Chapter 1200

Chapter 1200: Spirit Reinforcing Pill

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang Xuan?” Hall Master Zhao Yi repeated the name under his breath.

Considering how much respect the Progeny of Combat had for his teacher, he would have to make sure to treat the other party respectfully in the future.

At this moment, he suddenly caught sight of a young man flying over from afar and landing in the middle of the concourse. Placing his hands behind him, the young man looked at the Progeny of Combat on the screen with complex emotions in his eyes.

“Hall Master Xing, is that person a combat master from your Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall?” Hall Master Zhao Yi narrowed his eyes in rage. “It’s one thing for him to arrive so late despite the sounding of the Combat Master Assembly Decree, but how dare he not kneel to receive the decree of the Progeny of Combat? Is this the kind of discipline a combat master should have?”

It was just a moment ago that the Progeny of Combat had made his decree, so it was only right for all combat masters to kneel and humbly receive his decree. And yet, that young man arrogantly dared to remain standing in the middle of the concourse! This was truly unacceptable!

“Ah, he isn’t a combat master from our Combat Master Hall. He’s the person whom I told you about, the head of the Xuanxuan Faction, the principal of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, Zhang… Hall Master Zhao, where are you going?” Hall Master Xing explained with his sight still fixated on the Progeny of Combat on the screen. When he finally turned about to look at Hall Master Zhao, he realized that the latter had already stood up and was walking toward Zhang Xuan with a hostile glint in his eyes.

“I don’t care whether you are the head of the Xuanxuan Faction or whoever you are, but our Combat Master Hall is currently holding a solemn ceremony now. Please leave this instant, or else don’t blame me for getting nasty with you!”

The decree of the Progeny of Combat was a confidential secret among the Combat Master Hall. Since the young man was not from the Combat Master Hall, he should have known better than to land in the middle of the concourse. Or… could it be that he was trying to eavesdrop on the confidential secrets of the Combat Master Hall?”

“You want to get nasty with me?” Zhang Xuan frowned in displeasure.

He had rushed over to see how the friendly spar had gone, only to see the image of Zheng Yang before the Great Combat Master Atrium while he was making his way over. Thus, he could not help but land in the concourse to take a closer look.

Looking at how his student had matured, and he could not help but feel a little nostalgic inside.

But at that moment, this old man suddenly came over to threaten him.

“That’s right, don’t think…” Hall Master Zhao Yi bellowed furiously, but before he could finish his words, a finger suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Sou!

Hall Master Zhao Yi’s eyes widened in astonishment, but it was already too late for him to respond. It appeared to be a normal flick, but due to the immense force harnessed within the flick, his body swiftly retreated into the distance before colliding with the wall of the atrium, producing a resounding explosion.

Zhang Xuan was in no mood to deal with anyone. This was a precious moment for him and his student, and he did not want to be interrupted by anyone.

Since the old man was the one who had provoked him in the first place, he had no qualms about flicking the old man away.

After sending the old man flying, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back once more as he continued looking at the screen before him.

Watching how Zheng Yang had become the Progeny of Combat had left him many emotions within.

He had accompanied Zheng Yang on every part of his journey since Tianxuan Kingdom, watching how an ordinary spear fanatic who had just had his heart broken slowly worked diligently day in and day out, gradually refining his spear art to a level far surpassing his peers, eventually becoming the Progeny of Combat.

So many things had changed in less than a year. Time sure was a powerful force.

A teacher can only do so much for their student. The true reason for your success lies in your own diligence and perseverance! Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.

While the simplified Heaven’s Path Spear Art was an unparalleled battle technique in the world, it would be for naught if the practitioner himself did not work diligently on it.

Just take Sun Qiang for example… Forget it, let’s not talk about something that depressing on this happy occasion.

Zheng Yang could not be considered the most talented among his direct disciples, but without a doubt, he was the most valiant and hot-blooded of them all.

It was his deep love and perseverance for the spear that had led him to where he was today.

Even the most capable of teachers could only play an auxiliary role in the lives of their students.

Zheng Yang had managed to pave his own way forward, and Zhang Xuan was happy for him.

“How dare you…”

Climbing out of the rubble, Hall Master Zhao Yi gritted his teeth in fury.

He had thought that the brazen young man would leave sheepishly after hearing his criticism, but who knew that the latter would actually be so arrogant as to beat him up?

To make a move against a hall master in a Combat Master Hall… Unpardonable!

Seething with rage, Hall Master Zhao Yi was just about to rush up to the young man once more to teach him a lesson when he suddenly saw Hall Master Xing rushing toward him.

“Hall Master Xing, that leader of the Xuanxuan Faction actually dared to brazenly assault me before the Progeny of Combat! He might be your guest, but such actions cannot be tolerated in the Combat Master Hall! Otherwise, what will become of the discipline of the combat masters?” Hall Master Zhao Yi spat angrily through gritted teeth.

The reason his candidates had failed to acquire a single slot to the Sword Lagoon of the Qianchong Empire was due to that fellow, and he had even been humiliated by a young lady of the Xuanxuan Faction just a moment ago. While he had chosen to accept those matters, it was still inevitable that they would breed some frustration and resentment within him toward the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction.

This incident only served to spark those negative emotions within him. Completely clouded by rage, the only thing that was on his mind at that moment was to teach that young man a lesson!

“Listen to me, he isn’t just an ordinary guest…” Hall Master Xing hurriedly advised.

“I know that your Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall is indebted to him, but he dared to disrespect the Progeny of Combat and undermine the Combat Master Hall! If I don’t teach him a lesson, how am I to face my combat masters?” Hall Master Zhao Yi harrumphed coldly as he marched forward furiously.

“Fine, do whatever you like!” Seeing how Hall Master Zhao Yi refused to hear his words, Hall Master Xing frowned in displeasure. He flung his sleeves impatiently and said, “Right, I forgot you tell you. The name of the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction is… Zhang Xuan!”

“Zhang Xuan?” That name caused Hall Master Zhao Yi to halt in his footsteps. An ominous feeling in his heart left him shuddering in fear as he asked meekly, “The teacher of the Progeny of Combat?”

“Who else?” Hall Master Xing replied curtly before returning to his position to kneel down.

If you desire death that much, go ahead!

I won’t stop you!

“He… really is the teacher of the Progeny of Combat?” Hall Master Zhao Yi suddenly found the world spinning around him as he struggled to process what he had just heard.

It was no wonder the candidates of the Qingyuan Empire Combat Master Hall would grow so much stronger after three days of guidance! If the teacher of the Progeny of Combat was behind the matter, that would explain a lot!

Hu!

Hall Master Zhao Yi stood petrified on the spot, not knowing what he should do.

At this moment, the silhouette of the Progeny of Combat gradually faded after issuing his decree.

The surrounding combat masters stood up and turned toward Zhang Xuan before bowing respectfully.

“All of them know…” Hall Master Zhao Yi’s eyes swam around the place from frenzy.

He was really in deep trouble this time around.

The Progeny of Combat had just instructed everyone to treat his teacher with the utmost respect, and yet, right after hearing the decree, he had insolently told the young man to leave the Combat Master Hall.

His face gradually turned redder and redder as he racked his brain to figure out a way to get the young man to pardon him for his rudeness.

At that moment, Hall Masters Wei Qianshu and Liu Qinshan suddenly walked up to Zhang Xuan and clasped their fists respectfully.

“Paying respects to Zhang shi. Our Combat Master Hall is interested in having an exchange with the Xuanxuan Faction. May I know if Zhang shi will be so magnanimous as to grant us the opportunity to learn from the Xuanxuan Faction?”

“I have long heard of the fame of the Xuanxuan Faction, and it would truly be an honor to have an exchange with you…”

Hearing those words, Hall Master Zhao Yi’s lips twitched in frenzy.

Those two fellows were too shameless!

It was just a moment ago that they had been filled with disdain with the so-called Xuanxuan Faction. Yet, as soon as they learned that the leader of the Xuanxuan Faction was the teacher of the Progeny of Combat, their attitudes had immediately taken a 180-degrees turn. Where was their dignity?

“You can discuss the issue with Hall Master Xing.” Seeing that a huge crowd was swiftly gathering around him, Zhang Xuan shook his head before taking his leave.

Still overwhelmed by his emotions from seeing how Zheng Yang had become the Progeny of Combat, Zhang Xuan was in no mood to deal with such miscellaneous affairs. In any case, there were others to handle the matter in his stead, so there was no need for him to deal with them personally.

Thus, he returned to his residence.

Not too long later, Hall Master Xing knocked on his door.

“Principal Zhang, thanks to your training, our candidates manage to obtain all twenty slots to Qianchong Empire’s Sword Lagoon. As promised, I’ll share half of the awarded concentrated high-tier spirit stones with you. However, it will probably take some time before the reward arrives.”

“Roughly, how long will it take?”

Hall Master Xing pondered for a moment before replying. “The headquarters have a unique delivery method, but even so, it will still take at least ten days.”

“Ten days?” Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed helplessly.

He had thought that he would be able to acquire the concentrated high-tier spirit stones swiftly and quickly advance his cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle, but from the looks of it, it seemed like he would still have to wait a while longer.

Why did cultivation have to be so difficult?

Looking back, he really missed the days when he could advance an entire realm within a single night.

“Principal Zhang, do you still require a lot of concentrated high-tier spirit stones?” Hall Master Xing asked after noticing Zhang Xuan’s frustrated expression.

“Yes. Do you know of a way to acquire them?”

“I don’t have any way to acquire more concentrated high-tier spirit stones, but if you are intending to use them for your cultivation, perhaps you could try the grade-7 Spirit Reinforcing Pill instead,” Hall Master Xing suggested. “The Spirit Reinforcing Pill harnesses concentrated medicinal energy that can advance even the cultivation of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator significantly.”

“Spirit Reinforcing Pill?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment.

There was some information regarding Spirit Reinforcing Pills within the books in the Master Teacher Pavilion. It was a grade-7 pill that had an effect similar to concentrated high-tier spirit stones. However, he had never seen the pill in person before, and he did not have the pill formula for it either.

“I happen to have a Spirit Reinforcing Pill with me at the moment. Principal Zhang, why don’t you give it a try? If it is effective, you can acquire more from Guild Leader Wu. He should have quite a few in his possession.” Hall Master Xing flicked his wrist and passed a jade bottle to Zhang Xuan.

“Thank you.”

Zhang Xuan took the jade bottle and uncapped it. Floating within the bottle was a crimson pill, and he could vaguely feel the concentrated spirit energy that was sealed within it.

Taking the pill out of the bottle, he popped it into his mouth.

The pill swiftly dissolved into a huge accumulation of warm, concentrated spiritual energy, which swiftly flowed through his meridians before eventually gathering in his dantian.

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

Too accustomed to cultivating with spirit stones, he had not really thought of seeking other substitutes for spiritual energy. However, the fact was that there were plenty of items that could replace the use of spirit stones!

For example, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that he had acquired from the Cloudmist Ridge back then was a superior substitute for middle-tier spirit stones.

Naturally, there were also some pills that could replace spirit stones as well.

Even though the spiritual energy within the Spirit Reinforcing Pill was less concentrated than that of concentrated high-tier spirit stones, it was still useful to him at the moment.

If he could just acquire enough of them, he would be able to push for a breakthrough to Embryonic Spirit realm pinnacle!

Seeing how the young man swallowed the pill directly without bothering to sit down and cultivate, Hall Master Xing widened his eyes in astonishment. “Principal Zhang… don’t you have to cultivate to assimilate the energy within the pill into your body?”

Even he would have to take some time to assimilate the energy within a Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and yet, the Saint realm 3-dan young man before him had actually swallowed it so recklessly. Was he not scared of absorbing in too much spiritual energy in one go and exploding?

“Hmm? I have already assimilated the energy within the pill,” Zhang Xuan replied with a hint of confusion in his voice.

It was only one small pill; he had assimilated the energy within it a moment after consuming the pill. Why would he have to specially cultivate for it?

“You have already assimilated it?” Hall Master Xing’s lips twitched in frenzy. At this moment, he finally understood how the young man before him had been able to advance his cultivation so swiftly.

Putting everything aside, just the rate of his assimilation was already incomparable to any ordinary cultivator.

“Are there more of such pills in the Apothecary Guild?” Zhang Xuan asked.

If he wanted to achieve a breakthrough using the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, he would require a massive amount of them, a hundred at the very minimum. Just that, would the Apothecary Guild have that many pills for him?

“I’m not too sure either. You will have to ask Guild Leader Wu for that,” Hall Master Xing replied.

