Chapter 1166

Chapter 1166: Durians

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“You?”

The eyes of the copper-masked figure lit up, and he unwittingly clenched his fists tightly by his side.

The crowd was also astonished to hear those words.

“That’s right!” Zhang Jiuxiao said confidently as he tilted his head upward. At this moment, he felt as if he had really soared into the Nine Heavens.

He couldn’t even begin to describe how deeply indignant he felt when he saw that Zhang Xuan was granted a seat when he, the number one genius of Qingyuan Empire, had to remain standing before others. Now that he finally had a chance to stand up and shine, he could hardly hold back his excitement.

“Zhang shi, I beseech you to help me remove the seal from the painting!” the copper-masked figure clasped his fist and said.

At this moment, he had put down the haughty attitude that he had maintained even before Wu shi and the others.

“Rest assured!” Zhang Jiuxiao said confidently as he made his way over to the painting. He whipped his brush before pausing for a brief moment. After which, he suddenly turned his head around and said, “Zhang shi, I might have to trouble you to help me grind some ink for me.”

Zhang Xuan turned to glance at his sides to see whom Zhang Jiuxiao was talking to, but the latter’s intent gaze on him seemed to suggest that he was the chosen one. Taken aback, he asked in bewilderment, “You are talking to me?”

“Indeed. I will have to focus my attention on resolving the seal, so I earnestly require your help for this matter. You wouldn’t turn down my request, right?” Zhang Jiuxiao said with a faint smirk on his lips.

Back at the Heart Tempering Bridge, the other party had outdone him so utterly that he couldn’t even keep his head up in public anymore. Not to mention, just a moment ago, he was forced into calling the other party ‘Senior Uncle’.

This was a rare chance for him to strike back, so naturally, he was going to make full use of it. He was going to show the other party that a genius like him wouldn’t be outmatched by just anyone.

“Very well then.”

Zhang Xuan could easily see through Zhang Jiuxiao’s intentions, but he still chose to agree to the matter with a nonchalant shrug.

In the first place, it wasn’t any big deal to be grinding some ink for the other party. Besides, he was interested in the 8-star painting as well, and he was curious to see if Zhang Jiuxiao would really be able to break the seal or not.

Thus, he walked up to Zhang Jiuxiao, whipped out an inkstone from his storage ring, and began grinding some ink carefully.

“Un.” Seeing the young man before him working obediently without daring to utter a single word of complaint, Zhang Jiuxiao felt indescribable exhilaration rushing through his veins.

Taking a momentary breather to calm himself down, he dabbed his brush into the ink before tapping it lightly on the painting.

Weng!

Contrary to expectations, the ink on the brush didn’t blot the painting. Instead, it floated in midair, covering the white clouds in the painting.

Suspended Imagery!

Under Zhang Jiuxiao’s skillful movements, it took only a few instants for another layer of clouds identical to those on the painting to appear above it. After that was done, he scrutinized the clouds carefully, probably attempting to identify the location of the spirit infused amongst the clouds. Then, with a casual wave of his hand, he retracted the ink back into the inkstone before focusing his soul energy into the painting.

“Hm? His soul energy is exceptionally pure. He must have cultivated some kind of secret art relating to the soul…” Zhang Xuan noted.

While the other party’s soul was nothing compared to him, it still stood out among other cultivators. Based on Zhang Xuan’s analysis, it was likely due to the cultivation of some sort of secret art from the Zhang Clan.

For a clan with as powerful as the Zhang Clan, even its side family was not something that ordinary clans could hope to match. Be it the things that one could see there, or the secret arts that they had in their possession, they were truly nothing short of extraordinary.

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan discreetly stretched his hand towards the painting and touched it lightly.

Weng!

A book immediately materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Zhang Xuan was just about to take a look at it when he suddenly noticed Zhang Jiuxiao’s face turning ghastly pale, and cold sweat was pouring down his face.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

At this point, the crowd also seemed to have noticed that something had gone wrong.

They could sense that Zhang Jiuxiao’s current state wasn’t simply due to exhaustion.

Peng!

Before the crowd could even ask about the matter, a tinge of red abruptly appeared on Zhang Jiuxiao’s pale face, and in the next moment, he suddenly staggered back eight steps before spewing a mouthful of blood.

Worried, Guild Leader Mu immediately rushed up to him.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t expect the spirit in the painting to retaliate so violently…” Zhang Jiuxiao shook his head, but halfway through his words, he suddenly realized that the room was bizarrely quiet.

He raised his head and saw Guild Leader Mu staring at him with a look of horror. Perplexed, he asked, “Teacher, what’s wrong?”

Even if he had failed in undoing the seal, surely the other party didn’t have to look at him with such an expression, right?

“Y-your head… There are durians growing out of your head!” Guild Leader Mu exclaimed in shock.

“Durians?” Zhang Jiuxiao was taken aback by those abrupt words.

“There is a tail on your bottom as well!” Another elder amidst the crowd exclaimed.

“Ah?”

Zhang Jiuxiao quickly turned around to look at his bottom, and the sight he saw left his eyes narrowing into slits, and he nearly blacked out on the spot.

There was a crimson tail extending from his bottom, and it was extremely furry, reminiscent of green foxtail. At the same time, through his Spiritual Perception, he also noticed the large spiky lumps that bore a striking resemblance to durians were emerging from his head one after another, and it didn’t take long for them to fill his entire head. To make things worse, they were showing signs of flowering…

“What’s going on?” Zhang Jiuxiao’s face paled in disbelief as he subconsciously took several steps back.

At this point, he was already on the verge of insanity.

All he had done was to attempt to break the seal on the painting, so why would such an issue suddenly happen to him?

“From the looks of it, it seems like a plant spirit has taken root within your Primordial Spirit. Fortunately, it seems to be an ordinary plant spirit, or else the growth of the plants would be much faster than this…” Seeing through the root of the problem, Guild Leader Ruan spoke up and explained.

As a 7-star pinnacle spirit awakener, she had heard of such a situation before. However, it was still rather shocking to see it in person.

“Plant spirit? What’s going on?” Zhang Jiuxiao asked anxiously.

The situation was really driving him insane.

All he had wanted to do was to resolve the seal and bring some dignity back to himself, and yet, before he could achieve anything, such a thing ended up happening to him instead. Durians were actually growing out of his head, and there were already four of them now!

“It is probably the retaliation of the spirit in the painting. You tried to get rid of it, so it got even with you.” Zhang Xuan shook his head in sympathy.

He had seen this situation of Hall Master Xing before as well. He had tried to mend the rift in the other party’s Primordial Spirit through spirit enchanting it, but he failed to destroy the spirit in time… As a result, he ended up bearing fruits on his head and blooming flowers on his bottom.

For such a situation to occur with Zhang Jiuxiao at this moment, there was no doubt that it had something to do with the spirit within the painting. Most likely, the latter had attempted to get rid of the spirit, only to get done in himself instead.

“What do I do?” Zhang Jiuxiao’s face paled in despair.

He was the number one genius of Qingyuan Empire, the idol of countless young women. How could he possibly walk around with durians on his head? He would become the laughingstock of the town!

“It’s very simple, you just have to get rid of the spirit that has taken root within you.” Zhang Xuan explained in composure.

He had panicked a little when he saw it happen to Hall Master Xing the previous time around, but the past experience had truly tempered his mind well. At this point, he no longer felt anything towards the matter anymore.

“Get rid of the spirit? How can I get rid of it?” Zhang Jiuxiao looked at Zhang Xuan anxiously, as if a desperate man clutching onto his final straw of hope.

“Simple. Bare open your soul to me, and I’ll help you check for the spirit and destroy it.” Zhang Xuan said.

Even someone as powerful as Hall Master Xing was unable to deal with the plant spirit by himself, let alone Zhang Jiuxiao. This was already the most effective and easiest way to get rid of the spirit.

“You want me to bare open my soul to you? That won’t do…” Zhang Jiuxiao swiftly shook his head.

As an offspring of the Zhang Clan, he had many secrets concealed within him, especially within his soul. Given such, how could he possibly bare his soul to a random stranger?

One must know that baring one’s soul was effectively no different from standing completely nude before another.

There was no way he could do that!

“That won’t do? I guess that can’t be helped then. Let me take a look at what the spirit within the painting is first, and I’ll see if I can concoct some kind of medicine that could isolate and kill the spirit within you.” Zhang Xuan said.

It was a little more troublesome, but as long as he could figure out what kind of spirit it was, he was confident that he would be able to concoct a corresponding poison to deal with it.

Back then, he had raised it as one of the potential solutions to Hall Master Xing as well, but it was a pity that the latter didn’t agree to it.

“Alright. You should go on and take a look at the painting then!” Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief upon hearing that he didn’t have to bare his soul before urging the other party forward.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded nonchalantly before turning his gaze towards the painting. His eyes were fixated on the painting, but his mind had already slipped into the Library of Heaven’s Path to take a look at the newly compiled book.

After taking a quick look, a frown emerged on his forehead.

“Did you notice anything?” Noticing Zhang Xuan’s expression, Wu shi asked in intrigue.

Instead of answering Wu shi’s question, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze towards the copper-masked figure and asked, “Where did you obtain this painting from?”

“I have only invited all of you over to decipher the seal for me. I don’t think that I’m obliged to tell you the background of the painting.” the copper-masked figure replied curtly.

“You’re right, you are indeed not obliged to tell me the background of the painting.” Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and replied.

“The Marshlands of the Northern Meadows is an extremely humid place. An 8-star painting it might be, but having spent two thousand years in a place like that, it is already permeated with an air of dampness. It’s not apparent from a distance away, but it’s quite easily discernible at close proximity.”

“You…” Even with his face concealed, the shock of the copper-masked figure was palpable.

To be able to deduce the history of the painting just through the slightly damp aura around the painting, wasn’t the other party’s eye of discernment a little too formidable?

Before the copper-masked figure could recover from his state, Zhang Xuan had already continued, “The Marshlands of the Northern Meadows is a treacherous land, but many cultivators still flock there in hopes of stumbling upon treasure. It’s not too surprising that you were able to find the work of the Sorrowless Old Man there. There’s one thing that I have to concede that you are right about. It’s indeed suspicious that the Sorrowless Old Man would suddenly conceal what he has drawn within the mountains thirty years after he has created the work… Judging from that in itself, it must have been quite a huge secret.”

The eyelids of the copper-masked figure twitched slightly as he narrowed his eyes, “It doesn’t seem like we are getting anywhere at this rate. If none of you are able to decipher the seal, I’ll be taking my painting away with me then.”

“Who says that none of us are able to decipher the seal?” Zhang Xuan spoke up.

“Since you don’t want me to speak about the origin of the painting, I can’t be bothered to waste my breath on it either. I’ll talk about the painting itself then. The canvas for the painting is specially created by fusing the skin of the Emeraldhorn Fish and White Reindeer together, and the ink used is a compound between the Sapphire Stone and Goldensource Water. It’s due to the usage of these precious materials that there isn’t the slightest wear and tear on it despite spending two thousand years under damp condition. On the contrary, the artwork is getting more and more lifelike and touching as the years go by.”

“Judging from the changes in the ink color, it seems like it has been three years since you unearthed the painting from the ground, and it should have been 2142 years since the painting is created. Judging by the timing, I stand to believe that it’s the work of the Sorrowless Old Man back when he’s around 270 years old. When he eventually added the clouds on the painting, he was already close to three hundred. In other words, the addition of the clouds could very well be the last thing he did before he went missing. As for whether he was killed or kidnapped, there is no way to say for sure now.”

“This…”

Everyone was astonished by the analysis.

By the side, Guild Leader Mu couldn’t help but widen his eyes in shock.

Even he was unable to determine the history of the painting despite examining it for a long time earlier, and yet, the young man was actually able to detail the history of the painting with just a short glance. Wasn’t his appraising capability a little too fearsome?

On the other hand, the durian-head Zhang Jiuxiao’s body also staggered upon hearing those words. At this point, he really felt like bursting into tears.

Didn’t the other party say that he was a 5-star appraiser?

On normal days, he wouldn’t even spare a second glance to other 5-star appraisers, and yet, why did it feel that the other party was even more formidable than a 7-star appraiser like him?

“The Sorrowless Old Man had already reached Leaving Aperture realm prior to his disappearance. With his outstanding painting skills, his painting was still able to reach the level of Evoking Vividness even with the addition of those clouds, making it extremely exceptionally difficult the decipher the seal he has put up…”

Chapter 1167: The Ink Slab Won’t Grind Itself

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

“Assuming that you are right, what does determining the material of the canvas and the age of the painting have to do with deciphering the seal?” the copper-masked figure interjected Zhang Xuan.

“There’s indeed no direct relation between them, but such analysis allows us to deduce the reason why Sorrowless Old Man has decided to leave behind a seal on the painting, as well as to determine possible flaws and deficiencies in the seal.” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

“To claim that you are able to determine the flaws and deficiencies within a painting through just the age of the painting itself, aren’t you being a little too conceited over there?” Zhang Jiuxiao tilted his head upward and harrumphed. Due to him speaking too forcefully, the durians on his head shook violently, seemingly ready to fall to the ground at any moment.

