Library of Heaven’s Path - Chapter 858

Chapter 858: Zhang Xuan, Rejected!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

I am finally out!

After cultivating his soul to the Ethereal Treading realm, Zhang Xuan had left the residence and continued moving straight, and soon, he managed to escape from the royal palace.

Upon leaving the palace, he scanned his surroundings and swiftly deduced where he was.

After which, he suppressed his aura to the bare minimum and swiftly made his way through to the main entrance of the royal palace and then the main hall where the banquet was held.

As soon as he entered the main hall, he immediately darted back to his body before heaving a huge sigh of relief.

In his short journey, even though he failed to find the Bodhi Saint Tree, he did manage to compile the Ethereal Treading realm Heaven’s Path Soul Art, so it wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Also, he managed to get an insight into the layout and security of the royal palace, especially regarding the existence of soul cultivators in the palace. With this knowledge, he would be able to better plan his movements the next time.

Seeing Zhang Xuan open his eyes, Luo Qiqi, who sat beside him, asked, “Teacher, are you done cultivating?”

She’d had the scare of her life when her teacher started cultivating. Not only did his breathing stop, even his heartbeat had disappeared as well. If he hadn’t told her that he was cultivating in advance, she would have thought that he was already dead.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “Has the banquet begun yet?”

“Not yet, but it should be starting soon. All of the guests have arrived,” replied Luo Qiqi.

Coincidentally, at that moment, a eunuch outside suddenly announced, “Her Highness has arrived!”

Everyone swiftly turned their gazes to the doorway, and they saw a beautiful figure slowly making her way in; it was Yu Fei-er.

She was dressed in a purple dress embedded with innumerable gemstones, and it glowed beautifully beneath the light of the Night Illumination Pearls.

She had light make-up on, which further accentuated her beautiful facial features, sending the hearts of men leaping uncontrollably.

She was simply too beautiful!

“Your Highness!” A fiery passion lit up in Shen Jun’s eyes upon seeing Yu Fei-er, and he hurriedly rushed forward to greet her.

However, Yu Fei-er paid him no heed, walking straight past him. Her beady eyes scanned the hall swiftly, and before long, she found Zhang shi’s figure.

“Zhang shi, Qiqi, you are all here!”

With a delighted expression, she rushed up to the group excitedly.

Even though she had sent an invitation letter to Zhang shi, she wasn’t sure whether he would really come. After all, considering the latter’s personality, he would probably have no qualms snubbing even the royal family.

Thus, upon seeing him, she heaved a sigh of relief.

“Fei-er, you are really beautiful today!” Luo Qiqi complimented earnestly.

In terms of beauty, the both of them could be considered equal, each possessing their own unique charms. However, Yu Fei-er had dressed up meticulously today, allowing her to grab the spotlight as soon as she stepped into the room.

“Brother Shen, isn’t that the greedy fellow you spoke of?” Liu gongzi asked Shen Jun doubtfully.

Didn’t you talk to him earlier?

Why does it seem like Princess Yu Fei-er is more concerned with him than you?

“Humph!” Shen Jun’s expression turned livid.

Even without Liu gongzi pointing it out, he could see it clearly.

Privately, he had already viewed Yu Fei-er as his woman, and he had been destroying all rivals who dared stand in his path. Even Xing Yuan had been utterly defeated by him, so where did this fellow pop up from?

He had thought that that fellow was just an insignificant figure, but from the looks of it now, that wasn’t the case!

“Sixth Princess, it has been too long since we last met. Knowing that it’s your birthday, I specially prepared this for you…”

Concealing his displeasure in the depths of his heart, he put on a warm smile before walking up to Yu Fei-er once more and presented a jade box to her.

Weng!

A dense concentration of spiritual energy gushed out from within, leaving those standing before it feeling energized and spirited.

“This is… the inner core of a Saint 1-dan Water Serpent?” someone amid the crowd exclaimed in shock.

“The inner core of a saint beast?”

“What an incredible gift!”

Hearing that voice, a commotion broke out in the main hall. Everyone was shocked.

Relishing the shocked expressions of the crowd, Shen Jun chuckled lightly and explained gleefully, “Indeed, this is the inner core of a Saint 1-dan Water Serpent. I heard that it has the ability to nourish a cultivator’s body, and if one wears it frequently, it can help to calm their state of mind and enhance their cultivation speed. As such, I specially made the trip to the depths of the ocean to obtain one for Your Highness!”

The Water Serpent wasn’t a member of the Dragon Tribe; it was only a unique saint beast living in the deep oceans. Nevertheless, its inner core was a highly sought after artifact due to the incredible properties it possessed.

If a cultivator wore it on them often, it could increase their rate of cultivation and strengthen their body.

As such, its inner core was easily worth hundreds of high-tier spirit stones.

As expected of Shen Jun, his hand was indeed amazing. In an instant, the gifts that the others had prepared for the princess seemed to pale in comparison.

“Thank you…”

Yu Fei-er also hadn’t expected Shen Jun to present her with such a valuable gift. Nevertheless, she gracefully took the gift and stowed it in her storage ring.

As the princess of Hongyuan Empire, she had seen plenty of treasures in her time. The inner core of a Water Serpent might be valuable, but it wasn’t enough to make her lose her nerve.

“It is my pleasure!” Seeing Yu Fei-er accept his present, Shen Jun’s lips curled up in delight. He turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Today is Her Highness’s birthday. May I know what gift Brother Zhang has prepared for her?”

In an instant, all gazes fell upon Zhang Xuan.

They had also noticed that the princess had walked straight up to this Zhang shi after entering the hall. No matter how slow they were, it was clear that Shen Jun was challenging his ‘love rival’.

“Me? I didn’t prepare one.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had only learned that it was Yu Fei-er birthday right before stepping into the main hall, so how could he have the time to prepare a gift in advance?

He had always been poor, so he couldn’t afford a treasure like the other party’s Saint realm Water Serpent’s inner core. Besides, even if he had such a treasure in his possession, he also couldn’t bring himself to give it to Yu Fei-er anyway. After all, his relationship with her wasn’t as close as with Luo Qiqi.

Since it was a fact that he had no gift, he might as well admit it candidly.

“You didn’t prepare one? Cough cough!” Shen Jun had prepared lines in advance to put Zhang Xuan down as soon as he took out his gift, but upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, he nearly choked on his own words.

He had thought that by putting down Zhang Xuan’s gift, he could quash the latter’s pride while highlighting his own sincerity, but who could have known that the other party hadn’t even brought one?

The crowd was dumbfounded by the revelation as well.

To think that there would be a person who didn’t prepare anything while attending the princess’s birthday banquet… Are you sure that you aren’t teasing us?

Recovering from his surprise, Shen Jun sneered coldly, “Brother Zhang, your joke isn’t funny at all! It is out of sincerity that Her Highness has invited us to her birthday banquet, so it is natural that we should reciprocate with a gift… and yet, you arrived empty-handed. Don’t you think that this is greatly disrespectful to Her Highness?”

Yu Fei-er’s face darkened upon hearing Shen Jun’s words. “Shen Jun, what do you mean by those words? Zhang shi is my guest!”

Seeing that the princess was speaking up for Zhang Xuan, Shen Jun felt his blood boiling in rage. “Your Highness, it is your birthday today, and we have all prepared gifts for you. Yet, Zhang shi chose to come empty-handed. It is clear that he is disrespecting you!”

“He…” Yu Fei-er was just about to say that she hadn’t told Zhang Xuan that it was her birthday banquet when she saw Zhang Xuan waving his hands casually.

“Does a gift truly signify respect for a person? Does the value of a gift really signify how much respect one has for another? So… are you implying that the reason Her Highness invited everyone to this banquet is to demand gifts from everyone?” Zhang Xuan asked with a sharp glint in his eyes. “In your eyes, is Her Highness a petty person who pursues little gains?”

“This… That is not what I mean!”

Not expecting the other party to twist his words in such a manner, Shen Jun’s complexion turned awful. “What I am saying is that the fact you chose to arrive empty-handed signifies your lack of respect for Her Highness…”

“So, in other words, you are saying that my lack of gift signifies a lack of respect, and your valuable gift signifies a great deal of respect. In the end, aren’t you still implying that Her Highness is only interested in the gifts and not the people giving them?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly and said, “To insult Her Highness like that, just what malicious intentions do you have?”

“Stop spouting nonsense! When did I insult Her Highness?”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was pinning such a huge sin on him, Shen Jun turned to Yu Fei-er anxiously and said, “Your Highness, don’t listen to his words. This isn’t what I meant…”

On the other hand, Luo Qiqi, who had been watching the farce from the side, nearly burst into laughter.

Her teacher’s mouth sure was a formidable weapon.

It is one thing for you not to bring a gift to a Fei-er’s birthday banquet, but to think that you can still take pride in it, arguing unabashedly that the other party was insulting Fei-er by bringing a gift here…

The crowd was also dumbstruck by the turn of events.

They had all prepared gifts of their own as well, but given the current circumstances… if they were to present them, it would look as if they were implying that the princess was a superficial person who was only interested in material gains. Yet, if they didn’t present them, it would seem as if they were being disrespectful… Conflicted, their faces scrunched up tightly as if they were suffering from constipation.

Interrupting in Shen Jun’s apology, Yu Fei-er flung her sleeves and harrumphed. “Alright, that is enough. I have invited everyone here today just to get together. If anyone dares to present me with another present, I will ask you to leave and never return. I, Yu Fei-er, will not welcome you in the royal palace!”

“I…” Shen Jun’s face turned livid, and he clenched his fists tightly together.

After going through so much trouble to obtain such a valuable gift, he had thought that he would be able to win the princess’ fancy. Who would have thought that not only did his gift not delight her, it even incurred her ire instead!

What was this?

He had truly made a huge loss this time around.

It’s all that fellow’s fault! Glaring at Zhang Xuan coldly, Shen Jun flung his sleeves furiously and returned to his seat.

He was currently in a disadvantageous position. The more he talked, the deeper he would err. As such, he decided to back down silently for the moment. In any case, as long as the fellow remained in Hongyuan City, he would surely be able to find a chance to teach him a lesson in the future.

To think that a day would come when he, despite being the successor of the Shen Clan and reaching a Chrysalis realm pinnacle at such a young age, would suffer such a setback in the hands of a twenty-year-old brat.

Just the thought of it left him incredibly stifled inside.

…

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan ignored the infuriated Shen Jun and turned his eyes to Yu Fei-er and asked, “Are you currently cultivating your soul?”

While he snuck around the royal palace in his soul form earlier, even though he had failed to find the Bodhi Saint Tree, he did notice that the royal family seemed to pay quite a bit of attention to the cultivation of the soul. Since Yu Fei-er was a member of royalty as well, she should have dabbled in soul cultivation.

“I did cultivate my soul for a while.” Yu Fei-er nodded as she gazed at Zhang Xuan doubtfully, unsure of what he was up to.

“I learned from Xing Yuan earlier that your royal family specializes in soul cultivation, so I spent some time a moment ago to tailor a soul cultivation technique for you. Consider it my birthday gift to you!” Zhang Xuan told her telepathically.

He had secretly learned the soul cultivation secret arts of the royal family and devoured an entire hall’s worth of spiritual energy dry… Given that he had taken so much from the other party, it was imperative that he returned the favor.

“A soul cultivation technique tailored for me?”

“Un, I came up with it while musing over the quintessence of demonic tunes and terpsichorean arts. It has a high affinity with your constitution!” Zhang Xuan replied.

His inheritance of the soul oracle’s heritage was a secret that he couldn’t reveal, and he couldn’t possibly tell the other party that he had secretly learned their soul cultivation secret arts either. Thus, he could only try to cover it by using his high mastery as a demonic tunist and terpsichore as a front.

In any case, he stood at the peak for those two occupations in the Master Teacher Academy, so there was no one who was sufficiently qualified to question him.

“This…”

After a moment of hesitation, Yu Fei-er clenched his teeth and said, “I… don’t want it!”

“You don’t want it?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Since the cultivation technique was from him, there was no doubt about its prowess. At the very least, it was several times stronger than the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art!

Yet, the other party said she didn’t want it!