Guild Leader Wu Huayu was the individual who had invigilated Zhang Xuan’s Pill Debate examination back when he was still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Zhang Xuan’s exceptional results then had led him to deliver the Grand Intermittence Grass to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy personally. Unfortunately, Zhang Xuan happened to be away back then.

“Okay. I’ll head to the Apothecary Guild now then,” Zhang Xuan replied.

Luo Ruoxin would be marrying the genius of the Zhang Clan on the third month of the following year. He could not afford to waste any time.

Bidding Hall Master Xing farewell, Zhang Xuan walked out of his accommodation, only to see Luo Qiqi walking toward him.

“Teacher…”

Upon seeing Luo Qiqi, Zhang Xuan felt a slight headache.

As an attached man, he felt a little awkward about being confessed to by his student.

Nevertheless, knowing that he could not possibly continue hiding from the other party, he sighed inwardly as he walked up to Luo Qiqi.

“Teacher, can you… accompany me for a day?”

Noticing that Zhang Xuan’s expression had turned a little awful, Luo Qiqi’s face sank slightly, but she continued staring at him with expectant eyes.

“Just one day!”

Chapter 1201: Your Teacher Shall Redress Your Grievances for You!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“What’s wrong?” Noticing that the young lady’s eyes were slightly reddened, as if she had just cried a moment ago, Zhang Xuan frowned.

While Luo Qiqi’s confession had made the relationship between the two of them slightly awkward, he would not hesitate to strike down anyone who dared bully his student!

“It’s nothing much…” Luo Qiqi’s eyes seemed to dim for a moment before she raised her head once more and replied with a smile. “I just want to spend some time with you, Teacher.”

“Ah… Alright then!” Seeing that Luo Qiqi had something weighing on her mind, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding.

It was inevitable for those too outstanding to be fancied by others. As long as he maintained an appropriate distance between the two of them, there was no issue with them spending some time together.

As long as he conducted himself correctly and made his intentions clear, it would only be a matter of time before the other party dispelled her thoughts. On the other hand, if he continued avoiding her, it would only cause her mind to wander, and that could prove to be dangerous.

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s consent, Luo Qiqi’s face lit up in delight. “Then… shall we find a quiet place? It’s a little noisy over here!”

Be it the Combat Master Hall or the Xuanxuan Faction, they were filled with familiar faces. It was indeed a little inconvenient.

Thus, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Thus, the duo took flight, and before long, they landed at the top of a mountain right outside Qingyuan City.

Sitting on a boulder near the cliff, Luo Qiqi gazed intently at the bustling Qingyuan City, seemingly pondering over something.

A mountainous breeze tussled her hair, pulling some strands over her impeccable face. Yet, this slight imperfection seemed to be perfect in its own way as well.

Admittedly, the young lady was indeed very beautiful, and her beauty was not just limited to her exterior. She had a calming disposition that placed those around her at ease as well, making it very comfortable to be around her.

Facing young lady’s queer silence, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, “Is there something on your mind? As long as it’s within my means, I’ll try my best to help you.”

There was no doubt that the young lady had some worries on her mind, but there was nothing he could do about it if the latter refused to speak.

“It’s nothing much. It’s just that I suddenly remembered some things from my childhood.” Luo Qiqi smiled as she quietly gazed down at Qingyuan City. “When I was younger, I liked to spend my time idly sitting on the rooftop and watching the sunrise and sunset, as well as the birds that fluttered their wings freely in the sky. Somehow, that brought me great joy as a child.

“There was one time when I found myself deeply desiring an artifact. I really wanted it a lot, so I pestered my father to get it for me. In the face of my relentless pleas, my father eventually caved in. However, he said that he would only give it to me after I mastered a cultivation technique, so I frantically cultivated, regardless of day or night. A year later, I finally succeeded! My father did not renege on our promise either, and he gave the artifact to me.

“I can still remember how happy I was the day I received the artifact. It was something that I had acquired through my hard work. I brought it around with me everyday, hugging it to sleep even. But on one occasion, while I was fighting with another, it broke. I was truly heartbroken, and I wept for three whole days. My father found an identical one to comfort me, and it was really the same no matter how one looked at it. But for some reason, I no longer wanted it.”

With her knees hugged to her chest and her chin resting atop them, Luo Qiqi tilted her head over and asked, “Teacher, do you know why?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“It was because it is no longer the same one that I liked… Even if it appears identical, it wasn’t!” Luo Qiqi replied.

Not knowing how to respond to it, Zhang Xuan was quiet for a long moment before replying with a nod.

This should have been a common experience for many. When an object that one liked a lot was destroyed, even if an identical one was bought to replace it, the anticipation for it would no longer be there.

Sentiment was not something that could be transferred just because two objects appeared or were identical.

“Eventually, I slowly came to understand that just because I liked something doesn’t mean that I’ll be able to possess it forever. Just like that shattered artifact, no matter what I do, I’ll never be able to get it back to how it was anymore.”

At this point, Luo Qiqi turned to look at Zhang Xuan once more. It seemed like she had many words at the back of her throat, but she was unable to voice them.

Noticing that there was something amiss with the young lady’s state, Zhang Xuan said, “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you? If the other party is at fault, I’ll exact vengeance for you!”

“Pfft!” Luo Qiqi suddenly burst into laughter. She looked at Zhang Xuan playfully as she asked, “Will you really exact vengeance for me?”

“Of course,” Zhang Xuan replied with a light smile.

“You are the one who bullied me. Do it, exact vengeance for me,” Luo Qiqi said earnestly.

“…” Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

A moment of carelessness, and he had fallen into the young lady’s trap once more.

Back then, she had claimed that she had some doubts in mind and needed answers, but in the midst of clarifying her doubts, he had ended up being confessed to. It seemed like it was the same this time around as well. A pitiful front, but if he were to earnestly respond to it, he would fall into a pit as well.

Just as Zhang Xuan was at a loss, the young lady suddenly stared at him intently and said, “Teacher, you haven’t given me a proper response yet. You should also know that my feelings for you… are more than just those between a teacher and a student!”

“Is this how you should talk to your teacher?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “If that’s all you want to say, I’ll be leaving now!”

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan stood up.

“I’m joking, I’m joking… Don’t get mad!” Luo Qiqi quickly appeased Zhang Xuan while secretly sticking her tongue out.

“It’s not funny. Please do not make that kind of joke again.” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

“Alright. Teacher…” Luo Qiqi paused for a moment before asking, “Will you teach me pill forging one more time?”

“Sure.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “What kind of pill do you want to forge?”

There were many different pill formulae in the world, and each of them had a unique forging method.

“The pill that I want to forge is the grade-7 Spirit Reinforcing Pill,” Luo Qiqi replied.

“Spirit Reinforcing Pill?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

It was just a moment ago that he had told Hall Master Xing that he needed some Spirit Reinforcing Pills, and he had been intending to find them at the Apothecary Guild. Who could have known that Luo Qiqi would suddenly ask to learn to forge the pill at this moment?

“That’s right,” Luo Qiqi replied with an innocent blink of her eyes.

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, “Do you have the required pill formula and medicinal herbs?”

This would be a good opportunity for him to refine the forging method for the Spirit Reinforcing Pill. With this, he would be spared from a lot of trouble when he headed to the Apothecary Guild.

“I have already prepared them!” Luo Qiqi answered with a smile before flicking her wrist to take out a jade token.

Zhang Xuan took the jade token and scanned it with his consciousness. The content imprinted within the jade token was swiftly transferred into his mind.

It was indeed the pill formula for the Spirit Reinforcing Pill.

With Zhang Xuan’s knowledge as a 7-star pinnacle apothecary, it did not take him too long to deduce the most ideal method to forge the pill.

“Here are the medicinal herbs.” Luo Qiqi flicked her wrist once more, and a huge pile of medicinal herbs appeared before her eyes.

Taking a swift look at the medicinal herbs, Zhang Xuan was stunned. “Where did you find these medicinal herbs?”

The medicinal herbs that the young lady had taken out each had a maturity of a least several thousand years! One must know that such medicinal herbs were worth an astronomical sum!

An ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pill only required medicinal herbs that were fifty years mature. If one were to use these several-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs to forge the Spirit Reinforcing Pill, the produced pills would at least be several dozen times more potent!

“As you know, I like to study and explore. I happened to discover an ancient domain a while back, and these medicinal herbs came from there!” Luo Qiqi explained.

“You really are quite lucky,” Zhang Xuan remarked.

Given how meticulous Luo Qiqi was, even being able to trace the underground chamber where Wu Yangzi had been imprisoned through a forged weapon, it was not surprising that she had discovered other ancient domains as well.

“Teacher, are these medicinal herbs sufficient to forge the Origin Reinforcing Pill?” Luo Qiqi asked.

“Definitely! Not only sufficient, the Spirit Reinforcing Pill will also be of exceptional quality!” Zhang Xuan nodded. “However, these medicinal herbs are valuable, so you have to be careful not to make an error during the forging. A cauldron explosion with these herbs would be a huge pity!”

With such valuable medicinal herbs, as long as the forging process was perfect as well, there was a good chance that they would be able to up the grade of the Spirit Reinforcing Pill!

“Un.” Luo Qiqi nodded.

“Since the medicinal herbs used are of a significantly higher maturity, I’ll have to make some changes to the forging method. Give me a moment,” Zhang Xuan said.

Naturally, the forging method had to be changed when the potency of the medicinal herbs used was different. Zhang Xuan swiftly went through his forging method once more to tailor it to the current conditions before flicking his wrist to summon the Golden Origin Cauldron.

While the Golden Origin Cauldron was a weapon cauldron, it could also be used as a pill cauldron as long as several conversion formations were cast over it.

“Let’s use the Golden Origin Cauldron for the forging; it should lower the chances of a cauldron explosion!”

“Alright!” Luo Qiqi replied.

Once everything was ready, Zhang Xuan whipped out a brush and penned down the revised pill formula before passing it over to the young lady.

It did not take long for the young lady to memorize the pill formula, and soon, the pill forging began.

With Zhang Xuan guiding by the side, the pill forging proceeded smoothly. Soon, the lid of the cauldron was opened, and a burst of spiritual energy burst up to the heavens.

Sou!

Five pills flew out of the cauldron, intending to escape.

“Quasi grade-8 pills!” Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up. He waved his hand, and the Golden Origin Cauldron swiftly leaped up to capture the fleeing pills. After which, Zhang Xuan carefully placed them into jade bottle that he had prepared beforehand.

The Spirit Reinforcing Pill was intended to be a grade-7 pill, but due to the superior maturity of the medicinal herbs used in the forging, they had actually managed to forge five quasi grade-8 pills! While they were not true grade-8 pills yet, their potency could not be compared to a Spirit Reinforcing Pill.

“Since you were able to forge such Spirit Reinforcing Pills, I believe that you should have mastered the forging technique for it as well.” Zhang Xuan passed the jade bottle to the young lady with a smile.

On top of being quasi grade-8, those pills were Inscribed Pills as well! Beautiful patterns flowed over the pills, granting them an exceptional beauty.

The quality of a pill could be divided into four tiers: Formation, Satiation, Perfection, and Inscribed Pill.

The fact that Luo Qiqi was able to produce an Inscribed Pill showed that she already commanded a perfect understanding for the forging process of the specific pill.

As long as she digested what she had learned from this experience, her comprehension of pill forging would shoot up significantly.

“It’s due to your guidance that I was able to successfully forge the Spirit Reinforcing Pills. Thus, I would like to gift these pills to you!” Luo Qiqi pushed the jade bottle back to Zhang Xuan.

“I can’t accept these Spirit Reinforcing Pills from you.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The medicinal herbs had come from the young lady, and the pill had been forged by her as well. Even though he had guided her from the side, this was not a good enough reason for him to accept these incredibly valuable pills from her.

“Then… How about this? I’ll keep one for myself and gift the remaining four to you. If you still feel that it’s too much to accept, you can compensate me with spirit stones!” Seeing through Zhang Xuan’s thoughts, Luo Qiqi took a pill out of the jade bottle before pushing the rest back to him.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. “This… Alright then.”

It just so happened that he needed some Spirit Reinforcing Pill, and the effectiveness of these quasi grade-8 pills was equivalent to several dozen ordinary ones. With four of these, he would have no trouble achieving a breakthrough to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle!

Taking out a storage ring, Zhang Xuan placed the ten thousand high-tier spirit stones that he had obtained from the Appraiser Hall into it before passing it over.

Luo Qiqi carefully took the storage ring from Zhang Xuan before raising her head to look at Zhang Xuan once more. “Teacher, you said earlier that you would exact vengeance for me if anyone bullies me. Did you mean it?”