Even though the crowd had remained silent, the looks on their faces showed that they agreed with Zhang Jiuxiao’s point of view. Being able to accurately determine the age of painting did prove that one was an outstanding appraiser, but that piece of knowledge had nothing to do with the seal at all.

“Don’t impose your ignorance upon others.” Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly. He took a sweeping glance across the room before eventually halting his gaze upon a certain figure. “If I’m not mistaken, you are the head of the Painter Guild, right?”

“Indeed. My name is Meng Chong.” Guild Leader Meng stood up and clasped his fist politely.

“Guild Leader Meng, pardon for troubling you, but may I ask what kind of painting style was in trend in the Qingyuan Empire Painter Guild two thousand years ago? What kind of brush stroke was preferred then?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“This…” Guild Leader Meng contemplated for a moment before replying, “Two thousand years ago, the painting style that was popular within Qingyuan Empire was the [Anchored Painting Style]! This style consists of determining the specific size and outline of the objects within the painting before slowly painting them over a layer after a layer. Usually, one would first spread a layer of ink over the entire paper before slowly painting it on a layer after a layer. Every single layer must be done with utmost preciseness, and the margin of allowed errors is minimal. It is an extremely intensive process, but it allows for the creation of extremely vivid and wholesome paintings!”

Just like anything else, painting styles would also gradually change over the years. Each era had their unique mark which differed greatly from the other.

It was based on such differences that allowed appraisers to be able to identify the era which a certain artifact was produced.

The Anchored Painting Style was in trend two thousand years ago, and many painters had chosen to adopt that style in their painting. Of them, the most notable figure was definitely the Sorrowless Old Man.

It was for this reason that everyone immediately guessed that it was the work of the Sorrowless Old Man when they first saw the painting.

“Indeed, it’s the Anchored Painting Style.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “While the Anchored Painting Style allows for extremely vivid and wholesome paintings, there is a huge downside to it as well. The ink used in the painting must be equal throughout so that the painting remains flat as the sides of a knife. Otherwise, the painter would be mocked for his lack of skill…”

At this point, Zhang Xuan gestured to the painting, “However, this painting is of the equal thickness throughout, be it the sky, greenery, mountains, or clouds.”

Everyone swiftly extended their Spiritual Perception towards the painting in order to perceive it with greater clarity, and a moment later, they nodded in agreement.

That was indeed the case.

If the other party hadn’t spoken about it, they might not have noticed this anomaly.

“So what if the painting is of equal thickness?” the copper-masked figure harrumphed impatiently. “What I need is for the seal to be deciphered, not an analysis of the painting!”

“Calm down and listen to my words first. They contain the crux to deciphering the seal in the painting.” Zhang Xuan turned to the copper-masked figure to appease him before continuing on, “Like what I have said earlier, the Sorrowless Old Man had worked on the painting on two separate occasions, and there was an interval of thirty years for those two occasions. In other words, the painting was already complete the first time that he had worked on it. Based on the standards of the Anchored Painting Style, the painting must have already been flat then… Thirty years later, in order to conceal some kind of secret, the Sorrowless Old Man intentionally added white clouds onto the mountains. Since he was painting over his work then, there should have been a difference in the thickness of the painting between the clouds and the remaining portions.”

Hearing those words, the crowd turned their attention back to the clouds once more, and a moment ago, bewilderment seeped into their eyes.

“The painting is of equal thickness throughout even for the portions with the clouds…”

“How could this be?”

Such voices could be heard throughout the hall.

As spoken by the voices in the hall, the clouds were of equal thickness with the rest of the painting. Just looking at the painting by itself, there was nothing that suggested the painting had been worked on twice.

“I believe everyone should be able to tell that the painting is of equal thickness throughout. What this means is that he had shaved off a layer of the painting prior to adding on the clouds!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“This…”

The crowd widened their eyes in disbelief.

“To shave off the original work and add something different to it? Is this even feasible in practice?” The head of the Painter Guild, Meng Chong, expressed his skepticism towards the matter.

As a 7-star pinnacle painter, he fully understood the difficulty in pulling such a thing off in practice.

Since the Sorrowless Old Man was working with ink, as most painters did, the matter wasn’t as simple as simply painting over the previous layer. Ink that had seeped into the canvas from painting the previous layers would affect the new layer that had been painted over, causing unpredictable distortions in the painting over time. Yet, the painting before him showed no distortions of that sort… Theoretically, by careful calculation and fine control of one’s brush stroke, it might be possible to pull something as complicated as that off, but anyone with the slightest understanding of painting would understand that it was nigh impossible to carry out in practice!

“You’re right, but what if he were to use Suspended Imagery on the painting instead?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Suspended Imagery? But that would make it a separate entity from the painting!” Guild Leader Meng Chong replied.

Suspended Imagery referred to the capability of painting in midair. However, if the clouds were to be painted using suspended imagery, it wouldn’t fuse in with the rest of the painting. In other words, if one were to just move the canvas, the two would separate from one another. However, it was clear from the painting itself that the clouds had fused in with the rest of the painting.

“That would indeed be an issue, but just like what Zhang Jiuxiao had said, a spirit had been infused into the painting. If I were to just make an analogy, if the previous painting and the clouds are two different sheets of paper, the spirit would be the binding factor between them, allowing them to fuse without interfering with one another!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“I see!”

The crowd came to a realization.

They were still a little confused previously when Zhang Jiuxiao said that there was a spirit within the painting, but after listening to the explanation, they finally understood what was going on.

‘But after all you have said, haven’t you come to the same conclusion as me?” Zhang Jiuxiao harrumphed.

He was still wondering what kind of astounding theories the fellow would come up with, but after going one big round, the other party still ended up stumbling on the same conclusion as him.

“That isn’t really the case.” Zhang Xuan said. “You have accurately identified the presence of a spirit within the painting, but do you know the reason behind it and how it can be dispelled?”

“I…” Zhang Jiuxiao’s face turned crimson upon hearing those words.

The only reason why he knew that there was a spirit within the painting was because he had once witnessed an elder deciphering something similar back in his clan… As for the reason why a spirit was infused into the painting and how one could resolve the issue, he was honestly not too sure.

If he had truly understood the issue, he wouldn’t have ended up sprouting durians on his head either.

“Since there is a spirit binding the two, it is nigh impossible to separate them. If one were to do it forcefully, it might even result in the destruction of both paintings. To make an analogy, that is equivalent to attempting to tear apart two pieces of paper which have been bound together with glue for several thousand years. Even one were to succeed in pulling them apart, would the remains of the painting still be discernible?” Turning his attention away from the conceited Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan continued his analysis.

“This…” Hearing those words, the face of the copper-masked figure twitched slightly before falling silent.

His purpose of undoing the seal was to find out what was hidden beneath the clouds. As such, it would be pointless to him if the layer beneath were to be destroyed as well in the midst of separating the painting from the clouds.

After a moment of silence, the copper-masked figure turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, “Zhang shi, is there a way to separate the clouds while ensuring that the painting remains intact?”

Since the young man was able to make sense out of the situation, perhaps… he might just be able to accomplish what others had failed at.

“Since I walked up here and said so much, naturally, I am confident in resolving the issue.” Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

“Oh? I beseech you to enlighten me…”

The eyes of the copper-masked figure lit up upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, and he quickly clasped his fist earnestly.

“It’s actually rather simple.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“If the Sorrowless Old Man had used any other binding factor in order to fix the clouds to the painting, it would have been truly difficult to separate the two. However, since he had chosen to use a spirit instead, it actually plays to our advantage. The spirit infused into the painting is similar to a plant spirit, it would only develop or act in very specific manners. In this case, it would be to bind the two parts of the painting together. In essence, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the spirit possesses no sentience. I believe that Guild Leader Ruan should be aware of it as well.”

“Un.” Guild Leader Ruan nodded.

Most plants possessed spirit, which controlled their intake of nutrients to facilitate their growth. However, unlike the animal spirits, they didn’t have a sense of self, which disallowed them from roaming around freely and averting disasters on their own accord.

“It was due to the lack of sentience that the spirit was able to sustain the monotonous work of binding the two paintings together for two thousand years. Thus, if I were to grant the spirit sentience, do you think that it’ll still be able to carry out its job as well?” Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

“This…”

“If the spirit is granted sentience, it’ll view the clouds above the painting as a tumor plaguing the painting, rendering it extremely uncomfortable. It would surely struggle to get rid of the clouds above it!”

“That seems to be the case, but… granting sentience to the spirit wouldn’t be an easy task, would it?”

“It doesn’t seem like it would be easy to pull that off…”

…

With a direction pointed out for them, the eyes of the crowd lit up. However, at the same time, they had also come to a bottleneck as well.

Enchanting spirit into a weapon was easy, but granting sentience into a spirit which had laid dormant for more than two thousand years was clearly something not as simple.

“It’s indeed something not too easy to carry out in practice, but I happen to be able to do it.” Zhang Xuan smiled.

“Zhang shi, I implore you to help me. If you are able to do so, I’ll surely reward you handsomely for this!”

The copper-masked figure bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan.

Previously, he had thought that the crowd of Qingyuan Empire was inept, being unable to even discern the presence of the seal of the painting. However, after hearing Zhang Xuan’s analysis, he couldn’t help but find himself in awe of the other party.

To be able to find the root of the problem within such a short period of time and deduce a feasible solution to it, his wisdom and eye of discernment were indeed extraordinary!

“Rest assured, I’ll help you on this matter. However, I still need to make some preparations beforehand in order to ensure that the painting wouldn’t be damaged in the process.” Zhang Xuan said.

“Of course, of course!” The copper-masked figure nodded. “May I know what Zhang shi requires? If there’s anything that requires my help, I’ll try my best to satisfy your needs.”

Speaking was always easier than doing. If it was so easy to decipher the seal, he wouldn’t have been helpless before the painting despite having obtained it for so many years.

“I don’t need anything for the time being.” Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head.

He paused for a brief moment before flicking his wrist and taking out a brush. After which, he explained, “It would be difficult to enchant the painting as it is. In order to do so, I would have to either destroy the conception of the painting or carve an opening in it so as that I can extend my consciousness into it. However, doing so would inevitably cause some damage to the painting, so I would like to seek your pardon regarding this issue.”

“Don’t worry, feel free to do anything that you deem necessary.”

What he truly valued was the secret hidden beneath the seal. In his view, no matter how valuable the painting was, it couldn’t be more important than what lay beneath.

“That would be great.” Heaving a sigh of relief. Zhang Xuan was just about to dab the brush in his hand into some ink when he suddenly halted for a brief moment. Then, he turned around to look at Zhang Jiuxiao and bellowed.

“What are you waiting for? The ink slab won’t grind itself!”

 StarveCleric

I’m currently in the midst of my exams, so some chapters will be coming late, especially for tomorrow

Chapter 1168: Kong shi’s Silhouette ####

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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“You…” Hearing that bellow, Zhang Jiuxiao’s body staggered, and he nearly vomited blood.

It was just a moment ago that he had asked the other party to grind some ink for him, and in the blink of an eye, the favor had been returned to him. This face slap had come way too quickly!

Overwhelmed with agitation, a durian from his head plopped to the ground. Zhang Jiuxiao was just about to give Zhang Xuan a tongue-lashing when the other party’s voice sounded once more.

“I will have to focus my attention on resolving the seal, so I require your help with this. For something as important as this, surely you won’t turn down my request, right?”

Zhang Jiuxiao’s face immediately turned black. All the words that he had intended to say choked up in his chest, rendering him completely speechless.

It seemed like… those were the words he had said to the other party before.

He had just stood majestically before the crowd, as if a hero paving the way forward, but now… with their identities switched all of a sudden, he suddenly felt a stinging pain on his face.

Karma really comes around… As frustrated as Zhang Jiuxiao was, he knew that the other party was getting back at him for what he had done earlier. Even though he was extremely furious, he still obediently stepped forward and began grinding some ink.

Seeing that, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

To be honest, he was not one to bear grudges.

That was because he never had to remember one.

He could sense the other party’s hostility toward him, and since that was the case, there was no need for him to act like a good man any longer…

Not to mention, a person from the Zhang Clan was planning to take Luo Ruoxin as his bride.

One must know that even Feng Xun had nearly died from his hands just by confessing to Luo Ruoxin!

While he had no idea where the Zhang Clan was and did not yet have the strength to get them for that matter, that did not stop him from obtaining a small down payment first.

After Zhang Jiuxiao was done grinding the ink, Zhang Xuan was just about to begin painting to destroy the conception of the painting so that he could extend his consciousness in when a thought suddenly came to him.

He turned to Guild Leader Meng Chong and asked, “Guild Leader Meng, do you have any 7-star painting books on you? I need as many of them as possible. I intend to quickly browse through them in order to analyze where I should enchant the spirit to minimize the damage to the painting.”

“You want to browse through painting books right now?” Not expecting the young man to request books from him at this crucial moment, Guild Leader Meng was taken aback for a moment before shaking his head. “I don’t have many books on me at the moment. However, if you really need them, the Painter Guild just happens to be located in the vicinity. I can fetch some for you right now.”

“I’ll be troubling you then.” Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bowed.

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony,” Guild Leader Meng Chong replied before walking out of the room. Not too long later, he returned to the hall, and with a flick of his wrist, a huge pile of books appeared before him. All in all, there seemed to be several dozen thousand of them.

