Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 525

Chapter 525: Nurturing Soulrouse Grass—Success!

“Sentiment Drowning Flower? Alright!” Garden Owner Xue nodded. But soon, her face reddened in embarrassment as she said, “As for middle-tier spirit stone, I only have one here…”

She had a few Sentiment Drowning Flowers in her herb garden, and the oldest one had already reached a maturity of seven hundred years. However, as for middle-tier spirit stones… even a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert like her only had one in her possession.

Only a Tier 2 Empire like Huanyu Empire had the rights to trade a spirit stone of that tier. The Myriad Kingdom Alliance usually traded using low-tier spirit stones. Even the royal family could only take out a few pieces at once, let alone, her.

“Only one? One is fine as well!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Sentiment Drowning Flower was for his personal interest, but the middle-tier spirit stone wasn’t.

For the spirit of a weak plant to grow swiftly, the pure spiritual energy in a middle-tier spirit stone was a necessity. If he were to only use low-tier spirit stones, the process would take significantly longer.

“I’ll go make the preparations now!” Garden Owner Xue hurriedly left.

Soon, she returned.

It would be difficult for others to gather the items that Zhang Xuan had asked for, and it would be impossible to do so without several months of effort. However, as the number one herb garden in Myriad Kingdom City, the herb garden had nearly all of the medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan needed. As such, it didn’t take too long for her to gather it all.

In fact, she even managed to find a bud of the Earth Vein Spirit Vine.

“I require absolute tranquility for my treatment. Garden Owner Xue, I’ll have to ask you to invite everyone out of the premises!”

Seeing that everything was prepared, Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

Grafting the spirit of the bud onto the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine would require him to use the ability of a soul oracle. Even though its inheritance had already terminated long ago and very few would be able to recognize it, Zhang Xuan felt that it would be better to be safe than sorry.

“Yes!”

Garden Owner Xue knew that such means tended to be an exclusive secret, and it was normal for one to be unwilling to show it in public. Thus, she nodded her head and led the group out of the herb field.

Only after seeing that everyone had left did Zhang Xuan heave a huge sigh of relief. Looking at the spirit vine bud before him, Zhang Xuan drew out his soul and began the treatment.

…

“Why is Zhang shi not out yet? Do you think that he’ll be able to get the Sentiment Drowning Flower?”

In the banquet hall, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai walked about nervously, shooting glances at the herb field from time to time.

Only herbologists and master teachers were allowed to enter the spirit field. As Zhang shi’s accompaniment, they weren’t permitted entry. As such, they could only wait outside.

Who knew that this wait would take five to six hours. The sky had already set but he hadn’t returned yet. This had left them anxious and worried.

Jin Conghai hesitated for a moment before saying, “It should be fine… After all, he’s Zhang shi!”

Ever since he’d become acquainted with that young man, no matter what the other party did, he would be able to accomplish it easily. He truly made one suspect whether there was anything he was incapable of.

“I know Zhang shi’s capability but… Garden Owner Xue’s eccentric personality is well-known throughout the capital. She doesn’t even hesitate to disregard father. Considering that an issue had cropped up with the Earth Vein Spirit Vine, she must be even more anxious now. It probably won’t be easy for him to purchase the required medicinal herb from her under such circumstances… I’m afraid that, as soon as Zhang shi speaks, the other party might chase him out straight away!”

Even though Zhao Feiwu admired Zhang shi’s capability, she was still worried for the latter.

After all, this Garden Owner Xue was someone who couldn’t be forced to do anything. Everything was based on her mood; if she was in good mood, she could sell you anything you wish for as long as you had to money to pay her… But given that her entire herb field was on the verge of dying, her mood must be terrible. It would be highly difficult for Zhang shi to purchase medicinal herbs from her.

Perhaps, Zhang shi might even be chased out before he got a chance to speak.

After all, such things had happened before.

This was exactly what happened with the envoy of the Alliance Head Residence back then.

“That… Now that you speak of it, it does seem possible…”

Worry also flashed across Jin Conghai’s eyes.

“Zhang shi seems determined to obtain that Sentiment Drowning Flower. If it comes down to it, I’ll plead with my father to help him. With his help, Garden Owner Xue should probably… at least give it some thought…”

A moment later, after seeing that Zhang Xuan wasn’t back then, Zhao Feiwu couldn’t help but declare.

But even she was unconfident about the matter.

After all, if her father’s name was effective, the envoy wouldn’t have been chased out back then.

Garden Owner Xue was powerful and didn’t give in to threat or persuasion. Even though Zhao Feiwu tended to be witty when dealing such matters, she couldn’t find a single solution to this problem.

Before absolute power, all strategy was meaningless.

“We can only hope so… Look, someone is coming!” Jin Conghai nodded. Just as he was about to console Zhao Feiwu, he suddenly caught sight of a figure before him and pointed.

A silhouette was slowly walking toward the banquet hall.

“It’s Zhang shi…”

It was the person whom they had been talking about all this while, Zhang Xuan.

“Without a doubt, he must have been chased out…”

Seeing him appear alone, Zhao Feiwu said bitterly before walking up to him with Jin Conghai.

“Zhang shi, you’re out. Don’t worry about being unable to get the Sentiment Drowning Flower. I’ll help you plead with my father to stand up for you…”

Seeing the pale and wearied face of the young man before her, Zhao Feiwu deduced that he must have suffered great humiliation and hurriedly consoled.

“Indeed! Garden Owner Xue is known for being eccentric and difficult so you need not worry too much about it…” Jin Conghai said.

“Ah?”

Before Zhang Xuan could say anything, he ended up being consoled by the duo. He didn’t know whether he should cry or laugh at this situation. Just as he was about to explain what truly happened, some hurried footsteps suddenly sounded.

Garden Owner Xue and a few other people rushed into the banquet hall.

“What do you all intend to do?” Seeing the anxious look on their faces, Jin Conghai hurried stepped forward to shield Zhang Xuan and the princess.

“Zhang shi, here is a hundred medicinal herbs with a maturity of five hundred years. It’s a token of my appreciation so do accept it. Furthermore, from today onward, you shall be an eternal friend of my Western Herb Garden. If you have anything you need, feel free to speak. I’ll supply you everything within my means for free!”

Disregarding the anxious Jin Conghai, Garden Owner Xue walked up to Zhang Xuan, bowed deeply, and passed a storage ring over.

“Eternal friend?”

“Free?”

Seeing the eccentric Garden Owner Xue who dared to even snub the Alliance Head Residence bowing to Zhang Xuan and even gifting him with medicinal herbs, Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai’s eyes widened in shock.

What in the world happened…

Wasn’t this fellow supposed to be an incredibly obstinate person? Why did she suddenly… bow as though a humble student, even going to the extent of gifting so many precious herbs?

“Compared to Zhang shi, our proficiency as herbologists is indeed lacking!”

“It’s all thanks to Zhang shi’s credit that the Earth Vein Spirit Vine was revived!”

Just as they were perplexed over what was going on, they suddenly heard the discussion of the returning crowd.

“Zhang shi… has cured the Earth Vein Spirit Vine?”

Coming to a realization, the duo stared at one another frenziedly.

They had heard Zhang shi’s discussion with Lu Zhan previously. For a fellow who didn’t even know what a herbologist was to fix the Earth Vein Spirit Vine which stumped even the master herbologists…

Why did it sound like something that came out from a novel?

…

“Not only did Zhang shi manage to buy the Sentiment Drowning Flower, he was even escorted out of the herb garden by Garden Owner Xue, and the latter promised to supply him with whatever medicinal herbs he needed in the future… On top of that, you said that he treated the Earth Vein Spirit Vine?”

In the Alliance Head Residence, Alliance Head Zhao widened his eyes in shock as he heard the report from his daughter and Jin Conghai.

For a very long time, he was unable to recover from his shock…

…

Seated cross-legged within a room, Zhang Xuan stared at the crimson flower before him.

A fresh Sentiment Drowning Flower with a maturity of seven hundred years!

With sufficient medicinal herbs and the means of a soul oracle, it wasn’t too difficult to graft the spirit vine bud onto the original Earth Vein Spirit Vine. Naturally, after he succeeded, Garden Owner Xue immediately thanked him profusely.

His motive at the herb garden this time around was the Sentiment Drowning Grass. After obtaining what he needed, he immediately returned back to the Alliance Head Residence with Zhao Feiwu and Jin Conghai and shut himself within a room in the lodgings that Zhao Feiwu prepared for him.

It was an average-sized residence, but it was very close to the Alliance Head Residence. There were guards, servants, and maids residing in the residence so Sun Qiang was spared the additional effort of hiring them.

After arranging a resting spot for the Demon Cinque Beast, Zhang Xuan returned back to his room and took out the Sentiment Drowning Flower.

“I have to draw my soul out first!”

A soul slowly gushed out from his acupoint. Raising his hand, the flower before his physical body flew to him.

“To nurture a Soulrouse Grass, one has to inscribe a formation to gather soul energy on a plant capable of harnessing soul energy… After which, one has to supply soul energy to the plant so hasten its growth…”

Recalling the cultivation method of a Soulrouse Grass, Zhang Xuan’s sight fell on the flower before him.

Even though the Sentiment Drowning Flower was a spirit herb, it didn’t possess sentience. As such, it was easier for it to house the soul energy of a soul oracle.

If it was any other sentient medicinal herb, the herb might be destroyed as soon as he tried to infuse his soul energy into it. Naturally, he would be unable to successfully nurture a Soulrouse Grass like that.

Hu!

Driving his soul energy, a powerful energy enveloped the flower, slowly morphing the appearance and shape of the flower.

After cultivating the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuan’s soul energy in itself had already reached the level equivalent to the strength of a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan cultivator, and that was even above that of his zhenqi cultivation. The cultivation of Soulrouse Grass wasn’t easy, but given his current level of soul energy, it wasn’t an issue.

Thus, he spent three days holed up in his room.

Finally, on the fourth day, ‘weng!’, the crimson flower before him shook and turned into a white seedling.

The nurturing of the Soulrouse Grass was a success!

“Now, I only have to nourish it with my soul energy every day. It should mature within two months!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction.

The Sentiment Drowning Grass had been successfully cultivated into a Soulrouse Grass, but as it was still a seedling, it couldn’t be used yet. However, Zhang Xuan was in no hurry either. In just one or two months’ time, it should mature fully.

Once he crafts the Soulrouse Incense with it, he would be able to save Lu Chong.

The past three days of exerting his soul energy in his room had left him slightly wearied.

Returning his soul back to his body, he took out the middle-tier spirit stone he obtained from Song Chao and absorbed it. After he had recovered from his fatigue, he walked out of the room.

The sun hung high in the sky, and even before walking into the main hall, Zhang Xuan saw Sun Qiang walking over.

“Young master, Su shi and Ling shi are here to meet you.”

Su shi, Su Fan, and Ling shi, Ling Yuheng, were the two 4-star master teachers who’d invited him to participate in the Master Teacher Pavilion back when he was still in Tianwu Kingdom.

“How did they know that I was here?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head upon coming to a realization.

Zhang Xuan hadn’t concealed his trail ever since arriving at the Myriad Kingdom City. He even went to the Western Herb Garden to solve the issue surrounding the Earth Vein Spirit Vine. As one of the most powerful organizations in the region, it wasn’t difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion to uncover his location.

Zhang Xuan had previously said that he would look for them as soon as he arrived at Myriad Kingdom City. However, it had been a few days since his arrival and yet he hadn’t gone to the Master Teacher Pavilion yet. Most probably, they were getting impatient and thus they came here looking for him.

“Let’s go and take a look!”

Understanding the situation, Zhang Xuan strode off, heading to the main hall.

 

Chapter 526: Selection Round

Stepping into the lounge, Zhang Xuan saw Su shi and Ling shi seated on the chairs by the side. Upon seeing him, the duo seemed visibly relieved.

If not for the ruckus he had caused at the herb garden a while ago, they wouldn’t have known that Zhang shi was already in the city.

As soon as Zhang Xuan entered, Su shi immediately stared at him expectantly and asked, “May I know if… Yang shi is in Myriad Kingdom City as well?”

Back in Tianwu Kingdom, Yang shi had helped him reach the seventh circulation of the Miniature Solar Art, thus inducing a huge leap in his cultivation. Even until now, he was still grateful to the other party for his help.

Inviting Zhang Xuan over to the Master Teacher Pavilion was only one of the reasons behind his visit. The other one was to meet his benefactor.

After all, the other party was a master teacher who was likely to exceed 6-star!

Otherwise, there was no need for the two of them to come personally just to meet a 2-star master teacher.

“My teacher… is currently wandering around the lands. I have no idea where he is either!” Zhang Xuan replied.

The ‘teacher’ Zhang Xuan spoke of was actually referring to Zhang Xuan himself. It was already so difficult for him to fool this duo; given that there were so many experts here, if he were to get caught playing off as Yang shi here, he would surely be a goner.

In any case, just the existence of Yang shi itself was sufficient to induce fear in others, there was no need for him to take such a risk. If people were to realize that Yang shi was actually a fake, the entire situation could backlash on him.

