Chapter 1077

Chapter 1077: Yo

“He managed to slaughter the other nine of them?”

“Are you sure you aren’t messing with us?” Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing widened their eyes in shock.

Over the past two years, they had pitted their wits, courage, and strength against the Skyleaf King day after day, and they were on the verge of being driven mad from all of that, but they were still unable to faze the latter in the slightest. On the contrary, the number of master teachers on their side was slowly growing fewer and fewer, such that only the both of them were left.

Yet, that fellow, a Nascent Saint cultivator, encountered the remaining nine of the Ten Great Kings and managed to slaughter all of them? Was that for real?

“Not only so, on one occasion, the Skyleaf King had hidden a fragment of his Primordial Spirit among our expedition team, and he ended up nearly being crippled by Principal Zhang.” Wu

“Thus, I feel that as long as he proceeds carefully, it might just work out. In fact… I am wondering that if we place him and the Skyleaf King in the same room, would he just happen be the one to walk out of the room alive?”

“This…”

For a very long time, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing found themselves unable to speak a word at all. They glanced at one another for a very long while before they finally found their words once more. “Just what kind of principal did the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy nominate this time around?”

All this while, due to Zhang Xuan’s young age, they had thought that it was infeasible for him to become the principal. After all, there were bound to be more experienced and qualified master teachers who could hold the fort much better than him. However, after hearing the latter’s accomplishments…

Probably not even Zhang Yinqiu could match up to the latter.

…

While the crowd was still in the midst of a shock in the small room, Zhang Xuan had already arrived at the vast lobby of the Saint Ascension Hall.

There is no doubt that I will be found if I head there in my current form. I should switch to my soul instead.

With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan found a remote corner before drawing his soul out from his glabella. After which, he stored his physical body in the Myriad Anthive Nest before placing the Anthive Nest into his storage ring.

If he were to head there with his physical body, it would be very easy for the Skyleaf King to notice him, and it would be difficult for him to escape as well. He would be in a much safer position in his soul form.

At Leaving Aperture realm, the Skyleaf King’s Spiritual Perception was probably strong enough to easily discern everything in his surroundings, but Spiritual Perception wasn’t an ability that one could constantly maintain.

As the saying goes, ‘even the wary tiger occasionally rests’. As long as Zhang Xuan sneaked in while the other party had his guard down, it would not be too difficult for him to sneak the Grand Intermittence Grass away.

Thus, Zhang Xuan’s soul began discreetly heading to where Vice Principal Ji Yan had pointed out earlier. Not too long later, a chamber appeared before his eyes.

Just like the room that Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing dwelled in, the chamber had all kinds of grade-7 formations constructed around it. If an ordinary man were to step into it, he would find himself losing his sense of direction in an instant. However, Zhang Xuan was a 7-star pinnacle formation master himself. As complex as the formations were, they were not sufficient to keep him at bay.

After maneuvering nimbly around the formations, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at the entrance of the chamber. He secretly took a peek in.

The chamber was extremely spacious, and it was permeated with concentrated spiritual energy. Innumerable treasures were laid out neatly around the room, reminiscent of a massive treasure vault.

Most of them were medicinal herbs, pills, books on how to achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm, and the sort. In comparison, there were very few weapons in the chamber, or perhaps even none at all.

It seemed like Kong shi had really put quite some effort into preparing the room so as to ensure that the later generations would have a Celestial Saint of their own as well.

The Skyleaf King actually isn’t around…

Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned the room, and upon realizing that the Skyleaf King was nowhere to be found, his eyes lit up in excitement.

I should move quickly!

Zhang Xuan was still in the midst of thinking up a countermeasure for how he should enter the room if the Skyleaf King was within. However, since the latter was not around, there was no need for him to restrain himself.

Grabbing his storage ring tightly, he carefully entered the chamber in his soul form.

Medicinal herbs took up the bulk of the treasures within the chamber. All in all, there were at least several hundred types of saint herbs within the room. Despite being stored in the chamber for innumerable years, they had not lost their medicinal properties as a result of ageing. Instead, under the nourishment of the concentrated spiritual energy in the area, they were becoming more and more potent!

However, one thing that Zhang Xuan swiftly noticed was that there was a unique formation sealing away every single one of the medicinal herbs, preventing anyone from coming into contact with them.

It’s no wonder the Skyleaf King didn’t store the medicinal herbs into the storage ring. He probably has no way of breaking these seals, Zhang Xuan thought internally.

The seals were built in a manner similar to the seal in the Subterranean Gallery. Master teachers could pass through the seal with relative ease, but Otherworldly Demons weren’t able to do the same.

In other words, despite having guarded the chamber and watched over these medicinal herbs for two years, the Skyleaf King was still unable to obtain a single one of them.

Otherwise, even with the suppression from the sacred light, he still should have made significant advancements in his cultivation by consuming the precious medicinal herbs in the room.

If I wish to obtain the medicinal herbs, it will need to be in my body.

Thus, Zhang Xuan swiftly drew his physical body out from the Myriad Anthive Nest before returning his soul to it.

He stretched his stiffened body for a while before turning his gaze toward the medicinal herbs and books around him.

Most of the books detailed the various methods of how one could achieve a breakthrough to Saint realm. He had already collected many of those and compiled a correct version of the Saint Ascension Decipher, so there was no need for him to collect any more of them.

Saint Void Heart Grass, Heavenly Dragon Flower, Woodscent Stalk… While these medicinal herbs aren’t particularly high-tiered, they possess the ability to induce a metamorphosis of one’s soul and physical body, thus making them ideal medicinal herbs to push for a breakthrough to Saint realm.

After a swift scan around the chamber, Zhang Xuan nodded.

The medicinal herbs within the room were all useful in one way or another in achieving a breakthrough to Saint realm. It was probably with the differing needs that different cultivators would have when attempting a breakthrough in mind that Kong shi prepared an entire room of medicinal herbs within the Saint Ascension Hall.

Soon, a certain medicinal herb appeared in Zhang Xuan’s sight.

As expected, there’s indeed the Grand Intermittence Grass here!

The Grand Intermittence Grass could nourish a person’s vitality. If paired with suitable medicinal herbs, it could metamorphose a cultivator’s physical body into the flesh of a true Saint. That being said, it would be rather extravagant for one to use such a precious medicinal herb for a breakthrough to Saint realm.

I should quickly take it first.

With a swift movement, Zhang Xuan’s hand reached for the seal to grab the medicinal herb.

Weng!

As soon as his hand came into contact with the seal, he immediately felt a powerful force pushing him back, stopping his hand from stretching any further in.

If he could not touch the Grand Intermittence Grass, he would be unable to store it within his storage ring. If so, he would have made a wasted trip.

Humph, I don’t believe that I can’t overcome a mere seal!

Seeing that the seal only served the purpose of hindering his movements, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he increased his strength, causing his muscles to tighten.

Geji! Geji!

The seal dented inwards like a crushed ball, and the deeper the dent, the greater the resistance Zhang Xuan felt.

That’s weird…

Despite increasing the strength exerted several times, such that his zhenqi and physical strength were already pushed to their limits, he was still unable to touch the Grand Intermittence Grass. Frowning, Zhang Xuan was just about to retract his arm and try again when he realized that the seal had bound itself tightly to his arm like glue. No matter how he struggled, he could not free himself from it.

What a bizarre formation…

Zhang Xuan did not know whether he should cry or laugh in this situation.

Other formations were dangerous and lethal, but this seal… when he tried to push his arm in, it tried its hardest to keep him out. Yet, when he tried to retract his arm, it ended up sticking onto him, not allowing him to leave. Given the current situation, it seemed like he would be trapped until he successfully retrieved the Grand Intermittence Grass.

Soul!

Since his zhenqi and physical body were not sufficient for him to reach the medicinal herbs, he had no choice but to drive his soul energy as well.

Weng!

As Zhang Xuan further increased the force he exerted, energy ripples spread across the seal as it gradually grew more and more dented.

Zhang Xuan’s zhenqi cultivation had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle, his physical body had achieved the Fifth Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, and his soul had reached Nascent Saint pinnacle as well after being nourished by the Lightning Elemental Orb. With the three powerful sources of strength stacking upon one another, not even a Saint 3-dan expert would be able to stand their ground against him.

Jiya!

Go in!

Due to Zhang Xuan driving his zhenqi too quickly, steam was rising from his head.

There was a brief standstill between Zhang Xuan’s hand and the seal as both sides depleted the strength of one another. Eventually, after two minutes, Zhang Xuan’s hand finally overcame the seal and touched the leaf of the Grand Intermittence Grass within.

Hu!

He swiftly stowed it into his storage ring.

Huala!

As soon as the medicinal herb was stored into his storage ring, a loud popping sound echoed from the seal as it abruptly vanished from sight.

It was as if the seal had become worthless with the disappearance of the medicinal herb inside, so it chose to dissipate of its own accord.

While Kong shi has left behind a huge collection of medicinal herbs for the later generations, it seems like he has set up a trial around them so that they would only be used by those who are qualified. Without sufficient strength, it’s impossible for one to retrieve the medicinal herbs.

If I’m not mistaken, the seal automatically adjusts its durability according to the cultivation realm of the person attempting to retrieve the medicinal herb, so it would be nigh impossible for cultivators who are beneath or beyond Nascent Saint to obtain it. This serves as a measure to ensure that the medicinal herbs would be used for breakthroughs to Saint realm, as well as to ensure that the Nascent Saint cultivator retrieving and using the medicinal herb is qualified to be conferred as a Celestial Saint! Zhang Xuan thought as he wiped away the sweat on his forehead.

As expected of the World’s Teacher, he sure had everything well thought out.

It seemed like Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing were unaware of this matter, which resulted in them attributing the Skyleaf King’s rise in strength to the medicinal herbs.

Speaking of which, the Skyleaf King sure was pitiable. Despite having so many valuable medicinal herbs around him, he was not able to obtain even a single one of them.

It would be good to obtain all of these medicinal herbs, but… it’s simply too difficult to draw them out. It’d be best for me to leave with just the Grand Intermittence Grass for the time being. Otherwise, once the Skyleaf King returns, I’ll be in deep trouble, Zhang Xuan thought as he exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas.

Of course, it would be for the best if he could obtain all of the medicinal herbs in the room, but that would be extremely dangerous as well. He dared not imagine what would happen if the Skyleaf King were to return while he was in the midst of retrieving one of the medicinal herbs.

Thus, Zhang Xuan turned around, and just as he was about to leave the room, his eyes suddenly fell upon a certain peculiar object.

It was a gel-like fluid that emanated a radiance of seven colors. Flowing slowly within the seal that encased it, it exuded a peculiar aura that seemed to draw him in.

T-this… Could it be… Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence? Zhang Xuan’s breathing hastened as his entire body stiffened in shock.

His Saint Ascension Decipher required one last artifact for him to achieve a breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm, and that was the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence.

After browsing through innumerable records, he had learned that the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence only sprouted in the very depths of the earth veins, making it an extremely rare commodity, such that even the author of the book had not seen it before. As such, there were no descriptions on the artifact in the book.

Even so, he felt a peculiar feeling of intimacy to the seven-colored fluid. Furthermore, considering that it had been left behind by Kong shi himself… Without a doubt, it was definitely the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence!

With this, I should have no trouble becoming a Celestial Saint… Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation.

Without any hesitation, he dashed forward and reached his hand into the seal.

This was an artifact that he had to obtain regardless of the cost. He had already been at Nascent Saint pinnacle ever since he left the Subterranean Gallery, and it had been a long time since then.

As long as he could assimilate the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he would finally be able to reach Saint realm!

Geji! Geji!

Driving his zhenqi, physical strength, and soul energy to their limits, the seal casing the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence immediately dented inwards.

“Humph, for pesky rats, you sure scrambled fast! Zhang Xuan, you’d better pray that you don’t meet me ever again, or else I will tear you apart into innumerable shreds…”

Just as Zhang Xuan was in the midst of pushing his hand into the seal to obtain the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, a cold harrumph abruptly sounded outside. Following which, a towering figure walked into the chamber.

The Skyleaf King.

He pushed open the door while mumbling furiously beneath his breath. As soon as he got into the room, he immediately noticed that something was amiss. Scanning the room swiftly, he found a hand plunged right into one of the seals, and attached to the hand was a young man who was trying his best to struggle free.

“You…”

Many emotions flickered across the Skyleaf King’s face. From the initial bewilderment, it slowly warped into shock before eventually turning into rage. Clenching his fists tightly, he was just about to rush forward to make a move when the young man suddenly raised his free hand and waved.

“Yo!”

Chapter 1078: Pose, and You Will Be Struck by Lightning

Actually, Zhang Xuan was also having a mental breakdown at that very moment.

He had not thought that the Skyleaf King would walk in on him.

With his hand trapped within the seal, he could not leave even if he wanted to. It was truly an indescribably awkward situation.

“Yo?” Hearing the other party’s bizarre greeting, the Skyleaf King was taken aback.

Upon seeing him, not only did the other party not flee from fright, he was even speaking some kind of weird language to him. The sheer ridiculousness of the situation left him slightly dazed. However, it took only a blink of an eye for him to recover from it. “You are trapped within the seal? Hahaha! It seems like even the heavens are on my side!”

Not only did that fellow foil his plan, the fellow had even humiliated him, the first King of the Qingtian Lineage! Ever since then, he had been wanting to exact vengeance.

He had thought that the other party would surely coop himself up in the small room like the other pesky master teachers, and if that was the case, there would truly have been nothing that he would have been able to do. However, who would have thought that the other party would be so foolish as to wander right into his base!

He truly must have been eager to seek death!

He had studied the seals for two whole years, and he knew that once a hand touched the seal, it would be impossible to extract it unless one were to obtain the artifact within it. Judging from the other party’s current state, he must have been trying to retrieve something but got stuck in the midst of doing so.

“Hahaha! Since you are already here, why don’t you just remain here for good!” With his eyes glowing in excitement, the Skyleaf King reached out to grab Zhang Xuan.

But before his hand could reach the other party, the young man suddenly spoke up. “Hold it a moment…”

“Why? Are you going to plead for mercy now? Let me tell you this straight, it’s too late for that!” Knowing how scheming the young man before him was, the Skyleaf King formed a massive palm with zhenqi and directed it straight toward the other party.

As a Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm expert, he wielded astounding strength. Even with the combined prowess of Guild Leader Han and Wu shi, they would still be beaten into a lump of meat before the palm strike, let alone Zhang Xuan.

“Plead for mercy? You must be joking! Do you think that I’ll plead for mercy with a lowly figure like you? Do you know who I am?” Zhang Xuan looked at the Skyleaf King fearlessly as an aura of majesty flowed from him.

“Who are you? You are the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the only one in history to have received the recognition of everyone within the academy. As long as I devour you whole, I will surely be able to achieve a breakthrough in my cultivation and escape from this darned place!” the Skyleaf King roared furiously as a savage glint flashed across his eyes.

Otherworldly Demons were able to raise their cultivation through devouring the flesh of master teachers. Back then, Vicious’ phalange[1] had fed off the bodies of the master teachers that the beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge had offered him, and through doing so, he was able to regain his strength and regrow his flesh.

The higher ranked and more talented a master teacher was, the more an Otherworldly Demon’s cultivation would grow by consuming him. For a very long time now, the Skyleaf King had been wanting to kill Zhang Xuan and devour him. Since Zhang Xuan had trapped himself within his base, how could he possibly allow this delicious prey to escape from him?

“Audacious!” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened. Driving his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he swiftly converted it into the chilling Zhenqi of Slaughter unique to Otherworldly Demons. Within the blink of an eye, a powerful aura burst into the surroundings. “I am…”

Pilipala!

Before Zhang Xuan could finish speaking, a powerful current of electricity abruptly ran through the hand that was trapped in the seal.

In just a brief moment, his entire body was charred black from the powerful lightning current. His entire body stiffened under the electrocution, and his hair also stood up from the lingering static electricity.

If not for his body having achieved durability comparable to a Saint low-tier artifact, he might have just died then and there.

Zhang Xuan’s eyes flew around the place, and he nearly burst into tears.

All he wanted to do was pose for a bit so as to fool the Skyleaf King, was it really that big a crime? To actually be electrocuted over such a small matter…

As stifled as Zhang Xuan felt, he swiftly understood what was going on.

Just as he had guessed previously, Otherworldly Demons were indeed unable to retrieve the artifacts within!

The moment he converted his Heaven’s Path zhenqi into Zhenqi of Slaughter, the seal assumed that an Otherworldly Demon was attempting to breach its defenses, so it immediately sent a powerful electric shock over. It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had converted his zhenqi back as soon as he noticed that something was amiss, or else even his Saint low-tier body would not have been strong enough to survive a sustained electric shock of that intensity.

How embarrassing it would have been if he had died from an electric shock while he was in the midst of posing!

“You…”

The Skyleaf King was just about to make a move when he suddenly saw Zhang Xuan being charred black before his eyes, and he froze in shock.

For an instant, he vividly felt a killing intent being emanated from the young man before him. It was weak, but it was even purer than his own. Furthermore, he was even electrocuted by the seal on top of that. Could it be that… the young man before him was not a master teacher but one of their tribesmen?

“Cough cough, you should know my identity now, right?” Exhaling a mouthful of white smoke, Zhang Xuan turned to the Skyleaf King and spoke confidently.

“You are also an Otherworldly Demon as well?” The Skyleaf King frowned for a moment before a glint flickered in his eyes. “No, that’s not right. You are a master teacher. How could a person who has received the acknowledgement of so many master teachers possibly be an Otherworldly Demon? Ah! You must have killed the Scarletleaf King and the others and drawn the Zhenqi of Slaughter from their bodies through some secret art. Do you think that you can beguile me through a cheap ploy like that? Dream on!”

Boom!

The Skyleaf King immediately gathered his strength once more and launched a palm strike against Zhang Xuan.

It was not without reason that he had managed to surpass innumerable Otherworldly Demons to become the number one expert of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings. He was indeed not as easily fooled as the other Kings.

While the Zhenqi of Slaughter was unique to the Otherworldly Demons, it was not entirely impossible for the fellow before him to have extracted the Zhenqi of Slaughter from the other Kings and stored it within his body so as to disguise himself as their tribesman.

