Chapter 1040

Chapter 1040: Unbounded Voyager (2)

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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“Sound of the breeze?” Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and the others were stunned before turning to look at their surroundings.

The sound of the breeze was extremely light, mixed in with the rustling of the leaves. Previously, they had thought that it sounded calm and peaceful, putting them in a state of tranquility. Listening to it once more, however, they thought that it sounded sinister, and they couldn’t help but tremble in fear.

“Let’s try sealing off our hearing,” Guild Leader Han said.

But even after the both of them did so, the wind continued to whistle right in their head, keeping them tightly under its control.

Zhang Xuan shook his head and sent a telepathic message to them.

“It’s futile. The sound of the breeze is a type of demonic tune. Even if we seal our sixth sense, it will still travel to our soul directly, making it impossible to fend it off.”

If it was possible to seal of demonic tunes just by covering one’s ears, it wouldn’t have been worthy of the adjective ‘demonic’, let alone exist as a unique occupation that had been passed down for more than several dozen thousand years.

The duo released the seal on their hearing and asked anxiously, “Then, what do we do?”

Unable to ward off the demonic tune, they would be trapped in this hell of perpetual movement. It had not been easy for them to get into the ancient domain; were they really going to lose their lives at the very start?

“Principal Zhang… since you were able to sense that it’s a demonic tune, do you have a solution for it?” Wu shi asked anxiously.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan replied, “This is the demonic tune from an 8-star demonic tunist; even I can only barely ward it off myself. If we intend to pull the others out of their trance, we will have to overcome the demonic tune with one of our own as well!”

He had noticed the demonic tune the moment he entered, and through his comprehension of demonic tunes and his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he was able to ward it off himself. However, he hadn’t found a feasible to quell the demonic tune yet. There didn’t seem to be any other way of going about doing it other than to overwhelm the sound of the breeze with his music, but to do so, he would have to achieve the level of proficiency comparable to an 8-star demonic tunist!

“Overcome the demonic tune with one of our own?”

The faces of the duo paled.

Where were they going to find an 8-star demonic tunist from out of the blue?

If they had a person of such capability in their ranks, the members of the expedition wouldn’t have fallen into a trance in the first place.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “This demonic tune should be around the level of 8-star primary, or else your Primordial Spirits would have been affected by it as well, causing you to be unaware of your injuries like the others. However, my level of proficiency in demonic tunes is only at 6-star pinnacle at the moment. Even if I use my full strength, I won’t be able overcome it.”

The sound of the breeze was equivalent to the playing of an 8-star primary demonic tunist, or else there was no way Guild Leader Han and Wu shi would have been able to retain their consciousness before the sound.

Nevertheless, it was still at a level that Zhang Xuan couldn’t stand against; his current strength was still too weak.

“What do we do then?”

“Do any of you have 7-star demonic tunist books?” Zhang Xuan asked.

If he could gather sufficient 7-star demonic tunist books to compile the 7-star Heaven’s Path Demonic Tune Art, he would be able to face off with the 8-star primary demonic tune easily.

“7-star demonic tunist books?”

Guild Leader Han and Wu shi traded gazes before shaking their heads simultaneously.

One of them was a formation master whereas the other was a master teacher. While Wu shi had seven 7-star supporting occupation, it happened that demonic tunist was not one of them. As such, he didn’t have such books with him.

“That will make things even more troublesome then.” Zhang Xuan frowned.

If he couldn’t raise his capabilities as a demonic tunist, it would be extremely hard for him to suppress the demonic tune.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan said, “Why don’t we do this? The both of you try to take care of the group here, make sure that they don’t overexert themselves. If they are really reaching their limit, feed them a pill or something so as to replenish their zhenqi and stamina. Meanwhile, I will be trying to find the source of the sound. If I am able to find it, I might just be able to resolve the problem.”

Since it was impossible for him to overcome with brute force, he would just have to search for the origin of the sound. Perhaps, he might be able to find a flaw regarding it there and destroy it at its source.

“Un. We will be troubling Principal Zhang then.”

The duo bowed deeply.

Left with no other alternatives, this was the best option they had.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony.” Zhang Xuan hurriedly helped them up before rushing in the direction where the sound of the breeze seemed to have come from.

The sound of the breeze was extremely faint, but there was a certain quality to it that left one feeling as if the world was spinning should one attempt to focus one’s hearing on it. Had it not been for Zhang Xuan refining his soul further through the lava, he might have succumbed then and there.

Still feeling a little worried, Zhang Xuan took a glance backward and saw Wu shi and Guild Leader Han feeding a few of the combat masters who had just spurted blood earlier several pills, and their pale complexions alleviated considerably.

While the demonic tune causes a cultivator to deplete their zhenqi and stamina unnecessarily, it isn’t really that dangerous. As long as the others are able to consume pills in time to replenish their energy, they should be able to hold on for quite a while, Zhang Xuan noted.

Even so, they were still marching forward uncontrollably, as if puppets on a string. At this point, they had also realized something was amiss, and they attempted to struggle against it as well. However, their efforts were completely futile.

To be completely helpless despite knowing that one was headed toward danger, unable to escape or retaliate… It was due to this that demonic tunists were so feared throughout the Master Teacher Continent, such that even the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had a specialized school devoted to the occupation.

After flying for around half an hour, Zhang Xuan came to an abrupt stop and frowned. He had flown several hundred kilometers, and yet, he realized that there was no change in the breeze sound at all. This meant that he wasn’t even close to finding its source.

Wasn’t the area of the sound a little too vast?

Taking himself as an example, the demonic tunes he played could place anyone within a radius of several hundred meters into a trance, and anything beyond that would be extremely strenuous and difficult for him. Even for an 8-star demonic tunist, it was unimaginable that the other party was capable of playing music that could span over a radius of several hundred kilometers!

If that was the case, wouldn’t an 8-star demonic tunist be able to place several hundred million men into a trance simultaneously just by playing within the capital of any empire? Not even master teachers wielded prowess comparable to that!

At this point, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a certain urban legend from his previous life known as the supernatural wall 1 . Could this be the work of the Spatial Formation? I am certain that I have been walking in a single direction, but somehow, it seems as if I have been walking in circles, making no progress whatsoever.

Could it have been that his senses had been distorted to make him walk in endless circles?

In truth, such happenings weren’t too rare in formations either.

Many Beguilement Formations had the effect of messing with a person’s sense of direction or even the compass in their hands. They might be thinking that they were headed east, but in truth, they were headed in an entirely different direction.

Since this area has the effect of confusing one’s sense of direction, I should set up a formation to help me with my directions.

Frowning, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a couple of formation flags.

He might have been unable to oppose the sound of the breeze with his current mastery of demonic tunes, but his proficiency in formations had already reached 7-star pinnacle. He could easily set up a formation that could help him navigate his way through the Spatial Formation.

Many formations flashed through Zhang Xuan’s mind, and before long, a certain blueprint stood out. With a smile, he flicked his wrist.

Hu!

The formation flags immediately scattered from his hands, landing in specific positions.

Weng!

With a buzz, the formation came to life. Standing in the middle of it, Zhang Xuan closed his eyes.

Zhang Xuan smirked. As I thought! My sense of direction has indeed been distorted!

Through the formation, he could instantaneously tell that the direction he had been heading in previously was leading him in endless circles.

It seemed like the demonic tune wasn’t the only thing that one had to be aware of in the Spatial Formation. If he hadn’t noticed the issue with his sense of direction, he might very well have ended up walking for an eternity without walking out of the formation.

The old principal and the others should have taken the ‘Direction Probing Needle’, which Wu Yangzi forged all those years ago, with them. While the Direction Probing Needle isn’t a saint artifact, it is exceptionally effective in identifying directions. Most likely, it was due to such an artifact that they were able to find their way out of this Spatial Formation, Zhang Xuan thought.

It was apparent that the old principal had gotten out of the Spatial Formation. Otherwise, he would have reduced to bones long ago, and it would have been impossible for him to send out the Principal’s Seal either.

Considering how they were able to find their way out despite possessing a cultivation far lower than Wu shi and the others, it was certain that they had some kind of valuable artifact on them.

After reading through the many books in the Blacksmith School, Zhang Xuan was aware that there was a treasure that Wu Yangzi had deposited in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy known as the Direction Probing Needle!

It was a unique artifact that had been forged out of the elusive Direction Probing Wood. It couldn’t be considered a saint artifact, but in the field of finding directions, there were barely any situations where it would fail.

However, it wasn’t often that one would be in a situation that required such a tool, and Wu Yangzi didn’t think that he would need it either. Thus, he had decided to donate it to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

Before heading to Firesource City to meet the others, Zhang Xuan had visited the treasure vault of the academy, but he didn’t find the Direction Probing Needle in there. Most likely, the old principal had borrowed it for the exploration of the ancient domain.

It was also fortunate that he had done so as well.

Of course, how long they took to clear the ancient domain was another matter entirely. Considering the limitations of the old principal’s cultivation, it should have taken him a while to snap out from the trance of the demonic tunes, and he probably needed a little more time to realize the peculiarity regarding the Spatial Formation. In any case, Zhang Xuan didn’t think that the old principal and his expedition team would have been able to resolve the matter as quickly as he did.

After all, even Wu shi only realized that there was something amiss but couldn’t pinpoint what it was back then. Zhang Xuan was the only one who had been able to see everything clearly due to his imperviousness to demonic tunes.

After confirming the direction, he leaped out from the formation and began flying in the direction he had identified via his formation earlier.

However, after flying roughly ten kilometers, he suddenly felt that he might have deviated from his original path once more. Thus, he quickly set up the same formation once more and swiftly found the correct direction before proceeding ahead.

After repeating the same cycle thrice, he finally found a massive stone tablet of three meters tall and two meters wide towering before him. It had a slightly pale exterior that seemed to hint at the long history behind it, battered by the wind and rain alike for many years.

It was vibrating gently, emitting a pleasant sound that intoxicated minds.

Walking up to it, Zhang Xuan saw three massive words inscribed majestically on it.

‘The Unbounded World?’

Zhang Xuan frowned.

Gazing further down, he noticed several lines of smaller words written beneath the three massive words.

‘All who enter the Unbounded World will be placed under the effects of a demonic tune, falling into a trance. Only those with the most resolute of minds will be able to break free of the trance and forge a path through this maze that I have built.

‘Those who are capable of breaking free of the demonic tunes and find their way here within three days will be bestowed with my secret art. Those who manage to do so within ten days will be granted a life-changing encounter. Those who exceed ten days, I can only say that your aptitude is lacking. Since it is fate that you managed to find this tablet, allow me to advise you to leave this land as soon as possible!’

After reading the words on the tablet, Zhang Xuan blinked vacantly.

From the point that I stepped through the door till this moment, I think… it hasn’t even been an hour yet. To bestow a secret art upon those who manage to find this tablet within three days, isn’t this test a little too easy? Surely, there can’t be any who are so foolish as to not realize that something is amiss even after three whole days, right? Zhang Xuan thought as he turned his gaze further lower down the stone tablet.

Several words in a different handwriting from those above came into sight.

‘I, Zhang Yinqiu, together with my team, was lost within these lands for around half a month. With my humble capabilities, I dare not expect to earn anything out of this ancient domain. All I hope is that I arrived in time to stop the Otherworldly Demons.’

The old principal was lost in the Spatial Formation for more than half a month? Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched awkwardly. Who would have thought that there are really people that foolish?

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Chapter 1041: Secret Art

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In Zhang Xuan’s opinion, the moment that something happened to one of the expedition members while walking in the Spatial Formation, the group should have immediately realized that something was amiss. From that, it shouldn’t be too difficult for them to deduce that they had been assaulted by demonic tunes. Through some trial and error, no matter how foolish they were, two to three days should have been more than sufficient for them to get to the stone tablet.

Yet, who would have thought that the old principal would actually take more than half a month to get here?

Weren’t they a little too dimwitted to take that long?

Perhaps, it was due to the limitations of their cultivation. After all, even Principal Wo Tianqiong and the others were stuck in a trance for quite some time themselves, unaware of the changes in their surroundings.

After some contemplation, Zhang Xuan came up with a possible explanation.

Most of the expedition members that the old principal had brought along were the elders of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Saint 1-dan cultivators. Even the strongest of them all would only have been at Spiritual Perception realm.

So, it was likely that they had been in the same position as Wo Tianqiong and the other combat masters. As soon as they arrived, they were already put into a trance, making them unaware of their surroundings or even the state that they were in as well.

In such a situation, it would have been a huge blessing if they knew that they should consume a pill to replenish their energy, let alone uncovering the secrets of the Unbounded World.

But since the old principal has left his words here, it goes to show that he has managed to walk out of this area alive,Zhang Xuan noted.

This was the first trace of the old principal that they had encountered so far after all of the dangers they had been through, and with this, they could be entirely certain that they were on the right path.

It is written on the stone tablet that anyone who manages to reach this point within three days will be bestowed with a secret art. Let’s see what kind of secret art I will get.

Knowing that it was more important to focus on what was ahead of him at this moment, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the stone tablet.

The stone tablet was made out of some kind of particularly heavy material, planting it firmly in place.

Circling around the stone tablet, he swiftly noticed a groove on it that one could place one’s palm in. It felt as if some kind of unique power would come to life just by coming into contact with it.

To be careful, Zhang Xuan closely examined the stone tablet, and only after verifying that there were no dangers regarding it did he finally heave a sigh of relief. Nevertheless, he still prepared several defensive measures before finally reaching out to place his palm on the groove.

It couldn’t be helped. They hadn’t gotten a grasp on the identity or personality of the master of the ancient domain yet, so it was still best to remain on guard.

Weng!

As soon as his palm came into contact with the groove, a brilliant flash of light burst into the air, and the seemingly omnipresent demonic tune abruptly came to a halt.

Seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

With the halting of the demonic tune, the other members would finally be free from the effects of the demonic tunes, and the depletion of their zhenqi and stamina should have come to a stop, putting them out of harm’s way.

Jiyaya!

The stone tablet suddenly jolted once more, and as if some kind of unique mechanism or formation had come to life, a loud ‘hu!’ sounded. Following which, a figure came into appearance.

The figure was an elder with white hair and a beard. Despite being a mere fragmented soul, he emanated a sharp aura that exerted immense pressure upon one’s psyche.

Wariness immediately surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he took a step back. Powerful…

The elder was only a mere fragmented soul at the moment, on the verge of flickering out of existence after the passing of innumerable years. However, if the old elder were to make a move against him at this moment, there would still be nothing Zhang Xuan could do about it.

Even as a fragmented soul, the elder wielded absolute power that Zhang Xuan could never hope to rival in his current state. There was no doubt that the elder had at least been a Saint 5-dan expert back when he was still alive.

Otherwise, there was no way the other party could have left him feeling so apprehensive.

“There’s no need to tense up, I mean you no harm. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the master of this ancient domain.” Seemingly noticing the wariness in Zhang Xuan’s eyes, the figure smiled. The elder spoke in an approving tone. “Considering how you were able to see through my trap and find this location so quickly, your mental resilience and eye of discernment are far superior to others. There is no doubt that you are qualified to learn my secret art!”

