Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 1208

Chapter 1208: Yu Fei-er’s Resolve And Pride ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hu!

When the third streak of lightning finally dissipated, the ominous clouds in the sky finally scattered, as if they had finally accomplished their mission. The Golden Origin Cauldron also heaved a sigh of relief before slumping weakly to the ground, as if a lump of mud.

Having reached the Leaving Aperture realm, it was finally able to make basic movements like a human, such as walking and holding up items.

Zhang Xuan walked up to the Golden Origin Cauldron and placed his hand on it. A moment later, he heaved a sigh of relief.

While the latter was completely drained after withstanding three consecutive streaks of lightning, fortunately, its spirit remained mostly unharmed. As long as it rested well, it would be able to recover within three months.

Of course, if Zhang Xuan were to treat it personally, its recovery period could be significantly reduced.

“You should return to the Myriad Anthive Nest for now and recuperate under the Saint Bodhi Tree,” Zhang Xuan instructed.

The Saint Bodhi Tree that he had planted in the Myriad Anthive Nest was exceptionally effective in nourishing souls and spirits. Since most of the damage that the Golden Origin Cauldron had sustained was to its spirit, it would do it some good to cultivate there.

“Yes, Master!” Knowing its own condition, the Golden Origin Cauldron decisively entered the Myriad Anthive Nest without any hesitation.

After the Golden Origin Cauldron left, Zhang Xuan turned around to face Chu Xiang. “Chu gongzi, thank you for helping me upgrade my artifact. As a token of my gratitude, I’ll give you these ores…”

Back then, Zhang Xuan had obtained quite a handful of ores from Emperor Chu Tianxing. While he had used some of them to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron, there was still a substantial portion of them remaining. Since Chu Xiang had helped him, the least he could do was give those to him to thank him.

“Zhang shi, there’s no need for that. Instead, I should be the one thanking you. This experience has truly given me a deeper insight into smithing!” Chu Xiang quickly waved his hand to turn Zhang Xuan down.

The very experience of upgrading the Golden Origin Cauldron was worth more than any ores or reward. As long as he digested everything that he had done today, his proficiency in smithing would surely improve by leaps and bounds.

“Alright then.” Seeing that Chu Xiang was reluctant to accept the ores, Zhang Xuan did not insist on it either.

Considering how the other party was able to fork out a concentrated high-tier spirit stone for an Exclusive Dance back at the Spring Pavilion, there was no doubt that he came from a privileged family. Thus, it was very likely that those ores did not mean much to him.

After settling the matter with Chu Xiang, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Guild Leader Qin. “Guild Leader Qin, regarding this… I’m really apologetic that I reduced the Blacksmith Guild to this state…”

He had not expected for such a mishap to happen during the upgrade of the Golden Origin Cauldron either. It was out of goodwill that the other party had allowed him to upgrade his weapon at the Forging Hall, but he had ended up reducing the other party’s guild to rubble. No matter what, he had to take responsibility for the damage he had caused.

It was truly fortunate that no one had been injured in the incident, otherwise there was no way he would have been able to compensate for that.

“To make up for your losses, I’ll have the Master Teacher Pavilion restore the Blacksmith Guild to its original state,” Zhang Xuan said awkwardly.

“I’ll be counting on Zhang shi then.” Guild Leader Qin heaved a sigh of relief.

If the Master Teacher Pavilion was willing to help, it probably would not even take a day for the Blacksmith Guild to be restored to its former glory, or even better than that. This outcome was at least still acceptable to him.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. He swiftly sent a message to Wu shi to inform him of the matter and have him dispatch some men over to help him clean up the mess. Last but not least, he turned his gaze onto Master Lin Jie and said, “I am truly apologetic for having interrupted your lecture. I’ll be taking my leave now, so feel free to continue.”

“…” Master Lin Jie’s eyelids twitched.

All the blacksmiths have already been evacuated from the place, so who am I to lecture?

Furthermore, how am I supposed to lecture them after they have witnessed your exquisite use of smithing? Even if they did not say anything out of politeness, I would still be too embarrassed to lecture them with my half-assed knowledge!

If only I knew this would happen, I never would have agreed to come to the Qingyuan Empire Blacksmith Guild to conduct a lecture. Since there is such a formidable expert at the Master Teacher Pavilion, why in the world did they still bother to invite me?

Just the thought of it left Master Lin Jie deeply stifled within.

After bidding farewell to the crowd at the Blacksmith Guild, Zhang Xuan did not return to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Instead, he flew out of Qingyuan City and headed to the wooden hut where the Qingtian Emperor had dragged his soul to previously.

The area was extremely quiet and isolated, making it appropriate to deal with the problem concerning Vicious there.

Hu!

Flicking his wrist, the Book of Heaven’s Path appeared before Zhang Xuan’s eyes. Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward and grabbed it.

Huala!

The heart and finger sealed within a page in the book slowly materialized.

Due to Zhang Xuan’s lack of strength, he had kept Vicious sealed within the Book of Heaven’s Path all along, not daring to let him out.

However, he had no choice but to let Vicious out this time around in order to allow the latter to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal and successfully advance to the Leaving Aperture realm. In any case, Vicious had already submitted part of his soul to him, so he did not have to worry about a betrayal.

Tzzzzzzz!

As soon as Vicious escaped from the confines of the Book of Heaven’s Path, the heart and he finger immediately released extremely concentrated Zhenqi of Slaughter. In an instant, it felt as if someone had filled the entire wooden hut with water, making the surroundings incredibly suffocating.

Seeing how Vicious was still in the mood to show off, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. “Alright, hurry up and devour the Qingtian Emperor’s soul and raise your strength. Otherwise, if the other Vicious in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows notices your presence, he’ll surely come after you like a mad dog!”

“Alright!” Vicious answered meekly before swiftly absorbing the Qingtian Emperor’s soul.

Suppressed within the Book of Heaven’s Path, the rate at which he could absorb the Qingtian Emperor’s soul was severely limited as well. However, with his release, he was finally able to utilize his strength to its maximum, and it did not take long for him to fully devour the soul.

Boom!

Gradually, dark, ominous clouds began gathering in the sky.

Vicious had successfully invoked his Leaving Aperture Ordeal as well.

Unlike the Golden Origin Cauldron, even though Vicious had lost his memory, he was still an old monster who had lived for countless years. As fearsome as the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was, he was able to clear it as if it was a mere walk in the park.

Just like the Golden Origin Cauldron though, he also underwent three consecutive lightning strikes, and his cultivation rose all the way to Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage before gradually sliding to a halt.

The Qingtian Emperor was ultimately only a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage soul oracle. Even though his soul harnessed an incredible amount of energy in it, it was only sufficient for Vicious to reach Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage.

Seeing that Vicious had succeeded, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. “Good, rest up well. I’ll be bringing you to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows in two days, so make sure that you are in your peak condition to deal with the other Vicious by then.”

Now that he had two Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage experts protecting him, he was in a much safer position than before. On top of that, he also possessed substantial strength himself after achieving a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm. As long as the Vicious in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows was not beyond the Leaving Aperture realm, he would be able to deal with the other party without much trouble.

“Alright, time to return to the Combat Master Hall.” Sending Vicious back into the Book of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan flew to the Combat Master Hall.

All in all, his trip out had only taken around eight hours in total, but his fighting prowess and trump cards had increased significantly.

Currently, the combat masters from the other three Combat Master Halls were in an intensive exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction, and they were currently negotiating for a long-term alliance.

Zhang Xuan decided not to interfere in the matter, allowing the others to sort it out among themselves. Just as he was about to find Hall Master Xing to discuss the matter about heading to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, he suddenly saw Yu Fei-er flying over.

“Zhang shi, Qiqi has left Qingyuan City!”

“She has left?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback. “Where did she go?”

It was just earlier in the afternoon that she had asked him to accompany her for an entire day, and he had even spent two hours guiding her on pill forging. Why would she suddenly leave?

“I’m not too sure either!” Yu Fei-er shook her head.

“Did she say anything?” Zhang Xuan asked. Even if he had rejected Luo Qiqi, the latter was not the sort to leave without saying farewell. Could something have happened to her?

“She said that she had some matters at home to attend to, so she needed to leave for the time being,” Yu Fei-er replied.

“Some matters at home to attend to?”

“Un. I saw the introduction letter she submitted when applying to the Master Teacher Academy. She was introduced by the Baiyuan royal family, so I figure that she’s the princess of the Baiyuan Empire. I heard a few days earlier that there has been some unrest in the Baiyuan Empire, and several members of the royal family have been injured. Perhaps she has left to resolve the issue!” Yu Fei-er said.

“Baiyuan Empire…” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding.

He seemed to have recalled someone saying that Luo Qiqi was the princess of some empire back when he first met her.

Baiyuan Empire was a Tier-1 Empire, too. While it was significantly stronger than the Hongyuan Empire, it still paled greatly in comparison to the Qingyuan Empire.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s worry, Yu Fei-er said, “The Baiyuan Empire is just a Tier-1 Empire, so their strongest power should be at Saint 1-dan pinnacle. Considering that Qiqi is a Saint 2-dan cultivator, she shouldn’t have any problem suppressing the unrest there.”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

With Luo Qiqi’s recent rise in cultivation, it would be easy for her to deal with the unrest in her homeland.

Just that, the recent consecutive departures of his students did leave him feeling slightly down within.

Yu Fei-er hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Zhang shi. To be honest with you, I intend to return to the Hongyuan Empire soon, too.”

“You are leaving, too?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Yes. I have thought about many things over the past few hours, and I have come to a realization. You are a dragon who will eventually ascend to great heights; not even the Qingyuan Empire nor even the Empire Alliance will be big enough for you to fully spread your wings. Only a person like the little princess from the Luo Clan will be worthy of being by your side,” Yu Fei-er said with downcast eyes.

“I am only an insignificant princess from a Tier-1 Empire, so it’s indeed about time for me to stop my delusions. Rather than pursuing an impossible goal, I might as well focus my attention on my cultivation. Perhaps one day, I can reach a height where I could make you spare a glance at me too…”

She had always been a decisive person, and since she had made her decision, she would not hesitate in carrying it out.

Over the half a year she had been with Zhang Xuan, deep inside her heart, she had already realized that it was just a matter of time before he became someone completely out of her reach.

Watching as the distance between them grew bigger and bigger, she felt more and more anxious and apprehensive. It was not too long ago that he had been weaker than her, but before she could truly grasp it, he had already become a person far nobler and stronger than her.

Rather than chasing behind him anxiously and allowing panic to gradually consume her, perhaps it would be much better if she took her leave and calmed down first.

“This…” Not expecting Yu Fei-er to come to a decision so quickly, Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding. “I understand. Take care of yourself.”

Even with his state of mind, he was still unable to fully comprehend and resolve the dilemma of love. From his feelings for Luo Ruoxin, he could tell how difficult it was for a person to give up one that they liked. In fact, it was due to his reluctance to lose Luo Ruoxin that he was so motivated to push himself to his limits.

Yet, within just a few hours, Yu Fei-er had been able to sort out her feelings and sever whatever sentiments she had for him. From this perspective, she was indeed a courageous individual.

Most likely, she would become a very capable monarch, possibly achieving accomplishments far exceeding those of her father, Yu Shenqing.

“Zhang shi, farewell.” With a light smile, Yu Fei-er turned around and left.

Just like her arrival, she left without any hesitation as well.

It seemed like she could see through Zhang Xuan’s determination as well. She knew that Zhang Xuan’s heart was only big enough to house the little princess of the Luo Clan, and her persistence would only become a nuisance to him. Since that was the case, perhaps leaving was the best decision. At the very least, she would be able to leave behind a good impression in his mind.

Leaving the Combat Master Hall, Yu Fei-er turned around to gaze at the majestic building behind her as she clenched her fists tightly in agitation. Qiqi probably has the same thoughts in mind as me. Dealing with the affairs back home is one matter, but she probably doesn’t know how she can face Zhang shi after her rejection either. Nevertheless, I should still hasten my footsteps so as to not lag behind her.

She and Luo Qiqi were both extremely prideful people. It had not been easy for them to find someone whom they loved, but the both of them had ended up being rejected together. It was inevitable that they would find this hard to swallow.

If we just followed behind you and accepted your guidance and generosity, even if we eventually caught up with you, we would not be able to harbor any intentions toward you anymore.

Indeed, we might be unworthy of you now, but we’ll continue working hard! Eventually, with our own strength, we will climb to a height where we will be qualified to stand beside you!

This shall be my resolve, as well as my pride!