Back then, a certain master teacher had used such a method to deal a crushing blow to them.

“You said that I killed the Scarletleaf King? Hahaha! You were fooled by that as well? That was just a ploy that I used to fool them. Take a look at who is this…” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a figure appeared beside him.

The fellow had a towering stature and a powerful body. Upon seeing the Skyleaf King, the fellow smiled and said, “It’s me…”

He was the Scarletleaf King!

“You aren’t dead yet?”

Seeing how the young man trapped in the formation had dragged out a living Scarletleaf King, who should have been ripped into pieces within a grade-7 pinnacle Slaughter Formation, the Skyleaf King found himself completely lost for the first time.

What was going on?

Back then, even though his fragmented Primordial Spirit had suffered a heavy blow, he did not leave the premises immediately. With his own eyes, he had watched the Scarletleaf King being tricked by the young man, and trapped within the formation that he constructed himself, he was torn into innumerable pieces. How in the world… did he come back to life?

“No, something is wrong. The Zhenqi of Slaughter within your body does not belong to the Scarletleaf King. Furthermore, your cultivation… isn’t right either…”

After a moment of bewilderment, the Skyleaf King swiftly found a few points that were off about the ‘Scarletleaf King’ before his eyes.

The ‘Scarletleaf King’ before him did harness Zhenqi of Slaughter as well, but it had an ancient quality to it. This was at odds with the cultivation technique practiced by the Scarletleaf King.

More importantly… there was a significant difference in their cultivation as well. The ‘Scarletleaf King’ before him was only at Nascent Saint pinnacle, not having even reached Saint realm yet.

One should know that the Scarletleaf King was a true Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert!

“In order to fool those master teachers, I had no choice but to take a fatal blow. As a result, my cultivation ended up suffering a temporary decline. Well, if you still don’t believe me, surely you should recognize this guy, right?” the frowning ‘Scarletleaf King’ explained.

There was a momentary blur before the Skyleaf King’s eyes, and another figure abruptly materialized in the chamber. It was the missing Violetleaf King.

“Paying respects to the Skyleaf King!” The Violetleaf King hurriedly clasped his fist and bowed deeply.

The frown on the Skyleaf King’s face deepened.

There was nothing wrong with the Violetleaf King before his eyes. The other party’s cultivation realm and aura were exactly how he remembered them to be.

For both the Scarletleaf King and the Violetleaf King to be with him… could Zhang Xuan really be one of their tribesmen?

While it looked as if he had killed the Ten Great Kings on the surface, he was, in fact, saving them all?

Recalling the incident from before, the Skyleaf King asked doubtfully, “No, that’s not right either. If you are truly one of our tribesmen, why would you reveal my hidden identity to those master teachers?”

His fragmented Primordial Spirit had been hiding within Jiang Yuan all along, and with his secret art, no one would have noticed him. Yet, the other party forced him out of Jiang Yuan’s body and put him through great suffering!

If the other party was truly an Otherworldly Demon, why would the other party have betrayed him?

Not even Feng Xun, Jiang Yuan’s close companion, had noticed the anomaly!

“It was all to obtain the trust of those foolish master teachers so that I could obtain the map!” Zhang Xuan replied with a leisurely wave of his hand.

However, as his entire body was still charred from the previous electrocution, his ‘leisurely’ movement looked sinister instead.

“You have obtained the map from them?” The Skyleaf King was taken aback.

“Indeed. It’s in my hands right now!” Zhang Xuan nodded, and he flicked his wrist. A map appeared in his hand.

“It really is the map…” Feeling the unique aura that emanated from the ancient goatskin resonating with the entire Qiu Wu Palace, the eyes of the Skyleaf King lit up.

The map had a distinctive quality reminiscent to the booklet that contained the introduction to the ancient domain. There was no doubt about it, it was the real map!

The Skyleaf King reached out to take the map in agitation. “Can you let me take a look?”

Hu!

With another flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan returned the map into his storage ring and shook his head. “With this, you should know who I am, right?”

“This…” Seeing Zhang Xuan keeping the map, the Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before asking with a deep frown, “Who in the world are you?”

All of the evidence suggested that the young man before him was an Otherworldly Demon, but… he did not know of any figure within the Qingtian Lineage who possessed such pure Zhenqi of Slaughter.

Zhang Xuan waved his hand. “It’s not convenient for me to tell you who I am at the moment. You just have to know that the Qingtian Emperor dispatched me to assist you in this mission.”

“His Majesty sent you here to assist me?” the Skyleaf King assessed the fellow before him once more.

The zhenqi in his body felt upright, and the faint air of a master teacher lingered around him. No matter how he looked at the fellow before him, the other party did not seem to have anything to do with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

“Indeed. Alright, I will have to obtain this artifact now, so stand back a moment. I will talk to you once I’m done…” Seeing that he had finally convinced the Skyleaf King a little, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he pushed his other hand further in to touch the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence.

“Obtain the artifact?” The Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before a ferocious glint flashed through his eyes. “Do you think that you can fool me with your cheap acting? Tell me, who are you?”

“Fool you? Why would you think that I’m trying to fool you?” Seeing how the other party was still reluctant to believe his words, Zhang Xuan felt a little headache.

If it had been any of the other Kings, they would have been sold by now. Yet, the Skyleaf King just would not believe him despite all of the evidences he had produced. Wasn’t he being a little too skeptical?

“I have no way of ascertaining who you truly are, but the seal that Kong shi left behind is surely able to do so! If our Otherworldly Demonic Tribe truly had a way to bypass Kong shi’s detection, we wouldn’t have been in such a vulnerable position all along.” Sneering coldly, the Skyleaf King gathered his zhenqi within his palm once more, ready to make a move.

The fact that the fellow was only electrocuted once while his hand was stuck within the seal was conclusive evidence that the other party wasn’t an Otherworldly Demon at his core. Without a doubt, he was a fake!

“You…” Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan immediately panicked.

“Exposed, huh? Regardless of whether you are truly a human or an Otherworldly Demon, you won’t be getting out of here alive today!” With a cold sneer, the Skyleaf King raised his palm to bring it down upon Zhang Xuan.

At that moment, however, he suddenly felt a splitting pain cutting into his head.

Peng!

His head abruptly burst apart, and his body was sent crashing into a nearby wall before collapsing back to the ground as if a lump of mud.

The ‘Scarletleaf King’ slapped his hand as the muscles throughout his body warped back into Zhang Xuan’s appearance.

“I told you from the start, we could have just killed him with a single punch. There was no need to waste your breath. You sure like to create more trouble for yourself, don’t you?”

[1] Phalange is a term to refer to the bones of a human’s finger.

Chapter 1079: What Are Those Things?

Naturally, the ‘Scarletleaf King’ was Zhang Xuan’s clone.

His clone and he were mentally connected, so they could easily transmit their thoughts to one another.

Earlier, in order to fool the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan had instructed the other party to morph into the Scarletleaf King’s form.

As his clone cultivated a simplified version of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he was unable to fully disguise his zhenqi to that of the Scarletleaf King nor conceal his level of cultivation perfectly, thus resulting in the Skyleaf King seeing through his clone’s disguise easily.

Back then, his clone had said that they shouldn’t waste their time with the Skyleaf King, and they should just end him with a single punch. However, Zhang Xuan felt that there was too huge of a disparity between their strength, so it was best for them not to move recklessly.

Even so, his clone still ended up striking the Skyleaf King anyway. It was truly fortunate that the Skyleaf King hadn’t really thought that anyone would be so brazen as to attempt an assault on him, and his clone also moved at a speed beyond the Skyleaf King’s expectations, so… the Skyleaf King ended up being struck in the head and died just after a single punch.

Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but fall in a daze.

The Skyleaf King’s strength was centered on his Primordial Spirit, making his physical body significantly weaker in comparison, but nevertheless, he was still a Leaving Aperture realm expert. With his body reinforced by his powerful zhenqi, it would be difficult for anyone wielding strength beneath Saint 4-dan to inflict harm to him, even with a successful surprise attack.

Yet, his clone actually managed to destroy the other party’s head with a single punch. That was far beyond the might that he harnessed within his physical body, zhenqi, and soul combined!

If he were to challenge his clone in his current state, there was no doubt that he would be utterly destroyed!

Was that fellow really still his clone?

To think that his rate of cultivation and fighting prowess would end up being so far beneath his own clone… At this rate, he dared not claim that he was a genius anymore.

“How did you become so strong?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask.

The gap was between them wasn’t that huge previously. At the very least, he was still able to stand his ground against his clone to some degree in the past. But if he were to clash with his clone once more with the latter’s current strength… just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine!

Could it be that his rate of cultivation was actually really slow?

“You gave me the Lightning Elemental Orb not too long ago. I thought that it was quite useful, so I absorbed it a little…” his clone began explaining with a proud look on his face when a loud explosion suddenly sounded from behind. Following which, a furious roar echoed resoundingly within the chamber.

“Shit, the Skyleaf King is a Leaving Aperture realm expert! Even with his physical body destroyed, his Primordial Spirit would still be intact…” Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the distinctive traits of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators, and his eyes widened in horror.

Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of drawing their Primordial Spirits from their physical bodies and operate independently from it. Even if their physical bodies were to be destroyed, it wouldn’t affect their fighting prowess by much.

Since the Skyleaf King was a true Leaving Aperture realm expert, the same applied to him as well. In other words, they weren’t out of danger yet. If anything, they were in greater danger than before.

While Zhang Xuan was speaking with his clone, his hand hadn’t been idling about. Noticing the urgency of the situation, he immediately drove his zhenqi, physical strength, and soul energy to the maximum, such that he could feel a sharp pain acting on his meridians and muscles as they were pushed to the verge of tearing apart.

Kacha!

The seal dented deeper and deeper inwards, and eventually, Zhang Xuan’s finger finally came into contact with the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence. He quickly kept it into his storage ring.

Hu!

The seal swiftly dissipated, freeing his hand.

“I will kill you!”

Hulala!

Along with a furious roar, a Primordial Spirit flew over with reddened eyes. Even without making a move, just the pressure it was exerting already left one feeling as if the world was being torn apart.

“Strong…” Zhang Xuan’s heart turned cold.

Even though he had encountered and even fought with a handful of Primordial Spirits in the past, none of them could begin to compare up with the one standing before him at this very moment. If the Primordial Spirit of the Jadeleaf King could be said to be a ferocious cat, the Skyleaf King would definitely have to be a ferocious tiger.

They weren’t even at the same level!

Just by the pressure itself, he could already tell that even with ten of him combined, he still wouldn’t be a match for the other party.

“That fellow really only knows how to cause trouble, I should never let him out again… If he hadn’t destroyed the Skyleaf King’s head, I might still be able to stall for some time. But this… What should I do…” With his life hinging on a thin thread, Zhang Xuan couldn’t be bothered with anything else anymore. He swiftly rushed for the exit as he cursed his clone in his mind.

Had his clone not acted so recklessly and destroyed the Skyleaf King’s head, the Skyleaf King also wouldn’t have gotten so furious.

He had only barely managed to flee from the seal, but at this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he was captured by the Skyleaf King once more.

“Clone, you were the one who caused this trouble. You should take responsibility and fend him off…” Zhang Xuan bellowed furiously, but before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw something that caused his eyebrows to shoot up, “Hey, don’t go! Wait a moment…”

With a speed even faster than his, his clone had already dashed out of the room, leaving only his back visible to him.

Who could have thought that his clone would actually be so disloyal, fleeing even faster than him? Zhang Xuan nearly died from sheer anger on the spot.

He had known all along that his clone was not a reliable teammate, but he had never thought that it would be to such an extent…

However, this wasn’t a moment to dwell about the matter. Knowing that he would die if the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit were to catch up with him, he quickly flicked his wrist, and the Lightning Elemental Orb appeared in his palm.

That was currently the strongest trump card he had at the moment. As long as he could activate it, he would be able to generate a field of lightning, which could possibly stall the Skyleaf King for some time, thus opening a small window for him to escape. That being said, it was nigh impossible for him to activate the Lightning Elemental Orb given his current level of cultivation, but considering the current circumstances, he had no other choice but to give it a try.

“Lightning…” Grabbing the orb tightly, Zhang Xuan infused zhenqi into it furiously. Halfway through his words, a loud ‘kacha!’ sounded, and the orb was reduced to dust.

“…” Zhang Xuan was speechless.

He was still wondering how his clone had gotten so powerful within such a short period of time… It turned out that he had fully absorbed the lightning harnessed within the Lightning Elemental Orb, emptying out the precious artifact!

“Damn it…”

Realizing that he had lost his greatest trump card, Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears. Watching the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit swiftly catching up to him, he despaired. He was just about to give himself up to death’s embrace when he suddenly felt a burst of wind rushing past him.

He turned around to take a look, and to his shock, the Skyleaf King had run straight past him, as if the other party hadn’t seen him at all.

“Ah?” Zhang Xuan was stunned.

As a large figure standing in the middle of the room, there was no way that the Skyleaf King would have missed him. So… why did the Skyleaf King run straight past him?

Nevertheless, since the Skyleaf King had chosen to overlook him, Zhang Xuan grasped the opportunity and swiftly kept the Violetleaf King back into the Myriad Anthive Nest before rushing out of the chamber.

Stepping out of the chamber, he saw his clone facing the Skyleaf King with a mocking look on his face not too far away. His clone wagged his finger provocatively while speaking in a resounding voice, “If you really think that you can defeat me, come at me then!”

Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

“Could it be that… after absorbing the Lightning Elemental Orb, my clone’s cultivation has already reached Leaving Aperture realm and could defeat the Skyleaf King? If that’s the case, I won’t need to escape anymore…”

Zhang Xuan had thought that his clone was being disloyal for running away, but it turned out that the other party was actually luring the Skyleaf King out to face the latter one on one…

From the looks of it, his clone seemed to have gained the ability to defeat the Skyleaf King face on. There was no need for him to worry anymore.

“You’re courting death…” the Skyleaf King roared as he flung a fist forward furiously.

The clone also swiftly retaliated with a punch of his own.

“My clone is actually facing the Skyleaf King head on?” Seeing how his clone was valiantly charging at the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He opened his eyes wide to see who would emerge victorious from the clash, only to see that before his clone’s fist could even come close to connecting with the Skyleaf King, the Skyleaf King’s fist had already fallen on his head.

Padah!

His clone’s head was knocked flat.

Pu!

Zhang Xuan’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets, and he almost blacked out on the spot.

Aren’t you supposed to be powerful?

To be destroyed within just a single blow… Where in the world did you find the courage to behave so arrogantly before the Skyleaf King?

“He is intentionally luring the other party so that I can escape…” Zhang Xuan was dazed for a moment before realization came to him, and he couldn’t help but feel a little moved. Despite how his clone usually acted, it seemed like he was still a trustworthy ally during crucial moments!

Deciding not to waste the other party’s selfless sacrifice, he quickly dashed away.

Reanalyzing the situation, while his clone’s fighting prowess had increased significantly after absorbing the energy within the Lightning Elemental Orb, he was still far from matching the Skyleaf King. The only reason why his clone had challenged the Skyleaf King so arrogantly to his face was so as to vie for some time for him to get away.

What a noble clone!

At this moment, Zhang Xuan felt deeply embarrassed that he misunderstood the kind intentions of the other party…

With reddened eyes, he swiftly dashed back toward the room where Wu shi and the others were at. Barely after he took three steps, a figure with a flattened head abruptly sprinted past him while shouting, “Main body, you will have to deal with him yourself, I am not a match for him… Also, Skyleaf King, you should stop pursuing me. He’s the real Zhang Xuan, I am only a clone…”

“…” Zhang Xuan’s body shook as he spurted blood.

So, in the end, the fellow was just trying to posture but it ended in a failure…

Zhang Xuan swiftly took a glance behind him and saw that the Skyleaf King was looking at him with reddened eyes.

“Don’t come for me, he’s the real Zhang Xuan, I am just a clone… When have you seen a clone escaping faster than the main body?” Zhang Xuan immediately backed away fearfully.

“I will kill you first before killing him…” With a look of savagery, the Skyleaf King roared angrily as he rushed towards Zhang Xuan.

Huala!

An incredible might tore through the air, but surprisingly enough, despite standing before such devastating might, Zhang Xuan didn’t show the slightest hint of panic. Instead, his lips curled up into a faint smile.

“You want to kill me? Give it your best shot then!” the young man replied calmly as he stomped his feet on the ground.

Weng!

With a loud buzz, the formations that were set up around the chamber came to life. In the blink of an eye, a dense layer of mist shrouded the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit.

Zhang Xuan had already examined the formation closely when he first arrived, and with his clone’s help, they were able to successfully lure the Skyleaf King into the formation and trap him within it.

“He’s the one who had set up the formation, so there’s no way the formation can kill or trap him for too long. Let’s go!”

While Zhang Xuan was able to activate the formation to trap the Skyleaf King temporarily, given the Skyleaf King’s deep understanding of those formations, it would be nigh impossible for him to kill the other party through it. Thus, he chose to make use of this opportunity to swiftly return back to where Wu shi and the others were instead.

“I will kill you!”

Geji! Geji!

Shortly after Zhang Xuan left the formation, a series of loud explosions sounded behind him. The formations trapping the Skyleaf King had been torn into pieces.

Those grade-7 pinnacle formations could easily trap Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others, but against the Leaving Aperture realm Skyleaf King who commanded a thorough understanding of them, it could only barely last for a few moments.

On top of that, the formations required a person of sufficient strength to drive it in order to draw out its true strength, but Zhang Xuan’s Nascent Saint pinnacle cultivation wasn’t sufficient for him to drive a grade-7 pinnacle formation properly.

“Run!”

With the formations being torn apart, Zhang Xuan knew that he would be killed if the Skyleaf King caught with up. Thus, he pushed his body to its limits and dashed forward as fast as he could.

…

“What an incredible pulsation of energy… This is bad. The Skyleaf King must have noticed Principal Zhang, and the both of them started fighting with one another!”

The crowd, who were resting within the small room, felt an intense disturbance in the surrounding spiritual energy, and their eyes narrowed in alarm.

“Let’s go out to take a look…” Wu shi said anxiously before taking the lead to head outside.

