Library of Heaven’s Path

Chapter 1159: You Can Do It!

Translator: StarveCleric | Editor: StarveCleric

“Heart Tempering Bridge?” Confused, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw that the one who had just spoken was a 6-star master teacher like him.

The other party seemed to be in his forties, and there was an aged look of a veteran on his face.

“Zhang shi’s talent has allowed him to advance his cultivation swiftly, but that, in exchange, has made his mental fortitude his greatest weakness. As such, Pavilion Master Gou has sent him out to temper his mind well. He has returned from his journey just a while ago, and it seems like he’s attempting to give it a try to see if he is able to break his previous record.” the 6-star master teacher explained.

To be able to raise his cultivation realm to Saint 3-dan pinnacle and advance his master teacher rank to 7-star before hitting his thirties, Zhang Jiuxiao was indeed a formidable genius. On top of that, as he was from the Sage Zhang Clan, there was also nothing to pick about his background either. The only thing that was lacking about him was his mental fortitude.

This was also the reason why he had been working on it over the past month, hoping to achieve a breakthrough in it soon.

“Ahem, I am asking about the Heart Tempering Bridge, not Zhang Jiuxiao…” Zhang Xuan cleared his throat.

All he wanted to know was what the Heart Tempering Bridge was used for.

It didn’t matter to him how powerful or weak Zhang Jiuxiao was. In his view, it was just the difference between one punch or two punch anyway, there was truly no need for him to go to the extent of analyzing his opponent’s strength.

“The Heart Tempering Bridge is a unique artifact that assesses one’s mental fortitude. Those who attempt to walk through it will be placed under immense pressure, and cultivators with weaker minds would find themselves succumbing to the pressure very soon. All in all, there are ten levels for the entire bridge, and even a typical 7-star pinnacle master teacher would find it hard to reach the end. Previously, Zhang shi has only managed to reach the fourth level. This time, he is intending to see if he will be able to surpass his previous record.” The 6-star master teacher shot a perplexed glance at Zhang Xuan, but he still chose to explain it anyway.

There were no master teachers in Qingyuan Empire who were unaware of the existence of the Heart Tempering Bridge. For the other party to disregard the number one genius of their Master Teacher Pavilion and focus on a mere bridge instead… this had truly rendered him speechless.

“Fourth level?”

“Don’t underestimate the Heart Tempering Bridge. The previous record of the Heart Tempering Bridge for cultivators beneath thirty is left behind by Ye shi two thousand years ago, but even he had only managed to reach the fourth level. The fact that Zhang shi is able to reach the fourth level is already a formidable feat in itself… However, Pavilion Master Gou has high hopes for him. He feels like reaching the fourth level isn’t enough, so he tasked Zhang shi to work harder on his mental fortitude.” the 6-star master teacher replied.

“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“You aren’t surprised by his achievement?” Seeing how nonchalantly the young man was acting, the 6-star master teacher couldn’t help but feel a little stifled within.

When he first heard about Zhang shi’s accomplishments back then, he had been so shocked that he fell into a very long moment of daze before he could finally regain himself. Yet, the fellow before him simply replied with a nonchalant ‘I see’, as if the achievement was nothing at all.

Did the other party not get what was going on, or was he feigning composure?

“Surprised? Why should I be surprised? Didn’t you say that there are ten levels? He has only reached the fourth the previous time, so even if he did make some improvement over the past month, at the very most, he would only at the fifth or sixth now. That’s still a long way to go before reaching the end.” Zhang Xuan scratched his head in confusion.

Honestly speaking, he had never really cultivated his mental fortitude as well, so he couldn’t relate to the difficulty and torture in tempering it.

What fourth level and fifth level, he had completely no notion of that at all. Since that was the case, what did he have to be surprised over?

“You…” Hearing those seemingly ignorant words, the 6-star master teacher staggered and nearly spurted blood. He quickly explained, “The fact that 7-star pinnacle master teachers would find it hard to reach the other end of the bridge means to say that it’s a trial which even Saint 4-dan pinnacle experts are unable to clear. Just think about it, Primordial Spirit realm experts, despite the superior prowess of their Primordial Spirits granting them mental fortitude far surpassing that of ordinary cultivators, are still unable to reach the tenth level… Given so, the fact that Zhang shi, a Saint 3-dan cultivator, was able to reach the fourth level is already a frightening feat in itself!”

“Ah.” Zhang Xuan replied indifferently. “So it’s a formidable feat. Then… how should I react to this matter? Should I be shocked, or should I scream like the others over there?”

“Forget it…” Seeing that the other party was still unable to comprehend the significance of the feat, the 6-star master teacher shook his head helplessly and gave up.

At this point, he was really starting to doubt whether the young man before him had robbed the master teacher robe and emblem from elsewhere to put it on… To think that there would be a master teacher in Qingyuan City who wouldn’t even know about the Heart Tempering Bridge, as well as the significance of a young man below thirty reaching the fourth level on it…

Just how lacking must his general knowledge be?

“Look, look! Zhang shi is about to overcome the fourth level!”

“Wah, you’re right! Impressive, I feel like my admiration for him is shooting up swiftly!”

“As expected of my idol! Wuu wuu, I am so agitated at this moment that my tears are about to stain my pants wet!”

All of a sudden, the piercing shrieks abruptly crescendoed.

Zhang Xuan and the 6-star master teacher quickly halted their conversation and turned their gazes back towards the Heart Tempering Bridge.

There, Zhang Jiuxiao’s figure could be seen gradually nearing the center of the bridge. Despite the tremendous pressure that the latter was clearly under—his body was shaking, and his robe was completely drenched in sweat—he did successfully hold on up to the point.

Is that the demarcation of levels? Seeing how exhausted Zhang Jiuxiao was, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but take a closer look at the bridge. There, he saw various red lines scattered across the bridge, and Zhang Jiuxiao had passed the fourth and was slowly making his way over to the fifth.

“As expected of the number one genius of our Master Teacher Pavilion! Despite only spending a month in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, his mental fortitude has already grown by such a great extent. At this rate, it might really be possible for him to reach the fifth level today!” the 6-star master teacher remarked in agitation.

“Marshlands of the Northern Meadows?” Hearing that phrase, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but frown.

It hadn’t been long since he had arrived at Qingyuan City, but this must be his third or fourth time hearing of that location.

Vicious’s body parts could very well be there, and it seemed like a soul oracle had settled there as well… Why would the number one genius of the Master Teacher Pavilion head to such a dangerous location to temper his mental fortitude?

“That’s right. According to the rumors, there is a place known as the Ghost Cavern in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows that raises one’s mental fortitude immensely. It is extremely famous even in the surrounding empires, and there are many master teachers who would head to the Northern Meadows each year to seek it, hoping of training their mind. The fact that Zhang shi dared to challenge the Heart Tempering Bridge after spending less than a month there, even improving his record by an entire level, means that it’s very likely that he might have found the Ghost Cavern!” the 6-star master teacher explained in excitement.

“Ghost Cavern? What’s in there?” Zhang Xuan’s curiosity was piqued.

The conventional methods that others use to temper their mental fortitude were the usage of inner demons, illusions, pain, and sourcing for inspiration for enlightenment… So what did the Ghost Cavern rely on to allow one’s mental fortitude to increase swiftly, attracting so many master teachers to see kit?

“I have never been there before, so I’m not too sure either. However, I heard that there’s a body of springwater there that deeply resembles the shape of an eye. Staring into it would allow one to peer into the deepest desires in their hearts, and the longer one stares into it for, the more desires would spring up. As long as one kills off the desires that are reflected in the springwater, their minds would grow more wholesome and resilient…” the 6-star master teacher pondered for a brief moment before responding.

“A body of springwater that can reflect one’s deepest desires?” Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

“Indeed. I was also as shocked as you when I first heard of the matter, and I didn’t believe it either. However, there are simply too many rumors that lend credibility to the case, so eventually, I could only accept it to be true. Also, another thing that is perplexing about the Ghost Cavern is that it doesn’t seem to be fixed to one location. Instead, it moves around, and only the truly fortunate master teachers are able to find it. There were more than twenty master teachers who have headed to the Northern Meadows along with Zhang shi this time around, but Zhang shi was the only one who enjoyed a tremendous increase in his mental fortitude… It seems like the others simply just aren’t as lucky…” the 6-star master teacher said.

“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

From the sounds of it, it seemed like the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows was truly a mysterious place. If he had some time after being promoted to a 7-star master teacher, he would really have to head over there to take a look himself.

While Zhang Xuan was deep in thoughts, excited shrieks continued resounding from the surroundings, and there was a single one which was particularly piercing.

“Look! Zhang shi has already reached the fifth level!”

Turning around, Zhang Xuan noted that the source of the sound had come from the millstone-bottom lady whom he had encountered just a few moments ago. The latter was staring at the Heart Tempering Bridge with gleaming eyes, and if she could, Zhang Xuan had no doubt that she would pounce on Zhang Jiuxiao at this very moment to bear his babies.

After which, he turned his gaze back to the bridge and saw that Zhang Jiuxiao had already passed the fifth red line. However, it seemed like he had reached his limit as well. His body was trembling so intensely that he could hardly move anymore, and it seemed like he would collapse at any moment.

“This is probably his limit…” Zhang Xuan noted.

Seeing that the show was over, Zhang Xuan was just about to leave the area when he suddenly heard a deeply displeased voice echoing from the other end of the bridge, “Send off our guest!”

Following which, the doors to a residence at the other end of the bridge suddenly creaked open, and two armored individuals walked out with awkward looks on their faces.

“It’s Wu shi!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

He could tell in an instant that the displeased voice belonged to Wu shi. It seemed like he was in the residence on the other side of the bridge.

“I should head over to find him.”

With this thought in mind, Zhang Xuan began walking towards the stone bridge without any hesitation, wanting to cross to the other side.

…

“Argh… Persevere, persevere! I must persevere on!”

On the bridge, Zhang Jiuxiao’s sweat flowed profusely down his head. At this point, the vision before him had already blurred, and the only thing that was pushing him on was the tenacity in his mind.

But no matter how hard he tried to push himself, he was already completely sapped. This was the limit of his mental fortitude, and it was impossible for him to push any further.

Eventually, he could only give in, “Forget it, I’ll just stop here today…”

Giving up, Zhang Jiuxiao turned around, only to see a young man with a 6-star master teacher emblem pinned on his chest walking over leisurely. From the faint aura that the latter emanated, he could vaguely discern that the latter was a Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator.

The young man walked up to him nonchalantly, nodded in approval, and pulled his arm down in an encouraging gesture, “You can do it!”

After which, he proceeded on to cross the bridge leisurely.

It was a trial which left his mind feeling as if it would succumb at any moment, and yet, the other party was able to clear it so easily as if it was a mere stroll down the streets…

“He cleared the tenth level so easily?”