Not expecting Luo Qiqi to suddenly ask such a question, Zhang Xuan was taken aback. A moment later, he nodded. “Yes.

“If anyone dares bully you, your teacher shall redress your grievances for you!”

Chapter 1202: Saint 3-dan Pinnacle ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

No matter what, Luo Qiqi was still his student. If someone bullied her, he could not possibly sit idly.

This was just like how he would stand up for Lu Chong and the others.

“Thank you…” Seeing the unwavering look in the man’s eyes, Luo Qiqi could not help but recall the sight of the latter standing up against the Otherworldly Demon puppets back in the underground chamber, and a faint smile crept onto her lips.

It had been half a year since she had come to know this man, and she knew what kind of person he was.

For his student, he would stand against an entire kingdom unhesitatingly. For his butler, he was a man who would oppose the First King and a vice pavilion master of a Conferred Empire. Domineering, but very protective of those whom he cared for. Just by this alone, she had no doubt that he would rush to her rescue if something happened to her.

And this was why she loved him.

Earnest, gutsy, responsible, and decisive!

To those whom he cared for, he would treat them earnestly, not showing the slightest hint of hypocrisy.

“Teacher, I’m happy to hear such words from you. Alright, I’ll be heading back first!” Luo Qiqi patted the dust off her hand as she flashed Zhang Xuan a smile. “I won’t impose on you any longer.”

Zhang Xuan waved his hand. “Go on.”

Even though he had not voiced it explicitly, his actions should have clearly shown his rejection for her feelings.

After the affairs today, she should understand that he viewed her as another one of his precious students, and her affection toward him would never bear fruit. Hopefully, she would cast aside those thoughts and find one who was truly suited for her.

Luo Qiqi turned around before muttering softly, “Farewell… Teacher.”

After which, she leaped into the air, and before long, she vanished from sight.

At Luo Qiqi’s departure, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

He had only spent two hours with the other party, but he felt as if he had fought a war.

It seemed like he would really have to hold himself back in the future and maintain a lower profile, or else it would be troublesome if too many ladies were to fall in love with him.

Sometimes, being too outstanding was a sorrow.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan was just about to find a place to cultivate with his newly-acquired Spirit Reinforcing Pills when he suddenly saw a figure heading over. It was none other than Yu Fei-er!

“Zhang shi, aren’t you being a little biased? You should have told me that you were teaching Qiqi pill forging! I want to learn it, too!” Yu Fei-er harrumphed as soon as she landed on the cliff, apparently displeased by the private time he had spent with Luo Qiqi.

The both of them had confessed, and yet, Zhang Xuan had still chosen to spend some private with Luo Qiqi. She could not help but feel a little jealous at that.

“I was only teaching her pill forging. Nothing of what you are thinking happened…” Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration. Knowing that it would be better to be straightforward with someone of Yu Fei-er personality, he decided to get straight to the point. “To be honest with you, I already have someone that I like!”

“Really? Who is it? Is it Qiqi?” Yu Fei-er asked in alarm.

“It’s not her but… the little princess of the Luo Clan!” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Luo Clan? As in the Sage clan?” Yu Fei-er did not believe what she was hearing. “The Luo Clan is a lofty existence in the Master Teacher Continent, so how could you be acquainted with their little princess?”

The Sage Clans were existences that stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, the very embodiment of absolute power! In comparison to the Luo Clan, her Hongyuan royal family was truly nothing at all.

Considering that Zhang Xuan originated from the humble Tianxuan Kingdom, how could he possibly be acquainted with someone as noble as the little princess from the Luo Clan, let alone fall in love with her?

“You can choose not to believe my words if you want to. As for how I came to know her… I can only say that it was the workings of destiny. Furthermore, I can tell you that the feelings that we have for one another are mutual!” At this point, Zhang Xuan could not help but think of Luo Ruoxin, and his lips unknowingly curled up into a smile.

It was a misunderstanding that had brought them together the first time they met. He had thought that she was being pursued by spirit beasts back then, and he had forcefully pulled her down into a river, only to faint in the end. Thinking about it, the misunderstanding seemed almost like the miraculous working of fate. If that had not happened, would they still be together today?

In any case, since he already had someone he loved, he did not want to get too deeply involved with other ladies anymore. Yu Fei-er was a headstrong and resolute person, so he felt that he should nip her feelings in the bud.

“I don’t believe you. You are lying…” Yu Fei-er’s face paled.

All along, she had thought that Zhang Xuan had no girlfriend and that she, Luo Qiqi, and Hu Yaoyao all stood a chance as long as they worked diligently. However, it seemed like they were already too late.

“You are a wonderful lady, but what I am saying is the truth.” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

“But I…” Too agitated, Yu Fei-er’s breathing hastened, rendering her unable to continue. Gritting her teeth, she turned around. After a moment of silence, she spat, one word after a word, “Zhang shi, I have imposed on you today. I’ll be leaving now…”

Then, not even waiting for Zhang Xuan’s response, she leaped into the sky and took flight, disappearing into the horizon in a few moments.

Even though she did not say anything, her voice was tinged with sorrow and shock.

She could not believe that Zhang Xuan was taken, and she could not accept it either.

“Jeez.” Seeing that he had unintentionally hurt two ladies in just a few moments, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed.

If possible, he did not want to have done that either.

But he simply did not harbor any romantic feelings toward them. If he had allowed their feelings for him to develop, it would only have caused them greater pain in the future.

Only for Luo Ruoxin did his heart beat.

Having experienced two lifetimes in two different worlds, he had already seen many things, allowing him to remain unfazed and composed before most matters. Yet, before Luo Ruoxin, he acted like a young man. Out of jealousy, he had ended up beating Feng Xun up and intentionally traumatizing Zhang Jiuxiao. Despite his rational personality, he found himself with an irrational hate for the Zhang Clan as well.

Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er were beautiful and outstanding ladies, but neither of them were able to generate such feelings within him.

He knew very well that all he felt for them was the care and concern that a teacher would have for his students.

Since that was the case, rather than get needlessly entangled with them, it would be better to dash whatever hope they had before they descended deeper into the abyss. After all, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment.

He was certain that this was the best course of action.

“Forget it, I shouldn’t think too much into it now. I should raise my cultivation to Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle first!” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan tossed aside the other thoughts he had in his mind and sat cross-legged on the ground.

The area was exceptionally quiet, and there was not a person in sight. It was the ideal environment for him to cultivate in.

He quickly conditioned the internal state of his body and his breath, and when his physical condition finally peaked roughly two hours later, he took out a Spirit Reinforcing Pill and swallowed it.

The Spirit Reinforcing Pills that Luo Qiqi had forged were made using extremely mature medicinal herbs. Those medicinal herbs harnessed rich medicinal energy, and the pills were perfectly forged on top of that, reaching the tier of Inscribed Pill. As such, every single one of the four pills harnessed several dozen times more spiritual energy than the one he had obtained from Hall Master Xing.

As the pill dissolved in his mouth, he immediately felt a blazing surge of energy coursing through his meridians before eventually gathering around his Origin Soul.

Upon reaching Saint 3-dan intermediate stage, his Origin Soul had adopted a form reminiscent of an eight-year-old child. Its every move seemed to be tinged with incredible might that could shatter the world.

Calming his mind, Zhang Xuan focused his consciousness on the internal state of his body as he began to drive his zhenqi according to the Saint 3-dan Heaven’s Path Divine Art. Whenever he felt that he was running low on spiritual energy, he would unhesitatingly swallow a Spirit Reinforcing Pill.

As he absorbed more and more spiritual energy from the Spirit Reinforcing Pills, his cultivation and strength swiftly rose.

Embryonic Soul realm intermediate stage!

Embryonic Soul realm advanced stage!

Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle!

An hour later…

His Origin Soul had already adopted the form of a sixteen to seventeen-year-old young man, sharing an identical appearance with him, just slightly younger.

Its size remained the same as back when it was just an infant—ten meters tall. It did not become any taller during its development.

“Finally!” Zhang Xuan exclaimed after a deep exhalation.

He had really gone through a lot of trouble just to raise his cultivation to this level. Fortunately, diligence did not fail him. After overcoming all the difficulties in his path, he had finally managed to reach Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle!

However, the four Spirit Reinforcing Pills that Luo Qiqi had given him also ended up being depleted as well, and he had become poor once more.

Assessing his internal condition again, he felt that the flow of zhenqi in his body was far smoother than ever, and his strength had already risen by leaps and bounds as compared to before.

He stretched out his hands and lightly closed his fist together.

Peng!

A sonic boom sounded, and the next moment, the boulder beneath him suddenly burst into dust.

It was fortunate that he had flown up in advance, or else he would have been cloaked in dust.

This is the might wielded by an Embryonic Soul realm pinnacle expert? Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together in excitement. Incredible!

Even though it was hard for him to determine his current strength until he exchanged blows with a true expert, he was confident that if he were to meet the Qingtian Emperor once more, he would be able to crush the latter into meat paste with a single punch.

Huala!

Rising to his feet, he reined in his aura, and the pressure he exerted finally vanished. In the eyes of other cultivators, he would only appear as an ordinary Saint 3-dan pinnacle.

Even though he had raised his cultivation significantly, he still had every intention of maintaining a low profile. If he could avoid standing in the spotlight, he would try his best to do so to avoid unnecessary trouble.

At my current cultivation realm, ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pills won’t be of much use to me anymore. There’s no longer any point in me heading to the Apothecary Guild.

Zhang Xuan’s original intention had been to pay a visit to the Apothecary Guild to purchase some Spirit Reinforcing Pill to advance his cultivation. However, along with the rise in his cultivation, it would seem that the concentration of the spiritual energy within ordinary Spirit Reinforcing Pill was no longer sufficient for his cultivation.

As such, it would be futile no matter how many of them he acquired. He would only be wasting his money.

Forget it, I should just return to the Combat Master Hall. Those three hall masters should still be around, so I can assess my new strength on them, Zhang Xuan thought with a chuckle as he began making his way back to the Combat Master Hall.

However, just as he was about to make his way back, he suddenly froze for a moment. Flicking his wrist, he took out a jade token.

Wu shi had sent him a message. After taking a look at it, his face immediately turned grim.

Pavilion Master Gou… is dead?

Chapter 1203: Crisis at the Master Teacher Pavilion ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, straw mats lay side by side on the ground, and eight corpses were neatly placed on top.

The corpses were each dressed in a master teacher robe, and the seven gleaming stars on their chests indicated their identities.

Zhang Xuan was extremely familiar with the elder in the center. It was due to the injustice that the elder had brought upon him that he had gone to the extent of crashing the Master Teacher Pavilion, even directly exchanging blows with him in the midst of doing so. He had thought that the elder would be severely judged by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but who would have thought that he would die before then?

Zhang Xuan turned to Wu shi and asked grimly, “What happened?”

“It happened earlier in the day… Based on the list of names you gave me, I quickly moved to apprehend those related master teachers and apprehend them. However… just as I was interrogating the eighth suspect, my subordinate suddenly reported to me that eight master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion had passed away!” Wu shi replied lividly.

He had interrogated the apprehended suspects discreetly so as to not alarm the enemy, but it seemed like the enemy had somehow learned of the matter and decided to kill eight 7-star master teachers to warn them against probing any further into the matter.

And the victims included even the old Pavilion Master Gou!

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

It was a blatant threat targeted toward them.

“Furthermore,” Wu shi continued, “they all died in the same manner as Chen Zhe and the others. When we found them, their souls had already dissipated, leaving behind an empty body.”

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

He had also noticed the same as soon as he stepped into the room. Despite their bodies being perfectly intact, the eight master teachers did not have a hint of life within them. Only the soul nabbing secret art could result in such a deeply unnerving death.

It’s Vicious! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

Only Vicious had the strength to nab even Pavilion Master Gou’s soul.

Just that… from what he knew, Vicious should have been in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows. Furthermore, from what he had learned in the Qingtian Emperor’s memories, it appeared that Vicious had been sealed by something, preventing him from leaving the region. Considering the long distance between Qingyuan City and the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, how could he possibly carry out such a feat?

Zhang Xuan turned around and asked, “Where were they found?”

“They were found in their accommodation. Their family members thought that they were resting, so they did not disturb them initially. However, when they attempted to call for them but received no response, they approached them, only to realize that they had stopped breathing,” Wu shi replied before turning to look at Zhang Xuan. “Does this matter have something to do with the Qingtian Emperor? But… isn’t the Qingtian Emperor already dead?”

As a soul oracle, the Qingtian Emperor was skilled in soul arts, and he had killed Chen Zhe and the others using one of his secret arts. Zhang Xuan had already informed him of this matter, thus unraveling the cause of the mysterious deaths that had occurred in the Master Teacher Pavilion a while back.

