Chapter 575

Chapter 575: Rules of the Tournament

Walking along the packed crowd, Zhang Xuan saw a huge round stage placed at the center of the square. The top of the stage was veiled beneath a layer of fog, making it impossible to perceive what was hidden inside.

Most likely, this should be a formation preventing anyone from peering into the contents inside.

Countless master teachers, dressed in robes, were seated around the stage.

Zhang Xuan briefly scanned the surroundings with his gaze.

As expected of the Master Teacher Tournament. There was a total of several thousand people from all 28 powers, including the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Every single one had an emblem reflecting their respective ranks pinned on their chests, and reflected light glared from them.

How many times in one’s life could one see such a grand festival where several thousand master teachers were gathered together? It was no wonder why the citizens of Myriad Kingdom Alliance were so excited, camping at the square from such early hours.

In order to prevent any accidents from occurring, the Alliance Head Residence had been making preparations from half a month ago. All of their elites were stationed around the area, ready to take any countermeasures should any unexpected situation occur.

“So, this is the Master Teacher Tournament… So many master teachers are gathered here!”

“It’s so difficult to meet even a single one of those lofty master teachers under normal circumstances, and yet, a few thousand of them were gathered here today…”

“To be able to see so many formidable master teachers competing against one another, I would have no regrets even if I were to drop dead now!”

…

Such discussions were occurring throughout the crowd. Their excitement over the Master Teacher Tournament was apparent through their words and expressions.

The Master Teacher Tournament only happened once every decade, and on top of that, the location where it would be hosted was randomly selected each time… Given that it was conducted in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance this time, there was no way they could miss the festival.

In truth, the Master Teacher Tournament also had the intention of utilizing the fanfare behind the tournament to display the might of the master teachers as well as boost the popularity of this occupation and bring new blood into the organization.

“Look, it’s Ruohuan gongzi!”

“He’s so handsome! The person beside him must be Zhang shi, right?”

“I think so! I became his loyal fan after hearing of his affairs…”

“Me too! Despite forfeiting the final test in the selection round, he was still able to take the top position. There is no one else in Myriad Kingdom Alliance who is capable of such a feat…”

…

Upon the arrival of the trio, someone exclaimed and a wave of cheering sounded from the crowd.

Even though the selection round was conducted within the Master Teacher Hall, perhaps due to how astonishing those feats were, everyone in Myriad Kingdom City swiftly learned of the matter.

A 4-star master teacher who wasn’t even in his twenties yet; a person who, through his astounding capabilities, convinced the Physician Guild, Formation Master Guild, Beast Hall, and other supporting occupations to make an exception and allow for the promotion in his ranking; the candidate stood above Ruohuan gongzi and the other geniuses in the selection rounds despite participating in only four of the tests… All three of these were legendary feats in themselves, and any one of them could easily win one the admiration of the younger generation.

“Zhang shi is so dashing!”

“Dashing? Why does he look like a pervert to me instead?”

“Pervert? Even if he’s really a pervert, I’m still willing to marry him and bear his children…”

…

A few young ladies bucked up their courage and shouted loudly. Zhang Xuan’s astounding feats previously had captured their hearts.

“Pervert? Bear my children?”

Dark streaks filled Zhang Xuan’s face.

What the heck was that?

“Seems like Zhang shi’s reputation has exceeded even that of mine!” Pavilion Master Kang chuckled as he stroked his beard.

Just two months ago, there was no one in Myriad Kingdom City, not even him, who had heard of Zhang Xuan. And yet, at this very moment, his name was known in every single household throughout the capital.

The Master Teacher Tournament was indeed capable of inducing a rapid surge in one’s reputation.

Right after Zhang Xuan and the rest squeezed through the crowd and gathered together with the group from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, a beautiful figure suddenly rushed up to him in agitation.

“You’re finally out of seclusion…”

It was the second princess of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhao Feiwu.

Ever since his return from Yin-Yang Lake, Zhang Xuan had been in seclusion. For the past two months, he had hardly met anyone.

At this moment, Zhao Feiwu was no longer disguised as a male. Instead, she wore a simple dress that brought out her lithe figure. She carried a majestic but warm disposition unique to princesses like her, and from afar, she looked no different from a fairy.

“Un!”

Looking at the young lady before her, Zhang Xuan nodded his head.

It seemed that Zhao Feiwu had been cultivating in the past two months. Vaguely, he could sense that she had reached Fighter 6-dan Pixue realm.

To be able to improve so swiftly in such a short period of time, even though the immense pool of resources from the Alliance Head Residence played a part, she must possess superior talent as well.

“Zhang shi!” Jin Conghai, who was in charge of guarding her, stepped forward and greeted Zhang Xuan.

“Take a seat!”

After trading some pleasantries, the few of them sat down, and soon, from the top of the round stage in the center, an elder could be seen walking over.

“This is 5-star Master Teacher Hong shi; he’s in charge of hosting this Master Teacher Tournament!”

Pavilion Master Kang whispered to Zhang Xuan telepathically.

Zhang Xuan shot a glance over to the elder on the stage.

Hong shi had a tall stature, and his hands and legs were extremely long. The aura he exuded seemed to be perfectly aligned with the surroundings, as though there was a giant bridge within his body connecting him to the environment, nourishing his body and soul with spiritual energy.

Transcendent Mortal 6-dan, Cosmos Bridge realm!

One of the basic requirements to becoming a 5-star master teacher was to achieve this level of cultivation.

Cosmos Bridge realm was signified by the presence of an intangible bridge within one’s body that aligned one with the world. Even without cultivating consciously, spiritual energy would flow along the bridge to nourish one’s body, resulting in a constant rise in one’s cultivation.

At such a realm, one’s zhenqi and soul would grow at a fearsome pace, and one would truly wield the strength to move mountains and fill oceans.

“To think that he’s a formidable figure as well!”

Zhang Xuan had met Hong shi just yesterday, and standing behind Mo Hongyuan, the other party looked no different from a timid quail. Thus, he didn’t expect the other party to possess such an impressive cultivation level.

In fact, given his current cultivation realm… even ten of him wouldn’t be a match for the other party.

His zhenqi was at Transcendent Mortal realm 3-dan pinnacle whereas his soul was at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan realm pinnacle. In total, his strength added up to 2,600,000 ding, and it wouldn’t be a problem even if his opponent was a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage cultivator.