The others quickly followed suit, and not too long after leaving the room, they saw a monster with a flattened sheet dangling on his neck sprinting over. Behind him was a person whose entire body was charred black and hair was standing on end.

“What are those things?”

The crowd was horrified.

Chapter 1080: I Want to Become a Celestial Saint!

Due to the huge commotion outside, everyone thought that the Skyleaf King had noticed Zhang Xuan and a battle had broken out among them.

Yet, when they headed out, they found two monsters running in their direction instead. What was going on?

Weren’t they the only ones in the Saint Ascension Hall?

“Wait… No, those are not monsters. Take a closer look, the charred man behind is Principal Zhang!” Guild Leader Han suddenly noticed something, and he gulped subconsciously. “Look at his clothes, they are identical with Principal Zhang’s. It’s just that… he seems to have been struck by lightning?”

“You’re right, he’s Principal Zhang! But if that’s the case… who’s the flat-faced fellow in front?” Wu shi asked in bewilderment.

The fellow with the flattened face in front was dressed in the same clothes as Principal Zhang, and their figures were identical as well. But… surely a person whose face had been crushed flat should have died, so how could he still be running about?

Not to mention, the speed he was running at was astounding at that! Even Principal Zhang was unable to keep up with him…

“I will kill you all…”

Just as Guild Leader Han and Wu shi were perplexed by the bizarre situation, a towering Primordial Spirit suddenly appeared around the bend behind the duo. While chasing the duo, the Primordial Spirit was launching attack after attack, causing huge palm prints to appear on the ground amid intense tremors.

“That’s the Skyleaf King? He has drawn out his Primordial Spirit? This is really bad; we must quickly move to save them!”

Upon seeing this sight, Wu shi and the others did not have the luxury of time to slowly figure out who the duo was anymore. They quickly drew their weapons and rushed forward to save them.

Huala!

“Rise!”

Along with Wu shi’s bellow, the swords in everyone’s hand gathered together to form a grand rain of swords directed toward the Skyleaf King.

“How dare you hinder my path? Scram, or else I’ll claim your lives!” Roaring frenziedly, the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit burst forth to deflect the rain of swords with a powerful slap.

Deng deng deng deng!

The incredible might of the Skyleaf King’s slap caused Wu shi and the others to retreat eight steps. That single strike had left their zhenqi running in disarray, and their faces paled from the impact.

Even before the Skyleaf King had drawn out his soul, they were already no match for him. Given that the Skyleaf King had gone on a rampage, drawing out his Primordial Spirit to face them, they stood even less of a chance.

Nevertheless, even though their attack did nothing to injure the Skyleaf King, they did succeed in slowing down the Skyleaf King’s advancement, thus buying Zhang Xuan and his clone sufficient time to reach them.

“Quick, get back into the formation…” Knowing that the crowd could very well lose their lives if they were to clash with the Skyleaf King, Zhang Xuan hurriedly shouted as he continued rushing toward the formation.

The crowd also knew that they did not stand a chance against the Skyleaf King with their current strength either, so they hurriedly stepped back into the formation.

The moment Zhang Xuan managed to reach the formation, he heaved a huge sigh of relief. Turning his gaze to the figure with a flattened face not too far away, his eyebrows shot up in displeasure.

If not for the fact that he did not stand a chance against his clone, he would have taught the latter a lesson.

In the first place, his clone was the one who had acted recklessly and landed both of them in trouble. Despite that, not only did his clone not offer himself to save him, the main body, he even fled faster than him.

“You should return back to the Anthive Nest first; I will settle this with you later…” Knowing that this was not the time to be fussing over such matters, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and had his clone return to the Myriad Anthive Nest.

Weng!

Right after he did that, a light buzz sounded. Vice Principal Ji Yan had already successfully activated the formation, and a brilliant light shrouded the area.

They had set up this formation in order to fend off the Skyleaf King’s assault, and after numerous uses over the past two years, they were already very familiar with it. As such, they were able to activate it instantaneously.

Being blocked outside the formation, the Skyleaf King furiously roared, “Damn you! Damn all of you…”

Shortly after, the crowd heard a loud thud on the formation. An intense force reverberated through the formation, threatening to shatter it apart.

“We won’t last long at this rate.”

After several strikes from the Skyleaf King, the face of the one driving the formation, Vice Principal Ji Yan, blanched, and cold sweat trickled down his forehead.

It was not like the Skyleaf King had never attempted to breach the defenses of their formation before, but this was the first time he had launched such frenzied attacks. If it continued, it was just a matter of time before the formation broke apart.

“There are only the few of us around here, so originally, the Skyleaf King wouldn’t kill us before finding a path to escape. After all, the chances of finding a plausible escape path are greater if there are more of us around. For him to suddenly go into a rampage… Zhang shi, just what did you do?” Vice Principal Tan Qing frowned as he turned his gaze toward the charred young man not too far away.

Just how in the world did he manage to provoke the Skyleaf King into drawing out his Primordial Soul and rushing at them as if he had gone berserk?

“I… All I did was destroy his body,” Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly.

His clone could hide back in the Myriad Anthive Nest after causing so much trouble, but he couldn’t do the same. In the end, he was the one who had to clean up the mess made by the other party. The more he thought about it, the more exasperated he felt.

“Destroy his body?”

‘You mean… you killed his physical body?”

Everyone was stunned.

They were still thinking that it was ridiculous for the Skyleaf King to go so far as to chase Zhang Xuan in his Primordial Spirit just because he had stolen a stalk of Grand Intermittence Grass from him. But who would have thought that Zhang Xuan actually destroyed the other party’s physical body!

Leaving Aperture realm cultivators were capable of surviving as Primordial Spirits, but they would still have to take good care of their own body as it was the resting place for their Primordial Spirits, and it was also the foundation for them to further their cultivation. Given so, there was no one who wouldn’t go into a frenzy after having their body destroyed!

“I also didn’t notice it. It was an accident, really!” Seeing the horrified expressions on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan quickly explained himself.

If he had managed to stop his clone from acting so recklessly back then, they would not have been placed in such a desperate situation.

“Accident…”

Everyone’s face reddened in frustration, and if they could, they would have really liked to give the fellow before them a good pummeling.

In the first place, it is already tough enough for a Nascent Saint cultivator like him to destroy the body of a Saint 5-dan expert… and he was saying that it was all an accident?

If that was the result of an accident, wouldn’t the world be destroyed if he acted intentionally?

Taking a few deep breaths, Guild Leader Han suppressed the vexed emotions in his heart and spoke grimly. “Forget it, this isn’t the time to be thinking about that. We have to find some way to stabilize the formation quickly, or else we might all lose our lives here…”

He was the head of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Formation Master Guild, and his comprehension of formations was extremely deep. He could tell that while the formation was still managing to keep the Skyleaf King at bay temporarily, the situation wouldn’t last for too long at the current rate. To prevent that, all of them would have to devote their strength to reinforcing the formation together.

“Alright!” Knowing the urgency of the situation, the others quickly nodded.

“Wu shi, head to the Qian position and stand guard there. Luo shi, head to the Zhen position…” Guild Leader Han quickly distributed various roles among the group.

He had been studying the formation ever since he arrived at the room, so he had an idea of where the weaknesses of the formation were located. Noting that there was nothing wrong with Guild Leader Han’s deployment, Zhang Xuan decided to just follow his instructions.

Hong long!

As everyone infused their zhenqi into the formation simultaneously, the formation seemed to have stabilized significantly, alleviating the tremors.

“Damn it…” Noting the changes in the formation, the Skyleaf King quickly realized that he wouldn’t be able to breach the formation even if he exerted his full strength. Trembling with rage, he roared, “Since you wish to coop in your hole like tortoises, I will crush that statue!”

Hu!

Shortly after those words were shouted, everyone felt the immense pressure acting on them disappearing. It seemed the Skyleaf King had left.

“He has gone to deal with Principal Zhang Yinqiu! What do we do?” Stepping out of the formation, the group realized that the Skyleaf King had indeed left. Realizing what the other party was going to do next, Vice Principals Ji Yan and Tan Qing could not help but panic.

Clearly, the statue referred to the old principal beside the Saint Ascension Platform.

The old principal’s soul was currently sealed within the statue, so he could not flee even if he wanted to. Faced with the Skyleaf King, the only plausible fate for him was death!

Even though the old principal was currently trapped within a statue, he had consciousness and was capable of speaking. Surely they couldn’t watch idly as their close comrade was killed by the Skyleaf King?

“What else can we do? We can only save him!” Wu shi replied gravely.

“But… there’s no way we will be able to stop the Skyleaf King!” Vice Principal Tan Qing said worriedly.

The Skyleaf King was simply too powerful. Even with their might combined, they were still no match for the other party. If they were to rush over recklessly, not only would they be unable to save the old principal, their team might even be wiped out at that.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t simply watch idly as a comrade dies right before my eyes. Even at the expense of my life, I want to at least try to save him. Master teachers never abandon their own brethren!” Wu shi clenched his fists in agitation.

“It goes without saying that we share the same feeling as well, but… what can we do?” Vice Principal Tan Qing shook his head and sighed deeply. “It was in order to save me that Principal Zhang Yinqiu landed himself in such a state. If we charge in recklessly and lose our life in the midst of saving him, we will only be undermining the sacrifice he made for us! He would surely blame us for acting foolishly!”

Having followed Zhang Yinqiu for many years, Vice Principal Tan Qing had a clear grasp of the other party’s temperament and character.

Unmarried, Zhang Yinqiu had devoted his entirety to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and his responsibilities as a master teacher. Even if they were to succeed in saving Zhang Yinqiu at the expense of their own lives, they would only make the other party guilt-ridden for being a liability to the team.

“Is there any way we will be able to defeat the Skyleaf King?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

“There is a way. As long as someone achieves a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension Platform, we will be able to call forth the energy within it and enter a temporary state of invincibility. With the temporary state of invincibility, we will be able to overwhelm the Skyleaf King easily!” Vice Principal Ji Yan said.

“Temporary state of invincibility?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Indeed. We have been studying the stone tablets on the first floor over the past two years, and according to the records left behind by Kong shi, if a cultivator successfully becomes a Celestial Saint, a burst of sacred light will descend from the sky. At the same time, the energy harnessed within the Saint Ascension Platform will be infused into the cultivator’s body. As the energy harnesses the authority of the world, not even 9-star master teachers will be able to stand their ground before it!” Vice Principal Ji Yan replied.

In the two years that they were trapped in the area, other than pitting their strength and wits against the Skyleaf King, they had also been looking into how they could escape from the Saint Ascension Hall as well. As such, they had been looking around the area whenever they had chance to do so, and they had managed to find quite a few records that were related to the Saint Ascension Platform.

At this point, it seemed like there were only two solutions to escape from the Saint Ascension Hall. Firstly, obtain the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Secondly, be conferred as a Celestial Saint on the Saint Ascension Platform.

The first solution was no longer feasible. The fragmented soul of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had already dissipated from being excessively traumatized, so there was no way they could obtain the heritage anymore. In other words, their only hope lay in the second solution.

“That’s as good as not saying anything at all… Celestial Saint? How could it be that easy!” Wu shi shook his head.

Shortly after hearing those words, the young man stepped up, and with determination in his eyes, he said, “How about this? Let’s head to the Saint Ascension Platform, and the rest of you will try to find ways to stall the Skyleaf King so as to prevent him from laying his hands on the old principal. In the meantime, I will attempt to achieve a breakthrough to Celestial Saint on the Saint Ascension Platform!”

Since he had already obtained the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence, he was ready for a breakthrough to Saint realm!

With his powerful accumulation and deep comprehension of the Saint Ascension Decipher, there was at least an 80% chance that he could become a Celestial Saint!

At this moment, it seemed to be the only plausible way to stop the Skyleaf King and save the remaining soul of the old principal!

“Becoming a Celestial Saint is not as easy as you think it is. You really should drop the idea…” Seeing how the other party raised the topic once more, Vice Principal Ji Yan frowned in displeasure.

He had already told the other party about the matter previously, and it was only out of politeness that he had not hurled criticisms at him. And yet, the other party was going on about it once more.

Do you think that Celestial Saints are like cabbages in the market, available upon demand?

Stop overestimating yourself!

The displeased Vice Principal Ji Yan was just about to continue when the presence of the young man before him abruptly changed, and an inviolable aura abruptly burst forth from him.

Hong long!

That aura created a warm glow around the young man, portraying him as a deity.

“This… This is… Celestial Master Teacher?”

Upon sensing the aura, Vice Principal Ji Yan’s criticisms were stifled in his throat. His eyes narrowed, and his body stiffened.

Chapter 1081: Exchange

It was previously said that the requirement for ascending to Celestial Saint was to be a Celestial Master Teacher.

But other than Kong shi, there was not a single person in the entire Master Teacher Continent who had managed to receive the acknowledgement of the heavens and become a Celestial Master Teacher. As such, they had always thought that it was all a pipe dream, a solution that could never come to be. Thus, when they felt the aura the young man before them was emanating, they fell into a daze.

Zhang shi was actually a… Celestial Master Teacher?

Vice Principal Ji Yan was not the only one who reacted in such a manner. Other than Luo Ruoxin, the remaining members of the group also had their mouths widened in shock, as if they had seen a ghost.

They knew that Zhang Xuan was a person who possessed unparalleled talent and outstanding leadership, but who would have thought that he was actually a real Celestial Master Teacher?

It was no wonder Ancient Sage Qiu Wu dissipated in shame!

His standing could be said to be on par with even Kong shi himself!

Retracting the aura around him, Zhang Xuan turned to Vice Principal Ji Yan and asked, “So, am I qualified to become a Celestial Saint?”

“O-of course!” Vice Principal Ji Yan hurriedly replied with quivering lips. At this point, how could he dare say no?

If even Celestial Master Teachers were unable to become Celestial Saints, it would be impossible for anyone else to do it.

Seeing that he had managed to convince everyone, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. “Let’s move quickly then. Otherwise, once the Skyleaf King lays his hands on the old principal, it’ll be too late for regrets.”

If the group continued dawdling around due to their lack of confidence in his ability to become a Celestial Saint, the old principal would probably be dead before they could take any concrete action. With a life at stake, he could only reveal his identity so as to win them over.

Besides, once he became a Celestial Saint, the others were bound to learn about his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher as well. Since that was going to be the case, it made no difference whether he revealed it to them now or later.

And judging from the crowd’s reaction, it seemed like he had made the right call as well.

“Alright, let’s set off right now!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Alright!”

The crowd quickly made their way toward the roof of the Saint Ascension Hall once more.

The Saint Ascension Platform was not releasing any sacred light at the moment, so the Skyleaf King could access the area freely as he wished. They would have to make haste.

Hong long!

As soon as they arrived at the rooftop, they saw the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit grabbing the old principal’s soul. The statue the latter was housed in before had already been reduced to fragments.

Upon seeing the crowd, the old principal immediately exclaimed anxiously, “Don’t come over, I am already a dead man. There’s no need for you to make unnecessary sacrifices for me.”

Even though he had never cultivated soul arts before, his soul was still able to stabilize significantly due to the sustained nourishment from the sacred light over time. As such, the destruction of the statue did not dissipate his soul instantaneously.

“Shut up!” With a tap of the Skyleaf King’s finger, the old principal’s voice immediately vanished. With a cold gaze in his eyes, the Skyleaf King turned to the crowd and said, “I thought that master teachers were all spineless cowards who feared death. What a surprise!”

Seeing that Zhang Yinqiu’s soul was tightly grasped in the Skyleaf King’s hands, Vice Principal Tan Qing clenched his jaws and said, “Let go of our principal! As the leader of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings, a Leaving Aperture realm expert, don’t you think that it’s beneath you to deal with a powerless soul?”

“Beneath me? Hah! If it wasn’t for that, do you think that this fellow would have been able to live to this day?” the Skyleaf King replied with ferocity.

Trapped within the statue, Zhang Yinqiu was unable to leave the rooftop of the Saint Ascension Hall at all.

There were various intervals in which the Saint Ascension Platform did not emanated sacred light, and the Skyleaf King could have easily made use of these intervals to kill Zhang Yinqiu. The reason he had not done so was out of consideration of his standing, and just as Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others had guessed, it would also be harder for him to find a way to escape if all of the master teachers were killed.

Furthermore, Zhang Yinqiu posed no threat at all, and in his current form, living would only be more painful than death.

“What do we have to do for you to release the old principal?” Zhang Xuan asked with a deep frown.

Judging from how the Skyleaf King had yet to make a move after all this while, it was apparent that he was intending to use Zhang Yinqiu as leverage to negotiate with them.

“Simple! Hand over that fellow who beat me up along with the map, and I’ll let him go. Otherwise, you will have to watch helplessly as his soul dissipates into nothing!” As the Skyleaf King spoke about the person who had beaten him up, his voice grew visibly colder and angrier.

This was the first time that someone had successfully managed to pull off an assault against him since becoming the number one expert of the Qingtian Ten Great Kings. To make matters worse, his head was utterly crushed, thus rendering his physical body completely useless. Just the thought of it left him so furious that he could explode on the spot.

“The fellow who beat you up?” Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes blankly.

He had thought that the Skyleaf King would use Zhang Yinqiu as a leverage to claim his life, but who could have known that his hatred for his clone far exceeded his…

But thinking about it, that was to be expected. After all, his clone had destroyed the other party’s body in a single hit, so it was only natural that the other party was filled with antagonism for his clone.

“Indeed. Hand that fellow over with the map, and I will release Zhang Yinqiu!” the Skyleaf King nodded.

“Very well. We can hand them over to you, but you must swear to the Spirit God that not only will you not kill the old principal, you are also not to lay your hands on us in the next twenty-four hours unless we were to attack you!” Zhang Xuan said. “Otherwise, if you go after us right after we save the old principal, that would render the exchange completely meaningless!”

Considering that Zhang Xuan had the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence in his hands, it would not take long for him to achieve a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension Platform. As long as he could prevent the Skyleaf King from attacking them for the time being, he would be able to successfully become a Celestial Saint and slay the latter.

The Skyleaf King was taken aback. “You know of our Spirit God?”

Swearing to the Spirit God was an extremely sacred and solemn ritual of their Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. A vow that was sworn to the Spirit God could not be broken, or else the Spirit God would claim one’s soul as forfeit.