Chapter 1209: Heading to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan could see through Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er’s thoughts, but as he already had someone that he loved, he did not want to get involved with anyone else. While it was inevitable that they would be depressed for a period of time, this was at least better than prolonging their pain.

Often, hesitation and indecisiveness were what hurt others the most in a relationship.

After watching Yu Fei-er depart, Zhang Xuan stood quietly for a moment to calm down his vexed mind before heading to look for Hall Master Xing.

What was more important at the moment was to resolve the issue with Vicious. Otherwise, if they let that fellow be, it was only a matter of time before a calamity befell the Qingyuan Empire. Many master teachers would lose their lives, and even Zhang Xuan would be placed in a deeply precarious position.

After all, as a Celestial Master Teacher, his significance was simply too great to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Even if Vicious was trapped at the moment and could not make a move himself, as long as he leaked the news, Zhang Xuan’s good days would be over, and he would be forced into an endless game of hide-and-seek.

Upon hearing the story from Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xing replied with a resolute gaze, “Our Combat Master Hall is a part of the Master Teacher Pavilion, so there’s no way we can stay out of this! Zhang shi, I’ll head to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows with you!”

Given that an Otherworldly Demon actually dared make a move against the Master Teacher Pavilion, as the head of the Combat Master Hall, it was his responsibility to step up and vanquish that Otherworldly Demon!

“Alright. It’ll suffice to bring two of your strongest subordinates along. It’ll be best for our expedition team to not be too big, or else we will catch the enemy’s attention easily. If the enemy notices our presence and guards against us, it’ll make our mission more difficult than ever,” Zhang Xuan said.

As an existence who had rivaled Kong shi in the past, Vicious was an opponent who they could not afford to underestimate. They might still stand a chance against him if they caught him off guard, but it would be a different story if he anticipated their arrival and made preparations to deal with them.

Even if Vicious had fallen from his former glory, the knowledge and experience he had accumulated over countless years were still far beyond theirs. The slightest carelessness against such an opponent could very well cost them their lives.

“I understand.” Knowing how grave the matter was, Hall Master Xing nodded before taking his leave to make preparations.

Not too long later, Hall Master Xing appeared once more with Division Head Liao of the Heart Division and Division Head Wei of the Inner Breath Division behind him.

“They are the ones who started to cultivate the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra the earliest, so their mental resilience could be considered the strongest within the Combat Master Hall at the moment. If the other party is truly a soul oracle who specializes in soul arts, they will be the best candidates to bring with us for the expedition!” Hall Master Xing said.

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Soul oracles were skilled in confounding the soul, producing illusions and the sort to incapacitate one. Those with stronger mental resilience would be in a significantly safer position.

As the head of the Heart Division, there was no doubt about Division Head Liao’s mental resilience. On the other hand, Division Head Wei was one of the first few to have learned the revised Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra that Zhang Xuan had given to the Combat Master Hall, and his mental resilience had been reinforced significantly. Furthermore, the fighting prowess of the duo was second only to Hall Master Xing, so they were indeed the ideal candidates to fight against Vicious.

Zhang Xuan looked at them grimly. “This expedition to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows will be very dangerous. Our opponent possesses means far beyond our imagination, and there’s a good chance that you might not return alive. Even so, are you still willing to follow us there?”

Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao replied without any hesitation.

“Principal Zhang, we know that.”

“The purpose behind the creation of the Combat Master Hall is to deal with potential threats that humanity may face on the frontlines. As long as we are able to protect our brethren, death is nothing to fear!”

Seeing the resolve that the both of them had, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. “Well said! Alright, let’s head to the Master Teacher Pavilion to liaise with Wu shi.”

Thus, the four of them began making their way over to the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Upon arriving at the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan saw that Wu shi had also prepared four personnel to follow them to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows. Three of them were 7-star pinnacle master teachers, old elders who had been in the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion since a very long time ago, so their loyalty was indubitable. The last one was surprisingly a familiar face—Zhang Jiuxiao.

“Jiuxiao has been to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows before, and he entered the Ghost Cavern as well. I believe that the hiding place of the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor is likely related to that mysterious place, so I think that it would be good to have him lead the way for us,” Wu shi said.

“This…” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before nodding.

There was not much about Vicious in the Qingtian Emperor’s memory, and it had not been too detailed either. It was not due to the lacking ability of his Soul Search but because Vicious was a highly capable soul oracle as well, and he had erased the Qingtian Emperor’s memory about him in advance in case a mishap happened.

As such, the information that Zhang Xuan had of Vicious was not complete.

Since Zhang Jiuxiao had been to the Ghost Cavern before, it would be for the best if he could lead them there.

Zhang Jiuxiao turned to look at Zhang Xuan and said with determination, “Zhang shi, I know that we had some conflicts in the past, but this matter concerns the future of mankind. As fellow master teachers, I hope that we can put our differences aside and work together on this matter.”

Bewildered by Zhang Jiuxiao’s words, Zhang Xuan replied in a daze, “My thoughts exactly…”

Due the affairs concerning Luo Ruoxin, he had inevitably become a little prejudiced against the Zhang Clan, thinking that it was a snobbish and domineering clan that paid no heed to the feelings of others. However, seeing how Zhang Jiuxiao was willing to put aside their personal grudges during a crucial moment like this, his opinion of the Zhang Clan could not help but change slightly for the better.

Just as Zhang Xuan was still harboring such thoughts in his mind, the eyebrows of the young man before him shot up as he continued. “You might appear to be an insurmountable wall before me at the moment, but it’ll only be a matter of time before I surpass you. I’ll have you know that I, Zhang Jiuxiao, am a true genius!”

“Surpass me?” Once again, Zhang Xuan did not expect Zhang Jiuxiao to have such thoughts in mind. He shook his head helplessly and said, “Whatever pleases you…”

Surpass him?

Perhaps there might really be geniuses in the world who were capable of pulling it off, but without a doubt, the young man before him was not one of such people.

Be it in terms of state of mind, fighting prowess, supporting occupations… Forget it, he could probably list on till the end of time. As a human, it was still good to have dreams, no matter how implausible they were.

“Since everyone is here, let’s set off!”

After confirming the personnel for their expedition, Wu shi found the strongest aerial saint beast in the Master Teacher Pavilion and had everyone step aboard it. Before long, they were already on their way to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows.

The Marshlands of the Northern Meadows was slightly north of the Northern Meadows City, roughly several million li away from Qingyuan City. Even though the aerial saint beast they were riding on had already reached Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it would still take around six days before they arrived at their destination.

Seated in the wooden hut at the back of the saint beast, Zhang Xuan took out a few pills and passed them around. “Here are some pills that I have forged specially for this expedition. When we arrive at the marshlands, make sure to swallow one. It’ll grant you immunity to whatever poison we will encounter there, and it will help to prevent any soul oracles from possessing your body.”

All in all, including him, there were nine people in the expedition to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows. Even though their fighting prowess was ranked at the very top of Qingyuan City, considering that it was Vicious that they were going to be dealing with, it would not hurt to be prepared.

“Yes!”

The crowd took the pills and carefully placed them into their storage rings. The old adage always holds true—better safe than sorry.

“The collaborative formation used by the Combat Master Hall isn’t too bad, flexible in terms of numbers, executable with any number of combat masters. However, it’s a pity that it has quite a few flaws in it. Thus, I improved it a little earlier, and I have jotted down the formula in this book. Look through it quickly and learn it well.” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist once more to take out a book before passing it over.

Most combat masters and master teachers that were associated with a Combat Master Hall or Master Teacher Pavilion would practice a collaborative formation of some kind. To the eyes of ordinary cultivators, their collaborative formation was already plenty formidable, but to Zhang Xuan, it was filled with so many horrendous flaws that he could barely bring himself to look at it without cringing. Thus, he made use of the time on the aerial saint beast to quickly improve on it.

“You improved our Combat Master Hall’s collaborative formation?” Hall Master Xing and Division Head Liao turned to Zhang Xuan with widened eyes.

They quickly took the book from Zhang Xuan to browse through it, and it did not take long for their eyes to redden in excitement and their breathing to hasten in agitation.

The collaborative formation of their Combat Master Hall had been refined by many predecessors, and it had long reached a bottleneck where it would be hard for any change to generate a net improvement in it. Yet, after seeing the improved formation that Zhang Xuan had written down, they realized that they had only been seeing the tip of the iceberg all along!

They swiftly browsed through the collaborative formation and memorized it.

After which, Zhang Jiuxiao also took a look at the improved collaborative formation, and his face gradually turned paler and paler. Eventually, all the emotions bubbling within him were released with a helpless shake of his head.

It seemed like there was no way he could match up to the young man before him in the field of formations. He would just have to find another field to compete against the young man in.

Stroking his chest to alleviate the suffocating sensation there, Zhang Jiuxiao consoled himself. Even the most formidable genius will have his flaws. There’s no such thing a perfect man in the world, so he’s bound to have a weakness, too. With sufficient time, I’ll eventually find it!

Just as he was about to begin learning the collaborative formation too, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned to him and asked, “Brother Zhang, you are from the Zhang Clan, right? I happen to have a question to ask of you.”

“Zhang shi, feel free to speak.”

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, “I have heard rumors that there’s an unparalleled prodigy in your Zhang Clan who possesses an exceptionally pure bloodline, may I know if that’s true?”

As the saying goes, ‘Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories!’

Since Zhang Jiuxiao was from the Zhang Clan, this was a good opportunity for him to listen into the affairs of the rumored genius of the Zhang Clan so that he could make some preparations in advance to deal with him.

“I am from a side family in the Zhang Clan, so I am not qualified to interfere or learn of the affairs concerning the main family. However, I have heard of the little prodigy you spoke about as well. If I’m not mistaken, he should be twenty this year. The talent that he wields is so great that it is truly not an exaggeration to call it ‘unparalleled’!”

Zhang Jiuxiao hesitated for a moment before adding, “But those are only things I have heard. I have never met the little prodigy before either.”

The astounding phenomena that had happened along with the birth of the Zhang Clan’s young master had caused a huge ruckus, making his existence common knowledge among those of the upper tier of the Master Teacher Continent. As such, it was not a big deal for him to speak of it to Zhang Xuan.

“You have never met the little prodigy before either?” Zhang Xuan asked with a perplexed frown.

“Indeed. To be honest, members of the side family like me don’t get many opportunities to interact with the members of the main family,” Zhang Jiuxiao said as he sighed deeply.

“I heard that the little prodigy of your Zhang Clan is engaged to the little princess of the Luo Clan. May I know if that matter is true too?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“That… I’m afraid that I don’t know much about the matter! The main family doesn’t allow members of the side family like me to probe too much into their affairs, and we aren’t allowed to speak of the matters in the clan lightly either.” Seemingly a little fearful of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Jiuxiao was visibly reluctant to linger too much on this topic.

“I see. Then, of the disciples of the main family you have seen, how does their talent compare to yours?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“How does their talent compare to me? I am just a mere ant before them. Even if I devote my entire life to cultivation, there’s still no way I’ll be able to catch up with them.” A bitter smile emerged on Zhang Jiuxiao face as he said these words.

He raised his gaze to look at Zhang Xuan before continuing. “Putting everything aside, Zhang shi, while it is highly possible that there’s no cultivator in the history of the Qingyuan Empire who possessed as much talent as you, compared to the disciples of the main family, I fear that you are still severely lacking!”

“I am still severely lacking?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief.

As a practitioner of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, while he dared not say that his rate of cultivation was fast, surely there should have been very few people in the world who would be able to match him. Were there truly people in the world whose talent surpassed even the might of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art?

“That’s right. Zhang shi, it’s not that I want to traumatize you, but the more formidable inner disciples are able to easily reach the Primordial Spirit realm without cultivating just by awakening their bloodline. With that high of a starting point, it is truly a breeze for them to reach the Leaving Aperture realm or even higher! Against those monsters, there’s no way ordinary cultivators like us stand a chance!” Zhang Jiuxiao said with a bitter smile.

The difference in talent from individual to individual sure was something frustrating and exasperating.

Taking the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for example, every single one of them wielded the strength of a Transcendent Mortal from birth, and it was for this reason that mankind was at an inherently disadvantageous position against them.

Most inner disciples of Sage Clans were able to advance to heights that most ordinary cultivators dared not dream of just on the basis of their pure bloodline. Against such monsters, ordinary cultivators like them had no choice but to admit defeat.

“Awakening their bloodline? Does the improvement induced by the awakening of their bloodline depend on the purity of their bloodline?”