He had set the time limit to be three days, but the other party had spent no more than an hour to overcome his traps and find this stone tablet. Such an accomplishment was beyond his expectations.

With his hands behind his back, the elder said, “As a fragmented soul, I won’t be able to remain here for long. So, hurry up and acknowledge me as your teacher!”

“Acknowledge you as my teacher?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

“Indeed. If you wish to obtain my heritage, you have to become part of my lineage. Otherwise, how can I impart my secret art to you?” the elder replied with a nod.

Lineage was extremely important when it came to the impartation of techniques. It was improper to learn the secret arts of another without becoming the other party’s student.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but hesitate. “This…”

In his long journey, he had never acknowledged anyone as his teacher before. Even Kong shi had ended up being rejected by him.

Thus, he couldn’t help but feel extremely reluctant to acknowledge a person from a shady background and whose name he didn’t even know as his teacher.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s conflicted expression, the elder asked in astonishment, “What? Are you unwilling?”

Back when he was alive, the line of people who were queuing up to become his student could easily have circled a city many times over, and yet… he was offering to take the other party as his student so as to pass on his secret art, and yet, the other party was still hesitating. He couldn’t help but find this situation unbelievable.

After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan replied, “It is not that I am unwilling, but I already have a teacher of my own. Without his permission, it would be improper of me to take another man as my teacher.”

He had created the identity ‘Yang Xuan’ to make things convenient for him, so naturally, he had no qualms about bringing it out in this situation either.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s worries, the elder chuckled softly. “It is impossible for a person to acknowledge only a single person as their teacher throughout their entire life. Even Kong shi acknowledged many teachers back then. This isn’t something you need to worry about!”

Even though Kong shi was the World’s Teacher, he had not been born almighty. It was through the accumulation of experiences and knowledge that he had eventually become the great man that he was. Naturally, it went without saying that he had taken many people as his teacher over the course of his journey as well, learning from their strengths to better himself.

Since that was the case for him, it should have been even more so for others. There was really no need for others to hesitate over such a matter.

“Elder, your words ring true. I was being too obsessed with appearances.” Zhang Xuan nodded. A moment later, with a light smile, he continued. “I am willing to acknowledge you as my teacher, but is it possible for you to demonstrate the secret art that you are intending to impart to me first?”

“That’s not a problem,” the elder replied.

It was normal for a student to want to see how powerful the teacher was before acknowledging the other party. After all, there was no one who would wish to acknowledge someone who was less skilled than them as their teacher.

If he could win the other party’s admiration, the other party would be more willing to acknowledge him as his teacher.

While such a request could be seen as a challenge toward his authority, considering that many years had passed since then and he hadn’t revealed his identity either, it wasn’t too surprising that he’d asked such a thing of him.

The elder placed his hands behind his back, and a strong air of confidence and indomitability burst forth from him.

“The secret art that I am going to impart you is a movement technique known as the Unbounded Voyager. There is a total of five dans to it, and if you cultivate it to Consummation, you will be able to disregard the confines of space itself and travel to wherever you want to in the shortest time possible!”

“Unbounded Voyager?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.

He had never heard of this movement technique before, but just from the majestic name alone, he could tell that it was an extremely fearsome move.

No wonder this Spatial Formation was known was the Unbounded World. Most likely, on top of assessing a cultivator’s mental resilience, it also served to examine their understanding of space and direction as well.

Only those who possessed superior aptitude would be able to sense that something was amiss and find a solution to reach the stone tablet. And truthfully, if not for Zhang Xuan’s enhanced senses from cultivating the Heaven’s Path techniques, it would have been difficult for him to notice that something was amiss.

“Indeed. Barriers there may be between the heavens and earth, but the true voyager treads unbounded. If one wishes to learn the most advanced of movement techniques, they must abandon the boundaries they limit themselves by. Only when one’s heart is unbounded can one travel unrestrained throughout the world,” the figure said calmly.

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

This was similar to how true swordsmanship, at its very core, was devoid of any maneuvers. To be limited by one’s maneuvers signified that one was still stuck at the elementary level of swordsmanship.

True secret arts were techniques that had already surpassed the level of fixed maneuvers.

Even though Zhang Xuan had never seen the Unbounded Voyager before, he could tell just from those words alone that it was an extraordinary technique.

“Since you wish to see it, allow me to enlighten you!” Noticing the young man’s astonishment, the elder knew that he had already succeeded in winning the other party over, and a smile surfaced on his lips.

Hu!

There was no apparent movement at all, but the elder simply vanished on the spot. In the next moment, he was already several kilometers away.

How swift! Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in astonishment.

He had been unable to follow the other party’s movements with his eyes at all; it was already at a level comparable to teleportation! As powerful as the Heaven’s Path Movement Art was, it appeared as slow as a snail in comparison to the Unbounded Voyager.

Of course, it didn’t mean that the Heaven’s Path Movement Art was an inferior technique. Rather, it was solely due to the huge difference in the tiers of both techniques.

The Heaven’s Path Movement Art he was still cultivating at the moment was compiled based on the fundamental movement techniques that he had collected so far, and it hadn’t even reached Saint-tier. It was understandable that it was weaker than the Unbounded Voyager.

Hu!

While Zhang Xuan was in shock, the figure in the distance suddenly blurred, and in an instant, it abruptly returned to where it had been before. It was as if the elder had never moved in the first place, and the figure in the distance had just been a product of his imagination!

“Are you willing to learn it?” the elder asked with a chuckle.

Back then, even Kong shi had been filled with praise for this movement technique of his. He didn’t believe that there was anyone who could reject it.

“Your movement technique is indeed incredible, but…”

Halfway through his words, Zhang Xuan suddenly paused, seemingly hesitating over something.

“But?” The elder frowned.

“There are a few flaws with it that compromise its strength,” Zhang Xuan replied with a conflicted expression.

“Flaws? What arrogance! Someone of your strength is actually able to discern flaws in my movement technique?” Not expecting the young man before him to be so arrogant, the elder waved his hand in displeasure.

Paying no heed to the elder’s rage, Zhang Xuan began speaking. “Firstly, when you were moving earlier, even though it happened so swiftly that it was hardly discernible, if I am not mistaken, you utilized zhenqi threads to facilitate the movement.

“The concept behind the technique is simple. It is to first thread one’s zhenqi to the area where one intends to move to before dragging one’s body over like a puppet. This allows one to move from area to area with inconceivable speed, such that it is almost at the level of teleportation, but it has a major flaw as well. If an enemy were to notice the secret behind the technique and sever the thread beforehand, it could lead to one travelling to an unexpected area instead. Should such a scenario occur in battle, it could end up leading one to expose a fatal weakness to one’s enemy.

“Secondly, the technique is extremely demanding on one’s zhenqi. While it does allow one to escape a fatal situation and flee to a safe location temporarily, the huge depletion of zhenqi resulting from it might deprive one of the ability to stand against one’s enemy. Furthermore, if one’s zhenqi were to run dry from the execution of the technique, it wouldn’t take long for one’s enemy to catch up, thus placing one is an extremely dangerous position. As such, it is not a technique that one can frequently use in battle.

“Thirdly, moving at such speed is highly strenuous on one’s body. You are able to do it easily because you are currently in the form of a soul, making you unaffected by the limitations of a body. On the other hand, a normal cultivator will require at least a body with the resilience comparable to a Saint-tier artifact before they can exert the technique without any incurring any injuries. How powerful must one be to obtain a physical body on par with Saint-tier artifacts? Do you have a physical body cultivation technique that can raise one’s physical body to Saint-tier? If you don’t have any… is there any meaning in learning this movement technique?”

“You…”

The elder had not paid the other party much heed at the start, but after hearing those words, his expression changed.

Comments

Chapter 1042: Acknowledge Me as Your Teacher and I Will Teach You!

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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There were no mistakes in what the other party said at all. The first two flaws were still not much of an issue. It wasn’t easy for the crux of the Unbounded Voyager to be found due to its sheer speed, and if it was utilized well in battle, it could be a powerful weapon to catching one’s opponent off guard.

However, the third problem was indeed an issue that had been plaguing him for much time.

The reason he had been able to cultivate the movement technique was due to the unique bloodline that flowed through his body, granting him a body superior to the others. Even without cultivating his physical body, he could still easily execute the technique without suffering any damage. However, the same could not be said about others. The Unbounded Voyager was a powerful movement technique, but it was impossible to master without a powerful body to withstand its overwhelming prowess.

If one were to attempt to cultivate it forcefully, one might end up incurring devastating damage to one’s body instead, resulting in a steep decline in one’s cultivation.

However, this was a problem that only those who had started cultivating the Unbounded Voyager would understand. For the other party to be able to discern such a problem with just a glance, wasn’t his eye of discernment a little too formidable? Was he really just a Nascent Saint?

On the other hand, noticing the expression on the elder’s face, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.

Even without utilizing his Library of Heaven’s Path, he could still easily find numerous flaws in the other party’s movement technique.

In fact, back when he first cultivated the Heaven’s Path Movement Art, he had met with the same problem as well. Due to the lacking resilience of his physical body, his body was nearly torn apart from the astounding speed he was traveling at.

It was even more so for the Unbounded Voyager. Moving at the speed nearly comparable to teleportation, if one’s physical body didn’t meet the prerequisite, one would suffer devastating damage just by executing the technique.

In the end, after everything the other party had said, the technique was only feasible when paired with exceptional zhenqi capacity and an incredibly resilient body, or else it would only end up hindering one.

Of course, if one could meet the two prerequisites for the technique, the Unbounded Voyager could become a powerful trump card in battle, allowing one to become invincible within one’s cultivation realm.

As such, there was no way Zhang Xuan was going to let such a valuable technique slip through his fingers. But for him to acknowledge another man as his teacher, impossible!

“How is it? Is there a mistake in what I have said?” Smiling, Zhang Xuan turned to the elder with a glint in his eyes.

After a moment of hesitation, the elder replied, “There is indeed nothing wrong with what you have said. That is also the reason I only impart this technique to those who possess superior aptitude. The fact that you could pass through the lava, as well as approach the seal outside and destroy it, shows that your physical body has already reached an incredible level. On top of that, your ability to find this stone tablet within the allocated time limit also shows that you possess a powerful soul and a vast capacity of zhenqi. Since that is the case, you have already met the prerequisites for the cultivation of the Unbounded Voyager. The issues that you have stated aren’t problems for you.”

Be it the lava or the seal, they were trials that he had left behind to test those who entered the Spatial Formation. Since the other party had come this far, it meant that the other party had already met the basic requirements for the cultivation of the technique.

As such, the flaws that the other party had mentioned weren’t issues either.

“I do possess the required ability to cultivate the Unbounded Voyager. It’s just that… I happen to wield the ability to improve the Unbounded Voyager and make it even stronger. Are you willing to listen?” Zhang Xuan asked with a smile.

“Improve the Unbounded Voyager? Impossible!” The elder shook his head.

His cultivation had reached an astounding level before his death, but even so, he had still been unable to find a way to advance the Unbounded Voyager. How could the mere Nascent Saint before him possibly possess the ability to do so?

“There’s no need to rush into denying the matter. Why don’t we do this instead? Allow me to take a peek at the Unbounded Voyager cultivation technique, and I will point out the flaws in it for you. You can make your choice after hearing my analysis and see whether there is a mistake in it or not,” Zhang Xuan said.

“I’m fine with that. In any case, I was intending to pass down the secret art to you anyway, so it’s not a problem. However… I am only a fragmented soul, and the time I have is severely limited. It is probably going to be several hours before you are done reading, and I don’t think that I can last until then,” the elder said.

The aim of leaving behind his ancient domain was to pass down his cultivation technique to the later generations, and the young man before him was a person who had passed his trial. Naturally, he would impart the Unbounded Voyager to the young man. However, the Unbounded Voyager was an incredibly profound technique that even the most talented of people would at least require several hours before they could finish reading the entire book, let alone find the flaws in it!

As a fragmented soul, the time he had left was sorely lacking. Chances were that he would dissipate before the other party even finished browsing through the book, making it impossible for him to verify the authenticity of the other party’s words.

“I don’t need several hours. As long as you can allow me a look at the cultivation technique, I will be able to find the flaws in it for you within a minute!” Zhang Xuan smiled.

“A minute?” The elder stared at the young man before him doubtfully.

After a moment of hesitation, the elder flicked his wrist, and a series of words reminiscent of the Milky Way abruptly materialized in the sky.

It was the manual for the Unbounded Voyager.

Sweeping through it, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but be astonished.

Just as the other party had said, there were five dans to the technique, and each dan represented a realm. Even if he just cultivated the 1-dan to Consummation, the speed that he could travel at would increase by leaps and bounds.

That meant that he would be able to display a far greater fighting prowess than before as well.

As astonished as Zhang Xuan was, he didn’t allow it to show on his face. Exhaling deeply, he turned to the elder and remarked with a light smile, “This Unbounded Voyager is indeed a formidable technique, but… if I am not mistaken, there should be nine flaws in it, right?”

“You…” Shocked by Zhang Xuan’s words, the elder began trembling uncontrollably.

Back then, he had asked Kong shi to evaluate this movement technique of his, and the latter did mention that there were nine flaws with it as well. However, instead of correcting the technique for him, Kong shi had only pointed them out to him and asked him to think of a way to resolve them himself.

When he opened the ancient domain, his strength hadn’t reached its peak yet, and he had yet to find a way to resolve the issues in the Unbounded Voyager. Thus, he could only leave the flawed movement technique behind.

Who would have thought that the person he was intending to pass the movement technique down to would be able to come to the same conclusion just by taking a glimpse at the manual? Wasn’t his eye of discernment way too terrifying?

“Firstly, in the cultivation of the 1-dan, when driving one’s zhenqi through the Bimen acupoint, it will produce an effect of temporary blindness. With a bit of bad luck, it is possible that one might even lose one’s sense of sight permanently. Am I right?”

“This… You’re right.” After a moment of hesitation, the elder nodded.

That was exactly what Kong shi had said to him back then!

Back when he had just started cultivating the Unbounded Voyager 1-dan, he had indeed encountered signs of losing his sense of sight. It was fortunate that Kong shi had saved him then and resolved his trauma.

Zhang Xuan continued. “The reason for the occurrence of such a situation is due to the zhenqi threads passing through the Mingmou acupoint. There are some problems with the circulation pathway of the technique, and as long as the correct pathway isn’t found, such a situation will occur.”

The Library of Heaven’s Path couldn’t correct the flaws by itself and provide him with a flawless Unbounded Voyager. Nevertheless, just by pointing out the flaws alone, he could still easily win the other party’s trust.

Without giving the other party any time to recover from his shock, Zhang Xuan pushed on. “The second flaw is also within the cultivation of the Unbounded Voyager 1-dan. During the cultivation process, it must be completed within a single breath. If one were to run out of zhenqi in the process and fail to push into the Shenxing acupoint, there is a good chance that one might become paralyzed for life…”

The crux to the incredible speed of the Unbounded Voyager lay in the opening of the Shenxing acupoint.