“Why? You dare not agree to our request? That’s fine as well, but you need not dream about obtaining the map either; let’s all die here together. We’re all trapped here anyway, so it’s only a matter of time before you join us in the underworld!” Noting the Skyleaf King’s hesitation, Zhang Xuan immediately pushed his case on to topple the scales in his favor.

The Skyleaf King contemplated for a long while before he eventually nodded. “Alright then, I will make a vow to the Spirit God!”

“Let’s begin then.” Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out an altar of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. It was the one that he had obtained from the hands of the Jadeleaf King.

Seeing how thorough Zhang Xuan was, the Skyleaf King realized that it would be impossible for him to dupe the other party, and he sneered coldly, “You sure are well-prepared, aren’t you? Fine, I shall make a vow to the Spirit God here!”

Hong long!

Innumerable treasures appeared on top of the altar, and as the Skyleaf King began speaking in a foreign tongue, the items began burning up.

Geji! Geji!

All of a sudden, the sky suddenly turned pitch-black, and a massive door materialized right above him.

Everyone’s body stiffened in the presence of the door.

There was an inconceivably powerful aura that was being emanated from within the door. Before such massive power, it felt as if even cultivators of their strength could be torn into shreds with just a mere thought.

Standing before such power, Zhang Xuan’s heart also skipped a beat.

Back then, the Jadeleaf King had only utilized the altar to verify Feng Xun’s identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, so the door had not appeared. He had not thought that the Skyleaf King’s vow would call upon such a fearsome existence.

Hu!

The door slowly opened, and a silhouette came into view.

It was a mere silhouette, but its very presence left the crowd feeling as if their souls would burst at any moment. If the existence were to really descend upon this land, would the Master Teacher Continent be destroyed?

Inside the door was completely dark, making the silhouette extremely vague. However, through his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was still able to catch a decent glimpse within the door, and a deep frown emerged on his forehead.

That silhouette… Where have I seen it before?

However, before he could give the matter much thought, the Skyleaf King suddenly began making his vow, dragging Zhang Xuan’s attention away from the silhouette.

“I, the Skyleaf King, vow in the name of the Spirit God that as long as I am given the map and the offender who destroyed my body, I will immediately release Zhang Yinqiu and not harm him and his comrades within the next twenty-four hours unless they were to attack me. If I ever break this vow, may the Spirit God claim my life and soul as forfeit.”

Huala!

Right after those words were spoken, a brilliant ray of light burst forth from within the door and fell right on his head, entering his mind.

It seemed to be confirmation that the Spirit God had accepted the vow.

Hu!

After that was done, the door slowly dissipated from existence. With a slightly pale look on his face, the Skyleaf King turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, “How is it? I have already made my vow, so can you believe me now?”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to take out his clone and map when Wu shi’s voice suddenly sounded in his ear via zhenqi telepathy.

“Something is not right; everything seems to be proceeding too smoothly. Don’t you think that the Skyleaf King has accepted our request too quickly? He even willingly made a vow to the Spirit God at our request. Could there be a trap somewhere?”

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement. “There’s definitely a trap somewhere…”

Given the Skyleaf King’s superior cultivation, he was in an advantageous situation compared to them. Yet, he still chose to accept to their terms without much hesitation or bargaining. It was truly hard to believe that the other party was not up to something given this bizarre situation.

“Then…” Wu shi frowned.

“The old principal is currently in his hands, so we have no other choice but to go along with it. Besides, he might have his trap, but we have our own trump card as well. As long as we can stall for some time, I will be able to successfully become a Celestial Saint and slay him, thus resolving the situation once and for all,” Zhang Xuan replied telepathically.

Considering that they were in a disadvantageous situation, it was already a huge blessing that the Skyleaf King was willing to accept their terms. Even if there was trap hidden somewhere, they had no choice but to leap right into it.

“This…” Knowing that the Skyleaf King was definitely up to something, Wu shi felt a little reluctant to go ahead with the plan. However, he also understood that there was no other path they could take at the moment.

If the Skyleaf King really made a move against them, they would not be able to stop him.

“Hurry up, don’t test my patience. Where is that fellow and my map?” the Skyleaf King said impatiently.

“They are over here…” Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and his clone appeared beside him.

Since his clone was the one who had landed them in the current predicament, it was only natural that he should take responsibility for the matter as well.

In any case, his clone was forged out of the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo, so even if he were to be pummeled into a flat pancake, even with the incredible strength the Skyleaf King wielded, Zhang Xuan did not think that the other party was capable of killing his clone.

At this moment, his clone had already recovered from his flattened face. In order not to shock the others too much, Zhang Xuan had his clone alter his appearance to that of Sun Qiang’s in the Anthive Nest before coming out.

“He’s the fellow who laid his hands on me earlier?” Seeing a fatty whom he did not recognize appearing before him, the Skyleaf King frowned doubtfully.

“Indeed. He’s capable of disguising himself. He was the one who disguised himself as the Scarletleaf King earlier, too,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Very well…”

With hatred and wrath in his eyes, the Skyleaf King raised his hand, and an immense might immediately wrapped itself around Zhang Xuan’s clone. With a powerful tug, the Skyleaf King pulled the clone over to his side, holding the latter hostage.

After grabbing hold of his clone, the Skyleaf King did not rush to exact vengeance on him. Instead, he turned to Zhang Xuan once more and asked, “What about the map?”

“It’s over here!” Zhang Xuan stretched out his hand, and an ancient goatskin sheet materialized above his palm. Floating calmly, it emanated a historic air around it.

Honestly speaking, the map was not much use at all. So far, all it had done was form a rainbow bridge that allowed the expedition team to bypass the celestial palace and enter the Qiu Wu Palace. If the Skyleaf King really wanted it, there was no harm in handing it over to him.

“Give it to me…” A look of fiery desire swiftly flickered across the Skyleaf King’s eyes as he anxiously stretched his hand forward.

“Alright.” With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan passed the map over to the Skyleaf King.

“Wu! Wuwuwu! Wuwuwuwu…” Seeing that the map was about to fall into the Skyleaf King’s grasp, the silenced Zhang Yinqiu panicked. He tried to say something, but the binding that the Skyleaf King had cast over him prevented him from speaking a word.

“Good! Alright, I’ll return this one to you then!” With a light push, the Skyleaf King tossed Zhang Yinqiu’s soul toward Zhang Xuan and the others.

Zhang Xuan and the others hurriedly rushed forward to catch Zhang Yinqiu’s soul, and Wu shi quickly relieved Zhang Yinqiu of his bindings.

As soon as the binding was released, Zhang Yinqiu immediately said anxiously, “The map concerns the possession of the ancient domain; we cannot let him gain possession of it!”

“Hahaha, it’s too late!”

Standing in midair with the map in his grasp, the Skyleaf King’s excited voice boomed in the area, and the Saint Ascension Hall abruptly began shaking intensely.

Chapter 1082: You Are Blocking Me from Watching Zhang Xuan Pose

Boom!

With a smooth motion, the map in the Skyleaf King’s grasp opened up, and the Saint Ascension Hall suddenly began shaking intensely. In fact, the shaking seemed to extend to the Qiu Wu Palace and even beyond.

An enormous power seemed to be gushing from the depths of the ground, and it felt as if something frightening was about to surface.

Feeling the powerful aura, everyone’s face warped in horror.

The aura was simply too powerful. The Skyleaf King was already an opponent that was nigh impossible for them to deal with previously, but before this aura, they felt that they did not even stand a sliver of chance.

Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed. “This is… the aura of the Subterranean Gallery’s seal?”

He had felt such a sensation from the seal in the Subterranean Gallery before. Vast and powerful, it felt like something no being could never hope to stand against.

Geji! Geji!

The aura grew more and more powerful, and eventually, at the summons of the map, a massive sphere slowly burrowed out of the ground.

Similar to a crystal ball, the sphere was transparent. Zhang Xuan could not tell what it was made of, but the sheer power harnessed within it could easily crush all of them.

Seeing the abrupt twist in circumstances, Wu shi hurriedly asked, “Zhang Yinqiu, what is going on?”

“It’s the map!” With a pale face, Zhang Yinqiu spoke with despair in his eyes.

“Map? Doesn’t the map only serve to point out a safe path through the ancient domain?” Wu shi asked with a frown.

They had seen the map when Zhang Xuan had it, and all it had done for them so far was create a bridge that led them into the true Qiu Wu Palace. Other than that, it seemed to serve no practical purpose at all.

“Point out a safe path?” Zhang Yinqiu shook his head. “It’s far more important than that. That map is actually the key to Qiu Wu Palace! Inscribed on it are the words of the ancient gods and a unique Spatial Formation. Once it fuses with the sphere, the map will be able to store the entire Qiu Wu Palace within it!”

“Store the entire Qiu Wu Palace within it?” The crowd was startled.

“On your way here, you must have realized that Qiu Wu Palace is actually a folded space. The sphere over there is the core of Qiu Wu Palace, it serves to regulate the energy within it and stabilize the space.

“The map serves as the key to controlling the sphere. Once the sphere fuses together with the map, the entire Qiu Wu palace will become a painting, similar to the celestial palace outside. If that happens, not only will the Skyleaf King gain possession over all of the treasures that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu and Kong shi have left behind, we will also be trapped within the painting, and the Skyleaf King would be able to deal with us as he pleases!” Zhang Yinqiu said anxiously.

“This…” Everyone’s body jolted in shock.

The reason they were so helpless before the Scarletleaf King back when they were within the celestial palace was because they were ‘trapped within the painting’ whereas the Scarletleaf King was ‘outside the painting’.

The old principal was right. Once the Skyleaf King successfully fused the sphere together with the map, the entire ancient domain would be his to control. If that truly happened, they would be in deep trouble.

“Back then, on top of leaving behind his heritage for master teachers, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had also created the map and entrusted it into trustworthy hands so that those who required its strength would be able to use it in times of crisis. Those who possess the map can fuse it together with the sphere, and that would grant them complete control over Qiu Wu Palace.

“If the Skyleaf King truly gains possession of Qiu Wu Palace, even without the heritage, he would still be able to analyze and reverse engineer the structure of the seal. Once he succeeds, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe will be able to send their armies into the Master Teacher Continent, and mankind will be in for a tough fight. It is also for this reason that I rushed over as fast as I could to stop him, having thought that the Skyleaf King had already obtained the map.”

Upon hearing those words, everyone came to a realization.

Previously, Zhang Xuan had been thinking that since it was impossible for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s heritage, why did the old principal and the others still charge into the ancient domain to stop them despite knowing the huge risks it posed?

At this moment, everything was finally clear to him.

“What do we do now?” Wu shi asked worriedly.

They were currently in a race against time. If the Skyleaf King succeeded in fusing the sphere with the map, mankind could very well be facing a calamity on an unprecedented scale.

“There’s only one thing we can do now—stop the map and the sphere from fusing together!” Zhang Yinqiu said grimly.

“Alright!” everyone replied grimly.

“Principal Zhang, you should go and attempt a breakthrough first. Leave the Skyleaf King to us!” Wu shi said.

“Alright.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

He knew that given his current strength, he would not be of any help for the others in their fight against the Skyleaf King. Since that was the case, it was better for him to focus on achieving a breakthrough. Once he succeeded, the current adversity they were in could be resolved easily.

Not expecting the Nascent Saint cultivator to be thinking about breaking through at such a crucial moment, Zhang Yinqiu could not help but frown. “Breakthrough? Even if a Nascent Saint achieves a breakthrough to Saint realm, it still won’t make a difference to the current plight we are in.”

“Don’t worry, Principal Zhang Yinqiu. It’s not any ordinary breakthrough that he’s going for,” Wu shi replied with a soft chuckle. After which, he took in a deep breath, and his eyes suddenly grew solemn. With an abrupt leap, he charged swiftly toward the Skyleaf King as if a streak of lightning.

Tzzzla!

Knowing that his opponent wielded strength far beyond him, Wu shi used a secret art right from the get-go, forcing his body to exert a might far beyond his current limits.

“Wait for me!”

Guild Leader Han also swiftly leaped up to support Wu shi.

In an instant, the two Saint 4-dan experts immediately began clashing with the Skyleaf King.

Had it been any other occasion, the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit would be more than able to subdue the both of them with a single palm strike. However, at that moment, he had to devote a portion of his strength and focus to facilitating the fusion of the map and the sphere, so his strength had been reduced significantly. As a result, a stalemate had actually arisen from their clash.

“Not any ordinary breakthrough that he’s going for?” On the other hand, Zhang Yinqiu knew that he would not stand a chance against the Skyleaf King in his current form, so he turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan doubtfully instead.

Just what kind of breakthrough was the latter going to achieve for Wu shi to say such words?

However, this doubt did not last for too long in his mind, as he soon saw Zhang Xuan walking toward the Saint Ascension Platform.

The Saint Ascension Platform was protected by an extremely powerful seal, making it nigh impossible for anyone else to approach it. Yet, for some reason, the seal displayed an exceptional intimacy toward Zhang Xuan, opening up a path for him to pass through without any hesitation.

A thought surfaced in Zhang Yinqiu’s mind, and his eyes widened in shock. The seal opened up for him? Could it be… Could it be… Celestial Master Teacher?

In terms of their understanding of Qiu Wu Palace, there was no one there who could rival Zhang Yinqiu.

There was only one possibility for the seal to open up a path voluntarily for one to pass through—the person had met the requirements to become a Celestial Saint. In other words, the young man before him was actually a Celestial Master Teacher!

Hong long!

Before his shocked gaze, the young man before him took a seat on top of the Saint Ascension Platform. With a flick of his wrist, a seven-colored fluid materialized before the young man.

“That is… the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence!” Zhang Yinqiu exclaimed.

As rare as the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence was, it had a rather distinctive and unique appearance. Those who had heard of it before could easily recognize it.

On the Saint Ascension Platform, Zhang Xuan held the Seven-colored Earth Jade Essence in one hand while tapping on it lightly with the forefinger of his other hand. In the next instant, the seven-colored energy harnessed within the fluid swiftly seeped into the many acupoints throughout his body.

Geji! Geji!

A resounding echo sounded, and Zhang Xuan’s aura began surging swiftly. In the blink of an eye, he had already overcome the limitations of Nascent Saint pinnacle, heading toward a far greater level.

Such incredible power… Is he really just attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm?

Zhang Yinqiu gulped subconsciously as he stared at the sight before him fixedly.

Even though the young man before him was only attempting a breakthrough from Nascent Saint to Saint realm 1-dan, the aura that he was emanating felt profound and unfathomable, as if one was staring into the deep abyss. Zhang Yinqiu had once witnessed a Saint 2-dan achieving a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan, but it paled greatly in comparison to what was happening before him.

If anything, they were not even on the same level!

Zhang Yinqiu could hardly believe his eyes. Is he really trying to become a Celestial Saint?

The fact that Kong shi had made such preparations within the Qiu Wu Palace showed that he had no doubt that there would surely come another Celestial Saint after him, but even so, Zhang Yinqiu still found it hard to believe that anyone could succeed in accomplishing that seemingly impossible feat.

After all, there was only one Kong shi in the world. None could replace him; none could match up to him.

Had the world not had Kong shi, the ancient times would have been bleak like the onset of a long night!

“He’s definitely going to. After all, that fellow knows of nothing but showing off.”

While Zhang Yinqiu was still caught in his state of disbelief, a slightly sour voice sounded beside him. Turning around, he saw that the fatty who had been exchanged for him had, at some point in time, taken a position beside him, his eyes fixated on the young man on the Saint Ascension Platform as well. There was a deeply displeased look on his face, seemingly angered by the fact that the limelight had been stolen by the other party.

“You… You are bleeding from your seven apertures[1]…”

Upon seeing the state that the fatty was in, Zhang Yinqiu’s lips began twitching uncontrollably.

If anyone were to bleed from their seven apertures as profusely as the fatty was at the moment, they would surely have died near instantly. Yet, the fatty seemed to be completely unfazed by it. He continued looking at the young man on the Saint Ascension Platform with his teeth gritted in envy.

“Oh, it’s actually nothing much once you get used to it,” the fatty replied nonchalantly.

“You can actually get used to bleeding from your seven apertures?” Zhang Yinqiu nearly fainted on the spot.

Just where in this world did this monster come from?

While others were dying due to bleeding from their seven apertures, this fatty was saying that it was fine once one had gotten used to it.

“No, it’s not just that…” With twitching lips, Zhang Yinqiu continued speaking. “There’s a sword stabbed into your back… I think it has pierced through your heart…”

If the fatty was only bleeding from his seven apertures, he would not have been so surprised. However, there was a sword plunged into his back, and judging from the angle, it had pierced right through the fatty’s heart. Was he really still fine despite being in such a state?

“Pierced through my heart?” Perplexed, the fatty glanced downward and saw the tip of a sword protruding from the front of his chest. His eyebrows shot up before replying nonchalantly, “Oh? I wouldn’t have noticed it if you hadn’t said so. However, that’s not really an issue to be concerned over. It’ll be fine once I pluck it out!”

After saying those words, the fatty bent his hand in an inconceivable angle to grab the sword behind his back and extract it. Tossing the extracted sword nonchalantly on the ground, he said, “There, it’s done!”

“I…” Zhang Yinqiu was completely frenzied. The insanity that he had just witnessed made him feel as if the world had gone mad.

Just what in the heck was the monster before him made of? How could he still be living despite being in such a state?

“Curses! You sure are resilient, aren’t you? Let’s see if this can kill you!”

While Zhang Yinqiu was still overwhelmed by his shock, a wrathful bellow sounded from the sky. The next moment, the Skyleaf King threw a powerful palm down toward the fatty.

Kacha!

In the blink of an eye, the fatty was reduced to a flat lump of meat, glued to the ground.

“Ahh!” Horrified, Zhang Yinqiu subconsciously took numerous steps back with a pale face.

It was just a moment ago that he was still speaking to the fatty, but the latter was suddenly reduced to a lump of meat the next moment. The striking visual was something that was hard for him to accept in a moment.

“This young brother over here, rest assured. Even at the cost of my life, I will exact vengeance for you…” Zhang Yinqiu said solemnly before turning his gaze toward the Skyleaf King with eyes reddened in killing intent.

However, before he could even finish his vow, an impatient voice sounded from the ground.

