Chapter 441

Chapter 441: I’ll Make a Breakthrough Then!

Complete silence.

The spectators and soldiers on and below the Heaven’s Altar, numbering up to several tens of thousands, were all dumbfounded.

With just his words, Old Ancestor Ding Hong was able to force everyone here to submit to him. The valiant sight of him entering the field on the Steelback Winged Dragon was engraved deep into everyone’s mind.

Everyone thought that Zhang Xuan would be crushed helplessly, but before Ding Hong could even wound the other party, he ended up falling from the sky…

The heck!

Could things get any more ridiculous?

For an expert like you, walking out from the royal palace wasn’t a big deal. Yet, you just had to put on a show and enter the field riding on the Steelback Winged Dragon. On top of that, you chose to fly at such a high altitude in an attempt to play god and bring heaven retribution onto others… Yet, retribution did appear, but the target seemed to be you.

All gazes immediately turned toward the silhouette who was stabbed more than half a meter deep into the ground. Everyone’s mouths were twitching, and they couldn’t help but wince at the tragic sight.

Even Transcendent Mortal experts were incapable of flight. Falling from an altitude of fifty to sixty meters unprepared might be insufficient to kill him, but it was more than enough to incapacitate him for a short moment.

It was fortunate that Ding Hong had a strong cultivation. At that height, even a Zhizun realm expert would find himself crippled.

“The Steelback Winged Dragon is a Half-Transcension savage beast, why would it suddenly lose its stability and fall from the skies?”

Recovering from the astonishment, bewildered exclaims echoed amidst the crowd.

It wasn’t like this was an untamed savage beast intentionally trying to cause damage. The Steelback Winged Dragon had already served as Xuanyuan Kingdom’s guardian beast for several centuries, and it was a respected guardian deity in the hearts of all the citizens.

For such a noble savage beast to plummet from the skies all of a sudden and crash so heavily that it couldn’t even push itself up anymore…

Even though they had witnessed this sight with their own eyes, they had no idea what to make out of this matter.

“It seemed like… that fellow dropped right after Zhang shi released a bizarre sound!”

“Indeed! I heard it as well. It sounded crisp and clear, reminiscent of the sound a cow makes, as well as a deafening thunder on the ground. To cause the Winged Dragon to panic like that… I wonder what it was?”

Some of the keener people who noticed the entire proceedings of the matter commented.

The savage beast was perfectly fine a moment ago, but after that crisp call from Zhang Xuan, it suddenly plummeted to the ground. Could there be a relationship between the two?

While the crowd was struck by astonishment, Old Ancestor Ding Hong finally recovered and pulled himself out from the ground. He was so furious that he could explode from rage at any moment.

He thought that as long as he killed Zhang Xuan on the Winged Beast, he would be able to win the hearts of the people and restore ultimate power to the Ding Clan. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect to nearly die from a fall.

If he were to become the first Transcendent Mortal to die from falling from too high up, he wouldn’t have the face to meet anyone even as a ghost.

Wiping away the dust from his face, he glared at the young man with reddened eyes. If looks could kill, holes would have appeared on Zhang Xuan.

“Kill him!”

Glancing at the Steelback Winged Dragon which was still recovering from the impact, Ding Hong roared.

However, right after he issued the command, he realized a hint of fear in the gaze of the Winged Dragon directed toward the young man in front of it. Putting aside killing him, it seemed as though it didn’t even dare approach him.

“You trash!”

Ding Hong was infuriated.

What the heck was this!

As the bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, you always act so arrogantly in the royal court, disregarding everyone else. Yet, you act so cowardly before an enemy?

Can you be any more useless?

Back then, you even slaughtered a spirit beast before! The other party is just a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert…

Ding Hong bellowed at the Winged Dragon several more times, but this fellow seemed to be adamant not to make a move even if it spelled his death. Suppressing his anger, Ding Hong turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan.

“To be able to persuade it not to make a move on you, I admit that you’re a capable man. But since that’s the case… I’ll do it myself then. It’s your honor to die by my hand!”

Ding Hong didn’t know the reason behind the attitude of the Steelback Winged Beast, but it had to be a doing of the brat before him.

But so what?

The other party was just a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator. Even if he could defeat a Half-Transcension expert, he was still a huge way from matching up to a Transcendent Mortal like him. With the huge disparity in strength, no matter what aces the other party had up his sleeves, it was all useless.

Boom!

Harrumphing coldly, Old Ancestor Ding Hong charged forward to make a move.

With a thrust of his hand, rampaging zhenqi infused with the Origin Energy from the world formed a gigantic handprint, and it charged straight toward Zhang Xuan.

Spirit low-tier battle technique, Origin Energy Palm!

Back then, on the back of the savage beast, the other party had used long-range sonic offensive means on him. Even though it was powerful, the distance had whittled down the might of the attack significantly so Zhang Xuan wasn’t able to get a clear gauge on the other party’s strength. However, at such close proximity, he finally understood how fearsome Transcendent Mortals were.

In an instant, Zhang Xuan felt overwhelming energy rushing toward him, causing his entire body to stiffen from the pressure. Under such a pressure, even driving his own zhenqi felt arduous.

“I’ll have to go all out!”

Transcendent Mortal experts possessed great control over the environment they were in, and knowing this, Zhang Xuan knew that it was impossible for him to escape. Thus, he drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi to its maximum capacity and faced the other party’s palm with his fist.

Heaven’s Path Fist Art!

Propelling the strength of his muscles, zhenqi began gushed forth from his fist. An immense strength exceeding 60,000 ding burst out as though a massive primordial beast tearing open the heavens, colliding with the other party’s Origin Energy Palm.

Peng!

Under the intense collision, Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but retreat ten steps back. His face flushed and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

Even though he had massively improved in the past few days, and his strength exceeded that of ordinary Zhizun realm pinnacle experts as well, he was still far from matching up to a true Transcendent Mortal.

There was no way he could remain unharmed from that blow.

“You withstood the attack? Not bad. Let’s see how much more can you take then!”

Ding Hong was astonished to see Zhang Xuan survive his Origin Energy Palm.

It was no wonder that this fellow could defeat even Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong. His strength was indeed formidable.

Even Half-Transcension experts would definitely end up severely injured under his Origin Energy Palm. Yet, the other party was only forced to retreat several steps.

On top of that, he realized that the other party’s physical body was on par with him.

A mere Zhizun realm cultivator actually possessed a physical body on par with a Transcendent Mortal?

How can that be?

Boom!

Even though Ding Hong was surprised, there was no hesitation in his movements at all. His next palm came striking down as soon as he saw Zhang Xuan successfully warding off his first attack.

Upon noticing the absurd resilience of Zhang Xuan’s body, he chose to exert more force this time around. Before the palm print even reached the other party, a huge fissure had already been torn on the ground.

“Origin Energy Palm is formed via the ability of a Transcendent Mortal to manipulate the Origin Energy in the world. Flaws: No. 1, if one only cultivates it to the level of an initiate, one won’t be able to control if perfectly…”

The various flaws of the other party’s battle technique surfaced in his mind.

The Origin Energy Palm possessed immense might, but as a Spirit low-tier battle technique, it was impossible for Ding Hong to fully comprehend it with his cultivation as a Prolonged Longevity realm cultivator. Even if he had studied it for a significant period of time, he would only be able to comprehend the basics.

And in truth, he was a far way off from reaching Consummation.

The Master Teacher Pavilion had allocated various tiers of mastery for battle techniques, and they were namely: Novice, Initiate, Minor Accomplishment, Major Accomplishment, and Consummation.

At Novice, one had a surface understanding of the battle technique and could forcefully execute it.

At Initiate, one would be able to bring out the essence of the battle technique but was still lacking in control.

At Minor Accomplishment, one’s understanding of the battle technique had already reached a deep level, and it could be relied on as a life-preserving means.

One must know that most of the cultivators had only reached Minor Accomplishment in the mastery of their battle techniques.

As for Major Accomplishment and Consummation, without decades of practice, it would be impossible to reach that level.

Ding Hong might have devoted several decades to the Origin Energy Palm, but due to the lack of a teacher to guide him and his insufficient cultivation, his comprehension of the skill was severely limited.

Thus, he was only able to reach the level of Initiate.

“Initiate Origin Energy Palm has a total of seventeen flaws…”

Knowing that it would just be a matter of time before he died if he were to face Ding Hong face on, Zhang Xuan hurriedly looked for a flaw in Ding Hong’s technique.

The current him wasn’t a match for a Transcendent Mortal at all. Only through exploiting the enemy’s flaw was there a possibility of him retaliating.

“Found it!”

Suddenly, Zhang Xuan caught sight of something and his eyes gleamed in delight.

Hu!

He finally found a flaw that he could exploit. Without any hesitation, he immediately stepped aside, dodging the other party’s assault, and with a flick of his wrist, he whipped out a spear from his storage ring and stabbed it straight toward the opening.

Heaven’s Path Spear Art!

He had obtained quite a few weapons from the Lin Clan, and most of them were stored in his storage ring in case of emergency.

It was their time to shine now.

That flaw was actually an opening in between the interval of the execution of the previous attack and the charging of the next Origin Energy Palm.

His spear whizzed and stabbed forward like a valiant dragon.

“Formidable! That Zhang shi’s eye of discernment is indeed fearsome!”

On top of the back of a savage beast, Jin Conghai witnessed Zhang Xuan making this pierce and his eyes narrowed.

Despite being a Transcendent Mortal expert, even he was unable to find a flaw in Ding Hong’s battle technique yet. For Zhang Xuan to be able to find it in an instant, his battle sense was truly terrifying.

“However… it’s a pity that his offensive power is too weak. Even if he augmented his strength with a spear art, it’s futile!”

Recovering from his shock, Jin Conghai shook his head.

“Futile?” a bewildered ‘Gongzi’ asked.

Since Zhang Xuan had found the other party’s flaw, why would it be useless?

“That’s right!”

Placing his hands behind him, Jin Conghai spoke with a deep gaze, “The Transcendent Mortal Realm… isn’t as simple as it seems!”

…

Weng!

Unaware of the conversation of the duo above, Zhang Xuan’s spear dived swiftly toward Ding Hong’s opening as though a roaring dragon charging toward its prey.

“Hmph!”

Ding Hong narrowed his eyes and he hurriedly retreated.

Huala!

For a moment, the air seemed to have solidified. It was as though the spear was trapped in a bog all of a sudden, and its movement abruptly slowed.

Hu!

The next moment, Ding Hong grabbed the end of the spear.

Kacha!

Exerting his zhenqi, the Phantom spear broke into countless splinters instantaneously. At the same moment, Zhang Xuan felt an ache in his chest, and he was knocked back more than a dozen steps.

“Damn it!”

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

He had found the flaw, and the spear was aimed and timed perfectly. Yet, he was still unable to hurt the other party at all.

Transcendent Mortals were indeed fearsome existences. No Fighter, even at Zhizun realm, was a match for them.

“You’re indeed incredible to make use of the temporary lapse in between my attacks against me. I truly didn’t expect it!” Ding Hong turned his gaze over to Zhang Xuan.

It was impressive for a Zhizun realm cultivator to find the flaw of a Transcendent Mortal cultivator so quickly. If not for Ding Hong having reached Transcendent Mortal realm, he would have surely been injured by the previous attack.

“However, you’re too weak! If your cultivation was at Half-Transcension, I might have been injured just now. However, it’s a pity that… at Zhizun realm pinnacle, you’re still a long way off! Even if you can find my flaws… what can you do to me?”

Ding Hong sneered coldly, “As a show of respect for you, I’ll face you with my full strength!”

“You’re right!”

Zhang Xuan faced the other party’s threat nonchalantly. He simply shook his hands and said, “My offensive capability is indeed far too lacking. With the cultivation of a Zhizun realm pinnacle, it’s impossible for me to wound you!

“Since you said that I’d require the strength of a Half-Transcension…”

“I’ll make the breakthrough now then!”

Upon saying so, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and threw something resembling a seed into his mouth.

Boom!

In that instant, it was as though he was set ablaze.

Chapter 442: Making Breakthroughs As Though Drinking Water, Reaching New Realms Like a Walk in the Park!

The gap between a Zhizun realm and Transcendent Mortal wasn’t just limited to strength… perception, spirit, and many other factors were included as well.

If Zhang Xuan remained at Zhizun realm pinnacle, then even if he were to find all of the flaws in the other party’s battle techniques and cultivation, it would still be impossible for him to defeat Ding Hong.

No matter how many times he tried, the same scenario would just occur.

There was only a single solution then… Making a breakthrough!

Since that was the case, there was no reason for Zhang Xuan to hesitate anymore!

He had already compiled and read through the Zhizun realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art. The only reason why he hadn’t made a breakthrough yet was due to the lack of spirit stones to augment his cultivation.

If he were to attempt to make a breakthrough via absorbing from spirit stones, it would definitely take several hours before he could reach Half-Transcension.

Even if he had sufficient spirit stones, it would be impractical for him to do so now.

Unless he made use of that treasure——

Crimson Flame Lotus Seed!

This object was formed through countless years of accumulation of spiritual energy by the Crimson Flame Lotus at the vein of the Red Lotus Range. It contained an immense amount of energy, to the point that it even raised the success rate of a Fighter reaching Transcendent Mortal realm by twenty percent.

Since it was effective even on Half-Transcension experts, it wasn’t too difficult to imagine how terrifying it was.

The reason why Zhang Xuan hadn’t used it yet was because he was saving it for his breakthrough from Half-Transcension to Transcendent Mortal. However, he had no other choice but to consume it now.

Boom!

The lotus seed melted as soon as it entered his mouth, and a violent energy immediately flowed into his meridians.

Propelling the energy according to the circulation method of the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, Zhang Xuan’s aura grew stronger rapidly, and in an instant, he broke through his bottleneck.

Zhizun realm intermediate stage!