However, the acupoint was located at the center of one’s feet, and it was an extraordinarily difficult acupoint to open. It was highly demanding on the purity and quantity of zhenqi one harnessed. The slightest deviation that occurred in this stage could result in full body paralysis!

Even though he had been spared from that unfortunate outcome back when he was cultivating it, a couple of students he had accepted later on weren’t as lucky as him. Instead of mastering the technique, they had ended up losing their ability to walk instead.

All along, he had thought that it was due to his students’ weak body and lacking zhenqi. He had thought that, as long he could find someone who possessed a bloodline as powerful as his, the problem could be averted entirely. However, at that moment, the young man was saying the very same words that Kong shi had told him back then, and this left him thinking that the matter might not have been as simple as he thought it was.

“The third flaw is in the Unbounded Voyager 2-dan. While cultivating that realm, the driving of one’s zhenqi through that point could lead to the breeding of Inner Demons…”

“The fourth flaw lies in the 3-dan…”

“The fifth flaw…”

…

In a single breath, Zhang Xuan spilled out the nine flaws in the Unbounded Voyager in detail.

These were all reflected in the Library of Heaven’s Path, so he only had to read them out accordingly.

“… and these are the nine flaws that I have identified. Is there any mistake with my analysis?”

“T-this…” The elder trembled uncontrollably as he retracted the words in the sky before nodding. “There is no mistake at all. Your analysis is correct!”

At that moment, there was no word that could possibly describe the immense shock he was feeling.

The manual for the Unbounded Voyager consisted of over ten thousand words, and the meaning behind them was extremely profound as well. Even he would have needed several hours before he could fully make sense out of the entire manual. Yet, with a simple glance, the other party had been able to point out the flaws in it, and it was exactly the same as what Kong shi had said back then. His eye of discernment was truly frightening!

His talent was nowhere beneath that of Kong shi’s!

“Do you believe that I can improve the Unbounded Voyager for you now?” Zhang Xuan said.

The elder was conflicted for a short moment before eventually nodding. “… I do.”

Judging from how the other party was able to point out the flaws in the Unbounded Voyager with just a glance, it wouldn’t be too difficult for him to correct them and bring it a step closer to perfection.

“Good. Right, there is something that I want to ask you. Did a group of master teachers pass by this area two years ago? May I know if they are still living?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“There was indeed a group of master teachers who passed by this stone tablet two years ago. However, as they didn’t find the way out of the Unbounded World in the allocated time, I didn’t impart my secret art to them, simply sending them away. However, they didn’t listen to my advice and chose to continue onward. As this soul of mine is bound here, I am not too sure about how they fared in the later trials,” the elder replied.

Despite being a soul fragment of the ancient domain’s master, he was effectively no different from a puppet that had been left behind to stand guard in the Unbounded World. Anything beyond this trial was outside his scope of authority, so he had no way of peeking and learning about it.

“Alright then.” Hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply and nodded.

He had thought that he could receive some vital news from the other party, but it seemed like he could only take one step at a time.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was about to turn around and leave when the elder behind him suddenly spoke up. “Since you know the way to perfecting the Unbounded Voyager, can you share it with me?”

This question had been plaguing him for the longest time. As he had been left behind in the Unbounded World before these problems could be resolved, he had never had a chance to learn of the solutions to resolving the problems.

While the time he had left was limited, if he could learn of the correct cultivation technique before his dissipation, his life wouldn’t have been spent in vain.

If this final regret of his could be resolved, he wouldn’t mind even if he were to dissipate then and there!

Halting in his footsteps, Zhang Xuan turned around and asked, “You wish to know how to resolve the flaws of the Unbounded Voyager?”

“That’s right!” The elder nodded. “If you can enlighten me, I will be extremely grateful to you!”

Since the other party had been able to see through the flaws in his cultivation technique with just a single look, he dared not pull his weight and say words about how he was going to impart the Unbounded Voyager to the other party anymore.

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back, and an indomitable aura burst forth from him, as if a deity that had descended from the heavens.

“Acknowledge me as your teacher, and I will impart it to you!”

---

Chapter 1043: Field of Lightning

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“…”

The elder staggered. For a moment there, he nearly dissipated on the spot.

The reason he had left his fragmented soul behind was to accept new students so as to pass down his secret art to the later generations, not to acknowledge other people as his teacher!

Yet, not only did he fail to score himself his student, the other party was even intending to take him on as a student. The immense frustration that he felt left him feeling like he was going to explode on the spot.

But thinking back, he was the person who had said ‘If you wish to obtain my heritage, you have to join my lineage. Otherwise, how can I impart my secret art to you?’

Now that he wanted the other party to impart the perfected Unbounded Voyager to him, it went without saying that the same rules should apply as well. Why should the other party teach him otherwise?

“Alright, I was being too superficial then…” Shaking his head, the elder decided to ask no more. Turning his gaze to Zhang Xuan, he said, “The true ancient domain lies beyond me, and you will face far greater danger than this. I wish you the best in your journey.”

After saying those words, the silhouette of the elder began to fade.

Normally, the other party should have been able to maintain his existence for some time. However, after suffering the heavy blow from Zhang Xuan, the other party found himself unable to hold on any longer.

Hu!

The elder vanished from sight, and cracks swiftly crept across the stone tablet before him.

Kacha, kacha!

In the blink of an eye, it had already collapsed into a pile of rubble on the ground.

“You haven’t told me what your name is…” Not expecting the other party to vanish so abruptly, Zhang Xuan was dazed.

In truth, when he said that he could correct the flaws of the Unbounded Voyager and improve it, it had been nothing more than a ploy to lure the other party into taking out the manual. The movement techniques that he had collected thus far were simply too weak; it was impossible to compile them with such an advanced technique.

As such, even though Zhang Xuan could easily point out the flaws regarding the Unbounded Voyager, it was impossible for him to correct them.

Seeing how earnestly the other party was seeking guidance from him, he had no choice but to use the other party’s words against him. Who would have thought that the other party would vanish shortly after he finished saying those words?

He had received the other party’s Unbounded Voyager manual, but in the end, he realized that he didn’t even know the other party’s name.

Facing the shattered stone tablet before him, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply. “Elder, thank you for your movement technique. I will surely bring it glory so as to not let you down!”

No matter what, the other party deserved an earnest bow from him.

This Unbounded Voyager might be powerful, but I am still unable to cultivate it yet.

After paying his respects to the elder, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the movement technique that he had just obtained, and he couldn’t help but shake his head helplessly.

His zhenqi and physical body did meet the required mark, allowing him to execute the technique without his zhenqi running dry or his physical body being strained beyond its limit. However, there was another issue that Zhang Xuan was particularly concerned with… there were simply too many flaws with the technique!

He really couldn’t bring himself to practice such a flawed technique.

Just the flaw in the first dan of the movement technique could potentially deprive him of his vision. He didn’t wish to become blind from practicing this technique.

It seemed like he would really have to find higher tier movement technique manuals to compile together with the Unbounded Voyager so as to perfect it when he got out.

In any case, the Heaven’s Path Movement Art was sufficient for the time being, so there was no need for him to take the risk.

Alright, I should return first. Since the sound of the breeze has stopped, they should have all recovered from their trance too. I should head back to find them now.

Putting aside the Unbounded Voyager for the time being, Zhang Xuan turned around and returned in the direction he had come from.

The other expedition members had been under the control of the demonic tune previously, but with the disappearance of the sound of the breeze, they should have recovered from their trance.

Along the way, he took back the various formations he had set up on the way to point out the direction for him, and not too long later, he finally returned to where he had parted with Wu shi and the others. Taking a look at the surroundings, he couldn’t help but frown grimly.

There was not a person in sight, but the entire area was a mess. Innumerable depressions could be seen all around, and fresh blood was scattered here and there. It seemed as if a ferocious fight had just happened in the area.

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly. What happened?

Wu shi and the others were Saint 4-dan experts. What kind of danger could they have encountered that would result in such an intense battle, such that they wouldn’t even have the time to leave a message or the sort for him?

Eye of Insight!

Knowing that the expedition team might have met with danger, Zhang Xuan dared not hesitate. He swiftly scanned his surroundings carefully, and before long, a faint trail appeared before his eyes.

Follow it!

Zhang Xuan immediately tracked the trail with hastened footsteps.

The Otherworldly Demons?

Not too long later, he stumbled by yet another battlefield. This time, not only was there the blood of humans, there were also the carcasses of two slaughtered Otherworldly Demons.

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in alarm. This is bad…

It might have taken some time for others to analyze the carcasses to deduce the power level of the Otherworldly Demons before their deaths, but as one who possessed the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could do it with just a swift glance. He could tell that the two deceased Otherworldly Demons were Saint 3-dan experts!

With such strength, the duo could be considered experts even among the Qingtian royalty.

Hu!

With a thought, the Violetleaf King appeared before Zhang Xuan.

“Do you recognize these two fellows?” Zhang Xuan asked gravely.

Based on previous experiences, it was apparent that the Qingtian royalty had set their eyes upon the ancient domain as well. Thus, it was safe to assume that any Otherworldly Demons that appeared were related to the Qingtian royalty.

The Violetleaf King examined the two carcasses in front of him for a brief moment before turning to Zhang Xuan to report. “Reporting to Young Master, I don’t know those two. However… judging from their features, they are most likely the subordinates of the Stoneleaf King!”

“Stoneleaf King?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

That was the Otherworldly Demon King who was ranked fourth of the Five Upper Kings!

“The Stoneleaf King is known for his superior physical body. When his cultivation technique is active, his entire body will gain toughness comparable to the strongest granite in the world, granting him foolproof defense! Considering how the skin of these two Otherworldly Demons is dry and rough, it appears that they have practiced a similar cultivation technique to that of the Stoneleaf King, so it is very likely that they are his subordinates,” the Violetleaf King analyzed.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Back when he examined the duo with the Eye of Insight, he did notice that their skin was a little cracked and grayish, reminiscent of a stone. He had thought that it might have been a result of the poor environment they had grown up in, resulting in the aged appearance of their skin. However, judging from the Violetleaf King’s words, it appeared that it was the result of the practicing of some kind of unique cultivation technique.

After understanding what was going on, the Violetleaf King remarked, “The Stoneleaf King is a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, and he boasts indomitable physical prowess. Even I dare not stand up against him as an enemy. I fear that it will be extremely dangerous for Wu shi and the others to face him!”

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive at those words. Not daring to waste any time, he hurriedly followed the trail forward.

Hong long long!

Proceeding forward for a while longer, a rumble abruptly sounded from the front. Gazing ahead, Zhang Xuan saw that the area in front of him was filled with dark, ominous clouds. Innumerable streaks of lightning flashed furiously across the area, and the deafening rumbling of thunder roared ceaselessly in the air.

The Spatial Formation they were in had conditions that deeply resembled those of the external world. There were varying seasons and weather conditions, and naturally, there was spring lightning 1 as well.

Seeing that the trail led into the field of lightning, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but frown. They are in there…

The spring lightning before him was extremely fearsome; just a brief moment of carelessness could easily result in one being struck to death. Under normal circumstances, he would surely have fled as far away as possible, not daring to get close at all.

Yet, the expedition team had actually dared to step into such treacherous lands. It seemed like the danger they were facing was far greater than he had imagined.

I really should have left the Golden Origin Cauldron with them, Zhang Xuan thought in self-reproach.

He thought that the only danger that the crowd would face in the Unbounded Formation was from the sound of the breeze, so he didn’t bother leaving the Golden Origin Cauldron behind to protect them. Yet, who would have thought that they would end up encountering Otherworldly Demons?

“Young Master, the lightning is very dangerous. Are you really intending to enter?” The Violetleaf King couldn’t help but cower at the field of lightning.

“You should enter the Myriad Anthive Nest for the time being!” Knowing that an additional member would just mean an additional target for the lightning to strike, Zhang Xuan had the Violetleaf King return to the Myriad Anthive Nest. Just as he was about to step into the field of lightning, a thought surfaced in his mind, and he halted.

He quickly searched for a discreet area where he could hide at and sat down cross-legged. After ensuring that there was no one in the vicinity, he drew his soul out from his glabella.

If the expedition team was truly being pursued by the Otherworldly Demons, he had to get to them quickly to save them. If he attempted to enter with his physical body, there was a good chance that the lightning could be drawn to him, resulting in his advancement being slowed significantly. Thus, it would be much safer and faster to head in with his soul.

His soul was intangible and possessed no attribute, so as long as he didn’t intentionally show himself, the lightning wouldn’t be able to notice him.

Zhang Xuan swiftly stowed his physical body into the Myriad Anthive Nest as well before placing it into his storage ring. After which, holding onto the storage ring with his soul energy, he dived into the field of lightning. Tracing the trail on the ground with his Eye of Insight, he swiftly proceeded forward.

The trail had mostly been erased by the force of the lightning, making it impossible for even a 7-star high-tier master teacher like Wu shi to trace it. It was only due to Zhang Xuan’s extraordinarily sharp eyes that he was still able to follow it.

After flying for a while, Zhang Xuan felt a disturbance in the spiritual energy ahead of him. The lightning streaks seemed to concentrate right ahead, and amid their thunderous roars, he could barely make out the din of combat.

Rushing forward, Zhang Xuan soon found an extremely ancient city at the very center of the lightning. Within the city, the lightning seemed to have weakened considerably.

Two groups were currently clashing with one another intensely within the ancient city. Wu shi and the others were seated cross-legged on the ground, their faces pale from the injuries they had sustained. On the other hand, there were eight ferocious-looking Otherworldly Demons surrounding them.

“Violetleaf King, is the Stoneleaf King among the group there?”

For Wu shi and the others to be left in such a state, their opponent was definitely no pushover. Knowing that he couldn’t act recklessly at such a moment, Zhang Xuan hurriedly communicated with the Violetleaf King in the Myriad Anthive Nest in hopes of obtaining more intelligence regarding the enemy forces.

After taking a look, the Violetleaf King replied telepathically, “Young Master, the Stoneleaf King isn’t among the group. The eight Otherworldly Demons over there are likely his subordinates. Even so, they boast superior defense and are unafraid of death, making them fearsome adversaries.”

“The Stoneleaf King isn’t there?”

Hearing that the Stoneleaf King wasn’t amid the group, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He quickly slipped his soul back into the Myriad Anthive Nest and returned back to his body before silently reappearing on the spot.

He was the only reinforcement the expedition team had at the moment. If he wanted to save them, he would have to defeat all of the Otherworldly Demons in a single sweep. Otherwise, if the enemy were allowed time to regroup and encircle them once more, he could very well be placed in a very dangerous position.

Zhang Xuan summoned the Golden Origin Cauldron out and instructed it grimly, “Ding Ding, you will be attacking with me in a moment.”

“Young Master, rest assured. I will reduce that bunch to cinders!” the Golden Origin Cauldron declared confidently.

It had always loved fighting, but it was a pity that it didn’t have many opportunities to do so. This was a rare chance for it to go all out, so how could it let such an opportunity slip through its fingers?