The stupefied Zhang Jiuxiao stared at the sight before him with twitching lips.

He wasn’t the only one who was flabbergasted by this inconceivable situation. The surroundings had suddenly grown so silent that one could literally hear a pin drop.

The 6-star master teacher who had been speaking to Zhang Xuan earlier had an expression on his face which suggested that he had seen a ghost.

The millstone-bottom lady had also halted her fervent cheer dance. In this instant, her mouth was widened even larger than her bottom…

Chapter 1160: Bail

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After leaving the Heart Tempering Bridge, Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment. “Damn, I thought that it would at least be kind of challenging…”

He had expected a challenge from the Heart Tempering Bridge, but when he walked across it, he had realized that… it was truly nothing at all. He did not feel the slightest resistance. It did not even jolt his soul in the slightest.

All he wanted to do was temper his mental fortitude and try raising his Soul Depth, but this simple wish just would not come true for him. When he went to the Trial of Inner Demons, his inner demons refused to appear. When he walked over the Heart Tempering Bridge, he did not feel the slightest thing… Why did life have to be so difficult!

Shaking his head in pity, Zhang Xuan walked toward the room where Wu shi’s voice originated from previously and knocked on the door.

Walking in, he saw Wu shi seated in the middle with a livid expression. He did not seem to be in a good mood at that moment.

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan asked, “What’s wrong?”

When he parted with Wu shi earlier, the latter had still had a smile on his face. It had not even been an hour since then, so why would his mood suddenly sour so quickly?

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s question, Wu shi rubbed his glabella and said, “The two men earlier came on the orders of Emperor Chu Tianxing to demand King Zhongqing’s release, so I chased them out.”

“The emperor wants to have King Zhongqing released?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Does he not understand the crime of slandering a master teacher?”

While Zhang Xuan might not have been a master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire, and his rank had not reached 7-star, he was still the principal of a Master Teacher Academy, and there were a hundred thousand master teachers standing behind him! Considering that the other party had been caught slandering him, wasn’t Emperor Chu Tianxing taking him too lightly by demanding King Zhongqing’s release without even investigating the matter?

If such a thing were to be approved, what would become of the Master Teacher Pavilion’s dignity.

“I sent my men to explain the matter to Emperor Chu Tianxing right after capturing King Zhongqing,” Wu shi said grimly.

No matter what, King Zhongqing was the First King of the Qingyuan Empire. Considering that the Master Teacher Pavilion had sent out all its forces to apprehend the latter, it might sour the relations between the Master Teacher Pavilion and the royal family if he did not deal with this matter properly.

“You have already explained this matter, but Emperor Chu Tianxing still sent his men over to demand King Zhongqing’s release? Isn’t he being far too brazen?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

King Zhongqing’s act of finding the ex-vice head of the Poison Hall to frame him was a truly major crime, and yet, Emperor Chu Tianxing, despite knowing that such actions would offend the Master Teacher Pavilion, still demanded King Zhongqing’s release. Just what in the world was going through the minds of the nobles of the Qingyuan Empire?

Did they not understand that even if it was the royal family of a Conferred Empire, once they lost the protection of the local Master Teacher Pavilion, they would spiral into a cycle of endless decline and soon face destruction?

Wu shi shook his head and sighed deeply. “I’m not too sure either, but I think that he might have been emboldened by Vice Pavilion Master Tian…”

For the authoritative vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion to work together with a King to accuse a master teacher without investigating the matter properly was truly a huge oversight. The future of a master teacher could very well have been ruined due to it.

The only reason Zhang Xuan was fine was because they had rushed over in time. Otherwise, held captive by the duo, he would have been no different from a prey on the chopping board. As long as the duo pulled some tricks, he could very well have found himself pinned with an accusation that he would never be able to cleanse himself of.

Such matters happened far too frequently.

It was simply too easy to slander and accuse another of a crime, especially when two of the most authoritative individuals in the Qingyuan Empire were working with one another.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to reveal his deduction when someone suddenly knocked on the door outside. Following which, a master teacher walked in and reported, “Teacher, Emperor Chu Tianxing of the Qingyuan Empire seeks an audience!”

“He has already arrived? Invite him in!” Frowning, Wu shi waved his hand.

He had chased away the envoys of Emperor Chu Tianxing just a few minutes earlier, but then the latter suddenly arrived personally. From the looks of it, it seemed like he had already been waiting outside for the results.

The master teacher backed out of the room, and not too long later, a middle-aged man dressed in a yellow robe walked in with widened strides.

Just like Wu shi, the middle-aged man’s cultivation had reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm as well. His eyes carried an authoritative air reminiscent of a majestic tiger. With just a look, it was apparent that his unique aura had been cultivated by the many years he had spent in a lofty position.

“Wu shi!” As soon as the middle-aged man walked into the room, he quickly clasped his fist politely.

Although he was the emperor of the Qingyuan Empire, his standing still paled in comparison to Wu shi, a vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“Un. Take a seat.” Wu shi gestured as he assessed the middle-aged man before him nonchalantly. “If Your Majesty is here to request King Zhongqing’s release, I’ll have to ask you not to waste your breath. Framing a master teacher is a grievous crime that our Master Teacher Pavilion is unable to pardon. I have already reported the matter to the headquarters, so if you continue insisting on this matter, I fear that the entire Qingyuan Empire might be implicated in this issue. Thus, I have to ask you to think twice before speaking.”

Wu shi’s words were not particularly sharp, but they were devoid of warmth. His tone had made it perfectly clear that there was no room for negotiation.

Instead of proceeding on to take a seat, Emperor Chu clasped his fist and spoke in an earnest tone. “It truly pains me to see King Zhongqing committing such foolishness, but Wu shi… you also know that I would have been killed long ago if not for him. Thus, regardless of how big a crime he has committed, I am willing to compensate the Master Teacher Pavilion for it. Thus, I beseech the Master Teacher Pavilion to give him and me an opportunity to apologize to Zhang shi personally and plead for his pardon…”

“Apologize? If apologies truly work, what would the world need our Master Teacher Pavilion for?” Wu shi waved his hands impatiently. “Send our guest out!”

“Yes!” The master teacher who had led Emperor Chu Tianxing in nodded before walking up to the latter. “Your Majesty, this way please!”

“This…” The expression on Chu Tianxing’s face turned awkward upon hearing those words. He had prepared a long script to convince the other party of the matter, but it seemed like the other party was not intending to give him an opportunity to speak at all. Thus, sighing deeply, he turned around to leave the room. However, before he could step out of the room, a voice suddenly sounded.

“Wu shi, hold it for a moment. Didn’t he say that he intends to compensate the Master Teacher Pavilion for the matter? I’m interested to hear how much he’s willing to offer to save King Zhongqing!”

Emperor Chu Tianxing turned around and saw a young man in his twenties, dressed in the robe of a 6-star master teacher, seated not too far away from Wu shi.

The young man was none other than Zhang Xuan.

“Principal Zhang…” Not expecting Zhang Xuan to suddenly interject at this moment, Wu shi turned to look at the other party in bewilderment. A moment later, he closed his eyes and nodded before turning his gaze back to Emperor Chu Tianxing. “Since Zhang shi has already spoken on your behalf, I’ll listen to your words.”

“Zhang shi?”

Emperor Chu Tianxing swiftly understood what was going on. He quickly walked up to Zhang Xuan and bowed slightly. “King Zhongqing has truly erred in attempting to slander Zhang shi. As long as Zhang shi is willing to let bygones be bygones, I’m willing to build a new accommodation to house the students from the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and unconditionally provide enough cultivation resources for a hundred years. On top of that, from this day forth, any student from Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy who drops by Qingyuan City will be able to receive a cultivation technique manual and a few small gifts as a token of our sincerity. We won’t allow anyone of them to leave Qingyuan City empty-handed!”

Knowing that the other party was the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Emperor Chu Tianxing chose to center his offer around the academy instead.

As expected of the man who had the entire Qingyuan Empire in his grasp, he knew how to make an offer that was irresistible to the other party.

Naturally, as a principal of a Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan’s priority would be the welfare of his student, and to be honest, the terms that he had offered were truly generous.

With the backing of a Conferred Empire, it was only a matter of time before Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy became the top of the Four Great Master Teacher Academies.

“That’s not enough,” Zhang Xuan said nonchalantly.

“This…” Chu Tianxing was visibly taken aback by Zhang Xuan’s refusal. However, he swiftly recovered and said, “Zhang shi, if you have any requests, feel free to raise them. As long as it’s within the means of our royal family, we will accomplish it without the slightest frown!”

Zhang Xuan glanced at Emperor Chu Tianxing and said, “Simple. Add in another hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones to your previous terms, and you can take back King Zhongqing right now.”

He was currently severely lacking in cultivation resources. It was far more practical for him to receive concentrated high-tier spirit stones from the other party than to hold a King in custody.

In any case, he could easily get rid of King Zhongqing whenever he wanted to, so it did not matter whether the latter remained imprisoned or not.

“A hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones?” Emperor Chu Tianxing widened his eyes in astonishment before a bitter smile surfaced on his lips. “Zhang shi, you must be joking. Even if we sold everything in our Imperial Treasury, we still would not be able to fork out that sum…”

In the first place, concentrated high-tier spirit stones were a severely lacking commodity in Qingyuan City. Even the Combat Master Hall, an organization that the Master Teacher Pavilion had devoted a large portion of its resources to, only had ten concentrated high-tier spirit stones in their reserves. No matter how wealthy the Qingyuan royal family was, there was no way it would be able to fork out ten times the sum in a single breath.

“Very well then, I shall give you a discount. Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones, and King Zhongqing will be yours to take away. This is my final offer, and if you can’t fulfill that condition, I’ll have to ask you to leave.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

He also knew that the other party would be unable to afford 100 concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Nevertheless, he had chosen to ask for it so that he would have some room to bargain.

“This…” Chu Tianxing’s lips twitched.

Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones still was not a sum that the Qingyuan royal family could afford.

Emperor Chu Tianxing contemplated for a long while before responding. “Zhang shi, to be honest with you, even with the ten-millennium reign of our Qingyuan royal family, we only have seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones at the moment… We did have quite a handful of it in the past, but most of them were bestowed to the princes and meritorious subjects. Is it possible for me to give all seventeen to you and make up for the rest with valuable medicinal herbs and ores?”

There was no way he would be able to fork out fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but as long as the other party was willing, he would still be able to find substitutes for the rest.

“Alright then. Here are the ores and medicinal herbs I require, and as long as you are able to gather all of them, I can let King Zhongqing go with just seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Also, I require as many Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation technique manuals as possible. Make a copy of every single book in your library and pass them to me,” Zhang Xuan said as he whipped out a brush and paper and swiftly penned down a list.