Zhizun realm advanced stage!

Zhizun realm pinnacle!

…

He was originally at Zhizun realm primary stage, but as the Heaven’s Path Divine Art greedily took in the energy flowing through his veins, in less than ten breaths, he consecutively broke through three small realms, reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle.

“Thi-this…”

“That’s is Zhizun realm! It would take at least an entire decade for one just to raise his cultivation by one small realm… Yet, in the blink of an eye, his cultivation rose from Zhizun realm primary stage to Zhizun realm pinnacle?”

“Is he still a human? How can this be…”

“AH! OUCH… What are you doing?”

“I just wanted to check whether I was dreaming or not!”

“Since you’re the one who wanted to ascertain whether you’re dreaming or not, why did you pinch me?”

“Wouldn’t I feel pain if I pinched myself?”

“…”

…

Upon seeing this sight, everyone fell into a frenzy.

Their lips twitched uncontrollably.

They had seen people making a breakthrough in their cultivation before, but consecutively within such a short period of time? Never.

Others took several years just to raise their cultivation by one small realm. On the other hand, when that young man realized that he wasn’t a match for Ding Hong, he immediately raised his cultivation realm from Zhizun realm primary stage to Zhizun realm pinnacle…

Can you get any more exaggerated than that?

It was no wonder you dared to face the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom alone. With such capability, you can already bash through the heavens!

…

“Making breakthroughs as though drinking water, reaching new realms like a walk in the park?”

‘Gongzi’s’ face paled, and his body trembled in agitation.

He was the envoy of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and having spent most of his time reading books from a young age, he knew quite a lot about the talented figures on the continent. However, this was the first time he had seen or heard something as absurd as this.

To achieve breakthroughs in the midst of a battle… How in the world did he do it?

“The Crimson Flame Lotus Seed… But even though it harnesses a great amount of energy, it shouldn’t possess such great effects!”

Gu Mu’s eyes were also completely widened.

He had obtained the lotus seed along with his senior granduncle at the Red Lotus Range back then, and he was given one of them. Thus, he was well-aware of its prowess. Even though it harnessed a gigantic amount of energy, it was insufficient for one to raise one’s cultivation by so many realms consecutively.

That fellow seemed to be defying common sense…

Is the other party mad, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

“I’ve only seen this kind of breakthrough in a book before. It was said that a humble cultivator had once chanced upon the lecture of an 8-star master teacher out of some fortuitous coincidence, and he managed to achieve consecutive breakthroughs in his cultivation… To think that I would bear witness to such a sight myself!”

Jin Conghai swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

He was a Transcendent Mortal expert with a great amount of worldly experience, but upon seeing this sight, even he couldn’t help but be shocked as well.

If not for his powerful self-control, he might have fainted on the spot.

Grand Elder Wei Yuqing’s body stiffened in shock.

“The energy harnessed within the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed is violent and destructive, as though an ignited gunpowder. The moment it seeps into one’s vein, one would have to drive the energy furiously around. With a slight misstep, one might potentially implode and die… Yet, to achieve so many breakthroughs consecutively without any hesitation, I can’t fathom how deep his understanding of the Zhizun realm is. How confident does he have to be to dare to take such a risk? Also, what kind of cultivation technique was he cultivating to be capable of absorbing such a vast amount of energy in this short period of time?”

Achieving a breakthrough in one’s cultivation wasn’t just about absorbing energy. More importantly, one had to have a deep understanding of the cultivation realm, one’s cultivation technique, and possess absolute control of one’s body.

To break through three small realms in a single shot, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing found it difficult to imagine how deep the other party’s understanding of the Zhizun realm was.

One must know that consuming such nourishment to attempt to achieve a breakthrough was a double-edged sword.

If one was unable to drive the energy properly, the energy could potentially clog up at a certain location and eventually result in one’s death.

There were countless precedents of cultivators being unable to fully absorb the nourishment they had consumed and exploded.

Even if the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed might be gentler compared to many of the other consumable treasures, its violent nature made it far from suitable for the direct consumption for a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator.

Yet, not only was that fellow fine after eating it, he even managed to achieve a breakthrough. What kind of powerful cultivation technique could allow a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator to take in that vast amount of energy contained within it?

And how confident was he in the cultivation technique to do so without any hesitation?

“Look, he’s attempting to break through to Half-Transcension!”

Just as Grand Elder Wei Yuqing was overwhelmed by shock, shock exclaims echoed from the bottom. Thus, he hurriedly turned his gaze over.

Despite having broken through three small realms previously, that violent energy within Zhang Xuan’s body didn’t fade. Rather, it seemed to be gathering strength to make that final breakthrough to Half-Transcension.

He was attempting to surpass Zhizun realm with just a single Crimson Flame Lotus Seed!

…

While everyone was overwhelmed with shock, Ding Hong nearly died from shock.

When he said that only a Half-Transcension could hurt him, he was trying to provoke the other party so as to build a powerful reputation for himself among the citizens present here. Yet…

That fellow really made a breakthrough, not to mention, it all happened in just a few short breaths!

In his short, momentary daze, the other party’s cultivation soared from Zhizun realm primary stage to pinnacle, and from the looks of it, it was about to reach Half-Transcension as well.

If he knew how frightening the other party was, he wouldn’t have wasted so many words on him.

Wasn’t this courting death?

From that fellow’s sharp and precise movements, if the other party were to succeed, there would be a high chance that he might really breathe his last breath here.

“Attempting to achieve a breakthrough right before me? You must be dreaming!”

Roaring furiously, Ding Hong clenched his fist and shot it straight toward Zhang Xuan without any hesitation.

Phantom pinnacle battle technique, Merchant Luo Fist!

Spirit battle techniques were far stronger than Phantom battle technique, but given Ding Hong’s cultivation as a Prolonged Longevity primary stage cultivator, it was nigh impossible for him to cultivate the Origin Energy Palm to the mastery of Minor Accomplishment, and thus, he was unable to bring out the full strength of it.

In that sense, using a Phantom battle technique that he had reached the level of Consummation in was far more practical.

Merchant Luo Fist was a technique created by a merchant from Luoshui. Even though no one knew the true name of the merchant, the might of his fist, which was comparable to the ceaseless, rapid tides of a river, became a legend throughout Xuanyuan Kingdom.

Eventually, before the merchant’s death, he passed this fist art on to the Xuanyuan royal family, and it had been passed on ever since then.

Zhenqi began gushing out ceaselessly from Ding Hong, filling the entire Heaven’s Altar. For an instant, it felt as though an endless tide of water was surging through the area.

Amidst the endless water, Zhang Xuan seemed as though a solitary boat that could possibly capsize at any moment.

“Shameless!”

“How can someone be so despicable as to launch an assault when the other party is making a breakthrough in his cultivation…”

“And to think that he’s a Transcendent Mortal expert, how shameless!”

Not expecting Ding Hong to attack at this crucial moment, the crowd suddenly exclaimed anxiously.

It was dishonorable for a Transcendent Mortal to strike his enemy when he was defenseless, not to mention, the other party was a member of the royal family.

“Ding Hong’s life hinges on a thread now. If Zhang shi were to succeed, he would be put in a dire state. No one can blame him for making a move at such a crucial moment!”

Jin Conghai was infuriated, but he could understand the other party’s stand. Once Zhang shi succeeded in making the breakthrough, he would surely be defeated.

In the end, this was a true battle, not a duel!

“Gongzi…”

Jin Conghai anxiously looked at ‘gongzi’.

“Since he dares to attempt a breakthrough at this moment, he must have a countermeasure. Let’s just watch on…” ‘Gongzi’ understood Jin Conghai’s intentions, but he shook his hands and rejected it.

The young man below had left him astounded time and time again. Every single time that he was placed in a desperate situation, he would reverse it in the blink of an eye.

So this time… Would the same situation happen again?

After all, without any aces up one’s sleeves, no sane person would dare to attempt a breakthrough during a battle.

“Yes…”

Jin Conghai nodded and turned his gaze back to the battle. Then, his body froze before trembling slightly, “Shit! He isn’t trying to block the other party’s attack at all!”

Below, Zhang Xuan seemed to be completely immersed in his cultivation, oblivious to Ding Hong’s fist. He stood perfectly still on the spot, allowing the rampaging torrent to drown him.

Even though the Merchant Luo Fist was created by a merchant, it didn’t feel crass or subservient. Instead, there was a dominance that threatened to crush everything that stood in its path.

Being in the midst of his breakthrough, Zhang Xuan was completely defenseless. If that fist were to land on Zhang Xuan, he would definitely die on the spot.

Boom!

A loud explosion sounded. A cloud of dust flew into the air, and small rock fragments shot into the surroundings. In an instant, the young man’s figure had completely disappeared from sight.

“Zhang shi…”

‘Gongzi’ narrowed his eyes, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Zhang Xuan’s turning of the tables time after time during a dire situation had already built an infallible image within him. Thus, ‘gongzi’ thought that, like many times before, Zhang Xuan would do the same this time… Yet, the other party didn’t do anything at all. On top of it, he was struck in the midst of his cultivation, when he was completely defenseless!

Under that immense might of the blow, could he be dead already?

After all, that was a Transcendent Mortal expert using his full might! Even a fellow Transcendent Mortal expert would find it hard to withstand the attack, lest be said, a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator!

“It’s over…”

Wei Yuqing and Gu Mu also saw the sight before them turning dark.

They were both Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators, and putting themselves in the other party’s situation, they could see themselves being completely crushed into bits.

They thought that a miracle would happen once more. After all, the young man below had defied common sense too many times… No one could have imagined that he would be killed just like that…

“That’s impossible… Zhang Xuan, you can’t die!”

Mo Yu’s face paled, and her eyes reddened.

Zhang Xuan, aren’t you going to save Lu Chong? How can you die here?

If you really die here, how can you face your students who have entrusted themselves to you…

You can’t fall here! You mustn’t!

“Haha! Attempting a breakthrough on the spot? Such a foolish notion! You deserve to die…”

Ding Hong also didn’t expect his attack to work, and he howled furiously in delight.

However, at the very next moment, a familiar voice echoed amidst the dust.

“Thank you for helping me break through my bottleneck!”

Boom!

A powerful aura abruptly surged, and as though a flood dragon, it ascended into the skies, shaking the heavens.

Half-Transcension realm reached!

Chapter 443: Strength of a Hundred Thousand Ding

“What?”

Narrowing his eyes, Ding Hong saw the dust clearing, and a figure was slowly walking toward him.

Who else could it be if not Zhang Xuan!

At this current moment, Zhang Xuan was still in perfect condition, and there wasn’t even a speck of dust on his clothes. It was as if the target of the previous attack wasn’t him.

But what stood out the most was the overwhelming aura he was exuding. Ferocious might exuded from every single point of his body; he was clearly many times stronger than before.

“Yo-you…”

Ding Hong’s body froze.

He had launched an attack with his full might, and he was certain that the attack landed on the other party. Yet, not only did Ding Hong fail to kill him, the other party even managed to achieve a breakthrough and reach Half-Transcension. This… This can’t be real!

As for ‘gongzi’ and the others who thought that Zhang Xuan was doomed this time, they were completely dumbstruck.

Was he a cockroach?

How could he be fine after being punched like that?

“So what if you’ve reached Half-Transcension? Die!”

With eyes reddened with frenzy, Ding Hong clenched his teeth, flicked his wrist, and whipped out a sword. Then, he charged straight toward Zhang Xuan.

The reason why he didn’t use a weapon before wasn’t because he was intentionally going easy on Zhang Xuan, but rather, he didn’t think that there was any use for it.

However, given that the other party had reached Half-Transcension realm and considering his incredible means, if he didn’t give it everything he had, he would really die here.

Huala!

The cold gleam of the sword shone across the entire Heaven’s Altar.

Ding Hong had immersed himself within swordsmanship for more than a hundred years, and he had already reached an incredibly high mastery in the art. With this slash, white sword qi gushed out from his sword, reaching a distance of more than several dozen meters, making it difficult for anyone to approach him.

“It’s Sword Intent!”

Everyone’s faces froze.

Those who comprehended Weapon Intent had achieved an extremely profound level of understanding of weapons, to the point that their weapon felt no different from an extension of their hands.

This was an abstract state, and it took countless years of hard work before one could achieve it. However, the benefits it brought were massive as well. One who had comprehended Sword Intent could be said to be invincible among those of the same cultivation realm.

“Not only has he comprehend Sword Intent, he’s even advanced rather far in it!”

Jin Conghai frowned. “Seems like it’s not possible for Zhang shi to achieve victory!”

If Ding Hong had used Sword Intent earlier on, Zhang Xuan might have lost immediately. Even though Zhang Xuan had managed to reach Half-Transcension, the situation was still against his odds.

Sword Intent was a representation of one’s level of achievement in swordsmanship, and the strikes of those who have reached this level tended to be swifter and sharper.

This Zhang shi wasn’t even twenty yet, and on top of that, he was a spear user. His understanding of the sword was probably far inferior to the other party. It would be nigh impossible for him to achieve victory.

‘Gongzi’, Wei Yuqing, and the others didn’t speak, but every single one of them had a grim expression on their faces. Clearly, they shared the same thoughts as well.

A Transcendent Mortal who had comprehended Sword Intent was a truly terrifying force to reckon with. Even Jin Conghai would face some trouble with him.

Huala!

A sword qi flew across the air, leaving a deep tear on the ground.

Different from the anxious crowd, Zhang Xuan didn’t seem flustered in the least. He smiled lightly and stepped forward.

His figure faded, and in the blink of an eye, he had already advanced four to five meters.

It was as though he could foresee the future. His body moved from the left to the right, and the sharp sword qi simply slid past his skin, without leaving a single cut on him.

At that moment, Zhang Xuan seemed as though an agile fish. Even though the sword qi before him was spread widely like a net, he was still able to easily find an opening and slide through.

