before agitation struck them.

The identity of the middle-aged man before them, Sun Qiang, had been verified by Poison Master Hai and Poison Master Bai of the headquarters. Thus, they had no doubts about his identity at all.

“I am not your founder, just a person who escorted her back then. It’ll do for you to just address me as Sun Qiang,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. “You have truly suffered a lot. Here are some pills to heal your injuries. Quickly swallow them to regain some strength.”

He flicked his wrist and took out a couple of jade bottles before passing them around the poison masters.

He had plenty of pills from acquiring the storage rings of the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage. As long as he infused some Heaven’s Path zhenqi into each of the pills, it would grant them miraculous effects in recovering wounds and fatigue.

“Yes!” Without any hesitation, Elder Xu and the others took the pills and swallowed them.

As soon as the pill dissolved in their mouth, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi contained within them swiftly flowed through their bloodstream to the rest of their body, and their wounds began healing at a discernable rate.

“This…” Noticing the changes in their bodies, Xu You and the others were startled. They could hardly believe what was going on.

The effectiveness of these pills was far, far more potent than the recovery pills that they concocted. As expected of the individual who had escorted the founder! Without a doubt, the other party must have inherited the founder’s heritage!

After the poison masters had somewhat recuperated from their wounds, Zhang Xuan asked grimly, “What happened to the Jingyuan City Poison Hall?”

“The Poison Hall…” At this point, Xu You’s eyes reddened in deep indignation. His voice grew slightly hoarse, as if there was something stuck within it. “… has been destroyed. We are the only ones who remain. Everyone else has been… killed.”

As the ex-vice head of the Poison Hall, Ming Zhen knew all the secrets of the Poison Hall, and this included the flaws in their formations and defensive systems as well. Under his lead, King Zhongqing’s forces had been able to sneak into the Poison Hall successfully without alarming anyone, taking the Poison Hall off guard. As a result, the Poison Hall was completely wiped out in the tragedy.

“Killed? You are saying that King Zhongqing killed everyone in the Poison Hall?” Zhang Xuan’s face turned completely dark.

He had thought that it would at least have been a roughly equal fight, with both sides suffering some casualties. Yet, from the looks of it, the situation seemed far worse than he had imagined.

“That’s right… They attacked in the middle of the night. Caught off guard, we were swiftly encircled and subdued. That night, a river of blood flowed through the Poison Hall. Just like that, the ten thousand years of heritage of the Poison Hall was destroyed…” Elder Xu clenched his fists tightly, and his voice gradually grew more and more agitated. Eventually, it came to a point where he found himself unable to continue speaking anymore.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was at a loss for words. He had no idea how he should comfort Elder Xu’s pain.

He had been to the Poison Hall as well, and on top of poison masters, there were many ordinary civilians. These civilians did not possess the talent for cultivating poison arts, so they spent their lives idly on the island. Who knew that they were not spared either!

The fear of poison masters wasn not completely unfounded, but these poison masters had spent the entirety of their lives on a remote island, isolated from the rest of their world. They had never ventured beyond their island to harm anyone, but King Zhongqing had callously stepped in and ruined the relatively peaceful world that they had constructed for themselves!

Initially, Zhang Xuan had wondered if he had gone too far by scheming against King Zhongqing in such a manner, but from the looks of it now, he regretted not doing worse!

A person like him deserved to die a thousand times over!

After taking a deep breath, Elder Xu continued. “After King Zhongqing massacred the entire Poison Hall, he rounded up all the poison masters ranked 5-star and above, sealed our cultivation, and imprisoned us here. Every single day, he would use cruel torture techniques on us to have us mass concoct poison for him!”

When he spoke of King Zhongqing, flames of fury burned in his eyes. If he could, there was no doubt that he would have ripped the other party in two without any hesitation.

“Mass concoct poison?” Zhang Xuan knitted his eyebrows. “What kind of poison is he concocting?”

In the Qingyuan Empire, King Zhongqing was definitely a figure worthy of the phrase ‘ beneath a single man, above the masses 1 ‘. Putting aside the incredible cultivation he possessed, he also wielded unbounded authority as well. If a person who wielded that much power wanted to deal with his political rivals, there was no need for him to go through the trouble of mass concocting poison at all.

Or to put it in simpler terms, King Zhongqing was up to something huge.

“It’s the Scattering Breeze Powder!” Elder Xu replied.

“Grade-5 poison, Scattering Breeze Powder?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Colorless and odorless, it is a poison that saps one of one’s strength upon inhalation, rendering one powerless for a short period of time. However, its ability to drift freely along with the breeze allows it to incapacitate a huge number of people simultaneously, though it is only effective on those beneath Saint realm. How much of it did King Zhongqing demand?”

All in all, the Scattering Breeze Powder could not be considered a lethal poison, but its ability to spread far and wide made it extremely difficult to guard against.

“Ten tons,” Elder Xu replied grimly.

“Ten tons?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

Just an ordinary jade bottle of Scattering Breeze Powder released into the air could knock out several hundred individuals. To produce ten tons of it… Was he planning to knock out an entire city?

What the heck did he need so much of it for?

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s worry, Xu You swiftly explained, “He’s the sworn enemy of our Poison Hall, so how could we possibly serve him? Thus, we refused to obey his orders.”

At the same time, realization suddenly struck him, and he looked at Zhang Xuan with a peculiar gaze. “Fou… Elder Sun Qiang, how did you know that we are here? You weren’t noticed by the guards when you came here, right?”

Even though Zhang Xuan’s sudden arrival in the underground prison was perplexing to him, Elder Xu’s trust in the other party remained unwavering, simply on the grounds that he was the man chosen by the founder.

As a poison master who had grown up in the Poison Hall, it was inevitable that he would have blind faith in the founder.

Nevertheless, he was still worried about the other party. Their deaths were nothing much, but if they were to implicate Elder Sun Qiang in this matter, they would have truly let the founder down!

“Don’t worry, I have already subdued King Zhongqing, and he has been taken away by the Master Teacher Pavilion for interrogation. The reason I am here is to save you all!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“You have subdued King Zhongqing?”

“You are here to save us?”

The crowd stared at one another with shock gazes, not daring to believe what they had just heard.

They had thought that they were doomed to spend the rest of their lives rotting within this underground prison. Yet, never in their dreams had they thought that the elder who had delivered the founder back to them would come to save them, even exacting vengeance in their stead.

“Un. However, your current identities are a little awkward. It would be difficult for me to free you all given the present circumstances. Thus, I hope to give you all a new identity, but I’ll need your consent for this matter,” Zhang Xuan said.

“A new identity?” Elder Xu was perplexed by those words. “What would that identity be?”

The other poison masters also turned their sights over.

“Combat masters!” Zhang Xuan replied concisely.

 

Chapter 1154: Wu shi’s Analysis

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Combat master?”

The many poison masters stared at one another, unable to process what they had just heard.

“That’s right. As long as you all become combat masters, you will be able to walk through the streets of Qingyuan City openly without fear, and you wouldn’t have to fear anyone confronting you or causing you any trouble just because you practice poison arts. And more importantly, you need not fear the Master Teacher Pavilion anymore!” Zhang Xuan said with a light chuckle.

“This…” Hearing those words, the faces of the poison masters reddened, and they clenched their fists in agitation.

As poison masters, they had lived in the shadows for far too long. For the longest time, their greatest wish had been to stand in the light as themselves without being snubbed or shunned by others… If Elder Sun Qiang could really make this come true for them, that would be as good as granting them a second life!

“But… we aren’t master teachers, are we truly qualified to become combat masters? Will the other combat masters really welcome us into their ranks? After all, we are poison masters…” Elder Xu asked apprehensively.

The other poison masters nodded in agreement as well, clearly harboring the same concerns.

The Combat Master Hall was a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and typically speaking, combat masters were talented individuals chosen amongst the master teachers. On the other hand, they were only a bunch of poison masters…

“It’s true that most combat masters are master teachers as well, but from time to time, the Combat Master Hall would also recruit talents of other fields into their ranks to widen their scope. While we poison masters have a bad reputation, our fighting prowess with poison is exceptional too! The Combat Master Hall would surely welcome you into their ranks gladly! As long as you were to join the Combat Master Hall as one of their members, even if just as a reserve member, under their cover, no one would dare to say the slightest thing about you!” Zhang Xuan nodded with a smile.

The Combat Master Hall did have special rules when it came to recruiting top-notch talent, but those only applied to talents of around Zheng Yang’s caliber. To be honest, Elder Xu and the others were still quite lacking.