But against a Cosmos Bridge realm expert, he wouldn’t even be able to retaliate.

Even at primary stage, an expert of that caliber would possess a strength of 4,000,000 ding. Putting aside their deep comprehension and control over the environment, just their immense strength posed a huge threat in itself.

“Everyone!”

Just as Zhang Xuan was harboring such thoughts, Hong shi suddenly stopped in his footsteps and spoke. His voice seemed to harness the roar of the thunders, and it resounded clearly in the surroundings.

The entire square consisting of several ten thousand people immediately fell silent upon hearing his words.

His words were spoken through Impartation of Heaven’s Will, thus inducing deference amongst the crowd. No one in the square dared to defy his words.

“I am honored to be invited as the host of the once-in-a-decade Master Teacher Tournament!”

Waving his hands, Hong shi glanced through the crowd.

“I believe everyone should know the rewards for the tournament. In the interest of time, I’ll skip the pleasantries and move on straight to the structure of the tournament and the rules behind it!”

Hearing those words, the crowd subconsciously held in the breath, fearing that they might miss a single word.

There were at least several thousand ways to conduct the tests of the Master Teacher Tournament that they knew of, and thus, it was impossible to predict.

Interested, Zhang Xuan’s eyes also fell on Hong shi.

He had always been curious how the Master Teacher Tournament could ensure fairness while avoiding harming the camaraderie among fellow master teachers.

“As 4-star master teachers, you have stepped into the ranks of an intermediate master teacher, and there has been a significant rise in your standing. Naturally, this also means a greater responsibility towards enlightening the world, and your capability must be up to par to fulfill that responsibility… Soul Depth, cultivation realm, knowledge impartation, understanding of cultivation, identification of flaws… I believe you have already undergone tests assessing you on those aspects in the selection rounds in your respective empires and sects. As such, it would be meaningless if I were to test you on those aspects as well, and it would be hard to assess your capabilities fully through such too.”

Hong shi smiled as he looked at the participants of the tournament.

“But if the participants are not assessed on these, what would they be assessed on?”

Everyone was stunned.

Those were the utmost fundamentals to master teachers, and as such, they were used as criteria to determine the capability of a master teacher.

If they weren’t competing on those aspects in the Master Teacher Tournament, then what would they be competing on?

“Calm down, allow me to finish my words first!”

Seeing the doubt in everyone’s eyes, Hong shi continued, “The tournament will consist of two main stages-preliminary selection and dueling round. There’ll be four tests in the preliminary selection, and only the participants who clear all four tests will be qualified for the dueling round. Those who fail in any one of the tests… will be eliminated from the tournament!”

“Preliminary selection?”

“Dueling round?”

A grim expression appeared on the faces of the crowd.

They thought that the tournament would be similar to the selection round, where they were assessed on their Soul Depth, cultivation, and such. They didn’t expect it to take on such a complicated structure.

“I’m sure everyone should understand what dueling is, so I won’t elaborate on it. So, I’ll just touch on the preliminary selection.”

Hong shi continued, “Since you have been chosen as the representative of your power, you must be amongst the top of the younger generation, and there is a good chance that you might advance to become a 5-star master teacher or even higher one day. However… the higher ranked you are, the harder it is for you to advance. Talent isn’t all there is to a master teacher, and strength is just one of the many factors you will need. Temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence… These are of utmost importance as well. Only with these can you surpass your peers and reach incredible heights in the future.

“Thus, I’ve designed four tests relating to each of these for the preliminary selection!”

“Tests to assess temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence?”

“How can such qualities be assessed?”

“I’ve no idea too. But since Hong shi is the one conducting the examination, there’s no need to worry about the fairness of the tests!”

“Indeed. With so many master teachers present here, it’s impossible for him to be biased. I’m just curious as to how these intangible qualities can be assessed!”

…

After understanding the content for the examination, everyone was shocked.

As master teachers, they had heard of tests on one’s ability to impart knowledge and comprehension of a cultivation technique. Never in their lives had they heard of tests on one’s temperament, courage, wisdom, and intelligence.

After all, as intangible qualities, they couldn’t be quantified and measured directly.

Ignoring the commotion amidst the crowd, Hong shi waved his hands and said, “Alright, participants, proceed up the stage!”

“Let’s go up!”

Zhang Xuan and Ruohuan gongzi glanced at one another before standing up and walking up to the stage.

The master teachers from other powers also advanced forward.

They were all geniuses below their thirties, and the four stars on the emblems pinned before their chests reflected their talents and capabilities.

Zhang Xuan scanned the faces of the crowd proceeding up the stage, and with the exception of Luo Xuan and Song Chao, he didn’t recognize anyone else.

“The primary requirement for the Master Teacher Tournament is that participants mustn’t exceed the age of thirty. At the entrance to the stage, there is a crystal ball. Before coming in, touch the crystal ball, and based on the aura of your soul, it’ll reflect your actual age!” Hong shi added.

Zhang Xuan glanced at the entrance of the round stage and saw a crystal ball exuding a warm glow being placed on top of a pedestal by the entrance.

To uphold the integrity behind the Master Teacher Tournament, there were strict checks to prevent any unqualified personnel from participating in the tournament.

This crystal ball could peer deep within one’s soul. Just by touching it, it was able to accurately determine one’s actual age.

Chapter 576: Ghost Domain Illusory City

Through pills or unique techniques, cultivators could warp their appearances to make them look young. Sometimes, even high-rank master teacher would be unable to see through some of these disguises.

On the other hand, a human’s soul was forged at birth, and it would mature with the passing of time. There was no cultivation technique or means that could conceal one’s soul age.

Thus, using one’s soul to assess one’s age was viewed to be the fairest method, and no one voiced any complaints.

Soon, all fifty-six participants had passed the crystal ball test. Most of them were between twenty-eight and twenty-nine, and the oldest of them all was twenty-nine-year-old and eleven months. Naturally, the youngest of the lot was Zhang Xuan.

He was still two months away from reaching twenty, and everyone couldn’t help but be shocked upon seeing such a young participant-after all, the others were around a decade older than him.

Considering his age, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that he was the most talented of all those gathered there.

“Why does the Myriad Kingdom Alliance seem to be regressing as time passes?”

“Indeed. To have this child compete with us, it seems like they have given up all hope!”