To think that an impartation from the principal of the Master Teacher Academy… would actually be turned down!

This… what was going on?

Chapter 859: Yu Shenqing’s Suspicions

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“I am delighted that Zhang shi has specially tailored a cultivation technique for me, but… I can’t accept it!” Yu Fei-er shook her head.

Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, “You do understand how valuable a cultivation technique from me is, right? As long as you cultivate it, your soul cultivation will potentially increase manyfold!”

Those were not empty words. Even if it was a simplified of Heaven’s Path Soul Art, the essence of demonic tunes, terpsichorean arts, and the Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art were infused into it. If Yu Fei-er were to study it, her soul cultivation would surely rise by leaps and bounds.

It would just be a matter of time before she surpassed the emperor or even the middle-aged man from before.

“It is precisely because I know that it is valuable that I can’t accept it,” Yu Fei-er said hesitantly. “Why don’t I buy it from you instead?”

If she were to accept Zhang Xuan’s cultivation technique without giving anything in return, it would be equivalent to acknowledging Zhang Xuan as her half-teacher. In the Master Teacher Academy, traditions were extremely important, and the order between a teacher and a student had to be respected. If she were to become Zhang Xuan’s student, everything else that she hoped for would become a pipe dream.

However, it would be a different matter if she were to purchase it from Zhang Xuan.

Upon Yu Fei-er’s insistence, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. “… Alright then!”

He lifted his forefinger and tapped the other party’s forehead.

Weng!

Yu Fei-er’s body jolted, and a complete set of cultivation techniques emerged in her consciousness.

“This…” With just a single glance, her eyes bulged from their sockets, and she couldn’t stop her body from trembling in agitation.

The set of cultivation techniques she had just received was simply too profound. It was far stronger than the one she was currently cultivating!

“This is simply too valuable; I don’t think I can afford it. I will report it to my father and have him compensate you duly…” Yu Fei-er hurriedly said with her face flushed.

She had thought that no matter how powerful the set of cultivation techniques Zhang Xuan came up with was, it couldn’t possibly be more formidable than the secret arts passed down in their lineage. However, from her very first glance, she realized that before Zhang Xuan’s set of cultivation techniques, her clan’s secret arts were nothing at all. Even if she were to hand the secret arts to him, he might not even be willing to spare them a single glance.

This was how big the difference was.

“I’m fine with anything.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands, indicating that he wasn’t bothered.

Raising his soul cultivation could boost his chances at saving Wei Ruyan, so he had made the decision to absorb the spiritual energy within the mysterious hall in the royal palace. Nevertheless, he felt guilty about the matter, so he had decided to repay the favor by imparting a set of soul cultivation techniques to them.

As for how the other party decided to deal with this matter, that was no longer under his control.

While they were discussing this matter with one another, Shen Jun’s face was progressively turning darker and darker, and it looked as if he would explode at any moment. At this very moment, he felt as if a grassy field had sprouted above his head. 1

As the duo were communicating telepathically, he had no way of telling what they were saying. However, there was a moment when Zhang Xuan had struck Yu Fei-er’s forehead lightly, and the latter’s face had turned red in embarrassment…

How could they flirt so openly before him, treating him as if he were invisible?

“Damn it, damn it! Liu Quan, look into the background of that fellow when we return later!” Shen Jun spat through gritted teeth as he crushed the wine cup in his hand with immense force.

He had only returned to the capital not too long ago, so he wasn’t aware of the recent happenings. On top of that, Zhang Xuan’s full name hadn’t been revealed in the introduction, so it was inevitable that he wasn’t able to recognize him.

“Alright!” Liu Quan nodded. “Since he is a student of the Master Teacher Academy as well… When I left earlier, my father told me a new principal will be inaugurated at the Master Teacher Academy in three days, and he said that he would take me to watch. We can make use of that opportunity to bring in a few men to pummel that fellow so as to teach him a lesson!”

“That’s a good plan. It is decided then; I will bring a few of my men there as well. I swear that I will pummel him until he is forced to crawl on the floor to search for his fallen teeth…” Shen Jun sneered viciously.

…

Right after leaving the residence, Uncle Bai headed right for the assembly room where Yu Shenqing should have been.

However, when he arrived at the assembly room, a eunuch walked up to him and said, “Reporting to the Seventh King, today is the Sixth Princess’s birthday, so His Majesty has gone to the main hall to attend her banquet.”

“Alright, I will head there now.”

Not daring to waste a single moment, Uncle Bai rushed all the way to the main hall, and finally, at the main hall’s entrance, he caught up with the emperor and his entourage.

“Brother…” Uncle Bai hurriedly called out.

“Mubai, for you to be in such a rush, what’s wrong?” Yu Shenqing frowned.

Uncle Bai’s full name was Yu Mubai, and he was the Seventh King of Hongyuan Empire, as well as Yu Shenqing’s blood-related younger brother.

“The matter is like this. I went to the stone tablets earlier in order to decipher them…” Knowing that this matter was of grave importance, Yu Mubai hurriedly explained everything that he had encountered in detail.

“You are saying that a soul-like object has appeared in the royal palace, and the Soul Tempering Hall has been destroyed? On top of that, someone managed to clear the ninth trial of the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway, using only two breaths for each of the trials?” Yu Shenqing’s body staggered as he shook his head in disbelief.

As the emperor of a Tier-1 Empire, he had heard of many huge matters throughout his life. Yet, when he heard the other party’s account, he felt as if his head was unable to keep up.

As the head of the Yu Clan, he knew full well how difficult the Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway was.

Even with his prowess, in the face of that crushing pressure, he was still unable to clear the eighth trial

Yet, someone had managed to clear even the ninth trial in just two breaths… and that wasn’t all. That person had even rushed into the Soul Tempering Hall and absorbed all of the spiritual energy contained in the area, causing the ancestral sculptures to shatter…

How powerful must that person’s soul be?

“That’s right!” Yu Mubai nodded as he looked at Yu Shenqing worriedly. “Your Majesty, shall we activate the Great Palace Defensive Formation to capture that fellow?”

The Great Palace Defensive Formation was capable of stopping even Saint 3-dan experts. Even if the enemy they were facing was intangible, they were certain that they could trap him with it.

Yu Shenqing shook his head. “That won’t do. The moment that we activate the formation, pandemonium could very possibly break out in the royal palace. Furthermore, considering that his presence has been exposed, chances are that he has already gotten away.”

Unless the empire was on the brink of destruction, the Great Palace Defensive Formation shouldn’t be activated. Otherwise, putting aside the pandemonium in the palace, it could cause huge unrest among the populace as well, knowing that the country was threatened. If so, not even he, as the emperor, could shoulder the responsibility.

Besides, until this point, they were still unsure of what they were dealing with. Even if they were to activate the formation and trap that fellow, considering the size of the royal palace, it wouldn’t be easy to find him either, considering the limited clues they had.

“What should we do then?”

After a moment of contemplation, Yu Shenqing said, “Increase the number of patrols in the royal palace, and if they find any suspicious individuals, we will send in experts immediately to apprehend that person!”

“Alright!” Yu Mubai nodded.

“For the time being, don’t tell anyone of this matter. The moment you receive any news, report to me immediately. That will be all. I have to attend Fei-er’s birthday banquet now.” Yu Shenqing waved his hands.

He was enraged that someone had barged into the Soul Tempering Hall and destroyed their ancestral sculptures as well, but as the emperor of a nation, he couldn’t allow his emotions to supersede his rationality.

After leaving behind those words, he turned around and continued making his way to the main hall. At that moment, he noticed that the old eunuch beside him had his eyebrows tightly knitted together.

“If you have any thoughts in mind, feel free to speak!” Yu Shenqing said nonchalantly.

The old eunuch had been with him for many years now. He knew that on top of being a Saint realm expert, the old eunuch possessed keen intellect, which allowed him to see through many matters as well.

“Your Majesty, wherever Zhang shi has gone, pandemonium ensued. Even his manor wasn’t spared from his antics… He also happens to be in the royal palace tonight, so could it be possible that… he has something to do with that matter?” the old eunuch asked.

There was simply something bizarre about Zhang Xuan.

Wherever he went, destruction and misfortune seemed to follow right behind… Knowing that he would attend the banquet tonight, they had invited several formation masters in to prevent any accidents from occurring…

But who could say for sure that it was foolproof?

Take this matter for example, while the main hall had been spared, the Soul Tempering Hall had been destroyed instead… Could Zhang Xuan have had something to do with this?

“Him?” Yu Shenqing frowned.

The old eunuch’s words were groundless and seemingly ridiculous, but when supported by the various rumors regarding Zhang Xuan that they had heard earlier, this hypothesis wasn’t completely illogical.

The mess that fellow had caused over the past half a month could leave even his eyebrows twitching uncontrollably.

If there was a person who could accomplish what Yu Mubai had just described, that fellow was definitely a huge suspect!

“But didn’t he arrive an hour and a half ago, and he hasn’t left his seat since then, right?” Yu Shenqing asked.

“Yes, Your Majesty. However, he was sitting in a daze on his seat for more than an hour in that duration!” the eunuch replied.

“He was sitting in a daze on his seat?”

“That’s right, Your Majesty. If what the Seventh King said was true, and the intruder is truly a soul, could it be that Zhang Xuan drew out his soul in the hour that he was in a daze…” the eunuch said hesitantly.

“He drew out his soul? Are you suspecting him of being a soul oracle?” Yu Shenqing’s face immediately turned livid.

“Your Majesty, this is just a hypothesis on my part,” the old eunuch replied with a lowered head.

“The soul oracles should have been completely eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion for siding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe long ago, so their heritage should have disappeared from the face of the world. As a master teacher, Zhang Xuan should know better than to dabble in an occupation like that,” Yu Shenqing said with a deep frown.

“Actually, Your Majesty, we can uncover the truth with a simple test,” the old eunuch said.

“Un.” Yu Shenqing nodded grimly.

Flinging his sleeves, he walked into the main hall with widened strides. Just a moment after he stepped through the doors, he saw his beautifully-dressed daughter standing before a certain young man, serving him wine with a bent back.

His face immediately turned black.

How could there be a fellow so arrogant as to allow his noble daughter to serve him wine?

“Your Majesty, that person is Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi!” the old eunuch quickly informed him.

“He is Zhang Xuan?” Yu Shenqing muttered as he glared at Zhang Xuan with a wintry gaze.

He was already prejudiced against Zhang Xuan after hearing about everything the latter had made his daughter do when he encountered such a sight. In an instant, rage filled his mind.

“Fei-er, what are you doing?”

Yu Shenqing rushed forward and stared at his daughter grimly. “As a princess, how can you stoop down to serving another wine?”

The fact that the other party took you in as his maid is a form of insult to you and the royal family. How can you take it for real?

Zhang Xuan is just a mere 4-star master teacher! He might possess some extraordinary means, but he is far from qualified to have you serve him wine!

“Father, you are here!” Upon seeing Yu Shenqing, Yu Fei-er hurriedly stood up and bowed in greeting.

“Shen Jun (Liu Quan, Xing Yuan…) pays respect to Your Majesty!”

The others in the room also quickly stood up and bowed.

Following the others, Zhang Xuan also stood up, and after taking a glance at the authoritative middle-aged man before him, he clasped his fist and bowed as well.

He might be the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy, which would put his standing above that of the other party, but due to his unique circumstances, it was inconvenient for him to reveal his identity ahead of the inauguration ceremony. Thus, it was still best for him to follow the formalities.

“You are Zhang Xuan?” Yu Shenqing asked with a sharp glint in his eyes.

“Indeed, it is me.” Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

Yu Shenqing assessed Zhang Xuan for a moment before turning around and heading to the main seat in the hall.

While he was dying to test out whether that fellow was a soul oracle or not, as the emperor of the nation, he couldn’t possibly make a move directly.

Not only would he be stooping beneath his standing, if his assumption proved to be false, he would have no way of accounting for this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion.

On top of that, he could incur the hostility of his daughter too.

“Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for attending my young daughter’s birthday banquet!” Upon sitting down, Yu Shenqing scanned the surroundings and chuckled lightly. His movements were casual, but it carried a regal disposition that only emperors commanded.

“Since today is a joyous occasion, how can we go without music? Luo Fu, summon Musician Bai in to play a tune for us!”

