Chapter 1175

Chapter 1175: All at Once

Translator: StarveCleric | Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, “How many Combat Master Halls will there be? Will they be… bringing many concentrated high-tier spirit stones with them?”

He was currently about to go insane from a lack of money. If the Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls that were coming over for the friendly spar were wealthy, he could try to think of a way to earn some from them.

As soon as the words ‘concentrated high-tier spirit stones’ came out of Zhang Xuan’s words, Hall Master Xing could immediately guess what the other party was thinking about, and a helpless smile surfaced on his lips. “There are three Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls coming over. They are of the same tier as our branch, so it’s unlikely that they will have many concentrated high-tier spirit stones on them!”

“Same tier?”

“Indeed. There is a total of eight Conferred Empires under the Empire Alliance. Four of them belong in the upper tier whereas the remaining four, which includes our Qingyuan Conferred Empire, belong to the lower tier. The ones that are coming over for the friendly spar this time around belong to the latter group. The friendly spar is actually a selection exercise for us to select twenty candidates out of the four Combat Master Halls for the opportunity to train in the Qianchong Conferred Empire,” Hall Master Xing explained.

“In previous years, our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall has only been able to acquire two slots at maximum, putting us at the lowest rank among the four Combat Master Halls. But this time around, seeing that our combat masters have made massive improvements after training with the Xuanxuan Faction, I hope to try to vie for a few more slots.”

“Train at the Qianchong Conferred Empire? Is there some kind of blessed land for cultivation there?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Back then, he had headed to the Huanyu Empire in order to access the Cleansing Lake, which was said to be beneficial to soul cultivation. Could it be that the Qianchong Empire had something similar to that as well?

“Speaking of blessed lands, there is indeed one of them there. The Qianchong Empire has a sword pool, which harnesses boundless sword intent and sword art. If a cultivator tempers themself in the sword pool, it will sure enhance their fighting prowess by leaps and bounds. As such, this slot is very important to our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall. On top of that, the headquarters also reward the Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls according to the number of slots they obtain. The more slots a certain Combat Master Hall obtains, the more resources it will be entitled to!” Hall Master Xing said.

“Resources?” That single word triggered Zhang Xuan’s interest, and his eyes immediately lit up.

“Indeed. In the previous friendly spar, the Chongyuan Conferred Empire obtained the most slot, and the headquarters rewarded them with a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones,” Hall Master Xing replied.

“You said… a hundred concentrated high-tier spirit stones?” Zhang Xuan’s hands began trembling in excitement.

If he were to obtain so many concentrated high-tier spirit stones, it would definitely be more than sufficient for him to push for a breakthrough straight to the Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle!

“That’s right.” Hall Master Xing nodded. “To be honest with you, while it’s called a friendly spar, in essence, it could be regarded as a military display for the Combat Master Halls as well. Each Combat Master Hall will send out the strongest expert for each cultivation level and pit them against one another, and to the side that obtains the most victories, the headquarters will not hesitate to award them more resources. In a sense, it serves to motivate the subordinate Combat Master Halls and combat masters to work more diligently than ever.”

Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

If one were to view the Combat Master Hall as an army, this friendly spar would be similar to a tournament among the different units.

In times of peace, competition could pressure the Combat Master Halls and their combat masters into pushing themselves to greater heights. Otherwise, without any concrete aims and goals for them to strive for, the morale and discipline of the combat masters could gradually slacken.

“If Principal Zhang can help offer some pointers to our combat masters and help them clinch the top position, I am willing to share half of the awarded concentrated high-tier spirit stones with you. That’s already the most that I can give you within the limits of my authority, so I am really unable to share any more with you…” Hall Master Xing said.

The young man before him did not just possess superior fighting prowess, granting him nigh invincible might among his peers, his comprehension of combat and battle techniques had also achieved an unfathomable level.

While he rarely offered any guidance to others, his pointers were always spot-on, leaving one deeply enlightened by his teachings. If they could really engage his help, the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall could very well surpass its previous results and reach a new peak.

It was with this in mind that Hall Master Xing had offered Zhang Xuan such generous terms upon seeing the latter.

“Deal!”

Before Hall Master Xing could finish his words, the young man before him had already interjected decisively.

Was there any need to hesitate over the matter?

What he was lacking at this very moment was concentrated high-tier spirit stones! Putting aside half of the total reward pool, even if Hall Master Xing had offered him just one-third of it, he would still have accepted the request without any hesitation.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had agreed to the request, Hall Master Xing heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s settled then! If nothing goes wrong, the men from the other three Combat Master Halls should be arriving within three days. Principal Zhang, I’ll leave the training of the combat masters completely in your hands, so feel free to do whatever you want. Don’t worry, I’ll order them to abide by your commands unconditionally!”

“You said earlier that the friendly spar is a fight among the strongest cultivator of each cultivation realm. May I know what the specific cultivation levels for the friendly spars are, and have the candidates been chosen yet?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“All in all, there are twenty candidates, and the cultivation levels range from Chrysalis realm primary stage to Spiritual Perception realm pinnacle—all in all, twenty cultivation stages. We have already chosen the candidates,” Hall Master Xing replied.

Chrysalis realm, Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, Void Pursuit realm, and Spiritual Perception realm, and each realm consisted of primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle. This added up to twenty cultivation stages.

Each Combat Master Hall would dispatch their strongest expert for each of the cultivation stages for the friendly spar, and the ultimate winner in that class would be entitled to the nomination slot.

“Where are they? Bring me over to meet them.” Since Hall Master Xing had already chosen the candidates, the remaining part was rather simple. He would just have to find what each individual was skilled in and offer the other party pointers in that aspect so as to maximize the other party’s fighting prowess.

“They are currently in the training hall.” Hall Master Xing smiled as he quickly led the way over.

The training hall was located in the vicinity of the Martial Arts Division, and it was a place where combat masters sparred with one another in their free time. The hall was extremely spacious. There were four dueling platforms erected at the very center with a spectator stand at the outer perimeter. At the same time, there were also seclusion chambers for combat masters to rest in between battles as well.

Even before entering the training hall, the sound of swift air currents could be heard in the air. It seemed like there were quite a few people sparring within the training hall. Excited cheers and anxious shouts could be heard here and there, creating a lively atmosphere.

Walking into the training hall, Zhang Xuan swiftly saw two combat masters clashing with one another on one of the dueling platforms. Elegant moves sprung forth from both parties one after another as their immense strength collided again and again, drawing in fixated gazes on them.

Surrounding the dueling platform was around a dozen combat masters. Whenever they saw a formidable move being executed, they would cheer in excitement.

Zhang Xuan took a swift look through the group, and to his astonishment, he found two familiar faces—Shi Hao from the Inner Breath Division and Jiao Tan from the Martial Arts Division.

These two were top-notch geniuses from the Combat Master Hall, so it was not too surprising that the both of them had made it onto the list of candidates to participate in the friendly spar.

“Hall Master Xing, Zhang shi!”

Upon seeing the two figures walking over from the entrance, the crowd quickly halted what they were doing and clasped their fists respectfully.

Hall Master Xing stepped forward and said, “There’s no need to stand on ceremony. I believe that all of you should be familiar with Principal Zhang, so I shall not waste any time introducing him to you all again.”

The crowd nodded.

In the past few days that Zhang Xuan had spent in the Combat Master Hall, he had paid a visit to all the divisions and caused a huge ruckus in each of them. They would have to have been living under a rock to have not heard of him.

A person who consecutively broke the records of every single trial in the Combat Master Hall, and by an inconceivably large margin at that, at this point, they were filled with nothing but admiration and awe for the other party.

“Our Combat Master Hall has high expectations for the friendly spar with the other Conferred Empire Combat Master Halls that will be coming here in three days’ time. In view of that, we have specially invited Principal Zhang over here to conduct special training for all of you. I expect all of you to cooperate fully with him, got that?”

“Yes, Hall Master Xing!”

Upon hearing that Zhang Xuan was going to train them, the eyes of the combat masters immediately lit up in excitement.

They had witnessed the astounding might of the Xuanxuan Faction with their very own eyes.

To be taught by the person who had transformed an ordinary Master Teacher Academy filled with ordinary master teachers into a power whose fighting prowess exceeded combat masters of the same cultivation… They could not help but shudder in excitement as they imagined how their fighting prowess would soar within the next three days!

“Principal Zhang, why don’t you come up here and say a few words as well?” Hall Master Xing invited with a smile.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded. Without wasting any time on pleasantries, he flicked his wrist and whipped out some rope before saying, “Hall Master Xing, please tie my hands up.”

“Ah?” Hall Master Xing was stunned.

“Please tie my hands up.”

Hall Master Xing had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, but the latter must have had his own reasons for making such a request. Thus, without any further hesitation, he pulled Zhang Xuan’s hands behind his back and tied them firmly together.

Struggling a little, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction when he confirmed that he was unable to break out of his binds. Then, he leaped onto the stage and said, “Suppress all of your cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage and… come at me together!”

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan swiftly suppressed his Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivation down to Chrysalis realm primary stage before standing patiently at a corner of the dueling platform.

“You want all of us to attack you together?”

“Zhang shi, you intend to fight all of us with your hands bound?”

“Is this for real?”

“Zhang shi, I admire your strength, but to think that you will be able to fight against all of us with your hands bound… I have to say that you are really taking us too lightly!”

…

Seeing Zhang Xuan’s actions, the faces of the combat masters flushed crimson, and they could not help but narrow their eyes slightly in anger.

No matter what, they were the geniuses specially picked out by the Combat Master Hall to participate in the friendly spar, the strongest combat masters in their power class.

It was true that Zhang Xuan possessed strength far surpassing theirs, and one-on-one, they would stand no match at all. However, to challenge all twenty of them with his hands bound… Was he not mocking them?

“Why? You dare not accept my challenge?”

Despite Zhang Xuan’s provocations, none of the twenty candidates dared step forward. Thus, Zhang Xuan glanced at them leisurely and continued. “Since that’s the case, I’ll leave behind two footprints here. If anyone of you can make me take a single step away from here, I’ll consider it my loss!’

As he spoke, he stepped lightly on the ground, and two footprints appeared on the sturdy ground of the dueling platform.

“What pure zhenqi…”

The crowd widened their eyes at that sight.

Given that the dueling platforms would have to endure the might of the cultivators fighting above it, they had been constructed with the most resilient of materials. On top of that, there were also several seals cast over them, such that even Saint realm experts would struggle to make a mark on them. Yet, despite lowering his cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the other party had left such a clear imprint on the dueling platform just by stepping lightly on it.

Only a cultivator with unbelievably pure zhenqi could possibly concentrate their strength to their feet to such an extent!

“The purity of Zhang shi’s zhenqi is indeed incredible. However, to defeat all of us while neither using your hands nor moving your feet… even for an expert of your caliber, that should be an impossible task!”

After a short moment, a combat master suddenly harrumphed before leaping onto the stage. “Why don’t I test it out first? If you are able to defeat me even like that, we will go against you all at once!”

The combat master was none other than Shi Hao!

He was the young man who had suppressed his cultivation for twenty whole years to achieve a new record for the Trial of Inner Breath, only to be outdone by Zhang Xuan a few moments later. After that traumatizing experience, he had managed to achieve a breakthrough, and he was currently a Saint 2-dan intermediate stage expert.

Hearing Shi Hao’s suggestion, the remaining combat masters nodded in agreement.

As fellow peers, they were aware of the immense strength that Shi Hao wielded, and they trusted deeply in his capabilities. Through watching the battle between him and Zhang Xuan, they would be able to discern the fighting prowess of the latter with his hands bound and feet in place.

Geji! Geji!

After stepping onto the stage, Shi Hao wasted no time with words and swiftly suppressed his cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, just like Zhang Xuan.

“Zhang shi, please guide me!” Shi Hao said with narrowed eyes.

Raising his hand, he sent a powerful burst of zhenqi toward Zhang Xuan before charging forward.

Even before Shi Hao’s figure reached Zhang Xuan, the burst of zhenqi he had sent prior had already arrived.

Shi Hao knew of the strength that Zhang Xuan possessed, so he did not hesitate to devote his full strength to the burst of zhenqi. Under the immense might of the burst of zhenqi, even the sturdy ground of the dueling platform could not help but tremble uncontrollably.

AzureWater

AzureWater

ZX: I dont have time to fight all of u, I only have one year and three months so come all at on

Chapter 1176: Infinitesimal Maneuver

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Not bad!”

Seeing how Shi Hao was no longer relying on brute force as he had done previously after the past few days of training, Zhang Xuan nodded in approval. Facing the other party’s assault, he stood his ground firmly and tilted his body slightly.

Huala!

Shi Hao’s palm strike flowed right past Zhang Xuan’s shoulders, missing by just a hair’s breadth.

This evasion was truly beautifully carried out. A split second earlier, and the other party might still be able to alter the trajectory of his strike to launch a different attack; a split second later, and he would have been injured by the other party’s strike.

“This is… Infinitesimal Maneuver?”

Beneath the dueling platform, Hall Master Xing narrowed his eyes in shock.

“Hall Master Xing, what is Infinitesimal Maneuver?” an uncomprehending combat master asked doubtfully.

“Infinitesimal Maneuver is the act of precisely calculating the might, timing, and trajectory of an opponent’s offense and making the corresponding maneuvers to neutralize the offense. Through doing so, one is able to dodge any attack with ease and even prepare a counterattack in advance, allowing one to turn the tables in an instant,” Hall Master Xing explained.

The fundamental principle behind Infinitesimal Maneuver involved dodging attacks at the very last moment so that the opponent would not have chance to alter their offense, and at a close proximity, one would be in a good position to launch a counterattack and turn the tables.

The theory behind Infinitesimal Maneuver was simple, but it was too difficult to carry it out in practice. Not only did one need to have an exceptional eye of discernment and sharp reflexes, more importantly, one’s state of mind needed to have reached a certain mark as well.

Ultimately, humans were living beings, not puppets that would blindly follow orders. Inevitably, a cultivator would feel nervous and uncertain when a sword was right before them, and there would be an instinctive desire to protect themself and distance themself from the sword.

“Even among Leaving Aperture realm experts, I only know of a very small handful who have reached such a realm, and even I have not reached this level yet. I honestly didn’t expect Principal Zhang to have achieved this level,” Hall Master Xing remarked in awe.