“That’s right. In a sense, I guess you can say that this is similar to the case with saint beasts. The closer their bloodline to Ancient Beasts is, the greater the increment in their cultivation will be as a result of awakening their bloodline. It is on this foundation that the Sage Clans were able to remain the top powers on the Master Teacher Continent despite the passing of several dozen millenniums!” Zhang Jiuxiao replied.

“Does that mean your bloodline isn’t pure?”

“To be honest with you, I can only be considered the side family of the side family, so there is no way the purity of my bloodline can be compared with that of the main family,” Zhang Jiuxiao said awkwardly.

“If bloodline is that important, is there any way to purify one’s bloodline or increase the tier of one’s bloodline?” Zhang Xuan asked.

 StarveCleric

It might be a little confusing, but state of mind, mental resilience, and mental fortitude are actually just different terms referring to essentially the same thing. Basically, tempering your state of mind grants you greater mental fortitude/resilience.

Chapter 1210: Ji Tianxiong ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Purify one’s bloodline or increase the tier of one’s bloodline? How can there be something as convenient as that in the world?” Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head. “The purity of the bloodline of a Sage Clan offspring is determined at birth. In fact, there are many inner disciples who had the purity of their bloodlines verified even before their birth. Similar to unique constitutions, this is something innate. There are no external forces that can possibly change one’s constitution and bloodline easily.”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thoughts.

As he had never come into the contact with the Sage Clans before, he wasn’t aware of many of their affairs. However, he did have two students with unique constitutions and one with a unique bloodline.

Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan possessed the Pure Yin Body and the Innate Poison Body and Poison Soul Constitution respectively, and Yuan Tao possessed the Emperor’s Bloodline. These weren’t things which one could cultivate postnatally.

Just like how a tadpole could never evolve into a divine dragon no matter how hard it trained, there were simply some things in the world that couldn’t be achieved through hard work.

Otherwise, he would have long given Zheng Yang, Liu Yang, and the others with unique constitutions as well so as to enhance their rate of growth.

“I see. It seems like I have been taking this matter too lightly.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

With the experience of cleansing the bloodline of spirit beasts to stimulate their growth, he thought that the Sage Clans might have some kind of means similar to that as well. However, it seemed like there was no way there could be something that convenient in the world.

“While the bloodline from Sage Clans enables one to cultivate swiftly in the initial phase, allowing one to easily reach heights that most ordinary cultivators would never be able to reach, it comes with some flaws as well. For one, the bloodline will also limit one’s future potential, making it difficult for one to exceed the accomplishments of our ancestor! This is also the reason why most Sage Clans have focused on preserving their strength instead of pushing their way forward. It’s simply too difficult to reach greater heights due to the limitations of the bloodline…” Zhang Jiuxiao continued.

There were always two sides to everything.

Inheriting the bloodline of past Sages would allow one to cultivate swiftly in the earlier stages, as if propelled by a rocket. However, as the individual had heavily relied on the inheritance of their ancestor to climb to their current height, it would also be extremely difficult for them to forge their own path forward beyond their ancestor.

After asking for a while longer, Zhang Jiuxiao said everything that he was able to say. As for information that was confidential, his lips remained firmly sealed, refusing to speak a single word about it.

Knowing that this was the rule within the Zhang Clan, Zhang Xuan also chose not to probe any further either and put Zhang Jiuxiao in a spot.

While the other party had left out the most important information, Zhang Xuan still managed to gather quite a few critical intelligence. For one, it seemed like there was indeed an engagement between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, and just like what Mu shi had told him back then, the little prodigy of the Zhang Clan was a very mysterious and elusive figure. Nearly everyone had heard of his name, but somehow, it was as if not a single person had caught a glimpse of his shadow.

Nevertheless, based on Zhang Jiuxiao’s deductions, while that little prodigy was only twenty this year, it was highly likely that his cultivation had already reached Saint 7-dan!

While Zhang Jiuxiao hadn’t met the little prodigy, he did meet the other inner disciples of the Zhang Clan before. One of them possessed an incredibly pure bloodline, and he was already at Saint 7-dan before he reached 30.

Considering how even he could reach such height, the little prodigy would surely be even more incredible than that!

“Saint 7-dan…” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel deeply pressured.

The elder of the Luo Clan who had confronted him a few days back, Luo Chengxin, was at this cultivation realm as well.

Even without using any battle technique, the other party was able to render him completely powerless with just a mere thought, leaving him unable to retaliate at all. The difference in their strength was as if the gap between the heavens and earth.

“Beyond Primordial Spirit realm, the increment in every cultivation stage will be extraordinarily difficult. If I want to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, I’ll really have to try harder than that!” Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

Beyond Saint 4-dan, the advancement of every single cultivation stage demanded incredibly pure spiritual energy and superior talent. If he wanted to receive the Luo Clan’s approval, the least he could do was to attain strength that matched the Zhang Clan’s little prodigy.

If he couldn’t even defeat his ‘love rival’, how could he vie Luo Ruoxin from the other party’s hands?

“I really have to start cultivating now…”

Feeling deeply pressured, Zhang Xuan spent the next few days either cultivating or digesting the information in the books he had collected within his Library of Heaven’s Path.

His efforts weren’t wasted. Not only did he manage to further reinforce his cultivation, his comprehension of battle technique had also reached a new peak. He had spent the majority of his time studying the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and it had granted him a greater grasp over the laws of space. While he was only at Embryonic Soul realm, he was already able to execute the Spatial Seal which only Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of pulling off!

Once executed, he would able to leave everyone within a five-meter radius around him feeling as if they were treading through a marsh, significantly reducing their strength and speed. Within this area, he was confident that he would be able to subdue even Hall Master Xing with a single finger, let alone Wu shi and the others.

“However, this is mainly due to the superior strength of my Origin Soul and zhenqi. Ultimately, my grasp over the laws of space is still a little too weak. However, I’m still some distance away from fully compiling the 2-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel.” Knowing that he still had much room for improvement, Zhang Xuan didn’t get conceited at his newfound strength.

The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel could be divided into 5 dans. Even though he had managed to reach 1-dan pinnacle, he was still a distance away from reaching 2-dan.

Time passed in a flash for cultivators. Six days later, the aerial saint beast finally came to a halt above a massive city.

“Zhang shi, this is the Northern Meadows City, also known as the Ji City. It is one of the more prosperous and powerful cities within Qingyuan Empire!” Wu shi introduced.

Gazing downward, Zhang Xuan saw a massive city vaguely visible beyond the clouds. It was extremely large, making it impossible to overlook the entire city in a single sight. What was different about this city was the amazing number of high-rise buildings that they had, which reminded Zhang Xuan a little about the world he had been in previously.

Just from a swift glance, it could be seen that it was indeed quite a prosperous city. Even if it was nowhere on par with Qingyuan City, it was far grander than Hongyuan City and the others.

“The Marshlands of the Northern Meadows is an incredibly dangerous territory to venture into. Its sky is filled with exceptionally powerful turbulent air currents, making it impossible to enter it by flight. On the other hand, the ground was filled with all kinds of threats, ready to prey on the unknowing. As such, we need to find a guide familiar with the local terrain to bring us around. Otherwise, there’s a good chance that we’ll lose our life even before we manage to find the Ghost Cavern.” Wu shi said.

“I understand.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Through reading books concerning the area, he had also gained some understanding of the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows as well.

Just like what Wu shi said, it was an extremely treacherous terrain. Even Primordial Spirit realm experts had to venture through it on foot, or else they would risk being torn to shreds by the turbulent air currents.

Without a guide to lead the way, they could very well fall into the traps that hunters had set up in the area, come under the encirclement of the regional saint beasts, or even step into a pit filled with lethal worms!

Considering the superior fighting prowess of their expedition team, these naturally didn’t pose much of a threat to them. However, it would still impede their advancement, and the longer they spent roaming in the marshlands, the more likely that Vicious would notice their presence.

“The head of the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion, Ji Tianxiong, is my good friend. He’s a trustworthy person, and I have just sent a message to him a while back. He should be arriving very soon. I intend to have him bring us through the marshlands so as to spare us some trouble.” Wu shi said.

“Ji Tianxiong? I have heard of him a well. He has spent a period of time in our Combat Master Hall, and his fighting prowess is really not bad!” Division Head Liao couldn’t help but interject at this moment.

“Indeed! His Freezing Zhenqi spared with his Glacier Finger is capable of turning water into ice in an instant, and this capability is exceptionally useful and practical on marsh terrains. With him leading the way, we should be able to overcome any danger easily!” Wu shi nodded, clearly deeply confident in his close friend.

While they were speaking, the crowd suddenly saw an elder flying in their direction.

Taking a close examination at the elder, Zhang Xuan noted that the other party had the appearance of one in his fifties, and he had a pair of incredibly sharp eyes that were filled with spirit and vigorous. At first impression, he seemed like an exceptionally keen individual.

His cultivation realm was at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, and he exuded an aura reminiscent of a snowy mountain. It was very apparent that he cultivated an ice-type cultivation technique.

Wu shi quickly welcomed the elder before ushering him into the wooden hut, “Everyone, this is the head of the Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion, Ji Tianxiong, Ji shi! Ji shi, this young man over here is Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi, and this is Hall Master Xing of the Combat Master Hall…”

He swiftly introduced everyone to one another.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s name, Ji shi immediately bowed respectfully and said, “Ji Tianxiong pays respect to Zhang shi!”

Even though a distance of several million li sat between Qingyuan City and the Northern Meadows City, he had still heard news of Zhang Xuan’s pavilion crashing.

For an individual to successfully overcome an entire Master Teacher Pavilion, just this feat in itself made him a person worthy of respect.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony.” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. “I believe Wu shi should have told you the reason behind our visit here.”

“Yes, Wu shi has already told me everything.” Ji shi nodded.

“That’s good. We intend to enter the depths of the marshlands to find the so-called Ghost Cavern, so we’ll require Ji shi’s help in leading the way forward.” Zhang Xuan said.

“Regarding that… the Ghost Cavern is actually a peculiar existence in the marshlands. It has no fixed location. There are some who follow the directions given by those who have found it in the past, only to see that it was no longer there. I can only fathom the rough area it would be, but as for whether we’ll able to find it or not… I’m afraid that I can’t guarantee that!” Ji shi said.

While the Ghost Cavern was indeed in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, it seemed like it wasn’t fixed to a location. Luck played a heavy role in determining whether one would be able to find it or not.

“I understand. You just have to bring us to the vicinity of where it usually appears. Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang shi, over here has entered the Ghost Cavern once, so he might be able to find some clues to track it down.” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

“Alright!” Ji shi agreed.

The Ghost Cavern was a place which could temper one’s mental resilience. Every year, there would be many master teachers who would drop by the marshlands to try their luck. Some of them did succeed, but there were also those who vanished without a trace as well.

The previous time Zhang Jiuxiao had been in the marshlands, he had a guide to bring him around as well. The marshlands were rather similar to a desert, changing greatly with time. Even if one had visited the marshlands in the past, it would still be wiser to hire a guide to bring one around, or else one could very well end up losing his way.

“You have already flown for many days now, do you want to take a brief rest at our Master Teacher Pavilion first?” Ji shi offered.

“There’s no need for that. We’ll head over right now, or else more master teachers could possibly lose their lives!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand to turn down the other party’s kind gesture.

An additional day delayed for them meant an additional day for Vicious to strike. Considering that the lives of master teachers were on the line, they couldn’t afford the luxury of time. In any case, as cultivators, they could recover their fatigue through cultivation, so they weren’t in dire need for rest either.

“Very well, let’s set off now then!” Ji shi nodded in agreement.

He swiftly pointed out a direction for the aerial saint beast, and it began making its way over to the marshlands.

The marshlands were located further up north of the Northern Meadows City. After roughly two hours of flight, the group was welcomed with the sight of a pitch black marshlands that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon, creating an illusion that it was connected with the sky.

“Let’s alight here. The air currents ahead will be turbulent, and there are many dangerous fields in the sky as well. It would be a disaster if we were to accidentally drop into one of them, so there’s no choice but to proceed ahead on foot.” Ji shi explained as he instructed the aerial saint beast to land on the ground.

The danger of the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows lay not only on the ground but in the air as well. There were many peculiar fields in the air that one could potentially collide with when traveling above ground. The slightest carelessness could cause one to be devoured by it, placing one in great peril.

After alighting from the back of the aerial saint beasts, the group swiftly assessed the pitch-black marshlands right before them.

To be exact, the marshlands wasn’t completely pitch-black. It was actually filled with scarlet flowers that rose above the marsh, reminiscent of lotus.

“The locals call those flowers Man-eating Lotuses. Don’t underestimate them just because of their beautiful exterior, they are actually extremely dangerous plants. Most Transcendent Mortal cultivators would be unable to escape from their clutches once caught!” Ji shi explained as he threw a stone toward a nearby lotus.