Upon hearing that Yang shi wasn’t around, Su shi and Ling shi shook their heads in disappointment. However, they soon recovered and said, “In truth, Ling shi and I are here because we have something we require your help on!”

“Su shi, please speak!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“It’s like that. We have invited you to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament before… May I know if Yang shi has talked to you about the matter yet?” Su shi asked.

Back then, in Tianwu Kingdom, they had once brought up the matter with Zhang Xuan, but Zhang Xuan seemed to be slightly hesitant about agreeing. In the end, it was Yang shi who accepted it in his stead.

Even though Yang shi said he would persuade Zhang shi on their behalf, it was best to double confirm the matter before jumping into any conclusion.

“My teacher has told me about it! As long as I become the champion, I’ll be rewarded with middle-tier spirit stones. Don’t worry, I’ve agreed to it already!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

“Cough cough…”

Choking on their saliva, Su shi and Ling shi fell speechless.

Champion?

You sure know how to dream!

Twenty-eight powers consisting of innumerable experts. Your talent might be formidable, but they are also geniuses, and not to mention, they have cultivated longer than you.

Our motive in looking for you is just in hopes that you could win us a better placing. Even top ten seems out of reach, champion…

They would only dare to say such words in their dreams.

“It’s like that. The Master Teacher Tournament is a battle among the geniuses of the twenty-eight powers, and our Myriad Kingdom Alliance is given the privilege of playing host this year. Pavilion Master Kang hopes for us to get a better ranking this year. Thus… we gathered the top-notch geniuses from throughout the lands for them to pit it out in advance and narrow the group down to just two to participate in the tournament…”

After hesitating for a moment, Su Fan spoke his motive.

“Pit it out in advance?”

“Yes. A total of six candidates have been nominated by the elders…” Su shi said.

As the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was hosting the Master Teacher Tournament this time around, Pavilion Master Kang regarded this event very highly and he hoped that they could win a much better placing from before. As such, he passed down an order for the elders to nominate the most talented genius they could find, and it was for this purpose that Su shi and Ling shi visited Tianwu Kingdom.

However, they weren’t the only elders in the Master Teacher Pavilion. The others also made their nominations too, and a total of six candidates were chosen. The duo had to spend a lot of effort to confirm Zhang Xuan’s placing as a candidate as well.

Otherwise, given Zhang Xuan’s identity as a 2-star master teacher, how could he possibly be qualified to compete with all the other geniuses?

“What you mean is that… you wish for me to participate in an internal selection round conducted by the alliance’s Master Teacher Pavilion?” Zhang Xuan quickly understood what the other party was driving at.

“That’s right. Only two participants from each power are allowed for the Master Teacher Pavilion. Thus, there’s a need for us to conduct a selection round among the six candidates. The two finalized candidates will become a target of grooming for the Master Teacher Pavilion for the next two months so as to prepare them for the Master Teacher Tournament!” Su shi said.

The most practical way of getting a good placing was to train harder. Even if it was a last-minute effort, two months should be sufficient to achieve significant results.

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

The Master Teacher Tournament was a huge event which the Myriad Kingdom Alliance and twenty-seven other powers were involved with. Even with Su shi and Ling shi’s recommendations, the alliance couldn’t give the slot so easily to him.

After all, he came from a humble kingdom. It had only been three months since his rise, and it was extremely normal for him to be doubted by others.

Zhang Xuan didn’t think much of the situation. In any case, he was also curious to see where he ranked among the geniuses of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

After settling Lu Chong’s matter, he would concentrate his effort on cultivating so as to reach 9-star master teacher before thirty. Otherwise, once the Innate Fetal Poison made its move, everything would be for naught.

Having read through innumerable books, Zhang Xuan learned that master teachers weren’t just about strength and capability. Reputation was also of essence. Reputation was credibility, and without a good reputation, how could a master teacher win the trust of others? As such, this was one of the less tangible criteria taken into account when one was applying for a promotion.

And the easiest way to accrue reputation was to join the Master Teacher Tournament.

Besides, to raise his cultivation, Zhang Xuan needed innumerable cultivation techniques to form the Heaven’s Path Divine Art and sufficient middle-tier spirit stones.

Even though Zhang Xuan was skilled in the art of beguiling, there was a limit to what he could gather through such. If he could achieve incredible results during the Master Teacher Tournament, it should become much easier for him to gather spirit stones.

After thinking all of these through, Zhang Xuan had nothing to hesitate about anymore. Thus, he asked, “When does the selection round begin?”

“According to Pavilion Master Kang’s intentions, it’s supposed to be conducted a few days ago. However, you had yet to appear and so, the both of us tried all ways to postpone the selection round. Now that you’re here, we can finally begin!”

Seeing that the young man before them didn’t reject the matter, Su shi and Ling shi heaved a sigh of relief.

After all, they had to fight very hard to delay the selection round by several days, and there were many who were displeased by their action. If Zhang Xuan were to really refuse to join the selection round, they would be in trouble.

“Is it conducted in the Master Teacher Pavilion?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“That’s right!” The duo nodded their heads.

“Then let’s go over then!” Zhang Xuan stood up.

Since he had decided on the matter, there was nothing for him to hesitate about.

“Ah…”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was in a rush to head over, the duo smiled bitterly, “Zhang shi, hold on for a moment. Allow me to introduce to you the other candidates first. This way, you will be prepared when you meet them!

“Of the five candidates, three are from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. The most famous among them is Ruohuan gongzi, Jun Ruohuan. He’s the head of the Four Gentlemen in Myriad Kingdom City, the direct disciple of Pavilion Master Kang. He’s twenty-nine this year, and he passed his 4-star examination at the start of the year, thus making him a full-fledged 4-star primary master teacher!”

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

He had seen a 4-star primary master teacher genius before as well-Song Chao.

Even though that fellow seemed a little slow-witted before him, as a 4-star master teacher, he surely possessed an astonishing eye of discernment and unbelievable talent.

Jun Ruohuan should be the same as well.

“After him is the direct disciple of the Master Teacher Pavilion’s Elder Hai, Fu Xiaochen, Fu shi. He was evaluated as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher two years ago, and since then, he hasn’t taken any examinations at all. Thus, no one knows the current extent of his ability. Even so, based on my estimates, he should be on par with Ruohuan gongzi!

“These two are the most popular candidates this time around, and thus, they will be your greatest competitors as well. As for the remaining three, one of them is Elder Feng’s disciple while the other two are picked out from the vassal kingdoms under the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. They are all 3-star pinnacle master teachers under thirty as well!”

Su shi quickly briefed Zhang Xuan on the background of the other five candidates.

“Even the weakest of them is a 3-star pinnacle master teacher?”

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

One would already be considered as an incredible talent for reaching 2-star beneath thirty in Xuanyuan Kingdom, and yet here, there were five who far exceeded that level, and one of them had even reached 4-star. As expected of the alliance, the center of power and affluence of the innumerable kingdoms.

Thinking that Zhang Xuan might have lost his confidence, Su shi consoled, “Indeed, but you need not worry about that. Your master teacher rank might be beneath them, but your eye of discernment and knowledge are in no way inferior to them… I think that you still stand a good chance!”

If not for the latter’s outstanding performance in Tianwu Kingdom previously, the duo wouldn’t have gone to such extents of recommending him.

After all, an ordinary 2-star master teacher wouldn’t stand a chance against that line-up at all.

“What will be tested in the Master Teacher Tournament?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

He had only heard briefly about the Master Teacher Tournament from the duo and as such, he didn’t know much detail about it.

The books he had read also had a limited description on the matter.

“You don’t know?” The duo was taken aback for a moment before they flew into a frenzy. “Yang shi didn’t explain the matter to you?”

They had told Yang shi about Zhang shi’s participation in the Master Teacher Tournament back in Tianwu Kingdom, and so, they thought that Yang shi would at least offer some guidance or advice to Zhang shi beforehand… If that was the case, with the guidance from a 6-star or above master teacher, they would stand a much better chance.

But who knew that… After so long, Zhang shi actually knew nothing at all?

Are you mistaken?

Half of the reason why the duo insisted on having Zhang shi participate in the competition was because of his outstanding performance, and the other half was due to their trust in Yang shi’s teaching capability.

Since Yang shi had agreed on the matter, surely he wouldn’t make his student embarrass himself… But why in the world did Zhang shi not know anything at all?

“My teacher hasn’t told me anything about it!” Zhang Xuan replied.

Hearing the other party’s reply, the duo rolled their eyes.

Was Yang shi simply that courageous or did he possess absolute trust in his student?

Shaking his head, Su shi could only start explaining the matter helplessly. “The Master Teacher Tournament assesses a master teacher on his overall capability. The test varies every year but… they are centered around the fundamentals of master teachers, such as Soul Depth, cultivation realm, teaching capability, understanding of cultivation, offering pointers, discerning flaws…

“In truth, it is similar to a master teacher examination, just that it will be slightly stricter. For example, in a normal master teacher examination, one is considered to have pass the examination just by meeting the passing requirement within a given period of time. On the other hand, the Master Teacher Tournament will gauge one by the duration one takes to accomplish a task, and the one who takes the shortest time will be victorious.”

Zhang Xuan came to a realization.

This was extremely similar to the competitions in his previous life.

Take a normal hundred-meter race for example, if A took ten seconds whereas B took three days, naturally, A would be the winner.

Under the pressure of time, one’s mental fortitude would be put to the test. Often, there were capable master teachers who found themselves unable to perform under such stress.

After explaining the matter a little longer, Zhang Xuan’s understanding of the Master Teacher Tournament deepened.

In truth, the Master Teacher Tournament was a battlefield where different master teachers pitted their capability against one another, and the strongest one would emerge victorious.

As long as one’s foundation was strong, one need not fear anything in the tournament.

This was the reason why Su shi and Ling shi went through so much trouble to go to Tianwu Kingdom just to recruit Zhang Xuan into their team.

After introducing the tournament, Su shi said, “Alright, let’s go to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even though the tests in the selection round are likely to be different from the real tournament itself, the main idea is still there. This time, Pavilion Master Kang has come up with the tests personally. I think this will be a good experience for you to prepare for the real tournament!”

“Un!” Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan instructed Sun Qiang on several matters before leaving to the Master Teacher Pavilion with the duo.

 

Chapter 527: Pavilion Master Kang

The Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion is the headquarter of the Master Teacher Pavilions of the vassal kingdoms under the alliance.

It was located at a distance not too far from the Alliance Head Residence, and the group didn’t take long to reach their destination.

It was a grand building with a majestic hall. As soon as they stepped into the lounge, they immediately saw a massive statue of a person holding onto a scroll and looking into the distance. In his eyes was compassion for all living beings in the world.

The sight of the statue removed all negative emotions from one, putting one into a state of calmness.

Empyrean Kong shi!

Taking a brief scan of the hall, there were at least a hundred people dressed in long robe here.

“So many master teachers…” Zhang Xuan was shocked.

Those who were qualified to wear the long robe were master teachers who had obtained their emblems. Putting aside the ranks of the master teachers here, just the number of them was already astonishing in itself.

One must know that Tianxuan Kingdom didn’t even have a single master teacher. And yet, there were over a hundred of them here, and many of them were 2-star as well.

As expected of the center of the alliance, the cultural hub for the kingdoms… Fearsome!

“Actually, most of those master teachers aren’t from Myriad Kingdom City. Every month, a 4-star master teacher conducts a lecture at the square outside the Master Teacher Pavilion, and many master teachers visit the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion just for this event,” Su shi explained.

While the huge amount of resources flowing through Myriad Kingdom City was a reason why the cultivators here were strong, what that played a larger part to that was the presence of high ranked master teachers.

The lessons of such master teachers tended to be more insightful, and if one managed to obtain one of their Tutelage Jade Token, one’s could receive tailored guidance on their cultivation, thus inducing swift improvements.

In fact, it could be said that if Myriad Kingdom City didn’t have this Master Teacher Pavilion, it would be impossible for so many Transcendent Mortal experts to appear here.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head in agreement as he scanned the surroundings.

Not only were there many master teachers here, there were also some who came here to study. There were many chambers in the surroundings of the hall, and as long as one was willing to pay a suitable price, one could be given a one-to-one guidance session any time they wished.

But of course, the higher ranked a master teacher was, the more expensive the payment would be and the more difficult it would be to make an appointment with them.

After all, there were a limited number of 4-star master teachers here, and they couldn’t possibly be spending all of their time on teaching others.

On top of the chambers, there were also some huge auditoriums within the compound. The poorer cultivators would often attend lectures conducted in the auditoriums instead. Even though the results would be far poorer than a one-to-one guidance session, one could save quite a bit of money through opting for this instead. Thus, it is quite a popular alternative.

“2-star Master Teacher Huang Chen’s ‘Zongshi Realm Introduction Lecture’ still has two slots. Is there anyone interested in signing up?”