But since it was affirmed that the Qingtian Emperor was already dead, who else could possibly wield the ability to pull off the same feat?

The deaths of these eight 7-star master teachers were simply so abrupt and mysterious that it had shocked everyone in the Master Teacher Pavilion, sending them into a fluster.

It was the norm for humans to fear those that they were unable to comprehend, and even master teachers were no exception to the rule.

Pavilion Master Gou had been viewed as the strongest individual in Qingyuan City, but if even he could be killed silently without putting up a fight, it did not seem like anyone would stand a chance against the murderer. The realization of this notion left the necks of the master teachers feeling cold.

“The Qingtian Emperor is dead, but the person behind him is still alive and kicking,” Zhang Xuan replied with a vexed look.

“The person behind him?” Wu shi was perplexed by those words.

As the matter concerning Vicious’ existence was simply too huge, Zhang Xuan had decided not to tell anyone about it. As such, not even Wu shi was aware of the matter.

“Yes. Even if the Qingtian Emperor was the Emperor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it is worth contemplating how he managed to learn the heritage of the soul oracle oracles when they had already disappeared many years ago. As such, I believe that there’s a mastermind behind this matter who imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to the Qingtian Emperor. If my deduction is correct, he’s probably the one who had caused this as well,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“A mastermind who imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to the Qingtian Emperor?” Wu shi narrowed his eyes in alarm as he said, “How powerful do you think the mastermind is? If he’s beyond the means of a Conferred Empire, I’ll immediately report this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and have them dispatch some men to assist us!”

The Master Teacher Pavilion had its own system. Typically speaking, while subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions would report major affairs to the Master Teacher Pavilion above them, they were still expected to resolve matters in the region by themselves.

Firstly, the headquarters also had their own region to care for, and they did not have the spare energy and time to be cleaning up after the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions. Secondly, it would also serve as a platform to temper the master teachers in the branch.

If the headquarters had to attend to every single problem that the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions were facing, it probably would not have been long before the advanced master teachers worked themselves to death.

However, if the problem exceeded the scope of the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilion, that was a different matter. If such a problem was left uncared for, it could possibly lead to a great massacre. In such cases, the subordinate Master Teacher Pavilion would be justified in calling for the aid of a higher ranked master teacher from the headquarters.

“How long will it take for the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to dispatch an envoy?” Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

Wu shi swiftly did a rough calculation before replying. “If I recall correctly, the Master Teacher Pavilion closest to us that has at least one half 8-star master teacher is the Qianchong Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. If the headquarters dispatched a half 8-star master teacher from them, judging from the distance, it would take at least ten days. However, if we require an 8-star master teacher, we would have to call for an envoy directly from the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, and if that’s the case, it will take twenty days at the minimum!”

“Ten days, twenty days? We don’t have that much time to spare.” Zhang Xuan pinched his glabella grimly. “By the time the envoy arrives, our Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion could have very well been massacred!”

“What do we do then?” Wu shi asked anxiously.

Indeed, they could not afford to wait ten to twenty days. The enemy possessed an ability to kill their men silently, and in a single night, he had already managed to take out eight 7-star master teachers. If the enemy continued their massacre at the current rate, it would not be long before all of the 7-star master teachers of the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion were killed!

“I’m not too sure how powerful the mastermind behind the Qingtian Emperor is, but I believe that his strength shouldn’t exceed the Leaving Aperture realm. Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have definitely kept a lookout for their movements,” Zhang Xuan analyzed.

While the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters left the regional Master Teacher Pavilion to their own devices, they would still conduct a thorough scan throughout the world using a special technique from time to time. If they found any existences that exceeded the tier of the regional Master Teacher Pavilion, they would eliminate it immediately if they viewed it to be a threat, or else, they would maintain a close watch over its movements.

The highest fighting power in Conferred Empires was the Leaving Aperture realm. Considering how Vicious’ eye was able to remain in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows without alerting the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it was likely that he had not exceeded that level.

“But even if he has not exceeded Leaving Aperture realm, there is a huge difference in the prowess of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator for each increment in the cultivation stage. As long as the mastermind wields strength exceeding Leaving Aperture realm primary stage, we will have no way of dealing with him!” Wu shi frowned.

In Leaving Aperture realm, a cultivator would be able to draw their Primordial Spirit out of their body and directly manipulate the energy in their surroundings to aid them in battle. Every increment in the cultivation stage would call forth a lightning ordeal, and as long as the cultivator survived it, it would temper their Primordial Spirit and significantly enhance their control over their surroundings. Due to that, there was a vast difference in the fighting prowess of Leaving Aperture realm cultivators of differing cultivation stages.

For example, even though it might appear that there was only a small cultivation stage difference between Leaving Aperture realm primary stage and Leaving Aperture realm intermediate, a dozen Leaving Aperture realm primary stage cultivators might not have even been a match for a single Leaving Aperture realm intermediate stage cultivator!

As such, even if the mastermind was still within the Leaving Aperture realm, if their cultivation had already reached Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle, there was no person or any power in Qingyuan Empire that would be able to stand against the mastermind.

“I understand that as well, but I don’t have a clear gauge on the mastermind’s exact power at the moment. Alright, let’s put this matter aside for now. There are more important matters for us to attend to.” Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the corpses on the ground and said, “Aren’t you curious about how the mastermind managed to kill these eight 7-star master teachers discreetly?”

“How?”

“That night, when I was assaulted by the Qingtian Emperor, I happened to learn of the secret behind their soul nabbing secret art. They utilize a medium to infiltrate the consciousness of a cultivator and take their soul away. This medium could be anything, such as an altar or even a soul fragment. So, one aspect that we should explore is what medium the mastermind used to kill these eight men. Did you find anything during your investigation of the case?” Zhang Xuan asked.

In close proximity, Vicious could nab the soul of anyone easily. However, over tens of thousands of li, he would have to rely on a medium to channel his soul energy.

Like the altar that he had found beneath Chen Zhe’s residence a while back!

However, the altar should have been taken away by Wu shi and sealed. So… how did Vicious manage to kill these eight master teachers?

Wu shi was taken aback for a moment before replying. “This… I haven’t been paying much notice to this matter…”

“Try to look into it. It could very well lead us to some clues,” Zhang Xuan instructed before falling silent. Activating his Eye of Insight, he began examining the corpses before him carefully.

Pavilion Master Gou had a horrified expression on his face, as if he had encountered something he dared not believe before his death.

After a moment of examination, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed.

The physical state of Pavilion Master Gou was identical to that of Chen Zhe back then. Even through his Eye of Insight, he did not notice anything peculiar.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a crucial figure in this matter, and he hurriedly asked, “Wait, where is King Zhongqing? Where is he imprisoned?”

“I dispatched my men to have him arrested once more, and he was locked in the prison of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Last night, Emperor Chu Tianxing came to pay me a visit, presumably over the matter concerning King Zhongqing, but I turned him down,” Wu shi replied.

“Emperor Chu Tianxing came to pay you a visit?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

King Zhongqing was only a mere subordinate of the Qingyuan royal family. It was not as if he was Emperor Chu Tianxing’s son or anything, so why was Emperor Chu Tianxing so desperate to protect him, coming over whenever something happened, willing to pay a hefty price for his release even?

“That’s right. However, I did not allow the two of them to meet. Furthermore, we have a legitimate reason to have King Zhongqing imprisoned this time around, so I don’t think that Emperor Chu Tianxing will be able to do anything about the matter for the time being,” Wu shi replied.

“I see… However, there’s really something amiss about Emperor Chu Tianxing. I think we have to look into him,” Zhang Xuan said grimly.

Based on the Qingtian Emperor’s memory, Zhang Xuan was able to confirm that King Zhongqing had indeed defected to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Considering how close Emperor Chu Tianxing was to King Zhongqing, it was a little hard to believe that there would be nothing wrong with him as well.

“Should I have him captured and interrogated?” Wu shi also had the same suspicions, but due to Emperor Chu Tianxing’s position, he had been a little hesitant to make a move.

“We shouldn’t rush into this matter. It would surely cause a huge uproar if we made a move against Emperor Chu Tianxing, so we have to amply prepare. What’s more urgent right now is finding the medium that the mastermind is using to conduct the killings. After that, we should focus our efforts on getting rid of the mastermind.”

Zhang Xuan contemplated in silence for a moment before sharing his analysis. “Only when the mastermind is dead will everyone be safe.”

“That’s true.” Wu shi nodded.

Zhang Xuan was right. In a sense, an emperor could be said to be the very heart of an empire. Thus, if anything happened to the emperor, it could easily induce pandemonium among the populace of the empire.

And the pandemonium was only one small aspect of the matter. If the Master Teacher Pavilion failed to deal with the problem properly, they could risk losing their credibility!

Considering how the Master Teacher Pavilion was in charge of maintaining order within the region, if they wished to deal with the royal family, they would need to have concrete, irrefutable evidence. Otherwise, what would the other empires make of the matter?

Wouldn’t they feel that their sovereignty was threatened by the presence of the Master Teacher Pavilion as well?

As such, no matter how confident they were of their speculations, it was far from enough.

Wu shi nodded. “I’ll have my men look into the matter this instant.”

“Aside from that, I might also need you to organize a group of men for an expedition to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows.”

“An expedition to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows?” Wu shi frowned.

“That’s right. I suspect that the mastermind is hiding there,” Zhang Xuan explained.

“I see. Alright, I’ll pick out the elites of the Master Teacher Pavilion and liaise with the Combat Master Hall to dispatch some of their experts as well!” Wu shi said.

“Alright then, I’ll be taking my leave first to make some preparations myself,” Zhang Xuan replied. “Farewell.”

There were two things he had to do before heading to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows. Firstly, he needed to try to raise the strength of the Golden Origin Cauldron another level, preferably to the Leaving Aperture realm. Secondly, he would have to urge Vicious to quickly devour the Qingtian Emperor’s soul and clear his Leaving Aperture realm ordeal!

Only with these would he have sufficient cards to deal with the other Vicious. Otherwise, considering his current cultivation, he would not stand a chance if he headed over there recklessly. If things went wrong, he might even end up as the other party’s nourishment.

Chapter 1204: The Blacksmith Guild ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Knowing that it would be a bitter fight against the Vicious in the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, Zhang Xuan did not dare hesitate. After leaving the Master Teacher Pavilion, he headed straight to the Blacksmith Guild.

Logically speaking, Vicious had already lain low for many years, so he should not have taken such brazen actions at this juncture, especially given the fact that he would risk bringing the wrath of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters on him. However, it seemed like the death of the Qingtian Emperor and the emergence of a Celestial Master Teacher had really heaped a great amount of pressure on him, forcing him to show his hand.

Without a doubt, the first person that the other Vicious would go for once he was freed of his bindings would be him, Zhang Xuan.

Thus, he would be better off taking the initiative and making the first move instead of waiting for the enemy to arrive at his doorstep. Not only would it be safer for him, more importantly, it would also limit the casualties among the master teachers.

The Golden Origin Cauldron is currently at Half-Leaving Aperture realm. If I fuse the Black Goldcrystal Ore into the Golden Origin Cauldron, I should be able to raise its tier significantly. Even if I’m unable to bring it up to the level of a Saint high-tier artifact, I should have no trouble raising its cultivation to the Leaving Aperture realm! Zhang Xuan hypothesized as he made his way forward.

He had obtained the Black Goldcrystal Ore from the treasure Wu Yangzi had left behind in his old residence. After splitting a portion of it with Luo Qiqi, he still had a slice of it left. It was just that he had been too busy recently, and he had not found the required materials to perfectly fuse it into the Golden Origin Cauldron.

Since he had already decided to set off to the Marshlands of the Northern Meadows, he would really have to equip himself well in advance.

The Blacksmith Guild was roughly ten li away from the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it did not take too long for him to arrive at his destination.

Zhang Xuan had not challenged the 7-star blacksmith examination ever since clearing the 6-star examination back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, so he was still a 6-star blacksmith. He took out his 6-star blacksmith emblem and pinned it on his chest before walking in.

The Qingyuan Empire Blacksmith Guild was extremely crowded, just like the other guilds in the city. Every day, countless cultivators would pay the guild a visit to browse through their array of weapons to select one that was handy for them.

Only Saint low-tier weapons were on display in the public section. If a cultivator wanted a Saint intermediate-tier weapon, they would have to fork out a hefty sum and make a personal request to a 7-star blacksmith personally, provided that the 7-star blacksmith was able to successfully smith one.