Huala!

As soon as the rock came into contact with the lotus, the latter immediately wrapped itself around the rock, reducing it to dust in an instant, as if some kind of unique power had devoured it.

“This…” Zhang Xuan’s eyelids shot up in astonishment.

If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe that there would be such a plant in the world.

Chapter 1211: Hall Master Xing’s Leaving Aperture Ordeal ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

The Man-eating Lotus had devoured the energy swiftly, precisely, and accurately. Just like what Ji shi had said, it was indeed unlikely for ordinary Transcendent Mortal cultivators to be able to escape from their clutches.

“Other than the Man-eating Lotuses, there are also some unique poisonous worms that live within the marsh. Once bitten, one’s body will immediately be numbed, making it impossible for one to exert any strength. Unable to move, one will only continue to sink deeper and deeper into the marshlands, until one is reduced to white bones. There was even a year where a hundred thousand cultivators and master teachers had died here. As such, this area has been labeled as a forbidden zone for cultivators.” As Ji shi spoke, he took out a slice of cooked meat from his storage ring and tossed it into the marsh.

Initially, the cooked meat floated on top of the marsh. A moment later, a couple of black beetles suddenly dived out of the marsh and bit the meat. In the blink of an eye, the meat was reduced to a puddle of acid, as if it had been corroded by a very potent acid.

Upon seeing this sight, the faces of the group turned extremely awful.

They had heard rumors about how treacherous the marshlands was, but they hadn’t thought that it would actually be so fearsome. Even as Primordial Spirit realm cultivators, they still couldn’t help but feel their bodies turning cold in apprehension.

“However, there’s no need to worry. As treacherous as the marshlands are, there is a way to pass through it safely. There are some plots of land that float above the marsh, and they form something similar to a suspension bridge. As long as we are able to find these plots of land, we will be able to pass through the marshlands without much trouble!” Ji shi said with a smile.

After saying those words, he leaped ten meters forward and stepped on solid ground on the marshlands. “Everyone, follow me closely. Make sure not to step wrongly or lag behind!”

Following which, he continued to leap forward. In just a dozen steps, he had already covered a distance of several hundred meters.

Zhang Xuan examined the area where Ji shi had landed carefully, and while it was nearly indiscernible, there was indeed a slight difference in the color as compared to the rest of the marsh. It was slightly tinged green, and while there were no plants growing in the area, it gave a feeling of fertility, different from the desolate aura that the rest of the marsh was emanating.

“It doesn’t seem likely for these plots of land to have been formed naturally. Most likely, they have been artificially constructed…”

Zhang Xuan had no reason how the marshland came to be, but its formation should have resulted in the ground in the area to sink as a whole. For there plots of land where one could stand on to surface from the marsh, the chances were that they were man-made.

“Let’s move on!”

Deciding not to think too deep into the matter, the group had the aerial saint beast to wait for them on the spot while they leaped onto the plots of land as well, following closely behind Ji shi.

As Saint realm experts, their memory far surpassed ordinary humans. Even though they had only briefly seen Ji shi’s movements, they were still able to memorize his movements clearly and emulate them without any problem.

“Ji shi, I heard that there are some native saint beasts that live within the marsh. I am curious to know how do they survive in such an environment?”

Considering how poor the environment was, it was truly difficult to comprehend how any saint beasts could possibly grow in the marsh.

“Nearer to the center of the marsh, there will be some ‘islands’, the largest of them being roughly several kilometers in diameter, which would produce unique saint herbs and ores due to the unique environment of the marsh. As such, there are quite a few saint beasts who would claim those territories for their own in order to dominate those resources. Often, there are some cultivators who unwittingly enter those areas, only to end up killed.”

At which, Ji shi suddenly gestured forward and said, “Speak of the devil. There’s one of those right in front of us!”

The crowd turned over, and as expected, they saw a significantly larger plot of land right in front of them. Lush with greenery, it resembled a remote island in the midst of an ocean. It was filled with all kinds of plants, and from time to time, they would even see some birds flying in the area.

Proceeding forward, they finally arrived on the island after a ten-minute journey.

The island was roughly five hundred meters in radius, and there was a small hill in the middle of it. It floated above the marsh as if an upside-down tortoise shell.

“We should hurry forward. It’ll be best if we could reach the center of the marsh before night time. The marsh gets even more frightening at night!” Seeing that the crowd’s attention was wandering around the island, Ji shi urged anxiously.

“Un.” Taking a glance at the gradually falling sun, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. “Let’s proceed forward.”

While there was still some time before sunset, the marshlands were simply too huge, and they couldn’t fly in the area either. Even if they were to rush at full speed ahead, it would probably take them two to four hours before reaching the middle of the marsh, so they couldn’t afford to waste any time.

With Ji shi’s deep understanding of the marsh, the group managed to avoid most of the pitfalls along the way. They managed to successfully circumvent the territories of the saint beasts, as well as some of the more treacherous terrain in the marsh, thus saving much time. Four hours later, they were finally nearing the center of the marshlands.

On the way forward, they encountered quite a few cultivators, but the latter chose to take a detour around them.

While the group didn’t don on their master teacher robe in order to conceal their identities, the incredible fighting prowess of the group was more than sufficient to strike fear in the hearts of others. Unlike in the city, where the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion would make others think twice before carrying out any malicious acts, those in the marshlands had no qualms with killing other cultivators to steal their items. In fact, such actions were commonplace here.

Furthermore, if the corpses were to be disposed into the marshlands, it would be difficult for the regional Master Teacher Pavilion to investigate the matter and make an accurate judgement. As such, it was considered as a lawless zone, and in such an area, it went without saying that strength reigned supreme.

After proceeding forward another hour, just when the sun was starting to disappear at the western horizon, Ji shi lifted his finger and pointed, “The island just ahead of us is the very center of the entire marshlands. Based on most of the rumors, the Ghost Cavern tend to appear there the most often, so it’ll be good to start out search there before gradually spreading out. Other than that, I don’t really have a better idea in mind.”

Following his finger, the crowd saw a massive island of roughly eight kilometers in diameter. The land was extremely lush, filled with greenery of all sorts, and there was a towering mountain in the middle of the island. Looking at it from afar, it seemed like a small city.

“Let’s head over!”

Before long, the crowd stepped onto the island.

The first thing that they noticed about the island was the astonishingly high concentration of spiritual energy in the area. It felt refreshing and energizing to be in an environment so rich in spiritual energy.

“No wonder why saint beasts would want to live here! Indeed, if one were to cultivate here, one could probably achieve twice as much with the same amount of effort!” Zhang Xuan noted.

It seemed like the island was a natural blessed land for cultivation. Those who cultivate for the long-term here would be able to easily surpass those who lived outside.

As the saying goes, opportunities go hand in hand with risk. Despite knowing the dangers lurking within the marsh, the saint beasts still determinedly chose to reside in the area in hopes that they would be able to attain greater strength.

“Alright, we’ll be resting here tonight. It’ll be best for us to only start our search for the Ghost Cavern tomorrow morning as venomous worms and the sort will emerge from the marsh at night. Being too hasty in the moment will only slow us down!”

As Ji shi spoke, he flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of high-tier saint beast urine before pouring them in the surroundings. This served as a deter venomous worms and the sort from coming around them.

Having seen many things on their journey here, the remaining members of the group had also seen how terrifying the marsh was with their own eyes. Not saying anything much, they took out the rations they had prepared beforehand and began eating.

Fine wine accompanied with roasted meat, it could be said to be a considerably bountiful dinner.

After eating, Zhang Xuan didn’t go to rest. Instead, he crossed his legs and continued to cultivate.

He drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi through his body to temper his Embryonic Soul again and again, trying to push for a metamorphosis as soon as possible.

While Zhang Xuan was at the Combat Master Hall, he had collected all of the books in the Guardian Division to form another Heaven’s Path Golden Body, and its effects weren’t too bad. Even if his physical body wasn’t on par with the Golden Origin Cauldron yet, it definitely didn’t pale too much from the latter.

“Hm?”

After cultivating for some time, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a surge of energy pulsating not too far away. Turning his head over, he saw Hall Master Xing’s face abruptly reddening, as if he was unable to suppress the energy rampaging within his body.

“What’s wrong?” Alarmed, Zhang Xuan quickly walked over and asked.

The others were also jolted awake from their cultivation, and they quickly walked over to check on Hall Master Xing out of worry.

“Principal Zhang, I think that my Leaving Aperture Ordeal might be coming very soon…” Hall Master Xing replied with a pale face.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned.

After he had repaired the large rift in Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit, the latter swiftly made a breakthrough from Half-Leaving Aperture realm to Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. Under normal circumstances, he should be able to determine when he wanted to summon the Leaving Aperture Ordeal whenever he wanted, so why would it suddenly trigger at this moment?

“What happened?” Knowing that there was something doubtful about the situation, Zhang Xuan asked.

“I’m not too sure either. I was cultivating for a while earlier when I suddenly felt energy overflowing from my Primordial Spirit, attempting to overcome my bottleneck. I tried suppressing it, but I couldn’t hold it in…”

At this moment, Hall Master Xing’s zhenqi suddenly burst out from his pores, and soon after, ominous clouds began gathering above everyone’s head. The lightning ordeal was about to fall.

“Don’t worry, it’s just the Leaving Aperture Ordeal. With your strength, you’ll surely be able to overcome it easily!” Gesturing for everyone else to evacuate from the area where the lightning ordeal would fall, Zhang Xuan encouraged with a smile.

As the head of the Combat Master Hall, Hall Master Xing’s physical resilience far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. It was only because Qingyuan City had been in turmoil for the past few days that he chose to keep putting off his Leaving Aperture Ordeal, especially given the fact that it would take some time for him to recover from the overwhelming damage sustained from the lightning ordeal. Otherwise, he shouldn’t have any trouble clearing the lightning ordeal.

Boom!

While Zhang Xuan was speaking, a streak of lightning suddenly fell from the sky.

Hu la!

Hall Master Xing drew out his Primordial Spirit and dove it straight toward the lightning.

Tzzzzzz!

As soon as his Primordial Spirit collided with the lightning, it immediately began shrinking as if cotton in the face of fire. A deep roar resounded deafeningly in the air, reflecting the immense pain that Hall Master Xing was going through.

“What?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in alarm.

“The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is incredibly dangerous, shouldn’t he keep his Primordial Spirit within his body so as to share the burden of the lightning ordeal with it? Why did he draw his Primordial Spirit out to meet it face on? That’s too reckless, too dangerous!” Wu shi exclaimed in horror.

The lightning of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal could temper one’s Primordial Spirit, but the devastating might of it was not one which any Primordial Spirit could withstand by itself. As such, most cultivators would choose to use their physical body to ward off most of the lightning, absorbing only a small portion of it into their Primordial Spirit… And yet, Hall Master Xing actually sent his Primordial Spirit straight into the lightning. That was practically no different from suicide!

“No, something is wrong. It doesn’t seem like he’s doing it voluntarily…” Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

“He isn’t doing it voluntarily? You mean that… he’s under control?”

The crowd couldn’t really comprehend what Zhang Xuan meant.

“It seems like a soul oracle has made a move on him. Knowing that he’s on a verge of a breakthrough, the soul oracle forcefully manipulated his Primordial Spirit while he was cultivating to draw down the lightning ordeal before dragging his Primordial Spirit out, wanting to use the Power of Lightning to eradicate first. Or perhaps, he intends to make use of this incident to wear us down while attempting to save him…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed in fury.

“Soul oracle? Does that mean that we have been noticed?” Wu shi’s face darkened.

They had swapped out of their master teacher robe and rushed here without any worry in order to get to the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor before the other party could get to them.

Yet, who could have known that the other party would still be the one to make the pre-emptive blow?

“That seems to be the case.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Turning his gaze back to the sky, he saw Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit gradually growing smaller and smaller under the devastating might of the lightning, seemingly about to dissipate at anytime soon.

As powerful as Hall Master Xing was, given that Primordial Spirits were innately weak against the Power of Lightning, and he wasn’t fully prepared to face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal when it descended, the odds were extremely against his favor.

“At this rate, Hall Master Xing really might just die!” Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao watched the situation in anxiety, not knowing what they could do.

Hall Master Xing was not only their leader but an old friend whom they had known for several centuries now. They couldn’t bear to watch their old friend being burned to crisp with their own eyes!

“Principal Zhang, do you have a way to save him?”

The duo hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan desperately, hoping that he would have a way to resolve the situation.

If there was anyone here who could possibly save Hall Master Xing, it could only be the young man before them.