“Yes!” Understanding the hidden meaning behind Yu Shenqing’s words, the old eunuch nodded and backed out of the room.

“Musician Bai? Could it be the renowned 6-star demonic tunist guest in the royal palace? It would truly be a great honor to listen to her playing!”

Upon hearing that Musician Bai would be playing for them, everyone’s eyes lit up in excitement.

Chapter 860: Clash of Demonic Tunists

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Musician Bai?” Sensing the excited atmosphere in the room, Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Fei-er with a questioning look.

“Musician Bai is a demonic tunist whom my father specially invited as a guest to our royal palace. It is said that her proficiency has already reached 6-star pinnacle, and her playing resonates deeply with one’s soul. Ordinarily, only esteemed envoys of the empire have the honor of hearing her play,” Yu Fei-er replied with an agitated look.

As a 6-star demonic tunist, Musician Bai’s standing in society was generally lower than her apothecary and blacksmith peers. However, the set of skills she possessed made her more desirable in royal palaces and the manors of nobility.

For one, having such a talented musician in one’s home could better reflect their high standing. On top of that, Musician Bai’s playing had the effect of nurturing one’s soul if one were to listen to it frequently.

“It seems like she is a performance-type demonic tunist,” Zhang Xuan noted.

Demonic tunists could be divided into two main categories—offensive and performance.

Take School Head Jiang Qingqin for example, as a master teacher, he shouldered the responsibility of protecting mankind and warding against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Naturally, his field of specialty for his demonic tunes focused on the offensive aspect. His playing could rattle the souls of his enemies, rendering them powerless.

On the other hand, performance-type demonic tunists aimed to elevate their level of playing for non-offensive purposes. Their playing tended to possess some kind of benefit to those listening to it, and even ordinary humans could enjoy their music.

Otherwise, if all demonic tunists were to leave behind a field of feathers each time they played, just like Zhang Xuan, those envoys in Hongyuan Empire would probably rush back to their empires and incite a war between both countries after listening to the playing.

For those gathered in this main hall to be excited at the opportunity to listen to Musician Bai’s playing, it went without saying that she was a performance-type demonic tunist, whose playing could sooth and pleasure one.

Seeing that his daughter was still acting so intimately around that Zhang shi, Yu Shenqing said in displeasure, “Fei-er, come over!”

“Yes, Father!” Nodding, Yu Fei-er stood up and took the seat beneath her father’s.

A short moment later, the old eunuch, Luo Fu, returned with a beautiful, white-robed lady behind him.

Her appearance might pale in comparison to Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi, but her face was still one that few could tear their gazes away from.

“Demonic Tunist Bai Xuan pays respect to Your Majesty, Sixth Princess, and the fellow young talents here!”

Upon stepping into the main hall, Musician Bai immediately bowed deeply and greeted everyone present. Her voice was melodious, reminiscent of a zither, leaving a numbing sensation in one’s heart.

“Not bad!” Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.

To be able to evoke the melody of a zither through her voice and not harm anyone despite playing a demonic tune, she did have some skills.

“Musician Bai, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Today is my daughter’s birthday, so I would like to request a song from you to celebrate this joyous occasion!” Yu Shenqing said with a smile.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Musician Bai nodded.

Sitting by the side, she flicked her wrist, and a zither materialized before her.

Upon seeing her zither, an excited commotion broke out amid the crowd.

“This must be Musician Bai’s Feathered Eagle Zither!”

“Legend has it that Musician Bai’s tamed beast, Green-tailed Eagle, died in the midst of trying to save her. In gratitude to her tamed beast, she forged a zither out of its feathers and even composed a song in remembrance of it. It is said that the melody harnesses the heart wrenching sorrow she experienced upon its death, and it can evoke the same emotions in the listeners as well!”

“I have heard of this before, too! It’s said that on the day she finished composing the song, countless divine cranes wept in sadness. It was after that incident that Musician Bai’s reputation spread far and wide. Countless experts in the capital considered it an honor to have heard her playing then!”

“I didn’t think that His Majesty would invite her over for Princess Yu Fei-er’s birthday. I will be able to brag about this matter for the next three days when I return!”

“Three days? This is sufficient for me to brag for the next three months!”

…

Everyone could hardly keep their exhilaration in check.

Offensive-type demonic tunists usually only displayed their prowess in battle, so they tended to be less famous. On the other hand, performance-type demonic tunist could easily win the hearts of others through their euphonious music, thus granting them widespread fame.

Hearing the discussion of the crowd, Musician Bai chuckled lightly before placing her slender fingers on the zither and plucking on a string slightly.

Trringg!

It was an extremely deep sound that seemed as if it had come from the ancient past, and it reverberated right within their souls.

Zhang Xuan’s eyes immediately lit up.

As a skilled demonic tunist himself, he could easily tell whether the other party was truly skilled or not. While Musician Bai’s level of playing might be slightly beneath that of School Head Jiang’s, she had embarked on a completely different path than him. Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but anticipate what was going to come.

Triinnnggg tangg!

Under the light touch of Musician Bai, melodious music drifted from the zither. In the blink of an eye, the crowd found themselves standing before a vast plain. Countless birds were chirping harmoniously in the surroundings, and the aroma of flowers wafted in the air. It was a pleasurable sensation.

Unknowingly, everyone began to close their eyes to feel the music with their hearts.

Even Shen Jun had his eyes shut, immersed in the world carved out by the music.

An occupation that had been passed down through the ages, even if it was a Lower Nine Paths occupation, should never be underestimated.

Even a seemingly powerless painter, upon reaching the zenith, could bring out a fearsome army of millions at the tip of their brush, leaving powerful cultivators in despair.

…

Seeing that she had captured everyone within her music, Musician Bai chuckled softly before turning her sights to Zhang Xuan.

Before entering, she had already received the emperor’s edict to test this young man.

Tring tang, trriiing tannngg!

There was an abrupt twist in the tune.

It was still a euphonic melody to the ears of others, but beneath this exterior, a powerful surge of soul energy was creeping swiftly toward a certain target.

Zhang Xuan was listening to the music carefully, trying to identify the main differences between a performance-type music and an offensive-type music, when his soul abruptly jolted.

An offensive edge had suddenly emerged amid the music to assault his soul.

How brazen!

Zhang Xuan swiftly dispelled the attack with his soul energy before directing a sharp gaze to Musician Bai to assess her.

As a 7-star demonic tunist, he could tell that the previous assault was an intentional act from her.

But… this was the first time the two of them had met, so there shouldn’t be any grudges between them. Why would the other party attack him?

Could it be that… she knew that he was the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy and she was trying to assassinate him?

I can’t discount this possibility. Too many people have told me that Hongyuan Empire isn’t as peaceful as it seems, and even the elders of the Master Teacher Academy have chosen to conceal my identity until the inauguration ceremony in order to protect me as well… Perhaps, danger is closer to me than I thought! Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

Luo Ruoxin had told him one of the pathways between the Master Teacher Continent and the other worlds lay in Hongyuan City, and the Otherworldly Demons could exploit it to invade this land. The main purpose for the existence of the Master Teacher Academy was to keep a lookout on the passageway.

Besides that, the powerful Wu Yangzi being captured by Otherworldly Demons and Hu Yaoyao concealing her own lineage… All of these events simply pointed to treacherous currents lying beneath the surface of Hongyuan City. It seemed there were many unspeakable secrets hidden in the depths of this place.

Musician Bai might be a respected figure in Hongyuan City, but to assault him abruptly in the midst of her performance, there was no doubt that she was up to no good!

Humph! You might stand a chance if you fight me directly, but to attempt to deal with me through demonic tunes… you have just sealed your own doom! Zhang Xuan’s eyes turned cold.

He was only an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage cultivator at the moment, so if the other party had fought him in a normal battle, unless he were to bring out the Byzantium Helios Beast to fight in his stead, he would be utterly crushed. But… of all things, the other party had chosen to launch her attack through demonic tunes. She was courting her own death!

Even the powerful School Head Jiang has acknowledged me as his teacher! Yet, a performance-type demonic tunist like you dared to provoke me… You must really be tired of living!

Zhang Xuan slowly closed his eyes, acting as if he was immersed in the music like everyone else. However, his hands were moving elegantly to raise a wine gourd and wine cup before pouring the wine from the gourd into the cup slowly.

Swoooshhhhh!

It was a sound reminiscent of a stream flowing down the towering mountains or a river flowing through a peaceful valley. It wasn’t too loud, but mixed amid the zither melody, it caused the other party’s assault to dull.

“Hmm?”

Sensing that the sound was perfectly timed to interfere during the pauses of her melody, Musician Bai swiftly realized that she was facing a skilled demonic tunist. Her eyebrows shot up, and she abruptly changed her playing style.

Tring tang tring trang ting tring!

Her playing hastened.

In an instant, the listeners felt as if a huge cavalry troop was charging across the vast plain. Dust rose in the horizon of the trembling earth as dark ominous clouds began to set in.

Come at me!

Having guessed that she would respond in such a manner, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. Placing the gourd and cup on the table, he picked up a chopstick with his right hand and tapped it lightly on the cup, gourd, and plates intermittently.

Ting!

Even though they were all ceramic, so the music sounded a little monotonous, due to the food and wine in the dishes, cup, and gourd, Zhang Xuan was able to play different tones.

Ting ting tang, ting ting tang!

Limited by the tools at hand, the music Zhang Xuan played wasn’t as rich as the other party’s melody. However, each tap he made coincidentally landed on the brief pause in between each note of the zither melody, thus causing her tempo to go into chaos.

If one were to compare the zither playing of a demonic tunist to ripples in a body of water, Zhang Xuan’s every tap would be timed perfectly at each trough of the wave. Not only did he manage to interfere in the other party’s playing through this, even her bodily functions, such as her breathing and her heartbeat, began moving to his rhythm.

Shit, the other party is a true expert!

It was at this instant that Musician Bai realized what kind of opponent she was facing, and her face paled in fear.

Despite the seemingly calm showdown, a clash of demonic tunes was actually incredibly dangerous. The slightest carelessness could cause one side to lose their cultivation or even die!

As the saying goes, ‘it is the silent dog that bites’. The more elegant an occupation seemed to be, the more treacherous it usually was.

Taking master teachers for example, they sought to become role models and bring enlightenment to the world, a truly noble occupation. However, if one were to incur their wrath, they could become an unstoppable force that even the heavens would pale in fear before.

The same went for demonic tunists.

The fact that the other party could generate such power with just dining tools showed that the other party’s comprehension of demonic tunes far exceeded hers, reaching a height she couldn’t have imagined.

If it had been on any other occasion, she would surely have clasped her fist and admit defeat before fleeing as far away as she could. However, it seemed she had gone too far in provoking the other party, such that the other party was no longer willing to let her off. The intermittent taps had already harmonized perfectly with her zither music, and she could no longer stop the fight of her own accord anymore.

The moment her playing stopped, the momentum that had built up in the clash of their demonic tunes would come crashing down on her like a tsunami, and she could very well suffer a permanent impairment that would prevent her from playing another demonic tune in her life. In the worst-case scenario, her heart might even leap out of her throat, resulting in her immediate death.

Damn it!

Panicked, Musician Bai stood up and hastened her playing in an attempt to shake off the other party’s intermittent taps. Due to her driving her zhenqi too fast, white smoke was puffing out of her head.

You want to go all out? Sure, I will grant your request!

Seeing the other party’s playing getting even more intense, Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed. He grabbed another chopstick with his left hand and began tapping it on the table.

Dong dong dong!

The table had been crafted out of a unique lumber that produced a deep and powerful note reminiscent of a drum.

Even though he had only added a chopstick to his offense, the prowess he could exert was increased by more than twofold.

Pu!

From the very start, Musician Bai was already struggling under Zhang Xuan’s counterattack. Now that Zhang Xuan had abruptly raised the intensity of his offense, how could she possibly withstand it? Her face paled, and a mouthful of blood spurted from her mouth. Her body flew back and struck a stone pillar in the hall.

Attempting to retreat? Try it if you can!

With a forceful strike on the plate, Zhang Xuan produced a reverberating sound reminiscent of the chiming of a bell.

Pu!