As the head of the Painter Guild, he had the right to take the books in the Painter Guild out at his whim. He had not been too sure which books Zhang Xuan required, so to be safe, he had taken most of the books and brought them over.

Zhang Xuan walked up to the pile of books and swiftly swept over them with his gaze. After which, he picked up one of them and casually flipped through it as he delved his consciousness into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

7-star Heaven’s Path Paint Art! Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction before flipping through the book in his hand.

It was based on the astounding prowess of the 6-star Heaven’s Path Paint Art that Zhang Xuan was able to pull off Suspended Imagery. In truth, he had never gathered the required books to learn the 7-star Heaven’s Path Paint Art before.

A short hour later, he had managed to fully comprehend the essence of the 7-star Heaven’s Path Paint Art.

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan finally placed down the book in his hands.

At this moment, his comprehension of painting had already reached the level of 7-star pinnacle, which was comparable to most 8-star primary painters.

“Zhang shi, can we start now?” the copper-masked figure asked anxiously.

The young man before him had picked up an unimpressive-looking book among the huge pile and dazed off for a whole hour. This period of time had felt like an eternity to him, and it was more than enough to turn his anticipation into anxiety.

“I’m done.”

Nodding confidently, Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath before making his way toward the painting. Activating his Eye of Insight once more, he took another good look at the painting before him.

If the painting had been a complete enigma to him a moment ago, with the flaws he had seen in the Library of Heaven’s Path and his enhanced understanding of painting at the moment, he was already able to see roughly what was going on with the painting, and many aspects that had bewildered him previously had become clear.

“I’m going to start now.”

Without wasting any words, Zhang Xuan dabbed his brush lightly into the inkstone, soaking it with ink. After which, he positioned his brush carefully before moving it majestically.

Hu hu hu hu!

In the blink of an eye, a painting appeared right before everyone’s eyes, floating peacefully in midair.

“What profound Suspended Imagery this is!” Guild Leader Meng remarked with a mix of astonishment and awe.

The unskilled revel in the commotion while the experts assess the mastery. 1

Zhang Jiuxiao had pulled off Suspended Imagery previously as well, but he had only brought out the bare basics of its capability. On the other hand, the young man before him had managed to infuse a beautiful conception on top of the Suspended Imagery, a clear indication that he had achieved incredible mastery in the Way of Painting.

“Profound?” Guild Leader Mu was surprised to hear that Guild Leader Meng had such a high opinion of Zhang Xuan. He could not help but ask in curiosity, “How does he compare to you then?”

“To tell you the truth, even I wouldn’t be a match for him. Every single stroke of his Suspended Imagery further enhances the artistic conception that he’s trying to build, allowing him to create a painting so vivid that it feels as if it will leap out at any moment. He has already accomplished a level of mastery very close to that of an 8-star painter!” Guild Leader Meng said with a look of helplessness.

As reluctant as he was to admit it, the fact was that the other party’s proficiency in painting was far higher than his.

It was no wonder he was able to see through the crux of the painting in a single look. In the Qingyuan Empire, there was probably no one who could compete with him.

“This…” Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiao’s eyelids began twitching alongside his lips.

He felt as if the world had collapsed on him, and he was very close to suffering from a mental breakdown.

He could not help but recall how he had said that he would offer Zhang Xuan some pointers earlier. At this point, it could not have been any clearer that the other party had already achieved a level far beyond him in both appraising and painting!

To say such big words before a true expert… If it was possible for anyone to die of embarrassment, he was probably going to join the list of victims very soon.

Hu hu hu!

Before everyone’s astonished gazes, Zhang Xuan finally placed his brush down. A door stood right before his eyes.

“A door?”

“Why did he draw a door?”

“The view that we are receiving of the 8-star painting is actually similar to looking the scenery beyond a window. While the mountain range in the painting may seem to be in close proximity to us, it’s actually another massive world within the painting itself. If one attempted to traverse through the painting with one’s consciousness, it would take an eternity to arrive at one’s destination. As such, it is imperative to first open up to a door leading to one’s destination within the painting prior to extending one’s consciousness in.”

…

With Guild Leader Meng’s explanation, everyone’s initial astonishment swiftly turned into nods of realization.

The group that had gathered for the Appraisal Convention tonight consisted of the top figures of Qingyuan City. While most of them were not painters themselves, they still had a certain degree of understanding of the field.

The painting left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man had achieved the level of Evoking Vividness, and the striking verisimilitude of the painting had left everyone with the misconception that the mountain range in the painting was very close to them. In order to enchant the spirit infused within the painting, it was imperative for one to come into proximity with it first, so a passageway needed to be constructed beforehand.

Hu!

After putting his brush down, Zhang Xuan placed his hand on the door that he had just painted and pushed it forcefully.

Huala!

The door swiftly imprinted itself onto the painting.

Hong long!

In an instant, the mountain range seemed to suddenly magnify right before everyone’s eyes, and the freshly painted door seemed to open a passageway into it.

After doing this, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Wu shi and said, “Wu shi, I’ll be going in now. I’ll have to trouble you to protect me.”

As unlikely as it was for anyone to assault him on this occasion, Zhang Xuan still felt that it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Alright.”

Wu shi stepped forward and took a position by Zhang Xuan’s side.

Reassured, Zhang Xuan finally took a seat on a ground before extending a sliver of his consciousness toward the door.

Upon entering the door, he immediately felt a damp air gushing right at his face. Paying no heed to it, he swiftly traversed forward, and before long, he arrived at the midpoint of the mountain.

White clouds covered the mountain peak, making it impossible to see anything beneath it. He extended his consciousness further into the clouds, and in an instant, his surroundings suddenly turned completely dark.

He knew that this was a result of the lack of sentience of spirit infused within the painting. Thus, he began to enchant the space.

Hu!

He lit up twenty sparks consecutively before adeptly fusing them together. At this point, the space was nearly fully lit up, just a breath short from triggering the spirit’s sentience.

Even so, the light still illuminated the scenery beneath the clouds, and the entire mountain appeared before Zhang Xuan’s eyes clearly.

It was a lush mountain forest, not much different from the other parts of the painting. However, at the very center of the mountain, beneath the bright rays of the sun, a vague figure could be seen. Despite his faint silhouette, he emanated an aura that commanded the veneration of others.

This… Upon seeing the figure, Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed in astonishment.

He had seen the figure before.

Kong shi!

At this very moment, Kong shi was standing quietly on the mountain, exuding a peaceful and harmonious air. But at the same time, his figure felt a little indistinct, as if his presence was just a mere illusion that would vanish at a touch.

This is… a sight that the Sorrowless Old Man saw? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation.

It went without saying that the Kong shi amid the mountain forest was only part of the painting, but… the Sorrowless Old Man had accurately captured the distinct aura that Kong shi commanded, and that was not something that one could simply conceptualize from mere thoughts.

In other words…

It was very likely that the Sorrowless Old Man had seen this sight himself, and too striking a sight it was—he could not resist painting it.

Wu shi said that the Sorrowless Old Man was an untalented individual in his earlier years. It was due to a sudden enlightenment in his 180s that his cultivation and mastery in painting abruptly soared. Is it possible that this was the result from seeing Kong shi’s silhouette?

Wu shi had once told him about the history of the Sorrowless Old Man, and his history truly felt like something that had leaped right out from a fantasy novel.

For such a massive change to occur to him all of a sudden, there was no doubt that he had stumbled upon a life-changing encounter.

Perhaps… it might have been the sight of Kong shi that had granted him sudden enlightenment, allowing him to advance his cultivation and understanding of painting swiftly. Out of gratitude, he had decided to dedicate this painting to Kong shi.

However, anything that is related to Kong shi has great implications. He knew that trouble would come knocking on his door should others learn that he had stumbled upon Kong shi’s silhouette. Or perhaps, trouble might have already been at his doorstep, so he decisively chose to conceal the secret beneath a layer of clouds. Nevertheless, it still did not stop tragedy from befalling him, Zhang Xuan deduced.

Having undergone four Celestial Master Teacher acknowledgements, it did not take long for him to connect the dots and make sense of the situation.

It was a mystery why Kong shi’s silhouette had abruptly appeared in the mountain, but without a doubt, it was bound to be something huge. After all, Kong shi was the World’s Teacher. All that was associated with him was anything but ordinary.

If news leaked to those with malicious intentions, it could very well spell a calamity.

As an 8-star painter, a Leaving Aperture realm expert, it was impossible for the Sorrowless Old Man to not know this fact.

But ultimately, this was still a masterpiece beneath his brush, and he could not bring himself to destroy it. He had hesitated for thirty years before he eventually decided to seal away a portion of the painting. However, that did not stop death from creeping upon him.

If Kong shi’s silhouette has appeared in this land, it is very likely that there is a hidden ancient domain similar to the Qiu Wu Palace located in this area. Let me take a closer look.

Having thought things through, Zhang Xuan quickly made his way toward Kong shi’s silhouette.

---

Chapter 1169: Bathing Beauties

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The Sorrowless Old Man seemed to have had a clear view of the situation, and that was reflected in his painting as well. Despite being in the world of a painting, the area where Kong shi’s silhouette was located was depicted in elaborate detail.

Very soon, Zhang Xuan arrived at the destination.

Before him stood a massive rift with white rocks scattered around the area.

The rocks seemed to be made of a rare material that he had never seen before.

Zhang Xuan was just about the enter the rift to see what was within when Kong shi’s silhouette suddenly wavered, and with a light whoosh, he vanished without a trace.

Damn it… Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

He had thought that Kong shi’s silhouette would at least be able to last a little longer, but it seemed like he had misjudged the situation.

Logically speaking, the silhouette should have been able to sustain itself for a much longer period of time, but the earlier forceful insertion of a door into the painting had destroyed its artistic conception, resulting in the erosion of its Evoking Vividness quality.

Forget it, at least I know about this rift. Now, I just have to figure out where this mountain is located!

Once he found out where the mountain was, he would just have to find the rift and venture into it to take a look himself.

There should not be many similar mountain ranges in the world, so it would not be too difficult to find it.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to fully enchant the spirit and leave the area, a thought suddenly came to his mind. Thinking about it, the copper-masked figure seems to be a little too fixated on destroying the seal. No matter what, this is still an eighth level painting. It is bizarre that he is going to the extent of destroying an eighth level painting just to pursue something as elusive as this. I wonder, is it possible that he knows that Kong shi’s silhouette is beneath the clouds?

In the first place, the copper-masked figure’s desire to conceal his identity was a little suspicious in itself. On top of that, he would go to the extent of destroying such a valuable historical work just to find out what lay beneath the seal…

Wasn’t he afraid that he would destroy a treasure just to obtain something insignificant in return?

Did he already know for certain that what lay beneath the clouds was something significant?

Regardless, if he sees that Kong shi’s silhouette has vanished after the seal is released, he will surely be suspicious about the matter. Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

He could not tell how powerful the copper-masked figure was at the moment, but considering how he dared to act arrogantly before Guild Leader Mu and the others, it was very likely that he was a powerful expert.

If the other party were to learn that he had accidentally caused Kong shi’s silhouette to dissipate, would the other party exact vengeance on him for the matter?

Considering that this is a matter related to Kong shi, it’s best for as few people to know about it as possible…

It was best to take caution with anything relating to Kong shi, or else, he could very well end up in the same plight as the Sorrowless Old Man.

Since that’s the case, perhaps I should make some alterations myself… Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before creating a brush with his consciousness. He leaped into the air and began to paint.

At this point, he had no choice but to do this in order to avoid trouble.

It did not take too long for him to finish his painting, and he heaved a sigh of relief. He sealed the painting that he had just created where Kong shi had appeared earlier before returning to the clouds to finish the enchantment process.

Hong long!

As soon as he lit up the final spark, his surroundings began to tremble intensely. Knowing that he had succeeded in enchanting the spirit, he swiftly retracted his consciousness out of the painting through the door and back into his body.

Hu!

Exhaling a mouthful of turbid air, Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had come to, the copper-masked figure quickly rushed forward and asked anxiously, “How is it?”

With a pale face and a feeble voice, Zhang Xuan replied, “It was difficult, but I managed to successfully pull it off. However, I seem to have overexerted myself in the midst of doing so. If there were a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones before me at this moment, I would be able to recover a little…”

“A hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones?” The mouth of the copper-masked figure twitched upon hearing those words. “I don’t have that, but if you have truly helped me unseal the painting, I’ll surely compensate you fairly!”

Even the Qingyuan Empire royal family only had a couple of concentrated high-tier spirit stones in their hands, so how did this fellow manage to ask for a hundred of them so unabashedly?

On the other hand, hearing that the copper-masked figure did not have any concentrated high-tier spirit stones with him, Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. Shaking his head, he walked up to the painting and tapped it lightly.

“Wake up.”

Hu!

Shortly after those words were spoken, the painting suddenly moved. It arched itself backward, as if a person stretching after waking from a long slumber.

“This… He actually managed to enchant the entire painting?”

The mouths of the crowd twitched upon seeing this sight.

After stretching its back, the painting seemed to slowly scan its surroundings warily before abruptly dashing out.