“Rest assured, I’ll surely save him!”

Even if the duo didn’t say anything, Zhang Xuan would still save Hall Master Xing. With a sharp glint in his eyes, he examined the lightning ordeal before him closely with his Eye of Insight.

Chapter 1212: The Emergence of the Ghost Cavern ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Through his Eye of Insight, he could see the Power of Lightning swiftly grinding down Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit, swiftly pushing it toward dissipation. At this rate, Hall Master Xing didn’t have much time left.

“There are many cultivators who have reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, but out of fear for the Power of Lightning, they dare not to summon their Leaving Aperture Ordeal down. Pavilion Master Gou is one such person. Going by this logic, it should be impossible for the Leaving Aperture Ordeal to fall on its own accord. It’s likely that someone has interfered with Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit, thus giving rise to the current situation!” Zhang Xuan analyzed with a tight knit between his brows.

“There’s no way to forcefully stop a lightning ordeal once it has started. Any attempt to interfere with the Leaving Aperture Ordeal will only make it grow stronger, thus putting the cultivator facing it in greater peril…” Ji shi remarked as he shook his head helplessly.

As a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert, he had read many books regarding the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, so he knew quite a bit about it as well.

This was the trial that the world put those who attempted to vie power from it through, and those who dared to cheat in the trial would have to face a greater lashback from the heavens.

“Indeed, this is really a dilemma.” Zhang Xuan nodded grimly.

What was truly fearsome about the lightning ordeal was that no one would be able to interfere with it started, or else it would only grow stronger and stronger before eventually reaching an uncontrollable level. Take his Saint Ascension Ordeal for example, despite seeing how much danger he was in, Luo Ruoxin still held herself back from interfering, knowing that any attempt to do so would only put him in greater danger.

Otherwise, Zhang Xuan would at least have dozens of methods to eradicate the lightning ordeal.

“If we don’t do anything soon, Hall Master Xing really will lose his life!” Division Head Liao urged anxiously.

“I know!” Zhang Xuan replied impatiently as he muttered ‘flaws’ in his mind, and a book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

He swiftly flipped it open to take a look.

A moment later, he turned to Wu shi and said, “You are the only one who can save Hall Master Xing now.”

“Me?” Wu shi was taken aback.

“Is there anyone who has any Spirit Reinforcing Pill here?” Paying no heed to Wu shi’s bewilderment, Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and asked.

“I have one here!” Division Head Liao rushed up and passed a jade bottle into Zhang Xuan’s hand.

Zhang Xuan immediately took out the pill from the bottle before placing it into Wu shi’s hands, “Swallow it.”

Wu shi looked at the pill in his hand hesitantly.

The Spirit Reinforcing Piill was a grade-7 pill that harnessed an immense amount of spiritual energy. Even as a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, if he were to consume it recklessly, there was good chance that he would be unable to control the massive accumulation of energy within his body and explode on the spot.

“I don’t have any time to explain. Just believe me and do it!” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened further upon seeing Wu shi’s hesitation.

“Yes!” Knowing that the young man before him wielded capabilities exceeding that of ordinary humans, Wu shi dared not to utter any nonsense. He quickly placed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it.

A moment later, he felt a furious surge of energy rampaging angrily within his body, threatening to burst his meridians apart.

“There are a few flaws in your cultivation technique. Once you correct them, you will be able to achieve a breakthrough on the spot…” Zhang Xuan’s voice began sounding melodiously in the air.

Before Wu shi could even process what was going on, he realized that the zhenqi in his body had already begun to move in accordance with the words spoken by the young man before him.

“This is… Impartation of Heaven’s Will? Is Zhang shi intending to resolve my flaws and have me achieve a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm on the spot?” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

Instructing him to swallow the Spirit Reinforcing Pill and resolving the flaws concerning his Primordial Spirit… No matter how slow he was, he would have to be a fool to still not understand what was going on.

Within moments, the zhenqi in his body had already fused together with the spiritual energy in the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, swiftly accumulating more and more.

Boom!

In less than three minutes, he broke through the bottleneck of his body, and Primordial Spirit which shared the same appearance as him emerged from his glabella.

“Go over!” Zhang Xuan instructed as he gave Wu shi’s Primordial Spirit a push on the back.

Before Wu shi could even process what had just happened, his Primordial Spirit was already fast on its way toward the Hall Master Xing’s lightning ordeal.

“This…” Watching as the fearsome streak of lightning swiftly enlarged before his eyes, Wu shi nearly fainted on the spot.

He had only achieved a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, and he hadn’t even had time to reinforce his cultivation when he was suddenly forcefully pushed toward the lightning ordeal… Could it be that Zhang shi thought that it would be a pity for Hall Master Xing to depart alone, so he wanted to send him down as a companion for Hall Master Xing to walk the final journey with him?

“Quick, push Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit back into his body!” Seeing that Wu shi was still dazing off in midair, Zhang Xuan bellowed anxiously.

“Push his Primordial Spirit back?” Wu shi was stunned for a moment before realizing that even though he had stepped into the area of the lightning ordeal, he wasn’t affected by the Power of Lightning.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he hurriedly grabbed forward to push Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit down.

Huala!

Hall Master Xing’s Primordial Spirit flew straight back into his body.

Hu!

Nourished by his body, Hall Master XIng’s Primordial Spirit finally stabilized from its previous injured condition. As powerful as the lightning ordeal was, it wasn’t sufficient to faze Hall Master Xing’s incredibly resilient body in the short run.

“This… What’s going on? Isn’t interfering with the Lightning Ordeal of another a huge taboo? How could they still be fine?”

Taking the scene into sight, the crowd was utterly dumbstruck by what they were seeing.

Under normal circumstances, the Leaving Aperture Ordeal would have surely intensified as soon as one stepped into the perimeter of the lightning ordeal. So, how could nothing happen when Wu shi’s Primordial Spirit headed over to save Hall Master Xing?

“Who says that they are fine? Speak of the devil, here it comes…” Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly.

Hurriedly turning their gazes over, the crowd saw the swiftly dissipating ominous clouds in the air suddenly gathering together once more.

“Wu shi has barely reached Quasi Leaving Aperture realm, and as one who has to face a lightning ordeal himself, the lightning ordeal of others is unable to faze him. It’s through making use of this loophole that he was able to save Hall Master Xing successfully. However, this maneuver on his part brought him to the lightning ordeal’s notice, so his Leaving Aperture Ordeal would be falling very soon as well.” Zhang Xuan explained.

“He has to face a Leaving Aperture Ordeal too?”

The crowd nearly fainted on the spot.

What is the point of this then?!

To put another in danger in the midst of saving one, aren’t we returning back to the square one in the end?

“Wu shi, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and return to your body!” Oblivious to the shock of those around him, Zhang Xuan bellowed.

“Yes!”

Realizing that he had been noticed by the lightning ordeal as well, Wu shi’s body trembled in fear. He quickly turned around and retreated back into his body.

“Zhang shi, what should I do next?” Wu shi asked Zhang Xuan with his face pale in fright.

“These lightning clouds have gathered together in a rush after abruptly sensing your aura, so it wouldn’t be too strong. Furthermore, most of the Power of Lightning has already been absorbed by Hall Master Xing, so as long as you don’t face the lightning ordeal with your Primordial Spirit straight, you should be able to withstand it.” Zhang Xuan said.

Even though Wu shi had only just made a breakthrough, considering how his body had just been nourished by the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and the flaws in his Primordial Spirit had just been resolved, he should still be able to withstand the weakened lightning ordeal.

“Most of the Power of Lightning has been absorbed by Hall Master Xing? That’s good…” Hearing that, Wu shi heaved a sigh of relief.

Unfortunately, his relief didn’t last for too long.

A moment later, a flash of lightning descended on Wu shi.

Huala!

Every single strand of hair on Wu shi’s head immediately leaped up from the static lightning, as if alarmed by the might of the lightning. The astounding might of the lightning bolt nearly caused his Primordial Spirit to dissipate on the spot.

“… You call this ‘wouldn’t be too strong’? Why do I feel like it has gotten much stronger than before?” Wu shi roared in frenzy.

You told me that most of the Power of Lightning has already been absorbed by Hall Master Xing! How could the lightning bolt still be so powerful then?

In the midst of his frenzy, Wu shi heard the voice of a certain young man sounding sheepish not too far away, “Oh. My mistake. Calculation error… It seems like your involvement in Hall Master Xing’s Leaving Aperture Ordeal has caused your own Leaving Aperture Ordeal to intensify instead. However, there’s still no need for you to panic. Un, no need to panic at all. I have complete trust in your strength. You can do it! Fighting!”

“…” Wu shi.

To think that the young man before him would be such an unreliable person! Damn it!

How can you make me take such risk before confirming the matter? This is too much!

While Wu shi was filled with grudges against Zhang Xuan, the Power of Lightning swiftly accumulated in his body, leaving him with no spare attention to think about anything else anymore. He quickly concentrated his mind into dealing with the Power of Lightning coursing through his body.

Huala!

But despite his efforts, the might of the lightning coursing through his body was simply too destructive. In just a moment, his Primordial Spirit had already been ravaged to the point of near dissipation.

At the same time, countless charred marks appeared throughout his body, and blood wouldn’t stop flowing down the edges of his lips. It felt as if he would cave in at any moment and die.

“It’s over…” Wu shi’s face turned livid with despair.

He had just achieved a breakthrough, and he hadn’t even reinforced his cultivation yet. There was no way he could face a powered up Leaving Aperture Ordeal in his current state.

Tzzzzzzzz!

Just when he thought that it was the end, he suddenly felt a surge of zhenqi hidden in the depths of his body suddenly surging forth, repairing his injuries at a visible rate.

This surge of zhenqi seemed to carry the authority of the heavens, and it was incredibly pure as well. It could even repair the damages on his Primordial Spirit with ease!

“This… Did Zhang shi leave this surge of zhenqi within my body?” Wu shi widened his eyes in astonishment.

He had verified with his own eyes Zhang Xuan’s identity as a Celestial Master Teacher. Considering the mystical effects of the zhenqi, there was little doubt that it was the latter who left it in his body.

This would explain why the young man would instruct him to save Hall Master Xing without any hesitation. It seemed like he had prepared a hand in case something awry were to occur!

Hu!

In the blink of an eye, his Primordial Spirit and physical body had already recovered back to its peak. However, the Power of Lightning coursing through his body was far from dying down yet.

Injury, recovery, injury, recovery…

It was just a short ten minutes, but Wu shi felt as if he had been to and fro the gates of hell several times within this short span of time.

Nevertheless, he had finally successfully cleared the Leaving Aperture Ordeal!

Opening his eyes once more, he saw that Hall Master Xing’s lightning ordeal had also passed, and the ominous clouds had scattered, revealing a clear night sky once more.

Even though Hall Master Xing had started the Leaving Aperture realm on a shaky note, he was ultimately still the head of the Combat Master Hall, possessing capabilities far surpassing ordinary cultivators. While he had nearly died on several occasion, he managed to successfully withstand it with gritted teeth.

“Principal Zhang, thank you.” Wu shi quickly walked up to Zhang Xuan and clasped his fist.

If not for the zhenqi the young man had left in his body, he would have indubitably succumbed to the lightning ordeal and lost his life.

While the process was extraordinarily excruciating, he still managed to leap two cultivation stages within a very short period of time, jumping from Half-Leaving Aperture realm to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. In such a sense, the pain that he had been put through was worthwhile.

At this moment, however, he suddenly heard Zhang shi’s telepathic voice sounding by his ears, “Don’t speak anymore and feign a state of severe injury!”

Wu shi had no idea why Zhang Xuan would abruptly make such an instruction, but he knew that the latter would have his own reason for doing so. Thus, his body suddenly wobbled weakly before collapsing powerlessly to the ground, as if he had been sapped of all of his strength.

“Wu shi!” Alarmed, Zhang Jiuxiao rushed over.

With Zhang Jiuxiao’s support, Wu shi was barely able to get back onto his feet. Just as Wu shi was about to ask what Zhang Xuan was up to, the latter suddenly shouted loudly into the surroundings.

“It seems you have already known that we would come. Since that’s the case, why don’t you show yourself straight? I know that you want to kill me, and you know that I want to kill you as well. There’s no point wasting time playing hide-and-seek, don’t you think so?”

“Hide-and-seek? What’s that? More importantly, who is Principal talking to?” Wu shi was taken aback.

Wu shi wasn’t the only one who was surprised by Zhang Xuan’s abrupt actions. The remaining members of the group were perplexed as well.