“3-star Master Teacher Bai Mu’s ‘How a Zhizun Advanced Realm Should Battle’ still has three slots! It’s a small classroom of just ten people, and it’ll only cost 5 low-tier spirit stones…”

Walking through the hall, Zhang Xuan could see quite a lot of people raising a board as they rallied for participants. Written on the board was the name of the master teacher, their master teacher rank, the content, and the timing of their lecture.

There were many common problems that cultivators would meet with in their cultivation, and based on their needs, they would sign up for the lesson they deemed most appropriate for their condition.

While those who attended the lesson could copy down and repeat the content of the lecture to another, without the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, a skill exclusive to only master teachers, the same words would result in very different effects.

Otherwise, if one could play the role of a master teacher just by repeating the content of a lecture, master teachers wouldn’t be such a prestigious and irreplaceable occupation.

“The higher the tier of a kingdom, the greater the standing of a master teacher. In Myriad Kingdom City, even the alliance head would have to treat a 4-star master teacher with utmost respect!” Su shi said as he stroked his beard, his tone carrying a tinge of pride.

Being a master teacher was known as the number one occupation in the world, and at 4-star, one was already an existence that countless people could only look up to throughout their life.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

He knew about the prestigious standing of master teachers as well. If not for the immense standing of this occupation shielding him, his astonishing accomplishments would surely have caused him to be kidnapped, dissected, and experimented on for research.

It was precisely because everyone knew that he was a master teacher and that he had a powerful teacher backing him that they thought it was natural for him to achieve such results.

After all, a 6-star master teacher was an existence unimaginable to them. It wouldn’t be surprising if a 6-star master teacher was involved in they deemed impossible.

“While master teachers enjoy tremendous prestige, they carry a burden equaling it as well. Back then, Kong shi ruled that master teachers have to be a role model to the world and bring enlightenment to everyone, regardless of their background… Over the years, the Master Teacher Pavilion has expanded into all kingdoms, and the strength of the human race has indeed been brought to new heights as well!” Su shi said.

While he felt proud, he knew that this was nothing for him to brag about. Rather, tied along together with it was a heavy responsibility to shoulder.

What a master teacher seeks to achieve is not personal glory, but the greatness of the entire human race.

The greatest honor that a master teacher could receive was to have his own students surpass him.

“Indeed!” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

The more he came to know about the responsibilities of a master teacher, the more he shared some thoughts.

When he saw the rapid growth of his student, what he felt was no longer envy but delight.

This was the essence of a ‘teacher’!

There was no other occupation that was the same as this!

“Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. I’ll take you to meet Pavilion Master Kang first before we continue on with the selection round!”

Shaking his head, Su shi accounted grimly, “Pavilion Master Kang is the most talented genius of our Master Teacher Pavilion for the past hundred years. He’s a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and he has a straightforward and earnest personality! He values humility and so, when you meet him later, make sure to listen to his teachings earnestly. If you were to anger him, you might be stripped of your candidacy so take note of what you say!”

Pavilion Master Kang was younger than Su shi and Ling shi, and he was the direct disciple of the previous pavilion master. Even so, he was the one who had the final say regarding the candidacy for the Master Teacher Tournament. The two of them had paid a heavy price for Zhang Xuan’s slot, so they couldn’t allow anything to go wrong now.

“Don’t worry! I’ve always been a humble person!” Zhang Xuan nodded earnestly.

“You? Humble?”

Su shi and Ling shi fell speechless.

Do you think that the Master Teacher Pavilion is incapable of digging all that you’ve done… Destroying the Master Teacher Pavilion when taking the master teacher examination; barging into the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild, forcing the previous guild leader to step down…

And not too long ago, you challenged the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets in Honghai City and nearly caused the Appraiser Hall to close down; at the Formation Master Guild, you tore down the other party’s wall…

Look at your own records… Which part of it doesn’t show that you’re a troublemaker?

And you still dare to tell us that you’re… humble?

If you are humble, there would be no arrogant people in the world anymore!

“Cough cough! Try to cut down on your words when you meet Pavilion Master Kang, we’ll speak for you instead. What you should focus on now is to condition yourself and prepare for the selection round later on,” Ling shi instructed.

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

He was delighted to be spared the hassle of talking as well.

Amidst the conversation of the trio, they soon arrived outside a room.

“Elder Su, Elder Ling!” The young man guarding outside the room clasped his fist and bowed.

“Is Pavilion Master Kang in?” Su shi asked.

“The pavilion master is inside, this way please!”

Given the other party’s standing as an elder and a 4-star master teacher, the young man immediately led them in without any hesitation.

Unlike the rooms allocated to the other master teacher, this one was much more spacious. Many bookshelves filled with all kinds of books were placed against the wall. A stern-looking middle-aged man was currently standing by the side of the bookshelf, browsing through a book in his hand.

The young man stepped forward and bowed.

“Pavilion master, Elder Su and Elder Ling are here!”

“Un! You’re here, take a seat wherever you want!” Lifting his gaze, the middle-aged man smiled.

Zhang Xuan turned to look at the middle-aged man.

Even though the middle-aged man wasn’t as advanced in age as Su shi and Ling shi, he exuded an incredible aura of authority. It was similar to the sensation he felt when facing Alliance Head Zhao, just that it was even more intense.

This was especially so for his eyes. His dark irises were deep, and they gleamed with wisdom, seemingly capable of seeing through all facade.

‘His Soul Depth is probably no lower than 14.0,’ Zhang Xuan thought.

Every 3.0 Soul Depth was a demarcation point. A 4-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 12.0 whereas a 5-star master teacher would possess a Soul Depth of at least 15.0.

A normal 4-star master teacher’s Soul Depth would vary between 12.0 to 15.0, but due to the difficulty in raising one’s Soul Depth, most 4-star master teachers only had a Soul Depth of around 12.0.

Taking Song Chao for example, his Soul Depth was only 12.0. This was also why he was completely helpless against Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will.

Even well-established 4-star master teachers like Su shi and Ling shi only had a Soul Depth of 13.0.

Yet, Pavilion Master Kang’s Soul Depth was actually above 14.0. Considering his current age, as long as he didn’t fall, it was just a matter of time before he becomes a 5-star master teacher.

‘It seems like his Soul Depth is slightly higher than mine…’

After the consumption of two golden pages, two acknowledgements as a Celestial Master Teacher, and a Soul Tempering of Mentor’s Calligraphy, Zhang Xuan’s current Soul Depth had reached 14.1. However, based on his estimation, the other party’s Soul Depth seemed to be slightly higher than his.

Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

‘I wonder if my Impartation of Heaven’s Will will work on him…’

Before heading to the soul oracle tomb, Zhang Xuan’s Soul Depth was only 12.1, 0.1 higher than Song Chao’s. Even so, he still managed to beguile the other party.

In other words… as a Celestial Master Teacher, it was easier for him to convince others through his Impartation of Heaven’s Will.

Having gone through two acknowledgements, even though his Soul Depth was lower than the other party’s, could his Impartation of Heaven’s Will possibly work on the other party?

‘However, one of the requirements of using the Impartation of Heaven’s Will is to be on the side of reason. Only when one’s logic is impeccable will it work. If I can’t find any flaws on him, it’ll be difficult for me to beguile him!’

Zhang Xuan didn’t think that he could succeed easily even though he had thought of giving it a try.

The Impartation of Heaven’s Will was centered around trust and credibility… Without knowing the other party’s flaws to exploit to win trust and credibility, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to succeed.

His Eye of Insight was ineffective given the other party’s cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle. Under the condition that the other party didn’t execute a battle technique, it was impossible for him to uncover the flaws of the other party.

These thoughts floated in Zhang Xuan’s mind for a moment before disappearing. Following which, Su shi stepped forward and introduced, “Pavilion master, this is Zhang shi whom we told you about previously!”

“He’s the 2-star master teacher who broke the records of the Tianwu Kingdom master teacher examination, and you staked your all on recommending?”

Placing the book back onto the table, Pavilion Master Kang walked over and sat on the main seat before raising his head to assess Zhang Xuan.

“Yes!” Su shi and Ling shi nodded their heads.

“Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle and a lack of discipline in his movements. With a look, it’s clear that he has never practiced any battle techniques… This is the genius you two spoke of?”

Looking at Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Kang frowned.

 

Chapter 528: Three Questions

In order to avoid casting doubt on the peculiarity of his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan didn’t hide his cultivation. Thus, it was easy for any cultivator to see that his current strength was only at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle.

As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessing a Soul Depth of 14.0, it was no problem for him to see through this much.

On top of that, experts who had trained hard in battle techniques tended to show some traces of it in their hands, feet, and habits. Yet, the young man before him showed no traces of these traits at all. It was clear he had never practiced any battle techniques before…

How could such a person be a genius?

The reason why master teachers were invincible in the same class wasn’t just due to their ability to seeing through the flaws of their opponents. More importantly, their grasp over their own manipulation of zhenqi and battle techniques had also reached an astounding level.

How could a fellow who had never practiced a battle technique before be called a genius? It was making too light of the Master Teacher Tournament to have such a person represent the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion in it!

Hearing the doubtful tone of the pavilion master, Su shi hurriedly explained, “Zhang shi’s cultivation might be low but his comprehension in the way of master teachers has reached an astounding level…”

“Comprehension?” Pavilion Master Kang’s complexion darkened. “Elder Su, what we are choosing are talents to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament. As an elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, you should know what kind of opponents we are facing!”

It was no wonder why Pavilion Master Kang was so angry. Su shi and Ling shi had staked their all to vie for this slot so the latter thought that Zhang Xuan would surely be a formidable genius. Yet, the other party turned out to be only a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle cultivator. Furthermore, he didn’t seem to have practiced any battle technique before… With this level of strength, how could he emerge victorious amidst many other 4-star master teachers?

Even though strength wasn’t all that was tested in the Master Teacher Tournament, it played quite a significant role. If one’s cultivation realm wasn’t even on par with the other party, how could one possibly offer the other party guidance?

Even if one was able to do so, it would just be completely theoretical. Any pointer that wasn’t proven in practice was worthless.

“I know, but…” Su shi panicked.

“No buts, take him away!” Pavilion Master Kang shook his hands impatiently.

“Pavilion master, don’t be in such a rush to make a decision…”

Ling shi stepped forward and said, “Zhang shi’s current cultivation might only be at Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle now… but do you know what was his cultivation realm when we last saw him?”

“When you last saw him… around twenty days ago?” Pavilion Master Jiang raised his eyebrows.

It was around a month ago that these two elders went to Tianwu Kingdom. Gauging by the time, considering that the trip took around ten days, they should have met with this young man around twenty days ago.

“Un!” Ling shi nodded.

“What was his cultivation realm then?” Pavilion Master Kang raised his teacup and sipped on it.

So what if he was able to cultivate swiftly and raised his strength form Transcendent Mortal 1-dan intermediate stage to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle?

There were only two months left until the Master Teacher Tournament. No matter how talented he was, he would only be able to reach Transcendent Mortal 2-dan during this period of time. With such cultivation, he would still be unable to match up to the other competitors!

“Zongshi realm! Twenty days ago, when we first met Zhang shi… he was only at Zongshi realm!” Ling shi said grimly.

Pu! A mouthful of tea came spurting out of Pavilion Master Kang’s mouth and nose. Widening his eyes, he uttered in disbelief, “Fighter 8-dan… Zongshi realm?”

You must be joking with me!

To raise one’s cultivation from Zongshi realm to Zhizun realm, then on to Half-Transcension and finally Transcendent Mortal 1-dan in twenty days… Not to mention, Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle…

That was a total of three realms…

Even if one were to ride on a rocket, it would be impossible to do it so quickly!

In truth, he wasn’t the only one in disbelief. When Ling shi and Su shi first noticed Zhang Xuan’s cultivation realm, even though they didn’t say anything, they also felt their hearts crumbling within.

However, knowing that the other party’s teacher was likely to be a master teacher ranked 6-star and above, the shock they felt alleviated by a little.

Given that a high-ranked master teacher like Yang shi had traveled to a backward location like Tianxuan Kingdom without informing the Master Teacher Pavilion, he was clearly trying to conceal his identity.

As a junior of the other party, without the latter’s explicit permission, they didn’t dare to inform others about him.

Thus, even while frenziedly promoting Zhang Xuan, they had never divulged Yang shi’s existence. As such, Pavilion Master Kang was unaware of the matter as well. That was why upon hearing that Zhang Xuan had grown from Zongshi realm to Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle in less than a month… he felt as though the world had gone insane.

This was no longer cultivation but… infusion of cultivation!

In fact, even infusion of cultivation wouldn’t be so exaggerated!

“I can vow the authenticity of this matter!” Su shi added.

“To reach Transcendent Mortal 1-dan from Zongshi realm in twenty or so days… As long as he cultivates diligently in the next two months, reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan pinnacle or even Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage shouldn’t be an issue… He would still be able to stand against those geniuses…”

Knowing that these two elders wouldn’t lie, Pavilion Master Kang fell into contemplation.

Most of the geniuses who traveled to the Myriad Kingdom City to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament were 4-star master teachers.