“Leaving Aperture realm?”

The crowd was astonished. No wonder Zhang Xuan was so formidable, shattering all the records in the Combat Master Hall! His talent in martial arts had indeed far exceeded theirs.

While the crowd was still shocked by the matter, Zhang Xuan, who had just dodged Shi Hao’s palm, began to launch his counterattack. At this point, Zhang Xuan was already close to Shi Hao as a result of latter’s palm strike, and with a slight jerk of his shoulder, he lightly struck the other party’s chest.

Hu!

Before Shi Hao could even react, his figure had already retreated into the distance before crashing onto the ground.

Shi Hao swiftly got up, and with a pale face, he clasped his fist and bowed. “I have lost…”

He knew that the other party had gone easy on him, or else things would not have ended so easily. If the other party had willed it so, he could have died from that shoulder jerk itself.

Zhang Xuan turned to the remaining combat masters and said, “Come at me all at once.”

Huala!

This time, the remaining combat masters leaped onto the dueling platform without any hesitation.

A young man amid the combat masters bellowed, “Let’s surround him and use our fastest battle techniques to overwhelm him. I don’t believe that he will be able to dodge every single one of our attacks!”

He was none other than Jiao Tan.

As the genius of the Martial Arts Division, he had a deep understanding of combat. With just a look, he was able to instantaneously identify what Zhang Xuan’s flaws would be with his hands tied.

The remaining nineteen combat masters swiftly took their positions around Zhang Xuan, and when a loud “Move!” was shouted by Jiao Tan, all of them executed their fastest battle techniques simultaneously.

Sou sou sou sou sou!

The loud whirring of wind sounded on the dueling platform. In that instant, it was as if countless arrows were raining down from the sky, covering Zhang Xuan entirely.

“Let’s see how he will deal with such a situation,” Hall Master Xing muttered as he stared at the situation on the dueling platform intently, not daring to blink.

Every member of the Combat Master Hall had learned all sorts of collaborative formations, which allowed them to collaborate with one another under any circumstances, regardless of how many people they had, thus synergizing their offense together and exerting a fighting prowess far beyond what they could achieve individually.

Despite having suppressed their cultivation to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the simultaneous offense of the nineteen combat masters was truly fearsome. Even a Nascent Saint would have been crushed into a lump of meat in the face of their combined might.

Intrigued to see how the talented Zhang Xuan would neutralize this situation, Hall Master Xing drove his strength as a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator, and everything on the stage seemed to slow down for him. He could perceive even the slightest of gestures made by anyone on top of the dueling platform with perfect clarity.

Fist, finger, palm, head, leg… All sorts of attacks from the nineteen combat masters simultaneously fell upon Zhang Xuan. They were all the most talented geniuses of the Combat Master Hall, and under the incredible might of their collaboration, even the surrounding air seemed to have been thrown into a state of disarray, producing a series of sonic booms in the air.

Seeing the storm-like offense carried out by the nineteen combat masters, Hall Master Xing unwittingly imaged himself in Zhang Xuan’s position, and his body shuddered slightly in apprehension.

Even with his current fighting prowess, he knew that he would not stand a chance against that barrage of attacks if he suppressed his cultivation as well.

Looking intently to see how Zhang Xuan would deal with such a situation, he saw the latter standing still on the spot instead, not moving in the least. It was as if he had not even realized the precarious situation he was in!

This attack could deal significant damage to him even if he didn’t suppress his cultivation, but he still isn’t planning to avoid it? Hall Master Xing was appalled.

However, in the next instant, his eyes suddenly narrowed in astonishment.

He realized that the other party was not standing still on the spot at all. On the contrary, the other party was moving so quickly and slightly that it was imperceptible to the naked eye. Even with his Spiritual Perception, he was only able to make out bits and pieces of it.

Hualala!

Due to Zhang Xuan’s slight movements, the attacks of the combat masters ended up falling empty. Astonishingly, despite the encirclement that they had put up, they were not able to land even a single blow on the unmoving Zhang Xuan!

“This… This…” Hall Master Xing felt his throat running dry.

Back when he, Division Head Liao, and Division Head Wei had assaulted the other party at the Trial of Inner Demons, he clearly had not been that formidable. How could he suddenly have grown so much more powerful within three short days?

In this instant, it seemed as if the young man had absolute control over the space around him. Regardless of whether the attack had come from the front or the back, he could perceive it with absolute precision and move accordingly.

“Alright, it should be my turn now.”

At this moment, a nonchalant voice suddenly sounded from the dueling platform.

That voice carried a quality that seemed as if it had come from the primordial era, reverberating deeply in his mind, leaving him feeling light-headed.

Sh*t, this is a demonic tune! Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in alarm.

He was just about to warn the combat masters on the dueling platform when he saw that the eyes of the nineteen on the stage were glazed. It was already too late; they had fallen in a trance.

Huala!

Following that, instead of making use of this opportunity to launch an assault, Zhang Xuan swept a nonchalant gaze over the combat masters.

His movements were poised and dignified, reminiscent of an emperor assessing his soldiers authoritatively or a strict teacher staring down on students who had skipped class.

This seemingly simple gesture effected endless fear and deference within the hearts of the combat masters.

Putong!

One of the combat masters who had a lower Soul Depth could not take it any longer and caved in to Zhang Xuan’s gaze. He kneeled down onto the floor and pleaded for forgiveness. “I was wrong, please forgive me. I will not dare to do it again.”

While the other combat masters did not cave in directly, their bodies were wobbling on the spot, an indication that their minds were swiftly approaching their limits.

“There’s no need to continue the battle any longer. You have all lost.” Hall Master Xing quickly leaped onto the dueling platform to halt the duel. After which, he subconsciously turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan once more to assess the young man.

Facing the assault of nineteen men with his feet planted on the ground and hands tied behind his back, he was still able to fend off the storm-like barrage of attacks easily. Not only so, with just a single sentence, he had incapacitated all of them, and with a gaze, he had forced all of them into submission.

This was too fearsome!

“Yes!”

It was only after hearing Hall Master Xing’s bellow that everyone finally recovered from their trance. At this point, their robes were already completely drenched with sweat. Facing Zhang Xuan once more, they subconsciously took a step back out of fear.

They did not even realize when they had fallen into a trance… If the other party had borne ill intentions toward them, they would have been corpses by now!

Paying no heed to the shocked combat masters, Hall Master Xing walked up to Zhang Xuan and asked in bewilderment, “Principal Zhang, you should have utilized the means of a terpsichore earlier, right?”

The other party’s words had been imbued with the ability of a demonic tunist, that he could be certain of, but that sweeping gaze at the very end… he was not too sure, but it deeply resembled the ability of terpsichores.

“That’s right.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Terpsichores… are able to command such a powerful presence as well?” Hall Master Xing frowned in incomprehension.

In his mind, terpsichores were scantily-dressed ladies who beguiled others through their dances, but Principal Zhang’s gestures were reminiscent of a regal emperor, and his eyes carried authority that none would dare defy. Were terpsichores capable of doing this as well?

“The abilities of a terpsichore are not just centered around charm. If that was all there was to the occupation, Kong shi would not have allowed this occupation to be classified as a unique occupation in the first place. Those who have reached the peak of terpsichorean arts are capable of influencing others with just a simple gaze or gesture, granting them unthinkable fighting prowess in battle,” Zhang Xuan said calmly as he undid the ropes behind him with a slight jerk of his hands.

If terpsichores had to rely on their physical features and alluring dances to charm and attack other cultivators, they would have been unworthy of being one of the unique occupations.

As the saying went, ‘the greatest sound is silence, and the greatest form is formless.”

If the heritage of terpsichores had truly been that shallow, there was no way it would have been able to withstand the trial of time.

“I am enlightened,” Hall Master Xing replied with his face slightly reddened in embarrassment.

To be honest, as a combat master, he had always looked down on the terpsichore occupation. He had thought that they were a shallow occupation that used their physical traits to charm others, but the situation had clearly shown him that there was no such thing as an occupation being unworthy of respect; there were only people who were unworthy of respect.

Turning his attention away from Hall Master Xing, Zhang Xuan turned to the candidates once more and said, “Despite coming at me together, none of you managed to touch me. Is there anyone who disagrees with the results and would like to give it another go?”

“We dare not…”

“We are completely in awe of you!”

“Zhang shi, we beseech you to teach us well!”

…

The crowd looked at Zhang Xuan with impassioned, fiery eyes.

If they had only been impressed by Zhang Xuan’s talent previously, after that battle, they had no choice but to acknowledge that they were inferior to the young man in every respect.

It was almost as if they lived in two different worlds.

To be able to learn from a person like that was indubitably something extremely fortunate.

“Un.” Seeing that the attitudes of the crowd had changed, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

The reason he had chosen to have his hands and feet bound to fight with those combat masters was not to show off but to shake their confidence and win their trust instead.

This would be extremely important if he wanted to induce a metamorphosis in them within just three days.

“Since no one wants to spar with me anymore, I’ll begin the training exercise. Every single one of you will have a different task to deal with, and you must accomplish it within three days. If you fail… don’t blame me not getting cruel!”

The crowd nodded. “Yes!”

“Un. All of you are different from the members of the Xuanxuan Faction. Their eye of discernment and combat sense were not too strong when they first joined the organization, so I could simply impart everything I knew to them. You guys are different. Having internalized countless battle techniques, my lectures on combat sense will likely have minimal effects on you. So, I can only resort to another method.”

Seeing the crowd agree to it, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, took out a few pieces of paper, and swiftly jotted down twenty different training plans.

“Alright, I have designed the training plans specially for each of you. Cultivate strictly according to your!”

The combat masters took the training plans and swiftly lowered their gazes to look at them excitedly. However, barely after taking a look, their eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets from shock.

Chapter 1177: Eccentric Training Regimes

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the Elder Hall of the Combat Master Hall…

“Hall Master Xing has gone to find Principal Zhang?” Division Head Wei frowned.

Division Head Liao nodded. “Indeed. If I’m not mistaken, Principal Zhang should have started training our combat masters by now.”

“With Principal Zhang’s help, I am reassured. Even average master teachers in the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy have become experts on par with us, combat masters, after just a few sessions of tutelage; his capabilities are truly nothing short of being phenomenal!”

“My thoughts exactly! It might just be three short days, but with his help, the fighting prowess of our twenty candidates would surely advance by leaps and bounds. Perhaps, we might really be able to bring about a miracle this time around,” Division Head Liao remarked.

Having interacted with the Xuanxuan Faction previously, he had a clear understanding of how frighteningly effective Zhang Xuan’s teachings could be. In just a few short months, not only was the fighting prowess of the Xuanxuan Faction enhanced significantly, their comprehension of combat had also achieved a level comparable or perhaps even exceeding theirs!

“Shall we secretly take a look at how the training is going?” Division Head Wei proposed out of curiosity.

“Secretly take a look?”

“Un. To be honest, I’m interested to see how Principal Zhang intends to train that lot. If we could learn a thing or two from him, we could emulate his methods and groom generation after generation of powerful combat masters!” Division Head Wei stroked his beard with an excited gleam in his eyes.

“Your words do makes sense… Alright, let’s head over there together!” Moved by the idea as well, Division Head Liao stood up.

The training regimes that Zhang Xuan had prepared for the combat masters were not confidential, and as a division head of the Combat Master Hall, it was not a big deal for them to ‘watch over’ the training of the combat masters anyway.

Thus, the duo hurriedly made their way over to the training hall.

“Hmm? Why is the door open?”

The first thing that they noticed upon arriving in the vicinity of the training hall was that its massive doors were wide open. Typically speaking, when a training session was in place, the doors should have been tightly shut.

Glancing at one another in confusion, the duo walked into the training hall, only to find that there was not a single silhouette to be found in the vast room. It was as if the twenty candidates had vanished into thin air.

“Where are they?”

The two division heads looked at one another in bewilderment.

They had been informed earlier that the special training would be conducted in the training hall, so they had expected to see a lecture when they walked in. But this… did they change the location at the last moment or something?

The duo scanned every nook and cranny of the training hall, but none of the twenty candidates were in sight. A moment later, Division Head Wei raised his finger toward one of the isolated chambers and said, “Why don’t we ask the cleaner over there? He might know a thing or two.”

Following Division Head Wei’s finger, Division Head Liao saw a cleaner dressed in dirty clothes scrubbing a toilet bowl within the isolated chamber earnestly.

“This friend over here, did you happen to see a group of combat masters train… ing…”

Before Division Head Wei could finish his words, the cleaner scrubbing the toilet bowl suddenly turned around, and upon getting a clear look of the other party’s face, his lips suddenly began twitching

He was one of the candidates who would be representing their Combat Master Hall in the friendly spar, Shi Hao!

Through the exceptionally vast capacity and dense zhenqi that Shi Hao possessed, he had become a famous figure throughout the Combat Master Hall. For such a figure to be scrubbing toilet bowls… and not to mention, the friendly spar was only three days away. He should have been cultivating at that moment!

Upon seeing the duo, Shi Hao quickly clasped his fist respectfully. “Division Head Wei, Division Head Liao!”

“W-what are you doing here? Where are the rest? Didn’t Hall Master Xing invite Principal Zhang to lecture you all?” Unable to hold back his shock, he shot straight to the question at hand.

“This is the training regime that Zhang shi has set for me. He has ordered me to clean every single toilet bowl in the Combat Master Hall within three days,” Shi Hao replied.

“Clean all of the toilet bowls in the Combat Master Hall within three days?” The two division heads widened their eyes in shock.

All in all, there were more than ten thousand people in the Combat Master Hall, and the visitors from the Xuanxuan Faction added another ten thousand to the number. In order to house twenty thousand men simultaneously, it was a given that there were many public facilities. Even by the lower estimates, there had to be at least a thousand toilet bowls throughout the Combat master Hall!

Was it even possible to scrub so many toilet bowls within three days? Taking a step back, even if it could be done, what about the friendly spar? Did Shi Hao not need to cultivate?

“That’s right. Furthermore, he has strictly ordered that I can only use this tool in the cleaning,” Shi Hao said as he raised the item in his hand.