They had swiftly scouted the island and scanned the area with their Spiritual Perception earlier and confirmed that there was no one in the area other than them. If there was truly someone in the area, there was no way that person could have managed to bypass the detection of their Spiritual Perception.

While the uncomprehending crowd was just about to ask about the matter, an eerie voice suddenly echoed in the air, “Hehehehe, as expected of Zhang shi. Formidable indeed, noticing my presence right after I played a small trick…”

Following which, another island slowly surfaced from the depths of the marsh.

“T-that… That is the Ghost Cavern!” Zhang Jiuxiao exclaimed with clenched fists.

Chapter 1213: Encountering Inner Demons Once More ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“This is…” Wu shi quickly turned to the island.

Despite being the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, this was the first time he had seen the rumored Ghost Cavern.

It was a small island, roughly three kilometers in diameter. At the very center was a lake shaped like an eye, and it was impossible to see how deep it was just by looking at its surface. Bizarrely-shaped stones were scattered throughout the island.

Even though the island had surfaced from the marsh, it was as if some kind of mysterious power was shrouding it, preventing the slightest hint of mud from being visible on the ground. On the contrary, there was low-lying lush greenery to be seen all around.

The eerie voice sounded once more. “If you wish to kill me, come over! I’ll be hiding somewhere within. You can slowly take your time to find me; I’m in no hurry at all…”

Following which, a layer of mist seemed to suddenly drift into existence around the island, gradually shrouding it from view. It was as if the island would sink back into the marsh very soon.

“Let’s head over,” Zhang Xuan said as he began to make his way over.

However, before he could get to the other island, Division Head Liao abruptly stepped in his path to halt him. “We can’t go! It’s obvious that the enemy has come prepared. We were nearly done in even before we could enter the Ghost Cavern. If we really enter the Ghost Cavern, there will surely be plenty of traps that will come our way!”

Even someone of Hall Master Xing’s strength had nearly been eradicated by the lightning ordeal due to the other party’s schemes. If they stepped onto the island, there was no doubt that they would face countless traps, and chances were that one of the traps would claim their lives.

Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, “He already knows that we are going after him. If we don’t head enter the Ghost Cavern now, he will only have more time to prepare, and that will put us in greater danger in the future!”

From the looks of it, it was apparent that Vicious had anticipated their arrival and made preparations beforehand. As such, there was no point delaying the matter any longer; it would not make a difference either way. In fact, the more time they wasted, the more time Vicious would have to kill more master teachers.

Since that was the case, it would be simpler if they barged in and got it over with.

Otherwise, once the Ghost Cavern descended into the marsh once more, they would not be able to do anything about Vicious anymore.

“But…”

Zhang Xuan was still shaking his head as he interjected, “If we do not enter the Ghost Cavern now, the enemy will just continue his attack. Rather than allow more innocent lives to be lost, we might as well head in to see what he’s up to. Besides, if he really wanted to make a move against us, at least half of our group would have been dead by now!”

The enemy they were facing was Vicious, the legendary expert who had clashed directly with Kong shi back then! Furthermore, it was apparent that the memory of the Vicious in the Ghost Cavern had recovered to a greater degree compared to the Vicious in his Book of Heaven’s Path. Even though Zhang Xuan was able to withstand the other Vicious’ soul arts, it was hard to say the same about the three Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle elders from the Master Teacher Pavilion.

In fact, it was also doubtful whether Division Head Wei and Division Head Liao would be able to withstand Vicious’ soul arts or not.

Vicious inviting them into his lair instead of assaulting them head-on meant that he had some schemes in mind, and as risky as it might have been, this could have been their only opportunity to find out what Vicious was up to and bring him down!

Seeing Zhang Xuan insisting on the matter, Division Head Liao was a little conflicted. At this moment, he suddenly felt something hard in his hands. It was a wine gourd. At the same time, he heard a telepathic voice in his ears. “Give Hall Master Xing this wine.”

“You want Hall Master Xing to drink wine?” Division Head Liao was taken aback.

Hall Master Xing had just been through the lightning ordeal, and there was not the slightest patch of un-charred skin on his body. In such circumstances, he should be fed with pills in order to hasten his recovery, and yet… wine?

Division Head Liao stared at the wine in his hands in a dilemma. At that moment, the feeble Wu shi suddenly walked over and bellowed deeply, “Hurry up and go!”

“Yes!” Hearing Wu shi agree with Zhang Xuan, Division Head Liao swiftly got to action. He pried open Hall Master Xing’s mouth and poured the fine wine in.

A moment later, Hall Master Xing finally opened his eyes. Even though spirit had finally returned to his eyes, his movements were still dull with lethargy, similar to Wu shi.

“Since Principal Zhang has already said so, let’s head in together. We have come as a group, so we should advance as one too,” Hall Master Xing said.

With Division Head Wei’s support, he struggled to his feet before wobbling his way over to Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan shot him a faint smile before leaping over to the other island, and the others quickly followed suit.

The little island was deathly silent, to the point where they could vaguely hear a deafening ring in their ears. It was as if there was some kind of formation that isolated them from the rest of the world. Wu shi and the others quickly scanned their surroundings as grimness seeped into their eyes.

“It seems like… a grade-8 formation!”

Even though the island was completely sealed, they found that they were unable to tell exactly what was wrong with it. Without a doubt, the formation cast over the island was one that was on par with those they had encountered back at the Qiu Wu Palace.

A Grade-8 formation… Even though two members of their groups had just achieved a breakthrough to the Leaving Aperture realm, they were still far from matching a formation of that caliber.

Zhang Xuan nodded as well.

While he did not think that it would be easy for Vicious to kill them, given that they were already standing in the other party’s territory, it would be unwise for them to let their guard down.

Vicious was an existence who had trapped even Kong shi back in his prime, so the means he had up his sleeve were bound to be frightening.

Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and began assessing the island silently.

There was indeed a formation cast around the island, but it was not one intended for offense. Instead, its purpose was to float and conceal the island.

It seems like this land didn’t float out of the marsh after all! Instead, it operates like a boat. Using the power of the formation, it floats above the marsh and roams around the area freely, appearing only before others when it wants to, Zhang Xuan thought.

Vicious needs to devour master teachers in order to regain his strength, so he intentionally spread the news regarding the abilities of the Ghost Cavern to draw cultivators and master teachers into the marshlands. Considering the treacherous terrain of the marshlands, the high death toll in the region has not drawn the suspicion of others, and all he had to do was let off a few cultivators from time to time in order to further the legend…

Slowly, a complete picture formed in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

Previously, he had heard that the Ghost Cavern could temper one’s mental resilience, and countless master teachers and cultivators came to the marshlands in the hope of a chance encounter with it. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like most of those who managed to find the Ghost Cavern end up becoming Vicious’ nourishment.

On the other hand, the few successful cases who had their mental resilience significantly boosted would become living advertisements for the Ghost Cavern, drawing in a steady supply of cultivators and master teachers for him.

Birds die for food; humans die for wealth. Greed was an innate nature for all living beings, and master teachers were no exception to the rule.

As expected of an old monster who has lived for countless years, his means are far more formidable than that finger…

The finger Vicious that Zhang Xuan had subdued in the Cloudmist Ridge had subordinated the spirit beasts and saint beasts in the area to provide him with the nourishment required for his recovery. While he had managed to devour a substantial number of master teachers over the years, the numbers could not begin to compare with this one.

Let me see what is within the lake that has driven so many master teachers into a frenzy to find it… Zhang Xuan shook his head as he began making his way over to the lake.

“Zhang shi, be careful!” Seeing Zhang Xuan walk toward the lake, Zhang Jiuxiao hurried over to advise him. “The lake reflects a person’s inner desires and magnifies them. It’ll be difficult to escape from it once you are caught!”

He had cultivated here for a month, so he was extremely familiar with the nature of the lake.

It reflected one’s inner desires, and the longer one stared into, the more unbearable the desire became. Considering that their enemy they were dealing with was a soul oracle, if the other party used the opportunity to fuel those inner desires and warp them into inner demons, they could very well be done for!

Or perhaps, the other party might even have lured them onto this land with that very intention in mind!

“It’s fine. I’m interested to see what my inner desires will show,” Zhang Xuan replied with a casual smile.

He had also guessed as much.

However, if they hesitated in the face of all possible danger, they would never be able to get anything done.

“Zhang shi…”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan would not heed his advice, Zhang Jiuxiao hurriedly turned his gaze to Wu shi, intending to get the latter to talk Zhang Xuan out of his foolishness. But when he saw the latter crouching weakly with a pained expression on his face, the words he wanted to say suddenly caught in his mouth. It seemed like the injuries the latter had sustained from the Leaving Aperture Ordeal earlier were simply too severe, such that even speaking was difficult for him.

He then turned his attention to Hall Master Xing, only to see him in an equally bad state. His eyelids were drooping down, and it seemed like he would fall into a deep sleep if not for his sheer willpower pushing him on.

“Alright, you should all wait there for me. It’ll suffice for me to head there alone. If I face any danger, you can come and rescue me instantly,” Zhang Xuan instructed before walking over to the lake alone.

The water in the lake was incredibly clear, and the starlight reflecting off its surface seemed to be reflecting the thoughts within one’s mind. Looking deeper into it, Zhang Xuan could see faint images within it, as if recollections of his own memory.

Hu!

Soon after, his consciousness was drawn out of his body, and he suddenly found himself plunged into pure darkness.

It was similar to what he encountered during the Heart Ordeal back at the Qiu Wu Palace. A sealed room with no light and no sound, so stifling that it could drive one mad.

Some time later, a pitch-black figure slowly emerged from the darkness, speaking in a mesmerizing, familiar voice.

“Zhang Xuan, it’s me…”

The figure slowly approached, revealing an unbelievably beautiful face, one that belonged to the person of his dreams—Luo Ruoxin.

She looked over quietly with nothing but a faint smile on her face, a look that Zhang Xuan had imagined countless times.

Seeing Luo Ruoxin’s face, Zhang Xuan could not help but nod in satisfaction. Finally, something more creative than the others…

The inner demons that he had met previously were all incredibly revolting, to the point that his stomach would churn just by looking at their exterior. At the very least, the inner demons here seemed to at least have some wits, knowing to morph themselves into Luo Ruoxin’s appearance based on his memory.

It seems like Vicious has also played a part in this, eh? Zhang Xuan thought with an unreadable smile on his lips.

The lake could see through one’s inner desires, allowing one to know that they craved for the most, and Zhang Xuan’s greatest inner desire was… Luo Ruoxin.

But before he could even get to see his own inner desire reflected in the lake, an inner demon with Luo Ruoxin’s form had already appeared before him. It was apparent that Vicious had meddled somehow.

If anyone else were to see the lover whom he had dreamed day and night for appearing before his eyes, he might very well have lost all self-control and immersed himself in the other party’s comforting embrace. However, Zhang Xuan was different.

Putting aside that he possessed both the Library of Heaven’s Path and the Eye of Insight, which allowed them to peer through the nature of things, just the four Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements and the Saint Ascension Ordeal that he had undergone were more than enough to allow him to remain perfectly rational before such a situation.

“Zhang Xuan…” ‘Luo Ruoxin’ called as she slowly walked over to Zhang Xuan. The affection reflected in her black eyes felt so tender that one could just melt in it.

“You’re here.” Upon seeing Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan muttered with a dazed look in his eyes. He quickly rushed forward to hold the other party’s soft hands in his grasp.

“I have missed you,” ‘Luo Ruoxin’ whispered as she gazed deeply into Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Zhang Xuan nodded before replying telepathically, “I miss you, too… Right, I have a ‘Great Art of Inner Demons’ with me here. Do you want to learn it?”

“Great Art of Inner Demons?” Luo Ruoxin frowned.

“Indeed. This secret art allows inner demons to strengthen their existence, allowing them to exist as a separate entity from their host. It’s really powerful, so do you want to learn it?” Zhang Xuan continued saying telepathically.

“…” Luo Ruoxin.

“Don’t worry! I have fused this cultivation technique together with the heritage of the soul oracles, spirit awakeners, and many other occupations. If you still don’t believe me, why don’t I recite a portion of the secret art to you so that you can make a judgement yourself?”

Grabbing the other party’s hands so tightly that she was unable to struggle free, Zhang Xuan began reciting. “An inner demon, in essence, is a unique type of spirit whose existence is chained to the thoughts of a sentient being, similar to a separate persona of the individual. In crucial moments, it can arise and inflict a critical blow to the individual. However, along with the death of the individual, the inner demon will vanish from existence as well. Why should inner demons be damned to remain subordinates of other beings? Why can’t inner demons struggle free from this cruel fate that the heavens have condemned them to?