“Alright. Move!”

Identifying the best possible timing to strike, Zhang Xuan commanded the Golden Origin Cauldron before dashing forward.

Executing the Heaven’s Path Movement Art, he charged right up furiously and rammed forcefully into an Otherworldly Demon.

His physical body was currently on par with Saint low-tier artifacts. The sheer force he harnessed in his ram was far greater than the might of any weapon that he could wield.

Peng!

The Otherworldly Demon that he struck was immediately killed on the spot. Just as Zhang Xuan was about to turn around and launch an attack toward the next enemy, he suddenly heard cries of agony behind him.

Ahhhh!

Turning around, he saw that the Golden Origin Cauldron, with its size enlarged to its maximum, had fallen down upon the remaining seven Otherworldly Demons, crushing them into meat paste.

Even in the moment before their deaths, the seven Otherworldly Demons had dazed looks on their faces, not knowing what was happening at all.

That is too savage.

Stunned, Zhang Xuan didn’t even notice that his mouth was wide open.

He had thought that it was already very formidable that he could ram an Otherworldly Demon to death with his body, but who could have known that Golden Origin Cauldron would top his feat? It was as if what he had done was nothing more than child’s play.

Chapter 1044: Ancient Sage Qiu Wu ##

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

---

Several minutes earlier…

Seated on the floor, the pale-faced Wu shi said, “I never thought that I, Wu Rufeng, would end up dying under the encirclement of a bunch of Saint 3-dan Otherworldly Demons.”

In this moment, his confident eyes were filled with nothing but despondence.

Shortly after the demonic tune was finally dispelled, they encountered this bunch of Otherworldly Demons.

Under the torture of the demonic tunes, their expedition team had been severely depleted of their zhenqi and stamina, such that even walking was difficult for them. In their current state, there was no way they could withstand the ferocious assault of the Otherworldly Demons.

They had been left with no choice but to try their best to flee while fending off the Otherworldly Demon. Through pushing himself to his limit, Wu shi had managed to slay two of the Otherworldly Demons, but in the end, he had ended up being severely wounded by a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon shortly after.

Even though they had already prepared themselves to face death in the exploration of the ancient domain, they hadn’t even met the shadows of Zhang Yinqiu and the others yet! How could he die when he hadn’t even managed to accomplish anything yet? More importantly, as a 7-star high-tier master teacher, he felt like it was a great humiliation to die at the hands of the Otherworldly Demons.

“If we really can’t hold on any further, let’s just explode our cultivation. I don’t want to die and have my corpse tarnished in their hands!”

If his corpse were to be used by the Otherworldly Demons as a tribute for them to gain even more power, there was no way he would be able to rest in peace.

Instead of being humiliated in such a manner, he would rather implode himself, and perhaps, he might be able to bring some enemies down with him, bringing some value to his death.

With gritted teeth, the rest of the crowd nodded in agreement. “Very well!”

The ones present in the area came from various walks in life—master teachers, combat masters, and formation masters. However, they shared a common trait; they were all humans.

“Farewell, my friends and family. Farewell, the Master Teacher Pavilion. Farewell, mankind. I apologize for being unable to accomplish my mission.”

Sighing deeply, the crowd was just about to give up their struggles and explode their cultivation when they suddenly saw a figure heading toward them.

“Principal Zhang?”

Upon seeing the other party’s appearance, everyone couldn’t help but clench their fists tightly, and their faces reddened in agitation.

They had thought that they were doomed, but who would have thought that Principal Chang would arrive at the very last moment?

Without utilizing any techniques, Zhang Xuan charged right into the fray. With just a single ram, he had already knocked an Otherworldly Demon into meat paste. The Golden Origin Cauldron was even more formidable. It expanded until it was several dozen meters wide and plummeted down upon the Otherworldly Demons from the sky, smashing seven of them in a single breath.

The Saint intermediate-tier Golden Origin Cauldron wielded fighting prowess on par with a Saint 4-dan pinnacle cultivator, and the Otherworldly Demons surrounding them were merely at Saint 3-dan. There was no way they could possibly withstand its strength.

“Don’t kill them fir…” Zhang Xuan tried to stop the Golden Origin Cauldron, but before he could finish his words, he realized that the group of Otherworldly Demons were already all dead. Thus, the rest of the words ended up being choked in his mouth, unable to be spoken.

He had been planning on keeping one of them alive for interrogation, but who could have known that the Golden Origin Cauldron would move so quickly? Barely after he had defeated his first one, the other party had already ended the remaining ones, not allowing him any time to stop it at all.

“Forget it…” Zhang Xuan shook his head before walking up to the expedition team. “How are you all feeling?”

With his eye of discernment, he could tell that their injuries were rather significant. It would take quite a bit of effort to heal them.

“Thank you for saving our lives…”

After expressing their gratitude to Zhang Xuan, the members of the expedition team hurriedly took out recovery pills from their storage rings and swallowed them.

The injuries they had sustained were so severe that they could only afford to utter a word of thanks before rushing off to recuperate.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan knew that they had their own recovery means, so he chose not to interfere too much either. Gazing at the crowd from his position, his frown couldn’t help but gradually deepen with impatience.

Wu shi was the first one to recover to a decent extent from his injuries, and he slowly opened his eyes.

It was due to them being assaulted by the Otherworldly Demons while they were in a deeply weakened state that they had fallen so easily.

Had the expedition team been at its full strength, they would have been able to deal with the enemy easily even if there were two Saint 4-dan experts on the other side.

“What happened?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“It’s like this. Not too long after Principal Zhang left, we were encircled by the Otherworldly Demon…” Wu shi began going through the situation back then in detail.

After learning of the ins and outs of the situation, Zhang Xuan realized that the Otherworldly Demons who had left the expedition team fleeing frantically weren’t as scary as he had imagined, and he heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he couldn’t help but ask, “Where is Luo shi? Why isn’t she with you?”

Zhang Xuan had been looking out for her ever since he arrived, but it was apparent that Luo Ruoxin wasn’t among the expedition team. That was also the reason he was feeling deeply worried.

“As soon as the demonic tune vanished, Luo shi seemed to have noticed something, so she left the expedition team to take a look. As for exactly where she went, we aren’t too sure either,” Wu shi replied.

Luo Ruoxin had left right after the demonic tune vanished, and just barely two minutes after her disappearance, the Otherworldly Demons had suddenly come to attack. If she had been around, perhaps the expedition team wouldn’t have faced such a crushing defeat.

“You aren’t too sure either?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

She couldn’t have encountered Otherworldly Demons in the midst of her journey either, could she? Even the entire expedition team had nearly been wiped out from facing them, so how could she possibly withstand their prowess alone?

“Wait a moment. You said that a Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon attacked you earlier, where is that fellow now?”

Earlier, Wu shi had mentioned that there was a powerful Otherworldly Demon that had severely wounded him earlier. Otherwise, with the powerful Wu shi holding the fort, they wouldn’t have lost so tragically. If Zhang Xuan’s guess wasn’t off, that Saint 4-dan Otherworldly Demon should have been the Stoneleaf King. But… why wasn’t he here at the moment?

Could it be that he had found the whereabouts of Luo Ruoxin and gone off to pursue her?

This time, it was Guild Leader Han who replied. “Shortly after entering this ancient city, he gave his subordinates some instructions and left the area hurriedly. It seemed like he was going to find some kind of treasure hidden within the field of lightning urgently.”

After a moment of recuperation, Guild Leader Han had recovered a fair bit as well. While the wounds he was carrying at the moment were still rather severe, he was out of danger for the time being.

He left to find some kind of treasure? Anything is fine as long as he’s not going after Luo Ruoxin. Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and instructed, “Ding Ding, stay here to protect the others. I am going to look for Luo shi first.”

No matter what the Stoneleaf King was up to, Zhang Xuan’s priorities were clear. There was nothing more important than Luo Ruoxin’s safety to him.

After leaving the expedition team, Zhang Xuan swiftly left the field of lightning in his soul form and searched around the area. Not too long later, he managed to find a trail.

Following the trail, he eventually found a young lady standing before a shattered stone tablet with a contemplative frown etched on her forehead.

Zhang Xuan hurried forward to ask, “Are you fine?”

Upon seeing him, Luo Ruoxin chuckled and replied, “I am fine. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Wu shi and the others met with some trouble…” Zhang Xuan quickly filled Luo Ruoxin in on the happenings in her absence.

“They came under the attack of the Otherworldly Demons?” Luo Ruoxin harrumphed coldly. “Those scoundrels! They must have followed us in.”

As the seal outside had been broken, the door could no longer keep anyone out. The Otherworldly Demons had probably gotten into the ancient domain by following them discreetly.

Zhang Xuan nodded as well.

Luo Ruoxin pointed at the rubble in front of her and asked, “Are you the one who destroyed the stone tablet?”

“This…” Zhang Xuan was slightly embarrassed.

While he hadn’t destroyed the stone tablet with his own hands, its destruction could be attributed very directly to him. It wouldn’t be too far-fetched to say that he was the culprit even.

“There is something weird with the stone tablet. Did you realize that it is made of the same material as the inscribed cliff face on the Saint Ascension Platform? Furthermore, this Spatial Formation deeply resembles the folded space that Kong shi left his scroll in back then,” Luo Ruoxin said contemplatively.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Now that the other party mentioned it, he realized that there was indeed a deep resemblance between the two.

Similar materials being used could be attributed to the close proximity between the Saint Ascension Platform to this ancient domain. The cliff face was indeed a material that boasted a greater longevity compared to the others, so it wasn’t too surprising for the master of the ancient domain to select it. But the resemblance between both spaces was too much to pass off as a mere coincidence.

Could this ancient domain… really be related to Kong shi? Zhang Xuan thought.

There were quite a few people who had deduced that there might be a connection between the two since they were rather close with one another, but due to the silent restraint on the discussion of Kong shi’s affairs, they dared not talk too much about it.

“No, that’s not it… I was the one who activated the stone tablet, and the elder who appeared wasn’t Kong shi…” Zhang Xuan said.

The elder who appeared earlier had claimed that he was the master of the ancient domain, but his appearance and gestures were completely different to Kong shi’s!

Hearing that it was Zhang Xuan who had activated the stone tablet, Luo Ruoxin hurriedly turned her gaze over. “What was that elder’s name?”

“His name? He didn’t tell me… However, he did impart a movement technique to me that goes by the name of… Unbounded Voyager!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Unbounded Voyager? Could it be…” Luo Ruoxin’s eyes lit up as a thought came to her mind.

Noting Luo Ruoxin’s reaction, Zhang Xuan asked, “You have heard of that movement technique before?”

“If the movement technique you have been given is truly Unbounded Voyager, then the person you met was most likely Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!” Luo Ruoxin replied.

“Ancient Sage Qiu Wu?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “I think I have heard of that name before… Wait! He is the expert who created the seal in the Subterranean Gallery beneath the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!”

Back then, to repair the seal, Zhang Xuan had compiled a book on the seal, and from it, he had learned that it had been created by an expert who went by the name of Qiu Wu.

Could it be that… the elder who intended to accept him as his student was a fragmented soul of that expert?

Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shudder at the notion, and cold sweat broke out all over his body.

An expert that was able of creating a seal that even 9-star master teachers were incapable of breaking open… And he actually tried to take the other party in as his student…

How could he have been so brazen?

It was fortunate that the elder hadn’t gotten angry over the matter, or else, even as a fragmented soul, the other party would still have been more than capable of destroying him.

“Un. Ancient Sage Qiu Wu possesses a deep understanding regarding the laws of space. Most of the seals to the otherworldly battlefields were set up by him!” Luo Ruoxin nodded.

“While Ancient Sage Qiu Wu wasn’t Kong shi’s student, he was one of Kong shi’s staunch followers. Possessing an unfathomable cultivation, he stood beside Kong shi no matter where the latter went. On the surface, it might have seemed as if their relationship was that between a master and a servant, but in truth, they were close like brothers. Even the 72 Sages who inherited Kong shi’s heritage had to respectfully address him as Senior Uncle Qiu Wu 1 !”

“Senior Uncle Qiu Wu?”

“Indeed. Qiu Wu has devoted his life to following Kong shi, and back then, in order to fend off the offense of the Otherworldly Demons, he used his own body as the catalyst for a seal so as to stop the enemy in their tracks, thus buying precious time for the human race. Among the respected predecessors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, his contribution is definitely ranked within the top five!”

Admiration and respect couldn’t help but surface in Luo Ruoxin’s eyes as she spoke of Qiu Wu. “That is the reason many of the later generations respected him deeply. Putting everything aside, just Pavilion Master Gou of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion is one of his most fervent fans… Zhang shi, what’s wrong?”

At this point, Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze over and noticed that, at some point in time, Zhang Xuan had collapsed weakly to the ground with a look of despair on his face. It was as if someone had slapped him hard on his face, and he looked so vexed that he was about to cry.

---

Chapter 1045: [Chapter 1045?]

 

“It’s fine…”

Zhang Xuan struggled to his feet, but his entire body still felt limp and weak.

He had actually tried to make an expert like Ancient Sage Qiu Wu acknowledge him as his teacher. It was fortunate that no one else knew, or else Wu shi and the others might just have pummeled him to death!

“Just a moment ago, I sensed a powerful fragmented soul that harnessed an ancient aura in the area, so I hurriedly left the expedition team to rush over. However, it abruptly vanished before I could reach here. It turns out that it was Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Have you mastered his Unbounded Voyager yet?” Luo Ruoxin asked.

“I haven’t learned it yet…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“You haven’t learned it? Well, I have read some records regarding the Unbounded Voyager, and it appears that the movement technique is highly demanding on one’s physical body and zhenqi. It is not something that can be mastered easily, so there’s no need for you to rush into it.” Noting the crestfallen look on Zhang Xuan’s face, Luo Ruoxin thought that he was feeling down because he hadn’t managed to master it, so she attempted to console him.

“Un.” Knowing that there was no way he could explain the matter either, Zhang Xuan nodded with a bitter smile.

Luo Ruoxin continued. “The Unbounded Voyager can definitely be ranked within the top three movement techniques on the Master Teacher Continent, so you must take caution when using it publicly. Otherwise, if others were to notice it, you might end up bringing trouble upon yourself.”

While master teachers were bound by rules, sometimes, in face of an unparalleled treasure, greed could become a sufficiently powerful force for them to cast aside their morals.

Using the current Zhang Xuan as an example, it was not that there wasn’t anyone who was tempted to obtain his cultivation technique and battle techniques, considering the incredible fighting prowess he wielded. The only reason no one had done so thus far was due to their fear of ‘Yang shi’ and the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Had it not been for ‘Yang shi’s’ occasional appearances reminding everyone that he had the backing of a fearsomely powerful teacher, he could have already been taken down long ago and forced to spill all of the secrets he had.

Such was the case for the Unbounded Voyager, too.