The sight of that item left the eyelids of the two division heads twitching wildly.

Astonishingly, what was in the other party’s hand was not a scrubbing brush or anything of that sort but a feather duster!

The softness of a feather duster made it suited for cleaning dust, but to clear off the grime and filth that was firmly attached to the toilet bowl… Could it be done?

“Pardon me, division heads, but I don’t have much time to spare. I have to finish scrubbing all of the toilet bowls within three days, or else a pitiful fate will be awaiting me. I have to get to work now!”

After saying those words, Shi Hao decisively turned away from the two and continued scrubbing the toilet bowl before him diligently.

“Ah… Alright then, we won’t trouble you any longer. That… Do you know where the other combat masters are?” Division Head Wei asked.

Without raising his head, Shi Hao replied, “Jiao Tan is busy smacking flies buzzing around the bathroom outside, and Qin Xiao is trying to catch birds. As for the rest, I’m not too sure. However, they should be within the vicinity, so you can try looking for them.”

“Smacking flies? Catching birds?”

The bodies of the two division heads swayed from side to side as the vision before them abruptly darkened.

Shouldn’t they have been listening to a lecture at this very moment?

Weren’t the combat masters supposed to be attending a crash course to raise their fighting prowess as much as possible over the next three days?

But… scrubbing toilet bowls, smacking flies, and catching birds… It was as if the world had gone bonkers!

Perplexed, the duo walked out of the training hall with confusion clearly written on their faces. They were intending to search for the fly-smacking Jiao Tan and bird-catching Qin Xiao when they saw a young man following behind a female combat master with a bright smile on his face.

“Big sister, don’t leave. Why don’t we explore the intricacies of the human body together…”

Pah!

“Hey! If you are unwilling, just say so. There’s no need to resort to violence! That big brother over there, are you interested in exploring the intricacies of the human body together?”

“Scram!”

“Roger that!”

Upon seeing this sight, Division Head Wei subconsciously turned his gaze to Division Head Liao, and just as he had expected, the latter’s lips were twitching wildly, and his face was so reddened that it seemed as if he would burst into tears at any moment.

“If I’m not mistaken, that young man over there is your student, Lu Jianling, right?”

“That’s indeed my student. He has always been a rather shy and introverted person, so why… would he be chasing after ladies and uttering such brazen words? Not to mention, why in the world is he chasing after men as well?” Division Head Liao covered his face from the utter shame as he instinctively walked away in a different direction.

He was afraid that his student would actually run up to him and invite him to explore the intricacies of the human body together. His old heart would not have been able to take that blow!

On the other hand, Division Head Wei looked at the sight a little longer and gulped down a mouthful of saliva before catching up with Division Head Liao.

The duo continued walking forward, and before long, they saw a young man standing before a tree, driving his zhenqi furiously. He seemed to be undergoing some kind of intense training.

“This should be Dong Rui from the Guardian Division. He has managed to temper his physical body to an astonishing degree, such that swords and sabers will struggle to leave a scratch on his body,” Division Head Wei remarked with a nod.

It was gladdening to see someone normal among the insanity.

Otherwise, if they were to continue seeing more madness before them, they feared that they would suffer a mental breakdown soon.

“Un.” Division Head Liao heaved a sigh of relief.

He was just about to continue speaking when Dong Rui suddenly finished conditioning himself. He began scrambling up the tree with his four limbs, and upon reaching the very top, he… let go?

Paji!

He fell head first into the ground, reminiscent of a carrot planted in the earth.

Putong!

Dong Rui had to struggle a fair bit before he was able to pluck himself out. He applied some medicine on himself before walking up to the tree once more, conditioning his body, and repeating the cycle.

Paji!

Once again, he fell head first to the ground, and this time, blood sprayed out of his head.

“…”

The two division heads felt as if they were going insane.

What were they doing instead of training?

These combat masters were geniuses who they had specially picked out to participate in the friendly spar, and the Combat Master Hall had high expectations of them. Everyone was waiting for them to bring glory back to the Combat Master Hall, and yet, all of them had suddenly gone insane at this crucial moment!

Proceeding forward, they encountered more and more bewildering sights. One was sprawled within a bathing vat, acting like a corpse. One had buried himself in the ground, not moving in the least…

It did not take long for them to find all twenty geniuses, but it was like all of them had become psychopaths, carrying out actions that no sane human would ever do again and again.

Instead of the arrival of a miracle that they had anticipated, it seemed like a cataclysm had struck their Combat Master Hall instead!

“Hall Master Xing, what is going on?”

Unable to take it any longer, the two division heads headed straight to Hall Master Xing’s residence, only to see the latter staring blankly into the sky.

Hall Master Xing turned around to look at them with a deeply helpless look. “I… have no idea either.”

It was then that the duo realized that the head of the usually dashing Hall Master Xing was completely ruffled like a bird’s nest. There were dark bags beneath his eyes, as if he had not slept for a few days straight.

“Principal Zhang is the one who made the call, and he requested that I not interfere in the training regime. I also have no idea what he’s up to either!”

At this moment, Hall Master Xing was truly on the verge of a mental breakdown.

He had thought that Zhang Xuan would put their combat masters through some special intensive training, but the moment that he saw the papers listing the training regimes, he had nearly lost his mind.

Special it was indeed… but this was way too freaking special!

Are you sure that this can still be considered training? Are you secretly plotting the downfall of our Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall instead?

“You don’t know either? Then… are we going to just let him fool around like that?” Division Head Wei exclaimed.

“I tried talking to him about the matter too, but he said that… if we don’t trust him, we should have just trained the candidates ourselves. I also hesitated for very long before deciding to leave it be,” Hall Master Xing replied with a bitter smile.

In his many years as the head of the Combat Master Hall, this was the first time that he had seen something as mystifying as this.

But since he had asked for Zhang Xuan’s help, it was only right for him to trust the other party.

“But…”

The two division heads wanted to protest, but they had no idea where they should start.

A long time later, Division Head Wei finally found the words to speak. “Is Principal Zhang… really training our combat masters?”

“I have no idea either… but my thought is that since it’s unlikely that three days of training by us will make any substantial difference in the results of the friendly spar. Therefore, we might as well just allow him to do as he pleases. Perhaps… who knows? There might really just be a miracle!” While Hall Master Xing said those words, his shaking head was more than enough to show his skepticism.

Their Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall had been in a weak position for a very long time. While they would be dispatching their greatest geniuses to participate in the friendly spar, it was still questionable whether or not they would be able to obtain even two slots.

Since that was the case, they might as well place their bets on Zhang Xuan and pray for a miracle. Considering the unthinkable feats that the latter had pulled off in the past, it was not out of the question!

“It seems like this is our only option at the moment…” Division Head Wei took a look around, but Zhang Xuan was not in sight, so he asked, “Oh right, where is Principal Zhang?”

“He just obtained his 7-star physician and appraiser emblem, and he said that he would be paying a visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion to apply for his promotion to 7-star master teacher,” Hall Master Xing replied.

“Promotion to 7-star master teacher?”

The duo was slightly taken aback by those words.

We invited you to train our combat masters, and yet, after turning all of them into lunatics, you even ran off to the Master Teacher Pavilion by yourself!

Isn’t this a little too much?

The two division heads looked up into the sky as well, and a very long time later, a deep sigh escaped from their mouths.

…

Just as Hall Master Xing had said, Zhang Xuan was currently in the Master Teacher Pavilion.

To him, training the combat masters was just a minor issue. What was more important for him was to be promoted to 7-star master teacher.

He needed that promotion in order to vie for the nomination slot to the Sanctum of Sages and find Luo Ruoxin. This was the only chance he had. Otherwise, once Luo Ruoxin was married in the third month of the next year, everything would be over.

Walking through the vast hall of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan headed straight for Wu shi’s residence.

Due to him having cleared the Empire Building, he could apply for his promotion to 7-star master teacher directly without undergoing the examination. It would be troublesome to explain that matter to the others, so he decided to find Wu shi immediately and have the latter clear it for him.

Before Zhang Xuan could enter Wu shi’s residence, he heard the voice of an old man from within the room.

“Wu shi, if it wasn’t for Vice Pavilion Master Tian noticing the trap laid by the Otherworldly Demons, our Master Teacher Pavilion might not exist. Yet, you had him captured over the trivial matter of slandering a 6-star master teacher? Don’t you think that you are making a mountain out of a molehill?”

Chapter 1178: Today, One of Us Shall Fall!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Pavilion Master Gou, Hall Master Xing of the Combat Master Hall and I witnessed this matter with our own eyes. There is concrete evidence to prove it!” Wu shi anxiously exclaimed.

“You said that there is concrete evidence to prove this matter?” The old man spoke once more. “As a master teacher, you should know better than to blindly trust your eyes! You have to carefully investigate the issue in order to discern fact from fiction, not to mention, this matter involves a vice pavilion master! If we go by your judgement and rule that our vice pavilion master attempted to frame a 6-star master teacher, what will become of the reputation of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion?”

“This…” Wu shi’s voice grew slightly hesitant.

In order for the local Master Teacher Pavilion to maintain order in the region, reputation was of utmost importance. If it was made known that a vice pavilion master had tried to oppress a lower-ranked master teacher, the credibility of the entire Master Teacher Pavilion would be doubted, and they would become the laughingstock of the world!

Wu shi paused for a moment before responding. “Pavilion Master Gou, I understand that our reputation is important, but even more so is fairness! As master teachers, we should conduct ourselves properly and remain neutral. If we side with our own master teachers for the sake of our reputation, how can we be qualified to pass judgement upon others?”

It was true that the reputation of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be sullied if Vice Pavilion Master Tian was convicted for the current accusations. However, if it was discovered that their Master Teacher Pavilion had willfully sided with their own men, it would cast doubt over the leadership of the master teachers over the Master Teacher Continent!

“Fairness? Are you trying to tell me that your words are the very embodiment of fairness? What I heard is that Vice Pavilion Master Tian has been wronged instead!” The old man harrumphed coldly. “Tian Qing, recount the matters that happened yesterday to me once more!”

“Yes!” Vice Pavilion Master Tian said from within the room. “It’s like this. King Zhongqing is in charge of the defenses of the city, and after capturing the vice head of the Hongyuan Empire Poison Hall, he managed to acquire critical intelligence regarding the Poison Hall and successfully led an expedition to eradicate it.

“On top of that, he also learned that there was a particularly formidable poison master known as Sun Qiang hiding within the city, and there was a very good chance that the latter’s existence could place mankind in danger. After investigating the matter, he found that Sun Qiang happened to be Zhang Xuan’s butler!

“Given that a master teacher was involved in the matter, he knew that he could not act recklessly, so he came to seek my assistance in the matter. Thus, I invited Zhang Xuan over to King Zhongqing’s manor in my name, but not only did Zhang Xuan refuse to cooperate with the investigation, he even forcefully freed Sun Qiang and made a move against the both of us…”

“Made a move against the both of you?” Wu shi’s eyes shot up in displeasure. “Vice Pavilion Master Tian, don’t you think that your words are ludicrous? Principal Zhang is a Saint 2-dan pinnacle cultivator whereas you are a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert. Are you trying to tell us that Principal Zhang is so foolish as to pick a fight against someone more than two cultivation realms stronger than him?”

He could not tell anyone about Zhang Xuan’s identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, but that did not mean that he would not fight against anyone who dared to frame him!

“The one who has attacked me wasn’t Zhang Xuan himself but a cauldron in his possession. The cauldron is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and it wields strength comparable to mine,” Vice Pavilion Master Tian replied.

“That only discredits your story further. Despite being a master teacher, you aren’t able to match a mere Saint intermediate-tier cauldron?”

As powerful as a Saint intermediate-tier artifact was, without a person to drive it, it was unable to bring out its full prowess. For someone as powerful a Vice Pavilion Master Tian to be unable to match a mere Saint intermediate-tier artifact… wasn’t this a joke in itself?

“Fine.” Vice Pavilion Master Tian harrumphed coldly. “Since you insist that I have attempted to frame Zhang Xuan, let me ask you this… do I have any reason to pick on him?”

“This…” Wu shi are stumped.

“I am the vice head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as a 7-star master teacher. In terms of standing, he’s nowhere near me. Do you think that it makes any sense for me to put my career as a master teacher on the line just to deal with a mere principal of a Master Teacher Academy whom I have no connections whatsoever with?” Vice Pavilion Master Tian argued.

This was exactly what had confounded Wu shi as well.

He could not understand why Vice Pavilion Master Tian would make a move against Zhang Xuan either.

A person who was seemingly superior to Zhang Xuan every way, at least on the surface… He should not have any reason to deal with Zhang Xuan!

This was the missing piece of the puzzle that he had been struggling to find all along!

“Wu Rufeng, what do you have to say?” Pavilion Master Gou said coldly.

“While I have no idea why Vice Pavilion Master Tian would deal with Principal Zhang, it’s a fact that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian were making a move on him when we arrived on the scene. If we were just a second slower, Principal Zhang would have been a dead man by now! Countless master teachers and combat masters witnessed that with their own eyes, so if Pavilion Master Gou doubts my words, I can bring them over to testify before you!

“Furthermore, the vice head of the Poison Hall whom Vice Pavilion Master Tian spoke about has already confessed that King Zhongqing and Vice Pavilion Master Tian forced him into complying with them to frame Principal Zhang!”

“Is the vice head of the Poison Hall you spoke about Ming Zhen?” Pavilion Master Gou asked.

“That’s right!”

Pavilion Master Gou harrumphed coldly. “He died last night!”

“He’s dead? But he’s in the prison cell of the Master Teacher Pavilion… How could he have died?” Wu shi could not believe his ears.

“How am I supposed to know that? You were the one who captured him, and now you are telling me you do not know why he died in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Don’t you think that you should be the one explaining the matter to me?” Pavilion Master Gou replied in a frosty tone.

“Pavilion Master Gou, are you… doubting me?” Wu shi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“It’s not that I want to doubt you, but think about what has happened. Do you think that it’s possible for me to not doubt you? You claimed that Chen Zhe has betrayed the Master Teacher Pavilion and requested for permission to capture and investigate him, and I granted you permission for that. Yet, he passed away in your custody! Given how secure the Master Teacher Pavilion is, there is no one who could have gotten to him other than you! If you had not used torture on him to force a confession, how could he have died?