“If those words have struck a chord in your heart, my Great Art of Inner Demons will be the perfect book for you!”

“This…” ‘Luo Ruoxin’s’ eyes gradually glazed over as she listened to Zhang Xuan’s words, and unknowingly, her hands began to tremble in agitation.

“How is it? Interested in learning it? If you want to learn it, acknowledge me as your teacher, and I’ll impart it to you!” Zhang Xuan said.

‘Luo Ruoxin’ kneeled to the floor and cried, “Teacher!”

Pu!

Following ‘Luo Ruoxin’s’ kneeling, Zhang Xuan seemed to vaguely hear the sound of someone spurting blood.

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Chapter 1214: Trapped ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Good!”

Zhang Xuan swiftly imparted the Great Art of Inner Demons to ‘Luo Ruoxin’ before instructing, “Alright, revert to your original form.”

“Yes, Teacher!” ‘Luo Ruoxin’s’ silhouette blurred before reverting to the appearance of an inner demon. Its figure was permeated with a demonic air that seemed to send one’s thoughts into disarray upon sight.

“What’s your name?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“My name? I was born just a moment ago from your thoughts, so I don’t have a name yet,” the inner demon replied sheepishly.

“I see. Since that’s the case, why don’t I give you a name? Let me think…” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment. “Alright, I’ll call you Demoneh then!”

“Teacher, thank you for bestowing me with a name!” Demoneh replied gleefully.

Demoneh, Demoneh… There was a nice ring to the name that his teacher had given him.

“Alright, you can go out now!”

While Demoneh was still immersed in the delight from being given a name, he suddenly heard the voice of the young man, and he quickly nodded.

The next moment, the pitch-black space abruptly vanished without a trace. The surroundings before Zhang Xuan blurred, and before he knew it, he found himself standing right before the lake once more, as if what had just happened was merely a dream.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had regained consciousness, Zhang Jiuxiao quickly asked worriedly, “Zhang shi, are you alright?”

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw the entire group looking at him worriedly, as if fearing that something would happen to him.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

Noting how Zhang Xuan seemed to be completely fine, devoid of the slightest disorientation in his mental state, Zhang Jiuxiao asked, “You… didn’t encounter any inner demons?”

The lake could reflect the inner desires within one’s heart, and these desires were the perfect tool to generate inner demons within one. There was no way their enemy would have passed on this opportunity to deal with them! Inner demons were the greatest fear of cultivators, capable of magnifying their greatest fears to put them through unbearable mental torture… So how could Zhang shi have returned completely fine?

“I encountered one,” Zhang Xuan replied leisurely. “Come out and greet my companions!”

“Yes!” A black mist suddenly appeared before Zhang Xuan, and it gradually morphed into the form of an inner demon. It respectfully bowed to the others and said, “Demoneh pays respect to my teacher’s companions!”

“This…”

“That is… an inner demon?”

The lips of the entire group twitched as their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets from disbelief.

That was a living inner demon! In the real world! Greeting them respectfully!

“Principal Zhang, what is going on?” Division Head Liao asked with quivering lips.

As the head of the Heart Division, he had read countless books regarding inner demons, and he knew very well that inner demons were existences bound to the thoughts of a cultivator, so it should have been impossible for them to exist in the real world. Furthermore, born from the darkness of an individual’s heart, they were malicious beings who craved to destroy, so how could there possibly be one that was this obedient?

Before Zhang Xuan could respond, Demoneh readily replied with the utmost admiration in his tone. “Teacher has enlightened me from the darkness I was in. If not for him, I might still have been living my days groggily within a living hell. It’s truly a huge blessing that I was able to meet my teacher!”

“Enlightened? Teacher?”

The faces of the group twitched so intensely that it felt as if they would fling their cheeks off their faces.

Surely inner demons could not be considered an independent lifeform… Even inner demons could have teachers?

“There’s no need to get so caught up with a matter as trivial as this. Speaking of which, do any of you want to give the lake a try?” Zhang Xuan gestured to the lake as he spoke.

After a long moment of silence, Zhang Jiuxiao raised his hand and said, “I’ll give it a try!”

He had come here before, and he knew that the inner desires reflected in the lake could give rise to inner demons within one’s heart.

But for an inner demon to accept a cultivator as its teacher… This was really his first time seeing something as bewildering as that.

At the same time, it also made him extremely excited. He suddenly felt as if a brand-new world had opened up before his eyes, and he felt tempted to give it a try too!

“Un.” Zhang Xuan infused a portion of his will into Zhang Jiuxiao’s body before gesturing for the latter to take a look in the lake. “Alright, go ahead and take a look.”

“Alright!” Turning his gaze to the lake, Zhang Jiuxiao immediately saw countless inner desires stacked upon one another surfacing on top of the lake, and these images seemed to resonate in his mind as well, leaving him feeling as if he would go insane.

Hong long!

He immediately tried to sever these inner desires from his mind, but before he could do so, his surroundings suddenly faded. Just like what had happened to Zhang Xuan earlier, he found himself plunged into darkness.

Hu la!

A towering demon slowly rose before Zhang Jiuxiao’s eyes, and there was a savage sneer on his lips.

Upon seeing the appearance of Zhang Jiuxiao’s inner demon, the will that Zhang Xuan had left within the latter’s body widened his eyes in disbelief.

His inner demon… is me?

Who would have expected that he would actually be the greatest inner demon of the offspring of the Zhang Clan!

“I… will surely surpass you!”

Zhang Jiuxiao had initially entered with the intention of accepting the inner demon as his student, but upon seeing the inner demon, his eyes immediately glazed over in confusion, and he began shouting frenziedly at the top of his lungs.

Unlike Zhang Xuan, who could control his own state of mind, as soon as the inner demons appeared, the negative emotions that he had bottled up in his mind suddenly burst forth, consuming his consciousness whole, robbing him of his rationality.

“Surpass me? You wield great potential, but it’s a pity that the cultivation technique you wield is beneath mine. However, if you cultivate according to my words, you might just be able to stand a chance…” the inner demon tempted with a beguiling voice.

Zhang Jiuxiao struggled internally for a moment, but eventually, he still caved in. “… Very well then!”

So, this is what it is like when an ordinary cultivator encounters inner demons… Zhang Xuan was astonished.

So far, he had encountered inner demons on three occasions. It was only on his first encounter, during his Saint Ascension Ordeal back in the Qiu Wu Palace, that he had been beguiled for a brief moment. As for the remaining two times, he had been able to retain his consciousness. He had thought that most cultivators would have been the same as him, but it seemed like that was far from the case.

From the very start, the very existence of the inner demons reflected the inability of the cultivator to control their heart, resulting in an opening for the inner demons’ birth. As a result, it was not too difficult for an inner demon to breach a cultivator’s mental resilience and drive them berserk.

Alright, I should start cleaning up now… After learning how inner demons were born, Zhang Xuan’s will finally emerged from where it was hidden.

“Little Demon, come. I’ll accept you as my student…”

…

“Will Jiuxiao be fine?”

Looking at Zhang Jiuxiao’s shaking silhouette before the lake, the faces of the group turned grim.

“Principal Zhang has a deep understanding of inner demons. Since he was the one who gestured for Zhang Jiuxiao to head over, there shouldn’t be a problem,” Division Head Liao replied.

“I hope so…”

At that moment, Zhang Jiuxiao suddenly exhaled a mouthful of turbid air before slowly opening his eyes.

Hu!

Following which, a pitch-black demon appeared before everyone’s eyes.

Zhang Xuan turned to the demon and commanded, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and greet my companions!”

“Yes, Teacher! Demonbee pays respect to my teacher’s companions!” the inner demon greeted respectfully.

“Demonbee?” Hearing that name, Demoneh fell into a daze.

Why did it feel like there was something wrong with that name?

In the midst of his bewilderment, it heard its teacher speaking once more. “Who’s next?”

“I’ll give it a try, too!” Division Head Liao said before walking forward.

Not too long later, another inner demon surfaced before everyone’s eyes, and it immediately bowed respectfully.

“Demonsee pays respect to my teacher’s companions!”

“Demondee pays respect to my teacher’s companions!”

…

“Demoneh, Demonbee, Demonsee, Demondee… A, B, C, D…”

At this point, Demoneh finally understood what was going on, and it nearly spurted blood.

It had been gleeful about the name that Zhang Xuan had given it, but who would have thought that it was actually such a casual one!

…

Looking at the neat row of inner demons before him, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

“Alright, we have four inner demons now. Who else wants to give it a try?”

“Allow me!” Division Head Wei stepped forward.

Boom!

But before he could get to the lake, the ground suddenly tremored intensely. Amid violent waves, the water level in the lake fell swiftly, as if someone had pulled open the plug in a bathtub.

When the lake had finally been emptied of water, a flight of stone steps slowly rose, leading deep underground.

Not expecting the lake to suddenly dry out when he had only acquired four inner demons, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure. “What’s going on? I haven’t collected enough inner demons yet…”

Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the eerie voice from before echoed once more, but this time, it seemed to be quivering with anger. “If you wish to meet me, come down…”

It was no wonder Vicious was furious.

He had thought that as long as he could get the group to look into the lake, he would be able to generate inner demons within their minds and successfully put them under his control, turning them into his subordinates. Yet, the other party had ended up collecting the inner demons as his students instead!

At this rate, not only would he not be weakening the other party’s fighting prowess, he would even be bolstering their forces instead!

The reason I am breeding inner demons in your mind is to use it to control you all, not to turn them into tools for your usage!

The more Vicious thought about it, the more furious he felt.

If not for the fact that he had been sealed underground and was unable to make a move personally, he definitely would have charged right up to kill Zhang Xuan with a single slap!

He had met plenty of people who did not go by the book in his lifetime, but this was the first time he had seen one who ripped the book into shreds without a care in the world!

Unforgivable!

Hearing Vicious’ voice, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before beckoning for the group to head down the stone stairs. “Let’s carry on then.”

Even though the lake had only receded a moment ago, there was not the slightest dampness or mud on the stone steps. It was unknown what the stone steps were made of, but the area was so dark that it was extremely difficult for the group to make out their surroundings.

Zhang Jiuxiao flicked his wrist and took out a couple of Night Illumination Pearls before tossing them forward. Their warm glow provided some light for the group’s passage forward.

Eventually, they arrived at a vast hall. Due to the limited light in the area, they were not able to fully make out the situation within the hall.

Zhang Xuan stood at the forefront of the group, leading the way forward.

Upon stepping into the hall, Zhang Xuan saw many corpses lying in the area. From the amount of dirt that had accumulated on the corpses, it could be seen that they had already been dead for many years. Yet, bizarrely, the corpses remained perfectly intact physically, just that they were without their souls.

Soulless Metal Humanoids!

“This…” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Through the tattered rags that remained on the corpses, he could tell that most of them were master teachers… and they had all been forged into metal humanoids.

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in fury.

At this moment, he suddenly heard Ji shi’s astonished voice. “Vice Pavilion Master Liu!”

Turning his gaze over, he saw Ji shi standing over one of the Soulless Metal Humanoids with anxiety in his eyes.

“Vice Pavilion Master Liu?”

“Yes, he’s the vice head of our Northern Meadows City Master Teacher Pavilion! His full name is Liu Yiyu, and he went missing three years ago. I thought that he had gone into seclusion to push for a breakthrough, but who would have thought…” Ji shi’s voice trembled in horror, and a lump at the back of his throat cut off the rest of his words.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was intending to console Ji shi when Wu shi suddenly walked up to one of the Soulless Golden Humanoids as well and exclaimed, “Elder Xing!”

One of the elders from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion explained, “Elder Xing is an elder of our Master Teacher Pavilion, and he disappeared eight years ago. How could he be here, too?”

As the group proceeded forward under the glow of the Night Illumination Pearls, they swiftly found many familiar faces. Almost all of them were Primordial Spirit realm master teachers.

Most of them had disappeared in the past twenty years, and most had thought that they had either gone into isolation or had died. Yet, for them to have all been captured and converted into these darned things… Unforgivable!

Zhang Xuan sighed deeply. “There’s no saving them anymore. They have all been converted into Soulless Metal Humanoids, empty vessels for soul oracles to maneuver…”

“Damn it!” Wu shi’s face reddened in rage. “I’ll have this matter reported to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them exact vengeance for all of them! To kill so many master teachers and forge them into puppets… There’s no way I’ll let that bastard get away scot-free!”

“Hehehehe, report to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, you say?” Vicious’ voice sounded once more. “I’m afraid that it is already too late for you to do so…”

Huala!

Right after those words were spoken, the hall suddenly shook intensely, and a loud crashing sound echoed behind them. Turning around, they saw that a massive boulder had already sealed the entrance that they had entered through.