Not only was it powerful, it was also a part of the legendary Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s heritage. Once news that Zhang Xuan was in possession of it spread… perhaps master teachers might still hold themselves back, in consideration of their standing, but the same couldn’t be said about the other unaffiliated cultivators or those from other occupations. It was for this very reason that Zhang Xuan had been so fixated on the idea of maintaining a low profile.

As the old adage goes, better safe than sorry.

“Thank you for your reminder, I will take note of it!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Un. Since Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has appeared once, it is very likely that we will have many more opportunities to meet him later on. For the time being, let’s hurry back to where Wu shi and the others are. If the Stoneleaf King you spoke of goes back to them, they will be in grave danger,” Luo Ruoxin said.

“Yes, you’re right. We will still have plenty of chances to meet him in the future. Alright, let’s go!”

Zhang Xuan was still feeling deeply guilty over the words that he had spoken. Upon hearing that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu would very likely appear again in the future, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Indeed, the elder whose dissipation he had induced was just a fragmented soul. They were bound to meet more as they travel through the ancient domain. At the very most, he would just have to apologize to him later on.

The urgent matter at hand wasn’t for him to be conflicted over such trivialities but to advance deeper into the ancient domain, find the old principal, and foil the plans of the Otherworldly Demons. He would only be truly letting down Ancient Sage Qiu Wu if he allowed the Otherworldly Demons’ ploys in the ancient domain to succeed.

Without any hesitation, the duo began heading toward the field of lightning.

Hong long long!

Before they could even come close to the field of lightning, they could already hear the domineering thunder roaring in the distance, as if some kind of powerful force was trying to rip the world into two.

Soon, arriving before the field of lightning, Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed.

The field of lightning had been plenty frightening when he first arrived as well, but the sight before him at that moment was a true catastrophe.

To make a comparison, the field of lightning had intensified from a drizzle into a heavy downpour.

Countless streaks of lightning assaulted the land relentlessly with frightening concentration, turning the ground pitch black. It was as if someone had carried out an entire stretch of hell and shifted it here, leaving others to keep a distance away from it fearfully.

What happened? Why did the lightning suddenly run amok? Zhang Xuan was deeply anxious and worried.

Wu shi and the others hadn’t recovered from their injuries yet! In face of such a powerful lightning storm, they could very well be in danger!

Just what could have happened for the relatively calmer field of lightning to abruptly go berserk?

“How do we enter?” Zhang Xuan frowned in vexation.

When the lightning had been sparser, he had still been able to evade them easily using his soul. But with the lightning becoming so frighteningly concentrated, drowning the entire area, no matter how fast his reaction speed was, there was no way he could avoid every single one of the lightning! He would be reduced to cinders before he could even get in!

“The lightning is far too concentrated; it won’t be feasible for us to charge in forcefully.” Luo Ruoxin’s eyebrows were also knitted together.

She was also unable to think of a workable solution to get into the field of lightning at the moment.

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before turning to Luo Ruoxin and saying, “You should enter the Myriad Anthive Nest for the moment. I will try to think of a way to get through the field of lightning.”

She had been with him when the Myriad Anthive Queen consumed the folded space at the Saint Ascension Platform, so it was no secret to her.

After slight hesitation, Luo Ruoxin nodded. “Alright then. You have to be careful.”

“Un.”

After having Luo Ruoxin enter the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan attempted the same ploy he had utilized before. He drew his soul out from his body and charged in.

Before such violent lightning, it wouldn’t take long for even his Saint low-tier physical body to be reduced to a lump of meat. It would be far safer for him to enter in his soul form.

Due to the intangible nature of souls, it could ward off most of the energy from the lightning, thus minimizing the danger that one would face from it.

Hong long!

As soon as Zhang Xuan entered, several bolts of lightning immediately fell from the sky and struck his soul squarely. In an instant, his soul stiffened entirely, and a piercing pain threatened to tear him apart.

“Yowch…” Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth forcefully to endure the excruciating pain his soul was put under.

It was fortunate that he cultivated the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, so his soul was devoid of the yin attribute. Otherwise, considering the vulnerability of the yin attribute to lightning, his soul might have just dissipated then and there.

Nevertheless, as if he had been sentenced to death by a thousand cuts 1 , he felt like innumerable steel needles were piercing into his soul. The sheer pain he was put under pushed his mind to its very limit, and he felt as if he could faint on the spot.

At this rate, I think that I will die of pain before I can persevere up to where Wu shi and the others are, Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

He had strong mental resilience, granting him great tolerance to pain. Nevertheless, the excruciating pain from the lightning striking down on him relentlessly still left him feeling as if he would faint at any moment.

He was still a distance away from the ancient city where Wu shi and the others were. He really couldn’t imagine himself moving his soul over under such circumstances.

I don’t have a choice at the moment. I will have to deal with the pain no matter how unbearable it is. If I am already in such a state despite my soul form, Wu shi and the others must be in an even worse position than I am.] Zhang Xuan clenched his jaws tightly.

Wu shi and the others were currently located at the very heart of the field of lightning, and there was no doubt that there were in grave danger at the moment. He had to save them as quickly as possible.

Thus, fueled by determination, he continued trudging forward.

Pilipala!

Despite the intangible nature of souls, the lightning that fell from the sky was simply too concentrated, making it impossible for him to avoid it altogether. He had advanced less than a hundred meters into the field of lightning thus far, but his soul had already been struck at least five hundred times by the lightning.

Gradually, Zhang Xuan found his mind withering away under the immense pain. Knowing that it was impossible for him to force a path ahead, he was just about to give up and leave for the time being to decide on another course of action when he suddenly noticed something, and his eyes widened in astonishment.

T-this…

Overwhelming agitation struck Zhang Xuan abruptly, causing even his soul to distort from the sheer intensity of his emotions.

The Innate Fetal Poison actually fears the Power of Lightning! It is being forced to congregate at one location, Zhang Xuan thought in shock as he looked inwardly at the current state of his soul.

That incomparably haughty Innate Fetal Poison, which had wreaked havoc in his soul previously, was currently gathered together, seemingly apprehensive of the Power of Lightning that had gathered around his soul. It was shaking fearfully by the corner, not daring to move in the least.

The amalgamation of his soul essence with Wei Ruyan’s had granted his soul properties reminiscent of the Poison Soul Constitution, and that had helped him to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison considerably, forcing the latter to lie low for the time being. However, he knew that this was only a temporary measure. Given sufficient time, the Innate Fetal Poison would still find an opportunity to strike back.

But… at this moment, the Innate Fetal Poison was so frightened by the Power of Lightning that it had withdrawn entirely from the other portions of his soul, congregating together in just one location. If that was the case… was it possible for him to use the Power of Lightning to destroy the Innate Fetal Poison once and for all?

If he were to succeed, he could permanently rid himself of the ticking time bomb within him, and long gone would be the days where he lived fearfully for his life!

Since you are frightened of lightning, let me absorb some more and give you a good treat!

With that thought in mind, Zhang Xuan forcefully suppressed the vertigo he was experiencing to calm his mind.

After which, he began to actively absorb the lightning that he had been trying so hard to ward off a moment ago.

Since I am able to absorb even the heat of the lava, the same should apply for lightning as well.

If the heat contained within the lava could be used to refine his soul, perhaps lightning could have the same effects as well…

Gathering his concentration, he opened up all of the acupoints throughout his body and began driving the Heaven’s Path Soul Art.

Even though he still didn’t possess the Half-Saint Heaven’s Path Soul Art yet, the Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Heaven’s Path Soul Art was still sufficient for him to utilize the surrounding lightning to refine his soul, making it even more condensed and heavier.

Tzzzzzzzzzzz!

Drawn in by Zhang Xuan, the Power of Lightning gathered around his soul in the form of innumerable little lightning snakes.

It had only been a stabbing pain before, but at that moment, he felt as if someone had plunged his soul into a wok of boiling oil; there was not a single portion of his soul that wasn’t hurting.

” Ahh! ”

Feeling as if a devastating force was ripping through his body, Zhang Xuan let loose a deafening bellow.

If it had been anyone else, they would have long succumbed. However, as a practitioner of the Heaven’s Path cultivation techniques, his physical body and soul carried the inviolable disposition of the heavens, granting him superior resilience to the forces of nature. On top of that, his transcendental state of mind also helped his mind to remain composed and rational before the immense pain, thus allowing him to forcefully retain his consciousness.

Geji! Geji!

Driving the little lightning snakes through the meridians of his soul via the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, Zhang Xuan soon realized, to his delight, that despite the unbearable pain he was suffering, the Innate Fetal Poison had been forced to congregate closer and closer together, seemingly being backed into a corner, and the size of his soul was also compressed further as well.

With just a single circulation of the little lightning snakes, the height of his soul had been reduced from 8 meters to 7.9 meters.

Not only so, after absorbing the Power of Lightning, he realized that his resistance to lightning had also been boosted significantly. The penetrating pain he felt seemed to feel a little less unbearable compared to before.

Continue!

Zhang Xuan knew that, if he couldn’t withstand the lightning, it was very likely that he would pass out first before he could save Wu shi and the others. Thus, he decided to cultivate his soul first.

Hu hu hu!

The raging lightning continuously seeped into his soul, condensing his soul further and further.

It was still unbearable at the start, but as his soul absorbed the Power of Lightning and grew stronger, the excruciating pain caused by the lightning also began to dull.

Hong long!

After some time, with a furious roar, his soul advanced from Half-Saint to Nascent Saint, and its height also reduced from eight meters to seven meters.

Alright, I should head over to save Wu shi now!

Zhang Xuan knew that the lightning from the surroundings couldn’t knock him out anymore, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He hurriedly got to his feet and flew into the distance.

He could still cultivate his soul further by tapping into the Power of Lightning, but the urgent matter at hand was to save Wu shi and the others. If he were to waste any more time, they could very well have lost their lives before he even arrived.

Fazed by the immense power of the lightning no longer, Zhang Xuan was able to travel extremely swiftly. Within just a few dozen breaths, he arrived at the area where he had met Wu shi and the others before. After a look at the area, he couldn’t help but frown.

The entire area had been devastated by some kind of powerful force, and Wu shi and the others, who had still been recuperating a moment ago, had vanished from sight.

Zhang Xuan’s complexion darkened. Could it be that… the Stoneleaf King has returned for them?

Chapter 1046: Lightning Elemental Orb

 

Chapter 1046: Lightning Elemental Orb

---

Under normal circumstances, considering how concentrated the lightning was, it was impossible for Wu shi and the others to flee from the field of lightning. Yet, at this moment, they had vanished from sight. That could only mean one thing—the Stoneleaf King had returned, and he had assaulted the expedition team!

However, that thought only remained in Zhang Xuan’s mind for a moment before being rejected.

Wait a moment… Ding Ding might be unreliable at times, but its fighting prowess is not one to be underestimated. As long as the opponent hasn’t reached Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm, it shouldn’t be possible for the other party to defeat it. They should be fine under its protection!

Furthermore, I haven’t been gone for too long. Even if Ding Ding is no match for the enemy, it should still be able to hold on for some time. Furthermore, considering the ridiculous concentration of the lightning falling around the area, no matter how formidable the Stoneleaf King may be, there’s no way that he will able to withstand it. It would be difficult for him to even protect himself at the moment, so how could he have the chance to harm Wu shi and the others?

The Golden Origin Cauldron was a Saint intermediate-tier artifact. Even though it was only capable of ramming itself into others without anyone controlling it, thus severely limiting its fighting prowess, it should have been more than capable of keeping the Stoneleaf King away from the others!

Not to mention, it would have been difficult for even the Stoneleaf King to survive the violent assault of lightning, let alone kill others.

“Hmm?”

Guessing that the Stoneleaf King hadn’t returned yet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief before turning his gaze back to the rubble.

Since Wu shi and the others hadn’t come under the assault of the Otherworldly Demons, the chances would be that they were currently hiding.

Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan soon realized that something was amiss, and he chuckled softly.

Beneath the rubble of the ancient city, the dirt on the ground was fresh. If his deduction was not off, it was likely that Wu shi and the others were hidden underground.

Due to the unique constitution of humans, they would likely have drawn lightning to them had they stood above ground. As such, it was much safer for them to hide underground. That was indeed a good move on their part.

Hu!

Taking his body out from his storage ring, Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body, and with a blast of zhenqi, he knocked away the surrounding rubble and began burrowing into the ground.

As expected, shortly after he burrowed into the ground, the intensity of the lightning strikes weakened considerably. At a depth of around eight meters underground, he saw the top of massive cauldron beneath him.

The Golden Origin Cauldron had expanded to its maximum size of around thirty meters wide. There was no one outside the cauldron, which meant that everyone was likely hiding within it.

“You are injured?”

Zhang Xuan was just about to pry open the cauldron lid to see how the others were doing when he realized that the aura of the Golden Origin Cauldron was extremely weak. It seemed to have sustained severe injuries.

“Young Master, you are here…” Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the Golden Origin Cauldron responded with a relieved but feeble voice. “They are all fine.”

“What happened?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

“The lightning was too strong; the others weren’t able to withstand it at all. I tried to save them, so I expanded my body to its maximum size to take the attacks in their stead. I feel very tired. I want to rest now,” the Golden Origin Cauldron said weakly.

Seeing the Golden Origin cauldron in such a state, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly together.

To expand to over thirty meters wide in the face of such concentrated lightning, it was no wonder the Golden Origin Cauldron had ended up in such a state.

As a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, the lightning wouldn’t deal too much damage to its body. However, the same could not be said about its spirit.

From the very start, souls and spirits were exceptionally weak against lightning.

While the Golden Origin Cauldron had managed to save the expedition team, its spirit had ended up being severely wounded by the relentless lightning strikes. As such, its consciousness was starting to fade.

“I will impart a cultivation technique to you right now, so try to cultivate it. You mustn’t fall asleep at this point!” Knowing that the Golden Origin Cauldron’s spirit could very well die were it to fall asleep at this moment, Zhang Xuan panicked. He hurriedly flicked his wrist and passed a cultivation technique manual over.

It was a method to temper one’s soul. While he was unsure whether it was effective against spirits or not, he didn’t have any better alternatives at that moment.

While the Golden Origin Cauldron was rather rowdy and unreliable at times, there was no doubt about its loyalty. Not to mention, it had only landed itself in its current state due to his order to protect the others. He couldn’t allow anything to happen to it!

“Alright… I will cultivate it when I have time… Young Master, I might fear death, but I am not coward…” The Golden Origin Cauldron’s voice slowly trailed off, and eventually, it fell completely silent.

“Ding Ding!” Zhang Xuan shouted in alarm, but the other party had already fallen asleep.

From the very start, the Golden Origin Cauldron had already been at its limit. It had been forcing itself to hold on until Zhang Xuan arrived.

“You aren’t a coward; you are a hero,” Zhang Xuan muttered softly to the Golden Origin Cauldron as he gritted his teeth tightly together. “Don’t worry, I will save you.”

The Golden Origin Cauldron might only have been an artifact, a very cowardly one at that, but in the crucial moment, it had still leaped in without any hesitation, choosing to sacrifice itself to protect the others.

Zhang Xuan had already promised to raise its cultivation to Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm. He couldn’t just allow the Golden Origin Cauldron to remain in a coma like that. No matter what, he had to save it and fulfill its wish!