As if someone had struck her squarely on her chest, Musician Bai felt the zhenqi in her body running amok, and she spurted another mouthful of blood. Under the immense impact, the pillar behind her reached the limits of its durability and collapsed, and dust fell from the ceiling.

Chapter 861: He Is the Principal?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The pillar might have collapsed, but as the hall had been fortified by numerous formations, it was still holding steady for the time being.

“What happened?”

“How was Musician Bai injured?”

“What happened?”

In the very brief period of time since their clash started, Musician Bai had been severely injured, crashing into a pillar and causing the entire hall to shake. Due to the huge disturbance, the crowd awakened from their trance and stared at one another with dazed expressions, confused by the situation before them.

There didn’t seem to be anything wrong with Musician Bai’s playing, so why would she abruptly spurt blood and break a pillar?

She had always been famed for her good-tempered and gentle nature; did a screw fall from her head today?

What happened? Taken aback, Yu Shenqing swiftly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan.

As the one behind the matter, he knew that Musician Bai’s bizarre actions definitely had something to do with the young man’s use of chopsticks to tap on cups and plates.

Are they fighting with one another? Yu Shenqing frowned doubtfully.

Didn’t I instruct Musician Bai to check if Zhang Xuan possesses any exceptional means to do with souls?

Why did they suddenly start fighting with one another instead?

Wait a minute… Could it be that Zhang Xuan is a demonic tunist as well?

As the only ones who knew that Zhang Xuan had taken the demonic tunist examinations were the student worker at the Demonic Tunist Aula, School Head Jiang, and Vice School Head Ning, this piece of news was missing from the intelligence Yu Shenqing had received from his men.

However, with Zhang Xuan knocking on the table and the plates, the truth couldn’t be any more apparent to him.

Yu Fei-er turned to Yu Shenqing and said anxiously, “Father, Zhang Xuan is my guest. If anything happens to him, it will reflect badly on the royal family…”

Even though she had no idea why Musician Bai would make a move against Zhang Xuan, she knew that her father was definitely involved in this matter.

“Un.” Knowing that his daughter’s words rang true, Yu Shenqing nodded grimly. Turning to Musician Bai, he said, “Musician Bai Xuan, please stop!”

Yu Shenqing was unaware of the dangers involved in the clash of demonic tunes, so he thought that Bai Xuan was still carrying out his orders, oblivious to the fact that she was in a desperate situation herself.

“I…” Hearing Yu Shenqing’s words, Bai Xuan was just about to explain the situation to him when the sound of Zhang Xuan’s tapping sounds assaulted her once again.

Under the furious onslaught, she had to put her everything into playing her zither just to fend off Zhang Xuan’s offense, leaving her with no additional energy to speak.

Deng deng deng deng!

The immense pressure she was placed under left her retreating uncontrollably, and every step that she took left a half chi 1 deep footprint in the ground.

Peng!

Eventually, she found herself backed against the wall of the main hall. The Fortification Formation behind her glowed, obstructing her path, and her footsteps came to a halt.

“Hmm?”

Feeling the support behind her, Bai Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. In that instant, an idea suddenly came to a mind.

With her back pressed against the wall, a smile emerged on her face as her crimson lips parted.

“His blue robe flutters in the wind; my heart wanders into the distance. Even if fate permits me not to be with you, is silence the only word you offer me?”

It was a song filled with remembrance. Even though it was filled with nostalgia, leaving one in a pensive trance, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up, and he abruptly got to his feet.

The other party was already on the verge of collapsing to his demonic tunes, but with the support of the Fortification Formation cast on the room, the other party had actually managed to neutralize his offense.

To put it simply, formations could be defined as the gathering of spiritual energy in specific positions in order to produce unique effects such as calling forth sword qi to attack one’s opponents or a mysterious fog to beguile others.

The essence of Fortification Formations lay not in making an infrastructure stronger but by neutralizing the attacks conducted on it, similar to a sponge.

Once the force was neutralized, naturally, the object fortified wouldn’t suffer any damage.

By hiding within the Fortification Formation, Zhang Xuan’s offense would be weakened by it, which gave the other party room to counterattack!

As the saying goes, ‘the sorrow of fond remembrances breaks the soul.’

If Zhang Xuan couldn’t counter the other party’s singing, he could lose his life!

In just a short moment, by utilizing the Fortification Formation, the other party had managed to turn the tables on him, and he fell into an extremely disadvantageous position.

Indeed, there is no occupation that should be underestimated!

But even though Zhang Xuan was in a disadvantageous position, there wasn’t the slightest trace of anxiety or nervousness to be seen from him. Instead, with a light chuckle, he smacked the table, and the cup filled with wine flew up.

“A fine song indeed! Allow me to propose a toast to Musician Bai!”

His voice was also infused with the power of a demonic tune, instantly neutralizing the other party’s singing. The next instant, he flicked the wine cup with his finger.

The direction the wine cup was heading toward wasn’t Musician Bai but the wall beside her.

Dang lang!

Upon coming into contact with the wall, the wine cup immediately burst apart, shattering into numerous pieces before falling down. However, what was astonishing was that instead of falling to the ground, the broken shards suddenly stopped in midair.

Weng!

In the next instant, as if someone had stopped them at their cores, the Fortification Formations in the main hall suddenly came to a halt.

When Zhang Xuan had first arrived in the room, he had already taken a look at the various formations using his Eye of Insight, so he knew where the weaknesses of the formations were.

The wine cup he had flicked over was infused with his zhenqi, and even though it might seem as if the broken shards had parted in random directions, it was actually all under his control. Through manipulating the shards precisely, he managed to stop all of the Fortification Formations simultaneously.

It followed the same principles as his Formation Destroying Kick.

The formation has been halted? This is bad… Noticing the changes in the room, Yu Shenqing was alarmed.

He had been waiting for Musician Bai to stop when the latter abruptly started singing. Before he could process what was going on, Zhang shi had already stood up and thrown the wine cup, and the formations had come to a sudden stop right after.

As if a déjà vu had struck him, he immediately stood up to intervene in the matter. But again, before he could do anything, Musician Bai, with the loss of the support from the Fortification Formation, succumbed to Zhang Xuan’s assault, and with a frenzied spurt of blood, she was sent flying backward once more.

Hong long!

This time, without the additional protection from the formation, how could the wall behind her endure such immense force? In the blink of an eye, it had already collapsed into a pile of rubble.

Jiyaya!

The main hall was only supported by four pillars. It had lost one just a moment ago, and with another wall face collapsing, the entire room’s support became extremely unstable. With a loud rumbling, the ceiling came crashing down.

Damn it! Yu Shenqing felt as if he was losing his mind.

That fellow was really a God of Destruction, collapsing everything that he came into contact with…

He had gone to the extent of inviting formation masters to heavily fortify the main hall, but it eventually still met with such an outcome!

Are you here to attend Yu Fei-er birthday banquet or to demolish our buildings?

But knowing that this wasn’t the time for that, he exerted his powerful zhenqi to hold up the collapsing ceiling so as to protect those in the room.

As a Saint realm 1-dan pinnacle expert, even if he was unable to undo the damage done to the building, he could at least break the fall of the collapsing rubble.

No matter what, it was his daughter’s birthday. The main hall might have collapsed, but he couldn’t allow any of those young talents to be injured due to it. Otherwise, what would this say about the royal family?

“Pardon me!”

After knocking Musician Bai out, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and clasped his fist elegantly.

If the other party had fought with him as a cultivator, he might have suffered a tragic loss. But to challenge him to a battle of demonic tunes… that was pure foolishness!

After that, Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Shenqing and said with a righteous aura, “Your Majesty, I am a master teacher recognized by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, Musician Bai over here secretly attacked me during her playing. It is clear that she is up to no good. I suspect that she is involved with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! I ask of Your Majesty to apprehend and interrogate her for the safety of the citizens of Hongyuan City!”

Otherworldly Demonic Tribe? Hearing those words, Yu Shenqing nearly keeled over.

I am the one who asked her to test you, how did the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe get into the picture?

Furthermore, I haven’t settled the grudge with you for messing up my daughter’s birthday banquet, how can you be so shameless as to dare speak up in such a righteous tone?

“If Your Majesty doubts my word, I beseech you to allow me to invite Pavilion Master Mo over to look into the matter!” Seeing Yu Shenqing’s silence, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party might be doubting his words due to his long years of friendship with Musician Bai, so he made another suggestion.

On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to involve even the Master Teacher Pavilion in this matter, Yu Shenqing nearly erupted in rage.

Musician Bai was only testing you to see if you are a soul oracle by my order. Not only did you knock her out, you even destroyed my building, so how can you still speak so boldly?

Flinging his sleeves furiously, Yu Shenqing harrumphed coldly. “Today is my daughter’s birthday banquet, but you messed up this joyous occasion with your antics. Regardless of whether Musician Bai attacked you or not, the royal palace welcomes you no more. Leave!”

Even though Yu Shenqing was so angry that he could kill, in the face of the crowd before him, he still had to uphold his bearings as an emperor. Furthermore, the other party was a master teacher, so he dared not go overboard.

“You are asking me to leave?” Not expecting the other party to not interrogate the culprit who had attacked him and instead order him to leave, Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure.

“That’s right! From today on, I prohibit you, Zhang Xuan, from stepping onto the grounds of the Hongyuan royal palace. You are no guest of our royal family!” Yu Shenqing bellowed authoritatively.

If he could, he would have issued an even harsher punishment. However, Zhang Xuan had a close relationship with several school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, so he dared not go too far.

“Father…” Not expecting such a situation to evolve out of her birthday banquet, Yu Fei-er hurriedly turned to her father to plead with him.

“Speak no more. I have made up my mind!” Yu Shenqing waved his hands decisively.

“What are you waiting for? Did you not hear His Majesty’s words?”

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had incurred the emperor’s anger, Shen Jun almost burst into laughter. He swiftly stood up and bellowed at Zhang Xuan, making use of this opportunity to vent his anger.

“… Fine!” To think that he would be asked to leave like that, Zhang Xuan had no other words to say.

He would have already left had it not been Yu Fei-er’s birthday banquet. Shaking his head, he turned around and walked out.

“Teacher, wait for me!” After shooting a glance at Yu Fei-er, Luo Qiqi quickly followed behind Zhang Xuan.

“Zhang shi…” Not expecting an unpleasant event like this to happen at her birthday banquet, Yu Fei-er’s complexion turned awful. Clenching her jaw, she rushed forward to Zhang Xuan’s side as well.

“Fei-er!” Seeing his daughter leave with Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqing’s expression turned so livid that it seemed as if one could squeeze ink from it.

Rage clouded his mind, and just as he was about to command his subordinates to capture Yu Fei-er and bring her back, the old eunuch standing by the side of the room, Luo Fu, suddenly flicked his wrist and took out a jade token. Taking a look at it, his face suddenly warped in astonishment.

Luo Fu immediately rushed up to Shen Yuqing and called for him with lips quivering in fright. “Your Majesty…”

“What’s wrong?” Yu Shenqing asked impatiently.

“We have just received news regarding the identity of the succeeding principal of the Master Teacher Academy…” Luo Fu told Yu Shenqing telepathically, not daring to speak aloud.

“Who is it? Lu Feng? Or is it Zhao Bingxu?” Yu Shenqing asked anxiously in response.

Yu Fei-er’s matter might be important, but getting on good terms with the succeeding principal was even more so. After all, the latter concerned the future of the Yu Clan, whether it would rise to greater heights or fall into decline.

“Your Majesty, it is neither of them! The succeeding principal is Zh… Zhang Xuan!” Luo Fu’s voice was shaking in fear.

“Zhang Xuan? The man who has just walked out… Zhang Xuan?” Yu Shenqing suddenly felt as if the sky had collapsed on him.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Luo Fu hurriedly nodded.

Without any hesitation, Yu Shenqing got his feet and rushed out of the room. “Zhang shi, don’t leave! I think there is some kind of misunderstanding between us…”

“…” Shen Jun.

“…” The crowd.

Chapter 862: Yu Shenqing’s Regret

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hong long long!

Shortly after Yu Shenqing left, the zhenqi propping the ceiling up disappeared, and the room collapsed entirely. Debris flew randomly in the area, and a cloud of dust rose in the air.