Nevertheless, even if they couldn’t become an official member of the Combat Master Hall, becoming a reserve member was still possible. It wouldn’t be too late for them to apply to become an official member once they achieve some merit.

“That would truly be for the best. However… would our cultivation technique and means be rejected by the master teachers? They might accept us at the start, but as time passes… would they start to repulse and shun us?” Elder Xu asked in concern.

“I understand your concerns, but don’t worry, the founder has already made preparations for this. Here are some cultivation technique manuals which the founder has prepared for you all. As long as you all were to cultivate accordingly to it, not only will the rate of advancement in your cultivation be faster than ever, you won’t have to resort to unorthodox means anymore too!” Zhang Xuan said as he flicked his wrist and passed a few manuals over.

Those manuals contained the simplified versions of the Heaven’s Path Poison Art.

Back then, he had written them down shortly after browsing through the books of the Poison Hall in hopes that he would be able to impart them to those of the Poison Hall.

Elder Xu and the others took the books doubtfully, but after flipping through a few pages, their faces swiftly flushed in agitation, and their breathing couldn’t help but hasten.

Every single one of them here had at least devoted a hundred years of their life into the study of poison, so their eye of discernment in the field of poison was superb. The poison cultivation technique manuals Elder Sun Qiang had passed to them weren’t too thick, and the words on them numbered fewer than a typical manual as well. Yet, every single word written on them was deeply meaningful, directing them towards the very essence of poison art itself!

If they were to cultivate according to it, it could be foreseen that both their mastery of poison and cultivation would swiftly improve, granting them far greater prowess than before!

Even without achieving a breakthrough, their fighting prowess would soar by at least two or three times easily!

“Thank you, founder, for bestowing us with these cultivation techniques!” Agitated, the poison masters began kneeling on the floor and kowtowing deeply to Elder Sun Qiang.

With these cultivation techniques, they would no longer have to go through the trouble to search for all kinds of venomous worms and lethal poison, or even commit depraved acts against their conscience!

“It’s out of the kindness of Hall Master Xing’s heart that you all are allowed to join the Combat Master Hall, so I hope that you will heed his commands in the future. Don’t let your emotions get the better of you when it comes to dealing with official matters, or else, even I won’t be able to save you!” Zhang Xuan said with a stern expression on his face.

“Yes!”

The crowd nodded.

As formidable as poison masters were in group battles, they were still insufficient to go up against the powerful combat masters.

Not only did combat masters wield extraordinary fighting prowess, more importantly, they had also tempered their physical bodies in many ways, granting them considerably immunity to most forces of nature, and this included poison as well… If a poison master were to face a combat master of the same cultivation realm, it was likely that the poison master would be killed even before he had a chance to utilize his poison.

Even if the poison master were to set up a trap in advance, it was also likely that the combat master would be able to push himself to slay the poison master before succumbing to the poison.

“Alright. After memorizing the content on the manuals, burn them. I’m sure that you understand the significance of these cultivation techniques, so I hope that they won’t be passed them down to anyone else without my permission.” Zhang Xuan instructed.

“Yes!” The crowd nodded.

Even though it was just a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Poison Art, it was still an astounding power to behold.

…

While Zhang Xuan was still busy convincing the poison masters, Hall Master Xing and Wu shi were standing outside the underground prison.

“Wu shi, how do you intend to account the matter of the Combat Master Hall accepting the poison masters to the Master Teacher Pavilion?” Hall Master Xing asked with a frown.

He had never intended to accept the request, but since Wu shi had spoken up in the stead of the poison masters, he eventually relented.

While his fighting prowess far surpassed the other party, admittedly, his ability to assess situations was still lacking as compared to the latter. After all, their responsibilities differed significantly from one another.

As the head of the Combat Master Hall, his responsibility lay in training combat masters and preparing them for war whereas Wu shi, as the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, was in charge of maintaining the regional security and order.

And for that purpose, Wu shi had to be keen in assessing situations.

“Do you feel that Principal Zhang is bringing trouble to your Combat Master Hall?” Hearing Hall Master Xing’s question, Wu shi shook his head and turned to him.

“This…” Having his thoughts pointed out so directly, Hall Master Xing couldn’t help but shake his head awkwardly.

Those were indeed his thoughts.

Poison masters were known to be an individualistic and eccentric bunch, and it went without saying that it wouldn’t be easy to manage such a group. If they were to join the Combat Master Hall, wouldn’t it just erode the order he had established with great difficulty in the Combat Master Hall?

“It looks like you didn’t understand Principal Zhang’s true intentions! He’s doing this for the sake of the Combat Master Hall and mankind!” Wu shi shook his head and sighed deeply.

“He’s doing this for the sake of the Combat Master Hall and mankind?” A confused expression surfaced on Hall Master Xing’s face. Wu shi’s words were too deep for him to comprehend.

Those fellows were nothing but a huge trouble, so how could this be for the welfare of the Combat Master Hall?

“Hai, I knew that you wouldn’t understand.” A helpless smile flashed across Wu shi’s face as he looked meaningfully into the distance, reminiscent of a wise elder who had seen through the world. “Let me ask you this then. How do you intend to deal with those poison masters? Will you imprison them, or will you kill them?”

“This…” Hall Master Xing was caught off guard by the question. He had to take a moment to contemplate over the matter before he was able to respond, “Those poison masters haven’t erred or harmed anyone, so why do we have to imprison or kill them?”

The Master Teacher Pavilion aimed to lead mankind through virtue, not through tyranny. Naturally, they couldn’t just punish an innocent bunch just because of their affiliation to the Poison Hall.

Not to mention, in the very first place, the poison masters were the victims of this incident as well! Given such, how could they possibly still harden their hearts to imprison or kill them? That would truly be going against their conscience!

“Indeed. We can’t imprison or kill them. But their Poison Hall branch has been exposed and destroyed, so they can’t return to it anymore. Are you certain that it would be safe to have so many powerful poison masters scattered throughout Qingyuan Empire?” Wu shi asked.

“This…” Hall Master Xing fell silent at those words.

It was easy to deal with the poison masters when they were gathered together as a group, but once they were to disperse and blend in with the countless civilians of Qingyuan Empire, it would be nigh impossible to find them anymore.

If those poison masters were to choose to harm others, their incredible mastery in poison would make it extremely difficult to trace the case to them. And even if they were to find the murderer later on, many lives would have already been lost then.

“If we could bring them into the Combat Master Hall, that would be effectively limiting their area of activity and preventing a catastrophe from happening. In essence, this is similar to a house arrest, but with a much better sounding name. Not only is it not detrimental to our reputation, it’ll also display the magnanimity of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Truly two birds with a stone!”

“This…” Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in astonishment, unable to speak a word.

Upon hearing the other party’s analysis, he realized that that was indeed the case.

If the poison masters were to join the Combat Master Hall, they would be bound by its rules as well. Naturally, they wouldn’t be able to maintain the carefree lifestyle that they had previously. That would effectively limit their area of activity to Qingyuan City, thus preventing them from committing any harm out there.

“This is only the first aim behind Principal Zhang’s suggestion. As for the second, I can tell you with certainty that he’s doing it with the welfare of your Combat Master Hall in mind!” Wu shi said.

“You should still remember the fight against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe twenty years ago, right?”

“Of course!” Hall Master Xing replied gravely.

Back then, the Qingtian Lineage had dispatched all of their forces to encircle the Combat Master Hall, and a bitter fight ensued. The Combat Master Hall had suffered great casualties in that battle, and even Hall Master Xing himself had nearly lost his life.

If not for Elder Qi, he wouldn’t have been around anymore.

“Even though the Otherworldly Demons sprung a surprise attack, their forces were still insufficient to deal with the powerful forces of the Combat Master Hall. Yet, the Combat Master Hall still ended up being nearly forced into a corner… The reason for it should still be fresh in your mind.” Recalling the tragedy back then, Wu shi’s face turned grim as well.

The Otherworldly Demons had come prepared, but the defenses Combat Master Hall had never fallen lax. They were well-prepared to face the Otherworldly Demons, and under normal circumstances, even if the Otherworldly Demons had dispatched all of their elites into the assault, with the incredible might wielded by the combat masters, the battle should have still ended in an easy victory for the combat masters. There wasn’t even any need for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Qingyuan Empire’s military to come into the picture…

And yet, despite the three powers making a move, the outcome was still a narrow and tragic victory!