Staring at the Golden Origin Cauldron for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply, his voice tinged with helplessness, before he pried open the lid and entered it.

“Principal Zhang, you are back!”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Wu shi and the others hurriedly got to their feet and greeted him.

Under the protection of the Golden Origin Cauldron, they had been spared from the frenzied rampage of the lightning. On top of that, after recuperating from their injuries for some time, they had recovered considerably.

“Un. What happened? Why did the lightning suddenly run amok?” Zhang Xuan asked.

He had gone off to find Luo Ruoxin, so he wasn’t too sure about the situation within the field of lightning. On the other hand, the expedition team had been at the center of the field of lightning when it all happened, so they would have a clearer understanding of the matter.

“It should be related to the Stoneleaf King that you spoke of. Perhaps, in the midst of searching for his treasure, he might have accidentally come into contact with something that resulted in the abrupt intensification of the lightning!” Wu shi deduced.

They had been discussing the matter a while ago, and this was the explanation that they found the most viable.

Otherwise, a field of lightning of such size couldn’t possibly change all of a sudden, sending so many streaks of lightning down from above.

“That might very well be the case.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Indeed!

Previously, the Saint 4-dan Stoneleaf King had said that he was leaving to find some kind of artifact, but in the end, not too long after he had left, such a situation had occurred. There was bound to be a connection between the two matters.

“In which direction did the Stoneleaf King leave?” Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes.

Had it not been for that fellow, the Golden Origin Cauldron wouldn’t have fallen unconscious. No matter what, he had to exact vengeance!

Besides, regardless of what the artifact that the other party was seeking, it could only spell a calamity for them. Even at the cost of his life, he had to stop the other party!

Wu shi pointed and said, “He headed into the depths of the ancient city.”

They were currently at the outskirts of the ancient city, and they had seen the Stoneleaf King heading toward the very center of the ancient city back then.

“I will head over there to take a look. You should all continue recuperating here for the moment,” Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand.

Feng Xun stood up and said, “Principal Zhang, I will follow you. The Stoneleaf King is extremely strong; you won’t be able to deal with him yourself. Also, I have a unique method that allows me to track down Otherworldly Demons.”

He had only been unable to fight due to his zhenqi and stamina being sapped dry by the earlier demonic tune. During the battle with the Otherworldly Demons, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had fought hard to protect the other expedition members, so he had not suffered severe injuries. Thus, after a moment of recuperation, he was already back to his peak state and ready to fight once more.

“Alright.” Seeing that Feng Xun was in a good state, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Combat masters should charge bravely ahead without allowing their fear of death to get in their way. To ask them to cower in the face of an enemy was no different from challenging their faith.

Furthermore, even though Feng Xun had been badly pummeled in the battle against him, that was only due to the latter suppressing his cultivation. If the latter used the entirety of his Saint 3-dan pinnacle cultivation, there was a good chance that he could be a match for even the Stoneleaf King.

The ability of the combat masters to rival opponents stronger than them wasn’t for show.

Not to mention, Feng Xun also possessed certain means to track down Otherworldly Demons.

While the Eye of Insight was also capable of tracking down the trail of Otherworldly Demons, the problem with that was that most of the traces of the trail had dissipated under the frenzied lightning strikes. Instead of struggling to find a nearly invisible trail, he might as well bring Feng Xun along instead. This would also be a good opportunity for him to see what means the combat masters possessed.

A few other combat masters and master teachers also expressed their interest to tag along as well, but Zhang Xuan turned all of them down.

Firstly, those combat masters and master teachers hadn’t fully recovered yet, so they were unlikely to be much of a match for the Stoneleaf King in their current state. Secondly, they had to protect some of the weaker and more severely injured expedition members as well. Otherwise, if the Stoneleaf King were to find their hiding spot before the exploring party found him, the others would be powerless to stand against him.

To be safe, it was better to have Wu shi and Guild Leader Han remain with the rest of the expedition team.

Knowing the concerns that Zhang Xuan had, the others eventually relented. They hurriedly turned their attention back to recuperating from their injuries and depletion so that they could return to their peak state as soon as possible.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan burrowed through the soil with Feng Xun and returned to the surface.

The rampage of the lightning had alleviated considerably in the time that he had spent underground. Even without resorting to his means as a soul oracle, he would still be able to avoid the lightning easily and travel through the field of lightning safely. Heaving a sigh of relief, he began heading toward the center of the ancient city.

Proceeding in, the lightning seemed to grow sparser and sparser. It was as if the ancient city harnessed some kind of unique power that prevented the lightning storm from wreaking havoc within.

However, while the lightning had decreased, the Stoneleaf King had used some kind of means to conceal his trail entirely. Even while using the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan found himself losing sight of the other party’s trail.

“Let me take a look.” Coming to a halt, Feng Xun flicked his wrist, and a unique artifact reminiscent of a compass appeared in his hand. He bit his finger and dripped a droplet of blood on the compass.

Weng!

The artifact whirred into action, and the needle on the compass pointed toward a certain direction.

“That way,” Feng Xun said.

“What is this artifact? It is able to discern the route that the Otherworldly Demons have passed through?” Zhang Xuan asked in curiosity.

This was his first time seeing that artifact.

“This is the Undefiled Mirror. It is particularly sensitive to fresh blood and killing intent. Due to the Zhenqi of Slaughter that the Otherworldly Demons cultivate, killing intent is bound to linger in areas where they have passed by. This Undefiled Mirror serves to find the trail of killing intent, thus leading one to the Otherworldly Demon himself. Of course, the killing intent left behind by the Otherworldly Demons will eventually fade with time, so the effectiveness of the artifact will be very poor beyond the four-hour mark,” Feng Xun replied.

“Undefiled Mirror?” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The main purpose behind the existence of the combat masters was to stand against the Otherworldly Demons. It seemed like the Undefiled Mirror was specially crafted to track down fleeing Otherworldly Demons.

The duo hurried in the direction pointed out by the Undefiled Mirror.

Every once in a while, Feng Xun would take out the Undefiled Mirror to ascertain their current location once more. After repeating the process several times, the duo soon found themselves standing before an old and tattered residence that stood at the very heart of the ancient city.

“Be careful!” Knowing that the Stoneleaf King was very likely to be within the residence, the duo glanced at one another before flying into the residence discreetly.

The courtyard of the residence had been completely destroyed. A towering Otherworldly Demon was currently seated at the centermost seat. Zhenqi gushed frenziedly out of his raised hands, seemingly attempting to defend himself against some kind of power.

In front of him, there was a relatively large lake, and a deep blue sphere, which was around the size of a fist, revolved continuously.

The zhenqi exerted by the Otherworldly Demon was directed right at the sphere, seemingly attempting to suppress the power within it.

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Chapter 1047: The Fearsome Stoneleaf King

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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Hong long!

As powerful as the Otherworldly Demon was, the orb wasn’t any weaker either. It revolved abruptly, seemingly trying to struggle free of the other party’s control. In the next moment, a deep blue flash of light surged into the heavens, and an explosion reverberated shortly after as countless streaks of lightning raged in the surroundings.

It was as if the lightning all around them was controlled by the orb.

“The orb is controlling the lightning in the surroundings? Could it be… the Lightning Elemental Orb?” Feng Xun narrowed his eyes at the sight, and he anxiously sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan.

“Lightning Elemental Orb?” Hearing that name, Zhang Xuan frowned deeply.

Having read all of the books in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he was rather well-versed with the names of various famous artifacts. However, he had never heard of the Lightning Elemental Orb before.

“It is a lightning attribute artifact. Just like how spirit stones harness spiritual energy, the Lightning Elemental Orb harnesses an immense amount of lightning energy. Once released, it could easily cause devastating damage, making it an extremely fearsome artifact,” Feng Xun explained apprehensively. A moment later, a doubtful look surfaced on his face as he added, “But the Lightning Elemental Orb is only produced in areas where the Power of Lightning gathers in great amounts. In terms of rarity, it is probably even less commonly seen than a 9-star master teacher, making it an extremely elusive artifact. Why would it appear here?”

“That orb over there is that valuable?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He had never heard of the Lightning Elemental Orb before, so he didn’t know how valuable it was, but he did know how elusive 9-star master teachers were. Even taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into account, it would be hard to find more than a handful of them.

For the Lightning Elemental Orb to be as rare as 9-star master teachers, it was really way too scarce!

“Putting aside the fact that it wields the Power of Lightning, more importantly, what makes it extremely valuable is the fact that it is the ideal medium to serve as the core of any lightning attribute formations!” Feng Xun said. “It wields a very similar function to a formation plate. Gaining possession of it is equivalent to taking control of a powerful formation, allowing one to call forth the great might harnessed within it anytime, anywhere!”

A thought suddenly flashed across Zhang Xuan’s mind, and he asked in astonishment, “Wait… Does that mean that the field of lightning here is a formation too?”

“That must be the case. Despite the lack of a formation master controlling the formation, the field of lightning is still able to easily exert fearful might. Just by that in itself, we can verify that it is a grade-8 formation at the least. If the Stoneleaf King succeeds in taking control of the Lightning Elemental Orb, we will be placed in a very dangerous position. By then, even with Wu shi and Guild Leader Han’s might combined, we won’t be able to stand a chance against him!” Feng Xun exclaimed with a pale face.

“This…” Zhang Xuan’s body tensed up.

As one who had suffered the battering of the lightning, he knew very well how fearsome the formation was. Had it not been for his means as a soul oracle, he would not have been able to make his way through the field of lightning at all in the first place.

Furthermore, this was under the circumstances that the formation was still uncontrolled by anyone. Should the Stoneleaf King gain ownership of the formation and drive the Power of Lightning harnessed within it against them… there would be no one who could stand against him. They would all, most likely, lose their lives.

The sudden intensification of the lightning earlier must be a result of that fellow attempting to gain control of the Lightning Elemental Orb as well, thus causing a disturbance in the formation, Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

The Lightning Elemental Orb wielded the ability to control the massive lightning formation spread out across the area. Most likely, the Stoneleaf King’s attempt to gain control over the orb must have triggered its retaliation, resulting in the concentrated streaks of lightning falling from the sky earlier, nearly causing the death of the expedition team.

If even just the instinctive retaliation of the Lightning Elemental Orb was that powerful, the might that one could potentially wield from gaining full control over it was truly unimaginable.

With an awful complexion, Zhang Xuan discreetly communicated with the Violetleaf King in the Myriad Anthive Nest and swiftly received a clear answer—the towering Otherworldly Demon in front of him was indeed a member of the Upper Five Kings, the fourth ranked Stoneleaf King!

It was no wonder the other party dared to touch and attempt to manipulate an artifact as powerful as the Lightning Elemental Orb!

“We must stop him regardless of the cost! Otherwise, it will become nigh impossible to deal with him,” Feng Xun said with tightly-clenched fists.

He had witnessed the battle between Wu shi and the Stoneleaf King earlier, and the latter’s strength was truly formidable, such that even he wouldn’t be a match for the latter in his peak state. If the Stoneleaf King were to successfully gain control of the Lightning Elemental Orb on top of that, they wouldn’t stand a chance at all!

By then, their entire expedition team could very well end up being wiped out here.

“Indeed. He hasn’t succeeded yet, so we might still have time to stop him.” Understanding Feng Xun’s worries, Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Un.” Feng Xun nodded grimly. He was just about to propose a plan for them to act on when a warm blue glow abruptly burst forth from the Lightning Elemental Orb. The eye of the Stoneleaf King immediately lit up, and his hand swiftly reached forth to grab the orb.

Hula!

The orb began flying toward the Stoneleaf King’s hands.

“There’s no time, move!”

Seeing this sight, Feng Xun hurriedly flicked his wrist and whipped out a sword before disappearing in a flash. In the next moment, his sword was already right behind the Stoneleaf King’s heart, seemingly going to impale the latter’s chest.

In his view, the Stoneleaf King had already succeeded in taming the Lightning Elemental Orb. Once the orb fell into the other party’s hands, the other party would wield endless Power of Lightning. At that time, they would be utterly doomed.

“Hold on for a moment…”

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was shocked to see Feng Xun charging forward without even discussing a plan with him. He hurriedly shouted while rushing forward, prepared to back Feng Xun up should the situation turn awry.

While the Stoneleaf King gaining possession over the Lightning Elemental Orb would put them at a greater disadvantage, it didn’t necessarily mean that things were completely hopeless for them. As long as they were to remain patient, they would surely find an opening in the other party that they could exploit to achieve victory.

Even if it was to stop the Earthleaf King from gaining possession of the Lightning Elemental Orb, rushing forward without a concrete plan in mind was just plain recklessness, and it would only place them in a worse position.

Hong long!

Feng Xun wasn’t a Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall for nothing. Having achieved Sword-Man Union, his blade was completely harmonized with his entire being. His sword pierced forward with astounding speed and might reminiscent of a falling comet, such that even a Saint 4-dan expert would not dare face his attack head-on.

“Hmm? You aren’t dead yet?”

On the other hand, the Stoneleaf King, who was in the midst of taming the Lightning Elemental Orb, suddenly felt a powerful killing intent behind him. Swiftly turning around, he saw Feng Xun, and his eyebrows shot up as he sneered, “Imbeciles. You could have taken this opportunity to flee as far as you could, but you foolishly chose to challenge me head-on. Since you are so eager to seek death, I shall accede to your request!”

After saying those words, the Stoneleaf King didn’t bother to dodge. His right hand continued grasping firmly onto the Lightning Elemental Orb to tame it while his left hand burst forward with astounding might.

Hong long!

With a powerful blast of zhenqi, the Stoneleaf King’s left hand collided forcefully against Feng Xun’s stab, and as if a metal hammer crashing into a porcelain vase, Feng Xun’s sword shattered into innumerable fragments.

Peng!

The remaining force struck Feng Xun squarely in his chest, sending him crashing heavily onto the ground as blood spewed wildly from his mouth.

There was simply too huge a gap in strength between the two of them. With just a single strike, Feng Xun was sent flying.

He’s really strong! Zhang Xuan eyes narrowed in alarm.

He had encountered six of the Ten Great Kings, and most of them had ended up dying by his hand. Despite all of them being Saint 4-dan experts, there was a huge gap between them and the Stoneleaf King.

It was no wonder the Violetleaf King was so fearful of the Five Upper Kings, trembling non-stop upon hearing their names. They were indeed a force to be reckoned with.

However, regardless of how powerful the Stoneleaf King was, it was already too late for Zhang Xuan to back down at this point. He had no choice but to fight.

Wielding the Glacier Rain Sword in his hand, he flicked it in a beautiful arc before abruptly driving it forward with a powerful lunge.

It was similar to Feng Xun’s attack, just that… his target was not the Stoneleaf King but the Lightning Elemental Orb in the latter’s hand.

The most important matter at hand was to stop the other party from successfully taming the artifact. Considering the other party’s superior physical resilience, it was unlikely that any attack directed toward the other party would work in the short-term. On the other hand, perhaps if he were to direct his attack toward the Lightning Elemental Orb at this moment, there could be a chance that he would be able to catch the other party off guard and succeed.