“Zhang shi? Is it really you?” Just as Zhang Xuan was about to ask at the receptionist where the head of the Blacksmith Guild was, he suddenly heard an exclamation amid the crowd. Turning around, he saw Chu Xiang, whom he had met at the Terpsichore Guild a while back, waving at his hands excitedly.

“Chu gongzi!” Zhang Xuan greeted with a smile.

It was thanks to the other party that he had been able to enter the Spring Pavilion back then and successfully obtain his 7-star terpsichore emblem.

“Zhang shi, it’s really a delight to meet you here. I have been wanting to thank you for your help back then. It’s due to your words that I have managed to recover fully from the wounds on my soul.” Chu Xiang bowed deeply as he spoke.

Back at the Terpsichore Guild, it was due to Zhang shi’s words that Fairy Zi Yan did her best for him during the Exclusive Dance, thus allowing him to recover fully from his wounds.

“It’s not a big issue; there’s no need to stand on ceremony.” Zhang Xuan quickly helped Chu Xiang up.

He had just offered a word on behalf of Chu Xiang, so it was really nothing much. Just that, he could not help but feel his heart bleed whenever he thought about the concentrated high-tier spirit stone the other party had spent on the Exclusive Dance. If Chu Xiang had allowed him to dance for him instead, he would have surely recovered way faster!

“I heard about Zhang shi’s crashing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and I honestly have nothing left but reverence for you!” Chu Xiang looked at Zhang Xuan with eyes twinkling with admiration.

“It’s really nothing much. I only crashed it on a whim…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had simply caused too great of a commotion during his pavilion crashing. For one, his declaration had resounded throughout the whole of Qingyuan City, so it would only have taken a little bit of investigating for Chu Xiang to make the link between him and the pavilion crashing.

“You only crashed it on a whim?” Chu Xiang rolled his eyes.

The Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion has stood proudly on the Master Teacher Continent for many years without any issue, and yet, you ended up crashing it just days after your arrival, leaving Pavilion Master Gou with no choice but to step down. If this was done on a whim, wouldn’t the entire Master Teacher Pavilion be completely eradicated as long as you made plans beforehand?

A thought suddenly came to Chu Xiang’s mind, and he looked at Zhang Xuan doubtfully. “It can’t be that Zhang shi has an issue with the Blacksmith Guild, so you have come here to crash it today as well?”

Based on what he had found, it seemed like Zhang shi had not allowed Qingyuan City to have a single day of peace ever since his arrival. First was the enchantment of the Spirit Awakener Guild’s building, and after that, he crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion. For him to suddenly pay a visit to the Blacksmith Guild… it could not be that he was up to something, could it?

“Cough cough!”

Not expecting Chu Xiang to have such a horrendous impression of someone as honorable and upright as him, Zhang Xuan choked. With a slightly awkward tone, he asked, “How could someone as humble as me possibly do something of that sort? You are really thinking too much…”

“Humble?” Chu Xiang’s lips twitched wildly. He had seen plenty of humble people in his lifetime, but this was the first time he was seeing someone that ‘humble’.

“Since you aren’t here to crash the Blacksmith Guild, you must be here to watch Master Lin Jie’s smithing then?”

“Master Lin Jie?”

“Yes. Master Lin Jie is a half 8-star blacksmith from the Qianchong Empire. He happened to be passing by the area, so Guild Leader Qin specially invited him over to conduct a public lecture for the 7-star blacksmiths of Qingyuan City. I was honored to have received an invitation letter for this occasion as well!” Chu Xiang explained.

“You are a 7-star blacksmith?” Considering how the young man before him was a regular at the Spring Pavilion, Zhang Xuan had automatically assumed that he was a profligate scion. Who would have thought that he was actually a 7-star blacksmith?

“Of course! I might seem nothing much, but my talent in smithing is unquestionable!” Chu Xiang boasted gleefully. “Zhang shi, if you face any problems in smithing, feel free to ask me. Given our relationship, I’ll do my best to answer any queries that you have!”

“Thank you, I will definitely find you if I have any questions in mind.” Knowing that the other party was saying those words out of goodwill, Zhang Xuan replied with a kind smile. “Right, I happen to have something that I need your help on at the moment. Can you bring me to meet the head of the Blacksmith Guild?”

“You want to meet Guild Leader Qin? No problem, leave it to me,” Chu Xiang replied confidently as he led the way forward. “Follow me!”

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

With someone to bring him around, he would be spared from much trouble.

From Chu Xiang’s introduction, Zhang Xuan came to learn that the name of the head of the Blacksmith Guild was Qin Chong, and he was a 7-star pinnacle blacksmith.

It did not take long for them to arrive at the Guild Leader Office. After reporting their presence, the duo made their way in.

“Guild Leader Chong, this young man over here is 7-star Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, the individual who successfully crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion a few days back!” Chu Xiang introduced.

“I see. It’s an honor to meet you, Zhang shi.” Guild Leader Qin quickly got to his feet and bowed.

A master teacher who could successfully crash a Master Teacher Pavilion was indubitably an extremely talented individual who was bound for great things in the future. Even as the head of the Qingyuan Empire Blacksmith Guild, he knew that the other party was not someone whom he could underestimate.

Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and responded, “Guild Leader Qin, you are too polite.”

Swiftly getting into their seats, they traded a few pleasantries to get acquainted with one another before Guild Leader Qin asked with a worried expression on his face, “Zhang shi, may I know the reason behind your arrival? Our Blacksmith Guild has been abiding by the law all this while, and I have maintained a tight watch over every single one of the subordinates, so…”

Knowing that Guild Leader Qin was thinking about, Chu Xiang slapped his hand on his forehead before clarifying, “Guild Leader Qin, Zhang shi isn’t here to crash the Blacksmith Guild!”

“Ah, that’s a relief.” Guild Leader Qin heaved a long sigh of relief, and the tension that had been on his face ever since Zhang Xuan was introduced to him finally alleviated.

On the other hand, hearing the conversation between the duo, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

All he had done was crash the Master Teacher Pavilion! Did they really think that he was a God of Destruction, destroying everything in his path wherever he went? He was really a humble a person, a really, really humble person! Why wouldn’t anyone believe him?

“To be honest with you, I really do have a few things that I’ll have to trouble Guild Leader Qin with.” Knowing that it would be futile even if he explained himself, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and got straight to business. “I have a Saint intermediate-tier artifact that I would like to fuse some Black Goldcrystal Ore into. May I know if you have any time to help me in the forging process?”

Hearing Zhang Xuan’s request, Guild Leader Qin was visibly taken aback for a moment before asking, “May I ask what kind of weapon your Saint intermediate-tier artifact is? Does it have any spirit? Also, what’s its current cultivation realm?”

“It’s a Half-Leaving Aperture realm weapon cauldron, and it does have a spirit,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“This…” A frown emerged on Guild Leader Qin’s face. “Zhang shi, I’ll be frank with you here. If your weapon cauldron was only at Primordial Spirit realm primary stage, I might still have been able to help you reforge it and fuse it with your Black Goldcrystal Ore, but Half-Leaving Aperture realm… I haven’t even reached that level of cultivation realm yet, so I fear that your request is beyond my ability!”

“If that’s what you are worrying about, there’s really no need to. I’ll be giving you some guidance from the side during the forging process, and as long as you follow my instructions strictly, there won’t be any problems,” Zhang Xuan replied.

No matter what, he was determined to overlook the Golden Origin Cauldron’s forging personally. Otherwise, no matter who did the job, he would not be able to put his mind at ease.

“You will be giving guidance?” Guild Leader Qin was taken aback. “Zhang shi is a blacksmith?”

“Un. I studied it for a while in the past. I am currently a 6-star blacksmith,” Zhang Xuan replied.

He had collected all the books concerning smithing in the Master Teacher Pavilion and read the compiled 7-star Heaven’s Path Smith Art too, thus raising his understanding on smithing to 7-star pinnacle, which was comparable to most 8-star primary blacksmiths.

However, it was just that he never had time to practice forging before, so with his current proficiency, he could only make metal blocks at the very most. Fearing that he would end up misshaping the Golden Origin Cauldron, he had sought Guild Leader Qin’s help instead.

“6-star blacksmith?” Guild Leader Qin and Chu Xiang exchanged a glance as frowns emerged on their faces.

There was a huge gap between a 6-star blacksmith and a 7-star blacksmith. For a 6-star blacksmith to actually speak of guiding a 7-star blacksmith like Guild Leader Qin…

Was this a joke?

Noticing the peculiar gaze in the duo’s eyes, Zhang Xuan realized what was going through their minds, and he swiftly clarified, “Actually, my proficiency in smithing has already reached 7-star. It’s just that I have been too busy recently, so I haven’t been able to find time to take the examination.”

“I see!” Guild Leader Qin nodded in comprehension. “Since that’s the case, allow me to invite Zhang shi to follow me to our Forging Hall. Only the earth flames there will be able to produce sufficient heat to melt a Saint intermediate-tier artifact and the Black Goldcrystal Ore.”

“Sure!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Most Blacksmith Guilds tapped into the earth flames underground for their smithing.

There were differing tiers to earth flames as well, and the Black Goldcrystal Ore was known to be exceptionally difficult to process while the Golden Origin Cauldron had reached Half-Leaving Aperture realm and had been tempered by lightning, so ordinary earth flames would not do the job.

The trio swiftly arrived at the Forging Hall, only to meet with a huge crowd. Astonishingly, every single one of them had seven stars on the emblem pinned conspicuously on their chests. They were all 7-star blacksmiths!

“This…” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had thought that the Forging Hall would be empty. If that were the case, he would have been able to go all out in the reforging of the Golden Origin Cauldron. But with just a swift glance, he could see at least several hundred 7-star blacksmiths in the room.

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s unhappiness, Guild Leader Qin quickly explained, “Zhang shi, pardon me. Only the flames of the Forging Hall are sufficient to process the Black Goldcrystal Ore, and it just so happens that Master Lin Jie will be conducting a lecture on smithing for us today. If Zhang shi is willing to wait, why don’t you listen to Master Lin’s lecture first? He’s a half 8-star blacksmith, so his understanding of smithing is bound to have reached an unfathomable level. Through his teachings, your grasp of smithing could improve by leaps and bounds.”

“I fear that I don’t have that much time to spare,” Zhang Xuan replied with a frown.

Vicious could make another move at any moment, so he had to quickly raise the prowess of the Golden Origin Cauldron so that he would be prepared to face him. Thus, he really had no time to spare on a lecture.

Right after Zhang Xuan said those words, a displeased voice suddenly sounded from the center of the room.

“Do you mean to say that listening to my lecture is a waste of your time?”

Chapter 1205: Master Lin Jie ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw an elder with a flowing white beard walking over. There was an air of valiance surrounding him, and astonishingly, his cultivation was indiscernible on first glance.

“Master Lin Jie!” Guild Leader Qin hurriedly clasped his fist and greeted the elder whereas Chu Xiang lowered his head respectfully.

Be it in terms of cultivation or comprehension of smithing, they came nowhere close to matching up to the half 8-star blacksmith before them.

“Master Lin Jie, allow me to introduce you. He is a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, Zhang shi!” Fearing that the duo would end up fighting one another, Guild Leader Qin hurriedly introduced the two of them.

Considering how Zhang Xuan had successfully crashed the Qingyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, even defeating Pavilion Master Gou in the midst of doing so, there was definitely nothing wrong with addressing him as a 7-star pinnacle master teacher.

“7-star pinnacle master teacher?” Master Lin Jie was taken aback for a moment. “For one as young as you to wield such power, I see that you do have the right to act conceited.” Initially, Master Lin Jie had thought that it was some arrogant individual trying to humiliate him publicly, but since the young man was a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, it was unlikely that he would lower himself to something as crass as that.

Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and requested, “Pardon me, but I have some urgent issues concerning the Master Teacher Pavilion that cannot be delayed. May I ask you to lend me the Forging Hall for a while so that I can upgrade my artifact?”

Considering that Master Lin Jie had specially been invited there by Guild Leader Qin to conduct a lecture, it was indeed a little disrespectful for him to suddenly barge in and request to use the earth flames.

“Upgrade your artifact? Is Zhang shi a blacksmith as well?” Master Lin Jie asked curiously.

“I have learned it for a while and happened to obtain a 6-star emblem,” Zhang Xuan replied.

Master Lin Jie nodded in response. “May I know what kind of artifact Zhang shi hopes to upgrade?”

While the Qingyuan Empire Blacksmith Guild was not as grand as the Qianchong Empire’s, there were at least six to seven hundred private chambers where one could access earth flames.

Just what kind of artifact was the young man dealing with that he would absolutely need to use the Forging Hall?