It was due to that battle that Qingyuan Empire declined to become the weakest one of the Eight Great Conferred Empire. Even twenty years weren’t sufficient for it to recover from the impact back then.

“It’s due to the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder!” Hall Master Xing clenched his fists tightly together.

Back then, their combat masters were unknowingly afflicted with a potent poison known as the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder, and the poison depleted their combat masters of their fighting prowess. This opened up a huge opening for the Otherworldly Demons to strike!

Even he wasn’t spared from the effects of the Supreme Scattering Breeze Powder.

This matter had been a huge thorn in his heart, and even the passing of twenty years wasn’t sufficient for him to let go of it.

“Indeed. That poison drifted with the wind, and odorless and colorless, it was inevitable that no one noticed a thing. Even I hadn’t expected them to have such a hand either. It was thanks to the keen-eyed Vice Pavilion Master Tian noticing it that the losses of the Master Teacher Pavilion were minimized. Due to that matter, he gained great prestige in the Master Teacher Pavilion and soared through the ranks!” Wu shi nodded.

“It’s probably due to the matter that Principal Zhang wishes to bring the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall. Firstly, with the sharp senses of the poison masters to poison, they would be able to uncover any poison used by the enemy ahead of time, thus preventing such tragedy from happening again. Secondly, the creation of a Poison Division could also serve to further temper the combat master’s immunity to poison. This way, even if the Otherworldly Demons were to resort to the same means once more, the Combat Master Hall wouldn’t be as helpless as it was back then…”

“This…” Hall Master Xing was taken aback.

Indeed.

With the inclusion of poison masters into their ranks, even if they were to encounter the same matter as they did twenty years ago, they wouldn’t be as powerless as they were back then.

Hall Master Xing contemplated for a while, and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that there was no drawback from bringing the poison masters into the Combat Master Hall. Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, he turned to Wu shi, and it took him a brief moment of hesitation before he could bring himself to ask, “Did Principal Zhang… really see this far ahead?”

These were all factors that he had never considered before. Despite the other party’s severely injured state, he still managed to analyze so deeply into this matter… Was this for real?

“Principal Zhang’s wisdom is not something the likes of us can fathom. It also took me a long moment of contemplation after hearing his request before realization struck me!” Wu shi replied meaningfully.

Initially, he also didn’t think that the matter was really feasible either. However, when he tried to analyze deeper into the matter, he astonishingly realized that the potential benefits severely outweighed the drawbacks. This was truly a decision that only those of great wisdom would be able to come up with!

“This…”

Hall Master Xing ran through the situation in his head once more, and his admiration for Principal Zhang couldn’t help but deepen further. Impressed, he remarked, “Principal Zhang is truly a living sage!”

 