“They’ve placed last consecutively so many times. It’s no wonder that they have already lost their confidence at this point…”

…

Many people expressed their disdain for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Despite Yang shi driving away fourteen of the strongest powers in the region singlehandedly that day, the entire incident had been hushed, and all news regarding it had been suppressed. As such, most of the spectators and even the participating master teachers were unaware of the matter.

The Myriad Kingdom Alliance had never achieved good results in the past, and upon seeing that they had sent in a lad who was a decade younger than the other participants, naturally, they thought that they had given up on the tournament.

“Since everyone fulfills the requirements, allow me to delve deeper into the details regarding the preliminary selection.”

Seeing that everyone had cleared the verification, Hong shi chuckled, “The first round, Temperament!”

At this point, Hong shi waved his hands.

“This is the Ghost Domain Illusory City that was left behind by 5-star Master Teacher Fei Yuzi. This artifact harnesses the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia, and it is an extremely valuable treasure!”

Hu!

The vision before everyone blurred for an instant as the fog cleared for a corner of the stage, revealing a towering fortress. Red bricks, emerald roof, white walls, and green corridors, from afar, it exuded a sinister aura, sending a cold chill down one’s spine.

“Ghost Domain Illusory City?”

“What is that?”

“I seem to remember seeing this in some book before. If I recall correctly, it is a unique treasure harnessing the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia… As for what exactly it is or how the test will be carried out, I’ve no idea as well!”

“Qi Men Dun Jia? What’s that?”

“It’s an extremely rare, unique occupation. I heard that there isn’t a single branch even in Huanyu Empire.

…

Seeing a fortress appear amidst the fog, a huge commotion broke out.

Even Pavilion Master Kang and the others couldn’t help but frown in doubt.

Despite their vast knowledge, they had never heard of it before.

“There is only one entrance and exit to the Ghost Domain Illusory City. In the Temperament test, you will pass the test as long as you leave via the exit within an incense’s time of passing through the entrance!”

Hong shi chuckled as he revealed the rules.

“So simple?”

“But we can only see the entrance. Where is the exit?”

“I’ve no idea either. However, we should be able to find it after we go in…”

…

Upon hearing the simple rules behind the challenge, everyone was taken aback. Even Zhang Xuan felt a little bewildered.

All of them were 4-star master teachers who possessed superior eyes of discernment. Even if the Ghost Domain Illusory City possessed some kind of Beguilement Formation, it shouldn’t be too difficult for them to overcome it.

Since this was the preliminary selection for the Master Teacher Tournament, how could it be that easy?

“Do you think that the test is easy? Let me just tell you in advance, don’t bank on luck. It isn’t as easy as it seems!”

Noticing everyone’s doubtful gazes, Hong shi chuckled. “The Ghost Domain Illusory City only allows one person to be on its premises at any time. Since there are a total of fifty-six people here, an order must be established. Since we’ve just verified everyone’s ages, let’s go by age, starting from the youngest… And so, the first to enter shall be Zhang shi!”

Since Zhang Xuan was the youngest, he would have to be the first one to enter under such an order.

In truth, the reason why Hong shi made such an arrangement was to see how capable Yang shi’s direct disciple was as well.

“Me?” Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in bewilderment.

“Un!” Hong shi nodded his heads.

“Allow Zhang shi to go up first? Isn’t that a little too reckless?” Beneath the stage, Pavilion Master Kang, Elder Su, and the other elders of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion glanced at one another as their mouths twitched.

“I don’t think that it’s a good idea…” Elder Wu nodded his head in agreement.

During the selection round back then, he had suffered greatly under Zhang shi’s hands. The latter’s means were simply way too peculiar! To allow him to go up first, Hong shi… You are being incautious.

“This… Hong shi, why don’t I go first? Zhang shi can go after everyone is done!”

Ruohuan gongzi also swiftly came to a realization and stepped forward.

“What are you up to? Hong shi has already said that we’ll go by age, are you trying to flout the rules?”

“I advise you to just back out of the tournament. To cower right before a challenge, even if your Myriad Kingdom Alliance cares not for its reputation, please don’t demean master teachers as an occupation!”

“Isn’t it a little too late to feel fear at this point…”

…

Hearing Ruohuan gongzi’s words, the other master teachers in the surroundings sneered coldly.

The first one to enter tended to be at a disadvantage given that he wouldn’t have any idea about what he could expect from the test. In their view, Zhang Xuan had cowered at the last moment and thus, Ruohuan gongzi tried to step forward in his place.

Furthermore, upon thinking of the latter’s age and cultivation, their disdain only served to further deepen.

“Don’t worry, the test will be fair. It doesn’t matter whether you are the first one to enter or the final one to enter. The Qi Men Dun Jia in the Ghost Domain Illusory City is constantly changing, and it won’t repeat itself. The encounter of the first challenger will be of no analytical value to the rest!”

Thinking that Zhang shi was worried about this issue, Hong shi chuckled. “Also, the offensive mechanisms in the artifact will automatically come to a halt within an incense’s time. Thus, regardless of your cultivation realm, there’ll be no threat to your life!”

“Don’t worry, I can deal with it…”

Zhang Xuan turned to Ruohuan gongzi and reassured him.

The Ghost Domain Illusory City sounded fearsome, but it did little to faze him.

“You should enter now!” Hearing the lack of fear in Zhang Xuan’s voice, a hint of commendation flashed across Hong shi’s face as he beckoned the latter in.

“Un!”

Lifting his feet, Zhang Xuan walked into the entrance of the castle.

As Zhang Xuan disappeared into the entrance, a bitter smile slowly formed on Ruohuan gongzi’s face. “I don’t doubt that you will be able to deal with it, what I fear is that… the Ghost Domain Illusory City won’t be able to deal with you…”

After the days he had spent with Zhang Xuan, he had gained a deep understanding of that fellow.

Even though he often looked confused, his incredible means could easily scare a person to death once he made a move.

Putting aside Elder Wu, Elder Bai, and the others who nearly went insane after being tortured physically and mentally from him, just the experience in the Glacier Plain Court spoke tons about him… They were supposed to cultivate in the Yin-Yang Lake, but before they could even see the Yin-Yang Lake, he had already sapped the seed water dry…

Common sense simply didn’t seem to apply to him.

This Ghost Domain Illusory City looked formidable, but Ruohuan gongzi had little doubt that something could go awry given that Zhang Xuan was involved.