“What the heck are you mumbling there? Hurry up and step away, you are blocking me from watching Zhang Xuan pose.”

Alarmed, Zhang Yinqiu lowered his head, only to see that two eyes were staring at him impatiently from the lump of meat on the ground.

[1] Seven apertures refer to the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and mouth.

Chapter 1083: Celestial Saint Ordeal

“Ah…” Leaping up, Zhang Yinqiu nearly fainted from shock.

If the other party was still living despite bleeding from the seven apertures and taking a sword to the heart, he could at least still reason it as the other party possessing a secret art of some sort which allowed him to shift his heart away from its original position… But how could a person who was smacked into a lump of meat possibly still be living?!

More importantly, you said that I was blocking your path?

Just how concerned are you with Zhang shi’s posing, no, attempting a breakthrough that you are still so fixated on watching it despite being in such a state?

Just as Zhang Yinqiu was rendered at a complete loss of words, another surge of sword qi flashed across the air.

The Skyleaf King seemed to have noticed that the fellow was still alive and launched another wave of attack over out of fury.

Kacha!

Under the immense might of the Skyleaf King, the lump of meat was immediately split into two lumps as it wriggled relentlessly on the ground.

“Y-you… You should be dead this time around, right?” With quivering lips, Zhang Yinqiu couldn’t help but ask.

“You’re the one who is dead, your entire family is dead!” the two lumps of meat refuted furiously. After which, the two eyeballs on them turned towards the Skyleaf King and spat, “It’s only out of consideration for your dignity that I chose to feign death here, and yet, you just have to persistently come for me time after time again… You are just asking to die, aren’t you?”

Hong long!

The two lumps on the ground merged back with one another, and in just a few moments, he had already reverted back to his original appearance as a fatty, as if he hadn’t been injured in the first place. With a furious roar, he charged towards the Skyleaf King in the sky.

Just like that, Zhang Xuan’s clone joined the fray as well.

However, it was apparent that the strength of Zhang Xuan’s clone was far from matching up to the Skyleaf King. Shortly after leaping up, he was knocked back down into the ground with a single slap, reduced to a lump of meat once more.

This time, before Zhang Yinqiu could even express his grief, the lump of meat gathered again once more and continued clashing with the Skyleaf King.

“This…” Not only was Zhang Yinqiu dazed, even Wu shi and Guild Leader Han were stupefied as well.

Wasn’t Principal Zhang’s friend a little too absurdly resilient? It was as if his body was made of rubber, and nothing could faze him at all… How in the world did he manage to cultivate a body like that?

A moment later, Wu shi recovered from his shock and bellowed, “Let’s go all out. We just have to stall him for a while…”

There wasn’t any time for them to be surprised at the moment. No matter the cost, they had to prevent the Skyleaf King from successfully fusing the map and the sphere together. If the Skyleaf King were to succeed, they would all lose their lives here.

The collaborative offense carried out by the numerous Saint 4-dan experts brought forth a furious barrage of sword qi and zhenqi. Devastating shockwaves rippled into the surroundings, inflicting havoc upon everything that stood in its path.

With an indestructible monster joining the battle, Wu shi and the others were able to remain unharmed under the Skyleaf King’s attacks for the time being. Seeing that the situation over there was stable for the time being, Zhang Yinqiu turned his sight back to the young man on the Saint Ascension Platform and saw that the energy within his body was still increasing ceaselessly, as if the power he harnessed within his body was boundless.

“Just how much energy does he have in his body…” Zhang Yinqiu couldn’t help but be astonished.

Any Nascent Saint cultivators in his place would have already expended their zhenqi by now and withered into dried jerky. Yet, the young man seemed to be completely unfazed by the massive energy consumption he was making!

Just in terms of zhenqi reserve in itself, even ten of him in his peak state couldn’t compare to the young man.

After watching the situation for a while, Zhang Yinqiu determined that they were still doing fine for the time being, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He was just about to turn his gaze back to the battle in the sky when he caught sight of a beautiful silhouette not too far away, and he frowned, “Luo shi, why aren’t you participating in the battle too?”

The beautiful master teacher who had come along with Wu shi’s expedition team, Luo shi, was currently standing nonchalantly on the spot, as if the battle that was going on in the sky had nothing to do with her.

“I need to protect Zhang Xuan.” Luo shi replied calmly.

“He’s just attempting a breakthrough. With the protection of the Saint Ascension Platform, he can’t possibly be in any danger…” Zhang Yinqiu frowned.

Even if your cultivation is beneath the others, given that everyone else is putting their life on the line, shouldn’t you at least be doing something? To say that you are protecting Zhang shi… Zhang shi is just attempting a breakthrough on the Saint Ascension Platform, what could possibly happen to him?

Hong long!

Before Zhang Yinqiu could finish his words, the deafening rumbling of thunder abruptly sounded in the sky above. All of a sudden, pitch-black clouds appeared in the sky right above the Saint Ascension Platform, and the destructive lightning energy harnessed within them threatened to lay waste to everything beneath it.

“That is… the Leaving Aperture Ordeal? How can it possibly appear here?” Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in shock, and he nearly keeled over.

It was said in the legends that when a Primordial Spirit realm cultivator attempted a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm, he would have to undergo a lightning ordeal. The trial would temper one’s Primordial Spirit, making it more resilient. It was a necessary requirement for the Primordial Spirit to be able to exist independently of the body without dissipating… In a sense, it could be considered as a life-and-death trial in order to ascend to higher ranks.

It was for this reason that even though there was only a small gap between Primordial Spirit realm and Leaving Aperture realm, there was a world of a difference in both of their fighting prowess. Only upon reaching Leaving Aperture realm could one be considered to have reached the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent.

However, clearing the Leaving Aperture Ordeal was no easy feat. There were many Primordial Spirit realm experts who would suppress their cultivation for several centuries for fear that their Primordial Spirit would dissipate under the devastating might of the lightning. This resulted in a disproportionately low number of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators as compared to Primordial Spirit realm cultivators.

Considering that Zhang shi was a Nascent Saint cultivator attempting a breakthrough to Saint realm, why would he be put through such a fearsome heavenly ordeal?

“Everyone wishes to become a Celestial Saint, but without sufficient strength, how could one obtain the acknowledgement of the heavens?” Luo shi remarked nonchalantly before taking a step forward. She glanced at the ominous clouds that shrouded the sky as she clenched her fists tightly together.

“A requirement to becoming a Celestial Saint… is to prematurely undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal?” Upon hearing those words, Zhang Yinqiu gulped.

He was incapable of sweating as a mere soul, but at this moment, he felt as if his back was drenched with cold sweat.

The Leaving Aperture Ordeal—this was a trial which innumerable Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivators in history had lost their lives to. Given that Zhang shi was only a Nascent Saint cultivator, how could he be able to endure it?

Putting everything else aside, Zhang Yinqiu could tell that even in his peak state, his body and soul would still dissipate at the first encounter with the overwhelming lightning energy gathered in the sky above.

“This is not the Leaving Aperture Ordeal but the Saint Ascension Ordeal! Those who wish to become a Celestial Saint have to first undergo a trial to prove that they are worthy of becoming one…” Luo Ruoxin’s voice was impassive, but she was unable to conceal the deep worry in her eyes. “He must overcome the heavenly ordeal with his own strength. We can only pray for the best for him…”

“Saint Ascension Ordeal?”

While the others were shocked by the sudden arrival of the lightning clouds, on the Saint Ascension Platform, Zhang Xuan also came to realize what was going on, and a frown appeared on his face.

It was no wonder why no one had succeeded in becoming a Celestial Saint in the past several dozen millenniums! There were bound to be a handful of astounding geniuses who were able to comprehend the secrets behind Kong shi’s cultivation technique as well, but one who wished the don the crown had to bear the weight of it. Those who wished to become a Celestial Saint had to undergo the Saint Ascension Ordeal to prove their worth!

There was no way he would be able to overcome the lightning ordeal easily.

“Come!”

Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to avoid the lightning ordeal, and the only way he could succeed was to face it straight on. Thus, gritting his teeth tightly together, he opened up his pores, and spiritual energy in the surroundings began rushing into him like a whirlpool. At the same time, he lifted his gaze and stared right into the dark clouds above.

Hong long!

Seemingly sensing Zhang Xuan’s battle will, the lightning clouds in the sky couldn’t hold themselves back any longer. A thick streak of lightning burst from the sky, headed towards the young man seated in the middle of the Saint Ascension Platform.

If one had to make a comparison between the field of lightning from before to the thick streak of lightning headed towards Zhang Xuan at this instant, it would be reminiscent of a young sprout standing before a towering, ancient tree. The both of them weren’t even close to being at the same level at all!

Before the lightning could even reach him, Zhang Xuan could already feel an incredible force threatening to eradicate his body and dissipate his soul. He felt that if his cultivation had been any lower, he wouldn’t stand a chance against the streak of lightning at all.

“The Saint Ascension Ordeal is divided into the Soul Ordeal, Body Ordeal, and Heart Ordeal, and each of them is more difficult than the previous…” Luo Ruoxin said with a slightly anxious edge to her tone.

It was impossible for others to intervene in this kind of ordeal. Not only would it not do any good, it might even trigger the wrath of the heavens, inducing the heavens to bring forth greater destruction to the world.

“Soul Ordeal?” Hearing Luo Ruoxin’s words, Zhang Yinqiu frowned.

He had learned a little about the process of becoming a Celestial Saint through the writings left by Kong shi around the Saint Ascension Hall. He thought that he had already grasped a thorough understanding of the matter, but at this moment, he realized that what he knew paled far in comparison to the young lady before him.

“The Soul Ordeal is the very first trial of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, and it places the cultivator’s soul through the tempering and cleansing of lightning. The slightest lapse in concentration in this phase can easily lead to one’s soul dissipating entirely.” Luo Ruoxin explained.

“The soul has to undergo the cleansing of lightning?” Zhang Yinqiu shuddered in fear.

As he was currently in soul form, he could vividly understand how much souls feared lightning. Lightning was the natural nemesis of all souls. Putting aside a lightning streak as thick as the one in the sky, even just the slightest electricity was unbearable to a soul.

“Zhang shi… I can only pray for the best for you now…” Zhang Yinqiu said as he looked at Zhang Xuan intently.

Huala!

As soon as the lightning seeped into Zhang Xuan’s body, he immediately felt a burning sensation in his soul, as if someone had lit an inferno within it. His condensed soul immediately began flickering unstably, and it seemed as if it might dissipate at any moment.

“Pain…” Zhang Xuan’s face paled.

The burning sensation came from the very depths of his soul, and it was so excruciating that he felt as if he could lose his mind at any moment.

It was fortunate that he had tempered his soul through the lava and field of lightning while he was making his way through the ancient domain, or else his soul might have already dissipated by now.

“It seems like the various trials outside weren’t chosen at random. Kong shi had intentionally designed it to temper the later generations so as to prepare them for a breakthrough to Celestial Saint…” While enduring the excruciating pain of the lightning, an epiphany suddenly came to Zhang Xuan.

Throughout the journey, he had been wondering what the purpose of setting up the lava and the field of lightning was. If it was to fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it didn’t make sense why masters teachers were impeded by them as well. Looking back, it seemed like everything was for the purpose of tempering the soul so as to make it sufficiently resilient to overcome the Soul Ordeal.

Tzzzzz!

As the lightning energy raged within Zhang Xuan’s body, his soul shattered into fragments before reforming once more.

It was fortunate that the process was occurring within his body, or else his fragmented soul would have long dissipated in the world.

Under the intense pain from the rampage of the lightning energy, Zhang Xuan felt his consciousness slowly growing hazy.

He hadn’t expected becoming a Celestial Saint to be easy, but he didn’t think that it would be so frightening either.

That kind of intense pain left him feeling as if every inch of his soul was being slowly cut apart before being sewed back together.

“Endure! I must endure it… Since Kong shi was able to do it, why can’t I?” Zhang Xuan thought as he clenched his jaws tightly in determination.

Kong shi was mortal just like any of them. If Kong shi could clear the trial, why couldn’t he?

After all the effort he had put into cultivating the Saint Ascension Decipher, he would be letting himself down if he couldn’t even endure this much pain!

Geji! Geji!

With the further reaffirmation of his resolution, even though the lightning energy coursing through his body was still as painful as ever, it didn’t seem as insurmountable and fearsome as before anymore.

“It looks like he has cleared the Soul Ordeal…” Upon seeing this sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief. In the next moment, however, she frowned worriedly once more and said, “The Body Ordeal is a trial which assesses not only one’s physical body but one’s grasp over zhenqi and cultivation as well. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong there…”

As the Body Ordeal consisted of more aspects, it would be more difficult to overcome it than the previous Soul Ordeal, and the cultivator would be put through a greater deal of suffering as well.

The lightning streak in the Soul Ordeal was fearsome, but as long as the cultivator’s soul remained within his body, he wouldn’t be in too much danger as long as he didn’t succumb to the pain. However, the same couldn’t be said about the Body Ordeal. If the cultivator’s body were to be lacking in the slightest, he could very well be reduced to ashes on the spot.

Kacha!

After a long moment of gathering energy, the second streak of lightning materialized.

It was much thicker than the first streak of lightning, roughly the size of an adult’s leg. It felt as if it could tear even the Saint Ascension Platform into shreds if it were to descend to the ground.

“You might be able to call forth the lightning ordeal, but do you think that I will allow you to become a Celestial Saint that easily?”

At this moment, the Skyleaf King had finally shaken free from Wu shi and the others’ encirclement. Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had successfully overcome the Soul Ordeal, his face turned livid.

Raising his palm, he sent a powerful strike right toward Zhang Xuan!

Chapter 1084: I Am a Really Good Teacher!

Huala!

The spiritual energy from the surroundings converged together to form a massive palm print, which was then blasted toward Zhang Xuan with astounding force.

If he were struck by the palm strike, there was no doubt that he would die there and then.

“Skyleaf King, your opponent is me!”

Alarmed, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han hurriedly rushed forward to defend Zhang Xuan from the palm strike.

Not expecting there to be such an abrupt twist in events, Luo Ruoxin’s face darkened as she shouted hurriedly, “Don’t rush over!”

However, it was already too late. Wu shi and Guild Leader Han had already stepped into the perimeter of the lightning ordeal. Pumping their zhenqi furiously, they were able to barely deflect the powerful palm strike that the Skyleaf King had sent over. However, in the next moment, a deep rumbling sounded from above, and the dark clouds abruptly expanded more than twofold.

An even more astonishing amount of lightning energy was gathering within the dark clouds, preparing to launch a lethal strike upon its target.

Upon seeing that sight, Zhang Yinqiu’s face paled. “What happened?”

Why would there suddenly be a rise in the difficulty of the lightning ordeal? The previous streak of lightning was already something that even Zhang Xuan could hardly withstand, so if it were to grow stronger…

“The Saint Ascension Ordeal alters its difficulty according to the strength of the cultivator. As Wu shi and Guild Leader Han stepped into the vicinity of the lightning ordeal, the lightning ordeal mistakenly thought that Zhang shi has achieved a breakthrough, so it’s sending down an even stronger streak of lightning for him to deal with,” Luo Ruoxin explained with a pale face.

“What should we do then?” Zhang Yinqiu’s body shook in shock.

“There’s nothing we can do; we can’t interfere in the matter.” Luo Ruoxin gritted her teeth. “The more we try to help, the more formidable the lightning ordeal that Zhang shi will be put through…”

Kacha!

Before she could finish her words, the black clouds finally finished charging up, and the lightning grew two times larger in the blink of an eye.

Hong long!

From the first streak of lightning, Zhang Xuan’s entire body was already charred black. With the descent of the second streak of lightning, he felt as if a force was tearing his entire body apart.

Pu!

Fresh blood burst forth from his mouth as his veins ruptured from the lightning energy rampaging through his body. In the blink of an eye, his entire body was dyed crimson.

“Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body!” Muttering softly, the insides of Zhang Xuan’s body began glowing brilliantly as he drove the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to its very limits.

The second streak of lightning was the Body Ordeal, so he only had his strongest physical body cultivation technique to rely on to fend off the lightning.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

Under the relentless assault of the lightning from above, layer after layer of radiance shimmering around him broke one after another. As if his body was made of ceramic, cracks began appearing on his skin, and blood flowed profusely out of those cracks.

How could the lightning be so powerful? Zhang Xuan exclaimed within his heart.

Even though the previous Soul Ordeal was unbearable, it had not been beyond his limits. On the other hand, the Body Ordeal he was going through was simply too powerful. Despite having cultivated his Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body to its pinnacle, facing the lightning, he felt like an egg being smashed by a hammer. There was no way he could win at this rate.

Geji!

The cracks on his body grew larger and more numerous, and the lightning energy engulfed his entirety. In that moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his head and four limbs were torn apart by five horses heading in different directions.

It’s not just five horses. It’s a hundred of them, a thousand, ten thousand…

The lightning energy felt like ten thousand horses tugging every part of his body. It was as if it would not rest until he was reduced to ashes.

I can’t hold on any longer.

The zhenqi in his body swiftly flowed to fend off the lightning energy, and it managed to fend off the devastating lightning energy for nine whole breaths. However, on the tenth breath, he finally came to the limit of his strength, and the lightning energy broke through the defenses of his zhenqi.

Even though he cultivated the peerless Heaven’s Path Divine Art, the lightning ordeal he was currently going through exceeded his limits. He could not hold on any longer.

This won’t do. If this continues, I will surely die.

So what if you are a lightning ordeal? I don’t believe that you don’t have flaws!

Gritting his teeth, Zhang Xuan turned a cold gaze toward the dark clouds in the sky.

You might be a powerful force of nature, but nothing in this world is perfect. As long as you have flaws, I will be able to exploit them to tide me through this crisis!

With a glance, a book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Zhang Xuan quickly flipped it open.

Hu la!

A series of words appeared in his head.

“The second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, Body Ordeal. Through gathering the Power of Lightning, it devastates the cultivator’s physical body and zhenqi through the destructive might harnessed within it. Flaws: No.1, the nature of the lightning makes it highly destructive against material beings, but it inflicts minimal damage on immaterial beings like souls. It is considered a physical attack…”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. It inflicts minimal damage on souls?