Chapter 1155: I Like You

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Elder Sun, we have memorized the cultivation technique you have imparted to us!”
An hour later, Elder Xu clasped his fist and reported to Zhang Xuan.
“Destroy those books then.” Zhang Xuan replied with a wave of his hand.
Elder Xu and the others nodded, and with a powerful flick, the secret manuals disintegrated to ashes before scattering into the surroundings, as if they hadn’t appeared in the first place.
“Elder Sun, where can we find you in the future? We wish to repay the favor to you!” Knowing that it was only a matter of time before the ‘envoy of the founder’ would have to leave, Elder Xu couldn’t help but ask.
The other party had granted them a second life, and no words could possibly be sufficient to express the gratitude they felt toward him.
“Where to find me?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “There’s no need for you to seek me. If I have any matter that I require your help for, I’ll come and find you.”
“Then…” Elder Xu hesitated for a moment before asking. “May we have the honor of knowing Elder Sun’s true identity? This way, if you have any instructions for us in the future, even if you aren’t able to meet us in person, you can simply send a messenger to us, and we’ll brave through even the flames of hell for you!”
“This…” Zhang Xuan was intending to refuse that request of theirs as well, but looking into the expectant eyes of the poison masters before him, he found himself hesitating for a brief moment before eventually relenting, “Alright then. Actually, my true identity is the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan… ‘s butler! However, I am a very low profile person, so I hope that you can keep this matter a secret!”
“Principal Zhang’s butler?”
“I have heard of Principal Zhang. He’s famed to be a once-in-a-thousand-years prodigy, and despite his young age, he was unanimously nominated to become the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!”
“So you’re Principal Zhang’s butler! Understood!”
“Senior Sun, rest assured. We will never speak a word of this matter to another soul…”
…
Upon learning of Zhang Xuan’s ‘true’ identity, the poison masters quickly nodded their heads excitedly.
“Alright, let’s leave the underground prison!” Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand.
Nodding, Elder Xu and the others began walking out of the door. After confirming that they had all left, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He reverted back to his original appearance before slowly heading out as well.
By the time he left the underground prison, the poison masters had already been brought back to the Combat Master Hall, leaving behind only Hall Master Xing, Wu shi, Luo Qiqi, and the others.
“Zhang shi…”
Seeing that Zhang Xuan was fine, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief before quickly gathering around him.
“I have already talked to those poison masters, and they will heed the commands of the Combat Master Hall in the future.” Zhang Xuan smiled.
“Un! Principal Zhang, thank you for your words of wisdom!” Hall Master Xing clasped his fist and thanked.
“Words of wisdom?” Seeing the delight and gratefulness on the other party’s face, Zhang Xuan was bewildered.
He had noticed Hall Master Xing’s reluctance regarding the matter when he first proposed it, and he had been worried that the latter would abruptly change his mind halfway through. Yet, after returning from a short trip to the underground prison, the other party was suddenly thanking him for the matter?
Just what in the world had happened for the latter to change his mind so swiftly?!
“You’re being too polite. This is part of my responsibility as a master teacher.” Even though Zhang Xuan had no idea what was going through Hall Master Xing’s head, humility had always been one of his dominant traits, so he quickly replied so. 1
On the other hand, seeing how humble Zhang Xuan was, not taking credit for his action at all, Hall Master Xing’s respect for the other party deepened.
How in the world could there be such a selfless person in the world? Was he the living embodiment of altruism? 1
“Principal Zhang, may I know what you intend to do after this?” Wu shi asked.
“I intend to pay a visit to the Painter Guild and the Appraiser Hall to take the corresponding 7-star examinations so that I can be promoted to a 7-star master teacher.” Zhang Xuan revealed his intentions without any reservation.
He was originally intending to head to the Appraiser Hall, but he was suddenly called here by King Zhongqing on the way… Thinking about it, he couldn’t help but feel that it was a huge waste of time.
“Does Wu shi have any matter for me?” Zhang Xuan asked.
“To be honest, I was thinking that if Principal Zhang doesn’t have any urgent matter at hand, it would be good if you could follow me to the Master Teacher Pavilion to discuss the results of my investigation…”
“The results of your investigation?”
“Un.” Wu shi nodded. “According to what Zhang Yinqiu said, the master teacher who had duped him of the intelligence goes by the name of Chen Zhe, who happens to be the direct disciple of Vice Pavilion Master Tian as well. I have already arrested Chen Zhe, and he’s currently imprisoned in our Master Teacher Pavilion. If Principal Zhang is free now, I would like to invite you over to meet him.”
“This…” Zhang Xuan was slightly hesitant.
In truth, he wasn’t too interested in this matter.
Since even Vice Pavilion Master Tian himself had been imprisoned, it would do for the Master Teacher Pavilion to slowly interrogate the both of them. At this point, it didn’t really matter whether he was involved in the matter or not.
Just as he was about to turn down Wu shi’s request, the latter suddenly smiled, “Actually, there’s no need for Zhang shi to rush into taking the painter and appraiser examination. To tell you the truth, there will be an Appraisal Convention later on, and if you are free, I can bring you there along with me. The head of the Appraiser Guild and Painter Guild should be attending as well, and if I were to introduce you to them there, it should make things more convenient for you on their side.”
“Appraisal Convention? What is that?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.
“From time to time, when new artifacts of unknown backgrounds are uncovered, a convention would be held over them so as to appraise the artifacts and see if they could be fixed. While it may appear to be an event for appraisers, over the years, it has gradually evolved into a high-class social event where most renowned and influential figures in Qingyuan City would gather.” Wu shi replied.
Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding, “Alright then.”
He had departed from the Combat Master hall early in the morning, and after the events at the Terpsichore Guild and King Zhongqing Manor, it was already in the late afternoon now, nearing evening. Rather than fumble his way into the guild and waste more time, it would be far more convenient for him to first meet the heads of the Painter Guild and Appraiser Hall for the matter.
Hearing Zhang Xuan agree to the matter, Wu shi smiled in delight, “Great! I’ll be leaving first to make some preparations then. I’ll see you at the Master Teacher Pavilion later on!”
After which, he turned around and left.
Shortly after, Hall Master Xing and the others bade their farewell as well, leaving only Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er around.
Zhang Xuan turned to the other three and said, “You all should return to our accommodation at the Combat Master Hall.”
“Yes!” Knowing that he had caused a lot of trouble this time around, Sun Qiang quickly nodded obediently.
“Teacher, I have some doubts which I would like to ask you… May I know if it’s convenient for you?” Luo Qiqi bit her lips as she looked at Zhang Xuan nervously.
“Of course, feel free to ask anything,” Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile.
Noting that Luo Qiqi had something private to ask, Sun Qiang and Yu Fei-er took their leave.
After confirming that there was no one around, Luo Qiqi set up an isolation barrier around them before asking, “Teacher, the affairs today have left some doubts in my mind, and I hope that you can answer them. I have been paying a close look to the earlier conflict… Vice Pavilion Master Tian and King Zhongqing have attempted to pin a crime on you using underhanded means, and I do agree that they should be punished for it… but is it really alright to frame them like that? Wouldn’t that be going too far? Isn’t it against the values preached in the Way of Teacher?”
She had known Zhang Xuan ever since the time she had spent in Huanyu Empire, and for the longest of time, she had viewed the latter to be a role model for her.
From saving her in Wu Yangzi’s underground chamber to risking himself to rescue Yu Fei-er to venturing into the dangerous Cloudmist Ridge to tame all of the saint beasts…
All of these matters only served to build the noble and selfless image of the young man before her.
With time, his image within her grew bigger and bigger, and she even began to think that he was just like the World’s Teacher, a true master teacher through and through… Admittedly, he did resort to some schemes from time to time, but those were minor incidents, and they always concluded in a positive end.
But… everything she had witnessed today had overturned her view of him.
No matter what, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion… To directly oppose a respected elder was already an infringement of the formalities and values that master teachers believed in and embraced.
As such, she found that her faith was starting to waver.
Instead of replying to Luo Qiqi’s doubts directly, Zhang Xuan asked her a question, “What does being a master teacher mean to you?”
“Master teacher… As teachers, we serve to clear away doubts and bring mankind to a greater height of prosperity. As role models, we strive to conduct ourselves honorably, displaying desirable values for others to emulate…”
“Wrong! Your interpretation is all wrong!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
“Wrong? These are the commandments that all master teachers must learn to recite. There’s no master teacher who doesn’t know about it…” Luo Qiqi frowned in incomprehension.
“It’s true that master teachers serve as teachers and role models to mankind, but we shouldn’t neglect the fact that they are humans as well!” Zhang Xuan replied.
“Humans?”
“Un. As long as we remain human, we will have our own emotions and thoughts. That’s simply our nature. Kong shi didn’t create the Master Teacher Pavilion to churn out batch after batch of mindless puppets. Formalities and rules are there to guide, not to dictate. In situations where following rules and formalities go against one’s conscience, it’s fine to break free of it and do what one deems to be right.” Zhang Xuan said.
“Master teachers should never aim to blindly follow existing conventions, that’s what it means to stagnate and wither. Only when we open our mind and question freely will we be able to bring mankind to further heights, and that’s what it means to be a master teacher!”
“This…” Luo Qiqi fell into deep thoughts.
“I had once met a cultivator whose father was a master teacher. From a very young age, he had deeply respected his father and heeded the latter’s words obediently, devoting his entirety to cultivation. He had always regarded his father’s words to be the absolute truth. However, his father never managed to achieve a breakthrough before his death, and this matter had left a trauma in the cultivator’s heart. Deep within, he felt that since his father was unable to achieve a breakthrough, there was no way he would be able to take the final step forward either… Under his father’s looming shadow, even when he had accumulated sufficient zhenqi and knowledge to achieve a breakthrough, his attempts still ended in failure.” Zhang Xuan said. 1
“That is what it means to have a fixed mindset! While we are master teachers, we are students in the long road of life as well. As students, we should expand our minds and doubt what we see and hear instead of blindly heeding the words of those who have come before us. Take the incident today for example, it’s clear that Vice Pavilion Master Qing is at fault, so why should I just take his words for it and accept his verdict?
“He has a far higher standing than me, and I have no way of going against him directly. As a result, I can only resort to other means in order to stand up against him and protect myself.”
“Then… what if a formidable master teacher were to use rules and conventions to force me to accept his point of view?” Luo Qiqi asked with a gleam in her eyes.
“Follow your heart!” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. “No matter how formidable a master teacher is, can he be any more formidable than Kong shi? In fact, even if Kong shi were to order you to kill a man, claiming that it’s for the welfare of mankind, does that mean that you really should do it? Ultimately, you shouldn’t allow others to dictate your actions. Look into your conscience, and determine what is right and wrong for yourself! As long as you disagree with the other party’s words, you are always entitled to the right to reject his point of view! In the first place, if the other party is using rules and conventions to force you into submission, disregarding your own personal thoughts, he’s already breaking the very foundations that make a master teacher. Since that’s the case, there’s no need to uphold formalities with the other party either!”
“This…” The light in Luo Qiqi’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if realization had dawned upon her. 1
“Alright. In the end, those tricks are just means to protect oneself. I can’t say that they are honorable, but sometimes, there is little choice but to resort to them. As long as you don’t go overboard with them or utilize them to cause harm to the innocent, they aren’t fundamentally at odds with the teachings of the Master Teacher Pavilion. There’s no need for you to think too much into it.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.
It was clear that the other party had cornered herself this time around.
Master teachers shouldn’t be inflexible individuals who only knew how to abide by the rules. Different circumstances called for the application of a different set of standards, and master teachers should know how to flexibly adapt to the situation whenever it was required.
Luo Qiqi was a talented individual, but she was simply lacking in the adaptability that Hu Yaoyao and the others possessed.
“I understand!” Upon hearing the explanation, Luo Qiqi’s eyes lit up. She raised her gaze to look right into Zhang Xuan’s eyes and said, “Since teacher has already said so, I think that I should follow my heart as well. Teacher…”
“… I like you!” 1
“…” Zhang Xuan.

Chapter 1156: Zhang Jiuxiao Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

The sight before Zhang Xuan turned dark, and he nearly fell to the ground.

He thought that the other party was truly conflicted and lost, and yet, who could have thought that the other party was actually preparing a trap for him to jump into!

All along, he had always been the one to scheme against others, and never had he thought that he would actually be outwitted by a young lass…

To drop a bunch of philosophical questions first in order to lead him to tell her to follow her heart so that she would be justified to say what she wanted to say afterward…

Zhang Xuan cleared his throat and replied, “I like you too. I like everyone from the Xuanxuan Faction as well. If I didn’t like you, why would I accept you as my apothecary student?”

To be confessed by his own student… How embarrassing!

“Teacher, you know what I mean. The type of like that I am referring to isn’t that.” Luo Qiqi stared at Zhang Xuan intently with her large eyes as she spoke.

“You should return to the Combat Master Hall first. I still have matters to attend to.” Right after saying those words, without giving Luo Qiqi an opportunity to respond, Zhang Xuan turned around anxiously and flew in the direction of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Hahaha!” Watching the sight, Luo Qiqi couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Her teacher had always been a composed person. This was the first time she was seeing him in such a fluster.

“You were the one who told me to follow my heart. I might address you as my teacher, but we have never undergone an official acknowledgement ceremony… As long as I’m not your direct disciple, this isn’t a problem at all!” Luo Qiqi muttered as her lips curled into a ravishing smile.

In the Master Teacher Continent, it wasn’t appropriate for a student to harbor such thoughts about her teacher, so for a very long time, she had been suppressing her true desires. However, after her teacher’s ‘counselling’, the dilemma that she had been facing finally cleared up, and a beautiful smile surfaced on her lips.

She might have addressed Zhang Xuan as her teacher, but since they hadn’t gone through an acknowledgement ceremony, the teacher-student relationship between them had yet to be officialized.

Since that was the case, it wasn’t against the rules for her to court the other party!

…

“Phew! That was a close shave!” After flying for some distance, Zhang Xuan came to a halt and wiped away his cold sweat.

While his actions may seem unprincipled time to time, he would never dream of laying his hands on his students. This was his moral boundary as a teacher and a belief he held firmly onto.