“Humph, where do you think you are going?” With a harrumph, the copper-masked figure raised his hand, and the surrounding space was immediately sealed.

Half-Leaving Aperture realm!

Zhang Xuan was able to tell the other party’s cultivation as soon as the other party made a move. The other party was a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert!

It was no wonder the other party dared to snub the many guild leaders and powerful figures gathered within the hall.

Upon realizing that its escape route had been sealed, the painting could only return indignantly.

“Allow me to negotiate with it,” Zhang Xuan said.

He walked toward the painting and stretched a finger toward it.

As the person who had enchanted the painting’s spirit, there was a special intimacy between them. As such, the painting did not avoid Zhang Xuan’s finger.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan relayed a thought to it.

Weng!

Upon understanding Zhang Xuan’s intentions, the painting suddenly shook itself, and the clouds shrouding the mountain range abruptly shuddered, as if a tornado was forming within them. The clouds gradually thinned, revealing patches of the world that lay beneath.

“It’s working!” Upon seeing this sight, the eyes of the copper-masked figure and the crowd in the hall lit up in excitement.

This was the first time that they had seen such a seal, and to witness it being deciphered right before their eyes, even the calmest of them all could not suppress their agitation any longer.

Geji! Geji!

As the painting continued shaking itself vigorously, the white clouds on it shuddered more and more vigorously. Before long, unable to withstand the intense shaking, it finally flew off the canvas and fell with a loud splat onto the ground.

Seeing that the seal had finally been removed, everyone quickly focused their gazes on the painting, curious to see lay beneath.

Even Wu shi could not help but pay close attention to the painting at this moment. He wanted to see what it was that would leave the copper-masked figure so desperate to decipher the painting.

However, what lay beneath the clouds consisted only of lush greenery and glistening lakes. As beautiful as they were, there was nothing particularly noteworthy about them as compared to the rest of the painting.

“Wait a moment… What’s that?”

Someone amid the crowd suddenly shouted at this moment, and everyone quickly turned their gazes over once more.

By a rift near the center of the mountain, surrounded by countless bizarrely-shaped stones, a natural hot spring could be seen. Several beautiful silhouettes were currently soaking in it delightfully.

Too far away, those beautiful silhouettes were extremely blurred. Nevertheless, with but a glance, it was apparent that they were extraordinary beauties.

“This…”

The crowd had been wondering what kind of wondrous artifact or astounding secret would be hidden so securely beneath the clouds. Who would have thought it was a group of beautiful ladies bathing? They could not help but freeze on the spot.

It was too unexpected!

“I get it! The Sorrowless Old Man must have stumbled upon a group of bathing ladies while he was venturing through the mountain range, and in a moment of inspiration, he swiftly painted the scenery before him. However, he soon realized that it was extremely disrespectful of him to peek on others while they were bathing, and ashamed by that encounter, he decided to seal away a portion of his painting!”

“I was wondering why the Sorrowless Old Man would go through so much trouble to put a seal on it and ruin the artistic conception of his masterpiece. So, this is the true reason behind it!”

“Hahaha, to be able to paint those bathing beauties with such amazing semblance, the Sorrowless Old Man is indeed a passionate individual!”

…

At this point, the crowd could not help but burst into laughter.

They had thought that there was bound to be some kind of earth-shattering secret hidden within the painting, considering the effort that the Sorrowless Old Man had put into sealing it away, but surprisingly, what he was trying to conceal was just a dark history.

“This… Impossible! This can’t be!” the copper-masked figure exclaimed in disbelief.

He had put in so much effort to acquire and decipher the painting, and yet… it turned out to be just a group of ladies bathing? The vast difference between reality and his expectations left him feeling as if his mind would descend into insanity at any moment.

“There must be another seal within the painting, right? There’s no doubt about it—there must be one!”

The agitated copper-masked figure hurriedly rushed up to the painting and extended the consciousness of his powerful Primordial Spirit into the painting, wanting to see what had happened.

Hu!

Feeling the immense pressure from the elder before him, the painting leaped in shock. He quickly hid himself behind Zhang Xuan fearfully.

“Tell me! Is there still a seal within the painting!” The eyes of the copper-masked figure turned crimson, and a powerful soul reverberation rippled from his Primordial Spirit.

“Enough! Look at how frightened Little Painting over here is!” Zhang Xuan bellowed as he gently consoled the eighth level painting. After which, he turned back to the crowd and said, “Just as everyone has seen, the secret lying beneath the seal is a group of bathing beauties. It seems like the Sorrowless Old Man was peeking on others bathing, and unable to find a way to vent his emotions, he decided to pick up his brush instead. While it may seem a little dishonorable, it is perfectly normal for all humans to feel inherently attracted to beautiful individuals. It’s actually no big deal at all, so you need not get so agitated.”

Noting the other party’s attitude, it was clear that he knew what actually lay beneath the painting.

Facing such a situation, he could not help but heave a sigh of relief for his wise decision back then.

If he had not added in the hot spring of beautiful ladies to fill the void, he might have very well given himself away!

“Pardon me, I was too reckless.” Hearing those words, the copper-masked figure took a deep breath and swiftly calmed himself down. After which, he clasped his fist and bowed. “Ever since I discovered the presence of the seal, I have been wanting to find out what lay beneath it. Even though the result turned out to be a disappointment for me, I’m still grateful to you all for helping me resolve this lingering regret.”

Right after saying those words, he flicked his wrist, and a pile of high-tier spirit stones appeared right before him.

Even from a rough estimation, there had to be at least a dozen thousand within the pile.

“These spirit stones are a token of appreciation for your help. Please, feel free to take them.”

After saying those words, the copper-masked figure turned to Zhang Xuan. “Zhang shi, I am full of admiration for the astounding mastery you have achieved in the Way of Painting despite your young age. Here is a book left behind by the Sorrowless Old Man, named the ‘Ten Deciphers of Painting’. Detailed within it are the various painting techniques that he is the most skilled in. I hope that this will prove useful to you.”

After saying those words, he swiftly grasped forward and retrieved the painting before clasping his fist. “I’ll be taking my leave now. Farewell!”

Then, without further ado, he stood up and rushed out. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from everyone’s sight.

From the looks of it, it seemed like he feared that others would go after him for the treasure that he possessed, so there was not the slightest hesitation in his movements at all.

“…” Looking at the book in his hands, Zhang Xuan could not help but fall speechless.

The other party had mentioned earlier that he would be handsomely rewarded if he were to decipher the seal, but this…

What the heck was this?

He could not help but feel a little choked up within.

“Is that really… the Ten Deciphers of Painting? Zhang shi, it might be a little presumptuous for me to ask this of you, but will you sell the book to our Painter Guild?”

In contrast to Zhang Xuan’s speechless expression, by his side, Guild Leader Meng’s gleaming eyes were completely fixated on the inconspicuous book that Zhang Xuan held in his hands.

The Sorrowless Old Man was the most formidable painter from the Qingyuan Empire. While he had only lived for a short three hundred years, he had made great contributions to the Painter Guild, bringing it an era of prosperity.

Of the heritage that he had left behind to the Painter Guild, there was one that stood out—the Ten Deciphers of Painting. It was a painting manual that he had begun working on in his later years. However, he had gone missing before he could finish the book, and mysteriously, the book had vanished from the surface of the world as well. The Painter Guild had devoted great resources into finding it, but there was not the slightest clue to be found.

Who could have predicted that it would be in the hands of the copper-masked figure, and he would even give it to Zhang shi for free!

“You wish to buy the book?” Zhang Xuan glanced at the book in his hand and instantaneously recorded its contents into the Library of Heaven’s Path. After which, he tossed it over generously and said, “Since you want it, I’ll give it to you.”

“I-is this really alright?” stammered Guild Leader Meng as he caught the book with his trembling hands. “Zhang shi, allow me to thank you on behalf of the entire Painter Guild! You are truly generous to give away a book that is easily worth fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones just like that! I am impressed.”

“What did you say? Fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones?” Zhang Xuan felt as if the world was spinning around him.

“Indeed!” Guild Leader Meng replied.

“Pardon me, but I won’t be giving you the Ten Deciphers of Painting anymore.” Zhang Xuan quickly snatched back the book from Guild Leader Meng’s hands.

“Pay up.”

“…” Meng Chong.

“…” The crowd

Chapter 1170: A Visit in the Night (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the end, Guild Leader Meng did not pay the fifty concentrated high-tier spirit stones. After all, there was no way he could fork out that much money. After promising to bring Zhang Xuan around the Painter Guild, he quickly snatched the book back and hid it in his storage ring.

Zhang Xuan could not help but lament how the noble values of the past were gradually eroding with time.

“Zhang shi, we didn’t contribute much to the unsealing of the painting, so we won’t be accepting any of the high-tier spirit stones here,” Guild Leader Mu said as he passed over a storage ring filled with the high-tier spirit stones that the copper-masked figure had left behind.

He had gathered everyone here today in hopes of combining the wits of the masses to decipher the secret of the painting, but they had ended up contributed nothing at all. The case ended up being resolved by the sole efforts of the young man before him. While the high-tier spirit stones were the compensation that the copper-masked figure had offered to all of them, they were too embarrassed to accept any.

“Alright then.”

Zhang Xuan initially refused it, but seeing that the crowd was unwilling to accept the high-tier spirit stones, he could only reluctantly take it.

Actually, these spirit stones were not of much value to him. However, considering that he could possibly exchange them for concentrated high-tier spirit stones in the future, he chose to take them.

At this point, Guild Leader Mu suddenly stepped forward and remarked, “Zhang shi’s capability in appraising is truly exceptional. If I’m not mistaken, you are an appraiser, right?”

Considering how the other party had been able to sharply determine the year in which the painting had been created and deduce the solution to deciphering the seal through analyzing its creation method, there was no doubt that he was a skilled appraiser as well.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “That’s right. I’m a 5-star appraiser at the moment. Actually, I was intending to pay the Appraiser Hall a visit to take the 7-star examination, but I haven’t yet found the time to do so.”

“With eyes as sharp as yours, there’s no need to for you to take the examination. I’ll apply for a 7-star appraiser emblem on your behalf straight afterward,” Guild Leader Mu replied with a smile.

At this point, he could see why even a prestigious figure like Wu shi would regard the other party as his brother.

With the other party’s capability, it was clear that he would clear the examination perfectly, so there was no need to waste their time on such formalities.

Guild Leader Meng also hurriedly stepped forward and said, “I’ll apply for a 7-star appraiser emblem on your behalf as well.”

Judging just from the Suspended Imagery that the other party had performed earlier, it was apparent that the other party’s proficiency in painting was far above his. Even 7-star pinnacle painters would struggle to be a match for him! Naturally, he was more than qualified to be promoted straight to 7-star.

“Thank you!” Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

It seemed like his trip here was not wasted. Not only did he manage to bring his painting up to the level of 7-star pinnacle, he had even managed to obtain two 7-star emblems simultaneously.

With this, he had finally gathered the supporting occupations required for his promotion to 7-star master teacher. Once all the emblems arrived, he would be qualified to apply for the nomination slot to the Sanctum of Sages!

“Guild Leader Mu, may I know where the library of the Appraiser Hall is located?” Zhang Xuan asked with a polite smile. “If it’s possible, I would like to take a look at your books.”

Since he had already come to the Appraiser Hall, it would be good to take this opportunity to collect all their books into the Library of Heaven’s Path as well.

“Of course, of course.” Guild Leader Mu nodded. “That isn’t a problem at all!”

He was just about to lead the way forward when a conflicted voice sounded. “Teacher, Zhang shi… May I trouble the both of you to help resolve this thing first?”

It was only upon hearing the voice that the duo suddenly recalled that there was still a certain figure whose head was blooming durians.

Over the past hour, Zhang Jiuxiao had flourished well. Another nine durians, along with a dense congregation of lush leaves, had sprouted on his head, and the tail behind him had grown longer and more bulky, reminiscent of a valiant tiger…

“Give me a moment.” Zhang Xuan pondered briefly before whipping out a brush and penning down a prescription. He passed the prescription over and said, “Concoct the medicine according to the way I have stated and consume it—it should be able to destroy the spirit within your body. The process will be a little painful, but you must endure it.”

Since the other party was unwilling to bare his soul open to him, Zhang Xuan could only resort to poison in order to deal with the spirit.

It was fortunate that he had gotten a close glimpse of the spirit earlier when he entered the painting, so he knew what kind of poison had to be concocted in order to kill it.

The poison that Zhang Xuan had prescribed was a relatively simple one, such that even ordinary cultivators would be able to concoct it. However, it was extremely damaging to the body, dealing excruciating pain to those who consumed it. Whether Zhang Jiuxiao would be able to endure the pain or not would be dependent on him.

If Zhang Jiuxiao felt that the poison was too dangerous, he could always choose to keep his head of durians. In any case, that would only affect his appearance; it would not make too much of a difference to his physical functions. In fact, his transformation into a plant might even enhance certain functions of his…

Considering the fact that the other party was from the clan of his love rival, there was really no reason for Zhang Xuan to do this for the other party. It was already a great mercy that he had offered this much help in the first place.

“Thank you…” Zhang Jiuxiao took the prescription with a conflicted expression on his face. Nevertheless, he still bowed in gratitude.