If the other party was a 7-star pinnacle blacksmith, he would not have bothered to ask that question. Just that… the young man’s proficiency in smithing seemed to be a little low, and the earth flames in the Forging Hall were exceptionally wild. The slightest lapse in control would not only result in the failure of the tempering—the artifact could possibly be destroyed as well.

“It’s this one.” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the Golden Origin Cauldron appeared in the room.

“Master, are you intending to reforge me? Hahaha, am I going to be upgraded once more?” Scanning its surroundings, the Golden Origin Cauldron found that there were many blacksmiths around him. He swiftly realized that he was standing in the middle of a Blacksmith Guild, and he could not help but tremble in excitement.

“A Half-Leaving Aperture realm Saint intermediate-tier artifact?” Master Lin Jie had thought that it would only be a Half-Saint artifact or that sort, but to think that it would be a Saint intermediate-tier artifact! Master Lin Jie’s eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he asked hesitantly, “Zhang shi, are you certain that this is the artifact that you wish to upgrade?”

“That’s right.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“This…” Attributing it to the young man’s inexperience, Master Lin Jie could not help but advise him. “To forge a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, on top of wielding sufficient strength, more importantly, one must possess a deep understanding of smithing so as to ensure that the forging and upgrading do not damage the spirit within the artifact. Otherwise, not only will the artifact not be upgraded, its tier might even decline sharply instead!”

Even a half 8-star blacksmith like him only had a twenty percent chance of successfully upgrading a Saint intermediate artifact like that, so for a 6-star blacksmith to do so…

He was certain that the Saint intermediate-tier artifact would be ruined during the upgrade! It was truly not worth the risk.

Before Zhang Xuan could even speak, the Golden Origin Cauldron had already harrumphed in discontent. “Old man, what do you mean by those words? My master was able to raise my tier from Saint low-tier to Saint intermediate-tier just by giving pointers to an apprentice blacksmith, so do you think that he needs you to lecture him?”

Ever since its creation, its current master was the only one that it had felt so much respect and awe for, and yet, that old man actually dared to doubt its master’s capability!

Count yourself lucky that I didn’t charge forward to crush your puny head with my butt!

“By giving pointers to an apprentice blacksmith?” The crowd was taken aback by the Golden Origin Cauldron’s words.

One must know that an apprentice blacksmith was an individual who had yet to successfully smith a Mortal low-tier weapon, and such a person was able to upgrade a Saint low-tier artifact to Saint intermediate-tier just by receiving some pointers from the young man before them?

Zhang Xuan slapped the Golden Origin Cauldron’s lid and berated, “No one will think of you as a mute if you don’t speak!”

The only reason Song Zhen had been able to successfully raise the tier of the Golden Origin Cauldron was because he was actually highly talented in smithing himself, and he had devoted many years of his life to diligently refining his forging techniques on top of that. This had granted him a deep understanding of most common types of forging techniques. Furthermore, he also wielded a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 9-dan, which was on par with a 6-star blacksmith.

These were the factors that had led to the eventual success in the upgrade, and this success could not possibly be replicated with any other apprentice blacksmiths.

It was just a work of coincidence; there was nothing in it to brag about.

“I…” The Golden Origin Cauldron shook its body indignantly. “But what I am saying is the truth. You did manage to get an apprentice blacksmith to successfully raise my tier just by offering him some pointers…”

Seeing that the Golden Origin Cauldron was still arguing with him, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. “Shut up and wait by the side.”

“Alright…” Seeing that its master was really angry, the Golden Origin Cauldron meekly retreated to the side.

Zhang Xuan turned to the crowd and said in embarrassment, “That fellow has been a lofty position for too long, so he rarely thinks before he speaks. As such, his words tend to be a little impolite and disrespectful. Allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

It was insolent for an artifact to suddenly interject in the midst of its master’s conversation.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” Master Lin Jie replied with a wave of his hand. With intrigue in his eyes, he asked, “Previously, your artifact has said that you gave pointers to an apprentice blacksmith, allowing him to successfully upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron. May I know if that’s true?”

“It’s actually nothing much; it’s truly not worth speaking about!” Zhang Xuan waved his hand.

He was only there to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron. It had never been his intention to create a ruckus, so there was no point speaking of past affairs.

“Pardon me, it seems like I was a little reckless…” Master Lin Jie thought that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to speak of the matter because there was some secret tied into it, so he chose not to probe any further.

“Alright, if you don’t mind, I’ll start upgrading my artifact now.” Seeing that he did not cause any sort of misunderstanding, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He paused for a brief moment before turning to Chu Xiang. “Chu gongzi, I might need to trouble you later on.”

“Zhang shi, feel free to make any request of me. As long as it’s within my means, I’ll accomplish it to the best of my abilities!” Chu Xiang replied with a smile.

Putting aside that they were acquaintances, just the fact that the young man before him had successfully crashed the Master Teacher Pavilion, making him the bona fide number one master teacher of the Qingyuan Empire, made him a person who was worth befriending.

“It’s like this. I really dote on my Golden Origin Cauldron a lot, and I fear that I’ll hesitate during a critical step of the upgrade. Thus, I would like to invite you to upgrade it on my behalf!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Dote?” Hearing those words, the Golden Origin Cauldron racked his mind, but he could not think of a single instance where his master had doted on him.

In fact, it seemed like his master had even just slapped him just a moment ago…

“This…” Hearing that Zhang Xuan wanted him to upgrade his artifact, a bitter smile surfaced on Chu Xiang’s face as he hurriedly waved his hand. “Zhang shi, it’s not that I don’t want to help you, but my cultivation hasn’t even reached Primordial Spirit realm yet. Even though I am a 7-star blacksmith, it’s still far beyond my current abilities to upgrade a Half-Leaving Aperture realm artifact…”

Even a 7-star pinnacle blacksmith like Guild Leader Qin was not confident in handling artifacts of such a tier, so how could a newly promoted 7-star blacksmith like him possibly stand a chance?

The other party was really thinking too highly of him.

“There’s no need to be nervous. I’ll guide you from the side. As long as you follow my instructions strictly, you will be fine,” Zhang Xuan said.

However, Chu Xiang was still conflicted. “Zhang shi, I really don’t think that I’m up to the task. Your artifact is truly valuable, and it’ll be a disaster if I make a mistake in the smithing process.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be using the Impartation of Heaven’s Will on you later on, so you need not worry about making a mistake. If something really crops up, I won’t blame you for that,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Ah…” Since the other party had already said this, it seemed like he did not have any reason to turn the offer down anymore. Thus, after a moment of hesitation, Chu Xiang eventually nodded in agreement.

“Alright, let’s begin then!”

Zhang Xuan turned to the Golden Origin Cauldron and frowned. “What are you waiting for? Hurry up and go over to the earth flames!”

The Golden Origin Cauldron pouted in indignation, but it still hurriedly flew over to the earth flames.

“This is called doting?” Black lines streaked across Master Lin Jie and Guild Leader Qin’s faces.

It was just a moment ago that the other party had said that he feared that he would hesitate in the upgrading process because his heart might suddenly soften for his artifact, just like how to doctor would find it hard to be decisive when conducting a surgery on their kin. But those harsh words…

Do you know what doting means?

Walking up to the formation to draw up the earth flames, Zhang Xuan gestured to Chu Xiang.

The latter swiftly understood Zhang Xuan’s intention and walked forward.

“Zhang shi, this is the token to draw out the earth flames…” Guild Leader Qin flicked his wrist and proffered a token.

Due to safety considerations, the formation to draw the earth flames could only be activated with a certain token.

However, before he could pass it to the other party, the young man had already begun speaking.

“Take three steps to the left, two steps forward. No, take one small step back, and shuffle a little to the right. Good. Drive your zhenqi and channel it into your right leg before stomping down…”

The voice carried a unique melody to it that seemed to place one in a trance. Without any hesitation, Chu Xiang followed Zhang Xuan’s orders strictly and stomped hard on the ground.

Whoosh!

In an instant, the formation for drawing the earth flames suddenly whirred into action, and a powerful surge of flames burst up, shrouding the Golden Origin Cauldron.

“This…” Guild Leader Qin narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “To activate the earth flames without using the token… how is that possible?”

The temperature of the earth flames was exceptionally high, such that even Saint 4-dan cultivators could easily be reduced to cinder in a moment of carelessness.

As such, the formation was firmly sealed to prevent any flames from leaking out when it was not in use, and without the required token, it was impossible to remove the seal and trigger the formation. Yet, with Zhang Xuan’s guidance, Chu Xiang had actually managed to pull it off with ease.

Despite witnessing it with his own eyes, he still found it hard to believe!

“Only one who possesses a deep understanding of formations is capable of pulling this off! Most likely, Zhang shi has achieved exceptional proficiency in the field of formations as well!” Master Lin Jie remarked in approval.

To be able to see through the structure of the earth flame formation with a glance and successfully activate it, the young man’s comprehension of formations could be said to be top-notch even among the formation masters in their Qianchong Empire!

“As expected of Zhang shi…” Guild Leader Qin nodded.

Master Lin Jie shook his head. “I’m more interested in his smithing ability. In the first place, upgrading a Saint intermediate-tier artifact is already an incredibly difficult task. To make matters worse, he is even using another person as a proxy to smith in his stead. Even if he uses the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, considering that he has never worked with his partner before, the difficulty is bound to be countless times greater. Honestly speaking, I am not too optimistic about the outcome.”

It was one thing if Zhang Xuan and his partner had worked with one another on numerous occasions, allowing them to work synergistically with one another.

There were indeed such cases in the real world as well, where a more knowledgeable blacksmith would offer pointers to a more skilled blacksmith in order to create a weapon more powerful than what they could create individually.

But that would take years of cooperation in order for both parties to understand each other’s strength, zhenqi purity, forging techniques, smithing tendencies, and so on.

And that clearly was not the case between Zhang Xuan and his partner!

To work on a Saint intermediate-tier on their very first partnership, when they knew next to nothing about one another…

As a half 8-star blacksmith, his experience told him that such a thing was impossible to pull off. If it was truly possible, he would have spent his years smithing in vain!

As a 7-star pinnacle master teacher, Zhang Xuan should have been aware of this matter as well. Yet, to go on with it despite understanding the risks… was he banking on the occurrence of a miracle, or was the Saint intermediate-tier artifact disposable to him?

At this point, Master Lin Jie could not help but shoot a look of sympathy at the Golden Origin Cauldron.

Doting?

More like murder!

 StarveCleric

Some clarifications with the terms used:

Half 8-star blacksmith refers to one who has achieved the proficiency above 7-star pinnacle but beneath that of a true 8-star blacksmith.

Quasi 8-star blacksmith refers to one who has achieved the proficiency of a true 8-star blacksmith, just that he fails to meet certain requirements to be promoted to a true 8-star blacksmith, such as his cultivation realm not meeting the mark. Once he meets all of the requirements, he’ll be eligible for an immediate promotion to 8-star blacksmith.

Chapter 1206: Chu Xiang Smiths ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing how Chu Xiang had scared himself silly from activating the earth flames, Zhang Xuan frowned. He quickly spoke to jolt the other party out of his daze, “Alright! Prepare yourself, we will be starting soon!”

“Yes!” Chu Xiang replied.

To be able to reach Saint 3-dan and achieve the proficiency of a 7-star blacksmith at such a young age, while Chu Xiang might have appeared like a profligate scion on the surface, he was definitely not as simple as he seemed.

Taking a deep breath, it did not take him long to calm his mind.

Seeing how jittery Chu Xiang was, the Golden Origin Cauldron laughed heartily and consoled, “Lad, rest assured. It’s not that I want to brag, but as long as you follow the instruction of my master word for word, Grandpa Ding will be completely fine. Perhaps, I might even be upgraded by a tier!”

It appeared that it was not worried in the least.

On the other hand, upon hearing those words, Master Lin Jie and Guild Leader Qin could not help but share a look, and they could see the worry in each other’s eyes.

Are you really that gutsy, or is there something wrong with your head? If something goes wrong in the upgrading process, dropping a tier will be the least of your worries. More importantly, your spirit might even be completely destroyed as a result!

Are you sure that you don’t need to worry about this at all?

“Yes, sir!” Chu Xiang replied tensely before turning to Zhang Xuan. “Zhang shi, may I have the ore that I have to fuse into the Golden Origin Cauldron?”

“Here you go!” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and an ore flew into Chu Xiang’s grasp.

“This…” Seeing the ore that was being passed over, Master Lin Jie’s eyes narrowed in astonishment. “Isn’t that the Black Goldcrystal Ore?”

