Chapter 1009

Chapter 1009: Making Arrangements for Wei Ruyan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Actually, it does not matter whether you are able to return to the body of a female or not,” Poison Master Bai persuaded.

As long as one was able to continue living, what did gender matter?

Besides, there were plenty of poison masters in the Poison Hall who had their gender mixed up.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “That’s what I thought at the start as well. However, this body is not compatible with my Poison Soul Constitution. At this rate, I will gradually grow weaker, and it won’t take long before I am completely dead. Thus, regardless of whether I will lose my memory because of the possession or not, this is something that I will have to do. This is… my only opportunity!”

Based on what Poison Master Hai had said, it was apparent that he would require the help of the Poison Hall headquarters to help resolve Wei Ruyan’s condition.

However, the Poison Hall was ultimately different from the Master Teacher Pavilion. If he were to send her there without any arrangements beforehand, there was a good chance that things could go awry.

After all, the Innate Poison Body was simply too fearsome. It was only a matter of time for a person of such a constitution to rise to the position of the head of the Poison Hall. However, how could the incumbent hall master be willing to relinquish his power so easily?

In order to prevent any accidents from happening, Zhang Xuan felt that it would be safer to give her a formidable identity first… the founder of the Poison Hall!

With such an identity protecting her, even the incumbent hall master would not dare touch her!

But of course, it was likely that Wei Ruyan would be unable to follow up with his lie once she woke up, so there was a good chance that she might inadvertently leak the truth. As such, he had made sure to tell them in advance that she would lose her memory. As for the founder’s memory returning after returning to her peak state…

Once Wei Ruyan achieved such strength, whether she had really recovered her memory or not… who would dare to utter a word against her?

Knowing that the founder was bound to have a mission for them, considering how the other party had gone through the effort of explaining this matter to them, Poison Master Bai looked at her and asked with a determined glint in his eyes, “Founder, is there anything that you need us to do? As long as it is within our means, the both of us will even brave the fires of Hell to accomplish it for you!”

Poison Master Hai also nodded grimly in agreement.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan’s standing in the hearts of the two was comparable to what Kong shi was in the hearts of the master teachers. To be able to work for her was their greatest pride, and they wouldn’t back down even in the face of death.

“I don’t need you to brave the fires of Hell for me. However, I do have something that I need you to help me with.” At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment as he gazed at the duo before continuing. “I will be moving my soul into the body of a girl I have already prepared beforehand, but as soon as I do that, I will fall into an unconscious state. If… it is possible for the both of you, I hope that you can take me back to the Poison Hall headquarters and help me regain my strength as soon as possible!”

“This… Founder, rest assured. We will definitely accomplish it for you!”

They had been wondering what she would ask for, but upon hearing that this was the other party’s request, the two poison masters nodded.

If the headquarters were to learn that they had found the founder and brought her back, they would surely be handsomely rewarded for their immense contribution to the Poison Hall. Thus, it could be said that this job was not only not a hassle, it could even be considered a huge opportunity for them.

“Don’t be fooled into thinking that this will be an easy task!” But seemingly having seen through their thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, “After I successfully possess the other party’s body, my soul will fall into a coma. This means that I will continuously emit a poisonous aura around me. If you remain in close proximity to me, there is no doubt that you will be heavily poisoned as well!”

With grim looks on their faces, the duo straightened their posture and swore solemnly, “As long as it is a command from you, we will definitely accomplish it even if death is what we will face!”

While poison masters were not as concerned with rules and principles as master teachers, they would go to any lengths to protect their lineage and dignity.

“Don’t worry, you won’t face death. I will forge some pills tonight for you to ward off the poisonous aura. Once you feel like you are going to succumb to the poisonous aura, swallow one, and it should be able to neutralize the poisonous aura accumulated in your body thus far.” After which, Zhang Xuan paused for a brief moment before adding, “Also, I will be imparting an even more profound poison cultivation technique and poison art to you. At the same time, I will think of a way to help the both of you achieve a breakthrough to Saint 5-dan.”

“Thank you, Founder!” With their eyes widening and breathing hastening in agitation, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai hurriedly clasped their fists and bowed deeply in gratitude.

Who was the person before them?

The founder of the Poison Hall!

The other party was the person who had founded the Poison Hall, leaving behind the heritage of the poison masters. For them to actually be so privileged as to receive the guidance from a figure like the other party directly… this was something they could never have dreamed of!

“There is no need to get happy too early. To obtain my heritage, you will have to acknowledge me as your teacher. Also, in order to ensure that no accidents occur, I will have Sun Qiang control your souls. If you intend me any harm, death will fall swiftly upon you!” Zhang Xuan continued gravely.

This was not a matter of whether he trusted the other party or not. He had to ensure that not the slightest harm came to Wei Ruyan!

As the saying goes, a layer of skin conceals a human’s heart.

Furthermore, a constitution as rare as the Innate Poison Body was surely desired by many.

Thus, Zhang Xuan felt that while it was imperative to offer them some benefits to them to win their loyalty, he had to also prepare some measures to ensure that the other party didn’t betray him.

Knowing what the founder was worrying over, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai clasped their fists and declared affirmatively, “Founder, rest assured. Our loyalty toward you is unwavering!”

Becoming the disciple of the founder was, for a poison master, similar to becoming the disciple of Kong shi. They would possess a standing above countless poison masters, such that even if they were to encounter 9-star poison masters, the other party would have to behave obediently before them, not daring to offend or disrespect them in the least.

“There is no need for you to give me your answer that quickly. I will give you some time to consider the matter. You can give me your response at midnight today,” said Zhang Xuan with a casual wave of his hands.

“This… Yes!” The duo glanced at one another before nodding.

“Alright. For the time being, I don’t wish for anyone to learn of my matter, so make sure you keep your lips sealed. Otherwise, if the poison on the both of you isn’t neutralized in time, I can promise you that you won’t live past tomorrow!” Zhang Xuan said with a cold harrumph, his voice laced with threat.

The two poison masters clasped their fists and replied hurriedly. “Founder, rest assured. Not a word of this matter will come from our mouths!”

“Un. You are dismissed!” After saying his piece, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and fell silent.

Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai turned around and left.

After the both of them left, Zhang Xuan slowly opened his eyes once more.

If the both of them could achieve breakthroughs and become 8-star poison masters, Wei Ruyan would be in a much safer position in their care.

After sorting out the books in his head and compiling them into the respective Heaven’s Path Poison Art manuals, Zhang Xuan slowly made his way out of the Compendium Hall.

At this moment, Elder Xu, Ruo Qingyuan, and the others were waiting outside. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had left the Compendium Hall, they hurriedly relayed orders to their men to prepare a banquet to host him.

After feasting at the banquet, Zhang Xuan was shown to a new, grander accommodation. As soon as he was left alone, he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest and began reading through the Heaven’s Path Poison Art.

The reason he had told the other party to return at midnight was because he hadn’t internalized these books yet. There was no way he could offer guidance to the both of them in his current state.

Starting from the 3-star Heaven’s Path Poison Art, he gradually moved on to the 4-star, 5-star…

Cultivating as he read, his understanding of poison widened and deepened significantly.

After some time, he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas. A sharp but sinister shimmer flickered across Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Immense knowledge regarding poisons ranging from 3-star to 7-star was now imprinted deeply in his brain, becoming his own capability.

At this moment, in terms of comprehension of poison, even Poison Master Bai would be no match for him. He might even be a match for some 8-star poison masters!

Of course, due to his lacking cultivation, it would be impossible for him to take the 8-star poison master examination at the moment. In fact, even the 7-star emblem, which Ruo Qingyuan had applied for on his behalf, was only at ‘quasi 7-star’.

While poison master was considered a Lower Nine Paths occupation, there was still a strict cultivation requirement on rank promotion, just like most Upper Nine Paths occupations such as master teacher and beast tamer.

To become a real 7-star poison master, one’s cultivation had to be at Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm at the very minimum. To become an 8-star poison master, the requirement was for one to possess the cultivation of Saint 5-dan. This was a fixed requirement, and there was no one who had the authority to alter the rules.

However, Zhang Xuan wasn’t bothered by his poison master ranking.

The main reason the Poison Hall was so strict on the cultivation requirement on rank promotion was due to the risks in concocting higher-grade poisons. Without a sufficiently high cultivation, a poison master could very well injure themself or die as a result of attempting to concoct something beyond their current strength.

However, possessing the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was impervious to all poison, so such a problem didn’t apply to him.

Of course, this didn’t mean that cultivation wasn’t important to a poison master who was impervious to poison. Even if a poison master could concoct the most potent poison in the world, if they weren’t strong enough to plant the poison on their opponent, it would be futile too.

Taking the current Zhang Xuan for example, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi was indubitably an extremely frightening poison. However, to poison a Saint 4-dan expert to death, he still had to rely on disguising himself and tricking the other party to consume it of their own accord. With his current strength, it was impossible for him to beat his zhenqi into his opponent’s body directly.

This was also why it was still very dangerous for him to confront a Saint 4-dan directly.

Just the ability to concoct poison wasn’t enough. Being able to utilize it against one’s opponent to subdue him was what made a true expert!

Despite everything I have learnt, I still cannot come up with a treatment method to resolve Wei Ruyan’s condition. However, with my current means, I should still be able to stabilize her condition for around half a year to a year. With this period of time, it should suffice for her to make the journey to the Poison Hall headquarters! Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Even though the Heaven’s Path Poison Art he had compiled from the books in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall contained incomparably deep and profound knowledge, greatly benefiting him, it still didn’t grant him the capability to solve the complications regarding the Innate Poison Body.

However, while he was unable to cure the root of the problem, he was more than capable of delaying the worsening of the condition.

Standing up, Zhang Xuan walked up to Wei Ruyan. He began driving the Heaven’s Path zhenqi in his body, turning it into lethal poison.