Wuuuuuuuuu!

Zhang Xuan had devoted the entirety of his strength into this single lunge, pushing his physical strength, zhenqi, and soul energy to their limits. The sheer might behind the lunge caused space itself to moan under the immense pressure, as if it would be torn apart from it

This was probably the strongest sword art he had ever executed. It was on par even with Feng Xun’s previous attack.

“Humph, you think that such puny tricks will work against me?” Seeing through Zhang Xuan’s intent, the Stoneleaf King narrowed his eyes menacingly.

Without moving much, he raised two fingers and flicked it lightly.

Peng!

A sharp pain assaulted Zhang Xuan’s purlicue 1 , and the Glacier Rain Sword in his hand abruptly flew out of his grasp, stabbing into a wall not too far away. On the other hand, just like Feng Xun, Zhang Xuan was forcefully knocked to the ground.

It took a forceful push against the ground before he was able to regain his balance.

In that moment, grimness could be seen in his eyes.

The Stoneleaf King’s strength was more fearsome than he had thought. He had already used his full strength, but he had been unable to withstand even a simple flick from the other party.

Instead of advancing toward the Stoneleaf King once more, Zhang Xuan retreated slightly as he hurriedly immersed his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path to check on the book compiled on the Stoneleaf King.

He had managed to force the other party to execute a battle technique in the clash earlier, thus allowing him to compile a book on the other party in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“The Stoneleaf King is one of the Upper Five Kings of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, and he possesses a cultivation of Saint 4-dan pinnacle. He has a particularly powerful physical body that grants him superior defense… Flaws: No.1, there is a lack of zhenqi in his glabella whenever he drives his cultivation technique. No.2, due to his inability to circulate zhenqi through his armpit, the region is soft and vulnerable…”

Soon, Zhang Xuan finished reading through the entire book. However, instead of being delighted, his complexion turned even more awful.

The Library of Heaven’s Path did list the Stoneleaf King’s openings, but the glabella and the armpits… Those were the most well-guarded of all places, making it nigh impossible to breach their defenses! On top of that, he had to get into close quarters with the Stoneleaf King in order to attack those locations, but the other party could easily knock him back before he could even get within two zhang 2 of the other party. It was completely useless knowing those flaws!

Boom!

Suddenly, a loud explosion sounded. Following which, the Stoneleaf King raised his left palm and smacked it down.

A massive palm print that covered a region stretching over several dozen meters covered the area above him and Feng Xun. Before the palm print could even fall on them, the immense pressure it exerted had already made their breathing hasten. With just one look, it was apparent that the palm strike was not something they could withstand with their current strength.

“This is really bad!”

Zhang Xuan hurriedly executed the Heaven’s Path Movement Art and dashed out.

Peng!

However, before he could get out of the area of the palm strike, an immense might struck his back forcefully, pushing him through eight walls consecutively before he finally came to a halt. Yet another mouthful of fresh blood spewed from his mouth.

Zhang Xuan struggled to his feet with a mix of shock and relief in his eyes.

It was fortunate that he had cultivated his physical body earlier, or else the palm strike could have landed a fatal blow on him.

Even though he had cultivated the Saint Ascension Decipher and had made significant advancements in his physical body cultivation and soul cultivation recently, he was still too far off from matching up to the strength of a true Saint 4-dan expert. Four realms of difference in cultivation was simply too huge of a gap to be bridged.

Where is Feng Xun? Zhang Xuan anxiously scanned his surroundings before seeing Feng Xun climbing out from some nearby rubble in an unkempt state.

The other party’s face was pale, and the front of his clothes had been dyed crimson with blood.

Clearly, the other party had suffered far severer wounds than he had.

While Feng Xun’s fighting prowess was above Zhang Xuan’s, his ability to flee in desperate situations seemed to be slightly lacking. Unable to get away in time, he ended up suffering a huge proportion of the palm strike’s might. Were it not for his superior physical body, zhenqi, and soul as a combat master, he could very well have died from the strike.

Even so, his entire body had become limp from the strike. Multiple bones had shattered due to the powerful impact, rendering him incapable of movement.

“This is the end!”

While continuing to tame the Lightning Elemental Orb with his right hand, the Stoneleaf King’s left palm struck once more.

His movements seemed light and flimsy, seemingly devoid of strength, but Zhang Xuan knew that should the palm strike land, Feng Xun would die without fail. Thus, he hurriedly charged toward Feng Xun in an attempt to save the latter.

Despite the previous conflict between the both of them, they were comrades working toward the same goal at the moment. He couldn’t just watch the other party die before his eyes.

Huala!

Driving his Heaven’s Path Movement Art to its very limits, he appeared before Feng Xun in the blink of an eye. He hurriedly grabbed the latter and attempted to flee from the spot, but in that moment, he realized that it was already too late. The Stoneleaf King’s palm was already right above him.

Vicious! Zhang Xuan bellowed in his mind, and in the next moment, powerful killing intent abruptly burst forth from his body.

Even though Vicious’ killing intent wasn’t too effective on fellow Otherworldly Demons, it could still disrupt the other party’s attack for a short moment, thus possibly winning them some time to flee.

As Zhang Xuan had expected, upon feeling the powerful killing intent emanated by the young man before him, the Stoneleaf King was stunned momentarily. His palm strike also hesitated for an instant.

Hu!

In the brief moment he had bought for himself, Zhang Xuan successfully pulled Feng Xun out of the palm strike’s area of attack.

---

Chapter 1048: He is a Celestial Master Teacher!

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

---

Boom!

The ground trembled, and countless houses collapsed. A massive palm was abruptly imprinted into the ground, cloaking everything in the area with dust.

It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had reacted swiftly and had Vicious attack in his stead. Otherwise, the both of them would have surely been reduced into meat paste from the sheer force of that strike.

“How could he be so powerful?” Looking at the devastating damage before his eyes, Feng Xun’s eyes were filled with disbelief.

As the Thousand Men Commander of the Combat Master Hall, he could even an average Saint 4-dan master teacher easily. Yet, it was as if the Stoneleaf King before was an unshakeable mountain, an existence that towered far beyond them…

Could the other party have held back in the fight against Wu shi?

But that didn’t make any sense? Why would the other party hold back against them?

“He must have succeeded in taming the Lightning Elemental Orb for his own use. It was through tapping into the power of the orb and the massive formation around us that he was able to wield such overwhelming might!” Feng Xun’s eyes widened in horror.

After everything he had done to stop the Stoneleaf King from taming the Lightning Elemental Orb, his efforts ended up in vain.

It didn’t seem like the other party had gained total control over the orb yet, but it should already be at around seventy percent, sufficient for him to tap into its power. With the augmentation from the might of the orb and formation, it was hard to say whether even a Saint 5-dan expert would be able to stand against the current Stoneleaf King, let more them!

“Who are you?”

Feng Xun wasn’t the only one who was shocked. The astonished Stoneleaf King also hurriedly turned to Zhang Xuan to reassess him carefully from head to toe.

The killing intent which the young man had emanated previously possessed a fearsome level of purity which was on par even to his own. For such pure killing intent to appear on a human brat… this was inconceivable!

“Go!”

With Feng Xun around, Zhang Xuan knew that it could lead to many complications if he were to speak too much about the matter here, so he quickly pulled Feng Xun away and fled.

The Stoneleaf King before him was simply far too much stronger than the Violetleaf King, Goldenleaf King, and the others. It was impossible for the both of them to stop the other party with their limited strength. Rather than to fight to their deaths here, it would be better for them to escape for the time being, regroup with the others, and find another opportunity to strike down the Stoneleaf King.

“Trying to flee? Do you honestly think that you can get away from me?” the Stoneleaf King harrumphed coldly as he raised his hand and abruptly closed it into a fist.

Huala!

In the next moment, several bursts of lightning gushed down from the heavens, forming a tight cage that sealed the duo within.

“We are trapped…” Zhang Xuan’s heart turned cold.

Judging from the intensity of the lightning, if they were to attempt to charge out of the lightning cage forcefully, the chances were that they would be reduced to ashes on the spot.

The other party had already gained the ability to control the Lightning Elemental Orb and the lightning formation. As long as they remained within the area of the formation, they would be unable to Stoneleaf King.

“Principal Zhang, our Combat Master Hall has a secret art that allows me to boost my speed by twofold for a short period of time. I will use it to buy some time for you later on, so make use of the opportunity to flee.” After a moment of hesitation, Feng Xun got to his feet and said grimly.

“Boost your speed by twofold? Will you still have the strength to escape after the duration of your secret art ends?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Secret arts that granted one massive boosts in physical capabilities often brought about devastating trauma to one’s cultivation foundation and physical body. Even if one were to manage to kill one’s enemy using the secret art, the chances were that one wouldn’t live too long after that either.

Instead of replying to Zhang Xuan’s question, Feng Xun chuckled softly and said, “Principal Zhang, to be honest, I have disliked you from the first time I met you. Your students have brought great dishonor to the Combat Master Hall, and I have been trying to find an opportunity to get even with you over that. It’s a pity that I have yet to succeed.

“As much as I hate to admit it, the potential that you hold within you is far greater than mine. It is just a matter of time before you become a great asset to mankind! It is depressing to speak of this, but your life is worth more than mine!

“But it’s fine. If my sacrifice can bring about to brighter future for humanity, I will gladly do it. Later on, I will open up a gap in the lightning cage, so make use of the opportunity to flee as far as you can… No matter what, you must survive this ordeal!”

“Flee?” Not expecting Feng Xun to be able to cast aside his differences in the crucial moment and work for the collective welfare for mankind, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but feel touched within. He nodded and replied, “Alright.”

“Good. Let’s begin then!” Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to the plan, Feng Xun heaved a sigh of relief.

In the next moment, his aura abruptly surged.

Hong long!

His aura swiftly reached its peak, and just as he was about to activate his secret art, he suddenly felt a forceful blow at the back of his head. His vision before him abruptly darkened, and his body slumped weakly onto the ground, fainted.

“We won’t be able to get away even if you were to use your secret art. Pardon me…” Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.

Feng Xun’s plan was probably the best plan they had at hand, but… it still wasn’t good enough.

Even if the other party succeeded in intercepting the Stoneleaf King and bought sufficient time for him to escape, there was no way he could escape given the sheer size of the lightning formation. As long as he remained in the lightning formation, the Stoneleaf King would surely be able to hunt him down.

Furthermore, if he were to flee by himself, the next victims would be Wu shi and the others.

Given the current circumstances, fleeing was no longer an option anymore…

As Zhang Xuan and Feng Xun had been communicating with one another through zhenqi telepathy, the Stoneleaf King was unaware of the conversation between them. Thus, when he saw Zhang Xuan knocking Feng Xun out, he couldn’t help but be bewildered by the abrupt turn in events.

“Stoneleaf King, it has been long since we last met. You asked who I was previously, right? Let me answer your question right now. It’s me…”

After knocking Feng Xun out, Zhang Xuan raised his gaze towards the Stoneleaf King and chuckled softly. ‘Geji, geji!’, creaking sounds began echoing from his body as a token in front of his chest glowed brilliantly. As if his disguise had been released, he began to grow taller and bigger. A pure and condensed killing intent began drifting into the air, sending chills down the spines of others.

“Violetleaf King?” Upon catching sight of the other party’s appearance, the Stoneleaf King was stunned for a moment.

“It’s me.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

It was hard to tell whether the Stoneleaf King was aware of the deaths of the other Otherworldly Demon Kings, so it wouldn’t do to impersonate them. The Violetleaf King was still alive and was currently in his Myriad Anthive Nest, so impersonating as the Violetleaf King was the safest option at hand.

Besides, he also had the deepest understanding of the Violetleaf King, so it was easier for him to disguise as the latter as well.

“You and the Waterleaf King have been dispatched to carry out a mission, but we suddenly lost contact of you. What happened?” the Stoneleaf King asked with a darkened expression.

That fellow and the Waterleaf King had been tasked to find the map at the Poison Hall, but the Soulbound Token of the latter shattered all of the sudden. The Soulbound Token of that fellow remained intact, but communications from him abruptly halted. Everyone thought that he might have been taken hostage somewhere, but who could have thought that he would appear here out of the blue?

“Like you have seen, I have concealed my appearance to blend in with the humans and earn their trust. If I were to be caught communicating with the rest of you, my efforts could have very well be undone…” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Blend in with the humans?” the Stoneleaf King frowned. He immediately extended his Spiritual Perception to cover the Violetleaf King.

Honestly speaking, it was suspicious that the Violetleaf King, who had gone missing for more than half a month now, would suddenly appear here. There was a need to look carefully into this matter.

Taking a close look, there wasn’t the slightest problem with the Zhenqi of Slaughter in the other party’s body. In other words, the person standing before him was indeed the Violetleaf King.

“Un. I happened to chance upon a huge secret of the humans. If it turns out to be true, it could spell annihilation for our kind… Thus, I dare not to act recklessly. To be absolutely certain, I decided to disguise myself as a human to mix in with the rest of them.”

Zhang Xuan knew that the Stoneleaf King was secretly examining him with his Spiritual Perception, but he made no attempts to hide from it at all. Instead, with a deep, worried frown furrowed between his brows, he replied with a hushed voice.

“Annihilation for our kind?” Retracting his Spiritual Perception, the Stoneleaf King shook his head and said, “You must be joking! Even with the incredible strength that Kong shi wielded back then, he only succeeded in driving us out of the Master Teacher Continent! Just what could possibly happen that would result in an annihilation of our kind?”

On top of being the leader who had united mankind and founded the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi possessed frightening strength as well. But while none of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was able to match him, they were eventually only driven out of the Master Teacher Continent. As such, how could the learning of a mere secret determine whether their kind would be annihilated or not?

This was just fear mongering!

“I didn’t believe it at the start either, but… I can swear on my life that it is the absolute truth!” Zhang Xuan said grimly.

No matter how well he disguised himself as the Violetleaf King, it was hard to ensure that he wouldn’t be seen through by the Stoneleaf King. In the first place, it was already suspicious for him to appear in the ancient domain.

The best way to resolve this issue was to redirect the other party’s attention to something else… If he could put out big news one after another, the other party would be too shocked to doubt his identity any longer.

“Truth? Can you prove it?” Noting the conviction in the Violetleaf King’s voice, the Stoneleaf King asked with a frown.

To be honest, at this point, he still didn’t believe that the person before him was the Violetleaf King. Nevertheless, this didn’t hinder him from listening to the other party’s news.

“Have you heard of Celestial Master Teacher?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Celestial Master Teacher?” The Stoneleaf King was taken aback for a moment before his eyes narrowed in astonishment. “Of course I do! Kong shi was a Celestial Master Teacher himself. As one who has received the acknowledgement of the heavens, a Celestial Master Teacher is a truly indomitable existence. Could it be…”

“Indeed… I went to the Poison Hall to carry out my mission, but by a stroke of coincidence, I happened to find a Celestial Master Teacher. That’s the reason why I suddenly changed my course of plans and disguised myself as a human to blend in with them!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“How could that be possible? According to our sources, Kong shi has been the only one in history to be conferred as a Celestial Master Teacher. There has been none after him who has achieved the same feat, not even his direct disciples, the 72 Sages… Where did you hear the news from?” The body of the Stoneleaf King stiffened. He couldn’t believe his ears.