After dealing with this matter, Zhang Xuan and Wu shi bade everyone else farewell before following Guild Leader Mu to the library of the Appraiser Hall.

Appraisers were valued for their knowledge. In order to be a good appraiser, one had to have some understanding of everything, be it knowledge on other occupations, history, geography… Investigating the background of an artifact was the foundation to determining the authenticity of a certain artifact. As such, there were several dozen million books within the library of the Appraiser Hall.

Walking between the shelves, it took Zhang Xuan four whole hours before he managed to collect everything. By the time he was done, it was already late at night.

He swiftly compiled the 6-star and 7-star Heaven’s Path Appraising Art and internalized them.

Before long, his understanding of appraising had reached the level of 7-star pinnacle. Even without the Library of Heaven’s Path or the Eye of Insight, he was able to easily discern most artifacts of Saint intermediate-tier and below without any errors.

Returning from the Library of Heaven’s Path, he began reflecting on what had happened earlier.

This was the first time he had come to an Appraisal Convention, and it had truly have been a fruitful trip. Not only had he managed to advance his knowledge to the level of a 7-star appraiser and painter and obtain the 7-star emblems of those two occupations, more importantly, he had learned that Kong shi’s silhouette had once appeared on the peak of a mountain. If there was a chance in the future, he should really investigate this matter.

Perhaps, he might be able to uncover something special.

“Zhang shi!”

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked out of the library, he saw Guild Leader Mu walking toward him.

Even though it was the middle of the night, it seemed like the other party had not gone to rest yet.

There was a young man following behind Guild Leader Mu with a slightly conflicted look on his face—Zhang Jiuxiao.

The durian head and tail that had been on Zhang Jiuxiao’s body a few hours ago had vanished without a trace, but in place of that, his face and body were slightly swollen. Most likely, that was the aftereffect of consuming the poison. The swelling looked a little glaring, but it would swiftly fade after some rest.

After trading some pleasantries, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and took his leave.

A starry night sky welcomed him as he stood outside the Appraiser Hall. It felt as if someone had used a needle to pierce through the night sky, leaving behind innumerable holes for light to pass through.

The bustling streets from a moment ago had become a little cold, with nary a person in sight. Stretching his back lazily, Zhang Xuan began making his way toward the Combat Master Hall.

But before he could get very far, goosebumps suddenly rose all over his body.

He could clearly sense that someone was following him, but regardless of whether he used his Spiritual Perception or his eyes, he was unable to find the other party.

Hu!

Sensing that the person following him was a dangerous individual, possessing strength far beyond him, he swiftly executed the Heaven’s Path Movement Art and dashed forward. In a single breath, he flitted over a distance of ten kilometers. But despite that, he was still unable to shake off the feeling of being ‘eyed’.

Anxious, he turned around and saw a black-robed man standing not too far away.

For the other party to be able to catch up even though he had pushed his Heaven’s Path Movement Art to its very limit—not to mention the fact that the other party was able to prevent even his Spiritual Perception from noticing the other party—there was no doubt that the black-robed man standing before him was a true expert!

This was the very first time Zhang Xuan had encountered this situation, and it left cold sweat drenching his back.

Nevertheless, he did not panic. He began assessing the figure before him carefully.

It was not possible to see the face beneath the other party’s black robe, but his very presence seemed to meld into the essence of the world itself, leaving him with an impression that the other party would vanished at any moment.

Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to get a closer look of the other party, but he was unable to discern the other party’s cultivation at all.

In other words, the other party wielded strength beyond the Leaving Aperture realm Hall Master Xing… or perhaps, beyond the Leaving Aperture realm even!

When did such an expert appear in Qingyuan City?

“There’s no need for you to be so wary around me. If I wanted to kill you, you would have long been killed.”

It was an extremely deep and resounding voice.

As nervous as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that there was no way he would be able to escape if the other party wanted to kill him. Thus, he clasped his fist politely and replied, “Elder, you were waiting for me?”

It was shortly after leaving the Appraiser Hall that he had sensed that the other party was following him, which meant that the other party had probably been waiting for him.

But instead of answering his question, the black-robed man placed his hands behind his back and said, “To be able to sense me so swiftly even though I only leaked out a hint of an aura, it seems like you are quite a talented individual.

“I have been following you since sunset, and I saw how you managed to decipher the seal on the painting. Despite your young age, you have quite a keen pair of eyes. Not bad.”

“You have been here since sunset?” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in alarm.

He had been paying close attention to his surroundings all this while due to the happenings with King Zhongqing earlier in the day, and yet, despite his enhanced wariness, he had still been oblivious to the fact that the other party had been following him.

This was too frightening!

“If I may ask, I would like to inquire why elder has been following me all night.”

At the same time, Zhang Xuan secretly activated his Library of Heaven’s Path, but no book was compiled.

Until the other party executed a battle technique, he would be unable to discern the other party’s background.

“It’s nothing much, I just want to know if you have the qualification and capability for what you seek.” The black-robed man harrumphed as he finally raised his head, revealing the appearance of an old man in his sixties.

It was a foreign face. Zhang Xuan was certain that he had never seen the other party before.

Peng!

In the next moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt a choking sensation in his chest, as if some kind of force had struck him. At the same time, the space before him suddenly compressed together, as if someone was forcefully denting it, trapping him in place.

As if a caged beast, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to free himself.

“This…” Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed further and further.

The fact that the Library of Heaven’s Path had not compiled a book meant that the other party had not executed a battle technique. And yet, the other party was still able to wield such strength, rendering him completely helpless…

Just how strong could the other party be?

Saint 5-dan pinnacle?

6-dan?

Or was it 7-dan?

In any case, the other party was a figure whom he could not stand a chance against at this moment.

Despite knowing the deep danger he was in, Zhang Xuan knew that the more threatening a situation was, the more he should not panic. Thus, driving his Soul Depth, he began speaking with a unique aura in his voice. “Elder, if you are only seeking me to display your strength, there’s really no need for you to do so. I am a mere Saint 2-dan cultivator. I won’t understand it no matter what you show me.”

The gap between him and the other party was simply too great. The only thing he had that could possibly match the other party was his exceptional Soul Depth. If he could leave the other party in a short trance, he might be able to buy sufficient time to flee from this situation.

However, seeing through Zhang Xuan as if he was transparent, the black-robed elder chuckled softly. “Your Soul Depth is not too bad, but you’re still a little lacking to be using Impartation of Heaven’s Will on me.”

Those words immediately sent chills down Zhang Xuan’s spine. With an earnest smile on his face, he swiftly waved his hand and said, “Elder, how could I dare do something as rude as that? It is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!”

To be able to see through his Impartation of Heaven’s Will, it seemed like the other party’s Soul Depth was beyond his as well!

It was fortunate that he had not recklessly forced his way through. Otherwise, the other party’s retaliation could very well have cost him his life.

“You do have some wits, but it’s meaningless against me,” the black-robed elder replied indifferently.

“How could I dare flaunt my little wits before you? Elder, your ability to track me without catching my notice and seal my movements so easily must mean that your Soul Depth has reached a level far beyond my imagination. If I may request, could you display a battle technique for me?”

At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. “I have come from a humble place, and I have never met a person as strong as you. I truly respect experts like you, and if you could just accede to this request of mine, my life would be truly fulfilled!”

Chapter 1171: A Visit in the Night (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The black-robed elder harrumphed coldly. “Humph, you do have quite a glib tongue. Do you take me as one of those naive, young ladies who fall for your words easily?”

“Naive, young ladies? Falling for my words?” Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands earnestly, denying the accusation. At the same time, an inconspicuous frown surfaced on his head.

He could vaguely feel that the black-robed elder was referring to something with his words, but he had always conducted himself properly, never getting involved with any women. What could the other party possibly be getting at?

If others were to hear that, they might just think that he was a playboy!

“I will just get straight to the point with you.”

With his hands behind his back, the elder slowly closed in on Zhang Xuan.

In that instant, Zhang Xuan felt as if a massive mountain was slowly making its way toward him, and the immense pressure that he felt seemed to sap the air from his lungs.

This pressure weighed on both his mind and his body, rendering him completely powerless. It was apparent that the other party wanted him to know the gap between them and force him to submit.

“Humph!” With narrowed eyes, Zhang Xuan drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, and the pressure on him alleviated significantly.

As powerful as the other party was, there was no presence more imposing than the heavens.

“Hmm? Interesting!” Seeing that the other party was able to endure his pressure so easily, an interested gleam surfaced in the eyes of the black-robed elder.

“To be able to endure my pressure so easily, you must have some kind of formidable artifact on you. It seems like you have quite a doting teacher there.”

“I am my teacher’s only direct disciple, so he does treat me quite well,” Zhang Xuan replied.

The other party was too fearsome. With his current strength, he stood no chance at all. Even escape seemed unlikely at this point. Thus, he could only place his hopes in his teacher, ‘Yang Xuan’, to deter the other party from doing anything overboard.

The black-robed elder looked at him and asked, “May I know whom your teacher is?”

Zhang Xuan nodded. “My teacher goes by the name of Yang Xuan.”

Upon hearing the name, the black-robed elder’s eyes narrowed menacingly, and he harrumphed coldly. “Yang Xuan? Young man, I still have a rather favorable impression of you. Don’t lose it by lying!”

Suddenly, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt as if he was standing above a sinkhole and an unknown power would consume him at any moment.

Gritting his teeth to withstand the devastating might crushing him, Zhang Xuan asked, “Lying? Elder, why would you say such words?”

“I have met Yang shi once, and he has already long retired from worldly affairs. As far as I know, he has never accepted any students, and yet, you say that you are his student? Are you honestly expecting me to believe such words?” the black-robed elder said with a threatening edge in his voice.

“You have met… Yang Xuan?” Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up in alarm, and for a moment, he found himself in a daze.

‘Yang Xuan’ was a name that he came up with spontaneously back then. In other words, it was a fictional character that he had fabricated… and yet, the black-robed elder was saying that he had met Yang Xuan?

It couldn’t be that there was really a master teacher going by the name of Yang Xuan in the world who coincidentally wielded unfathomable strength as well, could there?

That would be too much of a coincidence!

“Alright, I have no interest in whose student you are. I am here only to offer you a warning. It’s good to dream big, but a human should know his own place and limits. If you attempt to pursue things that are unreachable to you, not only will you bring pain upon yourself, you will also hurt those around you as well. By then… things will not be resolved with just mere words. And I cannot promise that those whom you associate with will remain unharmed in the process as well.”

“Know my place and limits? Pursue things that are unreachable?” Zhang Xuan was confused as to what the other party was saying. Just as he was about to ask about it, his eyes suddenly widened in astonishment. “You are… from the Luo Clan?”

The threat, coupled with the previous words about naive, young ladies…

Could the other party be Luo Ruoxin’s family?

Only a clan as powerful as the Luo Clan would be in command of experts who could subdue him without using any battle technique at all.

The pieces of the puzzle seemed to fit together perfectly.

While he and Luo Ruoxin had never told anyone that they had gotten together, it was not surprising that a family as powerful as the Luo Clan would be able to uncover that.

“Quite a keen mind you have there.” The black-robed elder harrumphed, not denying the matter. With a lofty look on his face, he gazed down at Zhang Xuan as if looking at a mere ant and said, “By this point, you should be aware that she’s the little princess of our Luo Clan. She carries heavy responsibility on her shoulders. I advise you not to have any thoughts toward her. Someone like you will never be good enough for the Luo Clan!”

“Someone like me will never be good enough?” Zhang Xuan subconsciously clenched his fists tightly together.

“Indeed. The Luo Clan is one of the top three Sage Clans on the Master Teacher Continent, and there is no one who doesn’t know that our little princess wields immense power. As long as she wills it so, anyone whom she favors will be able to rise to the top of the world. You might have some wits, and your talent isn’t too bad either, but if you think that you are qualified to get together with our little princess, I suggest that you take a closer look at yourself. A toad lusting over the flesh of a swan will never end well!” the black-robed elder sneered in disdain.

Who were they?

One of the behemoths of the Sage Clans, a top-notch power on the Master Teacher Continent!

On the other hand, the other party was just a bumpkin from a remote place. Even if he possessed exceptional talent, he was still nowhere near to matching up to the peak.

In the first place, they were existences from two wholly different worlds.

“Who are you to judge my worth?” The other party’s words left a surge of fury rising in his chest. He could not accept the other party saying that he was not good enough for Luo Ruoxin, and he raised his head proudly and bellowed, “So what if you are from a Sage Clan? A higher starting point doesn’t give you the right to look down on others.

“A day will come when even Sage Clans like yours won’t catch my eyes!”

So what if the other party was from a Sage Clan?

So what if the other party wielded strength far greater than him at the moment?

As a Celestial Master Teacher, he would eventually reach heights that no one had seen before.

Perhaps, in a few decades time, the supposed Sage Clans would be little more than mere ants before him.

“Many conceited fools have uttered such words in the past as well, but the Luo Clan’s position still remains unshakeable in this world.” The elder harrumphed with a cold glint in his eyes. “I have met countless talents in the world, and there are plenty whose talents you don’t even come close to matching. Yet, there was not a single one of them who managed to shake the Luo Clan.