“Half-Transcension… is indeed powerful!”

Feeling the immense strength surging through his body, Zhang Xuan thought.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been impossible for him to reach Half-Transcension.

Hall Master Xie Jiuchen had gathered a huge collection of Zhizun realm manual under his request, but very few of them detailed the method to breaking through to Half-Transcension. As such, after compilation, a Half-Transcension Heaven’s Path Divine Art couldn’t be formed.

This was precisely the reason why Zhang Xuan stopped right after he had reached Zhizun realm pinnacle.

However, the energy within the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed far exceeded his expectations. He wanted to stop, but the violent nature of the energy prevented him from doing so. Thus, he was forced to continue striving for Half-Transcension.

Under normal circumstances, without a compiled Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it would be hard for him to achieve a breakthrough. It could potentially lead to his cultivation going berserk, and in the worst case scenario, he might even sustain severe internal injuries.

The situation back then was precarious, and Zhang Xuan nearly lost control of the rampaging energy within it.

And at that crucial moment, Ding Hong made a move.

The strong external force that struck the Zhang Xuan who was on the verge of exploding suppressed the rampaging energy within him. Not only was he fine from the collision of energy, he was even able to make use of this as an impetus to advance his cultivation.

If Ding Hong hadn’t made a move, Zhang Xuan might have been severely injured from the rampaging energy of the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed.

Even though the other party had intended to kill him, he ended up doing him a big favor instead.

Thus, Zhang Xuan’s ‘thanks’ before was truly earnest.

But of course, if Ding Hong were to learn of it, he might have died out of anger.

What the heck was this!

If only I knew earlier, I wouldn’t have been so anxious to strike…

…

The thought disappeared as soon as it appeared.

Entering the sea of sword qi created by the other party, Zhang Xuan’s fist struck out.

At the same moment, lines of insight flowed within his eyes.

Eye of Insight.

His Eye of Insight could peer into the flaws of a cultivator a small realm above that of his cultivation.

Ding Hong was a Transcendent Mortal Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage expert, and thus, under the flowing lines of insight, all of the flaws of his movements and cultivation appeared in Zhang Xuan’s sight.

Boom!

The Heaven’s Path Fist Art, augmented by overwhelming zhenqi, shot straight to the center of the sword qi.

“Damn it!’

Ding Hong didn’t expect the other party to slide through the sea of sword qi that he had produced and to even throw a fist straight at him. His face paled, and roaring furiously, he twisted his sword and blocked the fist with the body of his sword.

Ding!

The fist landed on the sword, and a deafening metallic sound reverberated in the air from the collision. Ding Hong couldn’t help but retreat two steps back.

“Hundred thousand ding? The strength of a 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm cultivator?”

Ding Hong’s face paled.

Zhizun realm was known as the Ten Thousand Ding realm, and it was representative of the level that a cultivator’s strength finally exceeded 10,000 ding.

After that, every small cultivation realm would add an additional ten thousand ding of strength.

Thus, a normal Zhizun realm pinnacle would possess a strength of 40,000 ding.

As for Transcendent Mortals, even though they had reached a level of existence and could draw energy from the heavens to augment themselves, there was a limit to their might as well.

At 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm, the limit of one’s strength was 100,000 ding.

Thus, it was also termed the Hundred Thousand Ding realm.

If Ten Thousand Ding represented Zhizun, then Hundred Thousand Ding represented Transcendent Mortal.

The fellow before him was clearly just a Half-Transcension cultivator… How in the world did he manage to achieve a strength of a hundred thousand ding?

Initially, Ding Hong had been thinking that even though the other party had achieved a breakthrough, he would surely be unable to match up to him in terms of might. However, after taking a blow, he realized that he had lost this advantage.

“So what if your strength has reached 100,000 ding? Do you think that your fist art can defeat my Sword Intent? Don’t even dream of it!”

Ding Hong clenched his teeth tightly.

Huala!

His sword began dancing about, and Sword Intent surged out as though a burst of light. In the blink of an eye, it wrapped itself around him, forming a flowing barrier.

“Shameless!”

Upon seeing the move, ‘gongzi’ harrumphed

“He’s indeed shameless!”

Jin Conghai nodded. “Making use of Sword Intent as a defensive measure… To think that a Transcendent Mortal expert would be forced by a Half-Transcension to take defensive maneuvers!”

Ding Hong seemed to have given up on offense, choosing to focus entirely on defense instead.

The Sword Intent had an incomparably sharp nature, and it covered the area around him entirely. No matter how powerful Zhang Xuan’s fist was, it was impossible for him to strike through the wall of sword qi.

In other words, Ding Hong was afraid of Zhang Xuan.

He knew that it was impossible for him to kill the other party, so he chose to fight defensively instead.

Transcendent Mortals were respected even in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Yet, at this moment, one was being forced into a corner by a Half-Transcension cultivator. Even though they were witnessing this sight personally, they still felt faint-headed.

“But even though other party had chosen to focus on defense… Isn’t Zhang shi helpless before it as well?” Wei Yuqing asked.

“Indeed, there’s nothing he can do about it. The Sword Intent has covered his body entirely, and there are no openings to be exploited here. Unless Zhang shi has comprehended Sword Intent as well, otherwise it’ll be extremely difficult for him to break through Ding Hong’s defense!” Jin Conghai replied.

Within the flowing Sword Intent was incomparably sharp sword qi. No matter how tough one’s fist was, it was still made of flesh and blood. How could it face sword qi which was publicly acknowledged for its sharpness?

“Zhang Xuan, you might be formidable, but there’s nothing you can do about me now! Since Ding Mu is already dead, why don’t we drop this matter?”

Having blocked the other party’s attack, Ding Hong heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to the young man not too far away and said.

The other party had killed his most beloved and valued progeny. Thus, he wanted to destroy the other party and restore prestige to the Ding Clan. Yet, at this very moment, he realized that not only was he unable to defeat the other party, he might even die from the other party’s assault. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to take a step back.

Ding Mu was already dead, and he had many other progenies. As long as he survived, the Ding Clan could still start anew.

“There’s nothing I can about you?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “You’re overestimating yourself!”

“My Sword Intent is flowing around my entire body; do you really think that your fist can break through it?”

Ding Hong sneered coldly. “It’s impossible unless you comprehended Sword Intent and face my Sword Intent face on… But do you think that it’s possible?”

You must be joking!

To comprehend Sword Intent, he had traveled across and lived in all kinds of barren and desolate lands for more than thirty years before he succeeded.

On the other hand, that fellow wasn’t even twenty yet. Even if he started cultivating from his mother’s womb, how much could he have comprehended about swordsmanship?

Furthermore, the other party had executed a spear art previously. Judging from his sharp and forceful movements, he clearly possessed some aptitude in it.

Even though there was no limit to the Weapon Intent one could cultivate, there was a limit to a human’s talent and energy.

It was already incredible for him to bring his spear art to that height. To be capable of utilizing Sword Intent on top of that… Was it even possible?

“Sword Intent? That’s indeed not quite possible!”

Knowing the other party’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly. With a flick of his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands.

“Sword Intent is too mediocre for me!”

As Zhang Xuan spoke, he slowly drew his sword.

Weng! Weng! Weng!

Before the sword was fully drawn, the swords by the waists of the swordsmen amidst the crowd began buzzing. It was as though they were paying respect to their emperor.

“Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons… Thi-this… the realm beyond that of Sword Intent… Sword Heart?”

Ding Hong’s vision turned dark.

Chapter 444: Slaying a Transcendent Mortal

Sword Heart was the state of driving one’s sword with one’s heart, controlling it with one’s intentions. Every move made in this state could be considered as a sword art in itself.

In contrast with it, Sword Intent was extremely mediocre and immature.

It was like the difference between a weed and a towering tree.

Ding Hong thought that with his Sword Intent, even if he couldn’t kill the other party, he could at least force a draw and step down from there. Yet, never in his dreams did he expect that everything he did was only a farce to the other party… The other party’s sword mastery was far above his own, reaching the level of Sword Heart!

That was a realm that countless Transcendent Mortal dreamt of and dedicated their lives to, only to never reach it in their lifetime. Yet, a fellow who wasn’t even twenty yet and who had just barely reached Half-Transcension actually managed to comprehend it…

When he mocked the other party for being unable to fly, the other party yelled and the Steelback Winged Dragon immediately fell from the sky.

When he mocked the other party for being too weak to hurt him… in the blink of an eye, the other party broke through to Half-Transcension.

When he mocked the other party for his incapability to wield Sword Intent, the other party topped him with the higher realm Sword Heart…

Brother, can you at least tell me what you aren’t capable of? At the very least, I can prepare myself. Do you know how terrifying it is…

Ding Hong felt his confidence crumbling.

“You’re right, it’s indeed Sword Heart!”

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan finally drew his sword completely.

His sword came from the Lin Clan, and it was only at Phantom intermediate-tier. At the same time, it wasn’t too sharp either. Yet, it had an indomitable presence.

Sword qi flowed around its edge. With a slight flick of Zhang Xuan’s wrist, the air seemed to have been torn to shreds.

Huala!

Under normal circumstances, as long as one’s strength didn’t exceed him by too much, Ding Hong’s Sword Intent barrier would be hard to break. Yet, for some reason, as soon as the blunt-looking sword came into contact with it, the barrier immediately dissipated without the slightest resistance.

Puhe!

A sword qi flew across, severing Ding Hong’s left arm. It was so sharp that not even blood flowed out of his wound.

The sword qi emanated from a swordmaster who had comprehended Sword Heart was indomitable. On top of that, Zhang Xuan’s strength wasn’t inferior to him as well. Even though the other party was a Transcendent Mortal expert, he wasn’t able to withstand the attack.

“Escape!”

Knowing that he would surely die if he remained here, Ding Hong’s face paled. He immediately turned around and fled.

He had stepped in ferociously back then, but he ended up escaping with his tail between his legs.

No one expected for the legendary old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom, a Transcendent Mortal expert, to meet with such an ending. It was truly beyond expectations.

“Incredible!”

“To achieve a breakthrough at that crucial moment and slay a Transcendent Mortal, how valiant! This is how a man should act!”

“From today on, Zhang shi shall be my idol. Don’t even try to steal him from me!”

“This is what a true genius is. Compared to him, Ding Mu was nothing at all.”

…

The eyes of the spectating youngsters burned with passion.

When Zhang Xuan came alone to challenge the incumbent crown prince, everyone thought that he was being too arrogant and they felt intense loathing toward him. But after undergoing his teachings via the Impartation of Heaven’s Will and becoming his half-students, their feelings for him gradually changed into gratitude.

And at this moment, looking at him sending even the old ancestor of Xuanyuan Kingdom fleeing, it evolved into veneration.

A person single-handedly standing against an entire country!

That is how a man should be!

“You all might not know, but I heard that the reason why Zhang shi came after Ding Mu is because the latter had killed his student!”

“How did you know?”

“My cousin, Zhou Jin, is an Imperial Beast Tamer serving the crown prince. He blurted the matter out when he was drunk!”

“Standing up against an entire country alone to avenge his student, even going to the extent of standing against a Transcendent Mortal?”

“On top of that, when he came, he wasn’t that strong yet. How much courage must it have taken to make this move…”

“With such a teacher, even if I were to die now… it would be worth it!”

…

Amidst the crowd, some of the well-informed ones spoke of the matter from start to the end. The eyes of the listeners gradually reddened, and they clenched their fists tight.

The greatest fortune that a cultivator could encounter was a good teacher.

Not only was Zhang shi strong and capable at teaching, more importantly, he cared for his students. He stood up against an entire Conferred Kingdom alone just for his student. With such sentiments, he was more than worthy of being addressed as a ‘teacher’.

…

While everyone was overwhelmed with agitation, on the Heaven’s Altar, Zhang Xuan’s eyes narrowed as he noticed Ding Hong escaping.

“Hmph, do you think that you can get away?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up, and exerting force on his feet, he immediately dashed forward.

After the matter with Ding Mu, he realized the danger of sparing one’s enemies. Since he had already fallen out with the other party, he had to clear them out cleanly. Otherwise, the one who would be threatened would be him.

If not for his compassion back then, Lu Chong wouldn’t have been sacrificed.

Thus, he was determined to leave no more threats behind.

“Don’t even try!”

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan’s sword sliced down.

A sword qi immediately tore through a hundred meters of space, headed straight for the escaping Ding Hong.

After reaching Half-Transcension, Zhang Xuan had already gained a certain level of control over the environment. In the past, the range of his sword qi was limited to only a dozen meters. However, with his enhanced degree of control and enhanced zhenqi, a hundred meters was no longer a problem.

Huala!

The sword qi struck the other party’s back, tearing open a massive, glaring wound in an instant.

Due to the long distance, the sword qi had dissipated significantly. Otherwise, it would have been more than sufficient to slice Ding Hong into two.

“Blood Tribute!”

Feeling the sharp pain on his back, Ding Hong was alarmed. He knew that it wasn’t easy for the other party to kill him due to the long distance, but if he were to be struck any more of that sword qi, he would surely die. Thus, gritting his teeth, Ding Hong burned his life force and his speed abruptly increased by a single fold.

Like the Blood Tribute that Ding Mu used back then came from him, even though it allowed him to utilize strength and speed beyond his current cultivation, it had a time limit. After the duration, one’s cultivation would automatically fall.

It was a technique that hurt oneself as much as it hurt one’s opponent.

It was a move that wouldn’t be used unless the situation truly called for it. Usually, Ding Hong would surely go after the other party if he activated the Blood Tribute to avenge his great grandson… But this time, he was truly frightened by the other party.

Every time that fellow looked as though he were going to lose, he would always make a shocking comeback.

He was afraid of the means that the other party would continue pulling out if he chose to continue to fight. If so, once the Blood Tribute duration ran out, he wouldn’t be able to even escape.

Sou!