It was futile to deal with the Innate Poison Body using nourishment medicinal herbs that reinforced one’s foundation. The only thing that worked was poison!

Back then, Wei Changfeng had been aware of the details regarding the matter, and Wei Ruyan’s unique constitution hadn’t awakened entirely either, so no one was any wiser about her condition. Out of concern for his daughter’s condition, Wei Changfeng had been feeding her all kinds of medicinal herbs ever since she was young, but this had only served to worsen her affliction. Had Wei Ruyan not met him, she would have long succumbed to her affliction.

Taking a deep breath, a grim look surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s eyes. Maneuvering his fingers adeptly as if he was playing the pipa 1 , he nimbly shot surges of his lethal Heaven’s Path zhenqi into each and every acupoints all over Wei Ruyan’s body.

Shortly after these surges of zhenqi seeped into Wei Ruyan’s body, her pale face began to gradually regain a slightly red glow.

Even though she was still unable to regain her consciousness, she was finally in a safe and stable condition, at least in the short-term.

Knowing that the other party would be fine for around a year, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a thought, he drew his soul out of his glabella.

“Soul Guiding Art!”

After which, his massive soul began forming several hand seals, and before long, he succeeded in severing a fragment of his soul. That fragmented soul dove straight into Wei Ruyan’s glabella.

This student of his had been ill as long as she could remember. Living under the protection of her father’s wings, she had an innocent personality that was incapable of scheming against others. If she were to head into the Poison Hall headquarters, a place where even master teachers would tremble in fear before, without any protection, she would surely have a layer of her skin shed at minimum.

Thus, after much consideration, Zhang Xuan decided to leave a fragment of his soul with the other party to assist her in times of need.

After that was done, he fell into deep contemplation once more. He hesitated for a brief moment before eventually taking out the only golden page that he had left. With a tap of his finger, he sent it into the other party’s glabella.

This was the golden page that had formed when School Head Jiang Qingqin acknowledged him as his teacher. All along, he couldn’t bring himself to use it. However, if it could be exchanged for the safety of his student, he was more than willing to do so.

After doing so, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before moving his soul back into his physical body.

What Zhang Xuan had left was just a mindless soul fragment made up purely of intent, on top of which, there had been an exchange of soul essence between the both of them before. As such, Wei Ruyan’s body didn’t instinctively reject Zhang Xuan’s soul fragment. It dove into the other party’s mind, hiding itself in the depths of the other party’s consciousness. Even the strongest of person wouldn’t be able to sense the presence of his soul. In fact, as long as Zhang Xuan willed it so, this student of his wouldn’t be aware of the matter either.

The concern that a teacher had for their students need not be made known to the student. The only thing that teachers expected from their students was for them to better themselves, and that was why they could push on despite being misunderstood or unappreciated by their students. As long as their efforts could help the latter and help them achieve greatness, they would feel relieved and gladdened from the bottom of their hearts.

This was not foolishness. This was because there was a single belief that was even heavier than the greatest of mountains in the world driving them…

They are teachers!

Chapter 1010: Death of the Hall Master

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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Being a teacher was a responsibility, as well as a set of principles that one had sworn to abide by.

From the moment he comprehended the Heart of the Teacher, the true meaning of being a teacher had been imprinted deep in Zhang Xuan’s mind, and he had never forgotten about it, not even for the briefest moment.

And at this point, he had indeed displayed it through his own actions.

To his direct disciples, he would impart whatever he felt would benefit them without any reservations 1 , achieving the true essence of ‘selflessness in teachings’.

After settling Wei Ruyan, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out two bottles of foundation reinforcing nourishment pills. With a tap of his finger, he infused several surges of Heaven’s Path zhenqi into it.

Typically speaking, the consumption of these pills shouldn’t have any effects on a Saint 4-dan expert. However, with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi infused into it, it was no longer an ordinary pill; it had become a divine medicine that could cure any injury and neutralize all poisons.

Furthermore, as the zhenqi was deposited into a nourishment pill, it would be nurtured by it, thus allowing to exist for extended periods of time outside of Zhang Xuan’s body without dissipating.

This was dissimilar to when he infused his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into a wine gourd.

Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Each jade bottle has ten pills. It should be enough for the duo to make the journey to the Poison Hall and overcome whatever challenges come their way!

These pills were prepared for Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai. Since Zhang Xuan had decided to have them protect Wei Ruyan, he had to ensure that they wouldn’t be poisoned to their deaths.

After doing all of that, Zhang Xuan took out an empty book and brush, and wrote out a manual on a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Poison Art. After which, he contemplated over Poison Master Bai’s condition for a moment and tailored a unique formula to resolve the issues the other party was facing. Only then did he finally back out from his Anthive Nest and return to the courtyard of his accommodation.

With everything he had been up to, it was already night by the time he returned. Despite the immense quantity of zhenqi he wielded, he still couldn’t help but feel exhausted.

Sitting on the ground, he drove the Heaven’s Path Divine Art for several cycles before he finally recuperated from his weakness. Shortly after he was done, he heard knocking at his door.

It was midnight!

“Come in.”

Right after those words were spoken, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai pushed the door open and walked in.

Kneeling on the ground, they began speaking with unwavering resolution in their eyes. “Founder, we have made up our minds. We are willing to undertake this mission!”

“Un. Since you have decided to aid me, I won’t treat you poorly!” Zhang Xuan nodded, having known already that the other party would make such a choice. He accepted the parts of their souls they had offered before flicking his wrist to whip out the pills and cultivation technique manuals that he had prepared beforehand.

As soon as they laid their eyes upon the manuals, the breathing of the duo hastened.

As Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts who had been cultivating poison cultivation techniques ever since they were young, they could tell that despite the simplicity of the secret manual before their eyes, it was directed toward the very essence of the Way of Poison. If they were to follow the manual, it would be a walk in the park for them to successfully concoct and control a grade-8 poison!

Of course… the prerequisite was that he had to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation first!

“Bai Ting, this is the cultivation technique I have specially prepared for you beforehand. It can help you resolve the problem of your blocked Yuanshen acupoint. Cultivate strictly to it, and you will be able to achieve a breakthrough very soon!”

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan passed a secret manual over.

Without a Saint 4-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he couldn’t impart a cultivation technique to the other party and allow him to achieve a breakthrough immediately. However, through the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could still analyze the other party’s flaws and design a solution to resolving the issue.

In simple terms, the secret manual that he had just passed to Poison Master Bai didn’t contain a cultivation technique but a treatment method tailored to the other party’s condition.

As long as the other party cultivated according to the manual, the issue of his sealed Yuanshen acupoint would be resolved. Once that impediment was gone, considering the massive accumulation from cultivating diligently over many years, the other party would be able to achieve an instantaneous breakthrough.

After instructing Bai Ting to cultivate it properly, Zhang Xuan turned to Poison Master Hai and said, “Hai Jinming, execute a fist art!”

Knowing that the other party was going to offer him personal guidance too, Hai Jinming hurriedly executed a battle technique.

A book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path. After studying it carefully, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation to deduce a feasible solution before imparting it to the other party verbally.

As he was facing the duo with his eyes closed, it would be troublesome for him to write it down on paper. Thus, he decided to impart it verbally instead.

On the other hand, after hearing the content that Zhang Xuan was speaking of, Hai Jinming couldn’t help but be astonished and impressed at the same time.

Just a single fist, and the other party was already able to see through the flaws and problems in his cultivation. In less than an incense’s time 2 , the other party had already tailored a cultivation technique. Most probably, only the founder of the Poison Hall, who had been able to stand toe-to-toe with Kong shi in battle, would be capable of such an incredible feat!

Boom!

Before the sky even lit up, a resounding buzz echoed in the air. Bai Ting’s body jolted, and an immense Primordial Spirit floated out from his body, bringing radiance to the surroundings. Its presence carried a domineering pressure on those standing before it.

Saint 5-dan, Leaving Aperture realm!

Leaving Aperture realm was the cultivation realm where a cultivator would be able to draw their Primordial Spirit out through an aperture in their body and roam the world freely. Even if their body were to meet with demise, they would still be able to exist as a Primordial Spirit. While the cultivator’s lifespan would be significantly reduced existing in such a form, it was nevertheless an extremely incredible ability.

More importantly, one’s Primordial Spirit would be further aligned with nature and the world, allowing it to draw even greater fighting prowess.

Every single cultivator who had reached this level wielded destructive fighting prowess that instilled deference and horror in others. It was also the fundamental requirement to reaching 8-star in most occupations, thus standing among the ranks of the top of the continent.

Not too long after Poison Master Bai made a breakthrough, the surrounding spiritual suddenly flurried once more, and Poison Master Hai’s Primordial Spirit broke out from his body as well.

After cultivating the method that Zhang Xuan had tailored specifically for them, they were able to achieve breakthroughs back to back.

Retracting their Primordial Spirits back into their bodies, they walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed deeply. At this moment, they were left with nothing but deep respect for the other party.

Even 9-star poison masters would be unable to resolve their conditions so easily and allow them to achieve a breakthrough so quickly, but the person before them had actually managed to achieve such a feat. Who else could the other party be other than the founder?

“Alright, stand guard for me outside. Don’t allow anyone to interrupt me, and you aren’t to peek either!” Ignoring the looks of admiration of the duo, Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

“Yes!” The two poison masters quickly backed out of the room. After which, Zhang Xuan swiftly set up an isolation barrier to prevent anyone who peering in before putting Wei Ruyan out.

After which, he waited patiently for daybreak before removing the formation and indicating for Bai Ting and Hai Jinming to enter.

“Poison masters!”

At this moment, even though Zhang Xuan still looked the same as ever, his cultivation and aura were only at the level of a Nascent Saint. At the same time, his eyes were also filled with innocence and purity, devoid of the domineering air of a conqueror from before.