A 1-star master teacher had to possess a cultivation of at least Tongxuan realm, a 2-star master teacher a cultivation of at least Zongshi realm, and a 3-star master teacher a cultivation of at least Zhizun realm.

On the other hand, the prerequisite to becoming a 4-star master teacher was Transcendent Mortal 2-dan. As long as one reached Origin Energy realm primary stage, one would have met the cultivation criterion to becoming a 4-star master teacher.

As such, most geniuses in the tournament possessed a cultivation realm between 2-dan Origin Energy realm and 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity realm.

Given how quickly Zhang shi cultivated, it was possible that he could bring up cultivation realm up to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan primary stage within the next two months. With such cultivation, he would at least rank in the middle among the participants, and perhaps, he might really be able to get a good ranking down for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

“Since that’s the case, I’ll give him a chance then. I’ll raise three questions, and as long as he can answer them accurately, I’ll allow him to participate in the selection round. As for whether he can take one of the two slots in the selection round, that’ll depend on his performance then!”

After a moment of contemplation, Pavilion Master Kang raised his head and said.

“Alright!” Hearing that Zhang Xuan would at least be given a chance, Su shi and Ling shi heaved a sigh of relief and hurriedly turned to look at Zhang Xuan.

With this look, they staggered and nearly fainted on the spot.

It turned out that Zhang shi wasn’t even listening to their conversation. Instead, he was standing in front of the bookshelves by the wall and his finger was brushing across the books, as though he was looking for a specific book.

They were so nervous over the slots that their hearts were about to beat out of their chests, and yet, this fellow didn’t seem to care at all…

Wasn’t he way too daring?

To allow you to participate in the tournament, the two of us even put our names on the line. Yet, you don’t seem care at all…

Just the thought of it left them dizzy-headed.

“Zhang shi…” Unable to stand it any longer, Su shi stepped forward to stop Zhang Xuan. “The pavilion master has decided to give you a chance. He’ll ask you three questions, and as long as you can answer them correctly, you’ll be allowed to join the selection round!”

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded his head and walked over.

Uninvolved in the conversation, Zhang Xuan began looking around the room while the others were discussing the matter. It was then that he noticed that there were quite a few Transcendent Mortal 2-dan books on the bookshelves by the wall. Thus, he walked over and collected them in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

He had collected five hundred Origin Energy realm cultivation technique manuals back in Honghai City, and adding the additional hundreds of books on the bookshelves here, he could already form a perfect Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

As for their conversation, he wasn’t really paying attention to it. He didn’t even have sufficient time to look at the books, how could he possibly have the energy to listen to the boring discussion of another?

“My questions will be about cultivation and guidance. As long as you can answer them correctly, I’ll give you a chance to participate in the selection round!”

Pavilion Master Kang turned around and casually picked up the book which he was reading just before. “This is a case that I have faced previously!

“A Half-Transcension cultivator was once impaled in the left lung, and as a result, the zhenqi in the left meridian was unable to flow smoothly. Under such circumstances, what kind of pointer should one offer so that the cultivator can successfully reach Transcendent Mortal realm?”

This was a case which he had dealt with personally before. It was an extremely difficult problem, and he’d had to look through innumerable books before he could find a solution for it.

However, the Master Teacher Tournament would be a lot more difficult than this. If the other party couldn’t even solve this problem, it would be futile even if the other party participated in the tournament. If that was the case, he would rather terminate the other party’s candidacy right now.

Since the question was concerning a Half-Transcension, it was within the other party’s scope.

“Transcendent Mortal realm requires one’s cultivation to form a complete and whole system before one can harmonize and manipulate the environment! Given that the cultivator’s left lung is pierced through and the zhenqi in his left meridian is blocked… that is equivalent to a deformity appearing on a perfect circle. It will be nigh impossible for the other party to achieve a breakthrough!”

Upon hearing the question, Su shi frowned. “This is truly difficult!”

“Indeed. Even for me, I’d require at least eight steps to solve this problem!” Ling shi nodded in agreement.

As 4-star master teachers, their depth and scope of knowledge were not to be underestimated. Even though this question was difficult, it was still within their capability. Just that, it would require significant effort on their part.

After a moment of contemplation, Su shi replied, “I would require seven steps!”

“Your Miniature Solar Art has reached the seventh circulation, so it is normal for you to require less steps than me. However, based on what I know, when the pavilion master solved the question back then, he was only a 3-star master teacher and… he only used five steps,” Ling shi said.

“Five steps?”

Su shi narrowed his eyes.

The less steps required to solve a problem, the more efficient it was. As such, the probability of success tended to be higher.

Similarly, the effectiveness would also be greater.

Even given their current capability, solving the problem perfectly would require a minimum of seven steps on their part. Yet, back when the pavilion master was only a 3-star master teacher, he only needed five steps… That was truly an astounding feat.

“I wonder how many steps Zhang shi would require to solve this question!”

After a moment of shock, Su shi turned to look at the young man before them.

“How many steps? I’m worried that he might be unable to even find a solution to it!” Ling shi shook his head.

Even though they were confident in Zhang shi’s capability, the pavilion master’s question was indeed extremely difficult. Even they would require a long duration of research to solve the problem properly. It was extremely doubtful that the young man before them would be able to solve the problem.

Just as the duo was worried for Zhang Xuan, the latter, after hearing the question, frowned. “What is the area of damage to the left lung? Can you give me the exact location of the impale? Also, what was the cause of the wound? Do you know the attribute of the assailant’s zhenqi?”

“The weapon used to wound that cultivator was a sword. The other party had comprehended Sword Intent, and a portion of the other party’s sword qi had penetrated into the cultivator’s bloodstream. This was the diagnosis, you can take a look at it!”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan would ask this question, Pavilion Master Kang passed a book over.

Zhang Xuan casually flipped through it, and recorded in the book was the condition of the cultivator back then.

The content was extremely detailed. Not only was the location of the wound recorded, even the battle technique that was used was recorded clearly.

Zhang Xuan soon finished browsing through the book.

“Have you found a solution yet?” Pavilion Master Kang asked.

“Oh. That’s simple, just design a new cultivation route for the cultivator,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“New cultivation route?” Pavilion Master Kang’s complexion darkened. “You mean… modifying the cultivator’s cultivation technique?”

“That’s right. Since the wound in the left lung creates a gap in the flow of zhenqi, all that has to be done is to change the route for the flow of zhenqi. With that, the cultivator’s cultivation should form a whole once more, and achieving a breakthrough wouldn’t be a problem,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Modifying the cultivation technique?” Su shi and Ling shi were taken aback. “That would save the hassle of healing the wound, reconnecting the meridians, conditioning the body, and many other steps… In total, it would only require…”

“A single step?”

 

Chapter 529: What Are You Standing There For? Go and Pour Me a Cup of Water!

Ling shi’s treatment required eight steps, Su shi’s required seven steps, and even Pavilion Master Kang’s would require five steps. Yet, this fellow actually solved the problem using a single step?

“Nonsense! You are dreaming!”

At that moment, Pavilion Master Kang harrumphed coldly. His face was steeled, and the displeasure on it was clear, “Every single cultivation technique that is passed down is created, tested, and refined by innumerable predecessors. How can it be changed that easily? If that cultivator were to try an untested cultivation technique in a wounded state, putting aside whether it would be possible to reach Transcendent Mortal realm or not, their cultivation might even go berserk, thus exacerbating their wounds and putting them at risk of death. As a master teacher, how can you come up with such a flippant solution?”

After hearing the words of the two elders, his expectations of the young man had been lifted. Yet, he didn’t expect the other party to answer his question so frivolously.

If a cultivation technique could be modified that easily, then what was the value of a secret art?

Not to mention, there was a foreign zhenqi existent in the other party’s body. Without neutralizing it, recovering from one’s injuries, and conditioning one’s physical body… how could one attempt for a higher cultivation realm?

In the end, the other party failed to live up to his name.

If they were to do so, not only would they fail to save the cultivator, the cultivator would even die because of them. The dignity of the Master Teacher Pavilion would vanish in an instant.

“Berserk? You are overthinking it!”

Waving his hands to interrupt the other party’s reprimanding, Zhang Xuan looked at Pavilion Master Kang impassively, “You’ll know whether it is effective or not once I tell you the new route for the zhenqi circulation! Upon leaving the dantian, the cultivator’s zhenqi will flow through the Taiyi, Guanmen, Liangmen… and finally, it’ll gather at Qishe. After three circulations, one should be able to try for Transcendent Mortal realm, and there’ll be a ninety percent chance of success!”

Possessing the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan grasped the very essence of cultivation itself. While modifying a cultivation technique, just like the other party said, was difficult, to him, it wasn’t an issue at all.

By slightly modifying the zhenqi route to circumvent the injured portion and mediating the foreign zhenqi in the cultivator’s body, reaching Transcendent Mortal realm wouldn’t be a problem.

“Flow through Taiyi, Guanmen, and Liangmen…”

The trio frowned.

This zhenqi route was completely unheard of in normal cultivation techniques. Even as 4-star master teachers, they weren’t able to deduce its feasibility in an instant.

Every single cultivation technique needed to be tried in action before a conclusion could be made about it. Even master teachers were unable to determine something was feasible or not immediately just by listening to it once.

“You’re saying that as long as the cultivator cultivates using this method, she’ll be able to achieve a breakthrough immediately?” Pavilion Master Kang’s complexion turned even more awful.

It was extremely difficult for even an ordinary cultivator to achieve a breakthrough. To have a severely injured cultivator achieve a breakthrough just by circulating one’s zhenqi in the given pathway thrice… You must be joking!

“That’s right!”

Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly, “I’ve taken a look at the information given, and the cultivator is wounded by searing sword qi. This sword qi carries an exceptionally sharp edge, and after seeping into the cultivator’s body through the wound in her left chest, it was traveling toward her dantian.

“The cultivation technique the cultivator cultivated was the [Great Ancient Incursion Art]. The technique focused heavily on ‘sharpness’ and ‘burst’. Continuous usage of this technique results in the weakening of one’s zhenqi, and three consecutive usages will deplete one’s zhenqi! This is of similar nature to the searing sword qi in the sense that they are both extremely violent energy that will destroy all that stand their path.

“When the two zhenqi collides with one another, it becomes a case where the stronger energy triumphs. Under normal circumstances, as the cultivator will be able to send in a steady supply of zhenqi to deal with the searing sword qi, it shouldn’t pose a problem at all… However, it’s a pity that this cultivator’s meridians were simply too thin. A violent collision can easily tear them apart, thus crippling her cultivation! Thus, unable to send in a surge of zhenqi to overwhelm the searing sword qi in a single go, a standstill occurred instead. Not only would the searing sword qi be unable to be cleared, the injury would even… worsen over time!”

At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly stopped. With eyes as sharp as lightning, he said, “If I’m not mistaken, when these symptoms were recorded, it was the seventh day after the cultivator was injured!”

“This…” Pavilion Master Kang was taken aback. “You’re right!”

He had dealt with that cultivator’s problem personally, and it had always been something he was proud of. Thus, he remembered the details of the incident clearly, and it was indeed the seventh day that the details of the other party’s condition were detailed on that book.

Just that, the book only recorded the location of the injury and the battle technique that was used to injure the cultivator… The duration of the injury wasn’t written. Could it be that… the young man before him actually deduced the timing based on the content recorded?

“On the seventh day, unable to control the clash of zhenqi in her body, the injury on her left chest was unable to heal and it had even started to rot! Under that situation, given that two violent surges of zhenqi were clashing with one another, forcefully driving her cultivation technique would only exacerbate the collision and aggravate her injuries!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly, “Under normal circumstances, one should first expend all of their zhenqi first… This is equivalent to drawing away the troops away from the point of collision so that the sword qi is able to flow out from the narrow meridian… Only after that should one find some way to neutralize it!”

“That’s right…” Su Fan and Ling Yuheng nodded their heads in agreement.

The eight and seven step methods that spoke of respectively consisted of the same procedures as well.

In order to achieve a breakthrough, the cultivator must recover from her injuries first. And to recover from her injuries, one must first solve the issue causing it… And the sword qi was the main problem at hand.

Expending one’s own zhenqi was a means of retreat. Only then would the ferocious sword qi lower its guard and come out from the narrow meridian. Once that happened, there would be at least a dozen ways for one to neutralize the sword qi.

Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head as well.

He also solved it in that way back then as well. In fact, he felt that all master teachers would choose the same method when faced with that problem. Was this… incorrect?

“Right? Not only is that wrong, it’s a grave mistake!”

Zhang Xuan shook his head, “Removing one’s zhenqi is just like moving away a boulder blocking the flow of a stream. While it does allow the sword qi to flow out, you must remember that it is an incomparably sharp searing sword qi. Furthermore, the location of the wound was near the left lung… That location is extremely close to the heart. If the sword qi gushed out and impaled the heart… the cultivator would die on the spot!”

“Die?” Su Fan was taken aback. “But given that the sword qi was trapped for seven days straight, its sharp edge should have already dulled…”

“You’re right in saying that it would have become dull. The probability of impaling the heart is probably less than a hundredth. However, what if it didn’t follow the usual path of heading toward the Zhuofei meridian via the Huichi acupoint? What if it headed to the Zhenxue meridian instead?”