With his hastened speed, Ding Hong disappeared amidst the labyrinth-like infrastructures of the capital.

“Damn it!”

Seeing the other party vanish into the shadows, Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

Even though he had managed to reach Half-Transcension, he had suffered quite a few traumas in the midst of doing so.

On top of that, he had used the Heaven’s Path Movement Art too many times previously, and he was already reaching his limit now. If he were to attempt to catch up, he might collapse before he could catch up with the other party.

On the other hand, he had never learned any other movement arts before. Furthermore, his cultivation was beneath that of Ding Hong, so it would be difficult for him to catch up.

“There’s no need to feel pity over this. That fellow has lost his arm, and on top of that, he even used the Blood Tribute. Even if he manages to get away with his life, his cultivation would definitely plummet.

“Based on my estimations, it’ll be hard for him to even sustain his cultivation as a Half-Transcension. Thus, he’s not a threat anymore!”

Zhang Xuan was just thinking whether he should make use of these soldiers to search through the entire city to cut off the weed at its root when a voice echoed.

Turning around, he saw a youth walking toward him with a bright grin on his face.

He was around the same age of Zhao Ya, but his body seemed a little weak. His black eyes were gleaming with spirit, and his skin was smooth. All in all, he had an exquisite appearance.

“A woman?”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

Even though the other party was dressed in the clothes of a man, it wasn’t sufficient to deceive Zhang Xuan’s Eye of Insight.

This was an ability that only a 6-star master teacher had the chance to comprehend. It could even see through the hidden flaws of a cultivator, lest to say, a cross-dresser.

“I am Zhao Feiwu, and I came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Nice to meet you, Zhang shi!”

The youth didn’t know that her identity had been exposed, and she clasped her fists with a carefree smile.

This youth was the ‘gongzi’ from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Just that, no one could have expected that ‘he’ was actually a she.

“Envoy, thank you for your help!”

Upon hearing that the other party came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation.

That alliance decree that declared Ding Mu’s inauguration as illegitimate probably came from this person.

Otherwise, he couldn’t think of anyone else.

“Xuanyuan Kingdom has acted on their own whim, conducting an inauguration ceremony without reporting the matter to the alliance. I am just dealing with this matter as per the rules!”

‘Gongzi’ Zhao Feiwu smiled admiringly at the young man before her. “Speaking of thanks, I should be the one thanking you instead. It’s due to your treatment method that I was able to recover. Otherwise, I would still be lying on the bed waiting for my death now!”

“Treatment method?”

Zhang Xuan was stumped.

“It was the final question that Zhang shi solved in your alias as Liu Cheng on the Wall of Dilemma in the Tianwu Kingdom Physician Guild. I was afflicted with the illness, and my father had consulted countless physicians about the matter but they were all at a loss. It’s only because of you that I was able to make a full recovery!” Zhao Feiwu said.

The noble ‘gongzi’ who was cross-dressing as a male was the second princess of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance who lay sickly on her bed just a few days ago.

Upon knowing that the one who provided the treatment method was a physician named ‘Liu Cheng’ from a Tier 1 Kingdom, she immediately rushed over along with her subordinate, Jin Conghai.

While passing through Xuanyuan Kingdom, Jin Conghai received a message from Gu Mu and headed over to the Poison Hall. Over there, the two of them met Sun Qiang, and upon learning that Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, they chose to head over to Xuanyuan Royal City to assist him.

Otherwise, given how the both of them were unrelated, there was no reason for Zhao Feiwu to favor a 2-star master teacher over a vassal Conferred Kingdom, or even harboring the thought of sending Jin Conghai over to save him?

“Innate Muscular Deficiency?”

Zhang Xuan also recalled the matter.

Back then, he only solved the problem thinking that it was a necessity for him to become a physician. He didn’t expect to save a person due to that.

Furthermore, from the looks of it, this lady seemed to have a powerful background.

“Exactly!” Zhao Feiwu nodded.

“My treatment method has saved you, but you have already returned the favor by helping me out of this matter. So, we’re on equal footing now!” Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

Zhang Xuan didn’t want to owe a debt to anyone as this could bring about a karmic cycle.

Since he had helped the person before, in a sense, the other party’s actions could be considered as returning the favor. Thus, neither of them owed anything to the other anymore.

“Equal footing?”

Zhao Feiwu was taken aback.

Despite learning that she was the envoy from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and on top of that, it was clear that she was expressing goodwill toward him, he actually shrugged it off, not demanding anything at all. He was truly a peculiar person.

There were very few people who could resist this kind of opportunity.

However, Zhao Feiwu quickly recovered and smiled, “Let’s do that then! However… you’ve killed the emperor of a Conferred Kingdom and driven away his old ancestor. How should we settle this matter? If we don’t resolve this matter properly, it could cause a huge pandemonium.”

To think that the royal family of a Conferred Kingdom could be reduced to such a state; the inaugurating emperor dying and the old ancestor fleeing in a fluster. If other kingdoms were to learn of it, they would definitely make use of this opening.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He was too preoccupied with avenging Lu Chong that he failed to consider this matter.

The current circumstances were indeed dire for Xuanyuan Kingdom. If this matter wasn’t resolved properly, it would be a matter of time before the entire kingdom falls into chaos.

“Actually, I have an idea in mind.”

Seeing the other party’s hesitation, Zhao Feiwu’s eyes twinkled and she smiled.

“Oh?”

“Since you were the one who destroyed the royal family, I believe that no one would dare to raise any objections if you became the new emperor. This way, I’ll be able to report the matter to my superiors as well,” Zhao Feiwu suggested.

The main reason why she had spoken her previous words wasn’t to put Zhang Xuan in a spot but to bring up this suggestion.

In truth, she had already considered this outcome. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have helped Zhang Xuan.

The person before her was able to stand up against an entire kingdom on his own. If he were to become the emperor, he would surely be able to bring the kingdom to greater heights.

At the same time, she could return the favor as well. Thus, in her opinion, this was a win-win situation.

“Becoming the emperor?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I’ll pass on that.”

He had to reach 9-star master teacher before thirty to live on. The thought of staying here as the emperor had never crossed his mind.

“This…”

Not expecting to be rejected, Zhao Feiwu was stunned.

An emperor wielded absolute authority over the territory he governed; it was a dream for countless people. Yet, the other party turned her down without any hesitation…

“However, it’s indeed my fault that Xuanyuan Kingdom was reduced to its current state. Even though I’m reluctant to become the emperor, why don’t I nominate another candidate?” Zhang Xuan said, after a moment of hesitation.

But no matter what, a country mustn’t go a day without an emperor or else it would lead to social instability and various other problems. This wasn’t what Zhang Xuan hoped to see.

“Oh?”

Not expecting Zhang Xuan to reject it and nominate another candidate instead, Zhao Feiwu stared at him with an intrigued expression, “Nominating another emperor? May I know who it is? Don’t tell me that you’re going to nominate Sun Qiang!”

If it was Sun Qiang, she would probably burst into tears on the spot.

That fellow was weak, yet he was exceptionally arrogant and boastful. More importantly, the words ‘wise’ and ‘astute’ were in a whole different world from him. If he were to become the emperor, Xuanyuan Kingdom might fall into greater ruins.

“Sun Qiang? How can that be? There’s no way such a great talent should be placed in such a humble position!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Sun Qiang was his butler, and he was going to venture out into the larger world alongside him. How could he leave the other party behind in such a shabby location?

“… Cough cough!”

Zhao Feiwu choked on her own saliva.

Truly, the attitude of the servant reflected the personality of the master.

At the start, she thought that Sun Qiang’s boastful nature was an individual problem. However, after looking at Zhang Xuan, she realized that it was impossible for him not to be boastful with such a young master…

An ignorant Pixue realm cultivator becoming the emperor of a Conferred Kingdom, and you think that it’s a waste of his talents… Can we still talk properly?

Suppressing the stifling sensation in her chest, Zhao Feiwu asked, “Then who are you nominating?”

“Her…”

Zhang Xuan smiled as he beckoned to the skies, “Mo Yu, come down!”

Roar!

The Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast in the skies howled furiously and swooped down. Mo Yu immediately rushed up to Zhang Xuan with reddened eyes, wanting to dive into his embrace. However, she hesitated and eventually decided against it.

He had truly left her worried just now.

However, she was aware that the other party harbored no feelings toward her. If she were to dive into the other party’s embrace, that would truly be awkward.

“Her?”

Not expecting the candidate that Zhang Xuan was going to nominate to be a lady, Zhao Feiwu was perplexed.

“Indeed, I want her to become the first empress of Xuanyuan Kingdom. I wonder if it’s acceptable?” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

“Empress? Xuanyuan Kingdom’s empress?”

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Mo Yu’s body began trembling uncontrollably.

Chapter 445: Raising Mo Yu’s Cultivation

Tianwu Kingdom’s Emperor, Mo Tianxue, had always been grooming his daughter to become the empress of the kingdom. Thus, even though Mo Yu was still young, she was already adept in the process of governing a country.

In that sense, she would become a much better ruler for Xuanyuan Kingdom than him.

“Her?”

Zhao Feiwu was dumbstruck. She couldn’t help but refute, “Her cultivation seems to have only reached Zongshi realm…”

Xuanyuan Kingdom was a land filled with Zhizun realm cultivators. A Zongshi realm cultivator simply wasn’t strong enough to stabilize the lands.

“Her cultivation is indeed a little too weak. However, to be able to possess this kind of strength at her age, she could already be considered as a top-notch genius. As long as she has sufficient cultivation resources in the future, it won’t be too difficult for her to gain sufficient strength to become a powerful ruler in the future!”

Despite coming from a Tier 1 Kingdom, Mo Yu still managed to reach a high level of cultivation at her age. Once the resources of Xuanyuan Kingdom were channeled toward her, her cultivation would surely soar swiftly. It wouldn’t be a dream for her to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle or even Half-Transcension in the future.

“I believe in her talents as well, but what about the present state? The people’s hearts are currently in turmoil, and if there isn’t a sufficiently strong presence to hold things together, I fear that a calamity may occur!”

Zhao Feiwu was speechless to see how lightly Zhang Xuan was taking this matter.

Not everyone could become the ruler of a country. The primary requisite for it was for one to possess top-notch cultivation. Otherwise, who would be willing to listen to a weakling?

Without sufficient strength, even if Mo Yu were to ascend to the throne with the backing by the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, she might very well be assassinated by her rivals.

After all, the seat of an emperor of a Conferred Kingdom was an incredibly prestigious one. There were countless people who had their eyes set on this position.

Electing a weak emperor would only cause chaos and strife, and this would push the country straight toward the flames of destruction.

“Is that so…” Knowing that his thoughts lacked depth, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment. Thus, he turned to Mo Yu and asked, “Do you wish to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle?”

“Of course I do!”

Even though Mo Yu didn’t know the significance behind Zhang Xuan’s words, she still nodded her head.

Who didn’t wish to become stronger?

But could Zhizun realm pinnacle be that easily achieved?

Of the countless cultivators in the world, probably not even one out of ten thousand was able to reach that legendary realm. The difficulty of the matter was unimaginable.

Zhao Feiwu felt perplexed when she heard Zhang Xuan’s words.

What is this fellow up to this time?

“Good. Open your mouth then!”

Ignoring the onlookers’ bewilderment, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger.

Before Mo Yu could react, a lotus seed was shot into her mouth.

It immediately melted into immense, violent energy which seeped into her meridians in an instant. However, her cultivation was still far too weak for her to bear such immense energy, and she immediately swelled up, nearly exploding into shreds.

“Sit down!” Zhang Xuan immediately commanded.

“Yes!”

Not daring to hesitate, Mo Yu hurriedly sat down. Following which, she felt a huge hand being placed on the top of her head.

Boom!

Dense, pure zhenqi seeped down her body, controlling the rampaging energy of the lotus seed. It guided the rampaging energy in a unique circulation pathway around her body.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

A series of popping sounds echoed, and Mo Yu felt her body abruptly lightened. The bottlenecks which had kept her out previously was broken through in an instant.

Zongshi realm intermediate stage!

Zongshi realm advanced stage!

Zongshi realm pinnacle!

Half-Zhizun!

…

Mo Yu’s aura grew stronger at a pace visible to the eye.

“This, this…”

Zhao Feiwu’s eyeballs were about to pop out of her head.

She’d thought that this fellow was up to something, and she was right!

Making someone achieve consecutive breakthroughs in the blink of an eye?

Even the most capable 4-star pinnacle master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was incapable of such a feat!

You… Are you still human?

It was no wonder that Sun Qiang stared at her with such disdain back then. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s means, she realized that there was a much larger world outside that of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

“To induce a breakthrough in another so easily…”

Jin Conghai also felt a dryness at the back of his throat.

He was a Transcendent Mortal expert, but he was incapable of such feat, and he had never seen anyone achieving such a feat either. Yet, the fellow before him accomplished it so easily, as though it was a walk in the park…

I would like to know if there’s anything you are incapable of.

When did such a ridiculous monster appear in Tianwu Kingdom? This is way too frightening…

Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong’s mouth was also twitching violently from fear. If not for his strong mental fortitude, he might have turned insane on the spot.

As a master teacher, he understood clearly how difficult it was to achieve that feat.

To be able to achieve multiple breakthrough himself, Zhang Xuan could be considered as a genius. However… To do the same for others as well, that was already surpassing the realm of a mere genius.

“This is… Cultivation Impartation?”

A phrase surfaced in Luo Qianhong’s mind amidst his trembling.

It was said that formidable master teachers could design a cultivation technique based on their student’s physique and use their own zhenqi to impart energy into the latter to raise their cultivation.

But to do so, there were several conditions that had to be fulfilled.