He was intending on making use of this opportunity to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron and Glacier Rain Sword. He already had the main materials, but he was still lacking a few supporting materials. If he were to search for them himself, who knew how long it would take before he was able to gather the required materials? It would be best if he could enlist Emperor Chu Tianxing’s help for this matter.

“Very well.” Emperor Chu Tianxing took the list and browsed through it. While there were some materials that seemed to be a relatively rare, with the prowess of an entire Conferred Empire, he should be able to gather all of them promptly. Thus, he accepted the request heartily.

After which, he flicked his wrist and passed a jade container over.

“Here are the seventeen concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Zhang shi, please take a look.”

Zhang Xuan swiftly swept through the contents in the jade container and verified that the other party was not lying. Nodding, he stowed the jade container into his storage ring.

“Zhang shi and Wu shi, please give me a moment while I deal with the rest.”

After saying those words, Emperor Chu Tianxing turned around and issued some instructions to his attendant.

As expected of the emperor of a Conferred Empire, his connections were truly astounding. In just two mere hours, the ores and medicinal herbs that Zhang Xuan had requested had been successfully gathered.

Even the books that Zhang Xuan had requested earlier were all stacked up neatly before him.

For those that they could not copy in time, the originals were brought over instead. All in all, there were roughly several hundred thousand books for Saint 3-dan and above ten thousand books for Saint 4-dan.

Zhang Xuan placed those items into his storage ring before nodding in satisfaction. “Alright, you may take King Zhongqing away now.”

“Thank you, Zhang shi.” Emperor Chu Tianxing quickly turned to Wu shi, and upon seeing the latter nod in agreement as well, he heaved a sigh of relief. After which, he followed a master teacher down to the underground prison, to where King Zhongqing was locked up.

As soon as Emperor Chu Tianxing left, Wu shi immediately turned a perplexed look to Zhang Xuan, uncomprehending of what the latter was up to. “Principal Zhang…”

Chapter 1161: Chen Zhe’s Death

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Do you feel that I shouldn’t have released King Zhongqing?” Taking Wu shi’s expression into sight, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.

“Emperor Chu Tianxing’s offer might be alluring, but I don’t think that it’s a good idea to accede to his request.” Wu shi nodded. “Master teachers mustn’t be sullied. This isn’t a matter about compensation but pride. If a precedent were to be set, it might send out a wrong message about the Master Teacher Pavilion’s stand, and others might begin to emulate King Zhongqing’s actions…”

After the affairs that they had gone through together in the Qiu Wu Palace, he had come to know the young man before him as an extremely wise and discerning individual. As such, while he didn’t agree with the latter’s decision, he didn’t interject during the discussion earlier on because he knew that the latter would surely have his considerations for making his decision. However, with Emperor Chu Tianxing’s departure, he couldn’t hold back his intrigue any longer.

“I’ll explain the matter to you, but before that, I would like to ask Wu shi a single question… Will you speak of the matter concerning Celestial Master teacher to any other master teachers in your Master Teacher Pavilion?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Upon hearing those words, Wu shi’s face immediately turned grim. He quickly set up an isolation barrier around him before assessing his surroundings to confirm that there was no one around. Only then did he respond with a soft voice, “Principal Zhang, you must be absolutely careful when you speak of this matter! To respond to your question, due to the huge implications regarding the matter concerning Celestial Master Teacher, there’s an absolute need to maintain a silence restraint on the matter. If word were to be leaked to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it could result in a disastrous outcome. Therefore, even if it’s to the headquarters, I would choose to maintain my silence.”

He knew that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher.

However, this matter mustn’t be spoken of lightly to others. If news were to fall into the wrong hands, it might cause the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to send its forces frenziedly after the other party. Putting aside the devastating destruction that would occur as a result of that, more importantly, it might result in the premature downfall of the master teacher before him.

If that were to happen, he would become a sinner of history.

“I share the same thoughts as you. However… Vice Pavilion Master Tian revealed the existence of a Celestial Master Teacher right before me.”

Back when Vice Pavilion Master Tian was interrogating him at King Zhongqing Manor, the other party had once said these words: “From what I know, even a Celestial Master Teacher has recently appeared in the world, so I don’t think that the revival of the founder of the Poison Hall is something too absurd to believe…”

Back then, he had already realized that something was amiss.

There was no master teacher who didn’t understand the significance of those three words. It was the first time that Vice Pavilion Master Tian was meeting him, and yet, the other party actually revealed such an important news to him… This was a clear breach of the silence restraint.

That was also the main reason why he didn’t hesitate in dealing with Vice Pavilion Master Tian.

“You are saying that Vice Pavilion Master Tian knows that… you are Celestial Master Teacher?” Wu shi’s face darkened.

“From the looks of it, that doesn’t seem to be the case. If anything, he seems to be trying to sound me out instead.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Judging from the other party’s tone, it didn’t seem like the other party knew of the matter yet. However, the fact that the other party raised the term ‘Celestial Master Teacher’ before him showed that the other party harbored some doubts regarding his identity. However, given how calmly he was able to respond to the other party, not showing the slightest bit of fluster, he should have been able to dispel the doubts in the other party’s mind.

“That’s a relief. However, Principal Zhang, you must be careful. Next time, no matter where you head to, you must make sure to bring either me or Hall Master Xing with you for your own safety!” Wu shi advised gravely.

As long as the news hadn’t leaked, Principal Zhang would only be seen as an incredible prodigy in the eyes of others. An uncommon existence, yes, but there were still a handful of others just like him in the world as well.

However, if others were to learn that he was a Celestial Master Teacher… that would truly be a catastrophe.

“For the time being, there’s no need to resort to such measures yet. Such extreme actions would be as good as confirming the suspicions of others.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

If he were to utilize all of the means he had in his hands, he was confident that he would be able to fare much better than with the protection of the duo. On the other hand, if the duo were going to be tagging around him, it wouldn’t be convenient for him to utilize those means, and it would place him in a more dangerous position than before.

“This…” Wu shi hesitated.

Indeed. If he and Hall Master Xing were to follow the other party day in and day out, even those who hadn’t doubted the matter previously would start getting suspicious. That would be as good as giving themselves away!

“There’s something wrong with Pavilion Master Tian, and King Zhongqing has colluded with the Poison Hall to concoct huge quantities of poison—I have a feeling that those two matters are related. Also, there is something amiss about Emperor Chu Tianxing paying a visit to you personally and paying such a heavy price just to bail King Zhongqing… I don’t believe that he would go so far just to repay the latter for saving his life!” Zhang Xuan analyzed grimly.

Hearing those words, Wu shi suddenly widened his eyes in realization.

The royal palace was a cold-blooded place where blood brothers would murder one another for authority. For the most esteemed man in there, the emperor, to risk offending the Master Teacher Pavilion and pay such a heavy price just to save a mere official… that was indeed something worth looking deeper into.

“Since we know that there’s something wrong with them, instead of stifling ourselves over here to figure out what they are up to, why don’t we just release them temporarily and have them untie the dead knot for us before deciding on our next move?”

They might have captured King Zhongqing, but their clue effectively ended right there. However, if they were to let King Zhongqing go, it might just lead them to something unexpected.

“You’re right, that’s indeed a good solution…” Coming to a realization, Wu shi nodded his head in admiration.

As expected of Principal Zhang! While he was still engrossed by the situation before him, the other party had already thought many steps ahead!

At the current moment, their investigation had already hit a bottleneck. There was no more clue for them to look into, and even if they were to interrogate King Zhongqing and the others, there was no way the other party would reveal their plan to them. However… if they were to release their grasp and allow the other party to do as they pleased, it was likely that the other party would attempt something and give themselves away in the midst of doing so.

“Un. Alright, I’ll leave the rest to you. There’s still some time before night time, and if it’s convenient, I would like to pay a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion’s library to take a look.”

It would suffice to have Wu shi deal with the investigation, it made no difference whether he participated in it or not.

For the time being, his priority was to compile the Saint 3-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art and raise his cultivation up to the required level, so that he could surpass that Zhang Jiuxiao and successfully claim the nomination slot to enter the Sanctum of Sages.

“Alright, I’ll bring you over then!” Knowing that Principal Zhang liked to read books, Wu shi stood up with a smile to lead the way. At that moment, however, anxious knocking suddenly sounded on the door.

“Come in!” Wu shi said with a frown.

The master teacher who had just left a moment ago rushed into the room with a panicked look.

“What’s wrong?” Wu shi asked.

For a 6-star master teacher to lose his bearings, there was no doubt that something huge must have happened.

“Teacher, bad news! Chen Zhe… he has died!” the master teacher gulped down a mouthful of saliva and said.

“Chen Zhe has died?” Wu shi narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

Chen Zhe was the master teacher who had duped Zhang Yinqiu of the details concerning the ancient domain back then and leaked it to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. He was the key to uncovering the other traitors within the Master Teacher Pavilion, and he had been locked in the most secure prison in the Master Teacher Pavilion, such that even his cultivation had been sealed. So, how could he suddenly pass away all of a sudden?

“I’m not too sure about the reason behind his death either. When I checked on him earlier in the morning, he was still perfectly fine. However, when I took another look at him while releasing King Zhongqing earlier, I realized that he has already breathed his last…” the master teacher exclaimed anxiously.

Chen Zhe was Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s direct disciple, a 7-star low-tier master teacher. His abrupt death was no joking matter.

“Let’s head over to take a look!” Wu shi said grimly. He turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Principal Zhang, will you follow me to take a look as well?”

The eyes of the young man before him was far more discerning than his own. The other party could very well notice something that he had missed out.

“Alright.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

He also found the matter perplexing as well.

In the Master Teacher Pavilion’s prison, putting aside killing any prisoner, even suicide should have been impossible, so how did Chen Zhe possibly lose his life there? This was truly eerie.

Following behind the 6-star master teacher, it didn’t take long for them to arrive at a cold chamber. In there, they saw a middle-aged man lying motionlessly on the ground, his body frigid cold. He had already breathed his last.

Instead of walking over to assess the corpse, Zhang Xuan first examined the surroundings instead.

An airtight formation had been set up around the room, preventing one’s Spiritual Perception from reaching in. As such, it was impossible to send any information in or out. It would be impossible for those within the chamber to communicate with those outside it.

After which, Zhang Xuan walked up to the corpse and activated his Eye of Insight.

“He doesn’t have any physical wounds, but his soul has already dissipated entirely.” Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed in astonishment.

The cause of the other party’s death was no other than the dissipation of his soul!

“His soul has dissipated entirely?” Taken aback, Wu shi quickly placed his hand on the other party’s corpse to extend his consciousness into the other party’s body. A moment later, his face turned livid.

Clearly, he had come to the same conclusion as well.

“Could it be the same soul nabbing technique as before?” Frowning, a thought came into Zhang Xuan’s mind.