“Let’s just hope that my thoughts are wrong…”

Grabbing his heart, Ruohuan gongzi thought.

“There’s no need to worry. Given Zhang shi’s extraordinary strength, he won’t be in danger!”

Seeing the awful look on Ruohuan gongzi’s face, Song Chao walked over to console.

Failing to meet Zhang Xuan the past few days, he often spent his time at the Master Teacher Pavilion, and at where, he became acquainted with Ruohuan gongzi.

Coming from similar backgrounds and having a common topic from their experiences in being ‘wrecked’ by Zhang shi, even though they were rivals, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of connection to one another.

“Cough cough, I’m not worried that Zhang shi would be in danger but…” Halfway through his words, Ruohuan gongzi abruptly came to a halt. “I hope that I’m just overthinking it!”

“You’re not worried that he will be in danger? What do you mean by that? It can’t be that you’re worried that the Ghost Domain Illusory City will be in danger?”

Before Song Chao could respond, a young man not too far away flung his sleeves and sneered, “What a joke!”

The duo turned around, only to see a young man with thick eyebrows and high nose bridge.

Ruohuan gongzi recognized the other party.

“Frigid Gale Sect’s Liao Wuzhi. He is the second in ranking on the list of contenders to watch out for!”

Even though this young man’s words were unpleasant to the ear, his capability wasn’t to be underestimated.

He was the number one genius of Frigid Gale Sect, the second most popular contender for the champion seat in the Master Teacher Tournament.

Not knowing how to reply, Ruohuan gongzi replied awkwardly, “That… You shouldn’t underestimate Zhang shi, he’s quite formidable…”

“Formidable?” Liao Wuzhi harrumphed. “It’s only because you don’t know how fearsome the Ghost Domain Illusory City is!”

“Fearsome?” The duo was taken aback. “Could it be that Brother Liao knows something about it?”

“Of course! I once read an introduction about it in a book!” Tilting up his chin, a hint of pride gleamed in Liao Wuzhi’s eyes.

Given how most pavilion masters were unaware of it, he could be considered to be knowledgeable for knowing it.

“The Ghost Domain Illusory City harnesses the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia, which could be classified into Three Mystics, Eight Gates, and Six Jias. It contains the spirits of Zhifu, Tengshe, Taiyin, Liuhe, Baihu, Xuanhu, Jiudi, and Jiutian. Those who enter its premises would fall into an endless spiral of fear! Those who lack the appropriate temperament will find their mental fortitude breached and lose their confidence!”

With both his hands behind his back, Liao Wuzhi spoke with the composure and confidence reminiscent of a great strategist.

“I’ve heard of Zhang shi’s affairs, and I’m indeed impressed by how he was able to become a 4-star master teacher at such a young age. Just the fact that he was able to defeat you, Ruohuan gongzi, means that he is indeed capable… But in the end, he’s still too young. Furthermore, given his smooth-sailing life that lacks experiences of defeat, his mental fortitude must be lacking! This test… will likely be where he will be halted!”

As one of the strongest contender for the champion spot, his analytical ability was beyond ordinary.

Zhang shi might be young but being chosen as the candidate of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance meant that there was indeed something extraordinary about him. As such, Liao Wuzhi didn’t look down on him just because of his age.

But while Zhang shi was indeed a genius, he was still way too young and had yet to mature yet. His weak mental fortitude would be his greatest opening.

This test would be the greatest difficulty he had ever faced.

“If my conjecture proves to be accurate, his mental fortitude will definitely be breached within five to ten minutes!” Liao Wuzhi predicted.

“Five to ten minutes?”

“Un! The Ghost Domain Illusory City is simply too formidable. Based on my calculation, even for me, I’ll only be able to hold on for around an incense’s time. In terms of that, the timing which Hong shi decided on for the test was indeed precise. It is unlikely that there’ll be any participants who can persevere any longer than that! Given Zhang shi’s young age, it would already be incredible if he could hold on for five minutes…”

Liao Wuzhi waved his hands proudly, and just as he was about to continue, he suddenly froze. As though he had seen a ghost, his body stiffened, eyes widened, and lips trembled uncontrollably.

“Wh-what… is going on?”

Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed?

Zhang Xuan pushed open the doors to enter the Illusory City.

Its interior was pitch-black, such that he couldn’t even see his outstretched hand.

Taking two steps along the corridor, a sinister wind blew past, bringing an eerie voice to his ear.

Wuwuwuwu!

The voice was drenched with resentment and adoration, sorrow and happiness. It struck right into one’s soul, rendering the action of covering one’s ears meaningless.

“Is this Soul Beguilement?”

Zhang Xuan frowned.

Mo Hunsheng had once used a similar technique against him back in the soul oracle tomb.

Such techniques allowed the voice to resound within one’s soul-it would be useless even if one were to inhibit all six senses.

Lifting his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw countless savage eyes staring at him, threatening to leap out at him at any moment to tear him into shreds.

To face hair-standing sorrowful cries and the threat of impending attacks under such a dark environment…

This was indeed a test on one’s temperament. If one’s mental fortitude wasn’t strong enough, one might just faint on the spot.

Boom!

Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning the surroundings curiously, he suddenly felt a powerful surge of energy gushing out from a corner of the room. It flowed along with the whistling of the wind, heading straight for him.

His eyes immediately narrowed, and he leaped forward. But right after he dodged the attack, he felt another powerful surge of energy heading right for him.

Dodging it with a leap, before Zhang Xuan could land on the floor, he felt yet another attack coming from a different direction.

After dodging seven to eight of such attacks, a droplet of cold sweat dripped from Zhang Xuan’s chin. He was starting to panic.

The attacks were becoming more and more frequent. If this went on, it would reach a point where Zhang Xuan would be unable to cope at all, and this might potentially end in severe injuries for him.

Could this test really be that difficult?

“No, something’s wrong! I could feel the energy and disturbance in the air from the previous attacks, but I didn’t hear any sound of collision between the wall and the surge of energy…”

After avoiding a few more attacks, a thought suddenly struck Zhang Xuan, leaving him stunned for a moment.

He could hear the sharp whistling of the wind due to the barrage of attacks raining down on him, but somehow, the sound of collision when the force struck the wall or ground was absent.