Firstly, one had to be a 6-star master teacher. Secondly, one had to have absolute understanding of the student, be it the state of their meridians, their body’s limit, and innumerable other factors. Lastly, the cultivation technique one designed must be completely compatible with the other party’s physique…

There mustn’t be the slightest lapse in any of the three conditions, or else the other party’s meridians could rupture, thus resulting in death. Yet, this fellow did it so easily without the slightest preparation. On top of that, there didn’t seem to be any side effects at all…

Are you really a 2-star master teacher?

Are you sure you are under twenty?

In an instant, Luo Qianhong felt that his time spent studying and understanding the master teacher occupation had been for naught. In the end, despite his efforts, he didn’t seem to have achieved anything at all…

“To raise someone’s cultivation so easily… My heavens, can anyone tell me this isn’t a dream?”

“Idol, he’s truly my idol. I want to acknowledge him as my teacher!”

“Incredible! This is the means of a god…”

…

The soldiers who saw this sight were dumbfounded as well.

They had seen geniuses, but they had never seen such a talented genius.

In fact, the word ‘genius’ seemed like a gross underestimation.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

Amidst everyone’s shocked gazes, Mo Yu’s aura continued rising rapidly. Eventually, when it slowed down and came to a stop, Mo Yu opened her eyes and a sharp glint reflected from within.

Zhizun realm pinnacle, achieved!

She had been cultivating ever since she was six, and it took her seventeen years for her to reach Zongshi realm. She thought that it would take at least twenty years before Zhizun realm would be in her reach.

Never had she ever thought that she would succeed in just a few breaths.

This rate of progression was like a dream to her.

“Thank you, Zhang shi!”

Knowing that it was impossible for her to succeed without the help of the person before her, Mo Yu stood up and bowed earnestly.

Her address also changed from Zhang Xuan to Zhang shi.

Initially, she was still harboring thoughts of competing with this young man, hoping to win the other party’s admiration one day.

But at this moment, she realized that there was a world of a difference between the two of them, and this gap would only continue growing larger. It would be impossible for her to catch up with the other party.

Putting aside competing and winning his admiration, she probably wasn’t even qualified to become the other party’s student. In the end, they were just passers-by in this vast world.

“It’s no problem at all!”

Oblivious to her thoughts, Zhang Xuan shook his hands. Then, turning to gongzi, he asked, “Is it fine now?”

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Feiwu said, “She has reached Zhizun realm pinnacle so she does have the qualifications to become the emperor now. However… it’ll take more than that to win everyone’s trust…”

While a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator was indeed powerful in Xuanyuan Kingdom, there were many others of the same cultivation realm here as well. Just this by itself wouldn’t be sufficient for Mo Yu to stabilize the entire country. At the very least, she would require the strength of a Half-Transcension to do so.

After all, those who were listed in the Green Leaf Board had all reached this realm. Zhizun realm pinnacle was just sufficient for one to be listed in the Young Leaf Board.

“That… Alright then!”

Rubbing his hands, Zhang Xuan turned to the trembling Steelback Winged Dragon and said, “Acknowledge Mo Yu as your master, and from today on, protect her and obey all of her commands!”

“Ah?”

Hearing these words, everyone was dumbfounded.

Even Mo Yu and Zhao Feiwu were perplexed.

Are you speaking nonsense?

This fellow was the guardian beast of the Xuanyuan royal family! On top of that, it was a proud bearer of the Dragon Bloodline. For it to submit to Mo Yu on the first meeting…

How was that possible?

Roar!

Just when everyone thought this massive fellow wouldn’t agree to it, the Steelback Winged Dragon smiled in delight and hurriedly climbed over. It began rubbing its massive head on Mo Yu in an attempt to fawn on her.

“The heck…”

“This… Isn’t it being way too shameless?”

Everyone’s body trembled violently and they nearly spat out blood.

As a proud bearer of the Dragon Bloodline, the Steelback Winged Dragon was usually condescending toward humans. Yet, it fell from the sky with a call from Zhang Xuan and abandoned its owner. Then, it even went on to obey every single command from him…

Can you at least possess some dragon pride?

You make yourself seem as though you’re no different from a pug, how can a powerful savage beast like you act so shamelessly!

“This fellow seems to wield a strength that simply leave others speechless…” Grand Elder Wei Yuqing who had just climbed down from the back of the savage beast sighed.

Somehow, this fellow was able to accomplish what others deemed impossible easily. Sometimes, one couldn’t help but wonder if he was a high-ranked master teacher in disguise.

“Now that the matter with the kingdom is settled, it’s time for me to deal with the Master Teacher Pavilion!”

Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Luo Qianhong with a composed look.

For a Master Teacher Pavilion to cover up Ding Mu’s villainy against one of their own members, it was about time to deal with it.

On top of that, if Zhang Xuan didn’t resolve this matter cleanly, his action of making a move against a 3-star master teacher would become a permanent blemish on his records. If so, it would be difficult for him to take the subsequent master teacher examinations.

After all, master teachers prided themselves on their morals.

For a master teacher to disregard the clear hierarchy and defy a higher ranked master teacher, no one would be willing to see him climb through the ranks.

“Are you certain that… you want to crash the Master Teacher Pavilion?” Zhao Feiwu asked worriedly.

If Pavilion Crashing only consisted of fighting against the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion, there would be nothing for Zhang Xuan to fear. After all, he was someone who could even slay a Transcendent Mortal. Even the strongest master teacher, Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong, was only a Half-Transcension. There was nothing for Zhang Xuan to fear from them.

“Pavilion Crashing is equivalent to challenging all of the master teachers that have gone through Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion ever since its inception. Even though the location of this Master Teacher Pavilion is remote, it has several thousand years of history behind it. Based on the records, a 5-star master teacher and three 4-star master teachers once emerged from here…”

Zhao Feiwu clenched her fists tightly, “Even though they are already dead, their lingering wills are imprinted within the Master Teacher Pavilion. To crash it means to stand against them as well. Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider the matter?”

If Pavilion Crashing only meant challenging the incumbent master teachers, there was nothing much for Zhang Xuan to worry. However, the tricky part was the deceased seniors.

Some of them had reached 4-star and even higher. As a mere 2-star master teacher, how could you stand against them?

“My mind is made up!” Zhang Xuan said.

There was nothing for him to worry about! Those people were only lingering wills now; if they thought that he would be an easy target, they were about to be proven wrong!

Chapter 446: The Frenzied Mo Tianxue

In Tianwu Kingdom, the head of the Shadow Squad clasped his fist.

“Your Majesty, Her Highness and Zhang shi have arrived at Xuanyuan Kingdom!”

“Un!”

Nodding his head, Mo Tianxue seemed to have recalled something and sighed. “There’s nothing bad about the lass except that she’s too sentimental. Sigh, she has truly wasted all of the efforts I have spent on her!”

The rise of Mo Hongyi had left Mo Tianxue worried about the succession of the throne. As such, he had always raised his most talented daughter, Mo Yu, as the future empress of the kingdom. In the end, that lass, for her own personal feelings, decided to leave with Zhang shi. This had left him both worried and helpless.

The saying ‘it was impossible to keep a daughter by one’s side’ was indeed true.

Zhang shi was incredibly talented, and a person of his caliber couldn’t possibly remain in Tianwu Kingdom for his entire life. Since there was no hope, she should have just given up on it.

She could have remained within the kingdom to cultivate properly and raise her strength to take over the throne.

Mo Hongyi’s prestige had been on the steady rise ever since he became a 2-star master teacher, and at such a crucial period, she chose to leave instead.

When everyone has forgotten about you, how do you intend to inherit the throne?

He had truly no idea what was going through the mind of that lass!

“Her Highness might be willful but she listens obediently to Your Majesty’s words. She’ll probably return after sending Zhang shi off to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!” the head of the Shadow Squad said.

As the head of the private elite squadron under Mo Tianxue, he was a close aide of the latter and understood his thoughts well.

On top of strength, prestige was also an important factor for one’s succession to the throne.

The reason why Mo Tianxue was reluctant to allow Mo Yu to go with Zhang Xuan was because he wanted to keep her by the side so as to have her come into contact with governance matters and achieve some accomplishments in the field so as to win the respect and loyalty of the royal court. Only then would he be able to pass on the throne without any worries.

Yet, she went ahead and left without even informing him. It was no wonder that he was angry.

“Let’s just hope that’s the case!”

Mo Tianxue smiled bitterly, “If she were able to win Zhang shi’s heart, I wouldn’t mind it. She would probably have a brighter future by his side anyway. However, Zhang shi is an incredibly talented person, and I can tell that he has no such intentions about her. Even if she were to accompany him all the way to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, it would just be a waste of time!”

The head of the Shadow Squad had no idea how to alleviate Mo Tianxue’s worries.

Even though he had never interacted with this Zhang shi, he had seen him various times from the shadows and heard much about his affairs. A genius of that caliber belonged to the larger world out there and wouldn’t be tied down by romance.

“Alright, let’s not talk about this for now…”

Putting aside his worries, Mo Tianxue was just about to bring up another topic when an elder barged anxiously into the hall.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty…”

That elder’s face was flushed, and his entire body was trembling intensely in agitation.

“Elder Qu, aren’t you responsible for keeping watch at the Communication Wall? What are you doing here?”

Mo Tianxue frowned.

Elder Qu, whose full name was Mo Qu, was an elder of the royal family.

Since the Lin Clan had a Communication Wall that could contact Xuanyuan Kingdom, naturally, the Tianwu royal family had one as well. Through this, they could communicate with Xuanyuan Kingdom, understand the various changes in the other country swiftly, and make appropriate countermeasures.

This Elder Qu was the person responsible for maintaining contact at the Communication Wall. His position was equivalent to Pavilion Elder Qian of the Tianxuan Kingdom, and he was the head of intelligence of the entire kingdom.

This job required him to keep a constant lookout on the various happenings around the region, and thus, he would normally send a subordinate to report to the emperor. Unless something huge had occurred, it was impossible for him to report an issue personally.

“Your Majesty, something huge… has occurred!” Elder Qu exclaimed in agitation.

“Something huge?” Mo Tianxue turned to look at Elder Qu. “What is it?”

“Zhang shi has arrived at Xuanyuan Royal City, and just today, he caused a huge ruckus in the capital and he… killed Crown Prince Ding Mu!” Elder Qu said.

“Killed Crown Prince Ding Mu?” Mo Tianxue’s face paled, and he nearly fainted from shock.

The standing of a crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom was far above that of an emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom… To kill a figure of such standing, was that Zhang shi insane, or was he simply tired of living?

“Indeed! Not just so, he even did it in the midst of Crown Prince Ding Mu’s inauguration ceremony!”

As though oblivious to Mo Tianxue’s darkened complexion, Elder Qu continued, “In the end, even Old Ancestor Ding Hong was alarmed…”

“By old ancestor, do you mean Emperor Ding Hong whose name took the world by storm? He… is still alive?” Mo Tianxue’s body swayed weakly.

Hundred years ago, this Emperor Ding Hong had already reached the level of a Transcendent Mortal. Everyone had thought that he was dead given his long period of absence, but to think that he was still alive!

“Indeed. Not only so, he has even become a Transcendent Mortal expert…” Elder Qu said.

“Transcendent Mortal?” Mo Tianxue’s voice trembled. “Then Zhang shi…”

Mo Tianxue didn’t complete his words, but the meaning behind it was clear. Zhang shi was most probably dead by now.

After running over to kill the inaugurating crown prince, how could the other party’s old ancestor possibly spare you?

Mo Tianxue knew this Zhang shi quite well. He was able to defeat a Half-Zhizun with the strength of a Zongshi realm pinnacle, but against a Transcendent Mortal… the gap was simply too large. It was like the difference between a divine dragon and a measly ant.

Most probably, Zhang shi was already reduced to a lump of flesh under the might of the old ancestor.

“Oh, Zhang shi is alright. He broke through the Half-Transcension realm on the spot and subdued Emperor Ding Hong…” Elder Qu said.

“What?” Mo Tianxue’s head spun.

To reach Half-Transcension from the cultivation realm of Zongshi realm pinnacle on the spot? Are you joking with me?

On top of that, there’s a huge difference between a Half-Transcension cultivator and a Transcendent Mortal cultivator. How could Zhang shi possibly subdue the other party?

“This is what the report from the other side of the Communication Wall said, and I’ve confirmed it myself. There’s no mistake about it!” Elder Qu nodded. “On top of that… that…”

“What?”

Elder Qu hesitated for a moment as he recalled the content of the report on the Communication Wall, and even until now, he seemed as though he was still unable to believe the news. “The primary reason why I’m here is to report this news to you. After Zhang shi subdued Emperor Ding Hong, he nominated Princess Mo Yu for the throne, and she is now the ruler of Xuanyuan Kingdom…”

“The ruler… of Xuanyuan Kingdom?”

Mo Tianxue nearly fell off his throne.

He had just said that Mo Yu was wasting her time over her sentiments, and the latter… went on to become the ruler of Xuanyuan Kingdom!

Did this slap have to come so violently?

There were at least twenty vassal kingdoms like Tianwu beneath Xuanyuan Kingdom. To become the ruler of such a powerful kingdom…

Why did it seem like a dream?

“But Yu-er’s cultivation is only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. How could she become the ruler of a Conferred Kingdom?”

Recovering from the shock, Mo Tianxue suddenly realized that there were some things that were amiss.

When Mo Yu left, she was only at Tongxuan realm pinnacle. It was already difficult for her to ascend to the Tianwu Kingdom throne given her lacking cultivation. To ascend to the throne with such strength in Xuanyuan Kingdom, wasn’t that no different from committing suicide?

“This… Zhang shi also thought that her cultivation was too low, so he helped her achieve a breakthrough on the spot through Cultivation Impartation. Currently, Princess Mo Yu is a… Zhizun realm pinnacle expert!” Elder Qu said.

“Achieve a breakthrough on the spot? Zhizun realm pinnacle?”

Putong!