Knowing that the soul of the founder had already left his body, the duo sighed internally as they clasped their fists to greet the man before them.

“Un. This is her… new body. You must make sure to accomplish the mission she has assigned to you!” Zhang Xuan said as he gestured toward Wei Ruyan.

“Rest assured, we will definitely have it done!” Nodding, the duo turned their gazes to Wei Ruyan, and a moment later, their faces reddened in agitation. “C-could it be… this young lady possesses the Innate Poison Body?”

“There is no doubt about it! Otherwise, there is no way she would be able to contain the poisonous soul of our ancestor!”

At this moment, Wei Ruyan’s constitution had already been awakened, and she was continuously emanating a poisonous aura. As 7-star pinnacle poison masters, it was natural that they were able to recognize it.

They had been thinking that their founder had been forced to choose a random body to contain her soul, but who would have thought that the latter would have actually managed to find an Innate Poison Body! They could already imagine the great heights the Poison Hall could very well be brought to under the leadership of the powerful founder. Gone would be the days where they were forced to hide in the shadows of the world, as if rats scampering on the streets.

“Founder has said that you should leave this area and head to the Poison Hall headquarters as soon as possible. While her possession was successful, she has fallen into a deep coma as a result of that. She must be treated as soon as possible, and not even the slightest delay is acceptable!” Zhang Xuan instructed grimly.

Poison Master Bai nodded. “Our purpose here is to obtain a booklet from two thousand years ago. We have already instructed Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan to fetch it yesterday, so it should be arriving very soon. As soon as we obtain that item, we will leave immediately!”

Fetching the booklet from the Mausoleum of Hall Masters shouldn’t take too much effort, so it was unlikely that it would take too long.

“Booklet?” Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful look.

“Un. It is a booklet regarding an ancient domain in Firesource City. There are rumors going around saying that it will open very soon. Thus, the headquarters sent us here to procure it in the hope that we might find something from it!” Poison Master Bai said.

Even though the founder’s soul was no longer in the other party, their souls were still under the other party’s control, so they dared not conceal anything from the other party.

The booklet is concerning an ancient domain in Firesource City? Could it be… the map? Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

A while ago, he had heard from a message left behind by the old principal in the Mausoleum of Principals that there was a map of the ancient domain that was in the hands of the Poison Hall. It seemed like these two poison masters were here for it as well.

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan asked, “Regarding the booklet you are speaking of, can you allow me to take a look at it after you obtain it? I won’t even touch the booklet open, if that bothers you!”

As long as it was a book, the Library of Heaven’s Path could replicate it perfectly just by laying his eyes on it. Even touch wasn’t required anymore.

“Of course…” Poison Master Bai nodded.

The other party was a poison master as well, not to mention, he was also the first body that the founder had possessed. Besides, his life was held in the other party’s hands. Putting aside taking a look at the booklet, even if the other party wanted to take it away, he wouldn’t dare object to it.

“You have my gratitude.” Smiling, Zhang Xuan was in the midst of his words when the ground abruptly shook violently. A dull rumbling echoed in the distance, as if something had collapsed.

“What is happening?” Alarmed, the trio hurriedly flew out of the room and turned their gazes in the direction that the uproar had come from. Taking a closer look, they noticed that a powerful shockwave had emanated from a mountain not too far away. It seemed like there were two powerful experts clashing with one another.

“That is the might of a Saint 4-dan expert,” Poison Master Bai remarked with a deep frown.

“That is… where the Mausoleum of Hall Masters is! Quick, let’s head over to take a look!”

The strongest expert in the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall was Ruo Qingyuan, who only possessed the cultivation of Saint 3-dan pinnacle. For the might of a Saint 4-dan to burst forth in the Poison Hall, it was apparent that something must have happened!

And most important of all, the ruckus originated from the Mausoleum of Hall Masters!

That was where the booklet was stored!

Sou! Sou! Sou!

With incomparably fast speed, it took merely the blink of an eye for them to arrive at the Mausoleum of Hall Masters. At this moment, the entire building had already collapsed. Vice Hall Master Xu and the others were standing not too far away with anxious looks on their faces.

“What happened?” Poison Master Bai asked.

“Reporting to Poison Master Bai, I am not too sure either. Last night, our hall master said that he was going to the Mausoleum of Hall Masters to retrieve something, and he instructed us to wait here. But despite waiting for so long, he still hasn’t returned yet,” Vice Hall Master Xu said with dread.

“He still hasn’t returned yet? There is no doubt about it, something must have happened to him. Let’s hurry in to take a look!” Frowning, Poison Master Bai rushed into the Mausoleum of Hall Masters without any hesitation.

Poison Master Hai and Zhang Xuan followed closely behind.

Upon seeing them enter, Vice Hall Master Xu and the others hesitated for a moment before clenching their jaws and following them in as well.

According to the rules, the Mausoleum of Hall Masters could only be accessed by the incumbent hall master of the branch. Despite being esteemed elders, they were unqualified to enter the premises. However, in the face of such a major crisis, they could only forgo conventions for the time being.

Upon entering, the elders noted that the entire mountain slope was filled with towering and majestic tombs, and the hall masters of each generation were buried in each of them. Inscribed on the tombstones in front of the tombs were the outstanding contributions they had made to the Poison Hall.

Not too long later, they caught up with Poison Master Bai, Poison Master Hai, and ‘Sun Qiang’. At this point, they had already come to a halt. Standing right before a huge depression, the trio had an awful complexion on their faces.

Following the gazes of the trio, Vice Hall Master Xu’s eyes narrowed in astonishment as his face turned ghastly pale. “Hall Master…”

At the very center of the depression lay Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan, his body crimson with fresh blood.

Quickly flying over to help the Ruo Qingyuan up, Vice Hall Master Xu realized that the other party had already stopped breathing. Judging from the other party’s injuries, it seemed like he had been killed with a single palm strike. In fact, it seemed like the huge depression in the ground had been caused by the same palm strike.

“Our hall master… is dead?”

The faces of the many elders paled in horror.

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Chapter 1011: Earthleaf King

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

At this very moment, Ruo Qingyuan’s heart had already stopped. His already wounded body was withered, creating the impression that his skin was just clinging off his bones. His eyes were bulging from their sockets, as if he had witnessed something horrifying. His right fist was tightly clenched around a bottle of poison, but it seemed like he hadn’t had a chance to use it before he was killed.

“Is that it?”

Gazing at the scene from above, Poison Master Bai seemed to have noticed something from examining the corpse, so he turned to Poison Master Hai to seek his opinion on the matter.

“Yes, it seems so…” The latter nodded his head grimly.

“Exactly what I thought!” Poison Master Bai narrowed his eyes, and with a tone that felt as sharp as a knife, dripping with bone-chilling killing intent, he spat, “The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe…”

Upon hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned. “You are saying that… Hall Master Ruo Qingyuan was killed by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?”

While the reputation of poison masters wasn’t good, they hadn’t sided with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe entirely back during the war, and they hadn’t been in contact with them ever since. Otherwise, no matter how deep the Poison Hall had hidden, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely have found and eradicated them completely.

Considering that they hadn’t been in contact, it was bizarre that an Otherworldly Demon would suddenly appear here and even kill a hall master. What was going on?

Furthermore, hearing the other party’s tone, it seemed as if they had already confirmed the matter.

Poison Master Bai nodded as he explained, “Hall Master Ruo’s corpse is withered; this shows that his blood essence has been sapped dry. That is an ability that only the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possesses.”

“His blood essence was sapped dry?” Activating his Eye of Insight, he turned his gaze toward Hall Master Ruo’s corpse once more to examine it, and his complexion turned incredibly awful.

Just as the other party had said, the hall master’s blood essence had indeed been devoured by something. It was extremely horrifying.

Blood essence was the foundation of a human’s vitality. For it to have been forcefully sapped dry, the excruciating pain that Hall Master Ruo had suffered in the process was unimaginable. This was an extremely vicious method of murdering another!

“This is the offensive means of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

While he had faced quite a number of Otherworldly Demons to date, more often than not, he had been able to kill his opponent before the other party had been able to make a move against him. As such, he didn’t really have much of an understanding regarding the callous means utilized by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. However, in the moment that he saw the corpse of Hall Master Ruo, he finally understood why the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so deeply feared by all of the races, including the humans.

To sap all of a person’s blood essence was no different from eradicating one’s existence. No proficiency in the Way of Medicine could bring back a man who had lost his blood essence.

A thought flashed across Poison Master Bai’s mind, and he exclaimed in astonishment, “The Otherworldly Demons must be here to snatch the booklet!”

For an Otherworldly Demon to have struck the moment Ruo Qingyuan entered the Mausoleum of Hall Masters to retrieve the booklet… it couldn’t possibly have been a coincidence.

Hearing Poison Master Bai’s analysis, Poison Master Hai nodded grimly in agreement as a sharp glint flashed across his eyes. “Considering that we heard Ruo Qingyuan’s voice not too long ago, it is apparent that it hasn’t been long since he was killed. Most likely, the murderer should still be in the vicinity. If we give chase right now, we might still be able to catch up with that scoundrel.”

Right after saying those words, Poison Master Hai immediately scanned his surroundings with an intent gaze, seemingly trying to make out the location of the fleeing Otherworldly Demon. A moment later, he shook his head helplessly.

The Otherworldly Demon might have fled hurriedly right after killing Hall Master Ruo in a single strike, but he had also made sure to erase his trail so that no one would be able to follow him easily. Considering how big the island was and how powerful the Otherworldly Demon seemed to be, it would be impossible for them to catch up with the other party if they were to get the direction wrong at first.

“Let me take a look!” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he began scanning the surroundings.

They had rushed over at top speed right after hearing the commotion, but typically speaking, there shouldn’t have been time for the Otherworldly Demon to get too far away.