Even if Zhang Xuan dodged the attack, the force should have struck the wall or the ground, leaving behind a deep imprint or at least a mark of some kind… But there wasn’t anything like that at all. Could the attacks be an illusion too?

“Eye of Insight!”

Thinking such, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight.

In an instant, the darkness veiling his vision lightened, allowing him to see the rough outline of the entire room.

The Eye of Insight allows one to peer into the essence of everything. While it was impossible for Zhang Xuan’s Eye of Insight to peer through the entire Ghost Domain Illusory City given the powerful might of the artifact, it wasn’t too much of a problem for him to just see through the facades contained within the interior of a single room.

And in an instant, he saw that the origin of the piercing wind sound that he heard previously was actually countless spirit beings lingering in the surroundings.

It was impossible to tell whether these spirit beings were originally human, spirit beasts, or simply artificial beings. While they were able to stir up an intense wind through their motion, it was completely harmless to one’s physical body.

That was also the reason why the wall and floor remained undamaged.

But still, if Zhang Xuan didn’t have the Eye of Insight, he would have never dared to face that powerful, frenzied surge of energy even if someone were to inflate his guts.

“Other competitors might have been helpless before these spirit beings, and it would just be a matter of time before they crumbled before the immense pressure on them. But this won’t work on me!”

Upon understanding the origin behind the attacks, Zhang Xuan’s lips curled up into a smile.

Unable to see or perceive these spirit beings, the other competitors would indeed be unable to deal with these spirit beings. It would just be a matter of time before the mounting pressure crushed their mental fortitude, snapping their thread of sanity.

But… as a soul oracle, if he were to allow mere spirit beings to get the better of him, it would indeed be embarrassing.

“Draw soul!”

Zhang Xuan’s glabella glowed, and a soul bearing semblance to his physical appearance emerged from his body.

Weng!

Zhang Xuan clasped his hands together, and a glow of light flashed across the room. The spirit beings, as though having met their nemesis, quickly fled in fear.

The soul of soul oracles possessed extraordinary soul energy, and not to mention, the cultivation technique which Zhang Xuan practiced was the Heaven’s Path Soul Art, granting his soul a mighty aura that ghosts dared not stand up against. It was already a huge benevolence, as well as a gesture of respect to Hong shi, that he didn’t consume these spirit beings to nourish his soul.

After chasing away those trouble-making spirit beings, the room fell silent. Returning back to his body, Zhang Xuan stood up to start looking for the exit when a thought suddenly struck him, and a smile slowly surfaced on his face.

“Why do I even need to search around? As long as I determine the flaws behind this artifact, wouldn’t I be able to find the exit easily?”

Given that Zhang Xuan was attacked by so many soul beings right after he entered the Ghost Domain Illusory City, who knew what else he might face later on?

It would be too much trouble to go through everything. Since he had the Library of Heaven’s Path, he could simply find the flaws behind the Ghost Domain Illusory City and, just like with formations, pause its functioning.

In any case, pausing a formation wouldn’t damage it. Its functions could be easily restored after he left, and it wouldn’t affect the challengers after him.

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan placed his hand on the floor, and a book materialized in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Ghost Domain Illusory City, forged by 5-star Master teacher Fei Yuzi. It harnesses the concepts of Qi Men Dun Jia and contains innumerable spirit beings. It can be used as a test to train one’s temperament. Flaws: No.1, the stone pedestal at the center serving as the control center is easily noticeable…”

A detailed explanation on the Ghost Domain Illusory City could be seen on the book.

“The stone pedestal at the center is the control center?”

With the Eye of Insight active, Zhang Xuan proceeded forward and saw a stone pedestal with a height similar to his.

“Isn’t this way too conspicuous?”

Seeing that something this important was actually placed so openly in the artifact, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

But soon, he came to a realization.

Often, the most dangerous of location tended to be the safest, and sometimes, placing it at the most conspicuous spot may make one overlook it due to their subconscious mind instinctively acknowledging the impossibility of it.

Besides, the cultivators that enter the Illusory City would have their hands full with dealing with the spirit beings. Even if they were to see the stone pedestal, they wouldn’t have the spare energy to think of such things.

“Since this is the control center, will the Ghost Domain Illusory City come to a halt if I were to knock this pedestal aside?”

Having found the core of the Illusory City, Zhang Xuan shut the book. With his Eye of Insight still active, he began assessing the stone pedestal.

He couldn’t tell what the stone pedestal was made of, but it was exceptionally hard. Zhang Xuan examined the pedestal carefully from several angles, but he wasn’t able to find any mechanism embedded into it.

He tried pushing the pedestal with his hands, but as though connected with the fortress, it didn’t budge in the least.

“I don’t believe that I can’t move it. Heaven’s Path Fist Art!”

Frowning, Zhang Xuan gathered all of his strength in his fists, and as though a released arrow, his fists shot toward the stone pedestal.

Peng!

His fist struck the stone pedestal, but there was nothing except for a slight tremor. On the contrary, he felt a stinging pain on his fist.

“What a hard stone…”

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

His strength totaled up to 2,600,000 ding, and complemented with the Heaven’s Path Fist Art, even a primary-tier Spirit weapon would be crushed instantly. And yet, not only did this ordinary-looking stone pedestal not budge in the least, his fist even grew red from the impact!

“The stone pedestal must be at least a Spirit intermediate-tier artifact, or perhaps… even higher than that!”

To be able to withstand his attack, this stone pedestal had to be an incredible artifact similar to the Illusory City!

“What should I do now?”

Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

He had finally found a way to stop the Ghost Domain Illusory City, but due to his lacking cultivation, he wasn’t able to do it. This felt extremely stifling to him.

“Wait. I might not be able to move it, but I can always draw on the help of others!”

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan’s eyes suddenly lit up.

He was incapable of moving it with his current strength, but he could always draw on the strength of others, such as… his clone!

Back then, when he exchanged blows with that fellow, he was crushed completely.

The physical body of his clone was truly powerful beyond words.

“Come out!”

Willing so, Zhang Xuan’s clone appeared before him.

He had placed this fellow into his storage ring before heading over here, so summoning him hinged only on a single thought.

Given the shared consciousness between the duo, the clone instantaneously understood the plight Zhang Xuan was in. Thus, Zhang Xuan ordered directly, “Break this stone pedestal to stop the formation.”

“Alright!”

The clone tightened his fists and released a punch.

Heaven’s Path Fist Art!