Mo Tianxue’s body shook so violently that he fell to the ground. A dazed look was on his face, and he didn’t even feel pain when he pulled out a fistful of hair from his head.

Tongxuan realm pinnacle… reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle on the spot. Zhang shi, can you tell me how did you do it?

“Yu-er… sure has good eyes…”

After a long period of time, Mo Tianxue swallowed a mouthful of saliva before muttering slowly with a pale face.

Chapter 447: Soul Oracle

In the Master Teacher Pavilion of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, a gray-robed elder stood at the very front of a room. A warm voice flowing from his mouth drew in spiritual energy from the surroundings.

Spirit Gathering Diction, an ability that only 5-star master teachers possessed!

Seated on the front rows of the room were elders dressed in master teacher robes. All of them were seated upright, and as the words from the gray-robed elder in front washed over them, they fell into a trance-like state.

Weng!

The voice eventually came to a stop, and the gray-robed elder placed his hands behind his back.

“I’ll be stopping here for today. If any of you have any questions, feel free to raise them!”

“Hong shi, sorry for the trouble. I’m truly grateful to you for conducting a lecture here right after your long journey!” Pavilion Master Kang stood up and smiled.

Hong shi, Hong Qian, was a 5-star master teacher from Hongfeng Empire. He was specially invited over to host the Master Teacher Tournament.

The gray-robed elder Hong shi nodded.

“It’s the duty of master teachers to solve the problems that a cultivator meets so that everyone can become strong. There’s nothing troubling about that!”

“Yes!” Pavilion Master Kang nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground shuddered and a bell chimed four times.

“Four chimes, someone is crashing a pavilion? To think that I would meet with such an interesting matter right after my arrival!” Hong shi chuckled.

The different number of chimes of the bell held different meanings in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Four consecutive chimes meant that someone was crashing a Master Teacher Pavilion within the territories of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Even though Pavilion Crashing was equivalent to challenging an entire Master Teacher Pavilion, there were actually quite a few challengers every year. After all, success meant that one would gain great prestige and go down in history.

Master teachers were public figures. On top of being teachers, their reputation was important as well. In order to raise one’s reputation quickly, there were many who were willing to take the risk.

But of course, despite the great benefits Pavilion Crashing could bring, the penalties for failure were harsh as well.

“Wu shi, go and look into the matter. Find out which branch is it…”

Pavilion Master Kang frowned.

He felt embarrassed that such an incident occurred immediately after Hong shi’s arrival.

“Yes!” The elder known as Wu shi backed out of the room. Before long, he returned and reported, “Reporting to Hong shi and pavilion master, it’s from Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom!”

“Xuanyuan Kingdom?”

Taken aback, Hong shi raised his head and stroked his beard, “I haven’t been there for a period of time. My 3-star master teacher examination was taken there!”

“Now that Hong shi mentions it, I do remember the matter. Even though you were only there for less than three years, you towered over all of the master teachers of the kingdom with your talents!” Pavilion Master Kang replied after a moment of contemplation.

Even though Hong shi had already become an esteemed 5-star master teacher of Hongfeng Empire, he originated with Xuanyuan Kingdom, which resulted in his deep ties with the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone through the trouble to travel such a long distance to conduct a competition among the younger generation.

“Those are in the past now. But in any case, that person who crashed Xuanyuan Kingdom’s Master Teacher Pavilion will probably be in for some pain!” Hong shi chuckled. “I’ve left a sliver of my will there. Even a 4-star master teacher would find it hard to successfully crash the pavilion.”

“You left your will there? It’ll be nigh impossible for the challenger to pass then…”

For a moment, Pavilion Master Kang was stunned before a bitter smile crept onto his face.

Pavilion Crashing wasn’t just about defeating all of the current master teachers within the Master Teacher Pavilion. The greatest difficulty lay in answering the questions raised by the will of the preceding generations’ master teachers.

Hong shi was a 5-star master teacher who possessed incredible means. Since he had left behind a sliver of his will in Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, who could possibly crash the pavilion successfully?

Even Pavilion Master Kang himself, despite being the pavilion master of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, would find it hard to succeed, not to mention, a person from a Conferred Kingdom.

“Some youngster hoped to earn prestige quickly through Pavilion Crashing, but how can it be that easy?”

Nodding his head, Hong shi suddenly recalled some matters about the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion and said, “In the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, other than me, three other 4-star master teacher left behind their wills as well. To get to me, the challenger would have to pass their tests first!”

“Those three tests are probably more than enough to halt the challenger in his footsteps…”

Pavilion Master Kang nodded. Just as he was about to continue speaking, the ground shook once more, and the bell chimed for five times consecutively.

“That… That person successfully crashed the pavilion?”

For an instant, everyone froze.

From the start of the crash until now, it had only been ten minutes or so. To defeat the will of three 4-star master teachers and one 5-star master teacher in such a short period of time…

Wasn’t that way too fast!

Hong shi was also stunned.

“Hurry up and find out who it is!”

A moment later, his lips quivered and he hurriedly instructed.

To answer the question raised by will in ten minutes and successfully crash the entire pavilion… How in the world did that person do it?

A huge commotion broke out within the entire Master Teacher Pavilion.

…

Hu!

While a huge commotion was going on in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, in Xuanyuan Kingdom, Luo Qianhong was staring at the darkened Master Teacher Tower with a helpless look.

There were various steps to Pavilion Crashing. Firstly, one had to defeat all of the master teachers in the Master Teacher Pavilion.

He knew that there was no one in the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion who was a match for Zhang Xuan and there was no point in battling, so he immediately activated the Master Teacher Tower.

Retained within the Master Teacher Tower were the wills of predecessors. To successfully crash a pavilion, one had to walk from the bottom of the tower to the top and extinguish all of the lights in the midst.

Given that the tower was completely dark already, this meant that… Zhang Xuan had passed all of the tests and succeeded in his Pavilion Crashing.

Jiya!

A young man walked out from the tower gate.

Glancing at the young face which reflected an age below twenty, Luo Qianhong shook his head.

He had already guessed that the other party would succeed after his outstanding performance at the Heaven’s Altar, but even so… he didn’t expect the other party to succeed so quickly.

Those were the wills from a 5-star master teacher and three 4-star master teachers! To pass their tests in ten minutes, even a 5-star master teacher would be hard-pressed to do so!

What kind of monster was he?

“Since Zhang shi has succeeded in the Pavilion Crashing, the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion will listen to your commands.”

Stepping forward, Luo Qianhong clasped his fist.

The rules had stated that the losing side of the Pavilion Crashing had to fulfill the demands of the winning side without any complaints.

“I require books and herbs regarding waking a dormant soul!” Zhang Xuan said.

The reason why he caused a ruckus on the Heaven’s Altar and killed Crown Prince Ding Mu was to exact vengeance for Lu Chong.

“Zhang shi intends to attempt waking your student?” Luo Qianhong asked.

While Zhang Xuan was in the midst of crashing the pavilion, he had looked into the entire happenings from start to end. He felt great regret for listening to Ding Mu’s lies, and at the same time, he found himself impressed by Zhang shi.

How deep of a relationship between a student and teacher must be for a student to be willing to put himself at risk for his teacher?

And for a teacher to cause a ruckus at a Conferred Kingdom and challenge a Master Teacher Pavilion for his student…

“Un!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Dormant soul… Honestly speaking, even our Master Teacher Pavilion isn’t qualified to come into contact with information regarding souls. However…”

At this point, Luo Qianhong hesitated.

“Pavilion Master Luo, feel free to speak your mind.” Zhang Xuan immediately replied.

“I do know that if one becomes a 7-star master teacher, one will gain the ability to influence one’s consciousness and search souls! Other than that… there’s an ancient occupation known as ‘Soul Oracle’. If you were to find their inheritance, you might be able to learn their means and wake up your student’s dormant soul!” Luo Qianhong said.

Zhang Xuan frowned.

“Soul oracle? What’s that?”

Zhang Xuan had heard the matter regarding a 7-star master teacher being able to search one’s soul and rouse a person’s consciousness from Mo Yu, but he had never heard of a soul oracle before.

Despite reading so many books and assimilating so much knowledge, there was nothing on this topic at all.

“Soul oracle is a unique occupation that existed in ancient times. I’ve only heard about this from the predecessors, but it’s said that the soul oracles were able to summon and gather souls through celestial dances. However, this occupation has already disappeared for more than ten thousand years, and it’s regarded as a mere legend nowadays. As such, no one can tell what kind of abilities they possess for sure.”

Luo Qianhong pondered for a moment before replying.

“It’ll be easy for me to determine whether it’s a legend or not!”

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out a book and wrote a line of words on it. After which, he placed his fingers on it and muttered ‘flaws’ in his head.

Weng!

For matters that couldn’t be ascertained, Zhang Xuan would use this method to confirm its authenticity.

There was nothing that could elude the eyes of heavens. Its words of guarantee were more reliable and useful than anything else.

Casually flipping it open, Zhang Xuan’s breathing began to hasten, and his fists subconsciously clenched together.

A line of words was written on the blank page, ‘Soul oracles can summon and gather souls’, and the book compiled in the Library of Heaven’s Path didn’t indicate any error with the statement.

In other words…

It was right!

To think that there would be an occupation capable of manipulating souls in this world!

Suppressing his agitation, Zhang Xuan asked, “Pavilion Master Luo, do you know where the inheritance of soul oracles can be found? Or where I can find books regarding the occupation?”

As long as he gathered sufficient books, he would be able to form a Heaven’s Path manual and learn the occupation. It didn’t matter much to him whether the inheritance was complete or not.

After a moment of contemplation, Luo Qianhong said, “I don’t know where you can find the inheritance of soul oracle. However… recently, there have been rumors that a [Soulless Metal Humanoid] was found in Honghai City of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and an auction over it will be conducted in the next few days. The Soulless Metal Humanoid is known to be a product created by soul oracles. If they have truly left behind an inheritance, you might be able to find some clues on it.”

“Honghai City?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

A map of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance appeared in his head, and he immediately located Honghai City.

Even though the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was known as an alliance, it was actually an empire ruling over all of the other kingdoms in the region.

The position of the ‘alliance head’ was somewhat similar to the position of an emperor in a kingdom.

Honghai City was a large city within the territory of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and its scale was on par with the capital, Myriad Kingdom City.

“Honghai City is known as the trading hub of the entire the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The Soulless Metal Humanoid is known to be a special puppet crafted by ancient soul oracles to protect themselves at close proximity. Since one of them was found there, you might really find something there,” Luo Qianhong said.

While the chances of unearthing the inheritance of the soul oracles were extremely slim, it still beats searching and engaging the help of a 7-star master teacher.

A 7-star master teacher could be considered to be a figure that stood at the pinnacle of this world. Putting aside how even the strongest experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had never met such a figure before, there was also no reason why a 7-star master teacher would go through the trouble of treating the student of an insignificant person like Zhang Xuan.

“Un!”

After hearing the other party’s explanation, Zhang Xuan made up his mind. “Since I’m heading for Myriad Kingdom City anyway, I’ll drop by Honghai City to take a look then!”

Chapter 448: The Levels of Transcendent Mortal

A gigantic spirit beast glided through a sea of white clouds.

From the back of this gigantic spirit beast, Zhang Xuan glanced out of a window to peer into the distance.

This Transcendent Mortal 3-dan spirit beast was ‘gongzi’ Zhao Feiwu’s mount.

Upon knowing that there was a clue to the inheritance of soul oracles in Honghai City, Zhang Xuan immediately gathered Zhao Ya and the others and left for Honghai City.

As Mo Yu was now the empress of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there were countless matters on her agenda, thus making it imperative that she remains in the capital. Before departing, Zhang Xuan instructed Luo Qianhong to take care of her.

Initially, Zhang Xuan intended to ride the Steelfang Howling Beast to Honghai City. However, after learning that it was over a million kilometers away, he immediately dropped the idea.

Given the Howling Firmament Beast’s current speed as a Zhizun realm savage beast, even if it were to travel non-stop through the day and night, it would still take at least a month for it to cover the distance.

In comparison, Zhao Feiwu’s Transcendent Mortal 3-dan mount was much faster. On top of that, its back was broad so it wasn’t cramped even when the entire group was riding on it. Besides, Zhao Feiwu insisted on it, and Zhang Xuan couldn’t find any reason to turn her down either.

To date, it was already the fifth day since they took off from Xuanyuan Royal City.

“Teacher, aren’t you a poison master? Why did you become a subordinate of the envoy…”

It wasn’t easy for Gu Mu to meet his teacher, so the duo started catching up. Gu Mu raised a doubt that he had been harboring in his mind ever since he learned of ‘gongzi’s’ true identity.

Poison master was an occupation that left others trembling in fear, and most would choose to keep their distance. Given such, how did his teacher become a subordinate to this ‘gongzi’?

“The reason why I left the Poison Hall back then was to exact vengeance. However, I fell into my enemy’s trap instead, and even though I still managed to kill him in the end, I was severely injured in the process as well. It was ‘gongzi’s’ father who saved me… In order to prevent others from learning of my identity as a poison master, I’ve been avoiding the use poison in public since then!” Jin Conghai said.

Just like what Gu Mu said, it was rare for a poison master to be subordinated to another. After all, even if poison masters were willing to be subordinated, considering their horrid reputation on the continent, who would be willing to take them in?

After Jin Conghai was saved by ‘gongzi’s’ father, he had been serving the latter by his side. To prevent others from learning of his identity as a poison master, he chose to avoid the usage of poison, and it had been several years since then. In the eyes of others, he was nothing more than a diligent subordinate. Little did they know that a fearsome 4-star poison master hid beneath that cover.

“Teacher!”

On the other hand, Yuan Tao and the others walked over to Zhang Xuan.

After consuming the spirit beast blood essence, Yuan Tao’s Emperor’s Bloodline was further awakened, thus inducing a significant leap in his cultivation. With this, he caught up with Zhao Ya, who had been the strongest in the group with a cultivation of Zongshi realm pinnacle.