Are kids nowadays all that brave? Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It took many, many days of hesitation before he could build up the courage needed to confess to Luo Ruoxin, and that young lass actually just directly said that she liked him to his face…

My gosh, it was fortunate that he had fled quickly. Otherwise, wouldn’t he die of embarrassment if she were to say anything more than that?

The world sure is becoming more and more open… Zhang Xuan looked at the sky and remarked deeply.

He had always conducted himself properly so as to not get into any messy relationship with the ladies. Yet, who could have thought that he would still end up being placed in such an awkward situation?

Just the thought of it left his head hurting.

How was he to face Luo Qiqi in the future?

“Forget it, I won’t think about it anymore. I should head to the Master Teacher Pavilion first!”

Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan calmed his mind down before continuing on his way to the Master Teacher Pavilion. At that moment, however, he suddenly noticed a beautiful figure swiftly rushing towards him.

“Zhang shi!”

“Yu Fei-er? Didn’t you return back to the Combat Master Hall?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

At this point, Yu Fei-er had already switched into a crimson dress which embraced her body tightly, fully displaying her alluring figure.

It must be said that this fiery-tempered princess truly had a beautiful physique. It might pale in comparison to Hu Yaoyao, but her perfectly-shaped hips which extended down to her slender legs was truly an eye to behold. At the same time, perhaps it was due to her intentionally concealing it in the past, but under the tight embrace of her dress, her chest looked far more voluptuous than before.

At this moment, her appearance was one that would leave the gazes of others lingering upon her.

“Zhang shi, there’s a matter which I need to talk to you about.” Yu Fei-er said with bit lips.

“Cough cough, I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll talk to you some other time. Farewell!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand hastily as he prepared to take his leave.

“This won’t do! Since you are willing to listen to Qiqi’s words, why won’t you listen to mine as well?” Yu Fei-er harrumphed unhappily as she swiftly grabbed Zhang Xuan’s arm.

“This…” Cold sweat burst from Zhang Xuan’s head.

No matter how low his emotional quotient may be, the very fact that the other party had specially changed her dress up and return for him was more than sufficient clue for him to figure out what the other party was going to say.

“I’m only going to say one thing to you. I’m willing to follow you wherever you go in the future, even if it’s to the end of the world…” Yu Fei-er said.

She was one with a fiery temper, and she usually dealt with matters decisively as well. Nevertheless, it took all of her courage in order to say those words.

“I see.” Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was pondered for a moment before replying, “Very well, acknowledge me as your teacher then! As long as you become my student, I’ll bring you wherever I go. Otherwise, you would only be able to follow me as my maid.”

“You…” Yu Fei-er glared at Zhang Xuan furiously.

“Ah? Is that a no? I guess we’ll just have to forget about this matter then. Alright, I still have things to attend to at the moment, so I’ll be taking my leave first…”

Hu!

Once again, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan pushed his Heaven’s Path Movement Art to its very limits and disappeared on the spot.

“Hmph!”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan left, Yu Fei-er’s tightly-clenched fists finally opened up once more. With a smirk, she muttered, “I would like to see who will you choose, Qiqi or me!”

…

What the heck is this… Fleeing to a remote alley, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Just one awkward situation was intolerable to him, and they just had to come in pairs… It was truly too pressurizing to face the confessions of other simultaneously…

If not for the recent rise in his Soul Depth, he might have just collapsed under the immense mental stress and lose his mind.

“It won’t do to drag this matter out for too long. I have to find Ruoxin soon and show them that I already have a girlfriend so that they would give up on me!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Being too outstanding also came with its troubles too!

How vexing!

He really had to proclaim his attached status soon, or else, if everyone were to come confessing to him one after another, even a person of his Soul Depth wouldn’t be able to take it.

Just fending off the two of them took everything that he got. If more were to come, he wouldn’t have to cultivate anymore.

The next time I meet any ladies, I must accept them as my disciple in advance so that they wouldn’t have any opportunity to harbor such thoughts… Zhang Xuan thought as he stroked his lower jaws.

Making his way forward as he contemplated over this matter, he soon arrived at the Master Teacher Pavilion.

The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion was even grander than the Combat Master Hall. The majestic and towering building seemed to signify the dignity and standing of the number one occupation on the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even from a distance, Zhang Xuan could see many master teachers walking to and fro the building, and countless cultivators had gathered in the area in hopes of finding a suitable teacher to guide them along.

Zhang Xuan walked into a remote alley and swiftly switched into his master teacher robe and pinned on his master teacher emblem before making his way into the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Upon seeing the six brilliant stars gleaming on his chest, there was no one who dared to stop his passageway. Every single person that he walked by bowed to him respectfully.

While 6-star master teachers might seem nothing much to the topmost echelon of Qingyuan Empire, they were still formidable existences to the eyes of the common populace. Not to mention, a 6-star master teacher as young as Zhang Xuan, given sufficient time, was bound to become a 7-star master teacher as long as he didn’t die prematurely.

“Zhang shi, can I have your autograph? I don’t have any paper on hand, so why don’t you sign it on my inner wear instead…”

“Hey, don’t cut my queue, I was the one who came first! Zhang shi, just sign over here…”

“Scram to one side, Zhang shi is mine!”

…

Shortly after walking through the doors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw a huge group of girls rushing in his direction.

“I…” Zhang Xuan’s face warped in astonishment.

There were plenty of idol-chasing crazed fans in his previous world as well, but this was the first time he had seen someone asking to have an autograph signed on her inner wear in public!

“Everyone, I understand your agitation, but… I am an upright person, and I am already attached too. Pardon me, but I won’t be able to fulfill your wishes. Besides, as a master teacher, I hope that you will focus on my inner beauty instead of just my appearances…” Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, but before he could finish his words, the group of ladies had already rushed by his side, heading out of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Lunatic!” One of the ladies in the group stopped for a brief moment turn to examine Zhang Xuan from head to toe before harrumphing in disdain. After which, she turned her flabby face back forward, and shaking her millstone-sized bottom, she charged forward along with the crowd while shouting, “Zhang shi, wait for me!”

In the direction where she was charging towards, Zhang Xuan soon spotted a white-robed young man standing not too far away with seven stars gleaming on his chest. The white-robed young man looked at the crowd apologetically and said, “Pardon me, but I still have important matters to attend to at the moment. I’ll sign autographs for you all later on…”

“But we want it now!”

The group of ladies exclaimed resoundingly.

“Alright, alright…”

Despite the demanding attitude of his fans, the white-robed young man waved his hand patiently to calm them down. After which, he gracefully flicked his hand in the air for a few moments, and a floating name appeared.

“Suspended Imagery? He is a… 7-star painter?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

A painting could be divided into various grades—Reality Depiction, Spiritual Canvas, Infused Intentions, Breathtaking Verisimilitude, Spirit Creation, Spirit Wisdom…

Those who were able to produce works at the level of Spirit Wisdom were already worthy of becoming 6-star painter.

Up to 6-star, painters would require a paper as a medium for them to express their creative conceptions. However, upon reaching 7-star, they would be capable of producing their work in mid-air, painting their picture and words without anything to serve as a medium.

And the fact that the young man was capable of writing in mid-air showed that he had already comprehended the seventh level of painting—Suspended Imagery!

Zhang Jiuxiao…

Zhang Xuan read the name that the white-robed young man written, and his lips suddenly began twitching.

It turned out that the young man had the same surname as him, so naturally, others addressed him as Zhang shi as well…How embarrassing!

Indeed, there were plenty of people in the world who went by the surname of ‘Zhang’ as well. He wasn’t the only ‘Zhang shi’ in the world.

Just that… his name went by a single character of ‘Xuan’, which meaning could be interpreted as only levitating a few inches off the ground. On the other hand, the other party’s name is ‘Jiuxiao’, reminiscent of a roc soaring in the Nine Heavens… The conception behind their names was simply far too different 1 !

While Zhang Xuan was lamenting over how shallow his name was, he examined the two words, ‘Zhang Jiuxiao’, closely. Those two words carried a unique beauty and aura around them that seemed to draw one into a trance, rendering their minds incapable of anything but to appreciate the immensely beautiful words before them.

This was an ability that only 7-star painters could wield.

“Alright, I’ll just leave a single autograph here, you can decide its allocation amongst yourselves. I still have some urgent matters to attend to, so I’ll be taking my leave first…” After writing his name, Zhang Jiuxiao smiled at the crowd before turning around and leaving elegantly.

“He’s simply too dashing!”

The ladies who had demanded the autograph a moment ago couldn’t help but fall into a daze upon seeing his smile.