Kacha! Kacha!

With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the stone pedestal before him.

The crack swiftly crept across the entire pedestal, and ‘huala!’, it crumbled into rubble.

“You… Can’t you hold back a little?” Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in rage.

Wasn’t this stone pedestal so tough such that even his fist suffered great pain from the backlash of his attack? Why did it… suddenly break just like that?

Didn’t it seem like his clone had used too much strength?

“Could it be that… clone’s physical body is simply too powerful, such that it induced a suppression effect on the stone pedestal?”

After a moment of bewilderment, Zhang Xuan suddenly came to a realization, and he felt tears threatening to spill from his face.

Due to the Nine Hearts Lotus being a God artifact, even if his clone didn’t use too much strength, he could still destroy the stone pedestal easily.

To make an analogy, it was just like putting a diamond against a dagger. While the dagger might be more efficient in a battle, in terms of ability to scratch glass, the diamond would be much more effective.

He was just like the dagger whereas his clone was the diamond. While the latter didn’t use too much strength behind his attack, the stone pedestal still crumbled easily. Zhang Xuan only intended to move the stone pedestal, but in the end… he ended up destroying it instead.

Hong long!

Conflicted, Zhang Xuan was just considering what he should do next when the entire Ghost Domain Illusory City rumbled and started shaking violently.

With its core destroyed, the formation supporting the Illusory City was completely crippled. Thus, the gigantic infrastructure immediately started crumbling.

“Keep!”

Returning his clone to his storage ring, he glanced upward, only to see huge lumps of rock raining down on him. Knowing that it was too late for him to escape, he could only raise his arms to protect his head from the falling rocks.

…

“Given how formidable Yang shi is, his student should have no trouble clearing the Ghost Domain Illusory City!”

Outside, on the round stage, Hong shi had been pacing back and forth worriedly ever since Zhang Xuan walked in.

Yang shi had sent his student here to temper him, not to have him eliminated in the first round.

But thinking deeper into the matter, given how powerful Yang shi was, how could his student be anything simple?

“The Ghost Domain Illusory City might be powerful, but I’ve already adjusted the difficulty such that at least 85% of the fifty-six challengers would be able to clear it… Zhang shi shouldn’t be eliminated here! Now, the only problem is how long it will take for him to clear the challenge!”

There was another benefit to the Ghost Domain Illusory City-it could determine how powerful one’s mental fortitude was. The faster one could escape from it, the stronger one’s mental fortitude was.

Since there was no need to worry about Zhang shi’s elimination, the main problem at hand would be how long he would take to clear the test.

“I would require seven minutes to clear the Illusory City. No matter how strong the mental fortitude of the participants is, they will need at least ten minutes to clear the challenge. Considering Zhang shi’s age, it would be an incredible feat if he could clear the challenge in around thirteen minutes!”

Hong shi calculated internally. Seeing that there was still time, Hong shi was just about to find a place to sit down and wait when the ground beneath him suddenly shook violently.

He anxiously lifted his head to take a look, only to see the humongous Ghost Domain Illusory City rumbling loudly before collapsing inward. After which, a figure with both arms raised above his head, a silhouette reminiscent of a valiant warrior, appeared amidst the cloud of dust. On the ‘warrior’s’ face was a sheepish smile.

The ‘warrior’ scratched his head apologetically and said, “Hong shi… It seems like I accidentally broke your Ghost Domain Illusory City… Can it be fixed?”

Chapter 578: The Fearsome Otherwordly Demonic Tribe

“Fixed?”

Looking at the remaining rubble of the majestic castle from before, Hong shi’s body stiffened, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

If you only broke a face of a wall or a corridor, I might still be able to fix it. But this… How in the world do you expect me to fix this?

Fix your head!

It’s just a test. If you can clear it, so be it. If you can’t, it’s nothing much as well… May I ask how in the world did my Ghost Domain Illusory City offend you for you to hold such a heavy grudge against it?

Besides, how long has it been? Two minutes? Three minutes?

In such a short period of time, even I would be unable to reach the center. How… in the world did you manage to tear it down?

Hong shi’s heart nearly stopped then, and he was about to go insane.

“Indeed…”

Contrary to Hong shi’s frenzied response, Pavilion Master Kang and the other elders from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion slapped their faces, as if they’d known that this would occur.

They knew that something would go awry… but even so, they underestimated the extent to which things could go ‘awry’ at. This was the Master Teacher Tournament! Under such circumstances, how was the test supposed to proceed?

The Ghost Domain Illusory City was the key to testing the candidates’ temperament. Given that it had collapsed, how are the other participants going to be assessed?

To cut off other people’s path while walking your own…

Zhang shi, aren’t you being a little too competitive!

While they were all speechless, Liao Wuzhi’s body also swayed weakly from side to side in shock.

It was just a moment ago that Ruohuan gongzi said that he was worried about the safety of the Ghost Domain Illusory City, and he mocked the other party for being ignorant. But from the looks of it now… it seemed like he was the one being ignorant!

To tear down an entire fortress three minutes after walking in…

You aren’t a master teacher but a demolisher, right?

While silence loomed in the surroundings, Zhang Xuan patted the dust off his body and stepped away from the rubble with a helpless expression.

All he wanted to do was to silently halt the formation and walk out normally. Why was such a simple wish so hard to realize?

“Fix… It’s impossible to fix it!”

Even though Hong shi’s heart was hurting so much that it was dripping blood, and he was about to faint from anger. But he quickly forced himself to calm down and recover.

No matter what, the other party was Yang shi’s student. Furthermore, it wasn’t an intentional action on the other party’s part, so it was best for him to just overlook this matter.

While he still felt it was a huge loss to lose a treasure of the Ghost Domain Illusory City’s caliber, given that it was already destroyed, there was no use pondering over it. Thus, he could only swallow his pain and accept his loss.

Just that… Given that the Illusory City was completely wrecked, how were the others supposed to take the test?

The other master teachers also shot glances over.

After a moment of hesitation, Hong shi gritted his teeth and said, “Since the Ghost Domain Illusory City has been damaged… we’ll put aside the Temperament test for the time being and move on to the Courage test!”

Even though having a single test voided in the preliminary round would affect the results, it was still at a level where he could overlook.

“Courage test?”

“How is it going to be carried out?”

Upon hearing the next test, everyone swiftly recovered from their shock, and discussions sounded amidst the crowd.