“Furthermore, I have also investigated the affairs of that Zhang Xuan, and you seem to have gone through a life-and-death situation with him. Considering the deep ties between the both of you, I cannot help but suspect that you are intentionally siding with him in order to protect him, perhaps even making a false testimony in his favor!” Pavilion Master Gou harrumphed.

“It hasn’t been long since you have been promoted to a vice pavilion master, so I understand that you might be eager to prove yourself to replace Vice Pavilion Master Tian. But no matter what you do, you need evidence! Look at the mess you have caused, and you still expect me to believe you?”

Seeing that Pavilion Master Gou was doubting him, Wu shi anxiously explained himself. “I swear on my name as a master teacher that I have been perfectly impartial in this matter, and I have no interest in usurping Vice Pavilion Master Tian’s position…”

“Enough! I do not wish to talk about this matter anymore. I don’t care how the both of you fight with one another, but you had better not do anything that will harm the reputation of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion!” Pavilion Master Gou interjected coldly.

“I has been five hundred years since I became the pavilion master, and while I have not accomplished anything outstanding my time, I have not erred in my leadership either. It’s already nearing my retirement date, and I hope to leave the Master Teacher Pavilion in peace. I do not want to retire as a laughingstock of the town, so I do not want to see anything happen till then. You hear me?”

Not expecting Pavilion Master Gou to suddenly pin such a severe accusation on him, Wu shi panicked. “Pavilion Master Gou, I am really not doing this for power! While I have braved through a life-and-death situation with Principal Zhang, I would not dream of willfully siding with him over something as important as this…”

“Enough! I have already said that I do not want to interfere in the matters between the both of you! You can do whatever you like, just do not make our Master Teacher Pavilion appear to be a joke before others!”

“But…” Indignant, Wu shi gritted his teeth, but seeing that Pavilion Master Gou was unwilling to listen to his words, he could only clench his fists and reluctantly reply. “Fine, I understand.”

“Un, that had better be the case. Alright, send a man to bring Zhang Xuan over here right now to clear things up. If he’s willing to listen, I can still consider giving him the benefit of the doubt. Otherwise, just on the grounds of insubordination alone, I will have him condemned for his entire life…” Pavilion Master Gou instructed.

However, before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly sounded. “There’s no need to send anyone. I’m already here.”

Following which, a young man walked in.

Zhang Xuan.

He had only gone there to take the 7-star master teacher examination, but who would have thought that he would hear those words instead? He could almost feel his blood boiling from the rage within him.

Initially, he had thought that Pavilion Master Gou had only been blinded by the words of Vice Pavilion Master Tian, but as he listened on, he had realized that the other party was just an incompetent superior who did not want the pot to be stirred so that he could retire in peace.

Horrified by Zhang Xuan’s sudden arrival, Wu shi exclaimed in shock, “Principal Zhang!”

From the earlier conversation, he could tell that Pavilion Master Gou was deeply displeased with Zhang Xuan. This was truly a bad moment for the fellow to appear… If Pavilion Master Gou were to pass a judgement on the fellow in a rage, the fellow could very well be doomed!

At the same time, a cruel glint flashed across Vice Pavilion Master Tian Qing’s eyes as he hurriedly stepped forward and said, “Pavilion Master Gou, this young man over here is the person who framed me, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang Xuan!”

“You are Zhang Xuan?” Pavilion Master Gou narrowed his eyes threateningly. “How dare a mere 6-star master teacher like you eavesdrop in our conversation? You audacious brat!”

“Audacious? I don’t think I am as audacious as you are!” Zhang Xuan replied with a voice that was freezing like a winter’s night.

“What did you say?” Pavilion Master Gou smacked the table out of rage as a powerful aura burst forth menacingly from him.

As the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, his standing was unmatched by anyone in the Qingyuan Empire. Yet, a pesky principal of a small Master Teacher Academy had actually dared to speak to him in such a manner. This was a complete lack of respect for his elders, a blatant breach of the formalities among master teachers!

“Don’t you have a clear idea as to what I just said?” Facing the other party’s wrath, Zhang Xuan did not show a hint of worry or anxiety. With eyes filled with nothing but apathy, he said, “After so many years, you should know Wu shi’s temperament better than anyone else. Vice Pavilion Master Tian has aided King Zhongqing in a scheme against me and my butler, and yet, instead of investigating the matter, you chose to side with Vice Pavilion Master Tian blindly in order to protect yourself, even coming over here to berate and put down Wu shi. Are you really that blind, or has water gotten into your head? How in the world can the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion be so unfortunate as to get a pavilion master as incompetent and useless as you?”

“Principal Zhang!” Not expecting the good-tempered Zhang Xuan to actually criticize Pavilion Master Gou openly, Wu shi was nearly scared of his wits.

From the very start, Pavilion Master Gou already had a bad impression of the other party. After saying these words, there was no longer room for reconciliation.

“You impertinent scoundrel, how dare a mere 6-star master teacher like you insult our pavilion master? Pavilion Master Gou, I shall have him apprehended for breaching the formalities of master teachers right now and cripple his cultivation!” Vice Pavilion Master roared furiously as he charged forward to nab Zhang Xuan.

“Qing Tian, you dare!” Wu shi bellowed furiously as he quickly stepped forward to protect Zhang Xuan.

“There’s no need for that!” Zhang Xuan replied coldly as he waved his hand lightly.

Peng!

Before Vice Pavilion Master Tian could process what was going on, he was already smacked into the wall.

Following which, Zhang Xuan slowly advanced step by step, and with a gaze as sharp as daggers, he spoke with a voice that resounded clearly throughout the entire Qingyuan City.

“I have walked here step by step from Tianxuan Kingdom, and no one has ever dared to frame me for anything before!

“I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion!

“Today, one of us shall fall!”

Chapter 1179: It Seems He Is Called Zhang Xuan

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the Appraiser Hall…

“How is it? My medicine is quite effective, right?”

In the lounge, Elder Qi spoke to the young man before him with a smile.

Looking into the mirror and seeing that his dashing appearance had finally been restored, the young man heaved a sigh of relief and clasped his fist. “Elder Qi, thank you for your help. If not for your assistance, who knows how long it would have taken for me to recover!”

“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. It’s my responsibility as a physician to help those in need,” Elder Qi replied kindly.

“Jiuxiao, you really mustn’t act recklessly in the future. Don’t push yourself to do what is beyond your capability. Being embarrassed is just a small matter, but it would truly be a huge disaster if you were to lose your identity as an appraiser over it,” Guild Leader Mu advised worriedly.

It went without saying that the young man was Zhang Jiuxiao.

The previous night, while the poison that Zhang Xuan had prescribed him was effective in eliminating the spirit that had taken root within him, it had caused his face to swell, leaving him unable to meet anyone. Thus, he could only stay overnight in the Appraiser Hall.

That morning, the swelling had still shown no signs of subsiding, so he could only invite the old guild leader of the Physician Guild, Elder Qi, over to treat him.

While Elder Qi’s enemy wielded great influence, considering that it was in the middle of the day and the Master Teacher Pavilion was in the vicinity, his enemy would surely not be so brazen as to assault him at that moment.

“I understand.” Zhang Jiuxiao nodded in response.

He had stepped out in the hope of winning the respect of others by deciphering the seal on the painting, only to end up leaving himself in a pitiful state.

When he had looked into the mirror and seen how his dashing face had been warped hideously… just recalling the matter was enough to send tears to his eyes. It was fortunate that he had been in the Appraiser Hall, so none of his fans had been able to see the state that he was in. Otherwise, he would have been too embarrassed to walk on the streets of Qingyuan City ever again.

Of course, more important was the rule surrounding appraisers that only allowed them to make three appraisal errors in their entire career. While the affair yesterday had not really been considered an appraisal, it had happened before many eyes, and once others learned of the matter, it would become a stain on his records.

It’s all because of that Zhang Xuan… He clearly knew how to decipher the seal, but he chose not to speak just so to embarrass me… Recalling that seemingly innocent yet revolting smile of that fellow, rage swiftly surged through Zhang Jiuxiao’s veins.

That fellow had already embarrassed him once on the Heart Tempering Bridge, and he had been banking on that matter to vie back some dignity. Yet, who would have expected that he would be beaten further down into the ground?

He must have done it intentional, no doubt about it!

As innocent and honest as that fellow looked on the surface, his instincts told him that the other party had done it intentionally to humiliate him in public!

As stifled as Zhang Jiuxiao was, as a 7-star master teacher, he was still able to conceal his emotions perfectly, so neither Elder Qi nor Guild Leader Mu noticed his inner thoughts.

“Elder Qi, can you tell me what poison my face is afflicted with?” Zhang Jiuxiao asked.

“It’s a particularly potent poison, possibly reaching the level of grade-7. If it was not for the fact that I have been studying poison for the past few years, I might not have been able to treat you,” Elder Qi replied with a frown.

It was not for no reason that he had chosen to flee to Jingyuan City after he had been poisoned by his enemy. He had heard that a Poison Hall was located there, so he had decided to try his luck.

In the twenty years he had spent there, while he had failed to cure his poison, he had managed pick up several means concerning poisons through interacting with a few local poison masters, which had allowed him to suppress the poison within him considerably.

Thanks to that, he had been able to survive long enough to meet Zhang Xuan.

His experiences had granted him a deep insight into poison. As long as a poison was not particularly potent, he would be able to resolve it with ease.

Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao could not help but mutter aloud in astonishment, “The prescription that Zhang shi gave me was actually a poison? Could it be that Zhang shi is a poison master?”

The Poison Hall maintained a strict confidentiality over their poison formulas, so for Zhang Xuan to prescribe one to him so easily… Could it be that he was a poison master?

Hearing a familiar name, Elder Qi could not help but ask, “May I know who the Zhang shi you mentioned is?”

“Ah, Jiuxiao must be referring to the 6-star master teacher from the Hongyuan Empire who has recently arrived in our city, Zhang Xuan,” Guild Leader Mu replied.

“Zhang Xuan? You all know him too? He’s my benefactor! He’s truly an incredible figure, isn’t he? Not only does he wield phenomenal capabilities in the Way of Medicine, which far exceed my own, more importantly, he holds compassion in his heart. There’s no way a person like him could be a poison master,” Elder Qi replied.

“Benefactor? His capabilities in the Way of Medicine far exceed yours?” Zhang Jiuxiao was dumbstruck by those words.

That fellow has a Soul Depth higher than me? Fine, I’ll accept it.

That fellow’s capability as an appraiser is higher than mine? Fine, I’ll accept that, too.

But for his capability in the Way of Medicine to be more formidable than mine as well… Just who is the 7-star master teacher here?

Ever since meeting that fellow, it seems like I have been leaping from one nightmare straight into another!

Zhang Jiuxiao heaved a sigh of relief. “It’s fortunate that my master teacher rank is higher than his, or else I would really be utterly outmatched by him…”

But before he could finish his words, a voice reminiscent of the rumbling of thunder suddenly boomed in the air.

“I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Today, one of us shall fall!”

Hearing the news, Zhang Jiuxiao nearly collapsed to the ground. “What? He’s intending to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion?”

Pavilion crashing was the act of challenging an entire Master Teacher Pavilion single-handedly.

Whether one had a conflict with a superior master teacher or had committed a sin, as long as one had not betrayed humanity, one would be able to absolve oneself of blame through successfully crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion.

To put it in simpler terms, once a master teacher had successfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion that they had a conflict with, the headquarters would no longer pursue the matter.

It was just a moment ago that Zhang Jiuxiao had consoled himself with the fact that he still had his master teacher rank to fall back on against Zhang Xuan, but then the latter suddenly challenged the entire Master Teacher Pavilion.

Was this for real?

Rushing out of the room, Zhang Jiuxiao saw a master teacher emblem flying straight into the sky before floating silently.

Deep within the Master Teacher Pavilion, from the Teacher Acknowledgement Hall, a pure and ancient aura surged into the sky and shrouded the emblem. Two words slowly morphed into appearance. ‘Permission granted!’

“The headquarters… actually agreed to his request? A 6-star master teacher is going to challenge a 7-star Master Teacher Pavilion branch? Is this for real? This is going to make history!”

“If Zhang shi successfully carries out the pavilion crashing, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion will lose all shred of its dignity and honor, and Pavilion Master Gou will become a laughingstock of all master teachers…”

Guild Leader Mu and Elder Qi were dumbfounded by the happenings before them.

“Teacher, Elder Qi, as a master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, I have a responsibility to guard its honor as well, so I’ll be taking my leave. Farewell!” Zhang Jiuxiao clasped his fist before hurriedly flying back to the Master Teacher Pavilion.

Pavilion crashing was as good as causing trouble on the home turf of the regional master teachers. As one of the master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he had to rush back to protect it!

“Zhang Xuan, no matter how talented you are, if you wish to bring down the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, you will have to get past me first,” Zhang Jiuxiao muttered menacingly with narrowed eyes.

It was about time for him to return the favor for the two face slaps that he had suffered from the other party!

…

In the Qingyuan Empire royal palace…

A pig-faced middle-aged man was lying on a bed, panting heavily.

King Zhongqing.

After being viciously pummeled for an entire night, while he had managed to suppress the poison within his body for the time being, he had nearly been crippled in the process. If not for his superior physical resilience and the abundant supply of pills, he might have long died from the relentless beating.

In order to satisfy his needs, more than twenty guards had already had their turn with him, and every single one of their hands had swollen up and was trembling from frailty.

Butler Qin walked to King Zhongqing and politely enquired, “Old Master, how are you feeling at the moment?”

“I’m still fine for the moment… Right, remember to get rid of those guards who pummeled me. No one can learn of my condition, got it?” King Zhongqing harrumphed callously.

“Don’t worry, Old Master. I have already made arrangements for that,” Butler Qin respectfully replied.

“Good.” Struggling to sit up, King Zhongqing began meditating to recuperate from his injuries. It took a while before the pain from the beating he had sustained finally alleviated. Turning his head toward Butler Qin once more, he asked, “Is there any news from Vice Pavilion Master Tian?”