As long as the Otherworldly Demon hadn’t left the island yet, it would be possible to catch up with and subdue the other party with the strength that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai’s possessed, allowing them to exact vengeance for Hall Master Ruo.

Studying the depression carefully with the Eye of Insight, it didn’t take long for a faint trail to appear in Zhang Xuan’s sight.

“The Otherworldly Demon went that way!” Zhang Xuan pointed.

“That way?”

Upon seeing the direction that Zhang Xuan was pointing at, Poison Master Bai and the others couldn’t help but be perplexed.

The direction pointed was the very direction they had come from.

On their way to the Mausoleum of Hall Masters, they hadn’t seen anyone escaping. Furthermore, considering that they were in the base of the Poison Hall, shouldn’t the assassin have been trying everything in his means to escape at this very moment? To be heading to the heart of their base at this very moment instead of fleeing, wasn’t the other party courting death?

It was not that they were unwilling to trust this ‘Sun Qiang’ person, but without the will of the founder, the other party was a mere Nascent Saint cultivator. It was indeed a little difficult to believe that he was capable of tracking down the trail of a Saint 4-dan expert when even a Saint 5-dan expert like Poison Master Hai was helpless before the matter.

“Follow me!”

The booklet could very well disappear forever should they allow the murderer to escape with it. Knowing that there was no time for an explanation, he hurriedly beckoned the others to follow him before flying in the direction of the trail.

Seeing how affirmative the other party was, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai decided to toss aside their doubts for the moment and hurriedly pursued ‘Sun Qiang’.

Not too long after leaving the Mausoleum of Hall Masters, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a halt. He scanned his surroundings carefully, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead.

The Otherworldly Demon was extremely cunning. There had still been a trail a moment ago, but it had abruptly disappeared at this point. Even through his Eye of Insight, there was no sign of the other party anywhere.

However, this sufficed to show that the Otherworldly Demon didn’t have any time to get away yet and could very well be hiding in the area.

“Where is he?”

The surroundings were mainly flat. There were a couple of low-lying buildings and miscellaneous plants scattered around the area, but from the sky, it was possible to catch a bird’s eye view of everything easily. If the other party was truly in the area, there was nowhere he could hide himself.

“Unless…” Zhang Xuan lowered his head as his eyes narrowed.

Since the other party was neither in the sky nor on the ground, that only left a single possibility… the other party was underground!

However, there was not a hole to be found on the ground. There didn’t seem to be any way they could get into the ground to pursue the other party.

Noticing Zhang Xuan directing a doubtful gaze on the ground, Poison Master Bai walked up to him and asked, “What? Are you suspecting that the Otherworldly Demon is hiding underground?”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “The trail ends right here. Other than underground, I cannot think of anywhere else.”

“This isn’t a difficult problem to resolve. To know whether the other party is underground or not, we just have to check it a little,” Poison Master Bai replied.

In the next moment, a brilliant glow emanated from his Yuanshen acupoint as a figure that shared the same facial features as Poison Master Bai slipped out from it.

Separation of the Primordial Spirit from the physical body!

With a light movement, Poison Master Bai’s Primordial Spirit slipped into the ground and disappeared from sight.

Primordial Spirits were similar to souls in many ways. Unlike physical bodies, they were capable of warping their form freely, allowing them to pass through most impediments easily. As tough as the ground was, there were still small pores in between that allowed a Primordial Spirit to slip in easily.

Hong long!

Not too long after Poison Master Bai’s Primordial Spirit descended into the ground, the crowd suddenly felt the earth beneath their feet shaking violently. Following which, a figure abruptly burst out with a resounding explosion.

“Where do you think you are escaping to?”

As soon as that figure appeared, Poison Master Hai responded swiftly and charged up with a deafening bellow. Gathering immense strength in his hands, he formed a massive palm, which tore down the buildings and trees in the surroundings before it could even strike the ground.

At this moment, Poison Master Hai was already a Saint 5-dan expert. Even the most casual of actions from him wielded the strength to move mountains and split oceans, making it hard for anyone to stand against him.

Hu!

Upon seeing the devastating attack launched by Poison Master Hai, the figure knew that he would surely die if he were to be struck by the attack. Thus, he curled himself into a bundle in the sky and descended like a streak of lightning back to the ground.

The speed he was moving at was even faster than when he had leaped out from the ground earlier.

Hula!

Falling toward the ground at such unbelievable speed, everyone thought that the figure would surely incur severe injuries upon impact. Yet, contrary to all expectations, the figure disappeared into the ground as if a water droplet falling into a pile of sand, disappearing within the soil in the blink of an eye.

“This is… the Art of Earth Traversing!” Poison Master Hai exclaimed in shock.

His strike had created a huge hole in the ground, but the enemy was nowhere to be seen. Alarmed, his eyes narrowed warily.

“Art of Earth Traversing?” Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully, having never heard of the name before.

“It is an ability that runs through a unique bloodline that grants one’s body the ability to travel freely underground just like a Primordial Spirit, never hindered by anything in one’s path.” After swiftly explaining the matter to Zhang Xuan, Poison Master Hall bellowed loudly, “Bai Ting, you chase him beneath. I will wait above and strike him as soon as he surfaces. No matter what, we can’t allow that fellow to escape!”

“Alright!” Beneath the ground, Poison Master Bai’s voice sounded.

Moving in the form of his Primordial Spirit, he could travel freely through the pores of the earth. With two Saint 5-dan experts collaborating with one another, one working on the surface and the other one beneath the ground, it would be impossible for the enemy to escape even if he possessed the ability to traverse through earth freely!

Boom boom boom!

A series of intense tremors struck the area, and various buildings in the area fell easily as if they were simply piles of hay. Examining the situation from the sky, Zhang Xuan and the others couldn’t help but feel as if there were two mighty dragons clashing with one another beneath the ground, creating huge shockwaves through the ground with each blow they traded.

Huge cracks emerged on the surface, and they swiftly crept along the surface, covering more and more ground. A turbid gush of smoke burst forth from a couple of these cracks, and the temperature in the area rose. Soon, the smoke dissipated to reveal flurrying lava within the cracks.

Poison Master Bai had barely made the breakthrough to Saint 5-dan just a moment ago, so he was still unable to control his strength perfectly. It was one thing to battle in the sky, but to clash beneath the ground… This was indubitably bringing a catastrophe upon the Poison Hall!

If the battle between Zhang Xuan’s physical body and Hall Master Ruo had resulted in the loss of precious historical architecture of the Poison Hall, the battle between Poison Master Bai and the Otherworldly Demon would be no different from bringing utter ruination upon the Poison Hall!

The trembling earth felt as if a massive beast had come to life, reducing innumerable exquisitely designed buildings to rubble.

Sou!

After a long period of time, a figure finally darted out of the earth once more. This time, his movement wasn’t as nimble as before. As soon as he appeared, he spurted a mouthful of blood, and he crashed heavily to the ground.

Poison Master Hai, who had been waiting patiently outside for the prey to be driven over to his side, swiftly spread open his fingers and grabbed forward. Numerous surges of zhenqi crossed with one another to form a firm cage around the figure, sealing the other party’s movements.

“As expected, it really is an Otherworldly Demon!” At this point, Zhang Xuan finally got a clear look at the other party’s appearance, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead.

The other party bore some semblance to the Goldenleaf King and the other Otherworldly Demon Kings he had killed before. On top of that, the other party emanated a sharp aura, which clearly revealed his Saint 4-dan cultivation.

The Violetleaf King discreetly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan discreetly from the Myriad Anthive Nest. “Young Master, that person is the Earthleaf King! He is also one of the Ten Great Kings of our Qingtian Lineage. His fighting prowess might be beneath mine, but he possesses the ability of earth traversing, allowing him to easily escape from any crises. He is our most capable scout!”

The Violetleaf King was a Saint 4-dan expert, so as long as Zhang Xuan permitted him to, the other party could easily extend his Spiritual Perception beyond the Myriad Anthive Nest to detect what was happening in the area.

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask, “Earthleaf King? Another one of the Ten Great Kings? Why would he be here?”

He seemed to be meeting the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage everywhere he went. So far, he had already encountered half of them, and he had successfully killed or forced them to submit to him thus far.

Honestly speaking, had Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai not made a breakthrough to Saint 5-dan, there was no way they would have been able to capture the other party, considering the other party’s ability to travel freely underground.

After a moment of contemplation, the Violetleaf King revealed his deduction. “My guess is that the Qingtian Emperor didn’t feel secure entrusting the vital mission of acquiring the map to me and the Waterleaf King, so just to be safe, he secretly sent the Earthleaf King over to carry out the mission should the both of us fail. Most likely, the fellow must have followed you and Elder Xu here!”

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was unaware of the location of the Poison Hall, or else he and the Waterleaf King wouldn’t have resorted to ordering the city lord to search for the Sepulture Flower all around the city to lure an elder of the Poison Hall to them.

Thus, for the Earthleaf King to suddenly appear in the Poison Hall, chances were that he had been trailing them all along.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “That’s not necessarily so. I think that it is more likely that he might have gotten into the Poison Hall by following Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai.”

Knowing that the Otherworldly Demons were after the map as well, Zhang Xuan had made sure to proceed very carefully when he left Jingyuan City. If there had been someone following him, he would have surely noticed it.

On the other hand, Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai probably didn’t think that there would be anyone following them, thus creating an opening for the Earthleaf King to exploit.

Had it been anyone else, the powerful formation of the Poison Hall would have surely kept them at bay. However, considering that it was the Earthleaf King who was skilled in the Art of Earth Traversing they were talking about, the other party just might have been able to burrow his way through the formation with relative ease.