“I believe everyone should know the reason behind why Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion!” Hong shi said.

A master teacher replied, “To strengthen the human race so as to better fend off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and other calamities!”

The primary reason as to why Kong shi established the Master Teacher Pavilion was to raise the might of the human race as a whole so as to further its prosperity.

“Indeed. Several ten thousand years ago, the powerful Otherworldly Demonic Tribe committed innumerable atrocities, resulting in grievous sufferings to all lifeforms. In order to save the world, Kong shi established the system of master teachers, and after several ten thousand years of development, we’ve achieved an unprecedented level of prosperity!”

Hong shi nodded his head as his gaze fell on the crowd. “The Courage test is actually very simple. You just have to fulfill the responsibility of a master teacher and… face an Otherworldly Demon!”

“Otherworldly Demon?”

“Hasn’t that race gone extinct already? Could it be that there are still survivors?”

Everyone was taken aback.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been expelled by Kong shi several ten thousand years ago, and not a single trace of them remained on the continent. To face an Otherworldly Demon… What did Hong shi mean?

“The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was indeed expelled several ten thousand years ago. However… there are still a few remnants living on the continent. They disguise themselves as humans and hide amongst our communities!”

Hong shi’s eyebrows shot up as he waved his hand.

Hula!

The fog veiling another corner of the round stage cleared, revealing a gigantic stone house.

Even though the stone house was tightly sealed, and its interiors couldn’t be seen at all, an intense killing intent emanated from within. It felt as though one would be torn apart just by approaching the stone house.

“What a savage aura. Could it be that… an Otherworldly Demon is currently inside the stone house?”

“I’ve heard that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has an extremely brutal nature. They regard humans as nothing more than mere ants, and they slaughter them without any guilt whatsoever… As such, an exceptionally dense killing intent lingers around them. This killing intent made it impossible for an ordinary human to approach them-they would simply faint from fright during the encounter-let alone, kill them!”

“Even across a stone house, the killing intent emanated is already so astounding. How powerful must the Otherworldly Demons really be?”

…

Feeling the aura coming from within the stone house, everyone’s faces warped in shock.

Fearsome!

All those who were on the round stage were all 4-star master teacher… Even so, the killing intent emanated from within the stone house was sufficient to render their legs wobbly. How powerful must the Otherworldly Demons be then?

“The Otherworldly Demons are callous and cunning. For their growth, they are willing to even devour their own kind! In their eyes, humans are just lower-tier lifeforms, mere prey for them!”

Hong shi harrumphed. “This fellow here has been hiding in Hongfeng Empire, and he had killed at least several thousand humans there. It took me three years before I managed to capture him.

“Even though I’ve used the Golden Soul Lock to seal his root bone, making it impossible for him to exert much strength, the killing intent that he had tempered over countless years still remains. He could easily exert immense pressure on one’s soul and draw out the deepest fear in one. Putting aside 4-star pinnacle master teachers like you all, even half 5-star master teachers would hesitate to face him directly.”

It is similar to a human meeting a tiger; even the latter didn’t make a move, the former would still instinctively feel fear, and strength would drain from their body.

This was a matter of courage.

“If one doesn’t even have the courage to approach a tiger, how could he possibly ever kill one? If a master teacher doesn’t dare to approach an Otherworldly Demon, then no matter how far he advances as a master teacher, it would be for naught!

“The Courage test is simple. You just have approach him, and your courage will be judged by how far you close you get to him. The requirement for clearing this test is 5 meters; those who fail to meet this requirement will be eliminated.”

Waving his hands, Hong shi flicked his finger.

Huala!

The walls of the stone house immediately burst apart, and a three-meter tall savage-looking beast appeared before everyone.

Honglong!

As soon as the beast came into view, a violent aura abruptly diffused into the surroundings. Some of the audience seated closer to the round stage suddenly felt an intense vertigo striking their mind, and their vision went dark-they had instinctively fainted out of fright.

The master teachers on the stage weren’t doing much better either. Song Chao and the other master teachers’ faces turned pale, and their lips took on a shade of purple.

In the past, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had enslaved humans, and if not for Kong shi creating the Master Teacher Pavilion and eventually expelling them from the Master Teacher Continent, the entire continent would still be subjected to their tyranny.

Perhaps such primal fear had been deeply imprinted into human instincts, but very few were able to withstand the blow to their soul from the sight of an Otherworldly Demon.

“This is an Otherworldly Demon?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows twitched.

The fellow before him looked like a gigantic savage beast. Bloodthirst seemed to exude from every single inch of its body, inducing the feeling that one would be torn to shreds if one were to try to approach it.

Putting aside the other master teachers, even Zhang Xuan found it difficult to approach the Otherworldly Demon within a 5-meter radius.

“Fearsome!”

It was no wonder the Master Teacher Pavilion dared not let down their guard despite several ten thousand years having passed since the disappearance of the Otherworldly Demons. They were indeed worthy of such wariness from the Master Teacher Pavilion.

“He is bound and unable to move, so you need not worry of being harmed. The time limit is half an incense’s time, and those who are unable to get within 5 meters of him will be eliminated!”

After which, Hong shi lit an incense and waved his hands. “The time starts now!”

Hearing that the test had started, the crowd on top of the round stage began advancing toward the beast with a grave look on their faces.

Zhang Xuan followed behind them as well, but with just a single step, his face abruptly lost all color.

Just this single step had subjected him to twofold the pressure from before. The savage killing intent lingering in the air stripped his legs of its strength, rendering him unable to proceed further.

He glanced at the others around him, and they didn’t seem to be in a much better condition than him. Sweat covered their foreheads, and their faces were as pale as a sheet of paper.

Forcefully taking another step forward, the pressure intensified yet again. It was as if he was a lone boat standing before a huge storm; powerful waves rushed at him, threatening to sink him at any moment. At the same time, it was as if he was standing right at the edge of a cliff; a single step forward would mean plummeting into Avīci and subjected to an eternity of suffering.

‘Under such circumstances… even ten meters would be difficult, not to mention, five meters!’

Initially, Zhang Xuan thought that this test would be a walk in the park, but it turned out to be tougher than he had expected.

It seemed that with his willpower itself, it would be impossible for him to pass this step.

Advancing another step forward, only ten competitors remained alongside him.

‘Let me try driving my zhenqi!’