The Black Goldcrystal Ore was an incredibly valuable and rare ore. Just fusing a pinch of it into the weapon could potentially raise the prowess of the smithed weapon significantly! It was highly sought-after, even among the top Conferred Empire blacksmiths. Who would have thought that the young man actually had such a thing in his possession?

A moment later, Master Lin Jie frowned as he analyzed the situation. “But it will be difficult to fuse that with the cauldron…”

As rare as Black Goldcrystal Ore was, as a half 8-star blacksmith, he still had various channels that he could acquire some from. What truly stumped most blacksmiths was not the rarity of the ore but the sheer difficulty in processing it. Even with the earth flames in the Forging Hall, it would still be extremely difficult to melt the Black Goldcrystal Ore.

If the Black Goldcrystal Ore was not fully melted, it would be impossible to fuse it with the Golden Origin Cauldron perfectly.

“If only we were in the Qianchong Empire Blacksmith Guild… the earth flames there would have no problem melting the Black Goldcrystal Ore, although it would take a great deal of effort. However, here…” Master Lin Jie shook his head pessimistically.

The earth flames in the Forging Hall boasted the highest temperature in the Qingyuan Empire, but they were still lacking compared to the earth flames in the Qianchong Empire Blacksmith Guild. It really would not be easy to melt the Black Goldcrystal Ore here.

Staring curiously to see what Zhang Xuan would do in this situation, Master Lin Jie suddenly heard the young man issuing an instruction, and right afterwards, the Golden Origin Cauldron opened its lid and swallowed the ore.

“This…” While the crowd blinked blankly at the sight, Master Lin Jie slapped his thigh with an excited gleam in his eyes. “How did I not think of that! The cauldron that is to be upgraded is a weapon cauldron itself! While the temperature of the earth flames is limited, the superior heat conductivity of the weapon cauldron can channel the heat through it, thus raising the temperature another notch! With this, there should be no problem melting the Black Goldcrystal Ore! Just that…”

“Just what?”

“While the Black Goldcrystal Ore can be melted through this method, the problem is that he will be unable to view the current state of the Black Goldcrystal Ore to determine whether it has fully melted or not,” Master Lin Jie replied. “Due to the firm exterior of the weapon cauldron and the intense flames, it will be impossible to extend his Spiritual Perception into the cauldron as well. If the Black Goldcrystal Ore is retrieved too early, it will not have melted properly. If retrieved too late, its properties could very well have been destroyed by the heat. Either way, it will adversely affect the result of the upgrading.”

Considering how the intense flames harnessed within the cauldron were able to melt even the Black Goldcrystal Ore, if one were to extend one’s Spiritual Perception into it, one’s consciousness would surely be seared by the heat!

If one could not view what was going on in the cauldron, it would be impossible to accurately discern when the Black Goldcrystal Ore needed to be retrieved to move on to the next step.

The Black Goldcrystal Ore was a particularly sensitive ore. Exposing it to high heat for a second or two too long could potentially lead to the failure of the smithing.

Guild Leader Qin also swiftly understood the implications of the decided course of action. “Indeed. Not only so, the cauldron will also have to be constantly placed in the intense heat of the earth flames. If the timing is not right, not only will the Black Goldcrystal Ore be ruined, there is also a good chance that the internal structure of the Golden Origin Cauldron from the previous smithing will also become undone, resulting in a sharp decline in its tier.”

In the first place, the Golden Origin Cauldron was made of an alloy consisting of different metals. It truly was not easy to establish a balance among all of the metals and stabilize it at Saint intermediate-tier. However, if it were exposed to intense heat for a prolonged period, the balance could very well be shattered.

In other words, while melting the Black Goldcrystal Ore within the Golden Origin Cauldron did resolve the problem of lacking heat, it produced several other problems, thus raising the difficulty of the forging process another level.

While the duo was still worrying over the forging, the young man’s voice suddenly sounded once more. “Take two steps forward and fuse your zhenqi into the earth flames at a northeast trajectory. After which, use the Three Leaves Forging Technique to pry open the cauldron lid.”

The voice carried the unique melody of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, compelling Chu Xiang to obey it without any hesitation.

As such, he immediately followed the orders faithfully, taking two steps forward and flicking his finger.

Huala!

The cauldron lid was pried open, and a viscous, golden liquid flew out from the Golden Origin Cauldron.

“The Black Goldcrystal Ore has melted? Furthermore, from the looks of it, it seems like it has just melted. The error in timing is definitely less than a tenth of a breath! This…” Guild Leader Qin narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

To be able to grasp the timing perfectly despite being unable to peer into the situation within the Golden Origin Cauldron… How in the world did the young man manage to pull it off?

Master Lin Jie pondered over the earlier situation and swiftly made a deduction. “It’s because of the commands he issued!

“He instructed his partner to take two steps forward and fuse his zhenqi at a northeast trajectory; that step served to swiftly intensify the heat within the cauldron. After which, he instructed his partner to utilize the Three Leaves Forging Technique.

“As you know, the Three Leaves Forging Technique is an extremely forceful method that consists of incredibly swift and precise movements of one’s fingers, allowing one to compress the flames together, thus focusing all the heat at a single point, resulting in a sharp rise in the temperature. It’s through this method that he was able to melt the Black Goldcrystal Ore instantaneously and retrieve it timely from the cauldron.

“But pulling this off would require extremely precise calculations… Just how fast does his mind run? Fearsome!”

He could not help but clench his fists tightly in agitation.

It appeared to just be a simple command, but there was actually a profound logic behind it that required deep understanding of the earth flame formation, the temperature of the earth flames, the melting point of the Black Goldcrystal Ore, the attribute of Chu Xiang’s zhenqi, and many other factors! Only with such precise calculations would one be able to pull it off without accidentally destroying the Black Goldcrystal Ore.

Even a half 8-star blacksmith like Master Lin Jie would be unable to accomplish something like that!

The other party’s mental calculation ability was truly fearsome!

“Side shift three cun 1 to the left before lifting your hammer to strike the opening of the Golden Origin Cauldron. Use the Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique and strike a total of 148 times at a rate of once every three breaths, no more, no less. After which…” Zhang Xuan continued issuing instructions.

Soon, a rhythmic ‘ding ding dang dang’ began resounding in the Forging Hall.

“Marvelous! Truly marvelous!” Master Lin Jie suddenly exclaimed in delirium.

“Master Lin Jie?” Guild Leader Qin could not understand the other party’s abrupt, fevered outburst.

“As a 7-star pinnacle blacksmith, it’s perfectly normal for you to be unable to see through the exquisiteness of their forging,” Master Lin Jie explained with visible excitement in his tone. “The Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique is a perfectly ordinary forging technique, essentially consisting of slow but steady strikes.

“What is truly exquisite is how aptly it is used in this situation! Having just been exposed to intense heat, the cauldron is already starting to melt. If a fast and forceful forging technique were to be used in this situation, it could cause the internal structure of the cauldron to break apart. While it would not affect the formation of the cauldron, the small cracks here and there would adversely affect the durability of the cauldron, causing its tier to decline.

“On the other hand, through using the Descending Willow Leaves Forging Technique, not only will such a problem be avoided, it will even further temper the current structure of the cauldron, making it more compact and firmer than before, thus enhancing its quality!”

The instructions issued by the young man were truly exquisite. Every single word he spoke seemed to directly point to the very essence of smithing, turning even the most ordinary movements into a profound art. Despite utilizing only the most basic forging techniques, he was still able to facilitate the fusion of the cauldron with the Black Goldcrystal Ore perfectly.

Ding ding dang dang!

By the time Chu Xiang performed his 148th strike on the Golden Origin Cauldron, he happened to return to the starting point. After which, under Zhang Xuan’s instructions, he flicked the hammer into the air and began striking the bottom of the cauldron.

“Why is he striking the bottom of the cauldron instead of the cauldron body?” Guild Leader Qin asked in confusion.

Under normal circumstances, it would be best to hammer an artifact in sequence to further its stability, which in this case, would be from the top to the bottom. As such, it was perplexing why Zhang Xuan would instruct Chu Xiang to strike the bottom of the cauldron right after hammering the top. Logically speaking, he should have the body of the cauldron hammered first before moving to the bottom!

“This…” Master Lin Jie frowned in bewilderment as well, unable to make sense of the situation either.

Weng weng weng!

In the midst of his confusion, the cauldron before him suddenly emitted a deep rumble, reminiscent of an ocean’s waves.

“Could it be…” Master Lin Jie’s eyes suddenly widened in realization. “I finally get it!”

Guild Leader Qin hurriedly turned his gaze to Master Lin Jie.

“This is the Tidal Forging Technique! It was created by an 8-star blacksmith after listening to the sound of the waves. By striking the bottom of the cauldron in a specific manner right after hammering the top, a unique resonance is produced within the cauldron via the strikes, allowing the Black Goldcrystal Ore to better fuse into the body of the cauldron without hammering it directly, thus reducing the potential damage the hammering could cause to its structure.

“More importantly, the wave-like jolts from the hammering temper the spirit within the cauldron as well, enhancing it further. Formidable! Truly formidable! How did he manage to think of something like this?”

The more Master Lin Jie spoke, the more astounded he was. At this point, he could not help but feel a little light within.

The Tidal Forging Technique was an obsolete forging technique, applicable only in very few circumstances. As such, he had never really used it before despite having heard of it. Yet, who would have thought that he would actually see it being perfectly applied here?

There were many forging techniques in the world, some more profound the others. However, just because one forging technique was more profound than another did not necessarily mean that it would be better. What was more important was to use the forging technique more apt for the situation!

For example, not only would the Tidal Forging Technique preserve the integrity of the Golden Origin Cauldron’s internal structure to the greatest degree, it would also temper its spirit.

There were simply too many people in the world, and this was including blacksmiths as well, who thought that the stronger the physical structure of a weapon was, the stronger the weapon would be. They attempt to fuse all kinds of superior ores into their weapon, only to neglect the enhancement of its spirit. As a result, they would end up with a weak weapon spirit trying to drag a body far stronger than it along, and naturally, this was detrimental to the overall prowess of the weapon.

The usage of the Tidal Forging Technique at this crucial juncture solved this issue perfectly.

This was truly killing two birds with one stone!

Witnessing what he had previously thought to be impossible, he could not help but feel a little dreamy inside. “To be able to think this far ahead while issuing instructions to another… Just how deep an understanding does he have of smithing?”

His years of experience in smithing told him that Zhang Xuan and his partner were doomed to fail, but from the current looks of the situation… it seemed like they would really succeed!

Just from this alone, it could be seen that the young man’s comprehension of smithing was much, much deeper than his!

In fact, they were not even on the same level!

He continued watching the forging process, and his shock only served to deepen at every turn.

Every instruction made by Zhang Xuan was profound and precise, such that he could not find the slightest flaw or error in it. On top of that, he astonishingly realized that the young man had really taken everything into consideration, factoring in his partner’s strength, zhenqi attribute, level of mastery in smithing, and so on.

He had still been able to comprehend what the young man was doing at the start, but as the forging process went on, he swiftly found that there were many aspects that were beyond his understanding.

Perhaps he might have been able to make sense out of it if he were to ponder deeply over the process, but the young man was issuing instructions one after another at a rapid pace, using a myriad of forging techniques within just a few moments, granting him no time to think at all.

After some time, a resounding echo suddenly sounded, and under Zhang Xuan’s instructions, Chu Xiang rapidly retreated several steps.

Hong long!

Following which, an overwhelming aura burst into the air, and the sky abruptly darkened.

“It’s the Leaving Aperture Ordeal…”

Everyone stared at the sight before them with mouths agape.

Chapter 1207: Leaving Aperture Ordeal ###

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Saint 5-dan Leaving Aperture realm was the level where a cultivator’s Primordial Spirit gained the ability to leave its physical body and survive for a prolonged period of time independently, but in order to do so, the cultivator had to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal first.

While artifacts were able to reach the Leaving Aperture realm as well, their spirits were unable to make the metamorphosis into Primordial Spirits. As a result, unlike normal cultivators, they were unable to leave the confines of their body. Nevertheless, they would still gain the ability to grow hands and legs, granting them greater ease and flexibility of movements.

The Golden Origin Cauldron had already been at Half-Leaving Aperture realm prior to the upgrading, and after having the Black Goldcrystal Ore fused into it, it successfully overcame its previous bottleneck and drew in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal.

Dark clouds swiftly gathered in the area, causing the darkness to spread. A powerful gale raged, tearing apart the roof of the Forging Hall, exposing the room to the world.

This was the first time that most blacksmiths in the room had witnessed an artifact’s Leaving Aperture Ordeal, and they stared at the sight before them intently as their bodies trembled in excitement.

Kacha!

A deafening peal of thunder rumbled as countless blue streaks of lightning tangled with one another within the dark clouds.