The young talents swiftly rushed out of the room. Glancing at the rubble and the emperor who was busy running as he shouted “Misunderstanding!”, they found themselves completely stupefied.

“What has happened… to His Majesty?” Liu Quan muttered in a daze.

It was just moments ago that he had domineeringly commanded for the other party to leave the royal palace and never return, but in the blink of an eye, he was suddenly chasing the other party, claiming that it was all just a misunderstanding…

Could anyone have a change of mind faster than him?

“How would I know?” Shen Jun was bewildered by the bizarre turn of events as well.

When he’d seen Yu Shenqing lashing out at Zhang Xuan, he had stood up to berate the other party as well. However, with Yu Shenqing abruptly changing his mind, his actions suddenly became a joke. Placed in an awkward position, he had no idea whether he should stay or just leave.

“So… are we still going to teach that fellow a lesson?” Liu Quan asked hesitantly.

Even the emperor had chased the other party, screaming that it was a misunderstanding… Was it really fine for them to teach the other party a lesson?

“Of course! However, just in case, we shall find a few outsiders to do the job for us. As long as they can’t trace the matter back to us, it will do!” Shen Jun said with a glint in his eyes.

If Yu Shenqing had maintained his hostility toward Zhang Xuan, he wouldn’t have viewed the latter as a threat to him.

Ultimately, as a princess of Hongyuan Empire, Yu Fei-er’s marriage was still dictated by her father. As long as her father opposed it, there was no way she could get together with Zhang Xuan, no matter how close the two of them were.

However, Yu Shenqing had suddenly changed his attitude and run out to pursue Zhang Xuan, seemingly seeking reconciliation with the latter. In that instant, he felt the weight on his shoulders intensifying.

Since that was the case, he would have to make sure to pummel the thought of marrying Yu Fei-er out of Zhang Xuan first.

…

While the duo was discussing how they should deal with Zhang Xuan, Yu Shenqing had already reached the entrance of the royal palace. There, he only saw Yu Fei-er and Luo Qiqi standing in the vicinity, and Zhang Xuan was nowhere to be seen.

Yu Shenqing rushed forward to ask, “Where is Zhang shi?”

He might be the emperor of Hongyuan Empire, but Zhang Xuan, as the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, possessed far greater influence than him.

If he were to really offend Zhang Xuan, all the other party had to do was declare that the Master Teacher Academy would no longer protect the royal family, and the era of the Yu Clan would come to an end in less than half a month.

The main reason the Yu Clan had been able to retain control over Hongyuan Empire for so many years wasn’t due to its strength but in deference to the Master Teacher Academy. Under the watchful gaze of the Master Teacher Academy, there was no one who would dare to brazenly initiate a coup d’état!

On top of that, while the presence of the Master Teacher Academy had raised the national power of Hongyuan Empire, it had also made Hongyuan Empire reliant on it. Out of a hundred officials possessing a cultivation level at the Ethereal Treading realm or above in the royal court, ninety-nine would be indebted to the Master Teacher Academy in one way or another. If a falling out were to occur between the Master Teacher Academy and the royal family, most would choose to side with the former!

As such, even though he, as the emperor, possessed an unparalleled standing in Hongyuan Empire, he still dared not cross the principal of the Master Teacher Academy.

This was reality!

He had thought that Zhang Xuan was only an insignificant figure in the Master Teacher Academy. Even if the latter had won the admiration of several school heads, there was still no need to fear him as his standing was equivalent to the Ten Great Master Teachers… But who could have known that he would be the succeeding principal!

Furthermore, he was nominated unanimously by the Ten Great Master Teachers and Mu shi!

Realizing what he had just done, Yu Shenqing immediately rushed out to seek reconciliation with Zhang Xuan.

“Teacher said that he has matters to attend to, so he left first…” Luo Qiqi said.

“He has left?” Yu Shenqing was stunned.

“Father, Zhang shi is my benefactor. Just how did he offend you that you had to send Musician Bai after him?” Yu Fei-er questioned her father angrily, unable to stand it any longer.

The others in the room might not be aware of what had happened, but as a talented soul cultivator, she was able to tell that it was Musician Bai who had made the first move, and Zhang shi had only retaliated out of rage.

It was clear that her father was behind this matter, otherwise there was no way that Musician Bai would dare make a move on a guest!

“I…” Yu Shenqing had no idea how he should explain this matter to his daughter.

After a moment of silence, he decided to come clean. “Before the start of the banquet, someone cleared our Thousand Tempering Soul Passageway at an unprecedented speed, devoured all of the spiritual energy within the Soul Tempering Hall, and destroyed our ancestral statues. I suspect that it was Zhang shi’s doing…”

“Impossible! Ever since arriving at the royal palace, Teacher has been with me, so how could he have caused destruction in the Soul Tempering Hall?” Luo Qiqi shook her head.

“I suspect that the culprit behind the destruction in the Soul Tempering Hall is a soul. Didn’t Zhang shi fall into a daze earlier on?” Yu Shenqing asked.

“The reason he was in a daze was because he had just found out that today is my birthday, and he was creating a soul cultivation technique for me…” interjected Yu Fei-er upon hearing her father’s words. Upon recalling this matter, her eyes couldn’t help but redden.

As she hadn’t informed Zhang shi that it was her birthday, the latter had probably only learned of it after arriving at the main hall. Yet, he still devoted his effort to creating a cultivation technique for her as a gift. But… he was still misunderstood like this!

In fact, he had even been assaulted in the midst of the banquet…

Wouldn’t his heart break from indignation?

“Creating a cultivation technique?” Yu Shenqing was surprised to hear those words.

“That’s right. Let me write down the cultivation technique for you so that you can see for yourself whether or not a person who created such a cultivation technique within a few hours could still have the time to wreak havoc in the Soul Tempering Hall!”

Gritting her teeth, Yu Fei-er took out a brush and a book and swiftly wrote down the set of cultivation techniques that Zhang shi had imparted to her.

Taking the book, Yu Shenqing had barely read half a page when his body suddenly stiffened. Embarrassment flooded his face in the form of a crimson glow.

The set of soul cultivation techniques detailed in the book was extremely formidable, even more powerful than their Thousand Tempering Soul Refinement Art!

Even for a master teacher of Mu shi’s caliber, it would take at least several decades to compile a technique like that. To create it on the spur of the moment, the other party must have put a lot of effort into it…

And yet, he had actually suspected the other party of destroying the Soul Tempering Hall!

In that instant, he felt as if he was an ingrate.

“This cultivation technique is tailored perfectly for the constitution of our Yu Clan…” After browsing through the entire book, Yu Shenqing felt so ashamed of himself that he was tempted to dive into a burrow.

The cultivation technique was built upon the special constitution that the members of the Yu Clan possessed, so outsiders were incapable of cultivating it. Thus, it was not even a possibility that this set of cultivation techniques had been taken from elsewhere.

If the members of their clan were to cultivate such a profound cultivation technique, the overall prowess of the Yu Clan would be raised by at least thirty percent!

Putting aside a Soul Tempering Hall, the value of this cultivation technique was worth at least a half of the entire royal palace!

In order to create such a profound cultivation technique, it was inevitable that the other party would have to fall into deep thought… Yet, he doubted the other party and had someone test him out, even demanding that he leave eventually…

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he had gone overboard.

Yu Shenqing turned around and commanded, “Luo Fu, didn’t Zhang shi’s manor collapse? Send the best craftsmen in the empire to fix it immediately. Before daybreak, I want to see a manor that is even grander than the royal palace!”

“Yes!” The old eunuch hurriedly left to have the matter done.

A huge manor like Zhang Xuan’s would surely cost a bomb to repair and refurbish, but so what?

As long as they could repair their relationship with Zhang Xuan, it would be worth the expense!

…

Oblivious to Yu Shenqing’s intentions, Zhang Xuan finally reached Leiyuan Peak.

The mountain peak was covered in a thick layer of snow, creating a chilling atmosphere.

He entered the straw cottage where he first met the Byzantium Helios Beast and sat down.

It was still some time before the Zi hour 1 , and Hu Yaoyao and the others hadn’t arrived yet. He could make use of this time to impart the Ethereal Treading realm Heaven’s Path Soul Art to his clone to allow him to raise his cultivation as well.

The clone appeared in the room and called out, “Main body!”

“What happened back then when you were disguising as Yang shi? How did the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall collapse as well?” Zhang Xuan asked.

The last time Zhang Xuan had met his clone was when the latter had appeared as Yang shi. As everything had happened too quickly, he didn’t have time to process everything his clone had done before the latter was returned to the Myriad Anthive Nest, thus breaking the telepathic connection between them.

As such, there were still certain aspects of the incident back then that he was unsure of.

“It was an effect created by Vicious through the use of Kong shi’s writing,” the clone responded.

In that instant, Zhang Xuan seemed to see everything fall into place.

His deduction hadn’t been too far off. Through utilizing Kong shi’s handwriting, Vicious had not only strengthened his aura, he had also managed to conceal the killing intent in his aura, converting it into a more orthodox and righteous form.

It was through borrowing Vicious’ strength that his clone suddenly became so formidable, suppressing Mu shi and the Ten Great Master Teachers to the point that they dared not utter a word.

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out of the Book of Heaven’s Path, where Vicious was sealed, and Kong shi’s writings.

“I performed well, didn’t I? See, I wasn’t lying when I said that I would definitely be of great help to you if you were to let me devour Kong shi’s writings…” As soon as Vicious saw Zhang Xuan, he immediately began claiming credit for his accomplishment.

“Devour Kong shi’s writings? Dream on…”

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan opened up the scroll containing Kong shi’s writings when he abruptly froze. Astonished, he exclaimed, “What is this?”

In the bamboo scroll, several hundred words of the initial three thousand had gone missing, leaving behind a smooth surface in their place. It was as if those words had never existed at all.

But he had definitely seen those words before, even undergoing the Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy due to them…

“If you didn’t let me devour those words, how could I possibly have produced such a powerful aura capable of destroying even formations and buildings?” Vicious replied.

“Devour… You devoured those words?” Zhang Xuan felt the world spinning around him.

He had known that his clone was not a person he could rely on, but who knew that the other party would allow Vicious to do something like that?

That is Kong shi’s personal handwriting! On top of that, a cultivation technique is hidden within it… With a portion of it devoured by this fool, how am I going to uncover the secret hidden within it?

“That’s right!” Vicious nodded blankly, not understanding why Zhang Xuan was making such a huge fuss.

On the other hand, hearing Vicious admit to the matter, Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears.

There was no master teacher who wouldn’t treasure Kong shi’s handwriting as if it was their life and pass it down to their descendants as a family heirloom. Yet, Vicious had actually devoured it… How he was supposed to face Kong shi if he were to meet the other party again in the future?

Just what was with this matter?

But what was done was done. There was no use blaming those two anymore.

Furthermore, the situation he had been facing then was extremely tricky, and there was no guarantee that he would have been able to get out of it without Yang shi’s appearance.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze back to the bamboo scroll. Around a third of the words had disappeared, which meant that he could recreate the effect back in the Elder Hall another two times!

Forget it, it shouldn’t matter anyway… Zhang Xuan shook his head as he consoled himself.

Kong shi’s cultivation technique might be formidable, but as the cultivator of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it didn’t matter whether he obtained it or not.

Stowing the bamboo scroll and Vicious back into his storage ring, Zhang Xuan imparted the Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique to his clone before leaving his clone to cultivate using the Earth Vein Spirit Essence.

Once this was done, Zhang Xuan found himself with some additional time on hand, so he decided to take a look at his current strength.

At the moment, his soul cultivation had already reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, granting him a might of 20,000,000 ding. Factoring in the 17,000,000 ding from his zhenqi and 8,000,000 ding from his physical body, he wielded a total might of 45,000,000 ding.

In other words, his strength was on par with a Half-Saint primary stage cultivator!

For an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to be able to rival a cultivator two realms stronger than him, probably not even the famed combat masters were capable of such a feat!

While checking on his body, he also noticed that his soul, with the recent breakthrough, was getting a little too powerful for his body, so he would have to slow down his soul cultivation for the time being.