“This…” Su shi and Ling shi jolted in shock.

Huichi acupoint was the point where the Zhuofei meridian and Zhenxue meridian intersected. The former led to the lung whereas the latter led to the heart.

Even though the sword qi would usually flow down toward the dantian… there was no guarantee that the cultivator, out of worry, would leave a surge of zhenqi within her body.

If so, there was a high possibility that the sword qi may proceed upward and enter the zhenxue meridian instead, thus impaling her heart.

If that was the case, even the deities would be unable to save her.

Pavilion Master Kang’s face paled, and his body tightened.

When he first stumbled by the case, all he thought about was how he could cure the cultivator. He didn’t think too much about the consequences, and it was only very long later that he realized the presence of this problem. Even though the probability wasn’t high… it was still an existent possibility.

It was fortunate that he was lucky then. Otherwise, the cultivator would have been dead by now.

If so, not only would he be unable to become a 4-star master teacher and the pavilion master, he might have even been stripped of his master teacher license and cursed at for innumerable years to come.

However… he had only noticed this problem after reaching 4-star pinnacle, when he looked back at this case… Yet, this young man, with a single glance, actually thought of this possibility… Could the idea of modifying the cultivation technique really be feasible?

Earlier, he thought that the other party was spouting nonsense. But given how the other party was able to consider even this situation… the issue regarding the cultivation technique probably wasn’t as easy as he thought.

“My idea doesn’t require the cultivator to expend her zhenqi clean beforehand, and neither does the sword qi have to be lured out of the meridian!”

Ignoring the shocked expressions of the trio, Zhang Xuan continued, “Taiyi acupoint is the first point of divergence between the left and right meridians. By having zhenqi flow through here, an energy harmonization could be achieved, thus pulling that sword qi down here. As long as the sword qi travelled down here, the rest would be easy. The Taiyi acupoint is close to the dantian so the cultivator can easily sustain the zhenqi to this area to force the sword qi out of one’s body!”

Widening his eyes, Su shi muttered to himself, “If one views the body as a formation, Taiyi is where the life gate is located. When the two zhenqi collides here, the sword qi will very naturally gush out from the acupoint…”

According to the theory of a formation master, the human body could be viewed as a formation as well. It possessed the origin gate, hibernation gate, life gate, impair gate, panorama gate, death gate, closed gate, and fright gate… The Eight Gates.

Taiyi acupoint was the point of connection between the left and right meridian, as well as the location where the life gate of a human’s body was located. If one were to gather the sword qi here, it would be easy to drive it out from one’s body. Just like that, without wasting a single ounce of energy, one would be able to subdue the sword qi…

It was dozens of times better than the expending of one’s zhenqi to forcefully neutralize the sword qi.

“Wait… If the sword qi were to travel here, it would indeed be easy to deal with it. However, what if it didn’t?” Pavilion Master Kang frowned.

The sword qi had been colliding with the cultivator’s zhenqi for seven days for now. Without withdrawing one’s zhenqi, why would the sword qi charge into the Taiyi acupoint?

It was just like having an enemy guarding at the doorway. As long as the enemy didn’t retreat, there would be no reason for one to charge forward and put oneself in a position of danger.

“Sigh!”

Hearing the other party’s question, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and shook his head helplessly. “It seems like you have a limited knowledge on the cultivator’s [Great Ancient Incursion Art]!”

“I…” Pavilion Master Kang’s face reddened.

The Great Ancient Incursion Art was a unique and peculiar cultivation technique. Even though Pavilion Master Kang had heard of it, he had never tried cultivating it, and as such, his knowledge of it was limited.

“The essence of the Great Ancient Incursion Art lies in ‘sharpness’ and ‘burst’. Continuous usage of this technique will result in the weakening of one’s zhenqi, and three consecutive usages will deplete one’s zhenqi! Just like I’ve said before, allow the zhenqi to circulate via the new pathway for three times… This way, when the sharpness of the zhenqi disappeared, the sword qi will see it as an opportunity to charge out and wreck one’s dantian… And to arrive at one’s dantian, one had to travel past the Taiyi acupoint! Surely… you should have at least thought of this,” Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

“This…” Pavilion Master Kang’s body jolted.

After being jammed for seven days, even though the sword qi possessed no sentience, it would still charge forward as though a spring which had been suppressed with all of its might for the last few days… It wasn’t easy for the Great Ancient Incursion Art to become so weak. This was the ideal opportunity to launch an offense, and there was no way for the sword qi to overlook it!

As long as they put some thought into it, all cultivators should be able to think of this.

“But your steps are incomplete! You said that circulating one’s zhenqi three times will allow one to attempt a breakthrough to Transcendent Mortal realm. However, up until now, the sword qi has only been removed…” Recovering from his shock, Pavilion Master Kang continued asking slightly doubtfully.

“The sword qi has only been removed? Think deeper into it, the zhenqi circulation method I just told you about…” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

“Upon leaving the dantian, the cultivator’s zhenqi will flow through the Taiyi, Guanmen, Liangmen… and finally, it’ll gather at Qishe…”

Pavilion Master Kang recalled and recited the content which the young man spoke of previously and his face suddenly warped, “As the cultivator’s zhenqi declines and the sword qi pursuits, the duo would reunite once more at Taiyi. After clashing with one another… the sword qi would burst forth from the acupoint while the cultivator’s zhenqi would make use of the momentum from the clash to break open the Guanmen and Liangmen… and finally reach Transcendent Mortal realm?”

“That’s equivalent to using the violent might of the sword qi to overcome one’s bottleneck. The possibility of success is… indeed no lower than ninety percent!” Su shi felt his throat running dry.

As a 4-star master teacher, he had fully grasped the outcomes that would occur from the different flow of zhenqi within one’s body.

Even though the sword qi would be expelled from the life gate when clashing with the cultivator’s zhenqi at Taiyi, the violent energy within it would meld into her zhenqi.

Since the enemy who dealt the sword qi to the cultivator was able to hurt her, it could only mean that the person was stronger than her. Going by such, the enemy must be at least a Transcendent Mortal.

The violent energy of a Transcendent Mortal paired with the cultivator’s own strength… When the two overlaps with one another, breaking one’s bottleneck would become much easier!

In fact, ninety percent seemed to be an underestimation. If that cultivator had done that back then, the success rate would probably be… a hundred percent!

“Y-you…”

Upon thinking of this, everyone widened their eyes in shock.

When they heard of the symptom of the cultivator, what immediately ran through their head was how they could neutralize the zhenqi, condition the cultivator’s physical body, and find a way to help her reach Transcendent Mortal realm… Yet, the young man before them actually thought of harnessing the sword qi trapped within the other party’s body to create a whole new cultivation technique that could help the cultivator achieve a breakthrough…

More importantly, from the point he finished reading the case to his recitation of the solution, only ten breaths had passed…

How in the world… did he manage to do it?

Was he still a human?

Seeing that the other party has already understood the logic behind his solution, Zhang Xuan asked nonchalantly, “So, can this cultivation technique of mine cure the cultivator and help her achieve a breakthrough?”

“Yes… It can!” Pavilion Master Kang’s face paled. Steadying his breath, he slowly nodded his head.

It had taken him only five steps and he had prided himself on it. Yet, the person before him only used a single step…

It seemed like Su shi and Ling shi were right. Even though the person before them was slightly lacking in his cultivation, he was anything but ordinary.

“Then have I answered your question yet?” Zhang Xuan continued asking.

“Yes…” Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head.

“Since I’m right, what are you standing there for?”

With a slightly displeased tone, the young man before him said, “Can’t you see that I’m thirsty after talking so much? Go and pour me a cup of water!”

 

Chapter 530: He Is a Celestial Master Teacher

Putong!

“Pour him a cup of water?”

“He’s actually trying to get the pavilion master to pour him a cup of water?”

Hearing those words, Su Fan and Ling Yuheng’s mouths twitched violently. In that instant, the two Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts nearly fell to the ground together.

When they first entered, they told Zhang Xuan clearly that the pavilion master was an austere person, and he had to take note of what he said… Who knew that this fool would actually order him around as though trying to teach a servant a lesson…

The heck!

Are you insane?

The both of us had to plead so hard with him for your slot, do you think that it has been easy for us? Yet, you seem to be trying your best to dump this slot away from you…

Just as tears were trailing down the faces of the duo as they anticipated the wrath of the pavilion master, the usually austere pavilion master suddenly stood up and respectfully replied, “Yes!”

Turning around, he began heating up a pot of water. After which, he took out his most prized tea leaves, filled the cup with it, before passing it over to Zhang Xuan.

“The heck!”

“What… is going on?”

The two 4-star master teachers, Transcendent Mortal 4-dan elders, stared at one another in astonishment, frenzied by the sight before them.

Pavilion Master Kang was known in the Myriad Kingdom City for his austerity. Even Alliance Head Zhao wouldn’t have the privilege of being served tea by him, and yet, despite Zhang shi speaking to him so impolitely, he still obeyed the other party’s command respectfully…

What in the world happened?

Suddenly, Su shi thought of something and his body trembled violently.

“It’s… Impartation of Heaven’s Will!”

The main reason why lower ranked master teachers didn’t dare to disobey the words of higher ranked master teachers was because of this!

The words of Zhang shi a moment ago seemed to harness the voice of the heavens, the energy of the soul… Because it wasn’t directed at them and they were busy analyzing the case as well, they didn’t notice it… But thinking back, that was indeed it!

To actually use Impartation of Heaven’s Will against Pavilion Master Kang… and to succeed at that!

What the heck?!

Su shi and Ling shi stared at one another, and at this moment, they even felt like dying already.

Pavilion Master Kang was an existence whose Soul Depth had reached at least 14.0. For the number one master teacher in Myriad Kingdom City to fall for Impartation of Heaven’s Will… and on top of that, for the one who did so to be a 2-star master teacher who wasn’t even twenty yet… If word were to spread out, many people would surely die from shock.

“Hmm?”

While the duo was in shock, Pavilion Master Kang also recovered from his trance and his eyes slowly widened. His cheeks twitched violently, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

To think that the strongest master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion would actually be beguiled by the Impartation of Heaven’s Will of a 2-star master teacher, and willingly serve the latter tea…

Just the thought of it left him in frenzy.

Just as he was considering what he should do next, the young man before him sipped on the tea served to him and looked at him nonchalantly, “Alright, let’s move on to the second question!”

“Second question…”

Pavilion Master Kang’s eyelids twitched.

The first question had already made him prey to the other party’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will. If he were to ask another question, would he be put under the same condition again?

With a righteous expression, Pavilion Master Kang grandly declared, “There’s no need for it. The three questions are to test whether you have the qualifications to attend the selection round. Given how your answer for the first question was much more logical than our answers, that proves testimony to your capability. There’s no need for the next two questions!”

The main point of the three questions was to test the other party’s capability as a master teacher. Given how the other party used a single move to solve a question that would require five moves from his part, not to mention, how he fell prey to the other party’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will… Just this in itself made him qualified to attend the selection round!

Since that was the case, it was meaningless to proceed on with the other questions. If so, he might as well be magnanimous and allow the other party to pass straight. Otherwise, if he were to be beguiled again, that would truly be embarrassing.

Waving his hands grandly, Pavilion Master Kang turned around and said, “Elder Ling, go and sound the Assembly Bell. Have everyone gather at the Master Teacher Atrium now, we’ll conduct the selection round!”

“Yes!” Nodding his head, Elder Ling retreated from the room.

A moment later, a bell chimed loudly in the master Teacher Pavilion. As long as one was a master teacher of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, one had to gather immediately upon hearing the sound.

“Bring Zhang shi to the Master Teacher Atrium. Su shi and I will be going over later!”

Hearing the chime, Pavilion Master Kang knew that the Master Teacher Atrium would be crowded very soon. Thus, he decided to instruct an apprentice outside to Zhang Xuan over first. Upon hearing the instruction, the young man guarding outside came in, bowed respectfully to Zhang Xuan, and led the way.

Knowing that he was heading over to the Master Teacher Atrium for the selection round, Zhang Xuan followed the young man without any complaints.

As the duo left the room, the room abruptly fell silent.

Pavilion Master Kang stared at Elder Su Fan, whom he had been a close friend with for several decades, hesitated for a moment, before asking, “Regarding Zhang shi, do you have anything to say?”

“He… is a 2-star master teacher from Tianwu Kingdom. He isn’t twenty yet…” Su shi said.

“That’s not what I’m asking!” Pavilion Master Kang’s complexion darkened. “I want detailed information. I want to know the reason why you two are so determined to recommend him!”

What the heck?!

You two are elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. Given that person’s humble background, how could you have recommended him instead of your own students?

After all, Su shi had a student who had reached 3-star pinnacle as well, and his capability was in no way inferior to Fu Xiaochen.

“This…”

Su shi hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Shall we head to the Chamber of Confidence?”