“Why would the cauldron draw in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal despite having yet to be tempered? Does Zhang shi not intend to temper it?” Guild Leader Qin asked in confusion.

There were three main steps to smithing and upgrading a weapon. First, the fusing of the ores to form a suitable alloy. Second, the forging of the alloy into the correct form. Third, the tempering of the formed artifact to enhance its durability and flexibility!

Most blacksmiths would be able to grasp the first two steps with sufficient practice. What was truly difficult to master was the third one.

Whether an artifact would be able to achieve true perfection depended on how well the blacksmith was able to conduct the tempering.

There were many techniques used in the forging process that he was not able to understand, so he had thought that the tempering stage would be an eye-opener for him as well, allowing him to catch a glimpse into the prowess of a true genius blacksmith. Yet, before the tempering could be carried out, the Leaving Aperture Ordeal had already fallen!

“It’s not that he doesn’t intend to temper his cauldron; he is going to temper it now,” Master Lin Jie replied hoarsely, his quivering tone reflecting his disbelief at the situation.

“He’s intending to temper it now? Wait a moment, Master Lin Jie, you don’t mean that… Zhang shi intends to use the Leaving Aperture Ordeal to temper his cauldron?” Guild Leader Qin froze upon hearing those words, and his eyes bulged in disbelief.

Master Lin Jie nodded. “That seems to be the case. He’s probably intending to use the lightning to temper his cauldron to perfection.”

“But the devastating might of the Leaving Aperture Ordeal is one that could incapacitate even True Leaving Aperture realm experts! To temper an artifact that rose to Leaving Aperture realm just a moment ago with the Leaving Aperture Ordeal is utter madness!” Guild Leader Qin exclaimed in shock.

At this moment, he really felt that Zhang Xuan had gone insane.

In the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, one would have to undergo a lightning tribulation, which was the nemesis of souls and spirits alike! Even True Leaving Aperture realm experts would cower from it, not daring to take it head on.

Even though the deceased Pavilion Master Gou had long reached the Leaving Aperture realm, he still had not dared to undergo the Leaving Aperture Ordeal due to his old age, fearing that his soul would dissipate.

While everyone was eager to avoid the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, that fellow was actually intending to use the lightning to temper his artifact!

Wasn’t he being too gutsy?

That was truly playing with fire! The slightest mistake could very well render all the effort he had put into upgrading his artifact futile. More importantly, if the Golden Origin Cauldron failed to withstand the lighting ordeal, it could very well explode on the spot!

That would be equivalent to the explosion of a Leaving Aperture realm cultivator! The entire Blacksmith Guild and everything in its vicinity would be utterly obliterated!

“Elders, begin evacuating everyone from the area!” Guild Leader Qin could not afford to take this risk, so he quickly issued commands.

Even if the Blacksmith Guild was destroyed, as long as their men remained, they would at least still be able to rebuild it.

But the problem was that all of the 7-star blacksmiths in Qingyuan City were currently gathered in this room to listen to Master Lin Jie’s lecture. If all of them were killed due to this, the Qingyuan Empire Blacksmith Guild would really become a thing of the past.

“Yes!”

“Everyone, hurry up and flee!”

“Quick, contact the Master Teacher Pavilion and have them dispatch some personnel here! If something goes wrong, it could end in a disaster!”

The other blacksmiths also swiftly came to realize the grave danger they were in, and their faces turned ghastly pale. They hurriedly rushed out of the Blacksmith Guild and dashed into the distance.

Soon, only Zhang Xuan, Chu Xiang, Master Lin Jie, and Guild Leader Qin were left in the room.

In this moment, Chu Xiang’s face was pale in fright as well, and his body would not stop trembling. He quickly turned his gaze toward Zhang Xuan, only to see the latter standing with his hands behind his back, looking at the sparks of lightning in the sky calmly. Not only was there not the slightest hint of fear to be seen on his face, there was even a tangible vibe of excitement around him.

“Zhang shi…” Chu Xiang gulped as he called out to Zhang Xuan in apprehension, perhaps wanting to seek comfort from the other party’s words in this unnerving situation.

Seeing through Chu Xiang’s worries, Zhang Xuan replied with a light chuckle. “There’s no need to worry. Just a mere Leaving Aperture Ordeal, the Golden Origin Cauldron will be able to survive it with ease!”

Normal tempering would be able to further the effects of the Black Goldcrystal Ore on the Golden Origin Cauldron as well, but the results would not be as pronounced as tempering through lightning. By tapping into the lightning energy in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal, not only would it perfect the fusion between the Black Goldcrystal Ore and the Golden Origin Cauldron, more importantly, it would grant the latter the Power of Lightning as well.

The Power of Lightning would put the Golden Origin Cauldron at a decisive advantage when facing other Leaving Aperture realm experts!

Kacha!

While the others were still in a state of shock, the first streak of lightning descended from the heavens.

It struck the Golden Origin Cauldron squarely, but surprisingly, the latter managed to absorb it easily without any problems. Its exterior became even more lustrous, and its structure seemed to have become more compact and firmer.

“This…” Master Lin Jie was astonished by how easily the Golden Origin Cauldron managed to withstand the lightning strike. “Given that the cauldron is a Saint intermediate-tier artifact, and the Black Goldcrystal Ore has been fused into it, it’s understandable how its body is able to withstand the first lightning strike easily. But how could its spirit remain completely unharmed?”

Possessing the yin attribute, spirits and souls were innately weak against lightning!

Once the lightning was absorbed into the artifact, the spirit would naturally be devastated by the Power of Lightning as well, possibly even resulting in its dissipation.

Yet, the spirit of the cauldron was completely unfazed by the lightning. In fact, it was even shaking its body gleefully in the air, as if provoking the lightning in the heavens to give it its best shot…

Just what the heck was going on?

Seeing how frenzied Master Lin Jie was from being unable to comprehend the situation before him, Zhang Xuan shook his head and explained, “The spirit of the Golden Origin Cauldron has been tempered by lightning once in the past, thus granting it some degree of immunity to lightning. While the lightning tribulation in the Leaving Aperture Ordeal isn’t weak, it is no longer sufficient to cause significant damage to the Golden Origin Cauldron.”

Back in their expedition in the Qiu Wu Palace, the Golden Origin Cauldron had exposed itself to concentrated streaks of lightning in order to shield the rest of the expedition team from harm. Eventually, its spirit had ended up falling into a dormant state from the immense damage it had sustained. While it had nearly lost its life from the encounter, surviving the ordeal had made its spirit more resilient than ever.

Even though there had not been anyone managing the grade-8 lightning formation then, its might was still something that a Leaving Aperture Ordeal could not compare to.

It was due to that experience that Zhang Xuan dared use lightning to temper the Golden Origin Cauldron.

“It has been tempered by lightning in the past?” Master Lin Jie nodded in realization. Everything made sense if that was the case, but soon, worry surfaced in his eyes. “The Leaving Aperture Ordeal is divided into primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle. May I know what realm the Golden Origin Cauldron is at currently?”

When Leaving Aperture realm cultivators achieved a breakthrough to primary stage, they would undergo their first lightning ordeal, which consisted of a single streak of lightning. Even though it was only a single streak, its might was not to be underestimated. Nevertheless, if a cultivator successfully withstood it, their Primordial Spirit would become significantly more resilient once it had recovered from the injuries it had sustained.

Fortunately, it would take an ordinary cultivator several decades or even a century in order to cultivate from Leaving Aperture realm primary stage to intermediate stage, giving them sufficient time to recover from the damage caused by the lightning ordeal. With that, it would become much easier for it to survive the lightning ordeal during their breakthrough to intermediate stage.

However, this was different for artifacts.

Artifacts could be upgraded several cultivation stages at once. If the Golden Origin Cauldron was upgraded to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle in a single go, it would have to undergo the primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, and pinnacle lightning ordeals consecutively without any time to recover in between the ordeals!

In the face of four consecutive lightning ordeals, no matter how powerful the spirit was, its defenses would gradually be worn thin before eventually dissipating.

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before replying. “Chu Xiang’s forging technique is still slightly lacking, so he inevitably made a few minor errors in the forging process. As such, the Golden Origin Cauldron was unable to achieve a breakthrough to Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle. So, it should currently be at advanced stage.”

While the Black Goldcrystal Ore had the incredible effect of raising an artifact’s tier, the materials that the Golden Origin Cauldron was made of were simply too weak, thus limiting how much it could be upgraded. Furthermore, Chu Xiang’s proficiency in his forging techniques were also slightly lacking as well, so even though there was no error in Zhang Xuan’s guidance, it had still met its bottleneck at Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage.

Nevertheless, the Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage Golden Origin Cauldron was not to be underestimated.

At Saint 5-dan, the advancement of every single cultivation stage became incredibly difficult, with bottlenecks at every turn.

With the Golden Origin Cauldron’s current cultivation and the Power of Lightning it would wield after its tempering, ordinary Leaving Aperture realm pinnacle cultivators would not be a match for it. Putting aside the Qingyuan Empire, the Golden Origin Cauldron would probably go unmatched even in the Qianchong Empire 1 !

Master Lin Jie’s lips twitched upon hearing those words, and a worried frown emerged on his face. “Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage? Doesn’t that mean that it’ll have to undergo three consecutive lightning ordeals? That will be dangerous!”

Since the Golden Origin Cauldron had reached Leaving Aperture realm advanced stage in a breath, it would have to undergo the primary stage, intermediate stage, and advanced stage lightning ordeal consecutively. Each one would be more fearsome than the last, and to clear all three of them was nigh impossible!

“I know.” Zhang Xuan nodded. “However, I believe that my Golden Origin Cauldron will be able to succeed!”

How could one see the rainbow without weathering the storm?

The Golden Origin Cauldron might have appeared immature and unreliable at times, but it was still a spirit that had lived for innumerable years, nourished by the spirit of countless master teachers.

Since it had survived the field of lightning back at the Qiu Wu Palace, Zhang Xuan believed that it would surely be able to withstand the Leaving Aperture Ordeal as well.

Boom!

While they were still chatting with one another, the second streak of lightning fell.

The energy harnessed within this lightning bolt was more destructive than the previous one, and even the air seemed to char from the overwhelming energy it possessed.

Kacha!

When the lightning bolt struck the Golden Origin Cauldron, the latter shuddered slightly. Under the devastating might of the lightning streak, it was unable to keep itself in the air any longer, and it fell heavily onto the ground, leaving a massive depression in its wake.

Even though it was a tough fight, the Golden Origin Cauldron eventually managed to withstand it.

Hong long long!

As soon as the second streak of lightning came to an end, the third streak fell before anyone could respond.

The deep-blue third streak of lightning had a width reminiscent of a large water vat, and it ripped through the air with incredible momentum to strike the Golden Origin Cauldron.

Seeing the astounding might of the lightning, the composure of Zhang Xuan’s face finally cracked, revealing a hint of anxiety. “Sh*t! The lightning ordeal is stronger than I thought; the Golden Origin Cauldron might not be able to withstand it!”

As much as he trusted the Golden Origin Cauldron, the third streak of lightning was simply too powerful. If the cauldron took it head on, there was really a good chance that its spirit would dissipate on the spot.

“Golden Origin Cauldron, swallow the earth flames and use them to neutralize the might of the lightning!” Zhang Xuan immediately commanded as he flicked his wrist and whipped out a bunch of formation flags.

Sou sou sou sou!

The formation flags fell into the surroundings of the Golden Origin Cauldron, forming an even more powerful formation to tap into the earth flames underground.

Since the lightning was too powerful for the Golden Origin Cauldron to withstand by itself, they would just have to find another power to offset its might!

And the strongest power that they could tap at this moment were the earth flames!

Xiong xiong!

Due to the powerful pull of the formation, raging earth flames were forcefully dragged from beneath the earth, generating a violet inferno in the area.

The Golden Origin Cauldron also knew that it was a do-or-die situation. Struggling out of the depression it was in, it opened its lid and swiftly absorbed the purple inferno into it.

Huala!

The flames circulated within the Golden Origin Cauldron’s body before bursting forth in the form of a fiery dragon.

The fiery dragon soared into the sky, clashing straight on with the third streak of lightning.

Boom!

A powerful shockwave rippled into the surroundings, shaking the heavens and earth alike. In the blink of an eye, the entire Blacksmith Guild was torn down as if it was a mere sheet of paper.

“My guild!” Guild Leader Qin widened his eyes in horror.

Didn’t you say that you weren’t here to crash my Blacksmith Guild? I gave you permission to upgrade your weapon, and yet, you still ended up destroying my building. How do you expect me to face my predecessors now!