After making his way into the Poison Hall, the Earthleaf King had been camping underground, not daring to make a reckless move in fear of the retaliation of the Poison Hall. It was only when he heard that Hall Master Ruo was going to acquire the booklet alone that he secretly followed the other party, striking the moment that the other party took out the booklet.

Based on what he had planned earlier, he had thought that he would surely be able to get away easily with his ability to traverse through earth. Yet, who could have thought that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai would suddenly make breakthroughs overnight, thus granting them the strength to corner him, rendering him incapable of escaping.

Chapter 1012: Hu Yunsheng’s Horror

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It might sound complicated, but it wasn’t too difficult to deduce the series of events after learning of the other party’s identity.

While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of conversing with the Violetleaf King, Poison Master Bai’s Primordial Spirit returned to his body before walking up to the Earthleaf King. With a tap of his finger, a unique poison seeped into the other party’s body.

After which, with a wintry face that was devoid of the slightest warmth, he bellowed, “Who sent you here?”

“This is bad!”

Seeing Poison Master Bai forcefully interrogating the Earthleaf King, Zhang Xuan’s face immediately warped in horror, and he hurriedly rushed forward to stop the other party. However, it was already too late. The trapped Earthleaf King forcefully clamped his jaws together, and his face immediately turned extremely red.

“Hahaha, you have fallen for our ploy…” Right after saying those words, the Earthleaf King’s head fell powerlessly to the side. Fresh blood spurted from his every orifice as his breathing came to a halt.

Just like the Goldenleaf King and the Greenleaf King, the Earthleaf King also had a pill that contained lethal poison in his mouth. So that they wouldn’t find themselves in a position where they had no choice but to spill the secrets of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, they would bite down on the pill and commit suicide were they to be captured.

Right after learning of the assailant’s identity, Zhang Xuan had busied himself trying to deduce how the other party had managed to sneak into the Poison Hall, hoping to make sense of the story. However, he didn’t think that Bai Ting would use poison against the other party while his attention was away, and that became the final push that forced the Earthleaf King to commit suicide. By the time he realized, it was already too late to intervene.

The poison was extremely potent, and it brought about near immediate death to the Otherworldly Demons. Even with Zhang Xuan’s 7-star proficiency in the Way of Medicine, there was no way he could bring the already deceased Earthleaf King back to life.

“He said that we have fallen for his ploy?” Poison Master Bai scoffed coldly, thinking nothing of the other party’s words.

It mattered not to him whether the other party had died here or not as long as the booklet he needed to procure for his mission was still around.

Walking up, he took the other party’s storage ring and searched its interior, but soon, his complexion became incredibly awful.

Noticing Poison Master Bai’s expression, Poison Master Hai asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?”

“The booklet isn’t in here!” Poison Master exclaimed anxiously.

“It isn’t in there?” Poison Master Hai was astonished.

It was just a moment ago that the Otherworldly Demon had killed Hall Master Ruo and stolen the map, and the both of them had swiftly collaborated with one another to capture him shortly after. Given the short span of time between both events, there shouldn’t have been any chance for the booklet to have left the other party’s possession.

“Damn it, we have really fallen for their ploy! This fellow’s goal was to lure us away!” Clenching his teeth tightly together, regret could be seen in the depths of Poison Master Bai’s eyes.

Poison Master Hai and the others weren’t fools either. They immediately realized what was going on after hearing those words.

It seemed like the one in charge of stealing the booklet was someone else. This fellow was probably intending on giving himself away from the very start even if Zhang Xuan hadn’t found his trail so as to draw all attention to him, thus creating an opportunity for his companion to escape.

It had been ten minutes since the incident occurred, and if it was exactly as Poison Master Bai thought, the Earthleaf King’s companion should have already gotten away from the Poison Hall by now. Once he entered the surrounding sea, it would be impossible to track him down anymore.

Naturally, it didn’t take long for Zhang Xuan to come to the same conclusion as well. Just as his complexion turned awful, the Violetleaf King suddenly exclaimed with a trembling voice, “The culprit is probably… the Skyleaf King!”

“Skyleaf King?”

“Yes, he is the strongest of the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, as well as the one who boasts of the most brilliant mind of us all! His cultivation has reached Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm primary stage. He is the only one of us all who possesses the ability to enter and flee discreetly from the Poison Hall,” the Violetleaf King explained.

“Leaving Aperture realm primary stage?” Zhang Xuan’s face turned livid.

If that truly was the case, there was a really good chance that their deduction was true!

An expert of the Leaving Aperture realm could easily hide his physical body outside the island and sneak in with only his Primordial Spirit. Right after obtaining the map, the other party could swiftly flee without anyone noticing. Furthermore, in the form of a Primordial Spirit, the other party could move at an incredible speed, such that even a Saint 4-dan aerial saint beast would find it hard to catch up.

Not expecting for there to be such an expert among the Ten Great Kings of the Qingtian Lineage, Zhang Xuan hadn’t thought of the possibility that his Eye of Insight might currently be too weak to uncover the enemy’s trail. This had resulted in an opening for the enemy to exploit.

It seemed he would have to be more careful in the future.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan asked, “Who else is among the Ten Great Kings, and how powerful are they?”

Even though he had already taken down half of the Ten Great Kings, he still didn’t have a concrete idea of who or how powerful they were so far. It sure was stifling for him to still know next to nothing about the opponents he was facing.

Of course, if the Qingtian Emperor were to learn of Zhang Xuan’s current thoughts, he might just very well spurt a mouthful of blood on the spot.

Of his ten most capable subordinates, four of them had been killed through a scheme of some kind and one had ended up submitting to the enemy… and yet, the culprit behind all of it actually knew nothing about them at all.

If the culprit could already do this much despite knowing nothing about them, just what kind of calamity would befall them once the other party knew everything about them?

“The Goldenleaf, Greenleaf, Waterleaf, and Earthleaf are already dead. Other than me, the Skyleaf, Jadeleaf, Windleaf, Stoneleaf, and Fireleaf are still remaining. Of them, the Skyleaf King is the strongest of us all, and he is the head of the Ten Great Kings as well. The Jadeleaf King holds the title of being the second strongest of us all, possessing a cultivation of Half-Leaving Aperture realm. Following on are the Windleaf King, Stoneleaf King, and Fireleaf King. Each of them wields incredible might that is far beyond the rest of us. As such, they are known as the Upper Five Kings whereas the rest of us are known as the Lower Five Kings.” Without any hesitation, the Violetleaf King spilled everything he knew about the Ten Great Kings.

After hearing the news, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

Just dealing with the Lower Five Kings had already exposed him to grave danger on multiple occasions, but who could have thought that there would still be an Upper Five Kings above them. From the looks of it, they were determined to obtain the item in the ancient domain. Considering that they had even successfully obtained the map, there was a good chance that the humans would be placed in grave danger once the ancient domain opened once more.

Forget it, I will just have to deal with whatever comes my way!

There was no way Zhang Xuan could have predicted such a twist in the situation. At this point, there was nothing he could do anymore. The Skyleaf King had more than sufficient time to make his escape, making it nigh impossible for them to locate the other party. Taking a step back, even if they were able to find the Skyleaf King by some stroke of luck, there was no way that Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai, who had just made a breakthrough and hadn’t had the opportunity to reinforce their cultivation yet, could be a match for the other party.

Less had to be said about Zhang Xuan himself.

With the Violetleaf King and the Otherworldly Demon puppets, he might still be able to subdue a Saint 4-dan expert. But against a Saint 5-dan expert… the wisest decision he could possibly make in such a situation was to flee as far as he could.

Leaving Aperture realm experts were capable of fighting with their Primordial Spirits, which made them very difficult opponents. Not only were Primordial Spirits capable of flitting through space at incredible speeds, they also wielded immense strength that made it impossible for normal cultivators to match them. Without reaching Saint 5-dan himself, it was impossible for any cultivator to face an expert of that caliber!

Master teachers prided themselves on their ability to match opponents stronger than them due to their discerning eyes, but the Leaving Aperture realm was too huge of a rift to bridge. The differences between a physical body and a Primordial Spirit were reminiscent of that between a mortal and a deity, a gap that could never be bridged.

Take Zhang Xuan’s current situation for example, despite having yet to reach Saint realm, he was able to defeat Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm experts, cultivators of two whole cultivation realms higher than him.

The capability to rival opponents stronger than himself wasn’t too uncommon for those beneath Saint 5-dan, albeit it was often not as exaggerated as in Zhang Xuan’s case. However, even if a genius of such caliber were to reach Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle, it was unlikely that he would be able to match an ordinary Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator.

Not to mention, a Leaving Aperture realm expert could flee with their Primordial Spirit even if they were no match for their opponent. Those whose cultivation had yet to reach Saint 5-dan had no way of catching up at all. Putting everything aside, just the ability to travel through the ground, those who hadn’t reached Leaving Aperture realm, with the exception of those who possessed unique bloodlines like the Earthleaf King, were incapable of doing such a thing.

On top of that, Primordial Spirits need not breathe. This meant that they could enter places with harsh conditions without fear, such as venturing into the depths of the ocean, a feat that those bound by their bodies would never be able to achieve.

While Zhang Xuan was conversing with the Violetleaf King, Poison Master Bai turned a grim look toward him and said, “The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has stolen the booklet and killed Hall Master Ruo on top of that. This matter must be reported to the headquarters immediately. Poison Master Sun, the both of us will be taking our leave first!”

Clearly, they also knew that it was unlikely that they would be unable to find the other party. It would only be a waste of time if they continued searching the area. Thus, they felt that it would be much better for them to send the founder, who was in a dangerous position at the moment, back to the headquarters first.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The hall master of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall had been killed; such a huge organization couldn’t go without a head for too long. Thus, the crowd unanimously voted Vice Hal Master Xu as the new hall master.