“As expected of Zhang shi. Every time he comes to the Master Teacher Pavilion, there would always be a huge group of girls waiting for him, Compared to him, it’s like we don’t even exist at all!”

“Well, he’s the number one genius of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a one-in-five-hundred-year prodigy. Furthermore, given how cultured and refined he is, how can we compete with him?”

“Indeed, he’s far beyond our league…”

A few master teachers lamented bitterly as they walked by the area.

“The number one genius of QIngyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion?” Zhang Xuan muttered beneath his breath after hearing their words.

Indeed, to be able to become a 7-star master teacher at such a young age and achieve such outstanding accomplishments as a painter, it was little wonder why so many ladies would go in a frenzy over him.

“Indeed, there are many talented prodigies in this world. I am not too bad myself, but I mustn’t get complacent over it.” Zhang Xuan warned himself.

While he might have been able to advance his cultivation swiftly, he mustn’t get conceited over the matter. Given how large the Master Teacher Continent was, there were bound to be outstanding geniuses who could match him somewhere.

While Zhang Xuan was deep in thought, the lady with the millstone bottom from before walking over once more and glanced at him disdainfully, “What are you looking at? Have you never seen a beauty in your life?”

“…” Zhang Xuan.

 

Chapter 1157: News on Luo Ruoxi

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He had met plenty of beautiful women before, and he had just been confessed to by two of them a moment ago. But he had never met one with a millstone-like bottom before. To put it in slightly harsher terms, she could have served as a road roller.

Forget it!

However, Zhang Xuan did not pay too much attention to the matter. There was not any need to be angered by something as trivial as that, so he simply asked around for Wu shi’s whereabouts before heading over.

Not too long later, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly walked forward.

“Mu shi!”

The person whom he had spotted was no other than Mu Yuan!

After leaving Qiu Wu Palace, the other party had returned straight back to Qingyuan Empire. He had promised the other party to meet him when he came over to Qingyuan City, but who would have thought that they would bump into one another so coincidentally here?

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi quickly clasped his fist and greeted with a smile, “Senior Uncle!”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “You have achieved a breakthrough to Saint 4-dan?”

For a very long time, Mu shi’s cultivation had been confined at Saint 3-dan due to the presence of metal attribute energy suppressing his strength, preventing him from achieving a breakthrough. Thus, he had remained as a 7-star high-tier master teacher for a very long time. Yet, in just a short month of absence, he had successfully made a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm.

“Indeed. It’s all thanks to Yang shi’s guidance that I was able to take the final step forward,” Mu shi replied with deep gratitude.

His encounter with Yang shi back in Hongyuan City might have been short, but it had been truly life-changing. If not for the latter’s guidance, he might very well have remained stagnant at Saint 3-dan for his entire life, unable to advance any further.

After trading a few pleasantries, Mu shi asked, “May I know if Yang shi has come over to Qingyuan City as well? If possible, I would like to pay him a visit and thank him personally!”

It was his benefactor who had allowed him to walk out of the shadow of the past and neutralize the metal attribute energy within his body, thus allowing him to achieve a breakthrough. He had been wanting to thank the other party for a very long time, but it was unfortunate that the other party’s whereabouts were truly elusive. Ever since that parting back then, he had not been able to gather any news on the other party.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “My teacher’s whereabouts are a mystery to me as well. Usually, he is the one who finds me whenever there is a need to…”

In essence, Yang Xuan’s identity was just a background that Zhang Xuan had forged to instill fear and deference in the hearts of others. Otherwise, it was highly likely that the swift advancement of his cultivation would have roused the greed of others, and perhaps, some might even have attempted to kidnap him in the hope of uncovering his secret. However, with an unfathomable expert like Yang Xuan backing him from the shadows, the others would have to weigh whether it was worth offending an 8-star master teacher over Zhang Xuan’s secret or not.

After all, putting aside the overwhelming strength that an 8-star master teacher possessed, more importantly, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be backing him as well.

Those who dared to offend an 8-star master teacher would risk being completely annihilated by the number one occupation on the Master Teacher Continent.

The very eradication of the entire soul oracle occupation should be sufficient to highlight the overwhelming might that the Master Teacher Pavilion wielded.

Since Zhang Xuan was relying on Yang Xuan as his trump card, naturally, it would be best to keep the other party as elusive as possible. The more times that ‘Yang Xuan’ appeared, the higher the chances that Zhang Xuan would make a mistake and give himself away.

“I was still planning to meet Yang shi once before my departure to thank him for his help…” Mu shi shook his head bitterly. “I guess it can’t be helped!”

“Departure? Where is Mu shi going?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

Mu shi was a master teacher of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, where else could he possibly want to head to?

“After neutralizing of the metal attribute energy within my body and achieving a breakthrough in my cultivation, the words that Yang shi said to me that night have been lingering my mind. Thus, I made up my mind to return to the Mu Clan! I’m willing to accept any punishment that they issue to me, so long as they will accept me as one of their own once more!” Mu shi spoke with resolution.

Zhang Xuan was slightly dazed for a moment before nodding in realization.

Mu shi was actually from one of the Sage Clans, the Mu Clan. However, in his earlier years, he had unintentionally leaked the secrets of his clan to a lady whom he fancied, causing him to be exiled, thus landing him in his current plight.

“A fallen leaf should return to its roots. After so many days of wandering, I think that it’s about time for me to return to my home. Even if I cannot receive their forgiveness and eventually lose my life there, at the very least, it will be better than spending my life aimlessly out here,” Mu shi said deeply.

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

He did not have a family, so he could not really relate to those emotions. However, he could clearly sense Mu shi’s resolution from the latter’s eyes. It seemed like even if the Mu Clan sentenced Mu shi to death, the latter would still accept the verdict willingly.

Mu shi continued with a bitter look on his face. “I don’t wish to remain an escapee for life.”

“Escapee?”

“That’s right. No matter what, the blood of the Mu Clan flows through my veins. There’s no way I can truly sever my relations with them, so I think it’s about time for me to face it. And to be honest, even though I didn’t think much of it then when I first left the Mu Clan, the long years have given me more than sufficient time to reflect on the matter, and I regret my decision then. I really regret it…” Mu shi shook his head and sighed soulfully.

Looking at Mu shi’s weathered face, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to find the correct words to console the latter.

It took a long while before the silence between the two was broken. Mu shi turned to Zhang Xuan and said, “Senior Uncle, I know that you like Luo shi, but I think that there are still some words that I should say to you.”

He had witnessed the relationship between Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin, and he had a clear idea of what was going on.

“Please speak,” Zhang Xuan replied politely.

“To be honest with you, I am not too sure about Luo shi’s exact identity either, but based on what I have observed thus far, there’s a very high chance that she’s related with a Sage Clan, the Luo Clan. If she truly is the young princess of the Luo Clan, unless Yang shi specially speaks on your behalf, it will be extremely difficult for you to wed her,” Mu shi said.

“You aren’t too sure about Ruoxin’s exact identity either?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words.

Based on what he knew, Mu shi was the one who had brought Luo shi to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Thus, he had always assumed that Mu shi would know a lot about the latter. He had not expected to hear such words from Mu shi’s mouth.

“It has been too many years since I left the Mu Clan and took root in Qingyuan City, so I am no longer in touch with the happenings there. However, judging from how Luo shi has been able to acquire strength that far surpasses mine despite her young age, there is little doubt that she’s the famed genius of the Luo Clan. Not only does she wield the strongest artifact of the Luo Clan, she also boasts the purest bloodline. There’s no way the Luo Clan will allow a person like her to marry an outsider!” Mu shi shook his head grimly.

“I understand that.” Zhang Xuan lowered his gaze as he nodded slowly.

Guild Leader Han and Wu shi had told him about the matter previously as well.

He knew that it would be difficult for him to get together with Luo shi, but he had no intentions of backing down from the challenge.

As a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint, he was confident that he would be able to become a man worthy of Luo shi!

If the heavens were to stand in his way, he would just have to crush the heavens!

Mu shi gazed at Zhang Xuan deeply for a short moment before nodding. “Alright then. Since you know about it, I won’t say too much about it either. However, don’t blame me for being too naggy. I just want to offer you one last word of advice: don’t allow her to make a decision that she will regret in the future.”

“Regret?” Zhang Xuan’s heart jolted.

Those words had truly struck the depths of his heart. In truth, he had been considering simply snatching Luo Ruoxin away if the Luo Clan adamantly opposed their relationship. In any case, he was confident that it was just a matter of time before he gained sufficient strength to do so. However, after hearing Mu shi’s advice, he could not help but rethink the matter. Yes, he might be able to get together with Luo Ruoxin using such a forceful method, but did he really want to leave her with such a deep regret for life?