“I have already informed Pavilion Master Gou of the situation surrounding Vice Pavilion Master Tian as you have instructed me to…” At this point, Butler Qin could not help but hesitate for a moment before continuing. “Old Master, will Pavilion Master Gou really save Vice Pavilion Master Tian? The crime of framing another master teacher is a serious matter. Will it really be worthwhile for him to protect Vice Pavilion Master Tian?”

“Don’t worry, I know that old man very well. He’ll definitely save Vice Pavilion Master Tian!” King Zhongqing sneered coldly. “As long as Vice Pavilion Master Tian remains in power, no one will be able to touch me. Humph, I will make sure Wu Rufeng and Zhang Xuan pay the price for their actions!”

“I see…” Butler Qin heaved a sigh of relief. He pondered for a brief moment before asking once more, “Old Master, what is Zhang Xuan’s background? How can a 6-star master teacher manage to corner you and Vice Pavilion Master Tian to such an extent?”

“Regardless of where he is from, there’s no way he will be able to escape with his life after offending Vice Pavilion Master Tian.” King Zhongqing waved his hand leisurely. “You do not have to worry about this matter anymore; he will be a goner soon enough. Most likely, either today or tomorrow, he will be apprehended by the Master Teacher Pavilion and die an untimely death in the cells.”

However, before he could finish his words, a resounding voice echoed deafeningly in the air, shaking the entire royal palace.

“I, Zhang Xuan, as a 6-star master teacher and the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, hereby request permission from the headquarters to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion! Today, one of us shall fall!”

King Zhongqing was taken aback for a brief moment before hearty laughter boomed from his mouth. He was laughing so intensely that tears were beginning to form in his eyes. “A 6-star master teacher like him actually dares to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion? Hahaha, this must be the most hilarious joke that I have heard my entire life! He’s bringing about his own doom! Given the prowess of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, not even an 8-star low-tier master teacher would dare challenge it. For a 6-star master teacher to dream of crashing it, he sure likes to dream big!”

There was no master teacher who was unaware of the difficulty in pavilion crashing. It was a nigh impossible feat to accomplish, and throughout the long history of the Master Teacher Continent, only a small handful of top-notch prodigies had ever succeeded in accomplishing it!

Yet, that fellow was so conceited as to think that he could succeed in it. It seemed like they had been worrying over that fellow for nothing!

Just as King Zhongqing was laughing heartily, Emperor Chu Tianxing suddenly walked into the room with widened strides.

“Your Majesty!” Overwhelmed with excitement, King Zhongqing immediately reported, “That Zhang Xuan has foolishly decided to crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. With this, his days are already numbered!”

“I have heard the declaration, too. That will be one less worry for us.” Emperor Chu Tianxing nodded, but there was still a hint of worry in his eyes.

As the emperor of a country, he always considered the worst-case scenario so that he would not be caught off guard by any abrupt changes in the situation. As unlikely as it was, he could not shake off the sliver of doubt nudging his mind. Thus, he could not help himself from asking, “Is there anyone who has succeeded in crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion before?”

“This… I’m not too sure either. However, we can call Bai shi over to ask him,” King Zhongqing replied.

While the Master Teacher Pavilion did not interfere in the affairs of the empire that they were stationed in, the royal family would usually recruit some unaffiliated master teachers to bolster their ranks.

Master teachers had a choice to decide whether they wanted to join the regional Master Teacher Pavilion or not. If they joined, they would be granted several privileges, but in exchange, they would have a responsibility to the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. On the other hand, they could also choose to remain unaffiliated.

The Bai shi whom King Zhongqing spoke of was one of the unaffiliated master teachers, and he was currently serving as the Imperial Master Teacher of the Qingyuan Empire.

Emperor Chu Tianxing nodded before sending a subordinate to invite Bai shi over. Not too long later, an elder walked into the room.

“Bai shi, have you heard of any master teachers who have successfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion?”

“Hold on a moment, Your Majesty. I’ll have my friend look into the matter,” Bai shi replied.

Unaffiliated with the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, he was unable to access its resources as he liked. Thus, he could only ask his friend to do it in his stead.

Weng!

Not too long later, the jade token in his palm lit up. Bai shi swiftly took a look at it before clasping his fist. “Your Majesty, there are indeed cases where a Master Teacher Pavilion has been successfully crashed before. There are three such men in history who have succeeded in pulling off this feat.”

“Three men?” Hearing that such a small handful of people had succeeded in the past, both King Zhongqing and Emperor Chu Tianxing heaved a sigh of relief in unison.

It had been several dozen millenniums since the Master Teacher Pavilion first came into existence. Countless geniuses must have come and gone throughout the many years of its existence, and despite that, only three had ever successfully crashed a Master Teacher Pavilion. This was more than sufficient to show the difficulty of the task.

Just by this fact alone, it was impossible for Zhang Xuan to successfully crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion.

Out of curiosity, King Zhongqing asked, “Who are those three men? Do you have their names?”

“I do. The first goes by the name of Luo Yuntian, and the second is Yuan Xi. They are both the old ancestors of Sage Clans, the Luo Clan and Yuan Clan respectively…”

“What about the third person?”

Looking at the name written on the jade token, Bai shi was visibly taken aback for a moment before he stuttered in astonishment, “I-it seems he is called…

“… Zhang Xuan!”

Chapter 1180: Zhang Xuan vs. Zhang Jiuxiao

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

‘Gedeng!’

Both King Zhongqing and Emperor Chu Tianxing’s hearts skipped a beat.

“Zhang Xuan? Which Zhang Xuan?”

“Zhang Xuan from Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom.” Reading on, Bai shi’s lips began quivering in fear. “After which… he became appointed as the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy!”

Considering how the previous declaration had resounded throughout Qingyuan City, they would have to have been deaf to not hear it. He had thought that the Zhang Xuan person, whoever he was, was courting his own death, and yet… to think that the other party had a history of successfully crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion!

He had thought that it was an ignorant novice, but it turned out to be an experienced veteran instead!

“The Master Teacher Pavilion in the Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom should be a 3-star branch at the very most, so it’s not too surprising that he was able to successfully crash it. Do you think that… he’ll be able to crash our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion as well?” King Zhongqing asked hesitantly.

“I can’t say for sure. However, since he has a previous experience in pavilion crashing, I believe that he should understand how difficult the matter is. Since he dares to challenge the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, it is likely that he is confident that he will be able to successfully crash it,” Bai shi replied with an apprehensive frown.

Overwhelmed with anxiety, King Zhongqing howled in desperation, “There’s no way he can succeed. He mustn’t succeed!”

Bai shi shook his head and sighed deeply. “I don’t know whether he’ll succeed or not, but regardless of the results… the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion can be said to be a goner already…”

Injustice was rife in the world, even within the Master Teacher Pavilion. Despite the rules put in place by the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was unable to avoid it altogether. Throughout history, many geniuses had fallen not at the hands of powerful enemies but from the schemes of their peers.

The death of every single genius master teacher was a huge loss to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it was in view of this that the Master Teacher Pavilion had implemented the system of pavilion crashing to serve as an avenue for these geniuses to redress their grievances.

Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan succeeded or failed, the very fact that the headquarters had agreed to his request meant that the headquarters held Zhang Xuan in high regard, and as a consequence of that, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion would be effectively plastered with a label of incompetence and mistreating rising prodigies. The headquarters would summon Pavilion Master Gou for further investigation, and no matter how the investigation turned out, the latter’s reputation would be ruined.

“There’s no way he can succeed, there’s just no way… Puu!” King Zhongqing roared with clenched jaws when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest, and fresh blood burst through his lips.

He quickly turned to Bai shi and pleaded, “Quick, beat me. Beat me up with all your might! I need it! I need it right now…”

“…” Bai shi.

“…” Emperor Chu Tianxing.

…

In the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion…

Seeing the two words in the sky, Wu shi felt his vision darken.

He did think that Pavilion Master Gou had displayed a lack of fairness in this matter, but still… no matter what, this was where he had grown up and spent several centuries in. He already considered this place his home, and he could not bear to see someone wrecking it.

However, he knew that it was already too late to say anything.

Given the present circumstances, Zhang Xuan had no choice but to choose this course of action.

Zhang Xuan was only a 6-star master teacher whereas Pavilion Master Gou was a 7-star master teacher, as well as the head of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion. If the latter really attempted to indict him for some crime, the only way Zhang Xuan could have possibly salvaged himself was through crashing the entire Master Teacher Pavilion.

Wu shi stood in a daze for a long while, and all the frustrations and helplessness he felt within him eventually materialized in the form of a deep sigh.

On the other hand, Pavilion Master Gou was so angered by the course of events that his entire body was trembling in rage.

Having served five hundred years as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, he was already nearing his retirement age. He had thought that he could spend the end of his career in peace and retire with a perfect record, but who would have thought that he would actually end up stepping on a huge landmine at the final juncture?

He knew that regardless of the outcome of the pavilion crashing, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion’s reputation was doomed to be sullied.

“You! Do you know what it means to crash a Master Teacher Pavilion?” Suppressing the exploding rage within him, Pavilion Master Gou glared at the young man before him with gritted teeth.

If looks could kill, the world would have withered there and then.

“You are asking me that question? Humph!”

As if there was lightning within his eyes, Zhang Xuan glared at Pavilion Master Gou with a frightening gaze as he spoke.

“For mankind, I, Zhang Xuan, descended alone into the Subterranean Gallery to mend the seal leading to the otherworldly battlefield!

“For mankind, I hunted down the Ten Kings of the Qingtian Lineage one after another, averting a potential crisis!

“For mankind, I have groomed the students of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy and granted them strength comparable to the combat masters!

“I have devoted my life to protecting mankind, putting myself in precarious situations time and time again, and I have never regretted my actions! And yet, the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion dares to humiliate me like this… I only hope that the headquarters give me an opportunity to redress my grievances! Since you are incompetent and useless, choosing to cover up for those who have sinned just to avoid stepping into muddied waters, I’ll just have to use my own methods to resolve this matter!

“As for whether you are embarrassed by this matter or not… why should I care about that?”

” You! ” Choked by Zhang Xuan’s words, Pavilion Master Gou spurted a mouthful of blood.

He had thought that the figure whom he was dealing with was a mere 6-star master teacher, and a few words of criticisms would surely have made the latter bow obediently before him. Never in his dreams had he expected the other party to be such a fearless troublemaker!

“Pavilion Master Gou… I hate to say this, but you have really done wrong this time around.” Wu shi closed his eyes and shook his head.

While others might have been unaware of it, he knew that the young man before him was a Celestial Master Teacher and a Celestial Saint, a figure whose standing was on par with Kong shi’s!

Putting aside the head of a branch, even the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would dare not humiliate the other party in such a manner!

Humiliating a figure like that was no different from undermining the authority of the heavens! If the other party were to take such an insult lying down, how could he possibly stand dignified before the masses ever again?

Hearing the words spoken by Wu shi, Pavilion Master Gou’s face warped in fury, and he spat furiously through gritted teeth, “You said that I have done wrong? Humph, do you think that it’ll be that easy to crash our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion? Sound the bells!”

Since things had already reached that point… there was no way that he would let the other party get away so easily!

Dong dong dong dong!

Shortly after his bellow, four resounding chimes echoed from the depths of the Master Teacher Pavilion, indicating the arrival of a pavilion crashing challenger.

Hong long long!

In just fifteen minutes, all of the 6-star and 7-star master teachers had returned to the Master Teacher Pavilion with grim expressions on their faces, as if soldiers preparing to march onto the battlefield.

“There are two steps to pavilion crashing. Firstly, the challenger must defeat all the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Secondly, the challenger must successfully clear the Master Teacher Tower! Currently, all of the 6-star and 7-star master teachers in our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion are present here. If you wish to crash our pavilion, you will have to first trample past on their dignity!”

At which point, Pavilion Master Gou slowly swept over the gathered master teachers with his gaze before bellowing authoritatively, “Master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, someone has come to challenge our dignity. What shall we do?”

“Annihilate him!”

“Make him learn that our Master Teacher Pavilion is not a place for him to fool around!”

“How dare a 6-star master teacher act so brazenly as to challenge our Master Teacher Pavilion? See how I eradicate him with a flick of my hand!”

…

Upon understanding what was going on, the master teachers howled furiously.

Seeing that morale was high among the master teachers, Pavilion Master Gou nodded in satisfaction. “Good! Let’s begin then!”

There were dozens of thousands of 6-star master teachers in the Qingyuan Master Teacher Academy, and their might was no joking matter when combined together. No matter how talented or powerful Zhang Xuan was, their forces were more than enough to grind him down eventually!

“Who will go first?”

“Allow me! As a member of the Master Teacher Pavilion, I wish to strike down the brazen fool who dares challenge us!”

Shortly after those words were spoken, a loud whiz sounded from the air as a young man descended from the sky.

Zhang Jiuxiao!

He had just rushed over from the Appraiser Hall.

“Good!” Pavilion Master Gou nodded.

Zhang Jiuxiao was the offspring of a Sage Clan, the Zhang Clan. Even though he was just part of the side family, his talent was unrivalled by any other in the Qingyuan Empire. On top of that, as a 7-star master teacher, he had many means up his sleeves. Without a doubt, it would be a piece of cake for him to deal with Zhang Xuan!

Pavilion Master Gou secretly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Jiuxiao. “There’s no need to show him mercy. Let him learn the heavy price he must pay for daring to crash our Master Teacher Pavilion!”

“Pavilion Master Gou, rest assured. I know what to do!” With a frown, the aura surrounding Zhang Jiuxiao grew stronger and stronger as he turned to look at the young man not too far away with narrowed eyes.

From the moment he met the fellow the day before, the fellow had embarrassed him time and time again. Since that was the case, he would resolve this humiliation once and for all with a fight!

“A duel between master teachers can come in many forms—a challenge of Soul Depth, a fight in supporting occupations, a direct showdown, a lecture… Since you are the challenger, I have the right to choose the type of challenge,” Zhang Jiuxiao said as he walked confidently toward Zhang Xuan before eventually stopping five meters in front of the latter.

As the offspring of the Zhang Clan, he had been able to take many shortcuts in his cultivation, resulting in his state of mind being less tempered than others. However, he was confident that his capabilities in all other aspects were top-notch, and he would not lose to anyone!