“So, I advise you not to bring trouble upon yourself. I hate to pull my weight before my juniors or to incur the dislike of our little princess, but if you still don’t back down, it’s my responsibility to give you a good reason to do so.”

Hong long!

As soon as those words were spoken, the stars up above suddenly seemed to plummet from the sky. Unimaginable might crushed down on Zhang Xuan, threatening to smash him into pieces.

Under the overwhelming strength of the power, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to breathe. As if an ant standing before a giant, he felt utterly vulnerable.

“Swear on your identity as a master teacher that you won’t see her, and I’ll spare you,” the black-robed man uttered coldly.

Zhang Xuan felt as if someone was grabbing his neck tightly, and the feeling of death encroaching on him felt more vivid than ever. He struggled with all his might, but he was unable to struggle free.

Damn it! This won’t do… At this rate, I might really die!

The other party’s strength was omnipresent around him; there was nowhere he could escape to. It was as if a guillotine was hanging above him, ready to claim his life at any moment.

While the other party had not shown any killing intent yet, he hated the feeling of having his life in the hands of another. It felt as if his entire existence was banking on the whims of another, and he abhorred such a feeling of helplessness.

His fingernails sank deep into his flesh, causing a stream of blood to drip down his hands. For the first time, he vividly felt the need for power in this world. Without power, there was truly nothing at all.

Dignity!

Love!

Master teacher rank!

All of that was meaningless if one did not have absolute power to protect them!

Ever since his transcension to this world, things had always gone favorably for Zhang Xuan. While the situation might have gotten a little dangerous from time to time, he had always been able to overcome any adversity with his wits. This was the very first time he had felt completely helpless and powerless.

He could not help but realize that if the person before him harbored malevolent intentions, no amount of words would get him out of this situation.

For the first time, he desperately craved greater strength. Only with greater strength would he be able to embrace and protect those whom he held dear.

Zhang Xuan anxiously sent a message to Vicious discreetly. “Vicious, what is the strength of that fellow? Are you able to deal with him?”

With his current strength, he stood no chance against the black-robed elder. His only hope lay in the person who had once stood at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent.

“Master, his cultivation has probably reached Saint 7-dan. I have yet to recover my true strength, so I fear that I won’t be a match for him,” Vicious replied with a hint of anxiety in his voice as well.

If his master was killed, he would dissipate on the spot as well. This was the effect of the Soul Contract between them.

If he wished to survive, he would have to do his best to ensure the safety of his master.

“I have to find a way to make him execute a battle technique. Only with some information on him will I be able to find a way out of this situation,” Zhang Xuan replied, unsurprised by Vicious’ response.

Saint 7-dan, that was a level that had nearly reached the peak of the Master Teacher Continent. With such strength, even the entire Qingyuan Empire would be helpless before him!

Vicious was currently only a mere heart and a finger, so it was natural that he would not stand a chance against an expert of the other party’s caliber.

“I should be able to force him into executing a battle technique, but I fear that my killing intent might be a little too strong. He could easily discern that I’m an Otherworldly Demon, and that might get you into greater trouble,” Vicious replied.

Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and replied, “I’ll give you the permission to devour Kong shi’s writing, so do it!”

Back on the Saint Ascension Platform, he had received Kong shi’s personal handwriting. Schemed by Lu Feng back at the Master Teacher Academy, a third of it had been consumed for his clone to act as Kong shi. To deal with Vicious’ finger, another one-third of it had been consumed. Thus, only a third of the original text remained in the booklet.

This was the last time he could use this card.

It was a heavy price to pay, but after consuming Kong shi’s writing, not only would Vicious’ aura become much stronger, he would also be able to morph his aura into that of a true master teacher, and that was what Zhang Xuan required to resolve the precarious situation he was in.

“Alright!” Vicious replied.

Kong shi’s writing, which he had kept in his storage ring, gradually faded line after line, and at the same time, Zhang Xuan felt a powerful aura surging within him.

Boom!

The following moment, an aura reminiscent of a rampaging dragon burst into the surroundings, dissipating the power that had gathered in the area in an instant.

At the same time, Zhang Xuan felt the invisible shackles around him vanish without a trace, as if a fish onshore who had managed to make its way back into the water.

“Hmm?”

On the other hand, not expecting the young man before him to suddenly release an aura so powerful that even he was unable to withstand it, the black-robed elder’s body stiffened.

Not daring to get careless before such a powerful force, he swiftly executed a defensive technique to ward off the aura.

Barely after he successfully protected himself from the burst of aura, the young man before him suddenly raised his head to gaze straight at him. Deep within his eyes, ripples reminiscent of a torrential river could be seen.

At the same time, a deep and ancient voice sounded. It was spoken in time with the movement of the young man’s voice, but eerily, the voice sounded as if it had come from the heavens.

“When have I grown so weak that even a mere Saint 7-dan brat dares to threaten my student?

“Who do you think you are?”

Chapter 1172: The Engagement Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

 

Boom!

The powerful aura that had burst forth from Zhang Xuan’s body left the black-robed elder feeling as if the heavens and earth had shattered, and the sun and moon had fallen. In that instant, he thought that he had witnessed the end of the world.

Under the suppression of the overwhelming aura, the black-robed elder’s body froze in fear as his mind whirred to a stop.

In just the blink of an eye, it was as if a deity had descended from the heavens. The inviolable aura that the other party emanated had dispelled any thought of retaliation in his mind. Not only so, he felt as if his knees would cave in at any moment, as if his body instinctively wanted to worship the figure before him.

It took a while before the black-robed elder could speak once more. With quivering lips, he asked weakly, “You are… Yang shi? No, that’s not right. A will that Yang shi has left behind?”

For the aura of the young man before him to surge so abruptly, there was only a single possibility. In order to protect his own student, Yang shi had specially left a sliver of his will in the latter’s body. Only in the face of absolute crisis would he show himself.

“If I didn’t appear, were you going to kill my student?”

There was no difference in the external appearance of the young man, but it was as if another person had taken control of the body. Be it his disposition or his voice, it was completely different from before.

This was especially so for his gaze. Cold, impassive, and unfathomable, as if a lofty deity from the heavens. Before this powerful figure, the black-robed elder dared not move in the slightest.

He feared that the slightest movement could instantly bring death upon himself.

Even though he was a Saint 7-dan cultivator, he knew that before those who stood at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent, his strength was not even worth a mention.

Even the hostile intent from an expert of that caliber was too much for him to bear, let alone facing one in a proper battle!

Despite his trembling body, the black-robed elder asked with a hint of doubt in his voice, “Are you really… Yang shi?”

He had once had the honor of meeting Yang shi, and the latter’s voice did not sound like that. On top of that, his aura felt a little different as well. It did not seem likely that they were the same person.

“Luo Chengxin, are you doubting me?”

The young man took a step forward.

Huala!

In an instant, the aura intensified, and the surrounding air crackled furiously. It was as if even the world was unable to withstand the overwhelming strength emanated by the young man before him.

“I dare not!”

The face of the black-robed elder paled, and he quickly clasped his fist and lowered his head respectfully. At this point, he did not even dare to breathe loudly.

He had only felt such overwhelming pressure from the old ancestor. Who could have thought that the other party wielded such immense strength as well?

And more importantly, he was certain that he had never said his name throughout the entire encounter, not even once! Yet, the other party was still able to identify him correctly. This meant that the other party knew who he was!

To call himself Yang Xuan on top of that… could he really be that legendary figure?

But… he had only met that legendary figure once, and before that figure, he was even less than an ant. It was only because of the old ancestor that he had been able to meet that figure, and he did not even dare to report his name for fear that he would sully the other party’s ears.

So how could the other party possibly know his name?

“You dare not? It doesn’t seem that way to me.”

Completely different to the humble young man from a moment ago, the person that stood before him at this moment carried an air of disdain for all lifeforms, as if a being who had transcended the world.

“The Luo Clan’s bloodline is powerful, and the ‘Art of the Dimension Silencer’ is a masterpiece. Despite your fortune of being born in the Luo Clan, you still managed to make a wreck of yourself. You have reversed the Yin-Yang of your San Jiao 1 Yin Meridians and introduced filth into your zhenqi, resulting in your inability to concentrate your strength. Not only that, your Seven Acupoints of Primordial Chaos are plagued with turbidity, and three of them are even reversed.

“During your breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm, the shortcut you attempted to take ended up damaging your foundation, resulting in the corruption of your internal state. Yet, instead of devoting your time to resolving these problems, you chose to head down here to take advantage of my student. Is it because you think that you are too powerful?”

At this point, a faint, disdainful smile surfaced on the lips of the young man. “Shall I play with you?”

Shivers immediately ran down Luo Chengxin’s spine as he quickly lowered his head in abject fear.

The terms that the other party had used, the San Jiao Yin Meridians and the Seven Acupoints of Primordial Chaos, would seem like utter nonsense to any other cultivator, but they left him shaking non-stop, as if he had heard something terrifying.

Those were the unique terms used only in their Luo Clan’s Art of the Dimension Silencer!

The Luo Clan’s bloodline granted the offspring of the Luo Clan with exceptional talent in spatial manipulation. In fact, its ultimate treasure, the Dimension Silencer, was a powerful artifact that could bring about the complete freezing of space.

It was due to this reason that the Art of the Dimension Silencer was completely different from other cultivation techniques, tailored solely to those with the Luo Clan’s bloodline. San Jiao, Seven Acupoints… these were terms that only the core members of the Luo Clan would know of.

Yet, the young man before him spoke of them so easily as if they were nothing at all, accurately identifying the flaws in his cultivation even! This had left his entire body turning freezing cold, and sweat trickled down his back endlessly.

If he had been doubtful whether the other party was Yang shi or not a moment ago, at this moment, he dared not harbor such thoughts.

Regardless of whether the other party was truly Yang shi or not, the other party was definitely of the same caliber as their old ancestor. Otherwise, it was impossible for the other party to see through the problems in his cultivation with a single look.

As one of the inner clan members of the Luo Clan, he had been guided by top-notch master teachers from birth, but limited by his talent, it was inevitable that he erred in his cultivation from time to time. As these errors accumulated, even though it did not hinder him from exerting his strength, it had capped his cultivation. At this point, it was already nigh impossible for him to achieve a breakthrough to higher realms.

This was not uncommon among those of the Sage Clans. After all, no matter how formidable a teacher one had, it was impossible for a teacher to constantly overlook one’s cultivation, not to mention that even advanced master teachers 2 were not infallible either.

Besides, if a cultivator could really avoid erring in one’s cultivation, wouldn’t he be able to advance through the cultivation ranks easily without facing any bottlenecks? That was clearly daydreaming!

But… while it was true that he had errors in his cultivation, it would be difficult for most master teachers to discern it. To be able to see through him with a just a glance, that was clearly the prowess that only 9-star master teachers wielded!

“I-I-I dare not to!” Luo Chengxin’s body trembled uncontrollably upon that realization.

“Humph, if I had not left a sliver of my will in the body of my student, I might have just lost a student today!”

The young man gazed down at Luo Chengxin coldly in his eyes, as if contemplating whether he should have the latter killed for his insolence.

“I… I didn’t intend to make a move on Zhang shi!” Luo Chengxin gulped down a mouthful of saliva as he hurriedly explained, “I watched our little princess grow up, and no matter how reckless I am, I would not dare hurt the person she loves, or else she would hate me for life! No matter what, the relationship between her and Zhang shi is impossible, and I fear that she will be hurt if the both of them get any further involved with one another. That’s why I chose to seek Zhang shi to convince him to step away from the matter.”

“Humph! Are you saying that my student is unworthy of the Luo Clan?” the young man said once more, his tone laced with threat this time around.

“That’s not what I mean…” Luo Chengxin shuddered in fear as he hurriedly explained, “Yang shi, you should know the current circumstances surrounding our Luo Clan as well. The matrimony between our little princess and the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan cannot be changed. At this rate, the both of them will only be hurt in the end. If that is going to be the case, it will be better for us to end it at this point in time to reduce the heartbreak!”

The young man narrowed his eyes. “Their matrimony cannot be changed? Is that due to your Luo Clan or the Zhang Clan? If it’s the latter, I’ll find their old ancestor and talk to him about the matter!”

Luo Chengxin quickly shook his head. “The betrothal between the two was decided twenty years ago. The little princess is also a victim in this matter!”

“Decided twenty years ago?” The young man frowned. “Tell me about it.”

“I believe that Yang shi should have heard about the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan as well. Even before his birth, he was said to possess the purest bloodline in the Zhang Clan. Twenty years ago, during the birth of that young prodigy, scarlet clouds covered the entire sky, and a sacred ray of light descended from the heavens. Even Kong shi’s tablet rose into the air, as if acknowledging the arrival of his peer.

“On that very day, the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan sought the old ancestor of our clan, and the both of them agreed on this betrothal,” Luo Chengxin said. “The marriage ceremony was scheduled for the third month of next year, and this matter can no longer be changed by anyone!”

“Third month of next year?” The face of the young man darkened, and with a frosty voice, he uttered, “Does a mere marriage ceremony really require an auspicious day to be chosen twenty years prior?”