Recognizing the artifact, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened. Dragon Severing Lock!

It was the Dragon Severing Lock that was specially forged by celestial designers. Judging from how resilient it was, it would be difficult for even a Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle expert to break it!

Hu la!

While the group was still in shock, the Soulless Metal Humanoid in the area suddenly opened their eyes simultaneously.

Chapter 1215: Encirclement ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

There were at least several hundred of these Soulless Metal Humanoids. Under the glow of the Night Illumination Pearls, their black eyes seemed to reflect crimson instead, giving them an extremely sinister appearance. It felt as if countless corpses had suddenly risen around them in the middle of a graveyard.

“This is bad!”

Alarmed, the group quickly gathered together before scanning their surroundings warily.

Since the entrance had been sealed by the Dragon Severing Lock, there was no way they could escape from where they came from. Their only choice would be to proceed forward, but at the same time, it seemed like there were countless more Soulless Metal Humanoids lying ahead of them, and there was no way they could fend off so many of them simultaneously!

Huala!

Before the group could recover from their shock, a Soulless Metal Humanoid suddenly charged at them furiously before striking forward with its palm.

Its palm strike with overflowing with strength, leaving the group feeling deeply pressured.

These Soulless Metal Humanoids were at Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle prior to their death, and through a unique technique, their bodies and zhenqi have remained completely intact, thus allowing them to retain most of their strength during the conversion. More importantly, they don’t fear death, and they will rise again and again after being struck down… Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes sharply.

He had not expected Vicious to actually capture more than a hundred Saint 4-dan master teachers to forge them all into Soulless Metal Humanoids!

“Humph!” Division Head Wei harrumphed as he stepped forward to knock back the assaulting Soulless Metal Humanoid with a powerful palm strike before charging forward to tear it apart.

Suddenly, one of the elders from the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion blocked his path at the crucial moment and said, “This person is Elder Wang from our Master Teacher Pavilion. We were close buddies for many years… If possible, please don’t injure his corpse; I would like to take him back with me and give him a proper burial…”

“Elder Zeng!” Division Head Wei bellowed angrily after hearing those words.

Making use of this short opening, the Soulless Metal Humanoid charged forward and crashed heavily into Division Head Wei, causing the latter to spurt a mouthful of blood.

At the same time, the other Soulless Metal Humanoids slowly rose from the ground, seemingly preparing to make their moves as well.

Seeing how Elder Zeng was still firmly blocking his way, Division Head Wei bellowed in displeasure, “If we don’t kill him, we will be the ones who are killed! If you want to die here, be my guest. Just don’t drag the rest of us down!”

“But…”

The face of the Elder Zeng turned incredibly ugly.

He knew many of the corpses lying the area, and there were a couple of them who had been close friends with him over the past several centuries. He felt that the least he could do for them was take their bodies back intact and give them a proper burial, in hopes that they could at least rest in peace after death. But looking at the current situation, he also realized that such thoughts would only lead to the downfall of the group.

Boom!

While Elder Zeng was still conflicted over what he should do, one of the Soulless Metal Humanoids suddenly charged his way and clawed at him.

“Elder Hu!” Seeing the other party’s face, Elder Zeng’s eyes widened in astonishment as many emotions gushed into his mind. This resulted in his body moving slower by half a beat, and deep gorges were torn through his shoulder, causing him to bleed profusely.

Seeing that Elder Zeng was still hesitating due to his ties with the deceased, Zhang Xuan bellowed, “Elder Zeng, that person isn’t Elder Hu anymore! His soul has already long dissipated, and he’s nothing more than a puppet right now!”

The members of the Combat Master Hall had been through many life-and-death situations, so they knew how to toss aside their emotions and move decisively in moments of danger.

On the other hand, the members of the Master Teacher Pavilion happened to be lacking in this aspect. They tended to allow sentiments to affect their judgement in such critical situations.

“He…” Elder Zeng frowned in distress, but eventually, he bit his lips tightly and roared, “Yes!”

Taking a deep breath, he raised his palm and collided head-on with the ‘Elder Hu’ Soulless Metal Humanoid.

Peng peng peng!

At the same time, the Soulless Metal Humanoids in the area also rushed forward and surrounded the crowd.

Hualala!

With so many Primordial Spirit realm experts acting against them simultaneously, the group was swiftly placed in a deeply disadvantageous position, and it seemed as if they would cave in very soon.

After knocking away two Soulless Metal Humanoids, Division Head Liao asked anxiously, “Principal Zhang, what do we do?”

These fellows knew neither pain nor death. Only when their heads were severed would they finally fall lifelessly back to the ground. Against a troop of more than a hundred of such Primordial Spirit realm puppets, even though their group wielded considerable fighting prowess as well, the situation was terrible for them.

“The Soulless Metal Humanoids can only move under another’s control. As long as we can find the person manipulating them, we will be able to resolve the current danger,” Zhang Xuan said with a frown.

Without a doubt, someone must have been controlling those lifeless puppets. As long as they could find and subdue the ‘someone’, they would be able to free themselves from the crisis they were in.

Division Head Wei gritted his teeth and said, “Since that’s the case… Principal Zhang, we’ll hold the fort for the time being while you try to find the person behind the Soulless Metal Humanoids!

“Everyone, get into formation! Protect Principal Zhang, Hall Master Xing, and Wu shi!”

Huala!

Right after saying those words, the group quickly formed a circle around Zhang Xuan, Hall Master Xing, and Wu shi in order to protect them.

The improved collaborative formation that Zhang Xuan had imparted to them had granted them a significant rise in their fighting prowess in team battles. As such, despite the simultaneous onslaught of over a hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid, they were surprisingly able to stand their ground, successfully warding the enemies off for the time being.

Protected in the middle, the conflicted Wu shi sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan. “Principal Zhang, should we make a move?”

His injuries had long been healed by Zhang Xuan’s Heaven’s Path zhenqi, and the previous frailty he had displayed was nothing more than an act.

“There’s no need for that at the moment. The both of you are our trump cards, and we can’t afford to let this be known to the enemy yet,” Zhang Xuan replied telepathically.

“But I fear that the others won’t be able to hold on for too long!” Wu shi anxiously replied.

“Don’t worry. These Soulless Metal Humanoid might appear powerful, but it’ll still be difficult for them to overcome the improved collaborative formation. For the time being, let me see who’s controlling the puppets. If I’m lucky, I might be able to find a clue leading to the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor!” Zhang Xuan said.

In truth, with his prowess, he could have easily broken the encirclement of the hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid. The reason he had chosen not to make a move was to act weak in hopes that it would cause the fellow behind the Soulless Metal Humanoids to lower his guard and, possibly, lure him out and capture him.

If that person was Vicious himself, that would be even better. Once he found the other party’s location and weakness, he would be able to launch a surprise attack and subdue the other party in a single move.

If so, the crisis surrounding the Master Teacher Pavilion could be resolved once and for all.

Activating his Eye of Insight while extending his Spiritual Perception forth simultaneously, Zhang Xuan began assessing the Soulless Metal Humanoids carefully.

There seemed to be crimson sparks in each of their eyes, and if his deduction was correct, they seemed to be some kind of medium to relay an individual’s will.

Most likely, someone was relaying their commands to the Soulless Metal Humanoid through the crimson sparks, thus driving them into action.

Let me see where the will traces to!

Zhang Xuan randomly picked out a Soulless Metal Humanoid, and concentrating the prowess of his Eye of Insight, he vaguely saw a narrow thread linked to the sparks of flame in the puppet’s eyes.

The narrow thread was not just attached to the eyes of that single puppet; there was a thread present for all of the Soulless Metal Humanoids within the room, crisscrossing with one another as if a fish net. All the threads eventually converged together into the depths of the hall.

What powerful soul energy! Zhang Xuan’s expression turned grim.

For an individual to manipulate more than a hundred Soulless Metal Humanoid to attack them simultaneously using different moves was an incredibly difficult task, requiring an unbelievably level of multi-tasking. This could only possibly be carried out by one who possessed extremely powerful soul energy, and even Zhang Xuan was not confident that he would necessarily be able to do the same.

Zhang Xuan frowned. There’s a formation blocking us in front…

Gazing ahead, before he could see the other end of the thread, a formation blocked his view, preventing him from seeing any further.

If he could not reach the other end of the thread, he would not be able to uncover Vicious’ true position. If so, their group would remain in a disadvantageous position, being in the open whereas the enemy remained hidden in the shadows.

“Hold on for a little longer, I’ll quickly go ahead to take a look!” Zhang Xuan said before leaping out of the group’s protection. He swiftly flew toward where the threads were converging.

Only while their group appeared to be in a disadvantageous position would the other party continue manipulating the puppets, allowing him to trace the other party down via the threads. Otherwise, once all the Soulless Metal Humanoids were destroyed, the threads would be severed, making it impossible for him to track down the other party.

Hula!

Before Zhang Xuan could get far, three Soulless Metal Humanoid suddenly charged toward him with rampaging might, seemingly wanting to tear him into pieces.

“Principal Zhang, be care…” Division Head Liao shouted.

But before he could finish his word, Zhang Xuan abruptly leaped into the air. Without even paying a glance to the Soulless Metal Humanoid, he stepped lightly in the air.

Padah! Padah! Padah!

The three Soulless Metal Humanoids fell forcefully back onto the ground, buried deep into the earth.

” Ahhh! ”

The Soulless Metal Humanoids instinctively struggled furiously, wanting to free themselves. Yet, as if there was a mountain weighing on them, they found themselves unable to escape at all.

“Powerful…” Division Head Liao’s lips twitched wildly.

Those Soulless Metal Humanoids did not even fear death, making them difficult opponents even for a combat master like him. Yet, with just a light step in the air, Zhang Xuan managed to forcefully pin three of them to the ground.

Just from this, he could tell that even three of him would not be a match for Zhang Xuan!

Just half a month ago, he barely escaped from our grasp, but now, he has already become a formidable expert possessing strength far surpassing us. His talent is truly… Division Head Liao shook his head with a helpless smile.

It had not been too long ago when he, Hall Master Xing, and Division Head Wei were able to easily subdue the young man, almost killing him even. While the young man’s combat sense was formidable, his strength and speed had been still severely lacking, making him far from a match for them.

But now, he could already see that even if the three of them were to collaborate once more to deal with him, they would be utterly defeated within moments!

Having lived for several centuries, he had encountered plenty of geniuses in his time, but the rate at which this young man was growing was truly inconceivable, possibly unseen throughout history!

…

Not knowing that the blow he had executed casually would actually leave Division Head Liao so immensely shocked, Zhang Xuan continued advancing forward after subduing the three Soulless Metal Humanoids with a single step.

Peng peng peng peng!

This time, it was even more exaggerated. Without even making a move, all of the Soulless Metal Humanoid that attempted to charge at him were suddenly pinned against the ground or the wall, unable to break free no matter how desperately they struggled.

At Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuan’s fighting prowess was already comparable to a Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator. His might was not something that those Primordial Spirit realm Soulless Metal Humanoids could compare to.

While knocking down more than twenty Soulless Metal Humanoids that charged toward him, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the very end of the hall.

The threads abruptly vanished into the depths of the wall at this point.

Is this… a mechanism from a celestial designer? Zhang Xuan took a look at the wall before him and frowned.

Through his Eye of Insight, he could tell that the wall before him was actually a mechanism, and the fellow controlling the Soulless Metal Humanoid was hidden right behind it.

This mechanism might have been able to stop other cultivators, but against me…

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan placed his palm lightly on it.

Hu la!

A book emerged in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Zhang Xuan placed his finger on the book, and the knowledge contained within it was swiftly transferred into his mind.

Reading the details, Zhang Xuan shook his head. It’s actually the work of a 7-star pinnacle celestial designer! It seems like there’s a fairly skilled celestial designer among the Soulless Metal Humanoids…

While there was not a Celestial Designer Guild in Qingyuan City, there were still branches in the other cities around the Qingyuan Empire.

The handicraft of a 7-star pinnacle celestial designer would have been difficult for an ordinary cultivator to decipher, but Zhang Xuan was different. Through the analysis of the Library of Heaven’s Path, he had already managed to grasp the ins and outs of the mechanism fully.

Using his finger as a sword, he swiftly tapped the mechanism eight times.

Kacha! Kacha!

A few mechanical clicks echoed in the air. Following which, the wall before him parted down the middle, revealing a long tunnel. The abruptly halted threads continued into the depths of the tunnel.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan proceeded into the tunnel. However, barely after taking two steps, a surge of sword qi suddenly flew forth for his glabella.