After waiting a moment longer, Zhang Xuan heard the sound of aerial spirit beasts outside. Knowing that Hu Yaoyao and the others had arrived, he quickly hid his clone in the Myriad Anthive Nest and left the Byzantium Helios Beast at the back of the straw cottage before heading to the entrance to meet the others.

Chapter 863: Sabertooth Spirit Tiger

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang shi!”

As soon as he headed back to the entrance of the straw cottage, he saw Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and the others stepping off the back of a massive spirit beast.

Half a month ago, they had still been the domineering and powerful leaders of the four most powerful student factions in the academy. However, at this moment, as if little chicks meeting a mighty eagle, they were devoid of the arrogance that they held before, and a hint of fear could be felt from their body language.

They might still be considered rivals from before, but at this instant, they had become nothing more than juniors to him. They couldn’t pull their weight before him even if they wanted to.

“Zhang shi, are you ready to set forth now?” Hu Yaoyao asked.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Great. Let’s get on the spirit beast then!” Hu Yaoyao beckoned Zhang Xuan onto the spirit beast that they had been riding on a moment ago as she prepared to leap on herself.

“Let’s ride on another one, that one over there is too slow…” Zhang Xuan shook his head as he sent a signal through his mind. A moment later, an ape-like saint beast emerged from the back of the straw cottage.

“Senior Byzantium Helios?”

“The old principal’s tamed beast?”

“Didn’t Senior Byzantium Helios go missing?”

Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue leaped in shock as they stared at the young man before them as if they were gazing at a monster.

They were all direct disciples of the school heads of the Master Teacher Academy, so they were privy to the news regarding Senior Byzantium Helios’s disappearance as well…. How could he be with Zhang shi?

Furthermore, from the looks of it, the relationship between the two of them didn’t seem to be simple.

In contrast to the shock of the others, Dong Xin remained composed.

She had personally seen how Senior Byzantium Helios had addressed him as master, and she also knew that the Ten Great Master Teachers and Mu shi had nominated the young man before her as the next principal as well.

However, due to the grave importance of this matter, she didn’t reveal it to anyone.

“If we ride on him, we should be able to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits and return within three days!” said Zhang Xuan, before turning to the Byzantium Helios Beast and instructing, “Byzantium Helios, we will be counting on you.”

“Yes, Master!” the Byzantium Helios Beast nodded.

With crisp echoes from the bones throughout its body, its physique immediately grew threefold, turning its originally large physique into something resembling a mini mountain.

After which, it walked forward to take the room on top of Dong Xin’s spirit beast and placed it on its back.

“Let’s set off!” Zhang Xuan said as he leaped onto the Byzantium Helios Beast’s back.

On the other hand, watching as the old principal’s saint beast of the academy turn into a mount, Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue were completely flabbergasted, and they couldn’t help but think that either the world had gone mad or they hadn’t awoken from their dreams yet.

They had heard of how prideful Senior Byzantium Helios was, so it was hard to believe that not only would he acknowledge Zhang Xuan as his master, he would even… willingly serve as a mount! Even though they were witnessing the sight personally with their own eyes, they couldn’t help but find it inconceivable.

Even after they had entered the room on the Byzantium Helios Beast’s back and soared into the clouds, they were still unable to recover from the blow.

After a long moment of silence, Xue Zhenyang suddenly recalled something and exclaimed in astonishment, “My teacher told me that the person who found Senior Byzantium Helios would be the next principal of our academy!”

His teacher, Xu Changqing, was the head of the Martial Arts School. The other party had once told him that Mu shi had spread the word that he would decide the succeeding principal based on whoever found the Byzantium Helios Beast first. For the Byzantium Helios Beast to have acknowledged Zhang Xuan as its master, could it be that…

“I was forced into it. Sigh, I wouldn’t have accepted it if there was any other way around it!” Seeing that Xue Zhenyang had figured it out, Zhang Xuan thought that there was no need to hide the matter from them, so he shook his head with a sigh.

If it wasn’t for the principal’s privilege to access all of the books available in the academy, he would have never accepted this troublesome role.

As the principal, his actions would be publicly scrutinized, and any problem that occurred in the Master Teacher Academy would be attributed to his incompetence.

It was not as if this was anything good, so there was no need to make a huge fuss over the matter.

“You were… forced into it?”

“You wouldn’t have accepted it if there was any way around it?”

Hu Yaoyao, Xue Zhenyang, and Long Cangyue rolled their eyes upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words.

It is actually possible to be forced into becoming the principal of the Master Teacher Academy?

Why can’t such fortune come to us instead?

We would have loved to be forced into it as well…

…

Putting the matter aside for the moment, Zhang Xuan turned to Hu Yaoyao and instructed, “Hu Yaoyao, show me your battle technique!”

Since he had promised Wu Yangzi to take care of his descendant, he had no intention of reneging on his words.

“Alright!” Knowing that Zhang Xuan was going to offer her some pointers, Hu Yaoyao nodded and began executing her strongest battle technique.

A moment later, after gaining a thorough understanding of the flaws in Hu Yaoyao’s cultivation, Zhang Xuan began offering her some pointers.

It must be said that Hu Yaoyao was a rare gem. Not only was she knowledgeable, she possessed extraordinary talent, and the foundation of her cultivation was extremely stable as well. With Zhang Xuan’s guidance, she improved swiftly, especially in the field of terpsichorean arts. With her alluring figure, even a Half-Saint expert could be left in a trance after watching her dance.

Hu Yaoyao’s rapid improvement had left the others with an itch in their hearts, and eventually, they could no longer hold back the urge to consult Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan also offered them his pointers without any reservations, and the other three improved swiftly as well.

While they were still a significant stretch from making the breakthrough to Half-Saint, they did manage to further reinforce their cultivation. In their current states, as long as they were to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, it was almost a certain that they would be able to make a breakthrough.

…

Half a day passed in a flash.

By the time they were arriving in the vicinity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, the sun had just begun to rise from the eastern horizon.

Even though it was in line with Zhang Xuan’s estimation, he still couldn’t help but be amazed by the Byzantium Helios Beast’s speed. As expected of a Saint 2-dan spirit beast, its speed and endurance were truly on a different level from spirit beasts.

“Let’s stop here!”

Under Dong Xin’s directions, the Byzantium Helios Beast landed right outside a mountain valley.

“Senior Byzantium Helios, I think it would be best for you to remain here. The Scarlet Firefly Fruit is guarded by two spirit beasts, and if they sense your presence by any chance, I fear that they might destroy the fruit out of desperation after realizing that they won’t be able to maintain possession of it,” Dong Xin said.

The instincts of a spirit beast should never be underestimated. The moment they sensed the Byzantium Helios Beast’s presence, they might choose to take a position close to the Scarlet Firefly Fruit and hold it hostage, threatening to destroy it should they approach.

That would put them in an extremely disadvantageous position.

“I also don’t think that it is a feasible plan to get past those two spirit beasts by brute force. Due to our lower cultivation, they won’t view us as a huge threat and will be less wary around us. Our best shot at obtaining the fruits is to exploit their possible negligence toward us to sneak past their defense and obtain them discreetly,” Long Cangyue said.

This was the plan they had derived after many rounds of discussion based on the intelligence they had gathered. Otherwise, they could have simply invited any of the elders over to help them overpower those two spirit beasts. There was no need for them to seek help from a nemesis.

“I am confident at masking my presence such that they won’t be able to find me,” the Byzantium Helios Beast said assuredly.

As a Saint 2-dan saint beast, it was an easy feat for it to conceal its aura from spirit beasts.

“It isn’t that easy… Take a closer look at the valley ahead!” Dong Xin said grimly.

“The valley?” Zhang Xuan and Byzantium Helios Beast turned their sights to the valley ahead.

The valley was extremely narrow, reminiscent of a sealed box. Perhaps due to the presence of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, it was rich in spiritual energy, reminiscent of a blessed land.

The first thing that the duo noticed upon looking into the valley was that it was filled with a particular flower. The flower carried a tinge of red, as if embarrassed to be looked at.

A certain plant surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s mind, and deep frown emerged on his face.

“Are those Crimson Coy Flowers?”

The Crimson Coy Flower was similar to the mimosa in his previous life. Upon coming into contact with foreign objects, it would change its color depending on the strength of the intruder.

In other words, it would change into a differing color should a Saint approach the valley.

This was also why this flower was a common ingredient in formulating medicine used to gauge the cultivation of an individual.

“Indeed, those are Crimson Coy Flowers!” Dong Xin said with a bitter smile.

“I see…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Crimson Coy Flowers were extremely sensitive plants. Even if the Byzantium Helios Beast was able to conceal its aura perfectly, the flowers might still be able to gauge its true strength through its movements and other aspects.

Of course, it was unlikely for the two spirit beasts to destroy the Scarlet Firefly Fruits just because a Saint realm expert was in the area, but this was a risk that they couldn’t afford to take.

After getting a clearer glimpse of the situation, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and instructed, “Byzantium Helios, you should rest for the time being then. Don’t worry, nothing bad will happen. Besides, it won’t be too late for you to make a move if we really encounter danger.”

“Yes, Master!” the Byzantium Helios Beast replied.

After which, it flew into the distance, and once it was out of sight, it returned to the Myriad Anthive Nest.

Given Zhang Xuan’s current strength, there was no cultivator beneath Half-Saint that was a match for him. Besides, he could keep the Byzantium Helios Beast by his side via the Myriad Anthive Nest and release it immediately if they encountered a difficult situation, so there was nothing to worry about.

“Let’s enter!”

Without any hesitation, the group began heading into the valley.

As soon as they stepped into the valley, a ripple of color began to spread across the Scarlet Coy Flowers, as if transmitting information of some kind.

“What are the spirit beasts guarding the Scarlet Firefly Fruits?” Zhang Xuan asked as the group advanced deeper into the valley.

“They are both Chrysalis realm pinnacle Sabertooth Spirit Tigers!” Hu Yaoyao replied.

“Sabertooth Spirit Tigers? No wonder…” Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It was not without reason that the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger was famed as the strongest spirit beast beneath Half-Saint. Even though they were Chrysalis realm pinnacle experts as well, Hu Yaoyao and the others were hardly a match for a single Sabertooth Spirit Tiger, let alone two.

Defended by those two spirit beasts, it would indeed be extremely tricky to get to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits.

Of course, this wasn’t a problem for Zhang Xuan.

If a fight were to really occur, he could easily settle it with two punches.

“That isn’t the only problem. Those two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers are very cunning too. Regardless of whatever happens outside, one of them will always remain behind to guard the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. If anything were to happen, that Sabertooth Spirit Tiger might choose to destroy the entire tree… Thus, we can’t just rely on brute force for this matter. We have to find a way to lure the both of them out simultaneously,” Dong Xin said.

She had spent some time in this valley gathering intelligence for the operation, so she had gained a rough understanding of the habits of the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers.

“Lure the both of them out simultaneously?” Realizing how tricky this matter was, Zhang Xuan frowned.

“That’s right. Thus, we prepared the Origin Heavy Water that they are extremely fond of. However, due to our limited resources, we were only able to procure four bottles,” Dong Xin said with a bitter smile.

Usually, when freshmen enrolled in the academy, their student factions were able to earn sufficient spirit stones to purchase even several dozen bottles of Origin Heavy Water. However, the freshmen this year had all chosen to join the Xuanxuan Faction, so they had failed to earn anything at all. On top of that, they even had some of the senior students in their factions betraying them for the Xuanxuan Faction…

As a result, they’d had to fork out from their own pockets, and altogether, they only had sufficient money to acquire four bottles.

“Four bottles of Origin Heavy Water?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

If he could acquire just one of those, he would be able to cultivate the Third Incandescence of his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body.

“How do you intend to use the Origin Heavy Water?” Zhang Xuan asked.

After a moment of hesitation, Dong Xin revealed her plan. “The Sabertooth Spirit Tiger is extremely sensitive to the scent of Origin Heavy Water. Our plan is to open a bottle to lure the first Sabertooth Spirit Tiger out. Once the first one leaves, we will use the same trick to lure the second one out as well…

“Of course, we will have to ascertain that the Scarlet Firefly Fruits have matured first. Otherwise, our efforts will be futile.”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “It is unlikely that your plan will work.