“It’s not really a matter of it being auspicious or not.” Luo Chengxin shook his head with a bitter smile. “Rather, it seems like there’s something huge tied to it. Our old ancestor has already declared this decision to be final, and no one dares go against his orders…”

“Due to this matter, our little princess has caused a huge ruckus in our clan for quite a while, but as this matter was a promise between the old ancestors of both clans, she was unable to change anything. Eventually, she snuck out of the clan and sealed her cultivation such that no one would be able to find her. I was only able to find her recently, and by the time I did, I realized that she was already deeply in love with Zhang shi. That’s why I decided to talk Zhang shi into backing down!”

“Something huge is tied to their marriage? What is it?”

“I am not qualified to know of the inner secrets of our clan. I only happened to overhear bits and pieces of it, so I don’t know much about it either. However, it should be something very important. After all, as one of the top three Sage Clans, there’s no need for our Luo Clan to bow down to the Zhang Clan,” Luo Chengxin replied.

“Since it’s an engagement decided on at birth, is there a reason why the little princess of your Luo Clan is unwilling to marry the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?” the young man asked.

Considering that it was a marriage decided at birth and that both clans were of equal standing, it was likely that the little princess of the Luo Clan and the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan had grown up side-by-side, so the relationship between them should not have been too bad. For the little princess to go to the extent of escaping from her clan in order to escape the betrothal, was she not afraid of falling out with her family?

Or was there something about the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan that was so repulsive to her that she would go to such lengths just to avoid marrying him?

Hearing those words, Luo Chengxin could not help but glance at the young man before him with a peculiar look. It felt weird for a figure as powerful as Yang shi to be so interested in the gossip of their clan.

Naturally, he did not dare say those words aloud, and he quickly replied the other party’s question. “It’s just a guess on my part, but I think that our little princess might have rebelled because she’s unwilling to marry a person she has never met before. The young prodigy of the Zhang Clan is a rather mysterious figure. He has been in seclusion ever since his birth, and unlike most offspring of the Sage Clans, he has not attended the Sanctum of Sages either. Not a single person of our Luo Clan has seen him before, and this includes our old ancestor as well. Based on what I have heard, it seems like he is busy undergoing some kind of unique inheritance at the moment.”

“No one has seen him before?” The young man could not help but frown upon hearing those words.

To set an engagement without bringing out the person in question… the Zhang Clan sure was bizarre.

“Indeed. There are many rumors floating around about that young prodigy. Some say that he doesn’t possess the talents that he is rumored to possess. Some say that he has failed in awakening his talent, and out of embarrassment, the Zhang Clan chose to hide him from the world.”

Luo Chengxin sighed. “There are even some who say that he vanished from the world shortly after his birth, and the Zhang Clan has been trying to find him ever since then. In any case, there does not seem to be anyone aside from those of the Zhang Clan who have seen that young prodigy before.”

Thinking about it, the little princess sure was a pitiful person.

To have to shoulder the fate of the entire clan at such a young age, even forced to marry a person she had never seen before, it was no wonder she would feel so repulsed and rebel.

The young man harrumphed coldly. “The Zhang Clan sure knows how to put on airs. To make a betrothal between the two clans and yet hide their own offspring, I have gotten a glimpse into their shamelessness today.

“And that young prodigy as well… I really should teach them a lesson about etiquette!”

Chapter 1173: Entering the Qiu Wu Palace Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

 

Luo Chengxin had spoken of the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan as a being who wielded unfathomable power in the world, but as the person who possessed the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan was confident that he would be able to crush the other party with sufficient time and make him doubt his own existence.

For no reason other than the fact that he had caused Luo Ruoxin so much grievance over the past few years!

Anyone who dares to touch my woman will have to suffer my wrath!

Noting the killing intent in Yang shi’s eyes, Luo Chengxin shuddered once more. With a wary tone, he said, “Yang shi, since Zhang shi is your student, I shall not impose on you any longer. I’ll take my leave…”

If only that he had known that Yang shi had left his will within the young man’s body, he would have never dared to come over and warn the latter…

“Go.” The young man waved his hand.

“Thank you, Yang shi…” Luo Chengxin quickly turned around to flee. But barely after taking a few steps, he suddenly halted and hesitated for a moment before fearfully turning around. Mustering all the courage he had, he said, “Yang shi, pardon me for saying this, but I hope that you will talk Zhang shi into letting her go. Our little princess has suffered too much while growing up, and I really hope that she won’t be hurt by this matter.”

Those words left Zhang Xuan with a deep frown on his face. But knowing that the other party was really thinking for Luo Ruoxin, he shook his head and said, “I’ll think about it. You may leave now.”

“Thank you, Yang shi.” Heaving a sigh of relief, Luo Chengxin quickly left the area.

Watching as the other party disappeared into the distance, Zhang Xuan finally heaved a sigh of relief himself. That earth-shattering aura vanished in an instant, and as if a deflated balloon, he felt so weakened that it was difficult to even lift his own arm.

That was a close shave. I was nearly unable to hold on anymore! Zhang Xuan patted his chest in relief.

Even though Vicious was able to exert an incredibly powerful aura after consuming Kong shi’s writing, the fact was that he could not maintain the state for too long.

It was fortunate that his Soul Depth was only slightly beneath the other party’s, allowing him to avoid giving himself away.

It was also fortunate that he had dashed out of the city to a remote location earlier, or else with the abrupt emanation of such a powerful aura, it would have surely drawn the attention of the experts within the city.

Alright, I should hurry up and leave. If that fellow finds that something is amiss and returns, I won’t be able to deal with him again, Zhang Xuan thought as he quickly rushed back to the Combat Master Hall.

Not too long later, he finally returned to his accommodation. The tension in his mind finally snapped, and a weariness similar to a soldier who had just fought a war consumed him, lulling him into a deep sleep. However, he forced himself to remain awake so as to ponder over the information he had just received.

Even though he had managed to beguile the other party through his means, he knew that luck had a factor to play in it as well. Putting on a disguise before experts of the other party’s caliber was no different from dancing above a bed of knives; a single wrong move could very well have cast him into oblivion.

Had it not been for his superior mental resilience, he would have long been seen through.

Taking a seat on the ground, Zhang Xuan meditated for roughly two hours before the exhaustion finally receded from his body.

I need to possess the strength to stand against the Zhang Clan by the third month of next year!

Recalling the conversation that he’d had with Luo Chengxin earlier, Zhang Xuan could not help feeling greatly pressured.

Judging from the other party’s tone, it seemed like the marriage was not just to create a bridge between the both clans; it also involved an extremely important matter as well, thus fixing it in stone. Not even the beloved little princess of the Luo Clan, Luo Ruoxin, had a say in the matter!

As talented as Zhang Xuan was, it was too dangerous for him to reveal the fact that he was a Celestial Master Teacher to others. After all, he could not tell for sure what the Luo Clan and Zhang Clan’s attitude toward a Celestial Master Teacher would be, so until he had sufficient power to back up his identity, it was best to keep it under wraps.

Thus, he was not intending to play the card unless it really became necessary.

So, if he really wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin openly, he would have to swiftly raise his cultivation and his standing!

By the third month of next year, he needed to possess sufficient strength to stand toe-to-toe with the Zhang Clan!

Only then would the Luo Clan take him seriously and consider their relationship.

Otherwise, there was no way they would offend the Zhang Clan and choose a ‘supposed’ genius over a prodigy whose very birth had caused Kong shi’s tablet to levitate in the air.

There is still another eight months or so. I am currently only at Saint 2-dan pinnacle. If I wish to gain enough power to negotiate with the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan, I must at least cultivate to the same level as Luo Chengxin… Saint 7-dan, Zhang Xuan thought as immense pressure weighed down on him.

Even though he had taken less than a year to advance from the bare bottom to Saint 2-dan, he knew that it would be harder and harder for him to advance higher from this point onward!

Not only would it be harder for him to find the necessary cultivation technique manuals, more importantly, there was a lack on cultivation resources as well!

In the past, a couple of low-tier spirit stones were enough for him to advance several realms at once, but now… he was not even certain how long concentrated high-tier spirit stones would suffice for him before he would require pinnacle spirit stones!

And more importantly, advancing one’s cultivation in Saint realm required one to cultivate one’s soul and mind as well. Sufficient spiritual energy was only the minimum requirement to achieving a breakthrough at this point. Without accomplishing the required state of mind, it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough.

Tempering one’s state of mind had to be done over a long period of time; it was not something that could be accomplished within a short period of time.

As such, even though it was only five realms, he knew that it would be extremely difficult for him to cover the gap within just eight months. Even he did not have absolute confidence in being able to pull it off! Thus, all he could do was work himself down to the bone and make every single second he had count.

“I must hurry up and cultivate… Ruoxin, wait for me. I won’t let you suffer any grievances,” Zhang Xuan muttered with unwavering resolution.

After his conversation with Luo Chengxin, it was not hard for him to imagine how difficult it had been for Luo Ruoxin to accept his confession back then.

Since the other party had chosen him over everything else, as a man, he could not possibly let her down.

No matter what, he was determined to have her marry him openly. He did not want her to suffer the fate that Mu shi had suffered over the past few centuries.

If the Zhang Clan stood in his way, he would just have to trample them!

With this newfound determination in his mind, he felt his mind suddenly clearing up. His soul seemed to have undergone some kind of change, and his soul energy became even purer than before.

Time to cultivate… At the very least, I should try to aim for Saint 4-dan before daybreak!

Sitting on the floor once more, Zhang Xuan began browsing through the Saint 3-dan and Saint 4-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Arts, which he had compiled previously.

He had already successfully compiled them back at the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion earlier, but in a rush to attend the Appraisal Convention, he did not have time to look through them.

After internalizing the content of both manuals, he flicked his wrist and whipped out the 17 concentrated high-tier spirit stones that he had obtained from Chu Tianxing.

At his current level, even high-tier spirit stones were no longer effective on him anymore.

Calming his mind, he drove the zhenqi in his body before turning his consciousness toward his Origin Core.

Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was also known as the Origin Soul realm, and it served to fuse one’s Origin Core with one’s soul to create an embryonic Primordial Spirit.

The hardest aspect in this breakthrough was to shatter one’s Origin Core and facilitate its fusion with one’s soul in order to create the embryo.

There were many cultivators who were unable to overcome in this challenge, resulting in the stagnation of their cultivation.

Having cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, even though bottlenecks were pretty much nonexistent in his cultivation, it proved to be a problem for him at this point. As his Origin Core had been tempered to the level of perfection, it was incomparably resilient. It would take a lot more effort for him to shatter his Origin Core compared to other cultivators.

Soul!

With a thought, Zhang Xuan channeled his soul toward his Origin Core.

There were two steps to achieving a breakthrough to the Embryonic Soul realm.

Firstly, the cultivator had to fuse their soul together with their Origin Core. Secondly, the cultivator had to shatter the fused Origin Core and facilitate its development into an embryo.

According to the description in the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, I just have to open a small door in the Origin Core to fuse my soul together with my Origin Core.

Going through the content of the Saint 3-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on his Origin Core and created a small passageway in it.

After which, his soul swiftly dived into the passageway to enter his Origin Core.

Kacha!

But barely after diving in, its movements suddenly came to an abrupt halt.

This is bad… My soul is stuck!

Zhang Xuan’s soul was simply too big. After undergoing the Saint Ascension Ordeal, it had returned to its original size of ten meters. While his Origin Core was much stronger than that of other cultivators, it was still too small to house his soul!

He had never thought that he would face such a problem in his cultivation.

While it was possible for one to morph the size of one’s soul, there was a limit to doing so. This was just like how an elephant would never fit into a walnut no matter how it squeezed itself together.

After struggling for a very long to no avail, Zhang Xuan could only retract his trapped soul with a conflicted look on his face.

He already had the required concentrated high-tier spirit stones, and his Heaven’s Path Divine Art had also been perfected, but… his soul had turned out to be too big to enter his Origin Core! If that was the case, he would not even be able to complete the first step of his breakthrough.

At this rate, would he be unable to even achieve a breakthrough to Saint 3-dan?

What should I do…

Zhang Xuan gave it a few more tries, but each time, his soul ended up being stuck without fail. There was even one instance when he was nearly unable to pull out his trapped soul. At this point, he felt like he was going to burst into tears.

It had not been easy for him to gather so much drive to cultivate, and he had put his mind to achieving a double breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit realm… but he had already encountered a bump at the very first step of his cultivation.

There’s no error in the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, but due to me cultivating my soul, it’s not suitable for my current state… Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

In the previous realms, the cultivation of his zhenqi and soul were separate, so he had not faced such a problem to date.

But the Embryonic Soul realm required the fusion of the both of them.

Typically speaking, zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation were considered two different branches. Both paths would lead to the peak, so there was little point in pursuing both paths simultaneously.

Furthermore, the flaws in the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles made it impossible for one to cultivate both simultaneously.

By perfecting the cultivation techniques of the soul oracles, Zhang Xuan had managed to achieve the impossible, developing his physical body and soul simultaneously. There had not been many problems in the earlier stages, but it was proving to be a problem for him at this moment.

What should I do now?

Retracting his consciousness from his dantian, Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration.

This was the first time he had encountered such a situation.