Previously, Cang Xu of the Twin Bandits of the Northern Meadows had attempted to use a soul nabbing technique to kill him, but the Spirit Awakener Guild’s building had crushed him to death at that very moment, thus resulting in his failure.

He had analyzed the soul nabbing technique carefully after gaining possession of the other party’s memory via Soul Search, and it bore striking resemblance to the means of the soul oracles. It aimed to draw a cultivator’s soul out of his body and confine it, thus rendering him completely powerless to one’s whims…

Once the technique were to succeed, the body, left without a soul, would slowly wither away and die.

Could Chen Zhe have been killed using such a method?

“Could it be that Vicious has imparted this technique to someone else other than Cang Xu?” Zhang Xuan contemplated doubtfully.

However, even if that was the case, why would the practitioner of the technique want to go through the trouble of killing Chen Zhe? Or could it be that Chen Zhe had something to do with Vicious and the soul oracle as well?

“Let’s bring his corpse over to Division Head Qiu of the Combat Master Hall and have him help us analyze the situation.” After examining the corpse for a while longer, Wu shi was still unable to make sense of the situation, so he stood up and said.

“Alright!” the 6-star master teacher replied.

Division Head Qiu was the head of the Soul Division, and he possessed deep knowledge in the study of souls. While Wu shi might not be able to determine anything from the corpse, perhaps Division Head Qiu might be able to see something that they couldn’t in it.

“There’s no need for that.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The soul within the corpse had already vanished, so there was no point in finding Division Head Qiu anymore.

“Principal Zhang…” Wu shi looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously and said. “Chen Zhe’s death effectively means that we have lost our evidence to deal with Vice Pavilion Master Tian. Even though Vice Pavilion Master Tian has made a move on you, the evidence we have at the moment isn’t sufficient to indict him for attempting to frame you. In other words, we don’t have any reason to imprison him any longer!”

No matter what, Vice Pavilion Master Tian was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, the vice head of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Previously, it was due to his direct disciple leaking critical intelligence to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe that he was implicated and imprisoned for the matter. However, with Chen Zhe’s death, there was no longer anyone who could possibly point Vice Pavilion Master Tian to be the culprit of the matter, so naturally… they would have no reason why keep the other party imprisoned any longer.

As for the crime of slandering and accusing Zhang Xuan, he could dump it all onto King Zhongqing, and the remaining could be overlooked just on his prestigious identity in itself!

“Since we no longer have any right to imprison him, just let him go then.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

If not for the fact that he had discovered that there was a fatal flaw in Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s Primordial Spirit through his Library of Heaven’s Path, which would hinder him from effectively executing any soul art, he would have truly doubted if Vice Pavilion Master Tian had killed his own student.

“Let him go?” Wu shi was taken aback. “But Principal Zhang, the humiliation that you have suffered because of him…”

“There’s no need to be bothered about that matter. In view of Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s standing, it won’t do us any good to keep him imprisoned for an extended period of time, especially when we don’t have sufficient evidence on hand. Furthermore, it hasn’t been long since you have been promoted to a vice pavilion master yourself, so you can’t afford to forcefully make a move against Vice Pavilion Master Tian yet.” Zhang Xuan shook his head and said.

At the current moment, it was imperative for them that Wu shi remained in power. Otherwise, there would be powerless to stand against Vice Pavilion Master Tian.

“Alright then.” Seeing that there was some sense in what Zhang Xuan said, Wu shi could only reluctantly nod in agreement. “Then… what should we do next?”

“What do you think that we should do?” Zhang Xuan returned the question with a smile.

“I think that we should announce Chen Zhe’s crimes publicly and turn everyone against Vice Pavilion Master Tian. This would put Vice Pavilion Master Tian in a disadvantageous position, and we would be in a better position to make a move against him.” Wu shi contemplated for a moment before saying.

The news regarding Chen Zhe’s betrayal was currently known by only a very small group. If they could pin a crime on Chen Zhe at this moment, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, as Chen Zhe’s teacher, would be placed in a precarious position as well.

Otherwise, Vice Pavilion Master Tian would truly be getting away scot-free from the entire matter.

“Wrong! That course of action won’t work!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“It won’t work? What should we do then?” Wu shi was taken aback.

“Simple. We should have Chen Zhe buried with the grandest of master teacher ceremonies. On top of that, we will compensate his family and accord them with the highest compliments. We shall dub him as a true master teacher, the role model whom everyone should learn from!” Zhang Xuan replied with a mysterious smile.

“Ah? What kind of solution is that?” Wu shi was stunned by Zhang Xuan’s unexpected suggestion.

Chapter 1162: The Poisoned King Zhongqing

Translator: StarveCleric | Editor: StarveCleric

Chen Zhe was the person who revealed the intelligence from Zhang Yinqiu to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, causing the latter to nearly be unable to return from the Qiu Wu Palace. A person like him should be deeply condemned by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and yet, Principal Zhang was proposing to offer the highest of compliments to him?

This was too bizarre!

On the other hand, seeing that Wu shi didn’t comprehend what he was driving at, Zhang Xuan shook his head and explained, “At this point, Chen Zhe’s crimes are only known to a handful within the Master Teacher Pavilion. This is actually disadvantageous to us. In order to officially indict Chen Zhe of a crime and justify his arrest, we’ll need to convince the entire Master Teacher Pavilion of our case, and that would require more evidence than just Old Principal Zhang Yinqiu’s testimony. However, that is one thing that we are lacking at the moment. If we were to disregard that and forcefully pin an accusation on Chen Zhe, it will appear as if we are trying to conceal our depraved actions instead. On top of that, the fact that Chen Zhe has even passed away in the Master Teacher Pavilion plays against us as well. Think about it, we have captured Chen Zhe, but Chen Zhe ended up dying in captivity. What do you think the others would think about the matter?”

“This…” Wu shi fell silent.

It was normal for others to sympathize with the weak, but whether the weak was truly weak or not was often one thing that couldn’t be clearly seen on the surface.

If they were to really attempt to pin a crime on Chen Zhe, as long as someone were to work behind their backs and fabricate a story to accuse Wu shi of abusing his authority to deal with Chen Zhe, the common populace would be unable to discern which point of view was true. In such situations, the tendency was for them to naturally sympathize with the victim, Chen Zhe.

By then, the tables would be turned. Their advantageous situation would turn into a deeply disadvantageous one in an instant.

“On the other hand, if we were to declare that he has died and bestow his family with huge riches for the matter, the other party might think that news has been leaked and panic. By then… the other party might very well do something that would give themselves away. As long as we can lure the other party out, the rest would be simple. As for Chen Zhe, it wouldn’t be too late to indict him of his crime then.” Zhang Xuan said.

“I see…” Wu shi came to a realization.

That was indeed the best plan they had at the moment.

Not only would it resolve the adverse effects brought about by Chen Zhe’s death, it could also potentially bait the other party out. Truly two birds in a stone.

“I’ll have it done now!” Nodding, Wu shi quickly turned to the 6-star master teacher beside him to issue instructions.

“What else should we do?” After making arrangements, Wu shi asked once more.

“For the time being, this should be enough. Tonight, we’ll still be attending the Appraisal Convention that you spoke about… Don’t worry, we have already placed the bait dangling before them. Now, we just have to wait to hook something up.” Zhang Xuan smiled.

Wu shi nodded before falling silent.

After leaving Chen Zhe’s cell, Zhang Xuan headed straight for the Master Teacher Pavilion’s library.

With Wu shi’s identity token in his hand, he was qualified to access the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan cultivation techniques in there. In less than two hours, he had already collected everything into his Library of Heaven’s Path.

After that was done, he took out the books which Emperor Chu Tianxing had given him and collected them into his Library of Heaven’s Path too.

Compile!

The Library of Heaven’s Path jolted, and two new books materialized before Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

They were the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

Swiftly browsing through them, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.

“They have both reached the level of Heaven’s Path, I can cultivate them straight now!”

This seemed to be the first time he had collected the Heaven’s Path Divine Art for two realms in advance. With these two, he would be able to make a breakthrough on the spot to Saint 4-dan Primordial Spirit realm!

“However, the sky seems to be getting dark. I should first head over to the Appraisal Convention with Wu shi before cultivating…”

Zhang Xuan glanced out of the windows and saw that the sun had already set. The Appraisal Convention that Wu shi had mentioned previously should be starting any time soon, so he couldn’t afford to spend any time on cultivation for the time being. Thus, he stretched his back lazily and walked out of the library.

In any case, everything would be simple once he had the required cultivation techniques. At most, it would only take him two hours or so, or at the very worst, four hours… Either way, he could have it done very quickly.

Besides, there was no such thing as a cultivation bottleneck to him. Once he cultivated, the technique would surely reach the mastery of Consummation.

Thus, for the time being, it was more imperative for him to bring all of his supporting occupations to 7-star and become a 7-star master teacher first.

“Principal Zhang, let’s set forth!” Wu shi said with a smile upon seeing Zhang Xuan walking towards him.

After which, the duo headed out together.

…

While Zhang Xuan and Wu shi were heading to the Appraisal Convention, in a vast hall in the royal palace…

“Damn it, damn it!”

King Zhongqing paced around the room as he clenched his teeth tightly in fury. Hatred burned within his eyes like raging inferno, as if they would burn down everything in its sight.

“Enough! You sure have gotten brazen to attempt to make a move against a 6-star master teacher without making ample preparations!” Chu Tianxing harrumphed coldly.

“Your Majesty, I…” King Zhongqing quickly clasped his fist to explain himself.

“Forget it, you don’t have to explain anything to me. Just learn from this lesson and make sure that you never commit it in the future. Know that it took me a heavy price to bail you out!” Chu Tianxing waved his hand impatiently.

“I apologize for my inept.” King Zhongqing lowered his head and said.

“Alright, that’s enough of that. For the next few days, you should remain in my royal palace to cultivate and reflect on where you have gone wrong. During this timing, you can’t afford to have anyone finding any more handle on you, or else no one will be able to save you!” Chu Tianxing instructed.

“Yes!” King Zhongqing nodded. “Don’t worry, there shouldn’t be any more problems. The main issue at hand lies with that Zhang Xuan, he really isn’t an easy fellow to deal with. Furthermore, his cultivation is much higher than we have previously anticipated…” As King Zhongqing spoke about Zhang Xuan, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth furiously. However, as soon as he said those words, his face suddenly paled, and his body began shaking uncontrollably.

“This is bad…” King Zhongqing narrowed his eyes as goosebumps rose all over his body.

“What’s wrong?” Chu Tianxing frowned.

“I-I have been poisoned! Pu!” King Zhongqing’s body began convulsing non-stop, and large mouthfuls of blood spurted from his mouth. He felt as if all of his organs were about to shatter anytime soon.

“Poisoned? How did you get poisoned?” Chu Tianxing’s eyes widened in alarm.