His soul was still weakened from the previous Soul Ordeal. If the lightning within the Body Ordeal was ineffective against his soul, he could very well absorb it with his soul.

“Come out, my soul!”

With a roar, his soul swiftly slipped through his glabella, and opening his mouth wide, he devoured the lightning that was still descending from the heavens.

Due to the overwhelming radiance of the lightning, no one saw his soul. They merely thought that he had used a secret art of some sort.

Tzzzzzzzzzzz!

As if a potent tonic, the devoured lightning was swiftly processed into soul energy, enlarging his soul once more.

When the lightning coursed through Zhang Xuan’s body and exploded, it caused his body to be inflated to its limit, seemingly threatening to burst it apart. However, when it came to his soul, while it had similar effects, all it had done to its soul was only to make it slightly more condensed. That was not much of a threat at all.

Before long, his soul was finally done absorbing the energy harnessed within the second streak of lightning, and his soul reverted back to its initial size of ten meters.

While the quantity of his soul energy had increased, its purity did not take a dip at all. If anything, it seemed to be even more fearsome than before.

This… Does this mean that I have cleared the second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal?

Swiftly returning his soul back to his body, Zhang Xuan looked up and saw the second streak of lightning swiftly weakening before eventually clearing altogether, and he heaved a huge sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he had swiftly analyzed the flaws of the Body Ordeal’s lightning with the Library of Heaven’s Path, or else his body might have succumbed to it and turned into meat paste.

Hong long long!

With the conclusion of the second streak of lightning, thunder began rumbling in the dark clouds above once more as the third streak of lightning threatened to fall.

This time, the rumbling was clearly much louder, and the sheer size of the lightning spanned a diameter of a meter. It was as if it was determined to tear Zhang Xuan apart.

Kacha!

It finally descended down into the world.

“Die!”

In that moment, the Skyleaf King flicked his finger toward Zhang Xuan, and a surge of sword qi flew over.

Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan had managed to clear the second phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, he felt deeply threatened. Thus, he intended to kill Zhang Xuan once and for all before the final streak of lightning descended.

Otherwise, if the humans were to usher in another Celestial Saint, that could very well become a catastrophe for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

As such, even though it was only a single flick of the finger, that surge of sword qi actually harnessed the full strength of his body.

Luo Ruoxin’s eyes narrowed upon seeing that attack. She began to move forward to protect Zhang Xuan, but before she could do so, a figure suddenly appeared right before her.

Puchi!

That sword qi tore a huge hole through the figure, but it was eventually still stopped before it could reach Zhang Xuan.

Upon seeing that sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief and stopped.

The figure was none other than Zhang Xuan’s clone.

The Skyleaf King had provoked them far too many times that even someone as composed as the clone could not hold himself back anymore.

“How dare you attack my main body? You must be tired of living!” With a furious roar, the aura of Zhang Xuan’s clone’s body surged furiously, and with a ‘hu!’, he leaped right up to the Skyleaf King in the air.

“You…” Not expecting the other party to charge right up to him without any fear for his life, the Skyleaf King was stunned for a moment before sending a palm strike downward.

Kacha!

Struck by the palm strike, Zhang Xuan’s clone was reduced to a pancake once more. Nevertheless, it did not erode his fighting will in the least. He continued to dash forward furiously despite the unseemly form he was in, determined to bring down the Skyleaf King.

Tzzla tzzla!

The next moment, a ferocious might struck the Skyleaf King, causing his Primordial Spirit to dissipate slightly.

“Damn it!” Not expecting the other party to risk his life to launch such desperate attacks against him, the Skyleaf King’s face turned livid with rage.

Honestly speaking, he was getting vexed at dealing with the fellow before him. It was as if the fellow’s body was indestructible! No matter what kind of attacks he launched against the fellow, the latter would always be able to morph back into his original shape a moment later and continue launching frenzied attacks against him. He truly had no idea how he should deal with such an opponent.

No, this won’t do. It’s pointless for me to engage them in conflict. As long as I can fuse the map and the sphere together, I will be able to gain complete control over the Qiu Wu Palace. By then, even if Zhang Xuan successfully becomes a Celestial Saint, he will still be trapped in my grasp, the Skyleaf King thought as he dodged the clone’s attack.

As a Primordial Spirit, he dared not approach Zhang Xuan in close quarters due to the overwhelming lightning energy that had gathered around him, so he had been trying to launch long-range attacks instead. However, it had not been too effective as the others had been trying their best to intercept his attacks. Not to mention, there was even a seemingly indestructible existence among their ranks that was plaguing him. At this point, he had already realized that it was unlikely that his attacks would reach Zhang Xuan.

Thus, the best option he had was to quickly fuse the map and the sphere together. As long as he could gain complete control over the Qiu Wu Palace, he would be able to destroy the group before him easily, even if they did have a Celestial Saint among them!

“Scram!” With a furious roar, the Skyleaf King knocked the clone away before placing one of his palms on the sphere to forcefully push it against the map, hastening the fusion process.

Weng!

A loud buzz sounded as the map and the sphere fused with one another.

“Quick, we have to stop him!” Zhang Yinqiu exclaimed in a panic.

Wu shi, Guild Leader Han, and Vice Principal Ji Yan dashed over, but before they could come close, they were already knocked back by a flick of the Skyleaf King’s hand.

As the battle continued, it was apparent that the Skyleaf King held the advantage in terms of stamina. On top of that, the rest of them had sustained considerable injuries over the course of the battle, resulting in a significant decline in their fighting prowess as well. As a result, they found themselves gradually becoming less and less able to stop the Skyleaf King.

“We are doomed.” Seeing that the map and the sphere were close to being fully fused with one another and the shaking of the Qiu Wu Palace had stopped as well, Zhang Yinqiu’s face paled in horror.

It seemed like they had come to the end of the route now. There was nothing they could do at this point anymore.

“We can only pray that Zhang shi successfully becomes a Celestial Saint. If he can achieve a breakthrough, we might still stand a chance at reversing the current situation,” Zhang Yinqiu muttered as he turned to look at the young man on the Saint Ascension Platform.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was currently facing the final phase of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, the Heart Ordeal!

This was known to be the hardest trial to overcome, and its dangers far exceeded the previous two.

“It won’t be easy to overcome the Heart Ordeal. Inner Demons will sprout within one’s mind and assault one’s weaknesses. Even the strongest of experts will find it hard to withstand the beguilement of the Inner Demons. Let’s hope that he can endure it!” Luo Ruoxin said with a worried frown on her forehead. Zhang Xuan’s successful clearance of the first two trials had done little to alleviate her worries.

If Zhang Xuan were to fail this trial, his consciousness could be wiped out, resulting in his complete death.

It was known among cultivators that tempering one’s body was easy, but tempering one’s mind was difficult.

Countless talented cultivators in history had died not in the midst of battle but against the Inner Demons that had sprouted in their minds during cultivation.

Oblivious to the happenings outside, in that very instant, Zhang Xuan found himself sinking into a unique state of mind.

As thick as the lightning streak for the Heart Ordeal was, it did not inflict the slightest pain on his body. Instead, it brought his consciousness into a land of complete darkness. Alone and lost, he found himself unsure of where he had come from and where he should head to in the future.

Aimlessly, he walked within the seemingly boundless world of darkness. No directions and no goal, he found himself sinking deeper and deeper into confusion.

Where am I? Where do I have to go? Zhang Xuan thought in a daze.

Boom!

In the midst of his confusion, a completely dark existence reminiscent of a devil suddenly materialized before his eyes. With an alluring voice, he said, “The cultivation technique that you have cultivated so far is flawed! If you continue down this path, death is the only thing you will find at the end of the road…”

“Flawed?”

Even in his dazed state, Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words. Then, his dazed eyes opened wide on reflex as he replied, “For you to say that the cultivation technique I have cultivated is flawed, it seems like you must have a seriously wrong interpretation of cultivation. How about this, why don’t you become my student, and I will give you some guidance? Don’t worry, I am a very good teacher!”

“…” Inner Demon.

Chapter 1085: Luo Ruoxin’s Strength

The Inner Demon was on the verge of tears.

All along, he had been the one to break the mental resilience of others, causing them to doubt themselves so as to create an opening in their state of mind. Using this opening, he would devour the cultivator whole.

Yet, against this fellow, he didn’t even have the time to finish his words before the other party suddenly offered to become his teacher. That was not playing by the rules!

I am an Inner Demon, alright? I am here to beguile you, not to be beguiled by you!

Suppressing the exasperated emotions within him, the Inner Demon continued speaking with the same alluring voice as before.

“Cough cough! As I was saying, there is a huge problem in your cultivation at the moment. If that wasn’t the case, how could someone as talented as you, the first one to come close to being a Celestial Saint, possibly be put through so much pain? Just put your trust in me, and you will be able to unleash the full extent of your potential.”

His voice had a certain quality that drew others into a trance, making him even more fearsome than a demonic tunist.

“I get what you are saying, but you are the one who is severely misunderstanding something here. The fact that your cultivation technique is different from mine is sufficient evidence to say that you have a huge flaw in your cultivation. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you try executing a battle technique? I will analyze your situation for you.” Waving his hand nonchalantly, Zhang Xuan eyes remained perfectly clear, unaffected by the Inner Demon’s beguilement.

Had the other party attempted to beguile him using another topic, there was no saying whether he would have fallen for it or not. However, to attempt to make him doubt his cultivation technique… He was a person who could even make Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s fragmented soul dissipate in embarrassment, so how could a mere Inner Demon shake his faith in his cultivation technique?

Peng!

Before Zhang Xuan finished his words, the Inner Demon vanished on the spot with a loud pop.

Since it was unable to beguile Zhang Xuan, its raison d’être had already vanished. As such, it could only vanish into nothing.

Before its disappearance, it was actually suffering a mental breakdown within. How in the world did he meet with this kind of a cold and impassive figure? If he had a choice, he would never go there again.

Wuuuuu… I want to go home…

Zhang Xuan’s battle with the Inner Demon had only lasted a moment.

To the eyes of outsiders, they had only seen a thick streak of lightning falling upon Zhang Xuan. The thick streak of lightning did not seem to have caused any damage to him—he had not spurted blood nor trembled in pain. His body had simply jolted abruptly for a moment before falling still.

The next moment, a ray of golden light abruptly burst down from above, and innumerable flowers formed of Origin Energy fluttered in the air.

Luo Ruoxin was dazed for a moment before her eyes widened in shock. “This… He has already cleared the Heart Ordeal? But… how did he do it so quickly?”

The Heart Ordeal was the most difficult phase in the Saint Ascension Ordeal, so Luo Ruoxin had been clenching her fists tightly in anxiety, worried that he would not be able to overcome it. Yet, who would have thought that just a brief instant after the lightning fell on Zhang Xuan’s body, he cleared the ordeal? This was too shocking!

Huala!

As the flowers of Origin Energy fell to the ground, the dark clouds in the sky gradually cleared, and a pillar of pure white radiance descended from the sky. It was as if someone had broken a hole in the sky, causing energy to leak from the heavens.

Shrouded amid the white radiance, the injuries that Zhang Xuan had sustained previously were healing at a visible pace, and his aura was also growing stronger and stronger with every passing second.

Upon seeing this sight, Luo Ruoxin heaved a sigh of relief before stepping forward.

Shortly after clearing the Saint Ascension Ordeal was the period when Zhang Xuan would be the most vulnerable. Even the slightest damage inflicted in this moment could claim Zhang Xuan’s life. Within this span of time, she would have to make sure to guard him tightly so that no one could lay even a single finger on him.

“The descent of sacred light… Zhang shi has managed to become a Celestial Saint!” With reddened eyes, Zhang Yinqiu’s tightly clenched fists finally opened up as the tension left his body.

With this, they would finally be able to defeat the Skyleaf King!

However, in that solemn moment, a frenzied laughter sounded.

“Hahaha… I have finally succeeded…”

Following which, the ground suddenly began trembling intensely. It was not just limited to the Saint Ascension Hall; it felt as if the entire Qiu Wu Palace was coming to life.

The Skyleaf King raised his hand, and a map gradually floated toward him.

In that moment, everyone suddenly felt a restraint acting upon them, as if they were going to be trapped within the painted world once more.

“It’s over…”

In this moment, everyone’s heart turned cold.

Zhang Xuan had managed to clear the Saint Ascension Ordeal, but he still required some time before he could become a Celestial Saint. If the Skyleaf King managed to escape from the Saint Ascension Hall, their plan to defeat him would end in failure. Instead, trapped within the painting, they would become easy prey that the Skyleaf King could pick on at his whim.

However, they had already expended all of their zhenqi in the previous fight, and they were unable to stop the Skyleaf King anymore.

Just a step away from success, who would have thought that they would be outdone at this critical moment?

“Hahaha, it’s my victory! What Celestial Master Teacher or Celestial Saint, it makes no difference at all! You will only end up dying at my hands like the other ants.”

Having succeeded in gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Palace, the Skyleaf King could no longer hold back the agitation in his heart. With a furious roar, he turned his sight toward the crowd.

They had humiliated him again and again over the past few days, and he had finally found an opportunity to return the favor.

Boom!

Raising his palm, he sent a powerful palm strike toward the young man seated on the Saint Ascension Platform—Zhang Xuan.

That was the fellow whom he harbored the most hatred towards. Not only did he attempt to steal something from his living quarters, he even had his ally destroy his physical body. No matter what, the Skyleaf King was determined to end his life right there and right then!

Hu la!

There wasn’t anything extraordinary about the strength of the palm, but for some reason, it was able to tear through even space itself, opening up a black rift in its trajectory.

Gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Palace was equivalent to becoming the new master of the folded space. In other words, the Skyleaf King wielded absolute authority over the ancient domain. Within this space, even if his opponent possessed far greater strength than him, he would still be able to crush the other party easily.

“Damn it!” With a furious bellow, Zhang Xuan’s clone rushed forward to stop the palm strike.

However, upon contact with the black rift, he was immediately ripped in two before falling back to the ground.

An ability that could even sever space was far beyond what Zhang Xuan’s clone could deal with at the moment, even after his abilities were augmented from absorbing the entire Lightning Elemental Orb.

“It’s over…”

Seeing how powerful the Skyleaf King’s attack was, everyone felt their heart turning cold in despair.

Who would have thought that the only Celestial Saint after Kong shi would actually die in such a manner?

Just as everyone thought that it was Zhang Xuan’s end, the young lady who had been standing guard beside the Saint Ascension Platform all this while, Luo Ruoxin, suddenly raised her gaze to look at the Skyleaf King with a frown of displeasure on her face.

“Humph!”

She flicked her hand lightly.

Kacha!

The incomparably powerful palm strike suddenly stopped in midair before dissipating entirely. In the following moment, the Skyleaf King suddenly found his Primordial Spirit being completely immobilized in midair, as if an ancient insect trapped within a fossil. Even the gleeful look from before had frozen on his face.

Unable to believe what was happening, the Skyleaf King roared fearfully, “How can this be possible? Y-you… Who the hell are you?”

He was not too sure how powerful he had become after gaining control over the Qiu Wu Palace, but one thing was for certain—even a Saint 7-dan cultivator would have been killed before the palm strike he had launched earlier.

Yet, with a casual flick of her hand, the young lady had actually dissipated his attack and sealed his movements completely… Just how powerful was she?

If she was so powerful, why hadn’t she made a move from the very start?

“As long as I am here, none of you will lay a finger on him.” Completely disregarding the Skyleaf King, Luo Ruoxin placed her hands behind her back and made a cold declaration before turning back to Zhang Xuan once more, perfectly composed.

The rest of you can fight to your deaths all you wish, but I will not allow a single one of you to hurt him!

“This…”

The faces of Wu shi and the others paled upon witnessing that scene.

They had traveled through the ancient domain with the young lady, and not once had they noticed anything extraordinary about her. Who would have thought that she was actually such a powerful expert?

It was truly bewildering.

“Can you see through her cultivation?” Guild Leader Han asked Wu shi discreetly.

With a bitter look on his face, Wu shi shook his head.

With his strength and eye of discernment, he was actually unable to measure the depth of the strength of the person standing before him!

In other words, the other party was much, much stronger than him, achieving a level that was beyond his understanding.

“But if she possesses such powerful strength, why didn’t she save us back at the celestial palace? Why did she watch nonchalantly as we lost so many friends?” Guild Leader Han gritted his teeth in indignation.

“To an expert of her caliber, our existences might very well mean nothing at all.” Wu shi sighed deeply. “Perhaps, in the very first place, the reason she chose to come to the ancient domain was Principal Zhang.”

Even though he had not had much interaction with the young lady, he could tell through those nonchalant eyes of hers that she was not one who concerned herself deeply with those around her, much like an observer watching a commotion impassively. It was only in affairs regarding Principal Zhang that the air of nonchalance around her would be broken temporarily.

How could a person like that possibly do something as excessive as to save them?

Besides, the celestial palace was intended to be one of the trials set by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. If she had made a move then, there might have been unforeseen circumstances.

“This…” Guild Leader Han was rendered speechless.

Indeed.

As a cultivator advanced their cultivation and comprehended the essence of the world, life and death would gradually unravel before their eyes as an inevitable state of life. It was simply a natural cycle of the world—life was not something to be celebrated, and death was not something to grieve over either. Considering how Luo Ruoxin did not owe anything to them, she had no reason to interfere and save them either. Otherwise, she might end up finding herself being restrained by the rules of the world.

The higher one’s cultivation became, the more fearful one would be of the heavens.

“Besides, it’s not like she hasn’t done anything at all. She was the one who had been dropping us hints all along, and due to that, Jiang Yuan even accused her of being the Skyleaf King,” Wu shi said.

After a long moment of hesitation, Guild Leader Han finally nodded in response. “You’re right.”

While Luo Ruoxin had not helped them against the Otherworldly Demons, her advice had played a crucial role in helping them through the ancient domain. If not for her, they would not have been able to bypass the Black Sand of Oblivion or escape from the celestial palace back then.

Upon understanding all of that, Guild Leader Han was finally able to let go of some of the frustration he felt within. Glancing at the completely immobile Skyleaf King, he could not help but ask curiously, “To be able to seal the movements of the Skyleaf King so easily… how powerful do you think she is?”

“I think that she could very well be…”

At this point, Wu shi’s face turned extremely grim.