In the past, he had been able to advance easily just by compiling the knowledge of the predecessors through the Library of Heaven’s Path… but treading on a path that none had walked on before… there was no one he could see for help.

It’s no wonder Kong shi said that I have to pave my way forward myself if I wish to achieve greater heights. Blindly following the wisdom of the predecessors might bring me to greater heights in the short term, but it’ll only narrow my future path, possibly bringing me to a dead end even. Perhaps, he might have even predicted the problems I would face in my cultivation!

Back in the Qiu Wu Palace, Kong shi had warned him that he should not just follow the teachings of the predecessors but seek his own individual path instead.

He had kept the other party’s teachings in mind, but it was only at this point that he truly understood what it meant.

Walking my own path… how can I do so?

In the face of such a situation, with no one whom he could learn from, he could not help but feel completely lost. With a deep frown on his forehead, he fell into deep contemplation.

Walking one’s own path was easier said than done. That was equivalent to venturing into uncharted territories, an extremely dangerous feat.

After a long moment of contemplation but still coming up with nothing at all, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.

Should I head to the Qiu Wu Palace to take another look? Perhaps, I might be able to find something that Kong shi left behind that will bring me some inspiration…

Flicking his wrist, a sphere appeared in his palm. Unique patterns reminiscent of a map were carved on top of it.

Back then, he had kept the entirety of the Qiu Wu Palace in the sphere through fusing the map together with it, allowing him to bring it around anywhere he went.

Let me go in to take a look!

As the master of the sphere, he could easily open a passageway into it. With a thought, he vanished from the spot.

Chapter 1174: Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Hu!

In the next moment, he was already standing before the tablet erected right outside the Qiu Wu Palace.

The tablet was a gigantic high-tier spirit stone in itself, and it had left him deeply moved back then that he had even considered stealing it. But now… high-tier spirit stones were already completely useless to him, so it no longer held as great of an allure to him anymore.

These words… they have actually reached the level of Evoking Vividness! Zhang Xuan exclaimed as he looked at the three large words, ‘Qiu Wu Palace’.

Back then, his proficiency in painting wasn’t too high, so he wasn’t able to accurately discern its level. However, looking at it once more now, he was very certain that those three words had reached the eighth level.

As mere words, the feelings that evoked from them were unable to match up to an entire painting, but nevertheless, if one were to stare at it for too long, they might find themselves sinking uncontrollably into a trance.

Hm? Those words… Why does it seem like there is something strange about them?

After a short look, just as Zhang Xuan was about to take his leave, he suddenly exclaimed with a frown.

He didn’t think that there was anything peculiar about those three words initially, but after staring at them for some time, he suddenly felt his zhenqi jolting within his body. To his shock, his zhenqi had suddenly begun flowing on its own accord.

It’s the circulation pathway for the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm! Feeling his zhenqi flowing under the effects of the three words, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but fall in a dazed state.

He recognized the circulation pathway which his zhenqi was moving at to be the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, which he had learned in Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s trial back then. But why would he have such a reaction just by looking at those three words?

Let me give it a try… Allowing his zhenqi to move freely, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and lightly thrust it towards the tablet

After resolving all of the flaws of the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, raising it to the level of a Heaven’s Path technique, he had gained the ability to manipulate the strength of battle technique freely at his will. Even though he had struck the tablet squarely, the latter didn’t sustain the slightest damage at all.

Weng!

As soon as his palm struck the tablet, those three words suddenly emanated a blinding glow. With a stagger, Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot.

When he opened his eyes once more, he found that he had entered another space. The space wasn’t too large, and the area was filled with all kinds of inscriptions.

“Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel?” Zhang Xuan read the line of words right before him, and his eyes narrowed in astonishment.

When those inscriptions were placed together, they formed a unique secret art known as the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel.

Just by reading its content, Zhang Xuan could tell that it was an incredibly profound technique, far exceeding any other secret art he had learned thus far.

Could this be… the heritage of the Qiu Wu Palace? A thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuan’s mind, and he couldn’t help but gasp.

Back then, after being traumatized by him, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s will ended up vanishing before it could reveal where the heritage was located.

Zhang Xuan had thought that the heritage was a gone case after that matter, but who could have thought that it would actually be hidden within a tablet at the entrance?

All who had entered the Qiu Wu Palace had headed straight for its deepest regions in hopes of acquiring the greatest treasure within it. What an irony it was for the most valuable heritage to actually be located in the most conspicuous and open place instead!

However, it seemed like the key to entering this place was to execute the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm. Without knowing the battle technique, even if one were to stand before the tablet and notice its peculiarity, one would still be unable to enter it and obtain the heritage.

“The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel views the space of heavens and earth as two separate entities, and it seeks the manipulate the two through calculations made through the Number of Grand Transformation 1 …”

While those inscriptions looked foreign to Zhang Xuan, for some reason, he was still able to fathom the meaning behind them.

“Similar to the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, this secret art is also divided into 5 dans. Those who have mastered the fifth dan will be qualified to stand at the very peak of the world, possessing strength not beneath mine…”

Taking the inscriptions into sight, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up in excitement.

Initially, due to his possession of the Library of Heaven’s Path, he wasn’t particularly concerned about obtaining Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s heritage. However, after looking through the inscriptions, he was glad that he had stumbled upon the heritage eventually. The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was truly a powerful technique. If he were to cultivate it well, he would be able to gain a strong grasp over the spatial laws, allowing him to manipulate space skillfully.

With that, his fighting prowess could easily be enhanced manyfold.

If I could just cultivate the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel to 2-dan pinnacle, I would at least be able to escape from Luo Chengxin even if I were to encounter him once more… Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.

So far, Luo Chengxin was the strongest expert he had encountered, a true Saint 7-dan expert. Even if he were to use all of his means, he still wouldn’t stand a chance against the other party, and even fleeing was out of the question… But with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, everything would be different.

Even if he were to just master the secret art to 2-dan, he would still be able to struggle free of the other party’s spatial seal and make his escape!

However, it seemed like the secret art had an exceptionally high requirement on one’s zhenqi capacity as well. From the looks of it, it seemed like it would be impossible to cultivate it to 2-dan without possessing the cultivation of Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle.

After scanning all of the inscriptions and successfully collecting them into the Library of Heaven’s Path, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Let me see if I can compile it into the level of Heaven’s Path!

Over the past few days, he had collected an astounding number of battle technique and secret art manuals. Perhaps, if he were to compile the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel with them, he might just be able to perfect the secret art.

Compile!

A book materialized before Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Flipping open the book, the knowledge contained within the manual flowed into his mind.

I have managed to perfect the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but I’m still a far way off from perfecting the 2-dan…

While he had only managed to perfect the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, the results were well within his expectations. Overall, he was still satisfied with the outcome.

While the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel formed an entire whole, it was subdivided into multiple dans with increasing levels of profoundness.

So far, the most powerful battle technique he had collected so far was only at Saint intermediate-tier. As powerful as Qingyuan Empire was, the battle technique manuals that it had was still insufficient for him to perfect the entire Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel.

In fact, it was already a huge blessing that he was able to perfect the 1-dan of the secret art here.

Let me try cultivating the secret art…

Zhang Xuan swiftly internalized the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel before backing out of the space within the tablet. He swiftly searched for a quiet location in the Qiu Wu Palace before whipping out his concentrated high-tier spirit stones to cultivate the secret art.

The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was a technique that granted one the ability to manipulate space, so in the strictest sense, it couldn’t be considered as a cultivation technique or battle technique.

If one were to fully master the secret art, one would be able to manipulate space and traverse through it freely. In fact, it was possible to cover a distance of over a hundred million li within a single day through it.

All in all, the secret art could be divided into five realms, which were namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction.

One who masters the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel would be able to compress space, allowing one to cover a distance of a hundred meters in a single step… If used well in battle, it could allow one to catch one’s opponents off guard and launch a surprise assault or escape from a cornered situation!

Going through the cultivation technique in his mind, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi, and before long, he entered a unique trance. In this state, his comprehension of spatial laws swiftly deepened.

A long time later, he opened his eyes once more and stood up. Then, he took a single step forward.

Hula!

His figure suddenly vanished on the spot and appeared at a distance of a hundred meters ahead.

I succeeded? Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

Cultivating the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel wouldn’t raise his cultivation, but it would deepen his understanding over the spatial laws. If paired with his Unbounded Treader, he would be able to flit from place to place like a specter!

With my current speed and grasp of spatial laws, I should be able to match even Vice Pavilion Master Tian in a battle…

WIth Zhang Xuan’s current fighting prowess, he could already be considered an invincible existence amongst Primordial Spirit cultivators. Even so, it was still difficult for him to go up against Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts like Vice Pavilion Master Tian.

However, after learning the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and gaining a deeper understanding of space, Half-Leaving Aperture realm experts no longer posed as great of a threat to him anymore. With his enhanced understanding of space, even if the other party were to use his Primordial Spirit to suppress him, he would still be able to easily struggle free. On top of that, as long as he were to play his cards well, he could abruptly appear before his enemy and deal out a lethal blow before the latter could process what was going on.

More importantly, after learning the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, I am already able to set up some basic Spatial Formation. While the Spatial Formations I can create is still severely limited on many aspects, it has the ability to isolate individuals within it from the rest of the world, as well as to… compress matter! Zhang Xuan chuckled in delight.

It was due to his soul being too big that he was unable to fuse it into his Origin Core, but with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, as long as he could find a way to set up a Spatial Formation to compress his soul, his soul should be able to enter the passageway of his Origin Core and successfully fuse the two together.

However, Zhang Xuan’s delight didn’t last for too long. Looking at the powdery remains of the concentrated high-tier spirit stones on the ground, he couldn’t help but rub his glabella and lament, As powerful as the secret art is, the depletion of zhenqi… is really a little unacceptable…

Just to cultivate the 1-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he ended up using up the 17 concentrated high-tier spirit stones which he obtained with great difficulty.

Without a doubt, the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel was an invaluable secret art, allowing one to comprehend the essence of space… However, the depletion that resulted from its cultivation was equally fearsome as well.

Initially, he had been thinking that with the concentrated high-tier spirit stones he had at the moment, it should suffice for him to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle at the minimum, but before he ended up expending all of them before he could even start. How stifling!

I really must find a way to earn more money… Zhang Xuan thought as he stood up and left the Qiu Wu Palace.

In any case, at least he had managed to resolve the problem regarding his soul being unable to enter his Origin Core. All he had to do now was to find a way to earn more concentrated high-tier spirit stones!

Ahhh, the days without money sure sure was difficult to endure!

But where can I earn more concentrated high-tier spirit stones? Returning back to his room, Zhang Xuan lowered his head and pondered instead of anxious heading out.

Even if he wanted to earn concentrated high-tier spirit stones, he had to have a concrete direction first. Considering that the Qingyuan royal family only had 17 and the Combat Master Hall could only afford to take out 10… Where else in Qingyuan City could he possibly find more concentrated high-tier spirit stones?

I should go and ask Hall Master Xing! Knowing that it would be futile for him to wrack his brain over it since he didn’t have much of an understanding of Qingyuan City in the first place, Zhang Xuan stood up and began heading over to Hall Master Xing’s residence.

By this point, the sun had already risen at the horizon. The brilliant rays of the sun pierced through the coldness of the night, bringing warmth to the world.

It didn’t take long for Zhang Xuan to find Hall Master Xing.

At this point, the latter had already mastered the Vitreous Heart Tempering Sutra. Over the past few days, his Primordial Spirit had become even purer, and his aura felt denser than before.

At this rate, it shouldn’t be long before Hall Master Xing was ready to face the Leaving Aperture Ordeal and push for a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm primary stage.

“Hall Master Xing, how are Elder Xu and the others? I hope that they aren’t causing you any problem.”

Yesterday, Elder Xu and the others were brought away from those of the Combat Master Hall, and given that a day has passed since then, they should have been settled down by now.

“They aren’t causing any trouble, but… something weird did happen. Yesterday, Butler Sun happened to pass by their quarters, and shortly after, all of them suddenly chose to join the Xuanxuan Faction as well…” Hall Master Xing said with a perplexed look

The poison masters were far more compliant than he expected them to be, but if he had to point out something weird about them, it would be their excessive respect towards Zhang Xuan’s butler.

Sun Qiang’s strength was unremarkable, but for some reason, the poison masters from the Poison Hall would bow respectfully to him whenever they met the latter.

As such, that butler extended an invitation to the poison masters to join the Xuanxuan Faction as well, and naturally, that bunch accepted the offer and became members of the Xuanxuan Faction as well.

But of course, that wasn’t at odds with them being members of the Combat Master Hall, so it wasn’t really a big problem.

“I see… Anyway, I’m glad that they aren’t causing any trouble. They have been through a lot, so I hope that you can treat them kindly. They do possess expertise in a field that the Combat Master Hall is lacking in, so it would be good to have the other combat masters to interact with them, allowing them to learn from one another.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“That is my intention as well… Right, Principal Zhang, the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls will be coming over for a friendly spar a few days later, so if you have some time, I would like to invite you to conduct a few lectures for our combat masters.” Hall Master Xing said.

“The other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls will be coming over for a friendly spar?”

“That’s right. They should be arriving in three days’ time.” Hall Master Xing nodded.