King Zhingqing had been beside him for the last few minutes, so how could he be suddenly poisoned without any warning?

“I have no idea either!”

The immense pain rendered King Zhongqing incapable of standing on his feet, and he rolled around the ground wildly, hoping that it would alleviate his pain somehow. Cold sweat trickled down his entire body, and no matter how he contemplated over the matter, he simply couldn’t recall when he was afflicted with the poison.

“Did you eat or drink anything today?” Chu Tianxing asked anxiously.

For even King Zhongqing, a Saint 4-dan pinnacle expert, to be unable to tolerate it, the poison was truly fearsome.

An individual who had such a potent poison in his possession and could poison King Zhongqing without the latter noticing had to be a 7-star pinnacle poison master at the very least!

But if such a figure had appeared by King Zhongqing’s side, he would have known it. Why did he have no impression of it whatsoever?

“Today…” King Zhongqing began recalling everything that had happened earlier, “That Zhang Xuan has fed me several gourds of fine wine, and that Sun Qiang has sprinkled salt and pepper over my body…”

There couldn’t be anything wrong with the food in his King Zhongqing Manor, and he hadn’t touched the food in the Master Teacher Pavilion either. The only thing left was Zhang Xuan’s wine and Sun Qiang’s condiments.

“Sprinkled salt and pepper over your body?” Chu Tianxing was stunned.

What the heck was that?

However, he knew that this wasn’t the time to be asking about that. With a deep frown, he remarked, “From the looks of it, the culprit seems to be that Zhang Xuan… Just that, what kind of poison is this? Men, summon Royal Physician Sun over!”

“Yes!” A guard quickly bowed and rushed out of the room.

Not too long later, an elder entered the hall.

“Your Majesty!”

“Un. Royal Physician Sun, King Zhongqing has been poisoned, and I would like you to analyze what kind of poison it is and treat him…” Chu Tianxing instructed.

Royal Physician Sun was a 7-star pinnacle physician specially employed by the royal court, and his comprehension of the Way of Medicine had already reached a profound level. If anyone could treat King Zhongqing, it had to be him!

“Your Majesty, rest assured, As long as the poison isn’t beyond grade-7, I’m confident that I’ll be able to resolve it easily!” Royal Physician Sun smiled, revealing a row of perfectly yellow teeth.

With a flick of his finger, he swiftly weaved his zhenqi into thin threads, which swiftly wrapped itself around King Zhongqing in the shape of a sphere.

This was his exclusive diagnosis and treatment method—Sonar Diagnosis Cocoon.

By linking his zhenqi threads to the vitals and acupoints of the patient, he would be able to take a closer examination on the patient’s condition through the vibrations through the zhenqi threads, and thus, making an accurate diagnosis of the patient’s condition.

“Hm? There’s something really weird about the poison…” Royal Physician Sun analyzed King Zhongqing’s condition for a moment, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead.

“Weird?” Chu Tianxing’s face darkened. “Can he be treated?”

“Your Majesty, rest assured. Even though the poison is elusive and nearly indiscernible, I should be able to figure what is going on by sending my zhenqi threads into King Zhongqing’s body through the Zhenqi Thread Diagnosis Method, and from that, resolve the poison!” Physician Sun said confidently.

“Hurry up then!” Seeing King Zhongqing’s face turn ghastly pale, as if he would succumb to the poison at any moment, Chu Tianxing urged.

“Yes!” Royal Physician Sun nodded. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his fingers forward.

Tzzzzzzz!

A surge of zhenqi shot from his fingers into King Zhongqing’s glabella, and it swiftly dived its way into the latter’s meridians.

The Zhenqi Thread Diagnosis Method involved sending zhenqi threads into the body of the patient to examine the latter’s inner condition to determine the source of the injury or illness, thus allowing the physician to treat the issue at its root.

Since the Sonar Diagnosis Cocoon wasn’t sufficient to determine the lethal poison which King Zhongqing was suffering from, he could only resort to this method.

Hu!

Before long, his zhenqi had already made its way around the King Zhongqing’s body, but there was still no lethal poison to be seen. Perplexed, Royal Physician Sun retracted his zhenqi and contemplated with a deep frown.

He had checked every nook and cranny within King Zhongqing’s body, but there was not a trace of any poison to be seen. Yet, the other party’s internal organs were corroding, clearly the doing of a lethal poison. These contradicting situations had left him deeply bewildered.

“How is it?” Chu TIanxing asked anxiously.

“There’s something really bizarre about the poison. I need some time to think of a solution…”

Halfway through his words, Royal Physician Sun’s face suddenly turned ghastly pale. His body abruptly fell heavily onto the ground before convulsing wildly. Huge mouthfuls of blood spurted wildly from his mouth, rendering his face a shake paler each time. “Darn it, I was poisoned as well…”

As he said those words, his body convulsed a few more times before he passed out altogether.

“This…” Chu Tianxing was astonished.

It was just a moment ago that the other party declared confidently that he would be able to resolve the poison, and yet, before he could even determine what kind of poison it was, he had already passed out…

The other party was already the most formidable physician in the royal palace, but he still ended up succumbing to the poison.

Against a lethal poison which could affect even a 7-star pinnacle physician unknowingly, what could they possibly do?

“Your Majesty… I have a handful of poison masters imprisoned in my manor… Bring one of them over…” King Zhongqing uttered weakly.

“Hold on, I’ll send my men to bring them over!” Chu Tianxing said before turning to his men to issue some commands.

Under the orders of the emperor, the guards swiftly made their way over to the King Zhongqing Manor, and not too long later, they returned with a black-robed young man.

He was no other than Butler Qin!

“Old Master, the poison masters in the residence has been released by Zhang Xuan!”

“Released?” Pu!”

At this point, King Zhongqing was already withered internally and externally. At this moment, he didn’t even have the strength to move around anymore, as if an old man languishing on his deathbed.

“There are no poison masters left, and the physicians aren’t capable of treating it either… I’ll go look for Zhang shi personally! To think that a master teacher would actually resort to such underhanded tricks…” Chu Tianxing roared lividly.

He had to pay such a heavy price in order to bail King Zhongqing out. If the latter were to die of poison shortly after, wouldn’t his Qingyuan royal family become a laughingstock of the populace?

“Zhang shi? Poison?” Upon hearing those words, Butler Qin swiftly turned to Chu Tianxing and asked with his head lowered, “Your Majesty, was our Old Master poisoned by Zhang Xuan?”

“It must be him! No one else had a chance to strike other than him!” Chu Tianxing harrumphed in anger.

“If he’s the one behind the poison…”

Butler Qin paused for a brief moment as confidence emerged on his face, “I know how to alleviate the poison!”

Chapter 1163: Butler Qin’s Unique Poison Neutralization Technique

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“You know?” Chu Tianxing and King Zhongqing looked at Butler Qin in bewilderment.

It was a poison that even the 7-star pinnacle Royal Physician Sun was helpless before, even passing out after being afflicted with the poison himself, so how could a butler who didn’t know the slightest thing about poison possibly know how to alleviate it?

“To be honest, I was also afflicted with the poison a while back, but I managed to keep it under control using a certain method,” Butler Qin replied.

Hearing that his subordinate had been poisoned by Zhang Xuan as well but managed to overcome the poison, King Zhongqing immediately exclaimed, “Is that true? What are you waiting for then? Hurry up and treat me!”

“Yes, Old Master! The treatment might be a little painful, so I ask you to bear with it,” Butler Qin said grimly as he stepped forward.

“I have been through innumerable life and death situations. What kind of pain have I not suffered before? Rest assured and do it!” King Zhongqing replied proudly.

Back in his time, he had charged into many a battlefield and survived against the odds. No matter how painful a poison neutralization process was, how could it compare to the experiences he had been through on the battlefield?

“As long as you are able to cure my poison, I’ll immediately promote you to the official head butler of my manor, granting you authority to mobilize anyone within the manor…” Before King Zhongqing could finish his words, he suddenly saw a palm enlarging swiftly before him, covering his entire sight in an instant.

Pah!

The slap struck King Zhongqing’s face squarely, and the stinging pain threatened to tear his cheeks into two.

“You…” Not expecting his subordinate to slap him instead of treating him, King Zhongqing felt so furious that he was on the brink of insanity. However, before he could even finish his words, another slap had already flown right for his face.

Pah! Pah! Pah! Pah!

A series of consecutive slaps left King Zhongqing’s face swelling up as if a crimson bun.

Butler Qin had exerted his full strength in those slaps, such that he was already panting from exhaustion. He carefully raised his gaze and looked at King Zhongqing. “Old Master, are you feeling better now?”

“Better your head! You bastard, I’m going to kill you!” With his eyes reddening in rage, King Zhongqing stood up with a belligerent air around him.

To think that he, the First King of the Qingyuan Empire, would actually be pummeled by his own subordinate, not to mention, in front of Emperor Chu Tianxing at that. And as if that was not enough, the other party even had the cheek to ask him if he was feeling better after.

Better your head!

That is as good as a rapist asking his victim if it felt good!

I’m going to beat you into the ground, you bastard!

King Zhongqing was so furious that it also seemed as if smoke was pouring out of his head.

“You still aren’t feeling better yet? Old Master, worry not! I still have another trick up my sleeve…” On the other hand, Butler Qin didn’t expect the slaps to not work, so he hurriedly tried to appease the other party first.

“You still have another trick up your sleeve?” King Zhongqing was taken aback for a moment upon hearing those words. Before he could even process what was going on, he saw Butler Qin taking off his shoes, and in the next moment, a leg emanating an exceptional scent flew right toward his face.

Peng!

The impact of the kick left King Zhongqing’s face distorted into the shape of a fried dough twist before he flipped around two and a half times in the air and collapsed heavily onto the ground.

Butler Qin had experimented on himself when he found the effectiveness of the slaps a little lacking, and he had to admit that the kick did have miraculous effects against the poison. In an instant, the pain vanished from his body like a receding tide.

He had been planning on treasuring this secret art as his family heirloom, vowing to only pass it down to those of his lineage. However, since the Old Master required it, he had no choice but to take it out.

“I’ll kill you…” Seeing the teeth that had dropped to the ground and the amazing stench that filled his nostrils, King Zhongqing nearly went insane on the spot.

He had ordered his subordinate to treat his poison, but not only did the latter do nothing of that sort, the latter even dared to slap and kick him. Unforgivable!

Standing up furiously, he glared at his subordinate with a piercing glare, ready to tear the fellow before him into two.

But before he could make a move, Chu Tianxing suddenly spoke. “King Zhongqing, your poison… has been cured?”

“Poison?”

Those abrupt words jolted King Zhongqing out of his rampage. All of a sudden, he realized that the pain from the lethal poison had really receded after the slaps and kick.