As for Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Liu Yang, and Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan gave them a lotus seed each.

Instead of raising their cultivation through Cultivation Impartation, he imparted them a simplified version of Heaven’s Path Divine Art instead.

Even so, their cultivation increased by leaps and bounds. In just five days, they had smashed through multiple realms consecutively, thus reaching Zongshi realm primary stage.

Even though they were still slightly weaker than Zhao Ya and Yuan Tao, the foundations of their cultivation were strong and stable. More importantly, they hadn’t even consumed a hundredth of the energy contained within the lotus seed.

By the time they fully absorb the energy contained within the lotus seed, they would be Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators as well.

Zhao Feiwu and the others suffered a breakdown when they saw Zhang Xuan giving away the Crimson Flame Lotus Seed so casually to his students and subordinates to enhance the growth of their cultivation. However, as the shocks piled up, they found themselves gradually building up an immunity to his inconceivable actions and feats.

To them, Zhang Xuan was a person who simply couldn’t be measured through common sense.

Rather than racking their brains over it, they might as well just accept him as he is.

“Honghai City is right before us!”

Before long, a massive city appeared before everyone’s sight.

From their height, the countless buildings beneath the sun looked no different from gleaming small dots.

The scale of Xuanyuan Royal City was astonishing, but it couldn’t hold a candle against Honghai City. It was as though putting a remote mountainside village against a bustling city!

As expected of one of the largest cities of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Putting everything aside, just the large and refined infrastructures reflected wealth far above that of a Conferred Kingdom.

“Honghai City is a trading hub where merchants from all over the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, be it Xuanyuan Kingdom, Chihe Kingdom, or Liusu Kingdom, gather… Goods tend to fetch a higher price here, so the merchants from the various Conferred Kingdoms would export their goods here to earn a greater profit margin. Over time, Honghai City grew to become the most prosperous commercial city throughout the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!” Zhao Feiwu explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

There was some information on Honghai City among the books of Tianwu Kingdom’s book collection vault. Known as the City of Merchants, most of the trade and interactions among the vassal kingdoms of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were conducted here.

In terms of prosperity, it even exceeded that of the capital, Myriad Kingdom City.

“The Myriad Kingdom Alliance is of a significantly higher-tier than Xuanyuan Kingdom. Even though your strength has reached Half-Transcension and you can be considered rather strong for those around your age, it’s best for you to remain careful here.”

Zhao Feiwu advised with a grim expression. “The Honghai City Master Teacher Pavilion has a 4-star master teacher behind it. Even though he’s only a 4-star intermediate master teacher, his true strength is at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, and he’s not to be trifled with!”

“Yin-Yang realm?” Zhang Xuan asked.

He knew that above the Fighter realm was Transcendent Mortal, and that there were nine levels to it. However, he didn’t know the details behind it.

“There is a total of 9 dans to Transcendent Mortals, and they are 1-dan Prolonged Longevity, 2-dan Origin Energy, 3-dan Yin-Yang, 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity, 5-dan Consonant Spirit, 6-dan Cosmos Bridge, 7-dan Perfect Harmonization, 8-dan Ethereal Treading, and 9-dan Chrysalis!”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan was unaware of the details about the Transcendent Mortal realm, Zhao Feiwu began explaining, “You should already be aware of Prolonged Longevity realm by now. While one’s strength will remain at 100,000 ding throughout this realm, one’s lifespan will increase by a fair amount with every breakthrough. The average lifespan of a Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle cultivator is around two hundred years.

“At 2-dan Origin Energy realm, the zhenqi within a cultivator’s body will be converted to Origin Energy, thus granting one the strength of manipulating the natural energy present in the environment. The beginning of another origin, the unraveling of a whole new world… There’s a huge difference between zhenqi and Origin Energy. The former represented strength and one’s existential potential whereas the latter allows one to tap into the power of nature to actualize the mysticisms of the world!

“Take for example, if an ordinary paper is infused with Origin Energy, it could gain ‘spirit’, enabling it to float in the air and dance by itself. Thus, Origin Energy realm is also known as Mystical Energy realm, in which, Mystical Energy is another address for Origin Energy.

“As for 3-dan Yin-Yang realm, the contrasting nature of yin and yang energy present in one’s body will amalgamate, complementing the flaws of one another to bring forth greater power. As such, Yin-Yang realm cultivators are capable of drawing forth incredible destructive might! Take that cliff in the distance for example, a Yin-Yang realm cultivator would be able to easily crush it with a single fist.”

Zhao Feiwu had a deep understanding of the various cultivation realms of Transcendent Mortal, and she began explaining them to Zhang Xuan.

“Destroying a cliff with a single fist?”

Zheng Yang and the others were dumbstruck.

They thought that the ability to hurl rocks weighing over a thousand kilograms at Zongshi realm was already an impressive feat.

There is a limit to a human’s strength, and destroying a cliff with a single fist is far beyond the means of a human. That is already at the level of deities.

That is also why the Transcendent Mortal realm was known as the Divine realm. The strength Transcendent Mortals possess isn’t something that mortal Fighters, or even Half-Transcension cultivators, can take on.

“And for Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity, as most would know, different cultivators will have different levels of purity for their Origin Energy and different weights for their soul. Cultivate diligently in this realm, and one will be able to bring up the purity of their Origin Energy. In other words, this is an opportunity for one to purify their Origin Energy (zhenqi). I believe you should understand the huge difference between an inferior zhenqi and an intermediate zhenqi!”

Zhao Feiwu chuckled as she continued, “Pavilion Master Kang of Myriad Kingdom City is a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and his cultivation realm is at this level. Only one who has reached this level of cultivation can one tread fearlessly around the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. As for 5-dan Consonant Spirit, it’s only hearsay for me. It’s already beyond the level of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so I’m not too sure about the details either.”

“I see!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The 9 dans of Transcendent Mortal is similar to the 9 dans of Fighter. The progression through Transcendent Mortal realm can be considered to be a layer stacking over the previous, and there are no shortcuts to it. The only way to advance is through ceaseless diligence and perseverance.

But to Zhang Xuan, it was just a matter of finding sufficient cultivation technique manuals to form the corresponding Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

“We’re here, let’s alight!”

Amidst their conversation, they finally arrived at Honghai City. The spirit beast flapped its wings gently as it gradually descended to the ground.

Just like the other cities, one needed to pay a toll fee to enter the city. Zhang Xuan flashed his master teacher emblem and he was exempted from the fee.

The broad streets of Honghai City were bustling, and one could see all kinds of objects being sold everywhere.

Phantom pinnacle weapons, the strongest weapon tier among the possessions of the wealthy Lin Clan, could be found easily in any shop in the area.

“Gold coins are technically useless in Honghai City. The currencies that are most commonly used here are Tutelage Jade Tokens and spirit stones,” Zhao Feiwu said. “The Tutelage Jade Token of master teachers are valued based on the rank of the issuer. A 4-star master teacher Jade Tutelage Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 3-star master teacher, and a 3-star master teacher’s Jade Tutelage Token is equivalent to a hundred from a 2-star master teacher, so on and so forth. As for spirit stones, a 3-star master teacher’s Tutelage Jade Token is worth around ten of them!”

“One can use Tutelage Jade Tokens for trading?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

It was no wonder why master teachers were so well-respected around here. To think that even their lesson time was regarded as a currency! Even if one wasn’t interested in cultivating, there is no reason for one to shun money.

But thinking deeper into it, it did make sense.

The guidance of a master teacher could solve the various problems and hiccups that cultivators meet during their training. Putting aside two hours, even just a few minutes of guidance could play a pivotal role toward a cultivator’s breakthrough.

Given the value of these Tutelage Jade Tokens, it wasn’t surprising for it to be traded as a form of currency.

After listening to Zhao Feiwu’s introduction of Honghai City and gaining a deeper understanding of it, Zhang Xuan asked, “I heard that a Soulless Metal Humanoid has been uncovered in this area. If I wish to find where it’s sold, where should I go?”

“A treasure as invaluable as the Soulless Metal Humanoid would usually be auctioned by the Appraiser Hall. If I’m not wrong, it should be within the Appraiser Hall at the moment!” Zhao Feiwu pondered for a moment before replying.

“Appraiser Hall?” Zhang Xuan asked. “Is it the guild for appraisers?”

Back in Tianxuan Kingdom, Zhang Xuan had once met a ‘master appraiser’… Mo Yang.

That fellow was only an apprentice, but he impersonated a master appraiser to scam others for money.

And unfortunately, many fell for his deception.

Even though appraiser was only a Middle Nine Paths occupation, due to their ability to determine the value of treasures, it was an exceptionally popular profession.

Chapter 449: Appraiser Hall [2in1]

The cities that Zhang Xuan visited previously didn’t have an appraiser guild, so he didn’t expect to see an Appraiser Hall here in Honghai City. Since that was the case, they should conduct appraiser examinations here as well.

With this, Zhang Xuan could consider taking the examination so that he could conduct appraisals as a source of income.

Otherwise, even if he knew that the Soulless Metal Humanoid was here, he would have no money to buy it.

If anyone else were to know of his thoughts, they would definitely fall speechless.

Even though appraisers weren’t part of the Upper Nine Paths, their examination was publicly known for its difficulty. Every appraiser would have to spend decades of their lives dedicated to the study of treasures before they could gain an in-depth understanding of the subject required to pass the examination.

Yet, this fellow wanted to take the examination just because he was short of money. If anyone else were to hear his words, they would definitely find themselves speechless.

“Let’s go to the Appraiser Hall!”

With a plan in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately asked around for its location before heading over with the group.

The Appraiser Hall was grand and imposing. On top of being a guild for appraisers, it was also a massive trading market. All kinds of goods were placed on the counters, and a huge crowd walked in and out of the halls. Even before arriving at the location itself, Zhang Xuan already found himself awed by the bustle before him.

“This is a market managed by the Appraiser Hall. Most of the goods in here are authentic, having been verified by the Appraiser Hall, thus paving way for it to become the largest trading market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!”

Seeing the astonished expression on the face of this incredible genius, Zhao Feiwu couldn’t help but feel slightly gleeful.

Due to the unique nature of the occupation, the Appraiser Hall had become a symbol of trust among the population. Most of the objects that the Appraiser Hall dealt in were expensive before the appraisal, and thus, most people were willing to fork out an additional sum to ensure the authenticity of the goods bought. As such, the business conducted by the guild grew steadily over time.

This was precisely the reason why even though appraiser wasn’t a member of the Upper Nine Paths, it was one of the most lucrative occupations.

Most master teachers preferred to take on this occupation as their supporting occupation.

However, appraising required one to have a deep understanding of the artifacts’ history, background, purpose, material, origin… Only when one was able to apply such vast knowledge in appraising would one be able to achieve some accomplishments in the art. Even so, the further one climbed, the harder the examinations became.

Thus, even though there were many people who dreamed of taking the appraiser examination, there were very few who had managed to achieve a rank of 3-star and above. In fact, the number was even far beneath that of master teachers.

This was the main reason why there were very few Appraiser Halls on the continent, such that even a place like Tianwu Kingdom didn’t have an Appraiser Hall. This was also why an impersonator like Mo Yang was able to win the admiration of so many people easily.

“Can appraisers ensure that their appraisals are accurate?”

Sun Qiang couldn’t help but ask.

He had once operated a shop in a market, and thus, he knew a thing or two about imitations. So what if one was an appraiser? There was no one who could ensure that their judgement would be hundred percent correct all of the time!

After all, it was normal for a mortal to err.

Just like how it was impossible for one to tread along the riverside often and avoid getting wet, formidable appraisers couldn’t possibly ensure that they wouldn’t make a mistake in their entire life either.

“Appraisers are limited by their discernment ability and rank, so it is indeed impossible for them to guarantee that all of their appraisals are accurate. Under such circumstances, they would invite other appraisers to appraise it together, and if the invited ones are unable to give a concrete answer as well, they would simply give the client their evaluation on the artifact to serve as a basis for consideration.” Zhao Feiwu said.

“But that’s no different from giving no answer at all!” Sun Qiang shook his head.

“An appraiser is only allowed to make three judgmental errors throughout his life. Once they exceed this limit, they’ll be stripped of their license. Thus, when stumbling across something they’re unsure of, they won’t give their judgement easily!” Jin Conghai interjected.

“Three times?”

“Un. From the moment one becomes an appraiser, every artifact that one appraises will be documented and filed. If something goes wrong with the artifact, it’ll be considered as an error. Once the number of errors exceed three times, regardless of the rank of the appraiser, he’ll be stripped of his license!” Jin Conghai continued.

Throughout his years, he had seen many appraisers being stripped of their licenses just because of a careless mistake.

Some of them had accrued prestigious reputations throughout their lives, only to lose it all due to a few careless mistakes.

Everyone fell silent.

Even though many people craved to become an appraiser, it seemed like this occupation wasn’t as easy as it seemed.

Once the number of mistakes one committed exceeded three, one’s license could be revoked… But who could ensure one wouldn’t make any mistakes at all?

“Actually, all occupations are the same. The rules governing master teachers are even stricter; one’s reputation could potentially be destroyed completely if they were to make a single mistake in their guidance, resulting in a loss in trust in one!” Seeing how everyone was sympathizing with appraisers, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Before he came to this world, his previous self also committed the same error. Due to misguidance, he caused a student’s cultivation to go berserk, resulting in Zhang Xuan being unable to recruit even a single student after his arrival.

“Indeed, physicians are the same as well. A single error could possibly result in a death…” Zhao Feiwu nodded in agreement as she glanced at the youngster before her.

Even though he seemed to be around the same age as her, how was he able to solve the Innate Muscular Deficiency, that even 5-star physicians were helpless before, and treat her?

“So many things…”

“How beautiful…”

Just as Zhao Feiwu was contemplating over how the latter managed to learn his medical skills, the excited voices of Yuan Tao and the others sounded from behind.