Since that fellow had dared challenge the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he would make that fellow learned that he was not to be trifled with.

In no mood to entertain Zhang Jiuxiao, Zhang Xuan waved his hands impatiently. “Speak!”

“I choose a showdown, a duel to pit our strength against one another!” Zhang Jiuxiao sneered coldly.

A duel was the most direct and easiest way for him to establish his superiority. As a member of the Zhang Clan, he had cultivated many powerful battle techniques, so defeating a fellow whose cultivation was beneath his was truly no big deal.

“Jiuxiao, you mustn’t!”

On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Jiuxiao was proposing to have a direct fight instead, Pavilion Master Gou immediately recalled how Zhang Xuan had sent Vice Pavilion Master Tian flying with a flick of his hand, so he quickly sent a telepathic message over anxiously.

Since even a Half-Leaving Aperture realm expert like Vice Pavilion Master Tian was no match for Zhang Xuan, how could Zhang Jiuxiao possibly stand a chance?

Zhang Jiuxiao shrugged the other party’s worries away with a chuckle. “Pavilion Master Gou, rest assured! No matter what, I am an offspring of the Zhang Clan. While my cultivation is only at Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, my fighting prowess has already far exceeded that level. To be honest with you, I have never revealed my true strength before.”

As there was no peer who was a match for him, there had never been any need for him to use his full strength before. For the first time, he planned on displaying his true strength in public to teach Zhang Xuan a lesson!

Hong long!

His acupoints burst open simultaneously, and an overwhelming aura abruptly burst forth from him.

In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already exceeded the boundary of Saint 3-dan pinnacle, reaching Saint 4-dan.

“Primordial Spirit realm? When did Zhang Jiuxiao achieve a breakthrough?”

“It seems like he has been concealing his true strength all along…”

“To reach the Primordial Spirit realm beneath thirty, he is truly fearsome…”

“He isn’t the most formidable genius of our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for no reason! There’s no way that 6-star master teacher can possibly be a match for him!”

…

Seeing Zhang Jiuxiao’s cultivation surge to Saint 4-dan in an instant, everyone was taken aback for a moment before admiration and respect seeped into the depths of their eyes.

“Zhang shi is so dashing. I knew that no one would be able to match him!”

At some point in time, the millstone-bottom lady had arrived in the hall, and hiding behind a pillar, she peeked on Zhang Jiuxiao coyly with stars twinkling in her eyes.

She knew that her idol was no ordinary person, but she had not expected him to be so extraordinary. Just by the momentum itself, he had already overwhelmed his opponent many times over. Watching this sight, her massive heart could not help but thump in excitement.

Hu!

Zhang Jiuxiao’s aura eventually stabilized at Primordial Spirit realm primary stage. He clenched his fists tightly as he leisurely stretched his neck, causing crisp ‘Geji! Geji!’ sounds to echo in the room. After which, he turned to look at the young man before him with eyes filled with disdain. “Let’s begin.”

“Are you certain you are ready?” Zhang Xuan asked indifferently.

“Indeed. If you wish to use a weapon, feel free to do so. I’ll catch anything that you send at me with my bare hands and show you the unbreachable gap between a mortal like you and a true prodigy!” Zhang Jiuxiao harrumphed coldly as he channeled his zhenqi toward his hands, creating a golden shimmer around them.

“Weapon?” A derisive smile emerged on Zhang Xuan’s lips as he said impatiently, “I don’t have time to waste on you. Since you are ready, I’ll start now.”

He was extremely busy.

Crashing the pavilion meant that one had to face all the master teachers associated with the Master Teacher Pavilion and overcome the many wills left behind by the preceding master teachers in the Master Teacher Tower. He had no additional time to waste on this fellow.

“I don’t have time to waste on you either, so I’ll end you in an instant!”

Seeing how Zhang Xuan was taking him lightly, the final string of sanity within Zhang Jiuxiao’s mind finally snapped, and with a furious roar, he dashed forward.

“You want to end me? Try it then!” Without even bothering to dodge Zhang Jiuxiao’s attack, Zhang Xuan raised his head, and a voice reminiscent of the crisp chime of a bell boomed.

“Kneel down!”

Boom!

It was as if thunder had rumbled within the room. In an instant, the momentum that Zhang Jiuxiao had built up for his offense vanished without a trace, and before anyone could process what was going on, the other party abruptly plummeted from the sky and crashed to the ground.

With his kneecaps firmly fixed onto the ground, Zhang Jiuxiao kneeled before Zhang Xuan with indignation and frenzy written on his face.

Chapter 1181: You Think I Dare Not Pummel You? Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

 

“What?”

“This… How is this possible?”

Everyone’s face warped in shock.

The millstone-bottom lady even fell to the ground in utter disbelief.

The idol whom she had revered for so long… was actually unable to even withstand a bellow from the other party, kneeling down without the slightest bit of resistance. What in the world was going on?

In an instant, the faith that she had carried for so long abruptly shattered.

“No, this can’t be…”

While the crowd was staring at the situation with mouths agape, veins were popping up on Zhang Jiuxiao’s forehead as frenzy overtook his mind.

He was a genius!

A peerless genius in the Qingyuan Empire!

How could he be subdued in a single shout? How could he kneel before another man so embarrassingly?

“You bastard, I’ll slaughter you!” Roaring furiously, Zhang Jiuxiao pushed his hand against the ground forcefully and flew into the air. After which, he charged forward furiously once more.

He had come here to prove himself, not to be humiliated once more!

Seeing how the other party was still doggedly coming after him, Zhang Xuan bellowed once more. “Scram!”

Padah!

Zhang Jiuxiao plummeted from the sky, and this time, his body scrambled on the ground and fled away hurriedly.

“Jiuxiao, be careful! Your state of mind is your core weakness, and that is why he’s using demonic tunes against you! As long as you shut off your hearing organs, you should be able to cope with his offense easily!” Pavilion Master Gou anxiously sent a telepathic message over.

While others were still wondering why Zhang Jiuxiao was listening to Zhang Xuan so obediently, Pavilion Master Gou had already fully comprehended the situation. Zhang Jiuxiao’s greatest weakness was his state of mind, which resulted in him being powerless before the other party’s demonic tunes.

It could be said that Zhang Xuan had already identified Zhang Jiuxiao’s weaknesses, and he was playing on them to his advantage.

Hearing those words, Zhang Jiuxiao swiftly awakened from his frenzied state, and gritting his teeth, he forcefully shut off his sense of hearing. As expected, the effects of the demonic tune dulled significantly, allowing him to wrestle back control over his body.

Then, with a swift leap, he dashed straight toward Zhang Xuan to launch an assault.

On the other hand, seeing that Zhang Jiuxiao was determined to court his death, Zhang Xuan impatiently flicked his finger.

Peng!

” Ahhh! ” A scream of agony echoed loudly in the air before Zhang Jiuxiao was smacked away like a pesky fly. He crashed right into the wall of the building before dangling weakly up there.

Zhang Jiuxiao was no weakling, but he was still far from a match for him.

After sending Zhang Jiuxiao flying, Zhang Xuan turned his attention back to the remaining master teachers, and placing his hands behind his back, he said, “To save some time, why don’t all of you come at me together?”

“He wants to challenge all of us simultaneously?”

“Is he insane? He’s only at Saint 2-dan pinnacle; even a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator wouldn’t be able to withstand our combined offense!”

…

Hearing his words, everyone nearly lost their mind for an instant.

Everyone who had gathered within the room was a 6-star master teacher at minimum, and there were more than ten thousand of them there. Even the weakest of them was at Half-Saint realm, and their combined might was sufficient to tear apart the heavens and earth. Putting aside a mere Spiritual Perception realm pinnacle cultivator, even a Leaving Aperture realm expert like Hall Master Xing would not have stood a chance against them!

“None of you are going to make a move? Fine, allow me to go first then!”

Too lazy to waste his breath any more, Zhang Xuan walked up to the crowd, and his voice began echoing resoundingly in the minds of everyone gathered in the room.

“The key to cultivation lies in devotion, and the crux of the devotion to one’s path lies in earnestness. Only with an earnest heart can one accomplish…”

Zhang Xuan began lecturing.

“What is he up to?”

“He seems to be lecturing about the essence of cultivation!”

“Huh? Isn’t he going to fight us? Why is he conducting a lecture all of a sudden?”

…

The crowd had thought that the other party was about to dash right into their midst and fight them with all his might. Yet, contrary to their expectations, not only did he not make a move, he even began imparting an interpretation of cultivation to them, leaving every single one of them dumbfounded.

Just as they were perplexed, Pavilion Master Gou’s anxiously shouted, “Everyone, be careful! He’s using the Impartation of Heaven’s Will. He’s planning on making all of you submit to him!”

To be honest, Pavilion Master Gou was truly feeling deeply frightened at this point.

Even a genius as talented as Zhang Jiuxiao, dubbed as the number one prodigy of the Qingyuan Empire, had ended up falling from a mere bellow from Zhang Xuan. From just this, it could be seen that Zhang Xuan’s Soul Depth was comparable to his own, if not above it!

Such formidable Soul Depth paired with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will… in a group battle, there was no weapon more devastating than this!

Even poison masters were not as fearsome as that!

Against a poison master, the most one could lose was one’s life. However, against a master teacher’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, one would lose control of oneself and become the other party’s student!

“Impartation of Heaven’s Will? That does seem to be the case… I want to struggle against him, but… what he is saying is really true!”

“If I cultivate according to his words, my cultivation will surely be greatly enhanced within a short period of time!”

“I really couldn’t have imagined that there is such an exquisite zhenqi circulation method in the world. This is too scary, too scary!”

…

Hearing Pavilion Master Gou’s bellow, the crowd immediately attempted to struggle free of Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, but their minds and bodies just would not listen to them. Instinctively, they desired to learn, and the other party’s teachings were simply too valuable for them to miss out on.

“The rest of you, feel free to make a move on him. I’ll listen to his words a bit first… Wait a moment! Don’t do it now. Let him finish this part before making a move!”

“If any of you dare to touch him, I’ll pummel you into the ground. This portion happens to be regarding the flaw of my cultivation. If I can resolve this problem, I will surely be able to make a breakthrough to become a 7-star high-tier master teacher!”

…

Such words could be heard amid the crowd. In the blink of an eye, the tense atmosphere had abruptly calmed down, turning into a leisurely academic exchange.

“…”

Watching the inconceivable sight before him, Pavilion Master Gou felt crazed. He did not even notice it when he plucked out several strands of his beard.

My brothers, wake up! He’s crashing our Master Teacher Pavilion; this isn’t the time to be learning from him!

“Pavilion Master Gou, at this rate, all of the master teachers of our Qingyuan Empire master Teacher Pavilion are going to become his students!” Vice Pavilion Master Tian exclaimed with a pale face.

He had just barely recovered from the other party’s previous blow when he saw such a sight before him, and he was nearly shocked speechless.

“I know, but there’s no way to break his Impartation of Heaven’s Will unless he makes a mistake in his teachings!” Pavilion Master Gou’s face reddened in anxiety.

The Impartation of Heaven’s Will was a resonance induced by the alignment of one’s teachings with the essence of the world. If there was the slightest error in one’s teachings, the resonance would immediately be dispelled, and the crowd would recover from the trance they were in and regain their rationality.

“Are we to wait helplessly for him to make an error? Will he even make an error? Since he dares use the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, he must have done his homework in advance,” Vice Pavilion Master Tian said anxiously.

“But what else can we do?”

“Simple! We should just have Zhang Jiuxiao assault him from behind. In any case, they were supposed to be dueling with one another, and besides, he was the one who asked everyone to go at him a moment ago. Thus, this cannot be considered an unfair move! As long as we pull it off, we’ll be able to break his Impartation of Heaven’s Will, and by then… it will be impossible for him to successfully crash the pavilion,” Vice Pavilion Master Tian sneered coldly.

Pavilion Master Gou hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. “Very well!”

If he, as the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, were to break the other party’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will forcefully, he would surely be despised and mocked for his actions. However, it was different for Zhang Jiuxiao.

In the first place, he was supposed to be in a duel with Zhang Xuan, and as fellow peers, he did not have to pay as much attention to his standing compared to Pavilion Master Gou. Thus, it would not be a big deal if he made a move.

Having made up his mind, Pavilion Master Gou quickly sent a telepathic message to Zhang Jiuxiao.

As Zhang Jiuxiao had shut off his hearing organs, he was not as affected by the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will as the others. As soon as he heard Pavilion Master Gou’s orders, a cold glint flashed through his eyes, and he nodded. “I’ll do it right now!”

The single flick that had sent him flying had left him utterly humiliated. No matter what, he had to get one back on Zhang Xuan!

Huala!

Flicking his wrist, two long sword swords and four sabers appeared before his eyes, each of them commanding a powerful presence.

Two Saint intermediate-tier and four Saint low-tier artifacts!

Even Pavilion Master Gou only had a single Saint intermediate-tier artifact in his possession, and yet, Zhang Jiuxiao was able to whip out two of them in a single breath along with four other Saint low-tier artifacts. His fortune was truly astounding!

“Go!” Zhang Jiuxiao waved his hand furiously as he commanded his weapons.

Huala!

The six weapons flew straight toward the lecturing Zhang Xuan!

Zhang Jiuxiao was not intending to kill Zhang Xuan but to interrupt his Impartation of Heaven’s Path.

A typical Saint intermediate-tier weapon wielded strength comparable to a Primordial Spirit realm expert whereas a typical Saint low-tier weapon wielded strength comparable to a Spiritual Perception realm cultivator. Against the simultaneous assault of all six weapons, even Vice Pavilion Master Tian would be pressured to deal with them.

This was the true strength that Zhang Jiuxiao wielded!

The origin of his confidence also lay in these six weapons. With them, there was no way any of his peers would be able to match him!

Not expecting Zhang Jiuxiao to be so despicable as to assault Zhang Xuan at this moment, Wu shi shouted in a panic, “Zhang shi, be careful!”

Considering that Zhang Xuan was in the midst of crashing the pavilion, Wu shi was not allowed to make a move to help the other party, or else that would be flouting the rules.

Hu la!