“… a 9-star master teacher!”

Chapter 1086: You Are Kong shi?

“9-star master teacher?” Guild Leader Han’s mouth twitched uncontrollably as his lower jaw slackened in shock.

There were not many 9-star master teachers even throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent, and every single one of them could cause the Master Teacher Pavilion to tremble with just a stomp of their feet. How in the world had a figure like that ended up joining them in their expedition?

Furthermore… how could she be so young?

Guild Leader Han couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you overestimating Luo shi’s capabilities a little too much?”

It was true that Luo Ruoxin’s strength felt unfathomable to them, so he would not doubt it even if Wu shi said that she was a Saint 7-dan expert, but… 9-star master teacher?

It would be no joke to say that 9-star master teachers were old monsters who had dominated their own sphere of influence for countless years. How could such a young lady possibly be a 9-star master teacher as well?

“You think that I am overestimating Luo shi capabilities? To tell you the truth, I think that I might even be underestimating her! This folded space was left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, and by gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Palace, it’s not wrong to say that the Skyleaf King inherited his heritage. The fact that Luo shi was able to subdue him despite being within the Qiu Wu Palace so easily shows that her true strength doesn’t pale much in comparison to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. What else could a person who wields that much strength be if not a 9-star master teacher?” Wu shi explained.

At this moment, Guild Leader Han suddenly recalled something and said, “This… Alright, what you said does make sense, but… if I recall correctly, there are some artifacts that can produce effects similar to this when driven by one possessing a unique bloodline. If I recall correctly, the Sage Luo Clan possesses one such artifact.

“Similar to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, the founder of the Luo Clan is also known for his prowess in spatial manipulation. The ‘Dimension Silencer’ that he left behind does have the ability to manipulate space, but… it requires one to possess a very pure bloodline in order to drive it…”

Wu shi nodded slightly before suddenly falling into a daze upon realizing what Guild Leader Han was getting at. “You are trying to say that… Luo Ruoxin… is the little princess of the Luo Clan?”

Seemingly in possession of some insider information, Guild Leader Han explained, “Indeed. If I recall correctly, the little princess of the Luo Clan is at a similar age as well. It is said that she succeeded in awakening her bloodline when she was only three, and she is known to be the offspring with the purest bloodline in the several dozen millennia history of the entire clan with the exception of the founder himself. She immediately received the acknowledgement of the Dimension Silencer and gained possession of it.”

“Un, I have heard the same as well. It’s said that despite her young age, the little princess possesses a cultivation far superior to her peers, and her beauty is also matchless as well. However, it seems like due to that certain matter, she ended up falling out with her clan and left home.” Wu shi nodded. “Now that you speak of it, it does seem very likely for Luo Ruoxin to be the little princess of the Luo Clan. With the Dimension Silencer and the sheer purity of her bloodline, even a true 9-star master teacher would have to tread carefully around her.”

“Indeed! That would also explain her extensive knowledge of the ancient domain. If I recall correctly, the Luo Clan is ranked among the top ten of the Sage Clans, right?”

Wu shi nodded. “You’re right. It can stand its ground even in the face of behemoths like the Glacier Plain Court…”

While the duo was communicating telepathically, the person they were discussing, Luo Ruoxin, continued standing in front of Zhang Xuan quietly. She watched as his aura grew stronger and stronger, and eventually, when he finally managed to break through his bottleneck as a Nascent Saint, she heaved a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan was indeed unaware of the happenings outside. The sacred light that had gathered around him was warm and comfortable, putting him in a state of relaxation. At the same time, it also nourished his body, zhenqi, and soul.

Driving the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, his cultivation surged ceaselessly. As if a Taotie[1] with an insatiable appetite, he greedily consumed the sacred energy around him.

Saint realm 1-dan primary stage!

Saint realm 1-dan intermediate stage!

…

In less than two hours, his cultivation had already reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle!

Hu!

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes.

So far, he had only managed to form the Saint 1-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art, so he was unable to cultivate any further than that.

Taking an inward look at the current state of his body, Zhang Xuan could not help but tremble in agitation.

As expected of Celestial Saint… My Origin Core has already exceeded First Grade, achieving the level of Perfection!

Even before becoming a Celestial Saint, Zhang Xuan had already managed to raise the tier of his Origin Core to First Grade. However, after being acknowledged as a Celestial Saint, he found his Origin Core being further enhanced to a tier that far exceeded the level of First Grade, achieving a height that could only be described by the word ‘perfection’.

It seems like Kong shi’s Origin Core wasn’t at First Grade either. He should have achieved the level of Perfection as well.

Having become a Celestial Saint himself, he instinctively understood that Kong shi must have gone through the same process.

Of the three phases of the Saint Ascension Ordeal, the Body Ordeal destroyed the Origin Core within one’s body before reforming it with sacred energy, thus inducing a breakthrough in its tier, reaching a level far beyond what ordinary cultivators could ever achieve.

My cultivation is at Saint realm 1-dan, but my true fighting prowess should be comparable to a Saint 3-dan pinnacle expert. With my current strength, I should be able to easily defeat Feng Xun at peak condition! Zhang Xuan thought in excitement.

He had only defeated Feng Xun previously due to the latter suppressing his cultivation initially, so he had been able to grasp the momentum of the battle right from the start and overwhelm the other party. But now… having reached Saint 1-dan pinnacle, even if Feng Xun were to go at him at his full strength, he would still be able to subdue him easily.

As for Saint 4-dan cultivators… considering how Primordial Spirits were involved in the equation, the situation would become a little uncertain.

In order to face Primordial Spirit realm experts head-on, he would have to advance his soul cultivation first!

But the heritage of soul oracles that he had obtained was only up to Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, so it would be hard for him to progress any further than that. It seemed like he would have to find some time to visit the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles that Mo Hunsheng had mentioned earlier. It would also be a good opportunity to check up on Lu Chong and see if he was facing any problems with his cultivation.

Huala!

Zhang Xuan stood up.

“You have awakened,” Luo Ruoxin said. “How are you feeling?”

“Not too bad!” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile. Turning his gaze upwards, he could not help but be startled by what he saw. “What happened to the Skyleaf King?”

The Skyleaf King was frozen in the sky with a gleeful look on his face, not moving in the slightest. Despite his facial expression, fear could be seen in the depths of his eyes.

“He attempted to assault you, so I taught him a lesson,” Luo Ruoxin replied nonchalantly, as if she had just accomplished something insignificant.

“You taught him a lesson?” Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

He knew full well how powerful the Skyleaf King was, so for Luo Ruoxin to be able to subdue the latter so easily… Just how powerful was she?

In that moment, Zhang Xuan felt like he had gotten a glimpse into why Luo Ruoxin had said that it would be difficult for them to get together. Considering her strength, he was indeed a little too weak to stand by her side.

Having become a Celestial Saint, he had thought that he would at least be able to stand unrivalled among his peers. However, when he saw that Luo Ruoxin, who was around the same age as he was, possessed the strength to subdue the Skyleaf King so easily, the pride he was feeling a moment ago vanished without a trace.

No matter how fast his cultivation speed was, it had only been a single year since he started rising through the ranks. Given the sheer size of the Master Teacher Continent, the odds were that there were a significant number of astounding geniuses of his age group who possessed a cultivation far surpassing his, especially among the offspring of the Sage Clans.

This further affirmed his previous thoughts. There was always a higher mountain in the world, so he had to maintain a low profile. Otherwise, he might just end up dead without realizing what had come his way.

“This fellow has tried to kill me time and time again. Allow me to return the favor to him first.” Smiling at Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the Skyleaf King with a ferocious glint in his eyes.

Vice Principal Ji Yan was right. Having just become a Celestial Saint, he was still able to tap into the vast energy within the Saint Ascension Platform to exert strength beyond his current capabilities. The Skyleaf King might have been a powerful Leaving Aperture realm expert, but with the current strength which Zhang Xuan wielded at his disposal, he was confident that he would be able to defeat the other party easily.

Hu!

With a snap of Luo Ruoxin’s finger, the seal around the Skyleaf King was finally released. Zhang Xuan waved his hand, and an overwhelming surge of sacred energy immediately crushed the Skyleaf King against the ground.

“You…” Not expecting Zhang Xuan to become so formidable all of a sudden, the Skyleaf King widened his eyes in fear. Realizing that the odds were severely against him, he immediately gathered every ounce of strength he had and attempted to flee.

Having fused the map and the sphere together, he had managed to gain control of the Qiu Wu Palace. With the possession of such strength, he thought that he had finally reached the peak of his life. Yet, in the blink of an eye, he suddenly found himself at risk of being knocked down from the peak.

“Trying to flee? Humph!” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes menacingly as he raised his palm furiously.

Through telepathy with his clone, he had already learned what had happened while he was on the Saint Ascension Platform.

Kacha!

The Skyleaf King cried in agony as he fell back to the ground once more with his Primordial Spirit convulsing uncontrollably.

Given Zhang Xuan’s current state, the Skyleaf King might not necessarily have been a match even while utilizing the strength of the Qiu Wu Palace, so how could he possibly withstand Zhang Xuan’s attack when all that was on his mind at that moment was to flee?

A moment later, the Skyleaf King was tossed into the Saint Ascension Platform. Exposed directly to the brilliant radiance of the sacred light, he screamed frenziedly in agony as he struggled desperately. As time passed, his screaming gradually quietened down until it eventually settled into silence.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan grasped forward, and a bundle of pure energy from the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit appeared in his hands.

The sacred light of the Saint Ascension Platform had the effect of destroying the consciousness of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. After being exposed to it for an extended period of time, the Skyleaf King had already lost his sense of self, turning into nothing more than a bundle of pure energy.

“Clone, you have done well this time,” Zhang Xuan said with a smile before flicking his finger, and half of the bundle of energy flew into his clone’s body.

Geji! Geji!

After absorbing the bundle of pure energy, his clone’s aura began surging steadily.

His clone’s strength was mainly derived from the Nine Skies Lotus Embryo, so there was no need for him to cultivate at all. As long as his soul grew stronger, his fighting prowess would grow as well.

Absorbing only half of the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit, even if his clone was unable to reach Leaving Aperture realm, it should sufficient to grant him strength comparable to a Half-Leaving Aperture realm cultivator. Pairing that with his indestructible body, he would be a match for even a Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivator!

“I am very grateful to the rest of you as well.” Zhang Xuan turned to Wu shi and the others with a smile. He divided the remaining energy bundle into several portions, and with light flicks, he directed them into their heads.

“Thank you, Principal Zhang!”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan had just offered them a hard to come by opportunity to push for a breakthrough, Wu shi and the others uttered their thanks before quickly sitting down to cultivate.

Boom!

Not too long later, Guild Leader Han was the first to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Leaving Aperture realm.

Shortly later, Wu shi followed suit.

As for Vice Principal Ji Yan and the others, while their improvements were not as exaggerated, they still managed to reinforce their Primordial Spirit realm cultivation significantly. All in all, the Skyleaf King’s Primordial Spirit had managed to induce a substantial advancement in everyone’s cultivation.

Feeling the raging power flowing through their body, everyone bowed deeply in gratitude. “Principal Zhang…”

Zhang Xuan turned to look at them with a solemn expression. “I hope that all of you will keep the matter of me being a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint a secret.”

For the time being, it was still better for him to keep this matter a secret. Otherwise, it could very well induce widespread fear among the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, thus compelling them into extreme actions. If so, his life could be in grave danger.

More importantly… low profile, low profile, and low profile! Important matters had to be repeated thrice.

“Don’t worry, our mouths are sealed!” Wu shi and the others replied earnestly.

A matter concerning a Celestial Master Teacher and Celestial Saint had already far exceeded their jurisdiction. It was something that could very well affect the future of mankind, so they dared not speak of it lightly.

Hearing their guarantee, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. “You have my gratitude for this matter!”

After which, he flicked his wrist and tossed a bundle of Grand Intermittence Grass over. “Wu shi, I will leave it to you to forge a Grand Intermittence Pill to heal Vice Principal Tan Qing. For the time being, I intend to study the map and the sphere carefully to see if I can find a way to revert the old principal back to his original form.”

“Alright!” Grabbing the Grand Intermittence Grass, Wu shi nodded.

Apothecary was one of his supporting occupations. While it was not the one that he was the most proficient in, he was at least sufficiently skilled to forge a Grand Intermittence Pill.

Hu!

After he was done making arrangements, Zhang Xuan headed straight up to the sphere and placed his palm on it. A moment later, his eyes narrowed in shock.

“You are… Kong shi?”

[1] Pronounced te-ow tee-yeh, a Taotie is a Chinese mythological creature reminiscent of a goat with a human face. Known for its insatiable greed and appetite, it is one of the Four Perils, a counterpart to the Four Symbols (which consists of the Vermilion Bird, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and White Tiger).

Chapter 1087: Kong shi’s Warning

Zhang Xuan could see a tall figure reflected within the sphere. Dressed in a tall coronet and a long robe, the figure commanded a divine aura that seemed to harmonize with his. Instinctively, he realized that the figure within the orb was a person who had been recognized by the heavens as well, a Celestial Saint and a Celestial Master Teacher.

There was only a single person in history who had achieved such a feat—Kong shi.

Hu!

As soon as the thought emerged in his mind, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a powerful suction force coming from within the sphere. His consciousness was forcefully dragged out of his body and into the sphere.

Swiftly scanning his surroundings, he found that he had entered yet another folded space. It was not too large, around several dozen meters in diameter. Perhaps due to being coarsely made, the folded space was devoid of anything. All that could be seen was white space.

Except for a figure standing in front of him.

Assessing the figure before him carefully, Zhang Xuan could not help but frown in intrigue. “Kong shi, why are you…”

The previous time he met Kong shi at the Saint Ascension Platform, the latter was young and dashing, exuding a refreshing aura of youth. But the figure standing before him at this moment… his face was slightly bruised, and the long robe he donned was a little dirty. Summarizing it with a single word, unkempt. It was as if… someone had beat him up?

But… beat Kong shi up?

How could that be?

He probably left behind his will shortly after he successfully became a Celestial Saint, Zhang Xuan deduced.

Having just undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal himself, while Zhang Xuan had already made a full recovery with the nourishment of the sacred energy, his body and clothes were still stained with dirt and blood. In that sense, he was in an even more unkempt state than Kong shi.

That was probably what had happened to Kong shi as well. It might only have been a lingering will, but it had assumed the same untidy look that he had back then.

Perhaps it was to serve as a reminder to the later generations about the callousness of the Saint Ascension Ordeal?

Waving his hand, Kong shi said with a grim expression, “I don’t have much time here.”

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

“If I’m not mistaken, you are also plagued with the Innate Fetal Poison, right?” Kong shi asked with a keen look in his eyes.

“Y-yes, that’s right!” Hearing Kong shi raise the matter, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in agitation. Staring at Kong shi intently, he asked, “How can I resolve the Innate Fetal Poison? I beseech you to point a way out for me…”

He had intended to pose this question to Kong shi the previous time he met him, but the other party only left him with a “I am not alone in my path” and a hearty laugh before disappearing. Since Kong shi himself was raising the topic this time around, he would finally be able to resolve the issue once and for all.

As long as he could free himself of the Innate Fetal Poison, he would not have to charge forward so anxiously anymore. The nervousness that he was constantly plagued with could finally be put to rest as well.

“We’ll talk about that later. I have more important matters to entrust to you at the moment.” Kong shi shook his head before continuing. “The fact that you were able to ascend to become a Celestial Saint means that you are following the same path as me. Since that’s the case, you are bound to find yourself faced with great trouble in the future. Thus, I want to offer you some advice here. In order to free yourself from destiny and reach a greater height, you will have to forge your own path. Walking down a path paved by the wisdom of your predecessors can allow you to grow swiftly, but it will also limit your scope and potential!”

“Forge my own path?” Not expecting Kong shi to say such words out of nowhere instead of telling him the cure for the Innate Fetal Poison, Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered.

“Indeed.” Kong shi nodded. “You should have heard that I am in possession of a certain artifact known as the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, right?”

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn was an unparalleled artifact that Kong shi wielded. Back then, it was using this artifact that he had been able to suppress the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and drive them out of the Master Teacher Continent. However, that artifact had vanished along with Kong shi, and its whereabouts were a complete mystery to everyone.

“The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn concerns the future of mankind. Since you are in the same plight as me, there’s a very good chance that you will be able to drive it as well. By no means should you allow it to fall into the hands of others; this is very important, so remember this! Also, you have to make sure to be wary of…” Kong shi spoke with an extremely urgent tone, as if there was something that Zhang Xuan had to accomplish urgently.

As Kong shi spoke, he slowly raised his palm. However, before he could finish what he was about to say or do, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard a worried voice. ” Zhang Xuan, are you alright?”

Zhang Xuan’s body jolted as his consciousness returned to his body. Opening his eyes, he saw Luo Ruoxin standing before him with worry in her eyes.

Most likely, she must have noticed that his consciousness had been drawn out from his body, and worrying that something bad might have happened, she rushed over to check on him.

Zhang Xuan reached forward to squeeze the young lady’s hand as he replied with a smile, “I am fine.”

He had already heard about how Luo Ruoxin had protected him from the Skyleaf King in the midst of his breakthrough. Even if her cultivation was far greater than his, even if her identity was a complete enigma to him, even if the path ahead was going to be tough, he had no intention of giving her up at all.

“It’s good that you’re fine.” The young lady heaved a sigh of relief before flashing him a smile.

“Give me a moment, I need to check on the sphere first,” Zhang Xuan said before turning his attention back to the sphere. A moment later, a helpless expression surfaced on his face.

Within the short span of time while he was conversing with Luo Ruoxin, Kong shi’s will had already disappeared without a trace. It was as if his previous encounter with Kong shi had been a fleeting dream.

Zhang Xuan scratched his head frenziedly. Considering how Kong shi founded the Master Teacher Pavilion and is a figure who is deeply respected by countless master teachers, I thought that he would at least be more reliable than that. To disappear in the middle of his words, he is just as unreliable as my clone…

All he wanted to do was learn the cure to the Innate Fetal Poison, and yet, despite encountering Kong shi’s will twice, the other party had ended up speaking about completely useless matters instead. Just the thought of it left him deeply stifled.