Zhang Xuan handed the Sepulture Flower over the Vice Hall Master Xu and offered him guidance on the concoction of grade-7 poisons so that the latter could make a breakthrough to become a 7-star poison master. After all was done, he heaved a sigh of relief.

With his aim at the Poison Hall accomplished, there was no longer any need for him to remain in the area. Thus, he stood up and bade everyone farewell before leaving with Poison Master Bai and Poison Master Hai.

The aerial saint beast that Poison Master Bai travelled on was extremely swift. In less than a day, Zhang Xuan had already returned to Jingyuan City.

After alighting from the saint beast, Zhang Xuan made the two poison masters promise him once more that they would put everything they had into protecting Wei Ruyan before he was willing to let them leave.

Students would eventually leave their teachers; Wei Ruyan was no exception to the rule.

Even the most ferocious of eagles would never be able to mature if it were to live under the protection of another its entire life, deprived of the opportunity to fly independently in the azure sky.

It was the same for students.

This was precisely the reason Zhang Xuan had allowed his students to leave him one after another despite his reluctance.

First Zhao Ya and Lu Chong, followed by Yuan Tao, and now, it was Wei Ruyan’s turn.

Zheng Yang would also likely head to the Combat Master Hall eventually, which meant that five out of his seven direct disciples had already left him.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan made his way back into Inkcloud Quarter once more.

It didn’t take him long before he met Hu Yunsheng, and the latter informed him that the Master Teacher Pavilion and Hongyuan royal family had already dispatched some men the previous day to seal the City Lord Manor for investigation purposes.

It turned out that the city lord’s only son was held hostage by the Otherworldly Demons, leaving the city lord no choice but to obey their commands.

Nevertheless, it was unpardonable for a human to serve an Otherworldly Demon to deal with his own kind regardless of the reason. As such, the guards had apprehended the city lord, and they were currently in the midst of transporting him back to the capital, where he would be judged by Yu Shenqing personally.

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but sigh again.

A human really shouldn’t commit evil, no matter how small a sin it was. Often, it was a single wrong step that eventually led to an endless downward spiral into the abyss.

After settling the Heaven’s Path zhenqi lying dormant in Hu Yunsheng’s body, Zhang Xuan stood up and bade farewell. Upon finding a rural area, he summoned the Byzantium Helios Beast from the Anthive Nest and adeptly leaped onto its back. With a light stomp of his feet, the Byzantium Helios Beast soared into the sky, making its way straight toward the Master Teacher Academy was.

“Byzantium Helios Beast… A Saint realm Byzantium Helios Beast?” Watching as Zhang Xuan depart from the distance, Hu Yunsheng’s body abruptly froze. In that moment, a multitude of information flashed through his mind, nearly exploding it.

Having never seen his boss acting with such indecorum before, Zhu Xiao asked doubtfully, “Boss, what’s wrong?”

While Byzantium Helios Beasts were indeed rarely seen in the world, there were still a couple of them in Hongyuan Empire.

Noticing Zhu Xiao’s doubts, Hu Yunsheng replied with a bitter smile, “It’s true that a Byzantium Helios Beast is an extremely rare tamed beast, but… there is only one Saint realm Byzantium Helios Beast in the whole of Hongyuan Empire!”

“Only one?” Zhu Xiao was taken aback. “Boss, could it be that you have already deduced Elder Sun’s real identity?”

“If my guess isn’t wrong, the current form he is assuming is a disguise. His real name is… Zhang Xuan!” Hu Yunsheng replied.

“Zhang Xuan?” Zhu Xiao’s body stiffened as his face turned completely pale. “You are talking about the newly-appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Principal Zhang?”

As an intelligence agency, Inkcloud Quarter had a lot of information regarding Zhang Xuan. Even Zhu Xiao had heard of the legends of that Principal Zhang and viewed the latter as a role model whom he would strive towards.

“Un, that’s him.” Hu Yunsheng nodded. “I just recalled that Principal Zhang has a butler called Sun Qiang. Furthermore, for the Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family to come so swiftly to deal with the city lord… According to internal news, it seems like the order to do so has come directly from Principal Zhang. Putting together all of this, I would really have to be a fool to still not figure out the other party’s identity!”

“This…” At this point, Zhu Xiao finally realized as well.

It truly felt like a dream. To think that Principal Zhang would personally come to Jingyuan City and even visit their Inkcloud Quarter…

“Wait a moment, Boss. If I recall correctly, you attempted to kill the other party to steal his wealth back then…”

Recalling that matter, Zhu Xiao hurriedly turned his gaze toward Hu Yunsheng, only to see the latter’s face turning completely pale as veins popped out by his temples. “If you dare speak of this matter to another soul, I will definitely hunt you down and kill you!”

Thinking about the matter again, Hu Yunsheng couldn’t help but feel fearful.

Who would have thought that he would actually end up trying to rob the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? Wasn’t this no different from courting death? It was fortunate that the other party was a master teacher, a reasonable person. Otherwise, he might very well have become a corpse already.

 StarveCleric

The fourteen chapters (999 – 1012) for this week have been completed.

Chapter 1013: Luo Ruoxin’s Request

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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A brilliant sun hung brightly above, and a warm breeze caressed the world.

After flying for roughly ten days on the Byzantium Helios Beast, the massive outline of Hongyuan City gradually came into view.

Within the ten days, Zhang Xuan had managed to internalized all of the knowledge he had learned from the Poison Hall and fused it with his current fighting style. At the same time, he had also cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher to its very peak, just a step away from breaking through to the Saint realm.

However, it was a pity that the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence was nowhere to be found at the moment, or else he would have long made a breakthrough.

I should get Sun Qiang to look into the matter…

In terms of logistical efficiency and intelligence gathering, he was nowhere on par with Sun Qiang. Thus, it was reassuring to leave it in the hands of the latter.

As long as he could find the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he would be able to push for a perfect breakthrough to Saint realm, thus inducing a huge leap in his fighting prowess once more.

By then, regardless of the dangers that lurked in the ancient domain, he would surely be able to deal with them easily.

Not too long later, right after the Byzantium Helios Beast landed in his manor, Sun Qiang rushed up to Zhang Xuan and reported, “Young Master, Young Master Zheng Yang has been taken away…”

“Taken away? By whom?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

“It’s Combat Master Liao from the Combat Master Hall. He says that he will take Young Master Zheng Yang to participate in the Progeny of Combat Selection, or else this matter might end up being pushed a year back,” Sun Qiang replied.

“Progeny of Combat Selection?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Yes. This is the letter that Young Master Zheng Yang left for you…” After saying those words, Sun Qiang passed a letter over.

With a complicated look on his face, Zhang Xuan opened the envelope and saw a note filled with words within.

It didn’t take long for him read through the entire note, and at the end of which, he couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Combat Master Liao had reported the matter concerning Zheng Yang to the headquarters, and the headquarters had instructed him to bring Zheng Yang to them at any cost to participate in the Progeny of Combat Selection. If Zheng Yang cleared the selection, he could very well inherit the heritage of the Combat God and become the next head of the Combat Master Hall!

The founder of the Combat Master Hall had been a direct disciple of Kong shi, and out of respect for the overwhelming strength he possessed, those of the Master Teacher Continent had given him a nickname—Combat God!

As long as one cleared the Progeny of Combat Selection, one would be qualified to inherit his heritage and become one of the strongest experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion or even the entire Master Teacher Continent.

It looks like he has found his own path…

To have sent two of his students away within just a short period of ten days, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel a little lonely within. Nevertheless, he still felt gladdened for them.

After all, they couldn’t possibly remain his students for their entire lives. They would eventually have to find their paths to tread on.

If Zheng Yang could become the Combat God of this generation, the head of the Combat Master Hall… at the very least, this would mean that his teachings hadn’t been in vain. As Zheng Yang’s teacher, Zhang Xuan would be more than delighted to see that.

Forget it. After I am done dealing with the matters concerning the ancient domain, I should bring the members of the Xuanxuan Faction to Qingyuan Conferred Empire’s Combat Master Hall for the both to interact and learn from one another. I should be able to receive updates about Zheng Yang there. With a smile, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the loneliness he felt within.

He had already promised Combat Master Liao and the others that he would take the members of the Xuanxuan Faction for a visit to the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall once they settled the affairs regarding the ancient domain at Firesource City. While the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall was only a branch, it was still possible to gather some news regarding Zheng Yang from there.

“Is there anything else other than that?”

“Young Master, the head of the Formation Master School and Blacksmith School took 10,000 students from their respective schools each to Firesource City for a mission. They set forth roughly five days ago!” Sun Qiang reported.

“Firesource City? Mission?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

It wasn’t anything much for the other school heads to head to Firesource City in advance, but… due to the great implications tied in with the ancient domain, there was a need to keep the matter confidential. To mobilize twenty thousand students from the Master Teacher Academy there despite so… could it be that there had been some kind of compelling situation in Firesource City that warranted aid?

Due the grave importance of the matter, even Sun Qiang wasn’t qualified to learn more about the matter. In fact, it was likely that even the students who had set forth to Firesource City were unaware of what they were going to do either.

“Is there anything else?” Zhang Xuan continued asking.

“Also… Luo Ruoxin has visited here twice in your absence. It seems like she has an important matter to ask of you,” Sun Qiang reported with a peculiar look on his face.

Having followed the young master from the start of their journey at Tianxuan Kingdom, they had encountered plenty of beautiful ladies, each possessing their own unique charm. Yet, not once had the young master granted them any preferential treatment or behaved differently around them, except for this Luo shi!

Speaking of which, there was also something bizarre about Luo shi as well. No cultivator was uninterested in his young master’s teachings, but this Luo shi was really the first. The way she acted around the young master showed that she only regarded the latter as another ordinary cultivator.

This in itself was truly perplexing.