As the young princess of the Luo Clan, she had probably grown up amid the loving care of her family and clan members. Without a doubt, she had deep feelings for her clan. Even if she were to choose him over her family in the end, there was no doubt that her decision would leave her with lingering regrets and a great deal of pain.

Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan said, “Don’t worry, I’ll make her family acknowledge me. I won’t put her in a tough spot.”

There was only one way for him to not put Luo Ruoxin in a difficult position, and that was to have the Luo Clan acknowledge their relationship!

It would be an uphill battle, but for Luo Ruoxin’s sake, this was the only path that he could choose.

Seeing that the young man had made up his choice, Mu shi nodded. “I see… I wish you luck then!”

“Right, Mu shi, Ruoxin said that she had to leave because she had matters to attend to. Do you have any idea where she might have gone? Also, do you know where the Luo Clan is located?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Luo Ruoxin had left hurriedly the previous time, and she did not say where she was headed to or where he could find her. However, since Mu shi was from a Sage Clan himself, he might know a thing or two.

Mu shi contemplated for a moment before replying. “The Luo Clan is based in the City of Sages, Qufu. However, I think that it’s more likely that she has headed to the ‘Sanctum of Sages’ instead of the Luo Clan!”

“Sanctum of Sages?”

“Gathered in the Sanctum of Sages are either the offspring of Sage Clans or the most talented prodigies of the entire Master Teacher Continent.” Mu shi pondered for a moment before continuing. “Based on what I have heard, the young princess of the Sage Clan is a student of the Sanctum of Sages. However, it seems like she escaped from there a while back due to some kind of issue, and her whereabouts became unknown afterwards.”

“She’s a student of the Sanctum of Sages?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He had no idea what Luo Ruoxin’s true strength was, but the fact that she had been able to easily bind the Leaving Aperture realm Skyleaf King was more than sufficient to prove that her strength had far surpassed his imaginations.

And yet, who would have thought that even an expert with strength like hers was only a student?

Wasn’t the Sanctum of Sages a little too scary?

“Un. The Sanctum of Sages serves to cultivate the offspring of Sage Clans and young geniuses into top-notch experts of the Master Teacher Continent. Generations of the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and the various influential Sage Clans have all emerged from the Sanctum of Sages. Senior Uncle, if you wish to have the Luo Clan acknowledge the relationship between you and Luo shi, it would be best for you to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages as well and make your name there. This way, no one will dare take you lightly despite your humble background!” Mu shi continued.

Zhang Xuan nodded upon hearing those words.

Even though it was known to most that he had a ‘Yang shi’ backing him, he himself knew better than anyone else that it was just a huge lie.

If he wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, there was no way he could rely on Yang shi.

He could still use Yang shi to deal with smaller conflicts; the other party would not know better anyway. However, before the top master teachers in the continent, there was little doubt that his petty disguise would be unraveled in an instant. Against them, he would not even know how he died.

Given so, the Sanctum of Sages was indeed his best bet. No matter what, he had to give it a try.

Of course, most importantly of all, if he could enroll in the Sanctum of Sages, there was a good chance that he would be able to meet Luo Ruoxin sooner.

It was difficult for a new couple to spend even a day away from one another, let alone a month.

“May I know how I can enroll in the Sanctum of Sages?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“The semester for the Sanctum of Sages starts at around… the middle of the ninth month, and it usually recruits a new batch of students before that. Based on what I know, the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions have a slot each to nominate a candidate to enroll in the Sanctum of Sages, and as long as the candidate clears a test, they will be brought into the Sanctum of Sages!” Mu shi replied.

“The middle of the ninth month… Isn’t that less than two months away?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in alarm.

“Indeed, it’s less than two months away. To be more exact, it’s a month and seventeen days!” Mu shi replied.

“This…” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Then, may I know what the prerequisites are for obtaining the nomination slot?”

Since the Sanctum of Sages only accepted top-notch geniuses from all over the Master Teacher Continent, there was bound to be some fundamental prerequisite for enrollment.

“One has to be a 7-star high-tier master teacher at the very minimum and possess a cultivation at the Embryonic Soul realm!” Mu shi replied.

“7-star high-tier…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was currently just a step away from reaching the Embryonic Soul realm. As long as he could gather sufficient concentrated high-tier spirit stones and Saint 3-dan cultivation technique manuals to compile the corresponding Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he would be able to achieve a breakthrough easily.

That would not be too much of a problem.

“However…” Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing. “The nomination slot for our Master Teacher Pavilion this year has already been allocated. It was a decision made by Pavilion Master Gou personally, so I fear that it might be difficult for you to obtain it!”

“It has already been allocated? Who is it?” Not expecting the slot to be taken, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

At this moment, a figure suddenly emerged in his mind, and he could not help but exclaim, “Could the person you are talking about be… Zhang Jiuxiao?”

Mu shi nodded. “That’s right, it’s him. If I’m not mistaken, he should be an offspring from the Zhang Clan, another one of the Sage Clans.”

 

Chapter 1158: Heart Tempering Bridge

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang Clan?” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

Back then, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had told him that the little princess of the Luo Clan was betrothed to a powerful Sage Clan, and said Sage Clan was none other than the Zhang Clan.

As such, he could not help but feel deeply uncomfortable upon hearing that name.

He might have been able to remain calm before any other matter, but just for this single matter, he could not maintain his composure.

If he could, he would not have pummeled Feng Xun so viciously after hearing that the latter had confessed to Luo Ruoxin.

Mu shi nodded. “This is still a conjecture on my part at the moment, but I do believe it to be so.”

“Wait, that doesn’t sound right.” Zhang Xuan frowned as he recalled what Mu shi had said earlier. “Since the Sanctum of Sages serves to cultivate the offspring of Sage Clans, surely Zhang Jiuxiao should be able to enroll into it directly. Is there any need for him to come to the Qingyuan Empire to vie for this single slot?”

“The Sanctum of Sages is indeed much more lenient toward the Sage Clans. While the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions only acquire a nomination slot each year, each Sage Clan obtains at least ten slots each year at the very minimum. For behemoths like the Zhang Clan, they acquire at least thirty slots each year,” Mu shi explained.

“However, for a clan as large as the Zhang Clan, thirty slots are only sufficient for them to send in the inner clan members with purer bloodlines. As for the clan members from the side families, whose bloodlines are thinner, they basically stand no chance whatsoever. As such, they scatter themselves among the Conferred Empire to vie for the other nomination slots in order to enroll into the Sanctum of Sages. Once they get in, they are entitled to the best cultivation resources and the most outstanding heritages. To the side families of powerful clans, this is an ideal opportunity for them to change their fate, so no one is willing to allow this opportunity slip through their fingers.”

“With them around, doesn’t that mean that the local prodigies of the Conferred Empires don’t stand a chance at all?” Zhang Xuan asked in displeasure.

There was only a single nomination slot in each Conferred Empire, and if the side families of the Sage Clans sent their members over, wouldn’t the local prodigies stand no chance at all?

“Survival of the fittest, this is something that can’t be helped. If there is a prodigy in the Conferred Empire who can surpass the member of the side family, the prodigy will naturally obtain the slot. Otherwise, the nomination slot can only be given to the member of the side family.” Mu shi shook his head.

Even the offspring from the Sage Clans were not above the rules. They dared not openly snatch slots from the Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilions, but they were still allowed to compete for it fairly.

If their skills surpassed those of the local master teachers of the Conferred Empire, the slot would only be allocated to them.

The Sanctum of Sages only accepted the strongest experts on the continent. If one was inferior to their competitors, it would only mean that they were not qualified to join the Sanctum of Sages. The rules were that simple, direct, and harsh.

“You’re right.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

This was just like the Combat Master Selection. As the students of his Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had the strongest fighting prowess, it was natural that they would all be picked. The other three Master Teacher Academies had outstanding students as well, and many of them would have stood a chance had they not been put against the candidates of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

It was unfortunate for them, but they only had their own bad luck to blame.

That was how harsh the world of cultivation was.