You told me to seek out the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, but I don’t even have the slightest clue where it will be. How can I possibly find it and prevent it from falling into the hands of the others? Furthermore, who or what are you asking me to be wary of?

Look at Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! Despite being traumatized by me, he was at least able to finish most of what he wanted to say before dissipating. As the World’s Teacher, aren’t you a little too weak?

Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. It seems like Kong shi left behind his will shortly after he became a Celestial Saint, so his strength was nowhere on par with Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. But still, for his will to be unable to sustain itself long enough to finish his words…

It had not been easy for him to have an opportunity to meet Kong shi, and he had intended to uncover the secret to resolving the Innate Fetal Poison from the latter. Yet, due to Kong shi’s limited time, he ended up missing this chance as well.

Forget it… Knowing that there was no point brooding over the matter, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much about it.

Ultimately, Kong shi had only been a Saint 1-dan cultivator when he left behind his will. The very fact that he could sustain himself for more than several dozen millenniums and speak with him was already an incredible accomplishment in itself.

Even if Kong shi was the World’s Teacher, he was asking a little too much of the other party here.

It seems I only have myself to rely on for the Innate Fetal Poison, Zhang Xuan thought as he rubbed his glabella.

Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze to the sphere and thought, For the time being, I should cultivate this sphere first!

At this point, the sphere had already fused perfectly with the map, forming something similar to a globe. The various trials that they had encountered on the journey through the ancient domain could be seen on the globe.

Extending his consciousness into it, Zhang Xuan could feel the entire folded space being right at his fingertips. He could tell that as long as he cultivated the sphere, he would be able to gain control of the entire Qiu Wu Palace and obtain astounding strength.

Carefully placing his hand on the sphere, he began to infuse zhenqi into it.

Geji! Geji!

The following moment, Zhang Xuan could feel his will gradually spreading across the sky of the Qiu Wu Palace.

Be it the Unbounded World, the Black Sand of Oblivion, or the floating celestial palace, everywhere that he had been to appeared before him more vividly than ever.

In fact, he found that with just a single thought, he could easily alter the formations throughout the entire folded space, be it to intensify them or to calm them.

As expected! Cultivating the sphere grants me control over the Qiu Wu Palace, Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.

At the same time, he also found that he could store the entire folded space within the sphere at his whim.

In other words, one who had claimed possession of the sphere would be able to take the Qiu Wu Palace anywhere they went and enter it whenever they wanted.

Upon realizing this, Zhang Xuan’s heart began leaping in excitement.

As the fragmented souls of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had already dissipated, there was no way for him to claim the other party’s heritage anymore. However, if he could take the Qiu Wu Palace away with him and examine it carefully, he would definitely be able to advance his understanding of space significantly!

This could prove vital to him in advancing his cultivation in the future.

Zhang Xuan continued infusing his zhenqi into the sphere, cultivating every single portion of it.

After an unknown period of time, he opened his eyes once more. He had finally completed cultivating the key to controlling the Qiu Wu Palace.

Hu!

With a flick of his hand, he stowed the sphere into his storage ring.

Huala!

Shortly after stowing the sphere, he found the sacred energy that had augmented his fighting prowess earlier vanishing altogether, and his strength reverted back to Saint 1-dan pinnacle.

Kacha!

As if being drained of its energy, the Saint Ascension Platform split in two down the middle, and the divine aura that had shrouded it earlier dissipated without a trace.

Seeing how the divine platform a moment ago had been reduced into an ordinary stone platform, Zhang Xuan shook his head. Even if I tossed this thing out into public, I doubt anyone would believe that Kong shi and I ascended to Celestial Saint on top of it.

Having accomplished its raison d’être, the Saint Ascension Platform no longer had any reason to continue existing.

Tossing aside the miscellaneous thoughts in his mind, Zhang Xuan turned around to face the others.

Wu shi was still in the midst of forging the Grand Intermittence Pill. There were quite a few errors in his forging technique, but through his sharpened senses as a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert, it would not be too difficult for him to successfully forge a Grand Intermittence Pill.

Meanwhile, Guild Leader Han and the others were in the midst of recuperating from the battle and reinforcing their cultivation.

Seeing that they did not require his help, Zhang Xuan turned to the idle Luo Ruoxin and said, “I just met Kong shi.”

Hearing those words, Luo Ruoxin nodded with a smile and said, “This is the place where he truly ascended to Celestial Saint, so it’s perfectly normal for him to have left his will here!”

“Indeed. He advised me to forge my own path forward instead of blindly treading down the path paved by the wisdom of my predecessors.”

After musing over the advice Kong shi had given him, Zhang Xuan found that there was some sense to what the other party had said.

Ever since he started cultivating, he had been relying on the Library of Heaven’s Path to compile the Heaven’s Path Divine Art for him. He had never tried to think deeper into the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, and he had never attempted to innovate either. In a sense, he was indeed blindly treading down the path paved by his predecessors.

Luo Ruoxin nodded. “Kong shi is right. In cultivation, it is of the utmost importance that one finds a path that belongs solely to oneself.”

“It seems like I can’t cultivate as I did before…” As the World’s Teacher and the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi must have noticed something peculiar for him to say such words. Thus, Zhang Xuan knew that he could not take the other party’s words lightly.

“I know that it’ll be difficult, but to become a true expert, it won’t do for you to not have something of your own!” Luo Ruoxin said. “However, there’s no need for you to rush into it at the moment. As long as you continue searching, you will surely be able to find your own path eventually!”

“You’re right!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

In cultivation, one could only take a step at a time. At the very least, he had overcome one of the greatest hurdles ahead of him and successfully taken the first step into Sainthood.

No matter how difficult the path in the future would be, he was confident that he would eventually stand at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent!

Holding the young lady’s hand tightly within his, Zhang Xuan declared with unwavering determination, “Ruoxin, rest assured. No matter what kind of difficulties we face in the future, I will surely stand by your side until the very end!”

Chapter 1088: Luo Ruoxin’s Identity

Wu shi’s proficiency as an apothecary was still decent, so not too long later, he succeeded in forging the Grand Intermittence Pill.

It was hard to tell whether it was due to the rise in his cultivation or the incredible maturity of the Grand Intermittence Grass used in the forging, but a total of five Grand Intermittence Pills were produced from that single cauldron.

Vice Principal Tan Qing had to consume three of them before his severed limbs finally recovered back to their original state, granting him the ability to move once more.

“Old principal, you are currently a long way from reaching Primordial Spirit realm, but your soul does possess exceptional resilience due to being bathed in the sacred light for two years. Why don’t I impart to you a soul cultivation technique first so that your soul can enter this puppet for the time being? Meanwhile, I will try to find a way to forge a new body for you!” Walking up to Zhang Yinqiu, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out an Otherworldly Demon puppet.

Zhang Yinqiu’s soul was far more resilient than ordinary souls due to it being nourished by the sacred energy lingering around the Saint Ascension Platform for two years. While his soul couldn’t be compared to Primordial Spirits, it was still capable of existing outside of its body for an extended period of time.

As long as Zhang Xuan forged him a fitting body within this period of time, he would be able to live on like an ordinary human without any problem.

“This is… an Otherworldly Demon puppet?” Upon seeing the form of the puppet, Zhang Yinqiu immediately shook his head.

He had devoted his life to fighting against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how could he possibly allow himself to possess the body of an Otherworldly Demon puppet?

“Back then, Grandmaster Wu Yangzi used the flesh of the Otherworldly Demons to forge these puppets. These are the very pinnacle of his craftsmanship!” Knowing that Zhang Yinqiu revered Wu Yangzi, Zhang Xuan quickly added.

“You are saying that… these puppets are personally forged by Grandmaster Wu Yangzi?” Zhang Yinqiu widened his eyes in shock before hurriedly turning his gaze towards the puppet.

His admiration for Wu Yangzi came from deep within his heart, and it was due to that that he was able to uncover so much information regarding the ancient domain while investigating Wu Yangzi’s case.

After examining the Otherworldly Demon puppet for a while, he couldn’t help but nod in admiration at the exquisite craftsmanship. However, he still eventually shook his head and said, “No matter what, I am still a master teacher. To live on using the flesh and blood of an Otherworldly Demon… I really can’t do it!”

“Master, you aren’t dead!” Just as Zhang Yinqiu was about to turn down Zhang Xuan’s goodwill, an agitated voice suddenly sounded.

Zhang Yinqiu raised his head and saw a massive ape-like saint beast diving towards him with teary eyes.

“Byzantium Helios…” Upon seeing the saint beast’s appearance, Zhang Yinqiu’s eyes also reddened.

That saint beast was his tamed beast, the Byzantium Helios Beast!

Both the master and the subordinate thought that they were bound to be divided by life and death, and they hadn’t really thought that a day would come where they would be able to meet one another again.

“Master, I really miss you…” the Byzantium Helios Beast kneeled down and hugged Zhang Yinqiu. Tears streamed freely down his face, and in this moment, he bore no resemblance to the austere Guardian Saint Beast of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy whom everyone knew of.

“It seems like the old principal truly means a lot to him…” Seeing the state of the duo, Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation.

It was apparent from the Byzantium Helios Beast’s reaction that he truly missed the old principal. No matter what, they had still spent several centuries together, and the connection between them wasn’t something that could be replaced that easily.

Thus, with a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan returned the soul which the Byzantium Helios Beast had offered to him previously.

“Principal Zhang…” Noticing the return of his soul tribute, the Byzantium Helios Beast quickly turned his gaze toward with young man with a look of disbelief in his eyes.

“From today onward, you will be free to make whatever choices you want. If you like, you can remain as the old principal’s tamed beast.” Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

To be honest, given Zhang Xuan’s current strength, it was also pointless to attempt to retain the Byzantium Helios Beast by his side either. Since that was the case, he might as well grant the other party freedom so that the other party could remain by Zhang Yinqiu’s side.

“Thank you, master…” the Byzantium Helios Beast kowtowed to Zhang Xuan in gratitude.

If not for the young man before him, he might have very well never reunited with the old principal ever again.

“Zhang shi, I have made up my mind. I will enter the Otherworldly Demon puppet for the time being. Previously, I had nothing to hold me back. You have already become the new principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and I believe that it will be brought to greater heights under your leadership. That’s why I thought that it would have been better for me to die gracefully than to grasp so hideously to life…”

At this point, the old principal looked at his saint beast and smiled, “However… after seeing him, I found motivation within me to continue living!”

Zhang Yinqiu was a man who had devoted his entirety to the Master Teacher Academy, so till this day, he was still without a wife and offspring. On top of that, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy had already found an incredibly talented individual to take over his place, so he thought that his existence served no purpose anymore. Yet, upon seeing the fondness that the Byzantium Helios Beast had for him, he realized that there was still much more he could do. It was still too early for him to rest.

Sometimes, a person didn’t just live for himself but for others as well.

“Alright!” Hearing his agreement, Zhang Xuan nodded. Reaching forward, he imbued Zhang Yinqiu’s soul with a unique energy and escorted him into the puppet.

Hu!

A few moments later, the puppet opened its eyes.

The Otherworldly Demon puppet didn’t look particularly impressive on the surface, but it was still a true Saint 3-dan expert. In possession of such a body, Zhang Yinqiu’s fighting prowess was significantly enhanced.

After dealing with Tan Qing and Zhang Yinqiu’s affairs, Zhang Xuan led the group towards the entrance of the Saint Ascension Hall, where the seal stood.

With a snap of his finger, the sphere appeared once more. And with another flick of his finger, an opening appeared within the seal.

“Alright, let’s go.”

The group walked out, and before long, they met up with Mu shi, Feng Xun, and the others, who were waiting outside for them.

Upon seeing that Zhang Xuan and the others had returned safely together with Vice Principals Tan Qing and Ji Yan, a wave of cheerings broke out amidst the crowd.

Since the aim of their mission had been met, they decided to head out of the Qiu Wu Palace. Thus, Zhang Xuan raised the sphere up high, and a brilliant radiance shrouded the crowd.

Hu!

In the next moment, the crowd found themselves standing on the volcano on top of the Embracing Swallow Mountain.

Having finally managed to escape from the ancient domain, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a smile, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of treasures appeared before him. “Everyone, here are the treasures contained in the storage rings we have obtained thus far from killing the Otherworldly Demon Kings in the midst of our expedition. Since we have managed to get out from the ancient domain alive, it’s only natural that we should split the spoils of war amongst ourselves!”

As valuable as the treasures from the Skyleaf King, Scarletleaf King, and the others were, it was with the collaborative effort of the entire expedition team that he was able to defeat them. Previously, when they were still in the ancient domain, it was unsure whether they would be able to escape with their life or not, so it made no difference whether they divided the spoils amongst themselves or not. However, since they had managed to overcome the ancient domain safely, it was only right for them to do so now.

“This…”

“Principal Zhang, you were the one who killed the Skyleaf King and the others. We can’t possibly take these items…” Not expecting Zhang Xuan to take out everything within the storage rings, everyone was startled.

They couldn’t help but feel a little moved by his generous gesture.

In the depths of their hearts, they knew that it was thanks to the young man before them that they were able to defeat the Otherworldly Demon Kings and escape from the ancient domain alive. Throughout the whole expedition, they hadn’t accomplished anything much, so they felt embarrassed to take the items before them.

“We have entered the ancient domain as an entire team. Without the rest of you, I might not have been able to survive till now either, so there’s no need to feel embarrassed…” Zhang Xuan smiled.

Upon becoming a Celestial Saint, his state of mind had changed as well.

As valuable of these artifacts were, they would be put to better use if they could raise the cultivation of more people. That would be far better than him monopolizing them alone.

“Alright then. We will be graciously accepting your gifts then…” Seeing that Zhang Xuan’s mind was made up, the crowd decided not to turn him down any longer. Even after splitting the treasures amongst themselves, the gains of every individual was still very substantial.

The expedition team left Zhang Xuan with a huge bulk of the treasure, but these were of not much use to him anymore. After all, his greatest gain in the ancient domain was gaining possession of the Qiu Wu Palace!

Hu!

With a twist of the sphere, the folded space which the ancient domain was located in was secretly transferred to the surface of the sphere. From afar, it looked as if a map was inscribed onto the sphere.

After dividing the treasures, Wu shi and Guild Leader Han walked up to Zhang Xuan, and Wu shi said, “Principal Zhang, since this matter has been settled, we will be heading straight back to the Qingyuan Conferred Empire to report. Thus, we will be bidding you farewell here…”

“Alright. May we meet again in the future.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Before we leave, we would like to have a private chat with you. Is that fine with you?” Wu shi sent a telepathic message over.

“Alright.” Zhang Xuan replied.

With a grasp of his hand, he created a seal around him to prevent anyone from listening in. After which, he turned to the duo and asked, “May I know what matter it is that you would have to keep it away from the ears of the others?”

Wu shi and Guild Leader Han glanced at one another hesitantly before Guild Leader Han stepped forward to speak, “Actually, it isn’t anything much, but there’s just one matter which… we would like to advise Principal Zhang on!”

“Advise?” Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

Just what kind of matter could it be for the both of them to offer him advice privately?

“I’ll get straight to the point then. Based on our observations over the past few days, I believe that Principal Zhang is interested in courting Luo shi, right?” After a moment of silence, Wu shi said.

“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively.

It was perfectly normal for a gentleman to court a lady, there was no need for him to deny the matter before others.

Not to mention, the lady was the only person whom he had found his heart beating for, and he had intended to spend his entire life together with her.

“Then… Are you aware of Luo shi’s background?” Wu shi asked.

“This… Based on what I have heard so far, it seems like she’s related to Sage Luo Clan?” Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking.

“That is indeed what the both of us have deduced as well. In fact, we believe that there is a very good chance she’s the little princess of the Luo Clan!” Wu shi revealed his deduction with a grim expression.

“Little princess?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“Un. The little princess is known to have the purest bloodline in the Luo Clan ever since the time of the founder. Not only does she possess unparalleled talents, it’s said that she has also inherited the supreme artifact of the Luo Clan as well, the Dimension Silencer…”

Wu shi hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Sage Clans pay particular heed to the purity of their bloodline, and as such, the choice of partner is extremely important to them. Not to mention, she is in possession of the most important artifact of the Luo Clan… So, under normal circumstances, it’s impossible for her to be wedded to any outsiders!”

“This…” Zhang Xuan frowned. “If she’s not allowed to be wedded to outsiders, is she to remain single for life?”

“For those whose bloodlines are of average purity, it wouldn’t matter whether if they were wedded to outsiders or not. But for those whose bloodlines are as pure as the little princess of the Luo Clan… it would be difficult!” Wu shi shook his head. “Even if she were to get married, it would very likely be a matrimony amongst Sage Clans!”

“Matrimony amongst the Sage Clans?”

“Indeed. The cultivation techniques of Sage Clans mustn’t be leaked to outsiders at any cost, so those of the Sage Clans often opt to marry amongst themselves. Furthermore, if one marries another whose bloodline is as pure as one, there will there be a greater chance for the offspring to possess equivalent or greater talent… Thus, I fear that your wish to get together with her will be fraught with difficulties. It is an arduous path you are treading on!” Wu shi hesitated for a moment before he replied.

He was not opposed to the both of them getting together, but he felt that there were some things which Zhang Xuan should know beforehand.

It was simply not that easy to wed the daughter of a Sage Clan.

“More importantly… according to what I know, the little princess of the Luo Clan is already betrothed to an offspring of a very powerful Sage Clan! It is also for this reason that the little princess fled from the clan, and to this date, no one knows where she is…”

The one who spoke this time around was Guild Leader Han.

After having guessed Luo Ruoxin’s identity, the various rumors he had heard regarding her surfaced in his mind. While it was only secondhand news, so there was a good chance it was unreliable, he still felt that it was important to inform Zhang Xuan of it.

If Zhang Xuan really wished to get together with Luo Ruoxin, he would not only have to go against the Luo Clan but the other Sage Clan which Luo Ruoxin was betrothed to.

Since they had braved through danger together, he mustn’t allow Zhang Xuan to dive into the matter without understanding the risks.

“Betrothed to an offspring of a very powerful clan? What clan is it?” Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but ask.

“It is a clan which shares the same surname as yours!” At this point, Wu shi paused for a moment before continuing on.

“Zhang Clan of the Sage Clans!”