“She came over to find me?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Luo Ruoxin was the only woman who had ever touched his heart, be it in his previous life or his current one. There had been many problems cropping up one after another, and he had been busy trying to deal with them, resulting in the both of them not meeting one another for a considerable period of time, but his heart still couldn’t help but thump in anticipation upon hearing her name.

This was completely different from how he felt around Yu Fei-er and the others.

“Yes. As she is young master’s good friend, I dared not probe further into it.” Sun Qiang nodded.

“It’s fine. I will pay her a visit to ask her about it later on,” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

After confirming that there was nothing else to tend to, Zhang Xuan got up and made his way right toward the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Not too long later, he landed at Luo Ruoxin’s residence.

Standing before the entrance of Luo Ruoxin’s residence, he quickly tidied his clothes. After which, he took out a mirror and saw a handsome face staring back at him. Nodding in satisfaction, he knocked on the door.

“Luo shi, I am Zhang Xuan!” Zhang Xuan said, transmitting his voice into the residence through his zhenqi.

The pleasant voice of a female replied, “Come in!”

Walking into the residence, Zhang Xuan saw Luo Ruoxin standing not too far away. Just like always, her presence felt calm and serene, reminiscent of a still painting. Surprisingly, there was another man standing not too far away from her—Mu Yuan.

After agreeing to meet at Firesource City back then, Mu shi had left together with Wu shi to return to Qingyuan Conferred Empire. Zhang Xuan didn’t think that he would meet the other party here.

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Mu shi exclaimed anxiously, “Senior Uncle, you came at the perfect time. Help me talk some sense into Luo shi; she is insisting on following us to Firesource City as well!”

“You wish to go to Firesource City as well?” Taken aback, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the young lady before him.

“Un.” Luo Ruoxin nodded with a slight smile on her lips. “With all of the mysteries surrounding the ancient domain, as a master teacher, I should also go and check it out as well.”

“But… we know next to nothing about the ancient domain! Even Wu shi won’t be able to guarantee your safety,” Mu shi said worriedly.

Back then, the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had ventured into the ancient domain together with a team he had assembled, only to disappear from the face of the world. On top of that, the Qingyuan Master Teacher Pavilion had no records about the interior of the ancient domain at all, so there was no saying what dangers were lurking in the depths of the ancient domain

Not to mention, they had recently received news that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was involved with the ancient domain as well.

It could be said that this expedition into the ancient domain would likely result in great casualties. Given Luo shi’s noble standing, there was no way he could take responsibility should anything happen to the other party.

While speaking, Mu shi was blinking frantically at Zhang Xuan, attempting to signal to the latter that he wanted help persuading Luo shi against it. With such obvious gesturing, he thought that his senior uncle would surely receive his signal. Yet…

“That’s great, let’s head there together then!” Zhang Xuan eyes gleamed in excitement.

It just so happened that he had been searching for an opportunity to spend some time with Luo shi when such a news came his way. It was as if even the heavens were on his side!

“Senior Uncle…” Mu shi’s vision darkened, and he nearly fell to the ground.

To say such words after I have gestured so clearly for you to help me persuade her against it, don’t you think that you are a little too shameless?

Even if you like Luo shi, at least be a little more reserved about it! To make it so obvious for everyone to see… don’t you think that it is unbefitting of your standing as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?

“It’s fine! How can a master teacher grow if they attempt to avoid every single danger that comes their way?” Zhang Xuan waved his hands leisurely. “Besides, I will be around to protect her, so there is no way anything bad can happen!”

“…” Dark lines streaked across Mu shi’s face.

You are the very reason that I am feeling very unsettled about this expedition! Look at all of those ridiculous things you have done in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy; it is as if trouble chases you wherever you go.

If only I knew that you were so unreliable, I would have never asked for your help!

Just as Mu shi was about to argue back, Luo Ruoxin waved her hands and said, “Zhang shi is right. Mu shi, there’s no need to persuade me anymore; my mind is set.”

“… Alright then.” Seeing that there was no way he could convince the young lady before him otherwise, Mu shi shook his head helplessly.

Seeing that Mu shi had given up on the matter, Luo Ruoxin turned to Zhang Xuan and said, “Since you are back, let’s set forth as soon as possible.”

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. “Alright, let’s set forth now.”

There wasn’t anything major in the Master Teacher Academy at the moment, and even if there was, School Head Mo and the others were more than capable of dealing with it themselves. Besides, there were only around eight days to the date on which they had agreed to meet at Firesource City. If they didn’t set forth soon, it was likely that they would be unable to make it in time.

As Zhang Xuan often journeyed around, his necessities were neatly packed in his storage ring at all times, so there was no need for him to make any preparations. Mu shi swiftly called for his aerial spirit beast, and before long, the trio was on their way toward Firesource City.

Sitting in the wooden hut atop the saint beast’s back, Zhang Xuan turned to Mu shi and asked, “I heard that Zhao Bingxu and the others have brought quite a number of our students over to Firesource City. Did something happen?”

Sun Qiang might not have been qualified to learn about the details of the matter, but as one of the leaders of the expedition team, Mu shi definitely knew something about it.

“Something did happen,” Mu shi said grimly. “Not too long ago, the seal leading to the ancient domain suddenly grew unstable, and it seems like it could collapse at any moment. As such, School Head Zhao lead the students over in the hope that they could stabilize the formation and buy some time until the seal finally opens once more.”

“How did such a matter occur?” Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

When the ancient domain appeared two years ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion did send some men to investigate it, and there hadn’t been a problem then. Why would the seal be destabilized all of a sudden?

“I am not too sure about the details either, but my guess is that the Otherworldly Demons are involved in this matter!” With a deep frown on his forehead, Mu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing. “According to reports from the local master teachers, there have been Otherworldly Demons sighted in the vicinity of the seal. Eyewitnesses claimed that they were carrying some kind of artifact with them, and they loitered around the area for a brief moment before hurriedly leaving. Shortly after they left, the seal suddenly destabilized.”

“Artifact? Could it be a booklet?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

The booklet that the Skyleaf King had stolen from the Poison Hall was said to have come from the ancient domain within the seal. For Otherworldly Demons to appear around the seal and destabilize it at this moment, could both matters possibly be related to one another?

The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more convinced he was of the matter.

As a Saint 5-dan expert, the Skyleaf King was capable of flying at speeds far greater than he could. While it had taken Zhang Xuan roughly ten days to travel from Jingyuan City to Hongyuan City, it was likely that the Skyleaf King wouldn’t even require five days to travel from the Poison Hall to Firesource City.

Furthermore, in his communications with the Violetleaf King, he had learned that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe possessed exceptional spatial means. Just take the altar that Zhang Xuan had found from the Greenleaf King and Goldenleaf King for example, it was capable of transporting and receiving items remotely.

“Booklet?” Not expecting to hear such a question, Mu shi was stunned for a moment before replying with a light chuckle. “That is impossible. How can a booklet possibly wield the power to destabilize the seal?”

In his view, books were only meant to store and impart knowledge. An artifact that could destabilize a powerful seal, which even they were helpless before, was bound to be an incredibly powerful one.

So how could it possibly be a mere booklet?

Seeing that the other party didn’t believe him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and fell silent.

At this point, that was only a hypothesis on his part. It would still require confirming after they arrived at Firesource City.

Recalling the order received from the headquarters not too long ago, Mu shi said, “Oh, right! Senior Uncle, Wu shi won’t be taking charge of the expedition into the ancient domain. Instead, the Master Teacher Pavilion has appointed a 7-star pinnacle Formation Master, Han Xu, as the expedition leader. The Master Teacher Pavilion has ordered for everyone involved in the expedition to follow his commands after entering the ancient domain, and no one is to move around recklessly so as to avoid undue trouble!”

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Chapter 1014: Firesource City ##

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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The expedition to the ancient domain had implications that could very well affect the entire human race, so the Qingyuan Master Teacher Pavilion took the matter very seriously. Not only did they dispatch Wu shi, they had also engaged the help of 7-star pinnacle Formation Master Han Xu to aid the team in breaking the seal and leading them through the ancient domain.

Mu shi knew that even though his senior uncle was a very capable man, the other party was also a very gutsy and decisive person, never hesitating to do whatever that he thought was right. Fearing that some unneeded trouble might arise due to his senior uncle’s obstinate personality, he felt that he should warn the other party in advance.

“Don’t worry.” Zhang Xuan nodded reassuringly.

Seeing the confident smile on Zhang Xuan’s face, Mu shi wasn’t too sure how he should respond. He subconsciously shot a glance at Luo Ruoxin and saw a slight smile of helplessness on the latter’s face, seemingly untrusting of Zhang Xuan’s words as well.

But thinking about it, it was no wonder Luo Ruoxin felt that way.

Back then, when she brought Zhang Xuan to the Saint Ascension Platform, she had warned him to remain respectful. But in the end, he had still collapsed the other party’s cliff face, and if not for Kong shi speaking up in that crucial moment, he might very well have been pummeled to death on the spot.

Sometimes, that fellow possessed astounding talent and wits, such that one couldn’t help but be impressed with him. At other times, he behaved so doltishly that it was nearly adorable.

The trio began chatting casually. In the midst of their conversation, Zhang Xuan asked a few more questions about the ancient domain, and upon learning that it likely had ties with Kong shi, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of agitation.

Back at the Saint Ascension Platform, Zhang Xuan had asked Kong shi personally about the Innate Fetal Poison and confirmed that the latter had suffered from the same affliction back then as well. If this ancient domain had ties with Kong shi, perhaps he might be able to uncover something more about the Innate Fetal Poison.

Amidst the conversation of the trio, the aerial saint beast traversed swiftly through the sky. Five days later, Firesource City finally came into sight.

Looking at the city, which emanated a reddish hue beneath the radiant rays of the sun, Mu shi said, “Due to the geographical location of Firesource City, its weather is exceptionally hot. To make things worse, it is currently summer here as well. It would probably be unbearable for anyone who isn’t a cultivator to live here.”