If a Celestial Master Teacher had really appeared amongst the humans, that would be truly a huge disaster for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If that individual were to be allowed to grow to become another Kong shi, they might really well meet with annihilation.

Back then, it was under Kong shi’s leadership that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe took a heavy blow and was forced out of the Master Teacher Continent. It took them several ten thousand years of rest before they managed to recover from the damage they had suffered then. If another Kong shi were to appear amongst the humans… They would truly be unable to make a comeback anymore!

While the past several ten thousand years of recuperation had allowed them to recover from the blow they had suffered back then, the mankind had also furthered its strength through the Master Teacher Pavilion, making them stronger than ever.

“There is no mistake with the news. Furthermore… I have been following behind the Celestial Master Teacher all along and intentionally lured him here…” Zhang Xuan said.

“Lured him here?” The Stoneleaf King glanced at the fainted Feng Xun as he asked doubtfully, “Are you saying that… he is the Celestial Master Teacher?”

“Indeed, that’s him!” Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively.

“This…” the Stoneleaf King frowned, skeptical of Zhang Xuan’s words.

While that combat master possessed the ability to rival opponents with cultivation beyond his, he seemed to be a rather reckless person. This was unlike how Celestial Master Teachers were depicted in the legends.

“Why? You don’t believe me?” Zhang Xuan burst into laughter before saying, “Our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe must have certain ways to verify the identity a Celestial Master Teacher. If you don’t trust me, you can verify it yourself!”

“There are indeed methods to verify that one is Celestial Master Teacher…” The Stoneleaf King frowned. “However, it will be a little troublesome to do so…”

“This bit of trouble means nothing. What is more important is that we verify his identity. Once it is proven that he is a Celestial Master Teacher, we should find ways to bring him over to our side. With his strength, our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will grow stronger and stronger. With the immense contribution we have made, we will surely go down in history as meritorious subjects!” Zhang Xuan persuaded.

“You’re right…” The Stoneleaf King nodded. He hesitated for a moment longer before eventually nodding, “To test for the identity of a Celestial Master Teacher, we will require the help of the Windleaf King. He’s the only one who wields such capability. Once he comes over, we will be able to verify whether the man you spoke of is truly a Celestial Master Teacher or not!”

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Chapter 1049: An Alliance of Blood

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“The Windleaf King?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

That was the third strongest expert of the Five Upper Kings! Who could have thought that such a powerful figure would be here as well?

Just a Stoneleaf King had nearly caused their entire team to be wiped out. How was he supposed to deal with the even stronger Windleaf King?

However, given his current identity as the Violetleaf King, there was no way he could turn down the request. Besides, since the other party was in the ancient domain as well, it was only a matter of time before they encountered one another. If he could meet the other party in advance, perhaps he could gather some intelligence and formulate a plan to deal with the other party.

“He’s in the vicinity. I will call him here right now…”

Flicking his wrist, the Stoneleaf King whipped out a Communication Jade Token and casually wrote a few words on it, sending a message over. After that was done, he suddenly turned his gaze back towards Zhang Xuan with a doubtful expression. “If this human is really a Celestial Master Teacher, how could he appear here? Not to mention, how could you have possibly managed to uncover his identity?”

Clearly, the Stoneleaf King was still a little iffy the claims made by the fellow before him.

It was also no surprise that he would be feeling so skeptical about the matter. The Violetleaf King had disappeared an entire half a month before abruptly vanishing. On top of that, the other party had made a move against him while the other party was disguised as a human… There were far too many doubtful points regarding the issue.

Not to mention, there had only been a single Celestial Master Teacher in the world so far, and many millenniums had passed without anyone reaching the same height. If another Celestial Master Teacher were to appear, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely place that person under the tightest of protection. It was inconceivable that the Violetleaf King was able to uncover a Celestial Master Teacher that easily and even lure the other party into a dangerous place like this.

“Now that I think of it, it’s truly a huge coincidence. The Celestial Master Teacher didn’t come from any Sage Clan or the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter. Instead, he originated from a measly Unranked Kingdom, slowly making his way up through the ranks…”

Without any hint of embarrassment, Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and said. “In order to avoid unneeded trouble, he has been concealing his identity all along. In other words, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter is aware of the appearance of that person. It’s only through a series of coincidences that I found out about his identity. Back when I was looking into the whereabouts of the Poison Hall in Jingyuan City, I saw him undergoing the acknowledgement by the heavens, and it was only through that that I was able to ascertain his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher!”

“You are saying that… you happened to chance upon him receiving the acknowledgement of the heavens?” the Stoneleaf King asked in disbelief.

“Indeed.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Then… what kind of sight is it?” the Stoneleaf King asked in curiosity.

“A unique aura, powerful and inviolable, would descend from the heavens and surround the person. Before this aura, all master teachers would be forced to bow down to the person and acknowledge his identity and standing. At the same time, many bizarre phenomena would occur, such as the Trembling of the Myriad Tablets and so…” Zhang Xuan replied earnestly.

As someone who had undergone the acknowledgement ceremony thrice, he was extremely clear of the various happenings that would occur in the process.

“It does seem like the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher…” After hearing Zhang Xuan’s account, the Stoneleaf King slowly nodded in agreement.

He had never seen the phenomena associated with the acknowledgement of a Celestial Master Teacher before, but he had heard of the various legends relating to it. The descriptions he had heard didn’t differ much from the scene depicted by the Violetleaf King.

It seemed like there might be some truth to the Violetleaf King’s words. Even if the man lying on the ground wasn’t a Celestial Master Teacher, there was a good chance that he was closely related to the matter.

“The merit from capturing a Celestial Master Teacher and handing it over to the royalty is immeasurable…” At this point, the Stoneleaf King couldn’t help but ponder over the implications of the matter.

It went without saying how important a Celestial Master Teacher was. If the news was true, the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would go into a frenzy!

Just through this itself, he would surely be able to earn the favor of the elders. Through their guidance, even if he couldn’t advance to the Emperor Stratum, he would still be able to easily reach the pinnacle of Saint realm!

But to ensure that he would be entitled to all of those valuable resources, he would have to make sure that the merit only went to him and him alone. At the current moment… it seemed like he had practically done nothing at all!

After all, it was the Violetleaf King who had lured the Celestial Master Teacher into the ancient domain.

“Should I just kill this fellow straight? That’s the only way I can claim full credit of the matter. In any case, he has disappeared for quite some time, so who would know whether he had betrayed the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe or not? As long as I move fast and clear up his corpse, there’s no one who would suspect me…” A sharp glint flashed across the Stoneleaf King’s eyes as he shot a discreet glance towards the Violetleaf King.

While they were part of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, they didn’t share any camaraderie amongst them. On the contrary, there was even strife rivalry amongst them.

The Qingtian Lineage allocated resources based on contribution, and considering the scarce resources in the otherworldly battlefield, he had been long wishing for his fellow Kings to drop dead.

This was precisely the reason why he didn’t feel the slightest sympathy or sorrow when he heard that the other Kings had been killed, and he didn’t bother to track down their murderer either. Instead, he was secretly delighted over the matter even!

“I am the one who brought that human here, and I know everything about him. Furthermore, after the time we have spent together, he already regards me as his true friend… If you were to kill me, not only will you be unable to make him submit to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, you might even be setting up a powerful enemy for yourself in the future!” Noticing the Stoneleaf King’s killing intent, Zhang Xuan said with a wry smile.

He had already heard of the relationship amongst the Ten Great Kings from the Violetleaf King. To put it in a phrase, it was every man for himself. Given so, it wasn’t too surprising that the Stoneleaf King would want to snatch a merit as large one concerning a Celestial Master Teacher.

“Violetleaf King, you must have misunderstood me… Since you were the one who found him and brought him here, it goes without saying that the merit should go to you? How could I possibly think of snatching the merit from you?” the Stoneleaf King laughed dryly as he swiftly concealed the ferocity in his eyes. However, his right hand continued grasping the Lightning Elemental Orb firmly, seemingly ready to make a move at any time.

“There’s no need for us to put up such facades before one another. If I had the power to do so, I would have just taken him away right here, right now. I wouldn’t have revealed his identity and wasted so many words with you.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“Just a word of advice, but you should hold back any intention you are harboring against me for the moment. Otherwise, if this human were to die, it will be impossible to verify his identity. Even if you were to send him back to our tribe, you won’t be able to get anything good out of this.”

“This…” Hearing those words, the Stoneleaf King hesitated for a moment before finally loosening his tight grip over the Lightning Elemental Orb. “Very well, I won’t make a move against you.”

The other party was right. They could claim that the human was a Celestial Master Teacher for all they wanted to, but if they couldn’t substantiate their claim with evidence, it would be all for naught. In other words, the human would become worthless to them.

“You won’t make a move against me? I don’t believe you. I want you to swear on that to the Spirit God!” At this point, Zhang Xuan’s face abruptly turned grim as he spoke.

“You want me to swear to the Spirit God?” the Stoneleaf King frowned.

“Indeed. If you swear that you won’t make a move against me, I will say that we have discovered and captured the Celestial Master Teacher together when reporting the matter to the elders.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Oh?” the Stoneleaf King frowned.

It went without saying that it would be best for one to claim sole credit for the matter. After all, an additional person in the picture meant less soup to go around.

“I know that the strength I wield is insignificant amongst the Ten Great Kings. If anyone were to make a move against me to snatch the merit from my hands, there will be nothing I can about it. Furthermore, the merit for capturing a Celestial Master Teacher is too great, I don’t think that I will be able to swallow the rewards of it alone. It will be much safer with someone on the same boat… So, why not?” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

“This…” the Stoneleaf King fell into deep contemplation.

The Violetleaf King was right. As the saying goes, the tree that rises above the forest will be torn down by the gale. Given the Violetleaf King’s current strength, there was no way he would be able to ward off those who intended to snatch the merit or rewards from his hands.

Through extending an alliance to him, the Violetleaf King would be in a much safer position. In other words, the Violetleaf King would be dependent on him for protection and wouldn’t betray him for the time being.

But more importantly than that, he was stronger than the Violetleaf King. It wouldn’t be too late for him to find a way to deal with the other party after the tribe affirmed the Celestial Master Teacher’s identity and distributed the rewards.

“What do I have to do to gain your trust?” Having come to a decision, the Stoneleaf King turned to Zhang Xuan and asked.

“Simple. I have a gourd of wine here. We shall first have a toast of blood 1 to seal our alliance before swearing to the Spirit God that neither of us will harm the other. That’s the only way that I will be able to trust you!”

Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of fine wine.

“A toast of blood?” the Stoneleaf King was a little hesitant after hearing those words.

“Indeed. I advise you to quickly make your decision. Once the Windleaf King arrives and learns of the matter, I fear that he will attempt to kill the both of us…” Zhang Xuan said.

Greed brought out the darkest shadows hidden within one’s heart. Even master teachers were no exception to the rule, let more the unprincipled Otherworldly Demons.

Were the Windleaf King were to learn that the person before them was a Celestial Master Teacher, there was a very good chance that the other party would attempt to silence them so that he could claim full credit over the matter.

And more importantly, if the Violetleaf King were to choose to side against the Windleaf King at that point, he would be placed in a very dangerous position…

“Alright, I’ll agree to it!” the Stoneleaf King made his decision.

The personalities of the Ten Great Kings was no secret, and the Windleaf King was particularly renowned for his greed and cruelty. He could indeed see the other party killing his own brethren to fulfill his desires.

And given the Windleaf King’s strength, it would be hard for them to match the other party even with their combined strength, let more alone!

“Let’s begin then!” Seeing that he had the other party’s agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded.

He slit an incision in his finger and dripped a few droplets of blood into the gourd of wine. After shaking it slightly to mix his blood into the wine, he tossed it over to the Stoneleaf King.

Catching the gourd, the first thing the Stoneleaf King did was to extend his Spiritual Perception towards the wine. After confirming that there was nothing else mixed into the wine, he was finally able to allay his worries. Biting his finger, he dripped a few droplets of blood into the wine as well.

“Good. Let’s drink it!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said.

“Very well!” The Stoneleaf King lifted the gourd to his mouth, and just as he was about to drink it, a thought that suddenly surfaced in his mind made him halt his action. “You go first!”

With just a glance at the other party’s face, Zhang Xuan could instantly tell what the other party was worried about. He took the gourd of wine from the other party’s hands and took two hearty gulps of it.

On the other hand, seeing that the Violetleaf King was fine after drinking the wine, the Stoneleaf King heaved a sigh of relief. He took the wine and drank several mouthfuls of it as well.

After which, he raised his palm up to the sky and vowed, “I, the Stoneleaf King, swear to the Spirit God that I shall honor my alliance with the Violetleaf King. We shall stand aside one another through adversities as brothers, never to betray the other…”

“I, the Violetleaf King, swear to the Spirit God that I shall honor my alliance with the Stoneleaf King…” Seeing that the Stoneleaf King had made his vow, Zhang Xuan hurriedly followed suit.

He was swearing in the Violetleaf King’s name anyway, there was no need for him to hesitate.

“Since we are now allied with one another, I hope that we can team up against the Windleaf King should he try to pull off anything funny.” Zhang Xuan turned to the Stoneleaf King and said.

“Don’t worry!” the Stoneleaf King reassured.

Amongst the Ten Great Kings, the Windleaf King was the only one who had an artifact that could possibly verify the identity of a Celestial Master Teacher. If it wasn’t for that, there was no way they would have invited the other party over!

“Once we verify that this human is a Celestial Master Teacher, the Windleaf King could attempt to snatch him from our hands or even make a move against us. So, pay close attention to me and act on my command later on…” After a moment of thought, the Stoneleaf King turned to the Violetleaf King and instructed.

While he still didn’t have unreserved trust towards the Violetleaf King, at the very least, they had already sworn to the Spirit God in their names. Naturally, he was also more inclined to trust the latter instead of the Windleaf King.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded. “I will try to sound him out later on after we confirm this human’s identity. If he were to make a move against me, I hope that you can immediately step forward to slay him. We are on the same boat right now, and we will either float together or sink together.”

“Un.” the Stoneleaf King nodded.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, a huge gale of wind abruptly blew in the surroundings. In the distance, a towering figure could be seen flying over.

“Stoneleaf King, don’t you know that I have better things to do? Why are you calling me over in such a hurry?”

Huala!

A powerful Otherworldly Demon landed on the ground before them.

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Author’s Note:

StarveCleric

Sorry, having midterms at the moment so the schedule has been a little erratic. Still off by one chapter at the moment. I am currently working on it at the moment, so hopefully it should be up soon.

Regarding the two more bonus chapters (from the 1000 chapter event earlier), I will try to get them up by the weekends after my midterms are over.