“Once the Scarlet Firefly Fruits mature, even if the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers don’t consume them directly, they will surely harvest them and escape swiftly. Ultimately, no matter how alluring the Origin Heavy Water is to them, it can’t compete with an opportunity to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Besides, I think you are underestimating the intelligence of the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers. They already possess intelligence on par with humans, so it is unlikely that they will fall for such a simple ploy.”

With only a step away from reaching Half-Saint, those two Sabertooth Spirit Tiger were more than capable of keeping their instincts in check. It would be difficult to get past them with such a crude plan.

“What should we do then?” Dong Xin asked anxiously.

The others turned their gazes to Zhang Xuan as well.

“I do have a plan in mind, but I will need your Origin Heavy Water,” Zhang Xuan said.

Chapter 864: Someone Before Us

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang shi has an idea in mind?” Hu Yaoyao and the others traded glances, and their eyes lit up simultaneously.

As valuable as Origin Heavy Water was, its value couldn’t match the maturing Scarlet Firefly Fruits. As master teachers, they could tell that their plan was unrefined, but limited by their cultivation and the resources they had at hand, they were unable to find a better plan.

If Zhang Xuan had an idea, that would be for the best.

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively.

“That is great!” Recalling how the young man before them was able to tame over four hundred spirit beasts in two hours, as well as the master of the Byzantium Helios Beast, the four of them couldn’t help but tremble in anticipation.

“Here you go!” Dong Xin and the others flicked their wrists and took out a jade bottle each.

It seemed that they had all agreed on purchasing a bottle each and gathering them together after arriving in the valley.

Taking the jade bottles from them, Zhang Xuan uncorked the lid of one of them, and he immediately felt the rich water attribute energy contained within. He could feel his cells quivering in excitement, seemingly desiring the fluid within the bottle to cultivate the Third Incandescence.

“Just wait and see, I will lure those two fellows out!”

However, knowing that this wasn’t the time for him to cultivate, Zhang Xuan stowed the jade bottles into his storage ring.

Given how valuable the Origin Heavy Water was, it would be a huge waste to use it to lure the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger away. In any case, he did have another plan in mind to lure out the spirit beasts that wouldn’t require the Origin Heavy Water.

In fact, if he wanted to, he could easily sneak in and make it out with the entire tree as his soul.

Since that was the case, there was really no need to waste good Origin Heavy Water on this matter. It could be put to better use in his hands.

But of course, he would make sure to compensate the four of them properly for the Origin Heavy Water too. A compilation on the insights of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint to guarantee them a successful breakthrough should be sufficient.

Considering that they were using the Origin Heavy Water to bet on the possibility of obtaining the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, which only raised the possibility of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint, a compilation that could guarantee them a successful breakthrough was definitely worth more than the price of the Origin Heavy Water.

After putting away the Origin Heavy Water, Zhang Xuan asked, “Right, can you share your full plan with me? I can help you analyze it to determine its feasibility!”

“Our plan is actually rather simple. After luring those two fellows out, we will trap them in a formation, quickly obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, and leave,” Dong Xin said.

“Trap them in a formation? If you want to trap a Chrysalis realm pinnacle Sabertooth Spirit Tiger, the formation must at least be grade-6. On top of that, it must be capable of activating swiftly… Do you have such a formation plate on hand?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

“Un. Just in case an accident occurs, the four of us have prepared a formation plate each, namely a Confinement Formation, Illusory Formation, Beguilement Formation, and Slaughter Formation!”

Since they were going to collaborate with one another, there was no need to hide this matter from Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “It should be possible to trap the Sabertooth Spirit Tiger with the grade-6 formation plates you have on hand, but it isn’t a foolproof measure. You will have to pump your zhenqi into the formation to sustain it, but considering the overwhelming strength of the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers, you won’t be able to hold on for long under their thrashing… It is uncertain if you will be able to buy sufficient time to procure the Scarlet Firefly Fruit and escape before they break out, so the plan doesn’t seem to be particularly reliable.”

The main advantage that a formation plate provided was that even those who didn’t understand formations could activate and use it as well. However, it had its fair share of disadvantages compared to typical formations, too. Unless one could create a compound formation of it with a Spirit Gathering Formation, one would have to activate and sustain it using one’s zhenqi.

The amount of zhenqi a cultivator possessed was limited, so while formation plates might be useful in alleviating dire situations temporarily, their effectiveness was limited in the long-term.

The Sabertooth Spirit Tigers possessed extraordinary strength, so it was hard to say whether or not the formation plates could stall them long enough to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits.

It was no wonder they eventually chose to find him. With this plan, their probability of success was probably even less than twenty percent.

On the other hand, hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, their faces turned red.

They also knew that there was a problem with their plan, but there was no alternative they could think of.

After a moment of hesitation, Hu Yaoyao spoke up with gritted teeth. “Zhang shi, if we obtain these Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we are willing to take only one each, and the rest will go to you…”

The other three nodded in agreement.

They knew that it would have been extremely improbable for them to succeed, so they felt embarrassed to share an equal split of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits with him.

In any case, their goal was just to make the breakthrough to Half-Saint. As long as they could succeed, it mattered not whether they obtained one Scarlet Firefly Fruit or two.

Zhang Xuan shook its head. “Let’s obtain them first before talking about that…”

It was impractical to be talking about the distribution when they hadn’t even obtained them yet.

Understanding this logic, the others nodded, and the group continued proceeded forward.

“The area where the Scarlet Firefly Fruits are located is just around this bend. Let’s proceed carefully,” warned Dong Xin as she took a look at the surroundings.

The others nodded as they advanced with bated breaths.

While the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers would know that there were intruders due to the presence of the Scarlet Coy Flowers, as long as the intruders didn’t possess strength beyond them, they were unlikely to be alarmed. As long as they were to conceal themselves well and figure out a perfect opportunity to strike, they would still have a shot at success.

Advancing for a little longer, just as they were about to reach the end of the narrow path in the valley, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows suddenly shot up in alarm. “Something’s wrong!”

Seeing Zhang Xuan come to an abrupt halt, the others swiftly stopped in their footsteps as well.

“What’s wrong?”

However, Zhang Xuan didn’t reply to their questions. Instead, he walked over to a nearby boulder and squatted down.

A moment later, he gestured them over and said, “Take a look at this…”

Hu Yaoyao and the others headed over with doubtful expressions, and behind the boulder, they noticed slight traces of fresh soil that was slightly different from its surroundings. It was barely discernible; they wouldn’t have noticed it if they weren’t paying close attention, but the fresh soil didn’t seem to belong to the valley.

“This is…” The others were slightly perplexed by the sight before them.

“This valley seems to be suffering from dry weather, as we can tell from the dry soil in the area. However, these bits of soil carry a slight bit of dampness with them… If I am not mistaken, I believe that someone has entered the valley ahead of us!” Zhang Xuan revealed his deduction.

He had been keeping a lookout on his surroundings using the Eye of Insight, and as inconspicuous as the traces of fresh soil were, he was still able to easily find them and determine their origin.

“Someone has entered the valley ahead of us?”

On the other hand, hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, the faces of the others immediately warped in shock.

The main reason they were so persistent about the Scarlet Firefly Fruits here was because there was no one else aware of their existence. If the news regarding them had spread somehow, it would complicate things.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “Judging from the soil, it seems there are two of them, and it has been less than ten minutes since they passed this point. Also, the stronger of the duo seems to be… a Half-Saint realm cultivator!”

“You are able to tell their cultivation just by these soil traces?”

Everyone was stunned.

Was he a fortune teller?

It might be possible to gauge the time when the soil was left behind by its dampness, but how in the world did he manage to deduce the strength of those who had entered too?

“I have been paying close attention to the surroundings, and I didn’t notice any such soil traces behind us. In other words, the other party must have flown in and landed here. I can still feel slight traces of his zhenqi in the surroundings, and through that, it is not impossible to deduce his cultivation,” Zhang Xuan replied.

At Half-Saint, a cultivator had already comprehended the ability of basic flight. However, having yet to open the Zhukong acupoint, their flight would be unstable, and zhenqi would leak from their acupoints as well.

If the other party had not stopped here, the leaked zhenqi might have been so faint that it would have been nigh impossible to discern anything. However, as the other party had landed here, a trace of his zhenqi lingered in the area, allowing one to deduce his cultivation.

“Incredible…”

The crowd couldn’t help but be awed.

Even though they were master teachers as well, in terms of their meticulousness and analytical ability, they were still far too lacking compared to Zhang Xuan.

Xue Zhenyang’s face suddenly turned grim. “If a Half-Saint is here… will the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers destroy the fruits?”

If a Half-Saint was there, the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers would surely have been alarmed. If the spirit beasts were to destroy the fruits out of desperation, they would have made the trip in vain.

Hu Yaoyao shook her head. “I think we should focus our attention on figuring out the identity of those who came earlier than us. If they obtain the fruits before us, it would be no different from them being destroyed to us…”

There was some truth in her words.

If the other party were to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits before them, were they supposed to snatch the fruits from the other party’s hands?

As master teachers, they had to conduct themselves appropriately. If they were to be found guilty of snatching a treasure from the hands of another, they would be severely punished by the Master Teacher Pavilion.

The others nodded in agreement as they continued to advance discreetly. After turning at the end of the meandering path, a vast plot of land suddenly unfolded before them.

It was at least several thousand square meters, as if someone had forcefully dug out this space in the midst of the valley. At the end of the path, lying against the cliff face, was a massive cavern. The Scarlet Firefly Fruits were inside it.

Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see dense spiritual energy congregated within the cavern, puffing out from time to time.

“There is indeed someone ahead of us!” Dong Xin frowned.

Following her gaze, there were two silhouettes hiding behind a boulder outside of the cavern, seemingly fiddling with something in their hands.

“A Half-Saint and a Chrysalis realm expert!” Upon discerning the cultivation of the duo before them, the four of them couldn’t help but glance at Zhang Xuan in admiration once more.

It was exactly as he had deduced.

“The clothes that they are wearing… are those master teacher robes? But why are they different to ours?” Xue Zhenyang frowned.

It was after Xue Zhenyang’s remark that everyone turned their attention to the clothes of the duo. Unlike the normal loose-fitting master teacher robes, the gray robes they wore seemed to be tighter and more fitting. From their side profile, they could vaguely make out a master teacher emblem pinned on their chest, but unlike the usual soothing and magnanimous aura it carried, the emblem they donned felt sharp and aggressive. It seemed as if their eyes would be pricked if they were to stare at it a moment longer.

After a moment of contemplation, Long Cangyue said, “Even if their robes are different from ours, I can still sense that they are master teachers from the unique imprint on their emblems… However, it doesn’t seem like they are from Hongyuan Empire. I know nearly all of the experts of their caliber in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and Master Teacher Pavilion, but neither looks familiar to me.”

“Un.” Xue Zhenyang and the others nodded in agreement as well.

As elites of the Master Teacher Academy, they’d had the privilege of meeting many of the top master teachers in Hongyuan Empire. If those two had been from Hongyuan Empire as well, they should have been able to recognize them. Since they couldn’t, chances were that they were from a foreign land.

In any case, the mountain range they were in was already beyond Hongyuan Empire’s territory, so it wasn’t surprising to see foreign master teachers in the area.

“The convention among master teachers regarding the distribution of artifacts is on a first come first serve basis. Once someone has obtained the treasure, the others are not to snatch it by force. Even if they really wish to obtain the treasure, they will have to do so via proper means,” Dong Xin said.

In a scenario where many master teachers were going for the same artifact, regardless of means, the first one to obtain it would be considered its owner.

Malicious actions such as killing the person in possession of the item to snatch it were strictly forbidden.

Otherwise, if master teachers were to wrestle one another to death over artifacts, what right would they have to preach to others?

Of course, the side that failed to obtain the artifact could negotiate with the one in possession of the artifact regarding its distribution by offering something in exchange for it or through an official duel… However, if the one in possession of the artifact were to reject all negotiations, there was nothing that could be done.

“It will be over once they lay their hands on the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, so we have to obtain the fruits before them…” Hu Yaoyao said with a grim expression.