“It is indeed really hot here!” Feeling the incredible heat in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

The place he had visited just a few days ago, Jingyuan City, was completely filled with snow, battering passers-by with its bone-chilling frost.

“Even though the Saint Ascension Platform isn’t too far away from here, there sure is a vast difference in the temperature,” Zhang Xuan remarked.

The Saint Ascension Platform, which he had visited with Luo Ruoxin back then, wasn’t located too far away from Firesource City, just a few hundred kilometers away. Yet, the weather there was perfectly normal, devoid of the blistering heat here.

“The Saint Ascension Platform is where Kong shi became a Celestial Saint. It is a place blessed by the heavens, so naturally, the weather there is mild. On the other hand, Firesource City has quite a few active volcanoes around it, so it is inevitably plagued by such a hot weather,” Mu shi explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had a map of Hongyuan Empire in the Library of Heaven’s Path, so he was very familiar with the geography of the area.

To be named Firesource, the source of flames… It wasn’t any surprise that the city would be plagued with unbearable heat.

Luo Ruoxin couldn’t help but ask, “Given the unbearable heat plaguing the area, why was a city constructed here? Why do so many people still continue to live in the area?”

A place filled with many active volcanoes that could erupt at any moment, as well as the sweltering weather, why would people still live in the area?

Before Mu shi could speak, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly and replied, “As hot as the local weather is, it happens to be a suitable climate for growing plants that thrive in a torrid climate. Take the Witherleaf Grass for example, it is known for the withered look of its leaves throughout its growth, and it is able to mature even without water. A single stalk of Witherleaf Grass can easily fetch the price of a high-tier spirit stone in the market.”

“It’s so expensive?” Luo Ruoxin was taken aback.

A single high-tier spirit stone was more than sufficient for a normal person to live in luxury for their entire life.

For a single stalk of a medicinal herb to be worth such a price, it was no wonder so many people were willing to endure the unbearable weather and live here.

Zhang Xuan had not finished his explanation. “Not only so, there are also quite a few rare spirit beasts and saint beasts living in the area. They can fetch a high price when sold. Besides that, there are also several deposits of valuable ores in the area!”

Having read all of the books in the Master Teacher Academy, he boasted an even greater understanding of Hongyuan Empire than most master teachers who had grown up here.

“I see…” Luo Ruoxin nodded in realization.

There was bound to be a reason for a community to gather and a huge city to be constructed in the area.

Hearing the other party’s introduction, Mu shi nodded in approval. “Senior Uncle sure is knowledgeable!”

While his senior uncle might be unreliable at times, the vast knowledge he possessed was truly praiseworthy. Be it information regarding culture, geography, or occupations, everything seemed to come to him at a single thought, leaving others with nothing but admiration for him.

It was due to this that the school heads had elected him to become the leader of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, which boasted a heritage of ten thousand years.

“It’s nothing much!” Zhang Xuan smiled.

“There is still some time before the seal opens, so why don’t we meet up with the others at the local Master Teacher Pavilion first?”

While the trio had been speaking, the saint beast had arrived in the airspace above the city. It gradually descended, and before long, it landed right before a towering building.

The Master Teacher Pavilion!

This city was significantly larger than Jingyuan City, and its population density was also greater than the latter. As such, the Master Teacher Pavilion had constructed a branch in the area. However, it was significantly weaker than the Master Teacher Pavilion in Hongyuan City, and the pavilion master only possessed a cultivation of Saint 1-dan intermediate stage.

Shortly after walking in, a middle-aged man walked over to welcome them. “Paying respect to Mu shi!”

“Un. Where are Formation Master Han Xu, Wu shi, and the others? Bring us to them,” Mu shi replied with a smile.

“Wu shi and the others have already left for the Swallow Embracing Mountain. They departed two days ago!” the middle-aged man hurriedly replied.

“They have already left for the Swallow Embracing Mountain?” Mu shi was taken aback. “Shouldn’t there be a few more days before the seal opens? Why did they head over so early?”

“I am not too sure. They only instructed me to remain here to urge the arriving master teachers to head toward the Swallow Embracing Mountain as fast as possible!” the middle-aged man replied.

“Understood.” Mu shi nodded before turning his gaze toward Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin. “If even Wu shi and Formation Master Han Xu have made their way over, it is very likely that the situation with the seal might have worsened. Let’s quickly head over to take a look and see how we can help them!”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin nodded before getting atop the aerial saint beast once more.

“The seal to the ancient domain is not located within the city but in the depths of the Swallow Embracing Mountain, which is around three hundred kilometers away, on top of a massive active volcano. Due to the searing temperature, barely anyone goes there…” Seated within the room on the back of the aerial saint beast, Mu shi filled the duo in on the situation regarding the seal.

Similar to the island on which the Poison Hall was located, the seal to the ancient domain was also constructed on top of an active volcano. The massive formation that made up the seal was driven by the ravaging energy contained within the volcano. If those who didn’t have a comprehensive grasp of the formation were to attempt to break open the seal forcefully, there was a high chance that the entire mountain might collapse instead, causing the entrance to the ancient domain to disappear for good.

As such, not even the experts from the Master Teacher Pavilion dared to tamper with it. Until the seal opened of its own accord, they could only wait patiently.

It didn’t take too long for Zhang Xuan and the others to cover the three-hundred-kilometer journey to the seal. In less than ten minutes, a towering mountain peak, several thousand meters high, appeared majestically before their eyes.

However, the entire mountain seemed to be absent of life; all they could really see on it were crimson stones. Even before coming close to the mountain, they could feel a searing sensation licking their skin.

Flicking his wrist, Mu shi took out two pills and passed them over. “This is the Heat Cleansing Pill. Swallowing it will grant you some immunity against fire poison 1 , sparing you from harm!”

While it wouldn’t be too difficult for them to withstand such searing heat given their current cultivation, if they were to stay in such conditions for an extended period of time, the fire poison would still assault their bodies, causing them great suffering.

In order to prevent such a situation from occurring, half a month ago, the newly-appointed School Head Zhou of the Apothecary School had tasked his students with mass producing Heat Cleansing Pills for the expedition members.

The production method for the Heat Cleansing Pill wasn’t too complicated; most 4-star apothecaries were able to forge it. Its ingredients were mainly cooling in nature, thus granting it exceptional effectiveness in relieving heat-related afflictions.

“Thank you!”

Possessing the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, Zhang Xuan didn’t even fear lethal poison, so naturally, heat poison couldn’t possibly faze him in the least. Nevertheless, this was a token of goodwill from the other party, so he couldn’t bring himself to reject it. Taking the pill, he opened his mouth and swallowed it.

As soon as the pill slid down his throat, a cooling sensation permeated his entire body, leaving him feeling as if he was standing before a refreshing spring breeze. The heat around him seemed to have vanished altogether.

“This… This isn’t an ordinary Heat Cleansing Pill?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

While it seemed no different from a typical Heat Cleansing Pill on the surface, the effectiveness of it was clearly far greater than an average pill.

“I forged it personally out of the various medicinal herbs I picked a while ago,” Mu shi replied with a smile.

“No wonder!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Mu shi was a 7-star master teacher, and apothecary was one of his supporting occupations. It was only natural that a grade-4 pill forged by a 7-star apothecary would have outstanding effectiveness.

The aerial saint beast advanced swiftly, and not too long later, the group arrived at the peak of the Swallow Embracing Mountain. Gazing downwards, they saw a humongous hemispherical depression beneath them. Countless students were seated cross-legged along its perimeter, infusing zhenqi relentlessly toward a specific location. Their bodies were completely drenched in sweat, but that didn’t prevent more from trickling down their faces.

“They are trying to stabilize the seal,” Mu shi remarked grimly.

From the looks of it, the situation with the seal was far more precarious than they had thought. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have mobilized so many people simultaneously to stabilize it.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “Those are the ten thousand students from the Formation Master School.”

The students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy were dressed in a unique robe, so it wasn’t too difficult to recognize them.

Hu hu hu!

Just as the students stabilizing the seal were about to reach their limits, another group of students suddenly rushed forward and swiftly placed formation flags that they had just smithed a moment ago on specific locations.

These new flags couldn’t alter the structure of the seal in any way, but it could stabilize it temporarily.

They were the students from the Blacksmith School.

The students from both schools worked together with excellent teamwork, their movements both swift and fluid. It was apparent that they had repeated this set of movements multiple times over the past few days.

However, despite the combined efforts of the twenty thousand students, a powerful energy still continued to rage within the hemispherical depression below, seemingly ready to explode at any moment. Frowning, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and took a look.

After examining it for a moment, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. What a complicated formation this is.

His comprehension of formations was on par with most 7-star formation masters, and yet, he still found it rather difficult to comprehend the entire structure of the formation. The sheer complexity of the formation was enough to leave him slightly light-headed.

No, it doesn’t really look like it…

The more Zhang Xuan looked at it, the more perplexed he felt.

The structure he was looking at seemed like a formation, but there was something rather different about it at the same time.

Even though the seal was unstable, it was still dormant, not yet activated. As such, Zhang Xuan couldn’t use the Library of Heaven’s Path to assess the situation concerning the formation. With his current understanding of formations, even with the Eye of Insight, it would likely take at least several months for him to make sense of it.

If it was truly a formation, there was no doubt that it was beyond grade-7!

A formation that was beyond grade-7… No wonder no master teacher from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion dared tamper with it!

It was already far beyond their scope of understanding.

Hu hu hu!

While Zhang Xuan was busy assessing the depression, Mu shi carefully controlled his aerial spirit beast to land gently on the ground.

After landing safely, before the trio could walk up to the hemispherical depression, Wu shi walked over and said, “Zhang shi, Luo shi, and Mu shi, you are here!”