The Chamber of Confidence was a unique room where secrets were discussed. No matter how powerful one was, it would be impossible for one to eavesdrop on the content discussed from the outside. Thus, there was no need to worry about a single word being leaked out from within.

“Alright!”

With a grim expression, Pavilion Master Kang stood up.

As the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he had to come into contact with innumerable secrets. As such, there was a Chamber of Confidence within his room as well. Pushing open the door and walking in, he activated the formation and the duo immediately fell into an absolutely silent atmosphere.

After seating down, Pavilion Master Kang urged, “You may speak now!”

Given how grim Elder Su’s expression was, the matter he had to talk about must be of grave importance. Thus, he calmed himself down and prepared himself mentally.

“Twenty days ago, a Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell happened in our Master Teacher Pavilion… Does pavilion master still remember the incident?”

“Given how huge the matter is, how could I forget about it? I’ve already informed all lower Master Teacher Pavilion to look into the matter… Just that, there have been no results at all. I can’t help but suspect whether it might be triggered by the master teachers from the other empires participating in the Master Teacher Tournament.”

Pavilion Master Kang nodded.

Back when they were in the midst of conducting a conference, the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall suddenly started trembling non-stop. Even though he had suppressed the news, as someone who had witnessed the massive uproar then, how could he possibly not remember the incident?

“You sent a message to Tianwu Kingdom saying that… if either Kong shi’s statue had shaken or the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall had collapsed, report to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion immediately…” Su shi continued.

“Un! Rejection of the Ancestors, Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell… The most direct manifestation of this situation is the trembling of Kong shi’s statue and the collapse of the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall. If it happened in the region, one can confirm that the exact location of the genius was there then…”

Answering the question, Pavilion Master Kang suddenly froze and his breathing hastened, “Twenty days ago, you were in Tianwu Kingdom… Could it be that the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall there collapsed?”

“That’s right! However, due to the possible consequences of the matter, for fear of the news leaking out, I asked them to reply with a ‘no’ for the time being!” Su shi clasped his fist. “I seek your pardon for that!”

Back then, Su shi had instructed the Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion to reply with a negative then.

Otherwise, if the matter were to blow up, Zhang shi would be in dire danger.

“If the news were to leak, the master teacher responsible for the incident might be in trouble… You made the right call!” Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head.

If he were put in the other party’s position, he would have surely done the same as well.

After all, as senior master teachers, they had a duty to protect their talented juniors.

“When the Tianwu Kingdom’s Teacher Acknowledgement Hall collapsed… Zhang shi was in the midst of taking the 2-star master teacher examination!” Su shi said.

“You’re saying that… he is likely to be the genius who rejected the acknowledgement of the predecessors and triggered the Sorrowful Chimes of the Bell?” Pavilion Master Kang narrowed his eyes.

At this moment, he finally understood why the duo had recommended Zhang Xuan so strongly, even putting their everything on the line. To be able to win the acknowledgement of so many predecessors… How talented must he be?

“Not only so, if I’m not mistaken… Zhang shi is very likely to be a… Celestial Master Teacher!” Su shi said.

In truth, he should have reported this matter to the pavilion master as soon as he returned. The reason why he and Ling shi chose to continue to keep it to themselves wasn’t because they were intentionally hiding the matter but that… they couldn’t confirm it at all!

Thus, they had been spending their time flipping through the books to ascertain the facts.

However, it was a pity that there had only been one Celestial Master Teacher in history, and that was Kong shi. Without sufficient information, they couldn’t confirm their deductions. Even after spending almost a dozen days buried in books, he and Elder Ling were still completely bewildered.

“What did you say?”

Pavilion Master Kang narrowed his eyes.

“Back when Zhang shi took the master teacher examination, not only did the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall collapse, Kong shi’s statue broke as well. Other than the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher, the Student of a Sage, I can’t really think of any other possibility.” Su shi explained the happenings he had seen in Tianwu Kingdom.

“Th-this…” Upon hearing of the phenomena that had occurred in Tianwu Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kang’s lips turned dry.

Even though he couldn’t confirm anything at this point, there was a good chance that Zhang shi, the culprit of all of these bizarre happenings, is a Celestial Master Teacher!

Suddenly, he recalled another incident.

“Ten days ago, another acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher occurred. Could it be him as well?”

Several days ago, the phenomenon of ‘Trembling of Myriad Tokens, Harmony of the Chimes’ occurred in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Alliance, and based on the ancient records, this was a sign of the acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher.

But it was a pity that despite all the effort he had devoted into investigating the matter, there wasn’t the slightest news on the matter.

Since Zhang shi was likely to be a Celestial Master Teacher, could it be him this time as well?

“That I’m not too sure, but judging from the timing, I doubt that he was at the capital then…” Su shi shook his head.

Since Zhang shi wasn’t at the capital then, it would make it even harder to verify the matter.

“Regardless of whether it is true or not… Given that he’s likely to be a Celestial Master Teacher, there shouldn’t be a problem in him participating in the tournament. It’s just that it’s a pity that…”

After a moment of hesitation, Pavilion Master Kang shook his head, “He’s still too young, and his cultivation is too weak. He might not be able to match up to the others!”

Even though the other party was a Celestial Master Teacher, an impressive figure recognized by even the heavens… he was still much too young.

Those who could participate in the tournament were all nearing their thirties. With ten years of difference, no matter how talented Zhang shi was, it would still be difficult for him to match up to the others.

“Forget it, let’s not think about this matter anymore. In any case, you did well in this matter. Make sure to keep this a secret, don’t let anyone find out about it!”

Shaking his head, Pavilion Master Kang decided to shove it aside for the moment. “All of the master teachers should be in place already, let’s head over to the Master Teacher Atrium as well!”

“Un!” Su shi stood up, but after taking two steps, he realized that the pavilion master was still stationary behind. Turning around, he saw the latter looking at him with an embarrassed expression.

“Um… regarding the issue of me being beguiled earlier… I hope that you can keep it a secret!”

“…” Su shi.

 

Chapter 531: I Am That Dolt

Following behind the young man, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at a vast room—the Master Teacher Atrium.

The location where mass conferences involving all of the master teachers within the Myriad Kingdom City was held. Even before entering the room, Zhang Xuan could already see that the interior was packed with people.

Many people were walking to and fro as they proceeded to their seats.

At the entrance of the hall, the young man leading the way said, “Zhang shi, please put on your robe and emblem…”

“Un!”

This was an assembly area for master teachers. Naturally, one had to don the attire that represented one’s identity so as to not be out of place.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a robe and donned it. At the same time, he pinned his emblem on his chest.

He had never worn this costume ever since he received it after passing the master teacher examination in Tianwu Kingdom. It wasn’t because he was intentionally trying to conceal his identity but that he was too used to be tighter fitting clothes from his previous life. The robe seemed much to inconvenient to him in comparison.

After tidying up his clothes, he followed behind the crowd and walked in.

Even though Zhang Xuan knew that there were many master teachers gathered here, the staggering number of people within still shocked him.

Taking a brief glance, there were at least five hundred master teachers in here!

Five hundred master teachers gathered in a single place… Just the thought of it felt inconceivable.

But even so, given that this was the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, this much was to be expected.

On top of that, the allure of the Master Teacher Tournament was also immense. Almost all of the slightly more powerful master teachers had gathered here. Those who weren’t here were master teachers who remained in their respective kingdoms to guard against unexpected situations, but even so, they numbered in the minority. All in all, the total number of master teachers in the alliance should be under a thousand.

Considering the massive combined population of all of the vassal states, be it Conferred Kingdoms, Tier 1 Kingdoms, Tier 2 Kingdoms, and Unranked Kingdoms-it definitely exceeded ten billion at the very least-and the huge proportion of cultivators among them, the proportion of master teacher was truly humble in comparison.

The young man guiding Zhang Xuan wasn’t a master teacher yet, so he didn’t tag along. Thus, Zhang Xuan walked into the room along with the group.

There were innumerable rows of tables and chairs placed within. The front rows only had twenty to thirty chairs, and the further back it was, the more chairs there were.

“It seems like the seating arrangement depends on one’s identity…”

With just a glance, Zhang Xuan immediately understood.

Even though master teachers propagate the rise of all men, there was still a strict hierarchy among its ranks.

The front seats were reserved for only 4-star master teachers, followed by 3-star, then 2-star…

Given that Zhang Xuan was only a 2-star master teacher at the moment, he could only sit at the back.

Even so, it didn’t matter much to him. Since the selection round was about to be conducted soon, he probably wouldn’t spend too long seated here.

After searching around for a bit, he finally found the 2-star master teacher region and sat down.

“What’s happening? Why is there such a sudden assembly?”

“I’m not too sure either. However, I heard a few days ago that a selection round for the candidates of the Master Teacher Tournament is going to be held. Perhaps, they intend to conduct it before all of us!”

“That’s possible! But I wonder who will be chosen this time around…”

“Need that be said? Of course, it’s Fu Xiaochen, Fu shi!”

“That might not necessarily be the case. I think Ruohuan gongzi stands a better chance. After all, he’s my idol!”

…

Upon sitting down, Zhang Xuan immediately noticed the discussions around him.

Ever since the pavilion master announced the selection round ten days ago, there had been many discussions and disputes on who would be chosen to represent the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. All kinds of rumors went around, and some were even gambling on the matter.

Due to the small community, most master teachers knew one another, and they had their own supporters and aides.

Listening to the conversation of others for a while, just like what Su shi and Ling shi said, it seemed like Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen were the most popular candidates.

The duo held an extraordinary position among the Myriad Kingdom Alliance master teachers.

Following the gazes of the other master teachers, he saw a few figures who were clearly in the center of attention even among the large crowd of master teachers.

One of them was a dashing gentleman who held a foldable fan in his hands. The stark contrast between his crimson lips and white teeth seemed to accentuate his charm, and there was a bright glow in his eyes. Judging from the aura around him, his cultivation seemed to be above average.

“It seems like that is Ruohuan gongzi, Jun Ruohuan!”

Zhang Xuan had been intrigued as to why he, as a master teacher, wasn’t addressed as ‘Jun shi’ but ‘Ruohuan gongzi’ instead.

But after seeing the other party with his own eyes, he finally understood the reason. If not for the master teacher robe on the other party, it would be hard to imagine that he was an unparalleled talent who had already reached a rank of 4-star.

And on the same row, not too far away from Ruohuan gongzi, stood a young man. Even though there were only three stars on his emblem, he didn’t lose out to the former in terms of disposition at all.

His appearance was average, and there were even some traces of baby fat on his face, giving him a chubby look. However, his eyes were sharp and the aura he exuded exerted an immense pressure on those around him. His cultivation could only be higher than Jun Ruohuan, and based on Zhang Xuan’s estimation, it was probably at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan!

This should be the famous Fu Xiaochen!

Just as Zhang Xuan wanted to assess the other three of his candidates, he heard a laughter by his ear, “This friend here, I’ve never seen you around here. May I know which country you come from?”

Turning to look at the origin of the voice, it came from the young man who was seated beside Zhang Xuan.

He seemed to be in his thirties, and there were two stars shining brightly on his emblem.

“Tianxuan Kingdom!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Tianxuan? What tier is it?” The young man scratched his head in confusion.

“It doesn’t have a tier, so it is considered as unranked!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Unranked Kingdom?” The young man was taken aback. After which, he immediately chuckled awkwardly, “To be able to become a 2-star master teacher at your age despite coming from such a place, you are indeed extraordinary!”

Knowing that this was just pleasantry, Zhang Xuan smiled, not saying much in response.

Even though he had passed by Tianwu and Xuanyuan in his journey, if one had to talk about his origin, it was Tianxuan.

“The Master Teacher Tournament is a huge event for us master teachers. No matter the price, we have to at least come here to spectate it!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan’s lack of response, the young man changed the topic.

“Indeed!” Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Judging from how many master teachers had come just for this event, it was indeed an event of unprecedented scale.

Given that so many master teachers were gathered here, if they could converse with one another, trade ideas, and learn from one another, it would surely be immensely beneficial to their future growth. Most probably, this was the main reason behind the establishment of the tournament in the first place.

“Right, regarding the selection round, who do you think will emerge victorious?” the young man asked excitedly.

“Who do I think will emerge victorious? I don’t really know.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Right, you only arrived recently so it’s normal for you to not know much! You should have heard the discussions of others as well. Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen are currently the two most popular candidates. Ruohuan gongzi came from the leading family of the Four Great Clans, the Jun Clan, and on top of that, he’s one of the Four Gentlemen of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Even Alliance Head Zhao’s son, Crown Prince Zhao Hui, is overshadowed by him. On the other hand, Fu Xiaochen is the direct disciple of Elder Hai. Of all of the candidates, they are indeed the most likely to win.”

The young man said. “However, I think the one who stands the greatest chance is actually Elder Feng’s student, Feng Mosheng.”

“Feng Mosheng?”

“That’s right. I’ve seen Feng shi once, and even though he’s a very humble and low-profile person, his cultivation is one of the most impressive I’ve seen! Three years ago, when I had the privilege to receive guidance from him, he was already a 3-star pinnacle master teacher. It’s hard to imagine how far he has reached since then!” Speaking of Feng shi, the young man’s eyes glowed in admiration.