Nevertheless, the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion still brought around some degree of meritocracy. Even if an individual had a humble background, as long as they had sufficient talent and were willing to work hard, they would be able to make a name for themself as well. Take Zhang Xuan for example, despite being a mere orphan from the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had still been able to slowly scale up the ladder and eventually become the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

“While Zhang Jiuxiao is only from a side family of the Zhang Clan, the talent that he possesses is undeniable. Despite being only twenty-seven this year, he has already reached the astounding height of a 7-star high-tier master teacher, a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert. His fighting prowess and capabilities are unmatched by any master teacher in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Academy, so naturally, the nomination slot went to him,” Mu shi said.

“To tell you the truth, the side families of Sage Clans don’t possess a particularly high standing, and the resources that they are entitled to are severely limited as well. For one as young as him to have achieved such accomplishments, on top of possessing considerable talent, he must have put in quite a bit of hard work as well.”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. He could relate deeply to that.

Indeed. Talent without diligence was futile. Even a prodigy would achieve little in their life if they refused to devote themself to their work.

Again, taking Zhang Xuan for example, it had taken him an entire year of blood, sweat, and tears before he was able to earn his current accomplishments. The difficulties he had faced over the year were truly hard to describe using words.

Zhang Xuan turned to Mu shi and asked, “I’ll definitely have to head to the Sanctum of Sages, but how can I obtain the slot?”

Now that he knew that Luo Ruoxin was likely to be at the Sanctum of Sages, he definitely had to head there as well. Regardless of the means, he was determined to obtain the nomination slot.

“You only have one chance. In twenty days, the Sanctum of Sages will send an envoy over to escort the nominated candidate over. If you can successfully become a 7-star master teacher, obtain a cultivation of Saint 3-dan pinnacle, and defeat Zhang Jiuxiao in every aspect before then, naturally, the qualifications will go to you. The timing is extremely rushed, but I fear that there is no other way,” Mu shi said.

“Twenty days?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding decisively. “Alright.”

If it was just two to three days, he have needed to rush a bit. However, twenty days was more than sufficient for him.

“Alright?” Mu shi looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. “If I recall correctly, your cultivation is still only at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. You are still two whole realms away from reaching Saint 3-dan pinnacle…”

“Oh, I accidentally made a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan pinnacle last night,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile as he leaked out a little bit of his cultivation.

Due to the unique nature of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, as long as he did not intentionally display his cultivation, not even Mu shi would be able to discern his current cultivation realm.

“Accidentally? You made a breakthrough to Saint 2-dan… pinnacle?” Mu shi’s lips twitched wildly. He felt something stifling in his chest, and it took him a long while before he managed to sooth it. Sighing deeply, he remarked, “Senior Uncle sure is a talented individual.”

Back when they were still in Qiu Wu Palace, the other party had only been at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Yet, over the span of a single month, he had managed to advance a whole cultivation realm. The rate of advancement of his cultivation was truly unheard of in history!

“However, I fear that just this much might not be enough. There is a huge gap between the Spiritual Perception realm and the Embryonic Soul realm, and even if you do achieve a breakthrough within the next twenty days, it’ll take at least several years before you will be able to fuse your soul into your Origin Soul perfectly!”

Mu shi was not too optimistic about Zhang Xuan’s chances.

Beyond Saint realm, progressing past every single realm was like venturing into a whole new world. Even the most talented of prodigies would require several years before they were able to fully grasp a cultivation realm and advance to the next level. To be honest, attempting a breakthrough within a short twenty days… was nothing more than a pipe dream.

“And more importantly, Zhang Jiuxiao isn’t an ordinary Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivator. He has built up a powerful foundation, allowing him to match cultivators far stronger than he is. Ordinary Saint 4-dan cultivators are no match for him, and even I would only stand a fifty percent chance against him after my breakthrough,” Mu shi explained with a frown.

As an ex-inner clan member of the Mu Clan, he had cultivated top-notch cultivation techniques and battle techniques, granting him strength far surpassing that of ordinary master teachers. Yet, despite his recent breakthrough to Saint 4-dan, the other party was still able to match him equally with his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation. Just this in itself was sufficient to show how fearsome an existence Zhang Jiuxiao was.

“You stand a fifty percent chance against him?” Zhang Xuan asked contemplatively. A moment later, he added, “Mu shi, do you mind testing my strength?”

“Test your strength? Sure!”

Knowing Zhang Xuan’s intentions, Mu shi took him to the training grounds within the Master Teacher Pavilion, and crossing his hands before his chest, he said, “Feel free to make a move. I have not reinforced my cultivation after my breakthrough yet, so ultimately, I am still a Primordial Spirit realm expert. It would be good for you to experience the true might of a Primordial Spirit realm expert so that you are mentally prepared. Don’t worry, I won’t use my full strength…”

Hu!

Before Mu shi could finish his words, a figure suddenly appeared before him, and before he could even process what was going on, he saw a fist abruptly flying for his chest.

“Hmm?”

Not expecting Zhang Xuan to be able to move so swiftly, Mu shi’s eyebrows shot up. He swiftly tapped into the entirety of his strength, wanting to fend off the other party’s punch. However, just as he was preparing his retaliation, he suddenly felt an overwhelming soul pressure assaulting him from the surroundings, preventing him to moving.

Peng!

The punch struck Mu shi’s chest squarely, and he was knocked straight out of the training grounds before crashing heavily into the wall. Huge mouthfuls of blood spewed wildly from his mouth.

Following which, a young man’s apologetic voice sounded in his ears. “I’m truly sorry! Mu shi, are you still fine? I already tried holding myself back earlier, using just a fifth of my strength, but I didn’t think that you wouldn’t be able to receive it…”

“Pu!” Mu shi’s face paled, and another huge mouthful of blood spurted from his lips. He nearly fainted on the spot after hearing those words.

For a brief moment, he had thought that he was facing a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert instead of a Saint 2-dan cultivator.

Against such strength, even five of him would not be an opponent for the other party.

Zhang Xuan quickly helped Mu shi up apologetically while asking with a doubtful look on his face, “Does that Master Teacher Zhang Jiuxiao only possess this much strength?”

“Cough cough!” Mu shi’s face reddened, and he coughed out yet another mouthful of blood.

While the Mu Clan did not specialize in combat, no matter what, he still used to be one of the inner clan members who inherited the heritage of the main family. His fighting prowess should have been far stronger than his peers… and yet, he was actually subdued in a single punch by a master teacher whose cultivation was far lower than his.

Just the thought of it left him deeply stifled within.

It took a long while before Mu shi was able to calm himself down. With a face reddened in embarrassment, he said awkwardly, “Actually, Zhang Jiuxiao’s prowess is slightly above mine. Nevertheless, with fighting prowess like yours, even if you don’t achieve a breakthrough, you should be able to defeat him easily!”

If Zhang Xuan was already this powerful with a cultivation of Saint 2-dan, once he broke through to Saint 3-dan, Zhang Jiuxiao would probably stand no chance against him at all.

“Other than the requirement on my cultivation, what other prerequisites are there to enter the Sanctum of Sages? If possible, I would like to ask Mu shi to train along with me so that I can get a clear grasp of the standards…”

Mu shi’s face warped in horror upon hearing those words, and he quickly shook his head. “I’m not free!”

Just a simple test of cultivation had nearly cost him his life. If that were to continue, he feared that the confidence that he had barely picked up would be shattered once more.

“What you have to do now is be promoted to a 7-star master teacher as soon as possible. That is the fundamental prerequisite for joining the Sanctum of Sages. If you do not meet this prerequisite, it’ll be futile even if your fighting prowess exceeds that of Zhang Jiuxiao’s!” Mu shi said.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words.

This happened to coincide with his current goal. At the moment, he was just lacking two more supporting occupations before he was qualified to be promoted to a 7-star master teacher.

“Alright, I have already said all that I should say. I need to be on my way now, so farewell!” After saying those words, Mu shi turned around and left hurriedly.

He was afraid that if he remained any longer, he would be traumatized once more.

“Ah…” Not expecting Mu shi to leave so decisively, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment.

Sighing deeply, he walked out of the training grounds and headed in the direction of Wu shi’s residence, as pointed out by a master teacher from before.

Before Zhang Xuan could get far, he heard a series of ear-piercing shrieks in his ear.

“Zhang shi, you can do it!”

“Zhang shi, we believe in you! You will definitely be able to set a new record…”

Looking past the huge crowd, he saw a long stone bridge.

A man was standing right on top of the bridge with sweat flowing profusely down his face. It seemed like he was under immense pressure.

The man was none other than the offspring of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Jiuxiao!

What is he doing? Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

At this moment, a master teacher amid the crowd suddenly exclaimed loudly, “Zhang Jiuxiao is challenging the Heart Tempering Bridge?”