Overwhelmed by astonishment, the rage from a moment ago completely vanished from his mind. He quickly asked Butler Qin in bewilderment, “This… What is going on?”

Butler Qin clasped his fist and explained the matter. “Old Master, earlier today, when you asked me to invite Zhang Xuan over to the manor, we had a small verbal conflict, and he discreetly planted a poison in me. I had a physician look at the poison, and the latter said that not only is the poison indiscernible, it will even corrode one’s inner organs, putting one in unbearable agony. However, he did inform me of a way to alleviate the poison, and that is to hit one’s face. The more vicious the strike is, the more effective it will be against the poison. That’s also why I brazenly made a move against you, and I beg for your pardon!”

“The poison is alleviated through slapping? There’s actually such a poison in the world?” King Zhongqing and Chu Tianxing glanced at one another in disbelief.

They had never encountered or heard of such a bizarre poison in the world.

“That’s right!” Butler Qin replied affirmatively.

“To actually concoct such a poison, that Zhang Xuan sure is a depraved individual…” King Zhongqing’s lips twitched furiously as he cursed, but halfway through his words, his body suddenly jolted. He felt that excruciating pain from before slowly returning to his body.

“This is bad; it’s acting up once more. Quick, hit me again!” Recalling that unbearable pain, King Zhongqing could not help but tremble in fear. He never wanted to experience such a sensation ever again.

He quickly pulled Butler Qin over as he stuck his face out to the other party and exclaimed in desire, “Harder!”

…

“To think that it could work this way as well…”

Shortly after walking out of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan suddenly chuckled beneath his breath.

Wu shi turned around and asked, “Is there something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” Zhang Xuan replied calmly with a smile.

When he had been curing King Zhongqing’s wounds earlier in the latter’s manor, he had secretly slipped a sliver of his will into the other party’s body. It was concealed within his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, making it difficult for even a Primordial Spirit realm expert to notice it.

He had made it such that in fixed intervals or whenever the other party insulted him, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi would turn into lethal poison and ravage the other party’s body. It was precisely because he had left such a hand that he did not hesitate to have King Zhongqing released.

In any case, King Zhongqing’s life and death hinged on a single thought of his, so it mattered not whether the other party was imprisoned or not.

Initially, he had only chosen to spare Butler Qin in case he might require a pawn to use in the near future, but who would have thought that the latter would actually end up believing in his ‘Face Slapping Treatment Method’?

That actually worked to his advantage for the time being, so he decided to go along with it. After all, even though he had set King Zhongqing free for the moment, he was still more than willing to see the other party suffer, especially after seeing with his own eyes what the other party had done to Sun Qiang and the Poison Hall.

Under the control of the sliver of will he had slipped into the other party’s body, he was able to create the impression that slapping one’s face would be able to alleviate the corrosion of the poison. Of course, the slapping would not actually cure the poison—in truth, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi was just switched back from its poisonous state temporarily…

The poison would recede under vicious slapping and act up if the slapping were to halt for some time. He could probably entertain himself for quite a few days with that.

However, it was another question whether King Zhongqing would be able to last that long or not.

After communicating with the will that he had hidden within the other party’s body for a moment, Zhang Xuan decided to put aside the matter and follow behind Wu shi. Not too long later, they arrived at a massive trading hall.

Zhang Xuan took a look at the surroundings, and after confirming his location, he could not help but ask in bewilderment, “Isn’t this where the Appraiser Hall is located?”

Based on the directions from Hall Master Xing, the location they were currently at should have been the Appraiser Hall, so why was a huge trading hall standing before them instead?

“You should also know about how intricately linked the Appraiser Hall is with trade. Many businesses rise in the vicinity of its establishment, so it was inevitable that it eventually developed into a trading hall,” Wu shi explained with a smile.

“That’s true.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Appraisers were capable of determining the authenticity of artifacts, and in the Master Teacher Continent, authenticity had always been a problem for both buyers and sellers alike. Receiving an appraiser’s certificate on a good was equivalent to having a guarantee on the quality of the good, and naturally, sellers would be able to sell it at a higher price. At the same time, knowing that the authenticity of the good had been verified by an expert, buyers could also purchase it with their mind at ease.

Thus, it was inevitable that businesses would gradually sprout in the vicinity of the Appraiser Guild, and as time passed, a trading hall would be constructed around it, thus becoming the center of commerce within the city.

“Actually, there is something that has been on my mind for quite some time already. If I’m not mistaken, the Appraisal Convention that you spoke of should be an event to verify the authenticity of precious artifacts. However, if that’s the case, why would the head of the Painter Guild attend the convention as well?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Since the main focus of the event was appraising, it was peculiar that those of another occupation would be there as well.

“As you know, appraisers deal with artifacts of all sorts. Tonight, one of the artifacts that will be appraised is a painting left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man,” Wu shi explained.

“Sorrowless Old Man?”

“He’s the most famous painter in the history of the Qingyuan Empire. An extremely talented individual, he was an 8-star painter before he reached three hundred years old. Unfortunately, on the third day after his three hundredth birthday, he vanished without a trace. As for where he went, no one knows for sure. However, there are rumors that he was killed by his enemies,” Wu shi explained.

“Three hundred years old? Isn’t that age considered young for Saint realm cultivators? Why would others address him as the Sorrowless Old Man?” Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.

Even Hall Master Xing and Wu shi were at least five hundred years old. In comparison, three hundred years could really be considered young among Saint realm cultivators, so that title seemed to be a little inappropriate.

“It is said that in the earlier years of the Sorrowless Old Man, his talents in cultivation and painting were unexceptional. Even as he approached 180, he was still nowhere near to reaching Saint realm. However, his talents suddenly blossomed one day. Within a short ten years, his mastery in painting surged all the way to 7-star, and he managed to advance his cultivation to Saint realm as well. Nevertheless, due to his late breakthrough, he still retained his old appearance despite his lengthened lifespan, and it was because of his old appearance that others addressed his as the Sorrowless Old Man,” Wu shi explained.

“I see…” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The average lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal was around two hundred, and typically speaking, a 180 years old Transcendent Mortal cultivator stood no chance of achieving a breakthrough at all. To suddenly be enlightened in the Way of Painting and successfully advance to Sainthood at his age, it must be said that the Sorrowless Old Man was indeed a legend.

While chatting, the duo entered the trading hall.

The trading hall was far larger than Zhang Xuan had expected. There were all sorts of artifacts on display, and a huge crowd was walking back and forth between the vendors, seeking the items they required.

Curious, Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight and scanned through the array of items on display. A while later, he could not help but shake his head in disappointment.

There were a couple of items that could be considered a treasure to Transcendent Mortal cultivators, but to him, they were completely useless.

“Most of the items on the first floor of the trading hall are miscellaneous goods that have not yet been appraised, so they are relatively inexpensive. Most of those on this floor loiter with the hopes of stumbling on a treasure. It would be best if they could hit the jackpot, but even if they do not, they won’t make a big loss either,” Wu shi said.

“It’s from the second floor onwards that the artifacts have been appraised. While their prices are slightly pricier, there’s at least a guarantee on the authenticity of the goods. Does Principal Zhang want to take a look around the trading hall first?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “There’s no need for that.”

What he lacked the most at that moment was concentrated high-tier spirit stones. Other than that, there was not any particular artifact that he required.

As for medicinal herbs, ores, and the sort, he had already gotten what he needed from Emperor Chu Tianxing, so there was no need for him to go to the trouble of purchasing them.

Since there was nothing he required, there was no need for him to browse through the items in the trading hall either.

“Since that’s the case, let’s head straight for the fifth floor then. The Appraisal Convention is being held there.” Nodding with a smile, Wu shi led the way forward.

Walking through the crowd, it did not take long for them to arrive on the fifth floor.

Instead of stores, there was a vast hall on the fifth floor.

Before Zhang Xuan could enter the hall, he suddenly spotted two men walking over, and upon seeing one of their faces, he could not help but halt for an instant.

The person was none other than the young man whom he had encouraged earlier in the day—the offspring of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Jiuxiao!

Chapter 1164: Evocative Vividness

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Dressed in a light green robe, Zhang Jiuxiao had a look deeply reminiscent of a scholar. Pinned on his chest was not the emblem of a master teacher but that of an appraiser, and the seven stars gleaming on the emblem signified the outstanding skills he had in the field.

The one that came along with him was an elder who appeared to be in his sixties. The aura that he emanated revealed his Saint 4-dan cultivation, and there was a 7-star appraiser emblem on his chest as well.

That fellow… is an appraiser as well? Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Having witnessed Zhang Jiuxiao conducting calligraphy in the air, he knew that the latter possessed exceptional proficiency in painting. He had not expected the latter to be a 7-star appraiser as well.

As expected of the number one genius of the Qingyuan Empire, he was indeed no simple figure.

Upon seeing the elder, Wu shi quickly walked up to him and greeted with a smile, “Guild Leader Mu, it has been long since we last met!”

“Wu Rufeng, were you not going to pay me a visit if I didn’t send you the invitation to the Appraisal Convention? Have you long forgotten about the many years of friendship between us?” The elder patted Wu shi’s shoulders and berated him jokingly.

“Of course not! I was already planning to pay you a visit but then you sent me the invitation,” Wu shi replied with a smile.

Hearing the conversation between the two, Zhang Xuan noted internally, This elder seems to be the head of the Appraiser Hall.

Considering the 7-star appraiser emblem and how Wu shi addressed the other party, it was not too difficult to figure out the other party’s identity.

While he was assessing the guild leader before him, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a gaze falling on him. Raising his head, he saw Zhang Jiuxiao staring at him with a slight hint of enmity in his eyes.

To be honest, the hostility the other party emanated was so vague that it would have been nearly indiscernible for anyone else, but with his Soul Depth of 25.1, which was comparable to an 8-star master teacher, it was still rather easy for him to perceive it.

He is hostile toward me? Why? I don’t think I have offended him before. Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

The both of them had only met once back on the Heart Tempering Bridge, and he had even cheered the other party on with a ‘You can do it!’ It was one thing for the other party not to reciprocate his goodwill, but to carry enmity against him on top of that… what the heck was the other party up to?

Just as Zhang Xuan was lamenting how difficult it was to be a good person nowadays, the young man walked up to him and clasped his fist. “I am Zhang Jiuxiao, how may I address you?”

“I am Zhang Xuan.”

“Zhang Xuan? Are you the newly appointed principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy? I have heard much of your talent!” Upon hearing the name, Zhang Jiuxiao came to a realization. “It’s no wonder you possess such exceptional mental fortitude, being able to cross the Heart Tempering Bridge with ease. It’s indeed impossible to govern an entire academy without an exceptional state of mind.”

He had been wondering whom the 6-star master teacher who had broken his record was, and upon learning of the other party’s identity, he felt as if the burden in his heart had been lifted.