“As for the remaining two, I heard that they came from other kingdoms. One of them is known as Luo Xi, and a beautiful female master teacher. The other one is Du Hu… I don’t know much about their strength, but judging from how they were specially chosen as candidates for the tournament, they must be extraordinary as well!”

At which, the young man suddenly lowered his voice secretively and said, “Also, I heard that the total number of candidates for this selection round isn’t five but six! The announcement for the selection round has been made ten days ago by the pavilion master but it ended up being dragged until now. According to the rumors, the reason for that is because that sixth person isn’t here yet!”

“Oh? You know that person?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“My teacher is one of the elders and he attended the conference regarding the selection of the candidates. That sixth person was highly recommended by Su shi and Ling shi, and if I’m not mistaken, his name is… Zhang Xuan!”

At which, the young man harrumphed, “If not for this fellow, the selection round would have been held long ago. He sure is a dolt!”

“Cough cough, a dolt?” Zhang Xuan coughed.

“The Master Teacher Tournament is such an important affair and yet that fellow was still late for it. To keep so many master teachers waiting like that… It is one thing if he’s truly formidable but according to what I know, he’s only a 2-star master teacher. On top of that, he seems to be quite young at that… To disrespect one’s elders like that, what else can he be if not a dolt? If not for Su shi and Ling shi acting as a guarantor for him, he would have long been stripped of his slot!”

The young man spoke contemptuously.

“I see!” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

To be called a dolt right to his face, Zhang Xuan had no idea what he should say.

Even so, back then, Su shi told him that it would suffice as long as he made it to the Myriad Kingdom City within three months. How could he have known that there would be a selection round?

“I’m not the only one who thinks so, the others share the same thought as well! If I knew what that person looks like, I’d definitely beat him up when I meet him!” The young man spoke ferociously. “If I hadn’t been waiting for him, I would have long gone into seclusion to attempt for a breakthrough in my cultivation already. It is his fault that I ended up dragging the matter out until now…”

Not expecting that his tardiness would bring him so much hostility, Zhang Xuan flashed a bitter smile. Just as he was about to speak, the entire hall suddenly fell silent. Lifting his head, he saw Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi walking into the room.

“I believe most of you all should have guessed the reason behind the chiming of the Assembly Bell!”

Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands grandly, “That’s right, the selection round for the Master Teacher Tournament will be conducted today. The reason why I gathered everyone here today is so that everyone can bear witness to the event!”

“As I expected, it’s the selection round!”

“Does that mean that master teacher, Zhang Xuan, is here as well?”

“He’s here? Where is he?”

…

Hearing the confirmation from the pavilion master, the crowd began whispering amongst themselves, some of them began looking around.

“The Master Teacher Tournament is a major event conducted by the vassal empires under Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. I believe I need not say anything about our past results, everyone here should know about them… It happens that we’re the host this time, so I hope that we can break out of our slump this time and bring some glory to our branch!”

Pavilion Master Kang’s eyes scanned through the crowd.

“Yes!”

Hearing those words, even though most of the master teachers were not going to participate in the event, their faces still reddened in agitation, and they clenched their fists tightly.

As master teachers of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they couldn’t help but feel frustrated upon seeing their Master Teacher Pavilion being ranked at the bottom each time.

As the host this time around, they were determined to not allow history to repeat itself. Otherwise, how could they face their predecessors in the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall?

“Alright, all of you, come up!”

After which, Pavilion Master Kang beckoned, and Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others walked up.

There was a total of five people.

“Hmm? Where’s Zhang shi?” Seeing that Zhang Xuan wasn’t with him, Pavilion Master Kang’s eyebrows shot up.

…

“Hehe, look. The selection round is about to start but that dolt Zhang Xuan isn’t here yet. I sure hope that the pavilion master will strip him of his qualification for his lack of respect…”

Seeing Pavilion Master Kang looking around in search for that Zhang shi, the young man harrumphed coldly and shook his head. Then, upon suddenly realizing something, he turned to look at the acquaintance he had just met and asked, “Right, brother, despite talking for so long, I don’t think I’ve heard your name yet!”

“My name?” Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly as he stood up.

“It seems that… I am the dolt you spoke of… Zhang Xuan!”

 

Chapter 532: The Selection Begins!

“Y-you… are Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi?”

The young man shuddered as tears streamed down his face. He nearly fainted on the spot.

Even though he had spoken badly of Zhang Xuan, he also knew that someone who was so strongly recommended by Su shi and Ling shi was anything but ordinary. Most probably, this Zhang shi wasn’t just an ordinary 2-star master teacher.

Just that… as a fellow 2-star master teacher, he couldn’t help but feel jealous by the other party’s candidacy. This was also why he found himself pouring out all of his grudges upon seeing a stranger. If it had been someone he was familiar with, he would definitely be unable to do the same.

In any case, he didn’t know the person anyway. Thus, he began talking to vent his frustration but never in his dreams could he have imagined that… not only did he accurately find the person in question, he even called the other party a dolt to his face!

What the heck?!

Aren’t you going to participate in the selection round? Shouldn’t you be seated with Ruohuan gongzi, Fu Xiaochen, and the others? Why are you sitting here with us?

The young man only saw lightning flashing through his head, and at that moment, even suicidal thoughts were popping up in his head.

What the heck was this… He just wanted to grab a stranger to complain to, and he just had to pick this Zhang shi of all people… Wasn’t his luck too poor?!

Just as he was worried that the other party might pick a bone with him, Zhang shi stepped away and walked to the front.

“He isn’t blaming me for it?”

Seeing that the other party didn’t say a word to him before leaving, the young man widened his mouth in disbelief.

Master teachers valued their reputation highly and being insulted as a dolt to his face was an immense humiliation. If the other party were to blow up the matter, he would have no choice but to just bear the consequences… But the other party simply walked away without saying a thing. This magnanimity was something that most master teachers weren’t equipped with.

“I wonder… if he will be picked…”

Suppressing his frustration, the master teacher turned his gaze to the stage.

…

“He’s Zhang Xuan?”

“He seems younger than what the rumors depict him out to be!”

“Indeed. He’s not even twenty yet, and on top of that, he’s only a 2-star master teacher. What rights does he have to participate in the selection round?”

“That might not necessarily be the case. Even though he’s wearing the 2-star emblem, his capability might not necessarily be just that of a 2-star master teacher.

“You’re right… Without true capability, Su shi and Ling shi wouldn’t have recommended him with such determination. But even if he isn’t just a 2-star master teacher, given his age, his capability should still be severely limited!”

…

Everyone stared at the young man who just walked up to the stage in incredulity.

They had long heard that Zhang shi was young… but only witnessing his appearance first-hand did the image really strike them.

Discernment ability and knowledge were important to a master teacher, but more important than that was knowledge far surpassing ordinary cultivators.

No matter how talented this young man was, given that he had a decade less than the others to study, how much knowledge could he possibly have accrued?

“Since everyone is present, I shall begin explaining the rules of the selection round!”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was here, Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head. Surveying the crowd, he began explaining the details of the selection round. “There will be a total of five rounds, and they will be related to the various fundamentals a master teacher should possess! It’ll be presented in the form of a competition, and the first place will earn six points, the second place will earn five points, so on and so forth.

“The two candidates who are ranked at the top in terms of points at the end of the five tests will be selected to represent Myriad Kingdom Alliance in the Master Teacher Tournament!”

At which, Pavilion Master Kang waved his hands and asked, “Is there anyone who has any doubts?”

“No!” everyone hurriedly replied.

Jun Ruohuan and the candidates also shook their heads.

“I’ve already designed the tests with the other elders, and they’ll be targeted at one’s Soul Depth, comprehension of cultivation technique, memory, knowledge impartation, and guidance respectively.”

Seeing that no one had any doubts, Pavilion Master Kang traded glances with the elders in the front row and nodded his head. “We’ll begin the first round now, the test of Soul Depth. Elder Wu, I’ll be troubling you!”

“Pavilion master, there’s no need to stand on ceremony. It is only right that I do this!”

An elder chuckled as he walked up to the stage. Flicking his wrist, an ancient zither appeared in his hands.

“To think that Elder Wu would be sent out for the very first round!” someone in the hall commented.

“Why? Is there something special about Elder Wu?” The person beside him asked doubtfully.

“Of course! Elder Wu is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher just like the pavilion master, but… he has a very unique supporting occupation. That occupation is extremely useful for tempering one’s Soul Depth!” replied the first person.

“Oh? What kind of occupation could be useful in tempering one’s Soul Depth?” asked the second person curiously.

The most fundamental aspect of a master teacher was their Soul Depth. The higher one’s Soul Depth, the easier for them to comprehend the essence of a master teacher. What kind of supporting occupation did Elder Wu have to make him noteworthy even among the other 4-star pinnacle master teachers?

“Demonic tunist!” the first person replied.

“Demonic tunist? You mean that unique occupation that can muddle a person’s consciousness with music?” The second person was taken aback.

“Un!” The first person nodded his head. “Even though demonic tunist is only an occupation of the Lower Nine Paths, they are capable of using music to bewitch one’s heart, making it hard to guard against. Our Myriad Kingdom City doesn’t have a Demonic Tunist Guild, so Elder Wu’s occupation is rather rare here!”

“To actually send a demonic tunist up to test the candidates’ Soul Depth, just the first round in itself is difficult!” the second person remarked.

In normal master teacher examinations, a Stone of Insight would be used to test one’s Soul Depth, and the one with the higher number would emerge victorious. The difficulty was clearly much higher now that a demonic tunist was involved.

…

In the midst of the discussion of the duo below, Elder Wu had already placed his zither down on a table and turned his gaze to the candidates.

“The first round will test your Soul Depth! As a master teacher, not only should one’s Soul Depth be high, more importantly, one must be capable of thinking and operating rationally when put in a distracting environment! Under the request of the pavilion master, I’m here to test your Soul Depth. Naturally, I’ll give it my all, so you all should be mentally prepared.”

After which, he flicked his wrist again and a few round-shaped metal plates appeared on the table.

“This is a blank formation plate that formation masters often use. Later, I’ll play a Demonic Tune of Psychosis which muddles one’s consciousness, and you all will have to inscribe on the formation plate under such a state. At the end of the tune, you will be judged on your progress in the inscription and the exquisiteness of your strokes!”

Elder Wu glanced at the candidates and said, “I’ll just say it first, my Demonic Tune of Psychosis will only work on one person at a time. Who wants to go first?”

“What an insane test!”

“I’ve heard of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis in a book before. It can muddle one’s mind, leaving one unable to think properly. If a normal cultivator were to fall for it, he’ll be left in a state similar to heavy intoxication. Under the state where one can’t even differentiate directions, how could one possibly inscribe anything at all…”

“Indeed! Even standing upright will be a challenge then, for one to inscribe exquisite strokes on a palm-sized formation plate…”

“More importantly, the formation plate used for the test is of grade-3. Not only will one have to be of clear mind to inscribe on it, the force used is also of absolute importance. Otherwise, there’s a high chance that it might shatter!”

“This test isn’t just on one’s Soul Depth. It is also assessing one’s ability to control their strength in a confused state… Difficult, this test is extremely difficult!”

…

After hearing the content of Elder Wu’s test, many master teachers below breathed in a large mouthful of cold air.

There was a good reason for the fame of the demonic tunist despite being just a Lower Nine Paths occupation! Under the onslaught of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, it would already be difficult for one to resist its effects and maintain composure. To inscribe on a blank formation plate on top of that…

The difficulty was immense!

Putting aside the candidates, even the 4-star elders seated at the front row would find it hard to do so.

“Demonic tunist? Inscribe?”

Contrary to everyone’s shock, Zhang Xuan frowned.

In the books that he had flipped through, there were some records on demonic tunists, but they were extremely brief. As such, he wasn’t too sure about the abilities they possessed.

He had always thought that demonic tunist were similar to painters, just that their area of specialization was music. But from the looks of it, it wasn’t as simple as he thought.

After hearing Elder Wu’s explanation, Ruohuan gongzi turned to look at his competitors, curious to see their reactions.

Fu Xiaochen had a calm expression, seemingly expecting that there would be such a test. Thus, he was currently conditioning himself in preparation for it.

The others were also driving their Soul Depth, preparing themselves for the test with a solemn expression. Only a young man had his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

It was the person who had kept them waiting for several days, Zhang Xuan.

“It is obvious that he has never heard of demonic tunists before!”

Seeing the other party’s confused expression, Ruohuan gongzi knew that the other party had never heard of demonic tunists before. To think that he, despite being one of the Four Gentlemen and a 4-star primary master teacher, would end up competing with such a fellow…

Just the thought of it left him frustrated.

Chuckling softly, Ruohuan gongzi said, “You are Zhang shi, right? Even though you kept us waiting for quite a while, you still came from afar. As a guest… it’s only right for us to allow you to go first!”

“Me?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “There’s no need to stand on ceremonies. If you wish, feel free to go. I’ll just take a look first!”