The six weapons flew forth in an arc, heading right for Zhang Xuan’s back. However, the latter continued lecturing the crowd, as if he was oblivious to the movements of the weapons.

“… channeling the inner breath into the internal organs, like the spirit of a weapon enforcing its body. Other than tempering its body, a weapon can grow stronger through tempering its spirit as well. Even among Saint intermediate-tier artifacts, there are some that wield strength comparable to a Primordial Spirit realm expert, and others are on par with Leaving Aperture realm cultivators. This difference is not a result of the usage of inferior materials in its crafting or lack of tempering, but the weakness of the weapon’s spirit!

“A weak spirit can easily be eradicated by its master, thus placing it in a deeply vulnerable position…” Zhang Xuan’s voice sounded as spiritual energy began gathering in the area, forming beautiful, miniature flowers that slowly drift to the ground.

The weapons that were previously heading toward Zhang Xuan suddenly halted upon hearing those words.

Seeing the weapons that had been charging full momentum a moment ago abruptly coming to a halt, Zhang Jiuxiao panicked. Driving his zhenqi furiously, he loudly bellowed, “Kill him!”

Those weapons had already acknowledged him as their master, so there was no reason for them to disobey him. Yet, to abruptly halt in the midst of their assault, floating in midair silently… were his weapons listening to Zhang Xuan’s lecture as well?

Wasn’t the Impartation of Heaven’s Will supposed to only be effective on cultivators?

When did the Impartation of Heaven’s Will become effective on weapons as well?

Zhang Jiuxiao was completely dazed in this moment.

“Heart of a Teacher, Enlightenment Devoid of Discrimination,” Pavilion Master Gou muttered in disbelief. His body began trembling uncontrollably.

A normal master teacher could cause a cultivator’s zhenqi to circulate in accordance to the content of their lecture through their Impartation of Heaven’s Will, thus convincing the cultivator to become their student.

But to make even weapons listen obediently to his Impartation of Heaven’s Will, it could only mean that Zhang Xuan had already comprehended the Heart of a Teacher!

Those who had comprehended that ability could affect not only cultivators with their Impartation of Heaven’s Will, even ordinary humans, animals, or even weapons would be influenced as well.

Seeing that none of his weapons were moving, the desperate Zhang Jiuxiao furiously bellowed, “Attack him! I said, attack him…”

Hu!

But before he could finish speaking, the Saint intermediate-tier sword that had flown forth previously suddenly retreated toward him.

Huala!

A burst of sword qi suddenly struck Zhang Jiuxiao, plastering him back onto the wall.

“Shut up, can’t you just let me listen to this lesson properly? To be prattling on over there so noisily, don’t you realize that you are being an annoyance? You think I dare not pummel you?” One of Zhang Jiuxiao’s swords harrumphed coldly before turning its attention back to Zhang Xuan.

It floated silently in the air, reminiscent of an obedient little student before its teacher. From time to time, it would even tilt itself forward slightly, as if indicating that it had understood the content of the lecture…

Chapter 1182: The Legendary Palm Art That Descends from the Heavens

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Jiuxiao burst into tears.

For real.

As an offspring of the Zhang Clan, he had seen plenty of formidable geniuses in his time, and he knew how fearsome they could be. Knowing that there was a natural gap between him and them, even if he was utterly crushed by their hands, he would at least still be able to accept it and swiftly recover from the mental trauma. But… to be pummeled and told to shut up by his own sword…

How was he supposed to accept something like that? His heart felt so pained that he could hardly breathe!

Was that still his weapon?

It was just a mere lecture; did it really have to betray him over something like that?

Compelled by his confusion, Zhang Jiuxiao released the seal on his hearing to hear what kind of amazing knowledge Zhang Xuan was lecturing about to make his sword willingly betray him. In just a few moments after releasing his hearing, his zhenqi had already begun moving according to the formula that the other party was explaining.

Zhang Jiuxiao was astounded by what he was hearing. This… What a formidable cultivation technique! It’s on par with the top-notch techniques of the Zhang Clan! Is it really fine for him to impart such a formidable technique so easily?

As an offspring of the Zhang Clan, he had seen much more than ordinary cultivators, so it was inevitable that he would have a sharp eye for cultivation techniques and the sort.

He could tell that there was no fluff in the other party’s lecture at all. Every single word was directed toward the crux of cultivation, words of wisdom in the truest sense. Just by assimilating the content of the lecture, he would be able to cultivate much easier and smoother than before. From that alone, it was already superior to most cultivation techniques out there.

As Zhang Jiuxiao’s eyes started to glaze, he quickly bit his lips to regain his rationality. This won’t do. I mustn’t continue listening to his lecture, or else I will be indebted to him and become his student…

While his state of mind was nothing compared to Zhang Xuan’s, it was still far superior to that of ordinary 7-star master teachers. On top of that, he was a significant distance away from Zhang Xuan as well. Thus, despite the formidable might of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, he was still able to force himself to retain consciousness.

Forcefully suppressing his desire to continue listening to the other party’s lecture, he struggled out of the wall with some difficulty while contemplating on how he could ruin the other party’s lecture.

Zhang Jiuxiao found that he was unable to stand up by himself after struggling for a while, and coincidentally, a lady with a millstone bottom suddenly walked over at this moment. Thus, he strenuously stretched his hand toward to the lady and said, “Come over here and help me for a moment…”

He knew that the other party was his loyal fan, infatuated with him to a crazed degree. Putting aside helping him up, the other party could remain excited for days just by catching a single look of him.

Pah!

But instead of being helped up, Zhang Jiuxiao found his face welcoming the millstone bottom instead.

Sou!

Crushed by the millstone bottom, he was sent flying into the wall once more, and huge mouthfuls of blood spewed wildly from his mouth.

“Shut up. If I see you interrupting Zhang shi’s lecture again, I’ll pummel you whenever I see you on the streets!” The lady with the millstone bottom harrumphed coldly before walking away.

“…” Zhang Jiuxiao.

First, the betrayal of his weapon, and now, the betrayal of his most loyal fan. Just what kind of magic did Zhang Xuan cast to be able to capture their hearts so utterly?

Traumatized by the happenings, his mental fortitude collapsed in that instant. Unable to suppress himself any longer, his zhenqi began moving according to the formula described by Zhang Xuan.

At the same time, his wounded strength and aura also began recovering swiftly.

The more he cultivated, the more intricate he felt the matter was, and the more glazed his eyes became.

After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and said, “Alright, I’ll be stopping the lecture here today. If you have any doubts, feel free to approach me after class to clarify them.”

“Yes, Teacher!”

The ten thousand or so master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion bowed down one after another, submitting willingly to the young man before them.

Even though the young man had not lectured them for too long, there was no doubt that they had benefited greatly from his lesson. Through his teachings, their cultivation would surely soar in the near future.

Even Zhang Jiuxiao had bowed down together with the crowd without any hesitation.

“It’s over…” Seeing how the crowd was reacting, Pavilion Master Gou’s face collapsed. In an instant, he looked as if he had aged several centuries.

He had thought that with the ten thousand master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, they would at least be able to obstruct the other party. Yet, in just a single lecture, they had ended up becoming his students.

If only he had known that Zhang Xuan was so formidable, he would have never been so foolish as to speak up for Tian Qing!

“It’s your turn.”

Just as Pavilion Master Gou was feeling suffocated within, the young man’s voice sounded. Raising his gaze, he saw the other party staring right at Vice Pavilion Master Tian and him.

The first phase of pavilion crashing was to defeat all of the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and currently, all of the other master teachers had become the other party’s students, leaving only Wu shi, Vice Pavilion Master Tian, and Pavilion Master Gou.

Considering that Wu shi had a close relationship with the other party, there was no way he would make a move. Thus, he and Vice Pavilion Master Tian were the only ones who remained.

Tossing aside all of the miscellaneous thoughts in his mind, Pavilion Master Gou exhaled deeply before stepping forward. “Since everything has developed to this point, I’ll be your opponent then!”

As he had already been humiliated, the embarrassment from having to make a move against a junior could not impede him any longer.

No matter what, he was a Leaving Aperture realm expert. While he had yet to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, his strength still far exceeded that of Vice Pavilion Master Tian and Wu shi.

As he made his way over toward Zhang Xuan, Pavilion Master Gou noticed that Vice Pavilion Master Tian seemed to be intending to join the battle as well, so he quickly shook his hand and harrumphed. “Tian Qing, you wait by the side and don’t make a move. Even if our Master Teacher Pavilion is crashed today, we mustn’t abandon our dignity!”

It was already embarrassing for a 7-star master teacher like him to make a move against a 6-star master teacher. If they had to go to the extent of ganging up on the latter on top of that, they would not be able to face anyone anymore.

“Yes!” A cold glint flashed across Tian Qing’s eyes as he stepped backward and lowered his head silently.

When Pavilion Master Gou was standing only ten meters away from Zhang Xuan, Wu shi secretly sent a telepathic message over to the latter. “Principal Zhang, even though Pavilion Master Gou hasn’t undergone the Leaving Aperture Ordeal yet, he still wields power far exceeding mine. You must be careful when facing him!”

He had taken into account everything that had happened over the past few days, and as unwilling he was to see Zhang Xuan crash the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, he knew that the latter was justified in doing so. Furthermore, considering the latter’s identity, nothing could be allowed to happen to him!

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Leaving Aperture realm could be further divided into Quasi Leaving Aperture realm and True Leaving Aperture realm. Basically, Quasi Leaving Aperture referred to those who had already gained the ability to draw their Primordial Spirit out of their bodies but had yet to undergo the lightning ordeal.

Without undergoing the lightning ordeal, no matter how powerful one’s Primordial Spirit was, its strength would still be limited. It was like how Zhang Xuan could have never wielded such astounding power at just Saint 2-dan if he had not undergone the Saint Ascension Ordeal back then.

Hall Master Xing and Pavilion Master Gou were both at Quasi Leaving Aperture realm. As powerful as they were, there was still a gap between them and True Leaving Aperture realm primary stage experts.

Nevertheless, their strength was still plenty fearsome. They were already capable of adeptly controlling their environment and wielding it to their advantage, making it difficult for any opponent whose cultivation was beneath them to match them.

“Make your move!” Facing the strongest opponent that he had encountered other than Luo Chengxin, a hint of graveness surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

Hula!

Without wasting his breath on words, Pavilion Master Gou raised his hand and thrust it forward forcefully.

His palm strike did not seem to be particularly powerful, but through the mystical capabilities of his Primordial Spirit, the space surrounding his palm strike became extremely viscous, making it difficult to dodge his attack.

Leaving Aperture realm cultivators are capable of controlling space to some degree, allowing them to hinder the movements of their enemies. If I had not learned Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, I would have been bound by that before I could do anything, Zhang Xuan remarked internally as he felt the changes in his surroundings.

As expected of the strongest fighting power within the Qingyuan Empire! Even without undergoing the lightning ordeal, their strength was still not something that a Saint 2-dan cultivator like Zhang Xuan could withstand.

Retreat! Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan stepped forcefully against the ground and leaped backward.

As long as Pavilion Master Gou had not reached True Leaving Aperture realm, the space that he could control would be severely limited. If Zhang Xuan could get out of the other party’s range, the other party’s technique would not be able to faze him.

“Do you think that you will be able to escape?” Sneering coldly, Pavilion Master Gou raised his hand and closed it forcefully. In the following moment, it felt as if the space within the room had abruptly caved in, and the momentum of Zhang Xuan’s retreat was immediately stalled.

Battle Technique: Dominion of the Roaring Tiger!

Even though it was only an ordinary Saint low-tier battle technique, the strength that it displayed was comparable to a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique in Pavilion Master Gou’s hands.

Tzzzzzzz!

A thin sheet of zhenqi revolved relentlessly in the surroundings, causing the air to become even more viscous than before.

Dragged back by that thin sheet of zhenqi, Zhang Xuan’s speed plummeted once more.

With his strength, he should have been able to cover tens of meters within a single breath. Yet, under the effects of Pavilion Master Gou’s multiple means, he could not even retreat half a meter within the same period of time.

“As expected of the head of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion…” Zhang Xuan remarked as he decisively halted his retreat. The following instant, his body blurred slightly before abruptly vanishing from the spot.

“What?” Seeing the other party vanish right before him, Pavilion Master Gou narrowed his eyes in astonishment. Before he could react, a figure suddenly materialized in front of him, and a palm flew forcefully toward his chest.

Zhang Xuan had decisively abandoned his retreat, choosing to use the momentum of the Dominion of the Roaring Tiger to charge toward him instead!

However, this was nothing to worry about. After all, the gap between them was simply so huge that it could not be bridged by tactics alone.

“Not a bad maneuver at all! If it had been anyone else, it just might have worked. However, it’s a pity that you are going up against a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator!” Sneering coldly, a brilliant ray of light burst from Pavilion Master Gou’s glabella before a Primordial Spirit drifted out into the air.

The next moment, Zhang Xuan felt as if his entire body had been bound. Even though his palm was just half a meter away from the other party, it was as if there was a world standing in between that half a meter. No matter how he pushed forward, his palm just would not advance any further.

Is this the strength of a Leaving Aperture realm expert? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

Even though he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, granting him some control over space, it was still insufficient for him to go head to head against an opponent as powerful as Pavilion Master Gou.

It looks like this is my limit! Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.

Upon gaining a rough gauge of how powerful he was at the moment, he decided to get serious. In an instant, all the acupoints throughout his body burst open, and an overwhelming surge of zhenqi burst forth. The zhenqi swiftly morphed into thousands of palms superimposed upon one another before falling upon Pavilion Master Gou.

“Thousand Hands Rulai Palm? How can this technique be so powerful?”

“It seems like he has made some alterations to it, or else it couldn’t possibly wield such power…”

Recognizing the move that Zhang Xuan was executing, the master teachers in the area were stunned.

The Thousand Hands Rulai Palm was a Saint intermediate-tier battle technique. While it allowed one to strike hundreds of palms consecutively, each individual palm strike was not that powerful due to the dispersion of energy. Against a stronger opponent, it would only be effective as a distraction.

However, this limitation did not seem to apply to Zhang Xuan at all. Every single palm within his thousands of palms was filled with devastating might that threatened to smash apart everything within its way. Even a Primordial Spirit realm pinnacle expert would have been smashed into minced meat before it!