He had heard bits and pieces of Zhang Xuan’s affairs, and the latter was indeed worthy of being considered a prodigy among geniuses.

However, the other party was still only a 6-star master teacher, no matter how talented he was. Against him, a true 7-star master teacher, the other party was clearly still far from a match.

“It’s due to the appreciation of the teachers and students in the academy that I accepted the position of the principal in the first place. To be honest with you, I am intending to resign soon,” Zhang Xuan replied humbly.

Since the old principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Yinqiu, had returned, he had been wanting to step down, just that the others had been unwilling to accept his resignation.

“Resign? Well, I guess that’s to be expected. Despite your talent, your young age still limits your experience. It wouldn’t reflect too well on the academy to have a master teacher as young as you as its principal.” Zhang Jiuxiao nodded in agreement.

Not expecting his words of humility to be taken for real, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a helpless smile.

It was the norm in such social settings to keep up pleasantries. More than manners, it was a sign of politeness and respect for the other party. He could tell that Zhang Jiuxiao was trying to put him down, and while he would not go to the extent of getting into a squabble with the other party over something as inconsequential as this, he was not interested in putting up with it either. Thus, he chose to take his leave instead.

However, before he could do so, the other party continued speaking. “Since Wu shi has brought you to this Appraisal Convention, it must mean that he has a high opinion of you. Is Zhang shi an appraiser as well?”

Out of politeness, Zhang Xuan replied, “Yes, I have learned a little bit of appraising in my spare time.”

“May I know what your current rank in it is?” Zhang Jiuxiao asked curiously.

“I am currently a 5-star appraiser,” replied Zhang Xuan nonchalantly.

The previous Appraiser Hall that he had been to was in Honghai City of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Over there, the highest emblem he could receive was only 5-star, so he had been stuck with it until now.

“5-star? I see. Given your current age, it’s actually not too bad. At the very least, it does show that you have some talent in the field. As long as you work diligently on it, it might be possible for you to overtake me in the future!” Zhang Jiuxiao nodded.

“To tell you the truth, 5-star appraisers are actually unqualified to attend the Appraisal Convention, but it seems like Wu shi has specially brought you here to expand your horizons.”

“Seems so,” Zhang Xuan replied casually.

“Un.” Zhang Jiuxiao nodded before continuing. “The Appraisal Convention this time around is far grander than the previous few. The Appraiser Hall has invited many leading figures in their own occupation this time around, so it’s very likely that a few valuable treasures might appear later on. Since it’s fate that we have met, and the both of us have the same surname, ‘Zhang’, why don’t you follow behind me later on, and I’ll show you around? If there’s anything you don’t recognize or know of, you can ask me. We are all master teachers, and as your senior in the field of appraising, it’s only right for me to offer you a few pointers here. Hopefully, my words will be of some help to you in pushing for a breakthrough to 6-star.”

“I’ll be counting on you then,” Zhang Xuan replied.

It did not seem like the other party had any bad intentions in mind, so Zhang Xuan did not think that there was any need to create unnecessary acrimony between them.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. While I am a master teacher as well, I have devoted quite a bit of my time to studying appraising, and I do have a some reputation of my own in the Qingyuan Empire Appraisal Hall as well,” Zhang Jiuxiao replied calmly, but the slight hint of pride in his tone was unconcealable.

He had been feeling rather traumatized by the other party after the affairs at the Heart Tempering Bridge, so he could not help but feel exceptionally refreshed after returning the favor.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was just about to speak when Wu shi and Guild Leader Mu suddenly both turned their sights over, and the latter spoke with a smile on his face. “I was too busy speaking earlier that I forgot to introduce him to you both. As all of you are master teachers, I believe that I need not specially introduce him. Zhang Jiuxiao over here has studied appraising under me for three years, and within this short period of time, he has already achieved 7-star proficiency in the occupation. His talent in this field is truly fearsome, an outstanding youth indeed.”

Wu shi nodded upon hearing those words before saying, “Guild Leader Mu, this young man over here is my friend, Zhang Xuan. Don’t underestimate him just because of his young age; he’s truly an exceptional genius. He was previously intending to look for you to take the appraiser examination, but since we coincidentally met one another here, I thought that it would be good to introduce him to you.”

“Your friend? I thought that he is your junior?” Guild Leader Mu was taken aback.

Wu shi was almost eight hundred this year, so he had automatically assumed that the twenty-year-old lad whom he had brought with him to the Appraisal Convention would be a new student that he had accepted recently or a close junior. Who would have thought that the other party was his friend instead?

The fact that Wu shi chose to address the young man as his peer showed how high an evaluation he had of the other party’s capability.

“Principal Zhang is a man of great talent. It’s already a great honor for me to have him as my friend, so how could he possibly be my junior?” Wu shi quickly waved his hand to deny the claim.

The young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint. To be honest, he already felt as if he was being a little conceited to address the other party as his friend, so he nearly died of a heart attack when Guild Leader Mu asked if the other party was his student.

“Oh?” Noting that his old friend was not say those words out of humility, Guild Leader Mu could not help but take another good look at Zhang Xuan, and the casual attitude he took before slowly turned into graveness. “A friend of Wu shi is a friend of mine too. Principal Zhang, feel free to look for me if you ever require any help concerning appraising.”

Having known Wu shi for many years, Guild Leader Mu knew that the other party was an austere man who viewed formalities with grave importance. The fact that he was willing to address a person as young as Principal Zhang with such deep respect showed that the latter was no ordinary figure.

Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and replied, “Guild Leader Mu, you are being too polite!”

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony with me. Wu shi and I have been close friends for many years!” Guild Leader Mu said with a smile. He turned to Zhang Jiuxiao and said, “Jiuxiao, I know that the both of you are around the same age, but since Principal Zhang is a friend of mine, you will have to address him as Senior Uncle. Alright, hurry up and greet him.”

Zhang Jiuxiao nearly vomited blood. He reluctantly voiced those two words from his mouth. “Senior… Uncle…”

It was just a moment ago that he had said that he would show the other party around the Appraisal Convention to teach the other party a thing or two. His face turned so red that it looked as if he would burst into flames at any moment.

“Un.” Guild Leader Mu nodded. “Wu shi and Brother Zhang, it seems like most of the guests have arrived. Allow me to bring you two to your seats.”

“Alright.” Wu shi nodded.

Thus, the group began making their way into the hall.

The hall spanned roughly thirty meters from one end to the other, and there was a long rectangular table stationed at the very center. Both ends of the tables were already surrounded with all kinds of finely-dressed gentlemen and ladies, and most of them seemed to be roughly around the age of Guild Leader Mu.

Zhang Xuan spotted two familiar figures amid the crowd—Guild Leader Ruan of the Spirit Awakener Guild and Guild Leader Wei of the Terpsichore Guild.

Guild Leader Mu first brought Wu shi and Zhang Xuan to their seats before heading to the principal seat of the rectangular table and gestured to them. “Alright, please take a seat. ”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan and Wu shi sat down side by side.

Zhang Jiuxiao also walked up to one of the seats as well, but Guild Leader Mu frowned at that moment and said, “Jiuxiao, you shall stand behind me.”

“Yes!” Zhang Jiuxiao’s face twitched slightly, but he quickly nodded and took his place behind Guild Leader Mu.

He was initially thinking that with his standing as a 7-star appraiser, he would at least be able to vie back some dignity from the other party, but who would have thought that before he could really do anything, he would already be suppressed to the point where he could hardly raise his head before the other party?

After settling everyone into their seats, Guild Leader Mu looked at the person sitting on the other end and said, “Since everyone is here, my friend over there, can you take out your artifact now?”

That person was wearing a copper mask, making it impossible to distinguish his facial features. Nevertheless, from his skin, one could roughly tell that his external appearance should be one of a middle-aged man in his late forties.

“Everyone present here is a reputable figure of Qingyuan City, and I see that even Vice Pavilion Master Wu is here today, so naturally, I have no qualms regarding your credibility. However, I think that there is still a need for me to put the ugly words at the forefront and make my stand clear. I only wish for my artifact to be appraised so as to decipher the secret hidden within it. Regardless of what is discovered in the process, I wish to make it very clear that I have no intentions of selling my artifact to anyone else. However, be assured that I will handsomely reward those who help me in deciphering it,” the copper-masked figure said.

His voice was slightly scratchy, a sign indicating that he had intentionally altered his voice so that no one would be able to recognize him.

“Rest assured, the friends that I have invited to the Appraisal Convention this time around are trustworthy individuals!” Guild Leader Mu nodded.

The copper-masked figure nodded. “Un, I trust Guild Leader Mu’s judgement.”

He flicked his wrist, and a scroll appeared in his hands. He unfurled it carefully, and a beautiful scene opened up before everyone’s eyes. A lush mountain peak filled with the cries of birds and beasts alike was paired with a tranquil flowing river; it was a calming sight.

The crowd found themselves unable to distinguish whether the sight before them was true or not. It was as if a mountain was truly erected not too far from where they were, and they could even vaguely feel a warm, humid breeze on their faces.

“This is… Evocative Vividness, the work of an 8-star painter!”

Upon seeing the painting, an elder rose to his feet in agitation. His eyes reddened, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Putting together the fact that he was wearing the robe of a painter and the seven gleaming stars on his painter emblem, it was likely that he was the head of the Painter Guild whom Wu shi had spoken of previously.

“Evocative Vividness?” Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.

“Evocative Vividness is the ability of an 8-star painter. Those who have achieved this realm are able to produce paintings that are extremely lifelike, making it extremely difficult to discern it from reality. A painting that has achieved such a level is capable of absorbing spiritual energy in order to sustain the spirit within and even cultivate. With sufficient time, it might even be able to leap out of the painting and exist as an independent lifeform!” Wu shi explained with a suppressed voice.

“So formidable?” Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He discreetly activated his Eye of Insight in order to assess the painting before his eyes closely.

Chapter 1165: The Proud Zhang Jiuxiao

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Without taking a closer look at the painting, it would appear as if one was watching the scenery through one’s windows, a little distant but nevertheless clear. Through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to perceive the details of the painting with greater clarity, and to his shock, he found that he was able to even perceive the veins of every single leaf in the painting.

It’s almost as if it’s real! Zhang Xuan was astonished.

Even to him, the painting was extremely lifelike. That was truly fearsome. If one were to hang it on a wall, those who passed by it would never think that it was a painting. Instead, they would view it as a real window.

Zhang Xuan examined the painting from the top to the bottom, and a deep frown surfaced on his forehead. But… it doesn’t seem like there’s any seal on this painting?

The copper-masked figure had said earlier that there was a seal on the painting, but even with the Eye of Insight was activated, he was still unable to see what was amiss about the painting.