A moment later, Hu Yaoyao’s eyebrows shot up and she asked doubtfully, “What are they doing?”

Ahead of them, the duo seemed to be in no hurry to rush into the cavern either. The stronger of the duo had lit up an incense and was discreetly manipulating his zhenqi to blow the incense toward the cavern.

“If I’m not mistaken, that item should be Soulshock Incense!” Dong Xin said.

“Soulshock Incense?” Hu Yaoyao and the others asked doubtfully.

“Un. The smoke produced by the incense contains a substance that can beguile a soul with hallucinations. They must be using it to incapacitate the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers before stealing the Scarlet Firefly Fruits!” Dong Xin explained.

“However, that item doesn’t discriminate between friend and foe… If they fill the cavern with the smoke, aren’t they worried that they will fall under the effects of the Soulshock Incense as well?”

Chapter 865: Crossing Hands

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The Soulshock Incense was crafted using several hundred unique medicinal herbs, and its effects were so potent that it was effective even on Chrysalis realm cultivators. However, the Soulshock Incense didn’t discriminate between friend and foe. Even if they could blow the smoke away from them now, they would still be affected by it once they entered the cavern.

“Every toxin has a counteracting antidote to it. Most likely, they must have concocted a pairing antidote and consumed it beforehand,” Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

There was always an antidote to a poison, no matter how potent it was, needless to say a substance that only induced hallucinations.

“Un!” The others nodded in agreement.

“What should we do then? Once the smoke fills the cavern, the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers will surely be knocked out, and they will be free to obtain the fruits!” Dong Xin exclaimed anxiously.

The other party had a Half-Saint expert, so it would be impossible for them to get to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits faster than the other party once the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were knocked out.

After a moment of deep thought, Zhang Xuan replied, “We will have to be the first to strike then…”

Since they were unable to outrun or outfight the other party, they would just have to be the first one to make a move!

“Be the first to strike?” The others were perplexed, unsure of what Zhang Xuan meant.

The other party was right in front of the cavern, and the cavern was currently filled with the smoke of the Soulshock Incense as well. Even if they were to rush in now, not only would they be unable to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, they might even succumb to hallucinations as well, putting them in a vulnerable position.

“Wait for me here. If anything happens, leave the area immediately. Remember, your safety comes first. I will circle the area to see if I can find an opportunity to sneak into the cavern without them noticing,” Zhang Xuan instructed.

“You want to sneak into the cavern?”

The cavern was only that big, and the duo was right before the cavern. How could he possibly sneak in without the other party noticing?

“Don’t worry about that, leave it to me…” Zhang Xuan reassured them before diving to the side.

In a few moments, he had already disappeared from their sights.

“This…” After Zhang Xuan’s departure, Dong Xin and the others glanced at one another with bewilderment reflected in their eyes, unsure of what to do.

A long moment later, Hu Yaoyao sighed deeply and said, “Let’s just follow Zhang shi’s instructions. Since he has already said those words, he must have an idea in mind…”

In the current circumstances, there was nothing they could do. Their only option was to follow Zhang Xuan’s commands.

Considering the various miracles that the latter had produced before, perhaps he might just be able to exceed their expectations once more and obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits ahead of the duo.

…

After getting out of the others’ sight, Zhang Xuan hid in a discreet location before drawing his soul out.

Under the present circumstances, the only way for him to sneak into the cavern discreetly was through his soul.

As for what he said about circling the area and finding an opportunity, that was only an excuse for him to hide out of view.

Floating in the air, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before whipping out a bottle of Origin Heavy Water. He fed it to his body and drew out several surges of Heaven’s Path zhenqi from his dantian before stowing his body into the Myriad Anthive Nest.

His physical body had already achieved the Mind of Void, allowing it to cultivate instinctively without his soul. Since that was the case, it would be a waste not to make full use of the ability to cultivate the Third Incandescence, especially since it wouldn’t interfere in his mission anyway.

Hu!

Holding his storage ring up with his soul energy, Zhang Xuan’s soul traveled silently alongside the cliff face toward the cavern.

There were many trees and shrubs growing alongside the cliff face, all the way to the cavern, so it wasn’t too difficult for Zhang Xuan to move his small storage ring discreetly among them.

On top of that, Zhang Xuan’s soul had reached Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle, granting him greater control over his soul energy. If he were to conceal his aura, there was no way a Half-Saint would be able to notice him.

Hu!

By making use of a temporary lapse in attention of the duo, Zhang Xuan managed to dart into the cavern with his storage ring without alarming anyone.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he began to scan his surroundings.

The interior of the cavern was spacious and deep. From where he stood, he couldn’t see the other end.

At this moment, there was already a light layer of smoke drifting in the cavern, and with just the slightest inhalation, one would fall into a deep trance.

If it had been before, even if Zhang Xuan had cultivated the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, he would still have needed to proceed warily around such poison. However, after his soul had mixed with Wei Ruyan’s and gained the properties of the Poison Soul Constitution, such poison no longer posed a threat to him.

Advancing deeper into the cavern, Zhang Xuan soon encountered a bizarre-looking tree.

It had a twisted tree trunk with a thickness roughly equivalent to an average bowl with vine-like branches stretching from it. Hanging on those vine-like branches were golden leaves and several light-red fruits.

It seems the fruits haven’t matured yet… Upon taking a look, Zhang Xuan could tell that the fruits were still several days away from maturity.

The distinctive trait of a mature Scarlet Firefly Fruit was its bright scarlet color and the emanation of a glow reminiscent of a firefly. However, it was currently only light-red in color.

Just as Dong Xin and the others had deduced, it would still take from a week to half a month before they were ready to be harvested.

Standing on guard right before the tree was a massive Sabertooth Spirit Tiger. It had an impressive body, which was two meters tall and five meters long, and it carried an oppressive aura that seemed to stifle one’s breath.

The other Sabertooth Spirit Tiger was prowling warily around the tree with its gaze frequently turning to the entrance of the cavern. It seemed to have realized that there were enemies camping outside, and nervousness and apprehension were reflected in its eyes. It seemed to be debating whether or not it should simply devour the unripe Scarlet Firefly Fruits and escape swiftly.

The smoke of the Soulshock Incense had yet to reach this part of the cavern, so the two large tigers still retained their consciousness.

It seems Dong Xin’s intelligence is spot on… Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.

There were indeed ten fruits on the tree, and the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were at Chrysalis realm pinnacle as well.

To be able to gather such detailed intelligence, Dong Xin must have scouted the cavern as well.

While the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers were extremely wary, it was inevitable that they would lower their guards from time to time, especially while they were tending to their fundamental needs. Furthermore, the fruits were still far from maturity then, so they wouldn’t have been as wary as they were now.

With Dong Xin’s Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivation, even if she wasn’t a match for the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers, she was still capable of sneaking in discreetly to scout the area.

There are two ways I can proceed now. First, I can release the Byzantium Helios Beast, kill these two spirit beasts, and claim possession of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. This is the easiest and most direct method, but I will risk exposing my means as a soul oracle and the existence of the Myriad Anthive Nest. Second, I can find a way to hasten the maturity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, harvest them, and swiftly escape without anyone noticing. If so, I can avoid a confrontation with the two master teachers, thus sparing me a great deal of trouble… Zhang Xuan thought.

Naturally, the easiest solution would be to release the Byzantium Helios Beast and swiftly get rid of the two tigers. However, it would be hard to explain how he had managed to sneak into the cavern without their notice and where the Byzantium Helios Beast had come from.

The second method it is then! After giving the matter some thought, Zhang Xuan still felt that the second method would be safer.

I will have to knock these two fellows out first…

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan’s soul retreated slightly behind and drew the smoke of the Soulshock Incense in with his soul energy.

The Scarlet Firefly Fruit should only be harvested upon maturity, and in order to hasten the maturity of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit, Zhang Xuan would have to bring out his physical body to utilize his Heaven’s Path zhenqi. Thus, he would have to incapacitate the two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers first.

Under the control of his soul, the smoke of the Soulshock Incense swiftly gathered around the tree. Too focused on the cultivators loitering outside the cavern, the two spirit beasts didn’t expect to be poisoned. Unknowingly, they took a few breaths in, and their bodies began shaking uncontrollably. In the blink of an eye, they were already hallucinating.

After waiting for a few moments to confirm that the two fellows were incapacitated, Zhang Xuan rushed forward to the tree, took out his physical body, and returned his soul to it.

Flicking his wrist, he took out a gourd of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and dripped it on the fruits while pumping his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into them.

The reason Zhang Xuan dared to go in there without having to worry about being late for the inauguration ceremony, despite Hu Yaoyao saying that she was unsure when the Scarlet Firefly Fruit would mature, was due to this ability of his.

He had learned of this method when he had tried to hasten the maturity of the Ten-leafed Flower back in You Xu’s residence previously. Under the influx of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence and Heaven’s Path zhenqi, the light-red fruits swiftly deepened in color, and a glow gradually emerged within them. Before long, a refreshing fragrance began to permeate the surroundings.

The fruits have matured! Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

He swiftly harvested the ten Scarlet Firefly Fruits and placed them in a jade box before stowing them into his storage ring. After which, he drew his soul out of his body and placed his body into the Myriad Anthive Nest before storing the nest in his storage ring as well.

After all that was done, he took a glance at the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers once more and saw that they were still shaking on their feet, plagued by hallucinations. Heaving a sigh of relief, he swiftly picked up his ring and rushed out of the cavern.

Shortly after he escaped from the cavern, he saw the two master teachers who had lit the Soulshock Incense earlier walking over, seemingly trying to check if they had successfully knocked out the Sabertooth Spirit Tigers.

With a slight smile, Zhang Xuan quickly left the premises with his storage ring. He hurriedly searched for a discreet area with no one around before letting his body out and returning to it.

In the time he had spent stealing the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, his physical body had successfully cultivated the Third Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body.

His physical strength had doubled, rising from the original 8,000,000 ding to 16,000,000 ding.

If exerted in unison with his soul and zhenqi cultivation, he would be able to bring out a combined might of 53,000,000 ding, which was comparable to the strength of a Half-Saint pinnacle cultivator!

(Half-Saint primary stage 40,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 44,000,000 ding; advanced stage 48,000,000 ding; pinnacle 52,000,000 ding)

Feeling the overwhelming power coursing through his body, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but tremble with excitement.

For an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage cultivator to possess strength on par with a Half-Saint pinnacle cultivator, that would terrify the bejesus out of others!

That was a gap that couldn’t be justified by just talent; it could only be said to be a miracle!

Alright, I should return now… Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan stood up and returned to the area where he had last seen Hu Yaoyao and the others.

However, just as he was approaching the area, he suddenly felt a violent shockwave rippling in the surroundings.

This is bad…

Narrowing his eyes in alarm, Zhang Xuan picked up his pace and rushed over. A few breaths later, he saw several cultivators battling one another intensely in a clearing.

Xue Zhenyang, Hu Yaoyao, Dong Xin, and Long Cangyue were fighting one of the duo they had encountered earlier. They executed powerful attacks with varying styles, but their opponent, despite fighting the four of them simultaneously, didn’t seem to be falling in defeat. On the contrary, he easily neutralized their attacks and even cornered the four of them to the point that they had to execute their strongest techniques just to hold their ground.

It’s the Chrysalis realm pinnacle fellow? Zhang Xuan took a look at their opponent and frowned.

If their opponent had been the Half-Saint expert, it would be understandable for the four of them to still be in a disadvantageous position despite putting their strength together. However, their opponent was the Chrysalis realm pinnacle master teacher, possessing cultivation equal to theirs!

The four of them were famed geniuses of the Master Teacher Academy, and there were barely any cultivators of the same cultivation realm who could defeat them.

Yet, for them to be cornered even in a four-on-one battle against a fellow peer, was this really happening?

Their opponent was a little… way too powerful!

Glancing to the side, Zhang Xuan saw the Half-Saint cultivator leaning a boulder as he gazed at the duel impassively, seemingly unworried that his companion would lose at all.

It seemed that the other party had absolute confidence in the strength of his companion.

Knowing that Hu Yaoyao and the others would lose tragically should the duel continue as it was, Zhang Xuan stood forward and bellowed, “Stop!”