“Just how much zhenqi must he have to execute so many palms simultaneously?” a master teacher within the crowd exclaimed in shock.

Those words left the master teachers widening their eyes in shock as they swiftly made calculations in their minds. The unbelievable conclusion that they arrived at caused them to gulp a mouthful of saliva down their hoarse throats.

Indeed. To be able to execute thousands of palms with each palm strike wielding such devastating might… even if they were to learn this battle technique as well, there was no way that they would have enough zhenqi to successfully execute it.

Even if they sapped every last droplet of zhenqi from their bodies, they would not even be able to execute a quarter of the battle technique.

Siila!

Under the relentless waves of devastating palm strikes, the seals that Pavilion Master Gou had cast over the surrounding space were swiftly torn into shreds.

Following which, with a powerful leap, Zhang Xuan rose high into the air before abruptly turning 180-degrees and diving downward 1 , quickly accelerating. At the same time, he pulled his palm backward and thrust it forward powerfully.

Boom!

An immense palm print formed in front of Zhang Xuan’s hand.

“T-this! Could it be…”

Upon seeing this sight, Zhang Jiuxiao face paled in shock as he turned to a nearby master teacher and asked anxiously, “Do you remember the legendary palm art that descends from the heavens?”

“I don’t,” replied the master teacher curtly.

“…” Zhang Jiuxiao.

Chapter 1183: No

 

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“You haven’t heard of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm? Back then, unable to pay his final respects to his deceased mother due to compelling circumstances, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu created this technique out of deep sorrow. Due to the concept behind the technique, the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm is one of the few physical battle techniques that is able to faze a cultivator’s soul! Legend has it that one of its moves consists of a palm art descending from the heavens,” Zhang Jiuxiao quickly explained as he stared at the sight before him with the utmost shock.

As an offspring of the Zhang Clan, while the lacking purity of his bloodline made him unqualified to access the best cultivation resources within the clan, the experiences and relics that he had come into contact with in the Zhang Clan still granted him knowledge and an eye of discernment far superior to the master teachers of the Qingyuan Conferred Empire.

As one of the closest followers of Kong shi, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was indubitably a legendary figure of the Master Teacher Pavilion. While the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm was not the strongest battle technique that he had created, the unique properties of the technique still made it rather well-known.

Hu hu!

While Zhang Jiuxiao was explaining the palm art to the other master teacher, more and more power was gathering in front of Zhang Xuan’s palm, stirring up a mini tornado in the surroundings. Everyone could not help but retreat before the powerful air currents.

A tree desires the calm, but the wind batters relentlessly; a child seeks to repay, but his parents wait not! 1

“Hmm?”

Seemingly recognizing the move as well, Pavilion Master Gou’s body trembled in astonishment.

The person whom he respected the most happened to be Ancient Sage Qiu Wu, so naturally, he knew about the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm as well. His mind was almost blown when he saw Zhang Xuan executing the move!

He had searched for Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s heritage for so many years, but to no avail. Who would have thought that the young man before him would be able to execute the battle techniques of his idol so easily, so smoothly, and so powerfully!

Huala!

In his moment of astonishment, the palm strike finally fell upon him.

Zhang Xuan possessed the Eye of Insight, and he had already achieved the level of Infinitesimal Maneuver as well. As such, he was able to grasp the flow of battle with perfect precision. It took a mere glance for him to notice the huge fluctuations in Pavilion Master Gou’s emotions, and he instinctively knew that this was the ideal opportunity for him to strike.

Under the immense force of the palm strike, Pavilion Master Gou’s Primordial Spirit was forcefully struck back into his body before he retreated eight steps back. His face reddened from the impact, and a mouthful of blood burst from his lips.

That single palm strike had dealt considerable internal injuries to him.

“The Leaving Aperture realm Pavilion Master Gou… was actually injured by Zhang shi?”

“But there is a three-realm difference between the two of them!”

“To be able to bridge this gap and match Pavilion Master Gou squarely, Zhang shi is too formidable!”

The other master teachers did not recognize the Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, but upon seeing Pavilion Master Gou getting injured from Zhang Xuan’s assault, their bodies could not help but stiffen in disbelief.

To them, Pavilion Master Gou was not only the most powerful expert of the Master Teacher Pavilion but a symbol of its invincibility as well. He was the sturdy pillar whom they could fall back on in times of crisis. Yet, in less than three blows, Zhang Xuan had already managed to push him back and deal considerable internal injuries to him. This was an immense shock to all of them.

“It’s fortunate that we listened earnestly to his lecture instead of challenging him, or else… we might have been lying on the floor at this very moment!”

“Indeed. Thank god for Zhang shi’s magnanimity…”

Wiping the cold sweat off their foreheads, the master teachers patted their wildly beating chest in relief.

Earlier, when they had submitted to Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will without putting up a fight, they had felt that they had let the Master Teacher Pavilion down. However, the sight before them had dispelled the deep guilt within them.

Against such strength, even if they had really challenged Zhang Xuan, there was no doubt that they would have been defeated as well! Their involvement would not have made the slightest difference to the ultimate outcome.

“Your move…” Frantically steadying his body, Pavilion Master Gou swiftly suppressed his internal injuries before turning to Zhang Xuan with an anxious look. He opened his mouth, wanting to ask the young man before him about the technique that he had just executed, but before he could finish his words, the young man had already charged up to him to continue his assault.

This time, the young man’s palm strike was much more powerful than before. While it was not augmented by the momentum of his descent, the might that it wielded did not pale in comparison at all.

Humph, I’ll take a look for myself to see if that is the real Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm or not! Knowing that it would be fatal if he allowed himself to be distracted in battle, Pavilion Master Gou swiftly put aside all of his miscellaneous thoughts and turned his attention back to the battle.

Previously, he had been relying on the abilities unique to Leaving Aperture realm cultivators to deal with Zhang Xuan, but this time, he wanted to rely on his own zhenqi and body and fight a proper battle with the other party.

Placing his palms together before his chest, ripples of shockwaves began spreading out one after another from the meeting of his hands, inducing a deafening sonic boom.

Saint intermediate-tier battle technique, Myriad Waves Layered Clouds!

Legend had it that a master teacher had created this battle technique when inspiration struck him while studying the flow of water within a river. Ripples of shockwaves would burst forth relentlessly like the river that flowed tirelessly, overwhelming the surroundings through its multiple layers just like the clouds concealed the sky.

Pavilion Master Gou had devoted countless years of his life to refining this technique of his, and he had long achieved a high level of mastery in it. The Myriad Waves Layered Clouds easily halted the advancement of Zhang Xuan’s Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm, keeping it firmly at bay.

However, Zhang Xuan did not back down just because of that. Instead, while continuing to exert force on his right hand, he raised his left hand and gathered the Power of the Stars on his fingertip before shooting a blinding ray of light forward.

“The Grand Constellation Finger?”

“A palm art in one hand, a finger art in the other?”

The crowd was stunned by what they were seeing. Even Zhang Jiuxiao was shocked speechless by the sight, not daring to believe his eyes.

A palm art and a finger art were two entirely different battle techniques, and the zhenqi circulation pathways required for executing the techniques were completely different from one another as well. It was possible to execute the palm art first before executing the finger art, or vice-versa, but… to execute them simultaneously on a hand each… that was a nigh impossible feat!

Putting aside them, not even Pavilion Master Gou would have been able to accomplish such a feat!

Wuuuuuuuuuu!

The Grand Constellation Finger swiftly tore a small hole in Pavilion Master Gou’s Myriad Waves Layered Clouds, causing the might of the latter’s battle technique to disperse swiftly like flowing water, thus undoing the defense that the other party had built up.

Kacha!

The Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm swiftly tore through Pavilion Master Gou’s weakened defense with overwhelming might, forcing the latter to retreat in a fluster.

Incredible!

Not expecting that he would still be outdone despite having exerted his full strength, Pavilion Master Gou assessed the young man before him grimly. Swapping his palm with a fist, he charged forward once more.

Boom boom boom!

Both sides moved with incredible agility. Within less than a minute, they had already exchanged more than a hundred blows.

Watching the battle, one of the master teachers could not help but mutter to himself in absolute shock. “Pavilion Master Gou was known as an unparalleled genius in his earlier days, and he has mastered countless powerful battle techniques. In that series of exchanges previously, he must have used at least ten different battle techniques. Considering his background, it’s understandable how he is able to pull that off, but… if my eyes are not playing tricks on me, Zhang shi seems to have used more than eighty battle techniques in the same period of time.”

Pavilion Master Gou was already nearing nine hundred, so it was not surprising for him to have learned and mastered many battle techniques. But Zhang Xuan was only twenty years old! To execute so many formidable battle techniques with ease, it was apparent that he had a deep understanding of every single one of them…

How could that be possible?

“I have been counting, and he has used a total of 87 battle techniques so far,” another master teacher added.

Those words swiftly caught the attention of others, and they widened their eyes in disbelief.

As combat masters, they knew how difficult it was to master every single battle technique. Yet, every single battle technique that the young man had executed was at a mastery of Major Accomplishment at the very minimum… Inconceivable!

“It seems like it’s about time for the title of the number one genius of Qingyuan City to change hands!”

The crowd could not help but agree with that statement.

In the past, they had viewed Zhang Jiuxiao as a hurdle that they would never be able to overcome, but after seeing the young man before them, they realized that a true prodigy was actually an existence who was far beyond the comprehension of mortals like them.

Contrary to everyone’s shock, Wu shi frowned in incomprehension at the sight before him instead. “Something is wrong…”

Another master teacher stepped forward to ask, “Wu shi, what’s wrong?”

Wu shi contemplated for a moment, trying to put his finger on the feeling of incongruence that he felt. “Principal Zhang specializes in identifying the flaws of others and capitalizing on them to subdue his opponents, but he has not done so in this battle. Instead, he began displaying an array of battle techniques. It almost as if he’s intentionally prolonging the battle to temper himself!”

While the other master teachers might not have been familiar with Zhang Xuan’s abilities, he could not have been any clearer about them, especially after what they had gone through together in the Qiu Wu Palace.

The fellow had a remarkable eye that allowed him to accurately discern the flaws within the battle techniques or cultivation techniques of any cultivator, and he had always relied on this ability to catch his opponent off guard and subdue them in a single move.

But despite utilizing so many powerful battle techniques, that fellow did not center his attacks on Pavilion Master Gou’s flaws. From this, it could be deduced that he was not intending to defeat the latter immediately. If so, there could only be one possibility… he was trying to temper his strength through battle!

“Tempering himself?” The master teacher could not believe what he was hearing.

If it was on any other occasion that someone had told him that a Spiritual Perception realm cultivator was battling a Leaving Aperture realm expert but was thinking of ways to temper himself through the battle instead of achieving victory, he would have surely thought that the other party was fool or a lunatic. However… with what was happening right before his eyes, no matter how inconceivable the matter was, he knew that it was the undeniable truth!

To actually be thinking of tempering himself while fighting against an expert three cultivation realms stronger than he was… just how confident was the other party in his fighting prowess?

Boom boom boom!

After trading three more blows, Pavilion Master Gou was suddenly forced back, giving Zhang Xuan a moment to catch his breath.

Just as Wu shi had guessed, he was intending to use Pavilion Master Gou to temper his mastery of the battle techniques.

It was not easy for him to find a worthy opponent who could take him at his full might. Furthermore, he had just learned many new battle techniques from the Combat Master Hall, so he wanted to test them out and heighten his mastery in them as well.

As expected of a Leaving Aperture realm expert, I’m indeed no match for him at the moment. Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed.

Even though his fighting prowess had risen after grasping the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, it would still be too difficult for him to match a Leaving Aperture realm expert until he achieved a breakthrough to the Embryonic Soul realm. Otherwise, just by the overwhelming gap in their fundamental capabilities and strength, it was nigh impossible for him to emerge victorious.

Nevertheless, while it would be difficult for him to achieve victory in a proper duel, there were actually many other ways he could subdue the other party.

Raising his palm and crushing it downward to halt the other party’s advancement, Zhang Xuan snapped his fingers.

Sou sou sou sou!

More than a hundred flags suddenly materialized from Zhang Xuan’s storage ring, and they swiftly took their positions around Pavilion Master Gou.

As soon as that was done, Zhang Xuan stomped on the ground lightly, and the formation instantaneously came to life.

He had achieved a proficiency comparable to 7-star formation masters in the field of formations back at the Qiu Wu Palace. Although it would be difficult to him to fight against Pavilion Master Gou with just his own strength, with the help of a formation, his chances of victory would be enhanced significantly.

Hula!

A mist swiftly shrouded the entire area, concealing Pavilion Master Gou within as well.

Zhang Xuan had set up two 7-star intermediate stage formations, and while they were not too powerful, it would still take Pavilion Master Gou more than ten breaths to undo them.

That period of time was more than enough for Zhang Xuan to subdue Pavilion Master Gou.

As the formation whirred into operation, the crowd found their vision completely blocked by the mist.

Kacha!

After fifteen minutes, the formation finally dissipated, and with a wave of his hand, Zhang Xuan returned all of the formation flags to his storage ring.

Seeing that the battle had ended so quickly, the crowd quickly turned their gazes toward Pavilion Master Gou, only to freeze the next moment.

The dashing Pavilion Master Gou from a moment ago had his head planted in the ground. His entire body was covered with blood and wounds, such that there was not a single spot of unblemished skin on his body.

It was apparent that he had come under a frenzied torrent of attacks within the short period of time, and it was doubtful whether even his closest kin would be able to recognize him given the current state he was in.

Huala!

Pavilion Master Gou plucked his head out from the earth. He did not seem to feel disappointed or humiliated by his loss. On the contrary, his eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation as he asked, “Zhang shi, may I ask if the technique you displayed earlier is Ancient Sage Qiu Wu’s Heavenly Demon Great Sorrow Palm?”

“That’s right.” Zhang Xuan nodded, admitting to the matter.

“May I know… if it’s possible for you…” Pavilion Master Gou hesitated. Gritting his teeth in determination, he continued. “… to impart the battle technique to me?”

“Why? You are interested in learning the technique?”

“That’s right!”

“Then I won’t teach you.”

“…”