It seems like my cultivation is still too low. I am still able to see through paintings of the seventh level with my current skills, but paintings of the eighth level are still a little beyond me! Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even though his Eye of Insight had been upgraded after undergoing the fourth acknowledgement of the Celestial Master Teacher, it was a pity that his cultivation was still simply too low, being at only Saint 2-dan.

A painting of the eighth level was produced with the might of a Leaving Aperture realm expert. As such, even with the Eye of Insight, it was not surprising that Zhang Xuan could not see through anything at all.

“Is there a seal on the painting?”

“Such a lifelike painting, it is apparent that it is infused with the essence of Evocative Vividness. If there’s truly a seal on it… what could it possibly be sealing?”

“I have no idea either. However, since the other party was willing to bring out such a valuable painting to have it appraised in public, he must have noticed something peculiar about it!”

…

Zhang Xuan was not able to notice what was wrong with the painting, and the others in the room also had confused frowns on their foreheads. With hushed voices, they discussed the matter among themselves, unable to figure out what was wrong.

At this moment, the perplexed Guild Leader Mu stood up and asked, “May I take a closer look?”

“Feel free!” the copper-masked figure said nonchalantly.

“Thank you.”

Guild Leader Mu walked up to the painting before whipping out a magnifying crystal ball. After which, he began examining the painting bit by bit carefully.

As he was the most capable appraiser in the room, the others waited with bated breaths for his conclusion, fearing that they would interrupt his work.

A moment later…

Guild Leader Mu turned a doubtful gaze toward the copper-masked figure and asked, “Friend, can you tell us where exactly the seal is located or what form it takes? This way, we can be spared from making blind guesses here and there and focus our attention on deciphering it instead.”

Upon hearing those words, the copper-masked figure replied with a hint of disappointment in his voice, “Guild Leader Mu isn’t able to tell?”

If the other party could not even discern the seal, how could he possibly be able to decipher it?

“Allow me to take a look!”

The head of the Painter Guild also stood up and walked toward the painting in order to assess it more closely.

The method by which a painter examined a painting was very different from that of an appraiser. Instead of taking out a crystal ball to scan the details of the painting, the head of the Painter Guild took out a brush instead and began drawing in midair.

Noting the look of confusion in Zhang Xuan’s eyes, Wu shi explained telepathically, “He’s trying to comprehend the intentions of the painter through retracing his painting process.”

“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

In a sense, this was similar to backtracking.

By backtracking on the painting process, one would be able to better analyze the focus of the painter when they was working on it, and through so, one could deduce their intentions and discern the location of the seal, assuming that it existed in the first place.

As the head of the Painter Guild analyzed the painting process, the frown on his forehead seemed to gradually tighten. A while later, he turned around to explain his findings. “The painting flows fluidly, and there is not a single inconsistency to be found in the painting. To put it simply, the painting was completed in a single seating and is wholesome. A seal on a painting would have introduced some incongruous factors to it, affecting its overall impression, but that isn’t the case with this painting over here.”

Hearing the evaluation of the head of the Painter Guild, the copper-masked figure flung his hands furiously and harrumphed in displeasure. “If there was no seal on the painting, do you think that I would go through so much effort to invite all of you here? Do you think that I am doing this just because I have too much time on my hands?”

He had thought that with all of the top figures of Qingyuan City gathered together, they should be able to discern the anomaly in the painting in a single look. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like he had overestimated their capabilities.

It seemed like an eighth level painting had truly exceeded the caliber of the Qingyuan Empire.

“Allow me.” Wu shi stood up and walked over.

Not too long later, he shook his head and returned to his seat.

With his eye of discernment, he could tell that there was something extraordinary with the painting, but he could not discern where the supposed seal was at all.

Very soon, everyone within the room had already taken a look at the painting, but they shook their heads helplessly.

Seeing that the crowd was gradually becoming impatient, Guild Leader Mu waved his hand and said, “Alright, friend, we won’t get anywhere at this rate. We might be unable to tell where the seal is, but with the wisdom of the masses, we should still be able to offer some useful input on the matter and possibly unravel the seal that you speak of. You should just tell us where the seal is.”

From the looks of it, it seemed like the seal was very exquisitely hidden, and it would require careful examination over long periods of time in order to discern where it was. Instead of wasting their time on this, it would be more efficient for the other party to just reveal where it was so that they could begin working on deciphering the seal.

“Alright then.” Seeing that no one was able to discern where the seal was located, the hint of disappointment in the eyes of the copper-masked figure deepened. Perhaps it was because he had no better solution than this, he sighed deeply and nodded before pointing to the clouds at the bottom of the mountain.

“The seal is hidden amid the clouds! If I’m not mistaken, there’s a painting that lies beneath the clouds, and there is some kind of secret concealed within it. However, I am unable to figure out how the clouds can be removed from the painting,” the copper-masked figure said.

“The clouds?”

The crowd swiftly turned their gazes back to the painting.

The painting depicted a mountain range with towering peaks that shot beyond the clouds. The middle portion of the mountains were mostly concealed amid bundles of drifting, wispy clouds. They had thought that it was just a detail of the painting, but it was actually the seal?

Intrigued, Zhang Xuan also examined the clouds with his Eye of Insight, but he was unable to discern anything peculiar about them.

After examining the painting for a moment, the head of the Painter Guild couldn’t help but ask, “How can you be certain that the clouds are the seal?”

The crowd also swiftly turned their gazes over.

Shaking his head, the copper-masked figure instructed, “Bring me a torch.”

An appraiser standing by the entrance of the hall backed out of the room, and a moment later, he returned with a torch.

The copper-masked figure took the torch and lightly placed it against the painting. Under the searing flames of the torch, the mountain range was dyed in an orange glow, and the lush greenery was swiftly reduced to ashes. Only the clouds remained as they were.

“This…”

The head of the Painter Guild narrowed his eyes in astonishment. “For only the clouds to remain unaffected by the flames of the torch… that means that the clouds were not part of the original painting. Judging from the effect, I deduce that there was an interval of at least thirty years between the completion of the painting and the addition of the clouds. How could I have failed to notice it?”

Under normal circumstances, if the painting was truly wholesome, any change to the painting should have affected its entirety. Yet, for only the clouds to remain unaffected by the flames of the torch, it meant that the clouds had been added a significant period after the completion of the rest of the painting. If that was the case, it was understandable why the copper-masked figure would view it to be a seal.

” The brush strokes for the painting of the clouds must have been slightly more forceful in order to allow it to blend in better with the rest of the painting, thus making it harder to notice 1 . However, considering how wholesome the painting remained even after the addition of the clouds, it stands to reason that they were added in by the original painter himself,” Guild Leader Mu interjected.

The crowd nodded.

Only the original painter could possibly add clouds into the painting without introducing any incongruous factors into the painting.

“But… even if we know that the clouds are the seal, there is no way we can ‘remove’ them.”

The crowd fell silent once more.

Even if they knew that the clouds were added after the completion of the painting and that they were likely a seal, they had no way of separating the two. After all, the clouds had already fused with the rest of the painting.

Seeing that the crowd was still helpless after he revealed the position of the seal, the copper-masked figure shook his head. “It seems like I have overestimated the Qingyuan Empire…”

Sighing, he was just about to put away the painting when someone suddenly spoke up.

“Can you allow me to take a look at it?”

The copper-masked figure raised his gaze and saw a young man walking toward him.

The young man was none other than Zhang Xuan.

He was also a little intrigued by the painting, and since the others were unable to discern anything peculiar about it, he wanted to take a closer look to see what was going on.

However, before Zhang Xuan could reach the painting, another voice sounded behind him. “You are only a 5-star appraiser, what can you possibly see from the painting? Allow me to do it instead!”

After which, Zhang Jiuxiao stood up and walked proudly toward the painting.

He brushed his finger lightly across the painting and pondered for a moment before saying, “I have seen such eighth level painting before, and I also know how the seal works.”

Seeing how confident Zhang Jiuxiao was, the copper-masked figure clasped his fist and earnestly requested, “You know how the seal works? If that’s truly the case, I humbly request you to remove the seal on the painting. I’m willing to reward you generously for this favor!”

“This seal is known as the Sealing Cloud Pin. It utilizes a unique method to conceal the layer beneath it without harming the foundation of the painting. If I’m not mistaken, the seal has been imbued with an individual spirit, or else the clouds would have surely fused together with the rest of the painting with sufficient time!” Zhang Jiuxiao analyzed confidently.

“Sealing Cloud Pin?”

The copper-masked figure and the crowd turned to look at Zhang Jiuxiao in bewilderment. They had never heard of such a skill before.

Zhang Jiuxiao placed his hands behind his back and spoke proudly. “I once witnessed a person undoing this seal back in my clan, so I know how it can be deciphered.”

“Your clan?”

“You don’t know? The number one genius of Qingyuan City is actually an offspring of a Sage Clan, the Zhang Clan!”

“An offspring of the Zhang Clan?”

“That explains a lot! With a background like his, even if he’s just from the side family, he’s bound to have seen things that we can hardly imagine ourselves.”

…

Hearing that Zhang Jiuxiao had a way to decipher the painting, an excited commotion broke out amid the crowd, and many looks of admiration were centered on him.

Upon hearing that the other party was from the Zhang Clan, the copper-masked figure froze for a brief moment before clasping his fist to ask, “So, how should the Sealing Cloud Pin that you spoke of be deciphered?”

“Simple. In order to resolve the seal, we have to find an individual who specializes in soul arts. Using his soul as a medium, we will draw out the spirit harnessed within the clouds.”

“An individual who specializes in soul arts?” the copper-masked figure asked doubtfully.

“Indeed. Once the spirit harnessed within the seal is drawn out, we’ll be able to remove the seal easily,” Zhang Jiuxiao said.

The copper-masked figure hesitated for a brief moment before asking, “May I know how skilled the individual must be in soul arts?”

“That individual must have fine control over their soul, and their soul must not be too strong. Otherwise, that might cause severe damage to the painting, turning the eighth level painting into a piece of scrap paper. More importantly, that individual must know where the spirit is concealed, so he must have a deep understanding of painting.”

“This…” The copper-masked figure was stunned. “Where in the world can we find a person like that?”

It was easy to find individuals to satisfy a single one of the conditions, but to find one that satisfied all three conditions… Was there even such a person in Qingyuan City?

Zhang Jiuxiao chuckled. “There’s no need to look any further.”

Standing upright, he emanated a lofty but valiant air, reminiscent of a true hero. “I happen to fit the criteria!”

Chapter 1159

Chapter 1159: You Can Do It!

Chapter 1160: Bail

Chapter 1161: Chen Zhe’s Death

Chapter 1162: The Poisoned King Zhongqing

Translator: StarveCleric | Editor: StarveCleric

Chapter 1163: Butler Qin’s Unique Poison Neutralization Technique

Chapter 1164: Evocative Vividness

Chapter 1165: The Proud Zhang Jiuxiao

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Chapter 1159

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