While she was deep in contemplation, the group had already walked into the grand hall. Everywhere that the eye could see were vendors selling their goods, and the variety of goods covered dozens of occupations.

Medicine, pills, cauldron, weapons, formation plates… As though stars in the skies, they densely filled the hall within, making it hard for one’s mind to process everything.

The treasures which were impossible to see under normal circumstances gleamed all around them, stimulating their minds.

“Those who are passing by, come over and take a look. This is the newest [Treasure Discerning Mirror]. It has the ability of determining the value of an artifact automatically, giving you assurance when you’re buying other goods. It’s only going off at ten spirit stones now! If you don’t buy it, you’ll be making a huge loss and putting yourself at risk of scams!” a young man shouted.

“Treasure Discerning Mirror?”

Zhao Ya and the others blinked their eyes in interest, and they prepared to head over.

“It’s just an ordinary mirror, it’s a scam. If that were really a Treasure Discerning Mirror, he wouldn’t be selling the mirror here for ten spirit stones!”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Even without using the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could determine the value and background of some of the less potent artifacts via the Eye of Insight.

With just a single look, he could tell that the supposed Treasure Discerning Mirror in the young man’s hand was a fake.

“A scam? Isn’t everything in here authentic?” Zheng Yang couldn’t help but glance doubtfully at Zhao Feiwu.

The other party had just said that the Appraiser Hall served as a guarantee for the authenticity of the goods here, so why would there be an imitation here?

“How many artifacts are there here?” Zhao Feiwu rolled her eyes as she gestured to the surroundings.

“There are at least several tens of millions of goods here, perhaps even a hundred million!”

Zheng Yang said, while taking a look around. “Furthermore, that is only as far as my eye can see. There are still some places beyond my view, so… there should be even more than that!”

There were nearly a hundred thousand booths scattered throughout the market, and innumerable treasures were placed neatly on each booth. Tallying up the numbers, there was indeed a frightening number of artifacts.

“Indeed. Given how many artifacts there are here, the appraisers would die of exhaustion before they appraised everything here! Besides, there is a huge flow of goods in and out of the Appraiser Hall daily — How could it be possible to keep track of all of them?”

Zhao Feiwu chuckled, “By authentic, I mean the goods labelled with the insignia of the Appraiser Hall. It would be best for one to not buy any goods without this label, otherwise one would be putting themselves at risk of a scam!”

“Oh!”

The crowd nodded.

As the largest market in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, there were too many vendors in the Appraiser Hall for them to take note of. Even if every single appraiser in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to be gathered here, it would be impossible for them to appraise everything here.

“But of course, if you find something suited for you, you can feel free to buy it. If you’re worried, you can pay an exorbitant fee to have an appraiser upstairs appraise it. If it’s authentic, then you’re making a profit. Otherwise, you’ll be making a loss!” Zhao Feiwu said.

Just like treasure speculation, buying something that hadn’t been appraised was highly dependent on one’s eye of discernment and luck. Without sufficient luck, all one could do was to lament over one’s own misfortune.

“Appraiser sure is a lucrative occupation…”

Putting aside the commission fee from the market, the appraisal service they offer also made customers willingly part with their money in exchange for security. As expected of one of the most lucrative occupations in the world.

“Come and look, I have a [Water Continental Fish] here! As long as one holds this fish in one’s mouth, one will be able to breathe freely underwater. It’s definitely a treasure you must have!”

“Come and see this authentic [Antidote Grass]. It can cure one of the most commonly seen seventeen poisons. With just a low price, you can buy some assurance on your life!”

“I have the Celestial Stone here! It’ll illuminate your path like the stars themselves in the night. Those passing by, please don’t miss this ideal opportunity…”

…

Countless voices echoed in the bustling market. Treasures lay everywhere, and if one had come in alone and ignorant, it’ll be impossible for one to determine the authentic from the fake!

Walking along the various booths, Zhang Xuan suddenly frowned and came to a stop.

On a booth not too far away, a gray-colored artifact, around the size of one’s palm, appeared in his view.

Even though his Eye of Insight hadn’t reached the highest level yet, and he was still a far way from matching up to the means of an advanced master teacher, he was still able to easily determine the origin and background of normal artifacts.

But for some reason, he was unable to assess anything about this piece of scale at all.

“That’s weird!”

Zhang Xuan turned to examine it more thoroughly, but his eyebrows only furrowed deeper.

If he was unable to see through it, did it mean that it was an invaluable treasure? That it was far beyond his current analytical means?

“Friend, are you interested in my product? I can guarantee you that all of my goods here are authentic…”

Upon seeing that there was a customer, the vendor hurried forward and welcomed Zhang Xuan with a bright smile.

“Authentic?”

Zhang Xuan briefly looked through the other goods in the booth.

There were many goods in this booth, numbering up to at least several hundred thousand. Weapons, pills, armor… most of the things that one could think of were present here. While there were many authentic goods amidst them, there were plenty of fakes as well.

‘All of my goods here are authentic’. Indeed, the words of a merchant couldn’t be trusted.

Zhang Xuan browsed through the various goods around the booth as lines of insight rippled in his eyes.

He could see through the other objects easily, and there wasn’t anything too valuable in its midst. Thus, his gaze didn’t linger on them for too long before returning to the gray object. He immediately asked, “What is this?”

“This?”

The vendor was taken aback for a moment before a smile returned to his face. “Friend, you sure have good eyes. This is the most valuable item on my stand, and I’ve obtained it from the hands of a grave robber. I’m not too sure what kind of artifact it is. I’ve tried burning it and quenching it with water, but it doesn’t leave a mark at all. On top of that, it’s incredibly resilient, so I’m sure that it’s definitely a top-notch treasure…”

“The most valuable item? Who do you think you are fooling?” Seeing the other party bragging about his goods, Zhao Feiwu harrumphed in disdain.

All vendors would often use this line in an attempt to drive up their prices.

What most valuable or most precious, one would truly be a fool if one were to believe it.

“How could I dare try to fool you all? This item is indeed very valuable! I’ve once had a 2-star appraiser to appraise it, but even he’s unable to make a judgement on it as well!” The vendor spoke indignantly.

“Alright, how much does it cost?” Unwilling to waste time arguing with the vendor over such insignificant matter, Zhang Xuan asked.

“Since you’re interested in it, it only means that you’re fated with it. Thus, I’ll sell it to you at a discount then. A hundred spirit stones!”

Upon hearing the other party asking about the price, the vendor’s eyes lit up.

“What did you say?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

He thought that since it was a street side vendor, the goods should be cheap. At the very most, it should only cost one or two spirit stones, or perhaps even gold coins… Yet, to think that it was that expensive.

A hundred spirit stones…

Zhang Xuan had already used up the final few pieces he had on the way here. Even if he were to sell himself away, he wouldn’t be able to rake up such a price!

As expected of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Even the prices they offered were equally frightening.

“Don’t fall for it. Such vendors often offer a high price to hoodwink others!”

Seeing the other party’s dumbfounded look, Zhao Feiwu chuckled and sent a telepathic message over.

“Hoodwink?”

“I’ll haggle for you, just wait and see. I’ll definitely get a low price for you!” Zhao Feiwu declared confidently.

“Alright!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

To him, a hundred spirit stones was an astronomical price; it was impossible for him to take out such a sum. Since Zhao Feiwu was offering to haggle for him, he was willing to allow her to give it a try.

“There’s no need for you to give us this kind of nonsense, it’s not like we’ve never bought from the Appraiser Hall before. A hundred spirit stones can already be exchanged for ten 3-star Tutelage Jade Token, do you think this lousy good of yours is worth this price? Why don’t you rob a bank instead?”

Gesturing grandly, Zhao Feiwu put on the airs befitting of a veteran trader and glared at the merchant, “Give us an honest price!”

“Gongzi, you must be jesting with me. The price that I offered is an honest one. Even though this artifact may seem like nothing much, I spent a huge fortune to purchase it, and I even tried to recruit a blacksmith to work on it, just that it didn’t work out in the end. Even though I can’t say for sure what it is, one thing I’m certain of is that it’s definitely a treasure…”

Laughing dryly, the vendor gritted his teeth and said, “However… since gongzi is a frequent customer, I’ll make an exception then. How about this, I’ll allow you to offer a price, and if it’s suitable, you can take it away. Otherwise, let’s just forget it!”

“This is more like it. Since that’s the case, I’ll offer you fifteen spirit stones then!”

Seeing that her ‘old customer trick’ was working, Zhao Feiwu gestured gleefully.

“Fifteen? Sigh, I guess this can be called fate as well. Alright then, I’ll make a loss this time and sell it to you for fifteen!” The vendor said with a pained look.

“This works as well?”

Zhao Ya and the others staggered, and their eyes widened in shock.

Slashing the original price of a hundred to fifteen in an instant, they thought the vendor would surely fly into a rage. Yet, the other party agreed to it immediately…

This was way too incredible!

If they hadn’t seen this for themselves, they would never believe it to be true.

“Un!” Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Zhao Feiwu felt as though she had just won a war. She turned to look at Zhang Xuan gleefully and said, “Alright, you can pay up now!”

“Pay up?”

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He would love to pay up as well, but… fifteen spirit stones was a huge sum to him as well. Even if he were to sell all of his properties, he wouldn’t be able to gather so much money.

“I think that fifteen spirit stones is still too expensive!” Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor.

“Fifteen spirit stones is too expensive? Friend, you must be joking. This is already the lowest price I can offer you…” The vendor smiled bitterly.

“That… It’s indeed a fair price already. If you’re interested, you should just buy it down!” Seeing that the other party was still trying to haggle even though she had even slashed the price down to fifteen, Zhao Feiwu’s eyebrows shot up.

You’re here to buy the Soulless Metal Humanoid, right? Without several thousand or even ten thousand spirit stones, it’s impossible for you to take it for yourself.

Even so, fifteen spirit stones for an object that interests you, and yet you still find it expensive?

“Is that so? Then, can you allow me to take a look so that I can get a clearer gauge on its price before we negotiate?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Sure!” The vendor handed the gray artifact over to Zhang Xuan.

Only upon taking a closer look was Zhang Xuan able to see clearly what it was.

It was around the size of a palm, and it took on a shade of dark brown. It was slightly arched, reminiscent of a giant piece of fish scale.

There were some unique inscriptions densely scribbled on the side that was bent in, and there were some parts that were blurred, making it impossible to discern what it was.

“Flaws!”

After taking a rough glance at its outer appearance, Zhang Xuan muttered silently.

Even though the Eye of Insight failed to work on it, the Library of Heaven’s Path should be able to determine what the artifact was.

Hu!

A book appeared in the Library of Heaven’s Path. Casually taking a look at it, Zhang Xuan’s eyes immediately widened and his breathing hastened.

“This is indeed a treasure…”

On the book was a detailed introduction on the artifact, recording its name and flaws.

“Dragon Scale Protective Amulet, crafted by 6-star Craftsman Bai Xi two thousand years ago. It’s capable of warding off the offense from a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times. Flaws: …”

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

Putting everything aside, just its ability to ward off the offense of a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert three times already made it a fearsome tool.

If he had obtained this artifact earlier, Lu Chong wouldn’t have gotten injured and fall into a coma.

“I definitely must get this!”

Initially, Zhang Xuan only came over out of curiosity. He didn’t expect it to be so valuable. Suppressing his agitation to prevent it from appearing on his face, he was just about to agree to the deal when another voice echoed.

“Fifteen spirit stones, is it? I’ll take it!”

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw a middle-aged man looking over with gleaming eyes, staring fixedly at the Dragon Scale Protective Amulet in his hands.

“Grandmaster Appraiser Liu Chang!”

The vendor seemed to recognize the other party and he hurriedly spoke up, “I would have given it to you straight since you’re interested in this item. However, this friend here has set his eyes on it first, so… how about you two negotiate over this matter?”

“Grandmaster appraiser?”

Upon hearing how the vendor addressed the other party, Zhang Xuan immediately started assessing the middle-aged man.

There was an emblem pinned on his chest, on which, there were two bright stars.

A 2-star appraiser.

Appraisers would also stroll around this area sometimes to browse through the different artifacts and purchase items that interest them. If they were to stumble by some valuable treasure, they could make a huge killing as well.

Appraiser Liu Chang frowned. He turned to Zhang Xuan and ordered, “I’m interested in this item so give up on it!”

“Pardon me but I’m interested in it as well. I’ve no intentions on giving it up!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

You must be pulling my leg! If I didn’t know what it was, I could have given it to you. However, now that I know how valuable this artifact is, I wouldn’t give it up even if you were to beat me to death!

This artifact could potentially save my life three times, only a fool would give up on it.

“You refuse to give up on it?”

Appraiser Liu Chang harrumphed coldly. Ignoring Zhang Xuan, he immediately turned to the vendor and said, “Even though he has set his eyes on it, he hasn’t paid up yet, right? It’s only natural for the good to go to the highest bidder. How about this, I’ll offer you fifty spirit stones so sell it to me!”

“50?”

“50?”

The vendor’s eyes lit up.

He obtained this artifact unintentionally so he had no idea how much it was actually worth. In his view, it was definitely a good deal for him to sell it for fifty spirit stones.

Agitated, he quickly turned to the young man and said, “Friend, Grandmaster Liu has already made an offer, so… if you’re not going to offer anything higher, I’ll have to ask of you to return the object to me…”

Zhang Xuan turned to look at the vendor and said, “Since that’s the case, I’ll offer you a price too. If you find it appropriate, sell this item to me!”

“Alright!” The vendor nodded.

“Fifty gold coins!” Zhang Xuan declared.

“Fifty… gold coins?”

The vendor froze for a moment, and he nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

The other party had offered fifty spirit stones, and yet you still dare to offer fifty gold coins? Brother, are you taking me for a fool?