There was no occupation within the Nine Paths that was ordinary. Since Zhang Xuan had never come into contact with demonic tunists before, he hoped to see the situation first before deciding on his next course of action.

“Take a look first?”

Ruohuan gongzi sneered, “Do you think that since Elder Wu is currently energized and that the one to go first will suffer the heaviest impact?”

“Since this is a test of one’s Soul Depth, one should brave forward! To be hesitant, it only shows that you are worried and fearful. With such a huge gap in your mental fortitude, how can you expect to achieve good results? You must be joking!”

Since this was a test of one’s Soul Depth, going first and going last could make a difference in one’s state of mind and thus results.

If one were to hesitate for fear that one would suffer the brunt of the blow from going first, it could only go to show that there was a huge flaw in one’s mental fortitude.

And the moment there was a flaw in one’s mental fortitude, one would succumb easily to the Demonic Tune of Psychosis.

Ruohuan gongzi was intentionally saying those words so as to affect Zhang Xuan’s confidence and state of mind.

Since they were competitors, he had no intentions of going easy on the others.

“Since you are fearful, allow me to go first then!”

After striking at Zhang shi’s confidence, Ruohuan gongzi chuckled softly and walked up to the table, preparing to pick up the blank formation plate.

“Ruohuan gongzi, why don’t you allow me to go first instead?”

An impassive voice sounded. Then, Fu Xiaochen walked up to the table as well.

He was already done conditioning his mental state. His expression was peaceful, and at this moment, it seemed as though nothing in the world could shake him.

“You wish to compete with me?” Ruohuan gongzi’s eyebrows shot up.

“Compete? You’re overthinking it. Given Elder Wu’s strength, it doesn’t matter whether one goes first or last. The effect of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis will surely be the same… The nifty tricks you use on others won’t work on me,” Fu Xiaochen replied impassively.

 

Chapter 533: Demonic Tune of Psychosis

As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher and a 4-star demonic tunist, his control over his strength had already reached an astonishing level. Since this was a fair competition, how could he possibly vary the intensity of his attacks for the candidates?

The words that Ruohuan gongzi said previously were clearly an attempt to shoot down Zhang shi’s confidence. This might be useful against someone who came from a remote area, but to him, Fu Xiaochen, it was completely futile.

“Since you understand that, you should know that I won’t compromise on anything I’ve decided upon!” Ruohuan gongzi said.

“I’m the same as well!” Fu Xiaochen replied.

Before the test had begun, the duo had already collided with one another.

“Oh? Since that’s the case, why don’t we compete to see who goes first then?” Ruohuan gongzi said.

“Sure! What do you want to compete on?” Fu Xiaochen nodded.

The two of them were equally matched, and they were both contenders for the championship.

Thus, they had been thinking of how they could suppress the other party right from the start so that it would be difficult for the other party to make a comeback later on.

“Let’s compete on…” After a moment of contemplation, Ruohuan gongzi was just about to say the content of the competition when a melody suddenly sounded.

Tzing!

Turning around, unknowingly, Feng Mosheng had already stepped forward, picked up a formation plate, and seated down on the floor, ready to take the test. Elder Wu’s hands were also on the ancient zither, and lightly plucking at it, a melodious tune sounded.

“What the heck?!”

Not expecting their slight moment of distraction would grant another an opportunity to go first, Fu Xiaochen and Jun Ruohuan’s faces steeled, and an urge to spurt blood welled up in them.

What the heck was this?!

He wanted to strike down on the other party’s confidence so as to affect his performance, only to end up giving away the initiative to someone else.

“Hmph!”

Knowing that there was no use arguing anymore, the duo flung their arms and returned back to where they were.

Weng weng weng!

Upon sitting down, Wu shi began plucking his zither, and a tune that seemed to strike deep within one’s heart gushed over as though a rampaging torrent.

“This music… Nothing seems to be wrong about it?”

The music sounded a little upbeat, but other than that, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong about it. Zhang Xuan didn’t feel any signs of him being controlled, and his mind didn’t seem to be breached by anything as well.

But taking a look at Feng Mosheng, he knew that it wasn’t as simple as he thought.

The latter, as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher, had a Soul Depth exceeding 11.0. Even so, upon hearing the melody of the zither, sweat began dripping down his forehead. He seemed to be under great pressure.

“It seems like there’s an area of effect to the zither melody. Beyond that area, even if one hears the melody, one won’t feel anything at all…”

A glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Elder Wu had said previously that he would test the candidates one by one. From the looks of it now, it seemed like there was a limit to the attack range of the zither melody. Beyond that area, the melody would just be like normal music.

Hu!

While the other candidates couldn’t feel anything at all, Feng Mosheng, who was bearing the brunt of the impact of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, went pale. With trembling hands, he took out a carving knife and ‘jiya!’, he started carving on the formation plate.

The Demonic Tune of Psychosis played by the demonic tunist resounded in his mind, leaving him faint-headed and unable to concentrate. As such, the carving knife in his hand was also slightly shaky.

“As expected, it isn’t as easy as I thought…”

Seeing how even a genius like the other party was facing such immense difficulty, Zhang Xuan’s expression turned grim.

As expected of a selection round conducted by the Myriad Kingdom City. Just the first round was sufficient to leave many in despair already.

Suddenly, a thought appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

‘Does this Demonic Tune of Psychosis have a weakness?’

Since a cultivator executing a battle technique and a formation master setting up a formation could both compile a corresponding book on it, given that a demonic tunist was in the midst of playing a melody, a book should be able to be compiled on it as well!

Muttering ‘flaws’ softly, Zhang Xuan’s mind jolted and a book appeared before him.

“Wu Xu, an elder of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. 4-star master teacher, demonic tunist, formation master, painter, and tea master. Specializes in using offense via demonic tunes, of which, the Demonic Tune of Psychosis…”

“Flaws: …”

Flipping through pages, Zhang Xuan swiftly found some content concerning the Demonic Tune of Psychosis.

“I see!”

A gleam flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he chuckled.

This Demonic Tune of Psychosis may seem extremely fearsome but it had its flaws too. As long as Zhang Xuan used it properly, it wouldn’t be too difficult to break it.

Soon, after reading through the book, an idea appeared in Zhang Xuan’s mind.

‘I’ll try it later on!’

Knowing that it wasn’t the time for him to try out his idea yet, Zhang Xuan placed the thought aside and turned his attention back to the test. At this moment, the Demonic Tune of Psychosis was already reaching its end, and Feng Mosheng seemed as though he was completely intoxicated. His body wobbled violently even though he was already seated down.

He seemed to have inscribed quite a bit on the formation plate in his hands, but from Zhang Xuan’s current position, it was hard to see what the other party had inscribed clearly.

Weng!

With a light pluck, the zither melody finally came to an end.

“Wu shi, thank you for going easy on me!”

Shaking his head, Feng Mosheng stood up, clasped his fists and bowed before passing the formation plate over.

He could tell that the other party didn’t give it his all. Otherwise, given his current level of Soul Depth, it would have been impossible for him to withstand the entire tune.

“Un!” Nodding his head, Wu shi passed the formation plate to a master teacher standing beside him.

After grabbing over the formation plate, the master teacher began counting and reported the result, “A total of 432 strokes, and every stroke is of equal depth!”

“More than 400 strokes?”

“Impressive! Even though he was clearly at his limit, he was still able to leave so many strokes behind. Not to mention, they are all of the equal depth as well. As expected of a genius qualified to participate in the selection round!”

“If it was me, I would surely be unable to inscribe even a single stroke…”

“Don’t worry. Given your qualifications, Elder Wu probably couldn’t even be bothered to lay his hands on you!”

“You…”

…

Upon hearing the results, a huge uproar spread across the crowd.

The Demonic Tune of Psychosis had only lasted for three minutes. Even though there was no specific rule dictating what one should inscribe, to be able to inscribe more than 400 strokes within such a short period of time was indeed impressive, not to mention, one had to do it while warding off the offense of the melody.

“More than four hundred strokes?”

“It seems like I underestimated this fellow. To think that he would achieve such impressive results!”

Ruohuan gongzi and Fu Xiaochen frowned.

Even they couldn’t help but feel pressured by Feng Mosheng’s result.

“Alright, the next one!”

After announcing Feng Mosheng’s result, Wu shi conditioned his physical state for a few breaths, and after recovering, he turned to look at the crowd.

Given his current capability, it would have been difficult for him to use the Demonic Tune of Psychosis to subdue a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert in a real battle. However, given that there was no battle involved in this test, he was still able to keep up.

“Allow me!” Fu Xiaochen walked over.

This time, Ruohuan gongzi didn’t vie with him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to go but that Feng Mosheng’s result had exerted some pressure on him. He wanted to condition himself to be in his best state before challenging it.

Tzing!

The zither began playing once more, and the sound of a carving knife cutting a formation plate sounded as well.

Soon, the test came to an end, and Fu Xiaochen retreated back.

The master teacher reported the result.

“A total of 427 strokes. The strokes are clear and there’s no repetitions.”

“Such a pity…” Shaking his head, Fu Xiaochen’s complexion wasn’t too good.

He thought that, given his ability, winning the selection round shouldn’t be a problem at all. He didn’t expect that he would lost out to this Feng Mosheng at the very first round.

A difference of five strokes!

But only when experiencing the Demonic Tune of Psychosis itself did he realize how fearsome it was. If not for the desire of victory pushing him on, he would have surely succumbed halfway through.

Fu Xiaochen quickly calmed down.

‘Even though my results aren’t as good as Feng shi’s, it isn’t too far as compared to him. It’ll depend on Ruohuan gongzi’s result now. If his result is worse than mine, I’ll still stand a very good chance in earning one of the two slots!’

Two people were to be selected in the selection round, and this was only the first round. As long as he didn’t make any errors later on, it shouldn’t be too difficult for him to get one of the slots.

“Allow me!”

The third one to challenge wasn’t Ruohuan gongzi but the beautiful female master teacher, Luo Xi!

In terms of appearance, this lady could only be said to be decent. She was a far match from Princess Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu, needless to say, Zhao Ya.

However, as a 3-star pinnacle master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan expert, she had a unique disposition that accentuated her beauty.

This beautiful lady may seem weak, but her Soul Depth was exceptionally strong. She also managed to survive through the entirety of Elder Wu’s Demonic Tune of Psychosis.

After Luo Xi, the other foreign master teacher, Du Hu, went up.

The duo managed to achieve a result exceeding four hundred strokes, but they were still a distance away from matching up to Fu Xiaochen, let alone Feng Mosheng.

“A dark horse!”

“Indeed. Who could have known that this Feng shi would be so formidable!”

“Even Fu shi’s result is unable to match up to him… I truly never expected this to happen!”

“I told you all that Feng shi is a strong contender as well, you all just refused to believe me.”

…

Even after four candidates had challenged the test, Feng Mosheng was still ranked in first place. This result had left all of the master teachers shocked.

Initially, they thought that the slots would surely go to Ruohuan gongzi and Fu shi. Who could have thought that Feng Mosheng would be so formidable as well?

It seemed like Feng shi’s low profile had indeed made a lot of people underestimate him.

“Look, it’s Ruohuan gongzi’s turn!”

Just as everyone was astounded by the previous results, someone shouted out and everyone immediately turned their attention back to the stage.

At that moment, Ruohuan gongzi was already seated down with the formation plate right before him. He held onto a carving knife in his hands.

Tzing! Tzing!

The melody of a zither sounded.

Frowning, Ruohuan gongzi swiped the carving knife across the formation plate swiftly.

“Fast!”

“As expected of Ruohuan gongzi, it seems like the zither is ineffective on him!”

“Looks like the champion of this test will surely be Ruohuan gongzi!”

…

Seeing Ruohuan gongzi’s actions, everyone clenched their fists tightly.

To be capable of moving so swiftly under the influence of the Demonic Tune of Psychosis, as expected of the most popular candidate, one of the Four Gentlemen of Myriad Kingdom City!

Hu!

Soon, the melody came to an end.

Ruohuan gongzi came to a stop. After keeping the carving knife in his storage ring, he passed the formation plate forward.

“A total of 431 strokes!” The master teacher counted for several times before announcing in disbelief.

“A stroke less than Feng shi?”

“How is that possible?”

“That can’t be, his hands moved so quickly then!”

…

Upon hearing the result, a huge commotion broke out among the crowd.

Everyone had seen Ruohuan gongzi’s carving speed previously… How could his result possibly be inferior to Feng shi?

But the invigilator checking on the formation plate was extremely well-known in the Master Teacher Pavilion for being impartial. It was impossible for him to be biased.

“Ruohuan gongzi doesn’t seem to be too disappointed…”

Just as everyone was perplexed by the situation before them, someone amidst the crowd suddenly muttered in disbelief. Everyone turned their gazes over, and as expected, they noticed that something was amiss.

When Fu shi’s result was worse than Feng shi’s, he was clearly depressed. On the other hand, not only did Ruohuan gongzi not seem defeated at all, he even had a faint smile hanging on his face.

A smile?

What was going on?

Did he not care whether he won or lost?