Taking yet another step forward, Zhang Xuan felt as though he was coming to the limit of his endurance. Thus, he decided to drive his zhenqi.

He didn’t use his zhenqi to ward off the killing intent beforehand so as to test his own limits. But regrettably, four steps seemed to be it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t take a single inch forward.

Hu!

As the Heaven’s Path zhenqi flowed through his body, the pressure weighing down on him immediately disappeared, and the tenseness he felt faded.

That energy that threatened to rip him apart a moment ago felt nothing more than a gentle breeze on him at this moment.

‘As I expected, the Heaven’s Path zhenqi is indeed capable of neutralizing killing intent!’

The Heaven’s Path zhenqi possessed no attribute whatsoever, but this allowed it to neutralize all types of attributes of all types. Zhang Xuan had previously guessed that driving the Heaven’s Path zhenqi would neutralize the killing intent from the Otherworldly Demons, and fortunately, it seemed like he was spot-on.

He secretly peeked at the others

Different from him, the others had been driving their zhenqi right from their start, but that did little to alleviate their pale complexion.

But even so, with their sheer determination, those at the front were already approaching the 10-meter mark.

‘Incredible!’

Seeing how they were able to proceed so far despite being unable to neutralize the killing intent effectively with their zhenqi, a hint of respect appeared on Zhang Xuan’s face.

It was no wonder they were known as geniuses, and why Pavilion Master Kang didn’t think well of them. They did possess the qualities worthy of their evaluation.

If not for Zhang Xuan ‘cheating’ through his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, it was hard to tell whether he could have traveled further than them.

Relieved on the immense pressure on him, Zhang Xuan’s thoughts gradually grew lively.

‘Could the immense pressure exerted by the Otherworldly Demon… be considered as a battle technique as well?’

Given how everyone was so frightened such that it was difficult for them to approach the Otherworldly Demon, the latter was clearly utilizing some kind of ability to exert pressure on one’s soul.

Even if this ability couldn’t be considered as a battle technique, it should be close to one. Given so, is it possible for the Library of Heaven’s Path to peer into the flaws of the Otherworldly Demon?

‘Flaws!’ Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

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

Chapter 579: Zhang Xuan in a Daze

He was only trying his luck, but to his delight, it actually worked. Excited, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly flipped through its contents.

“The offspring of an otherworldly lifeform and spirit beast. Born in Wangyuan Mountain of Hongfeng Empire. Cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm… Flaws: …”

‘He isn’t a purebred Otherworldly Demon but… a progeny with a spirit beast?’

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.

To think that this fellow, who was powerful enough to halt the advancement of a 4-star master teacher with its disposition in itself… was just a hybrid! If that was the case… how powerful must a purebred be?

Not to mention, to actually breed with a spirit beast… The tastes of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sure was heavy!

The thought of satisfying one’s physical needs with that gigantic and swollen body of a spirit beast… Zhang Xuan couldn’t help but shiver in disgust.

‘But even so, this fellow is indeed strong!’

Based on the information in the book, the other party’s physical body and soul were extremely powerful, such that it would be able to easily rival master teachers of the similar cultivation realm-or rather, master teachers who hadn’t been through special training to cope with its overwhelming killing intent wouldn’t be able to even get close to it.

It was no wonder the Master Teacher Pavilion was so fearful of the Otherworldly Demon Tribe. There was a clear and huge difference in the innate talent between humans and the Otherworldly Demon Tribe.

“My Heaven’s Path zhenqi doesn’t fear the pressure he exerts. I’ll just approach a 5-meter radius around him and remain there for a moment!”

Zhang Xuan had just destroyed Hong shi’s Ghost Domain Illusory City, thus putting him at the tip of others’ tongues. Even though he could clear this test easily, he felt that he shouldn’t cause too much of a fuss this time round.

In any case, it was just the preliminary selections and there was no ranking for this. It would suffice as long as he passed the test, there was no need for him to show off.

Thinking so, Zhang Xuan lifted his gaze to look at the others in the surroundings.

In the time that he spent browsing through the book, the others had already gotten ahead of him. There were quite a few who were in proximity to the huge beast already, just a few steps away to reaching the 5-meter mark.

Even though their movements looked very strained, their ability to get to such proximity reflected their courage and determination.

It was no wonder why they were the representatives of their respective powers, they did possess extraordinary mental fortitude and talent.

“That Luo Xuan is leading the group…”

Walking at the forefront was Luo Xuan from Fleeting Cloud Sect. He was listed to be the number one contender for the champion placing in the book Pavilion Master Kang showed him, and it did seem to be very plausible at this moment.

As long as one were to get into a 5-meter radius of the Otherworldly Demon, one would be considered to have passed the test.

As for Song Chao, he was in the middle of the entire group. On the other hand, Ruohuan gongzi exceeded Zhang Xuan’s expectations. Surprisingly, he was amongst the group at the front.

“Should I go over now, or should I wait a little longer? Forget it, I’m in no hurry anyway. I should first look through that fellow’s flaws first!”

Seeing that no one had reached the 5-meter mark yet, Zhang Xuan decided to continue reading the book first.

There were many flaws detailed on the hybrid Otherworldly Demon in the book in the Library of Heaven’s Path, so it was taking Zhang Xuan a little longer to finish reading through it. In any case, he didn’t want to catch too much attention by being the first to clear the test anyway. Thus, he decided to wait a little longer.

…

Beneath the stage.

“Ruohuan seems to be faring well. To think that he would achieve such outstanding results right from the start!” Elder Su stroked his beard as he said.

“Indeed. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sure is fearsome, I don’t think that I could achieve his current results even if I were to head up!” Ling shi sighed.

It was their first time meeting an Otherworldly Demon as well. They were already feeling stifled from the intense killing intent even though they were beneath the stage. It was difficult for them to imagine the pressure that was weighing down on the competitors at the moment.

“It seems like the advice I told him worked after all!” Hearing the compliments of his two friends, Pavilion Master Kang smiled.

“Oh? What did you tell him to motivate him so much as to rush straight into the top few placing?” Su shi and Ling shi asked curiously.

They couldn’t imagine any advice that could induce such a huge change in one.

Even though Ruohuan gongzi did improve greatly in the past two months, he was still a distance away from matching up to the top geniuses from the other sects and empires.

“I told him that there’s nothing he has to be worried about, and he should just give it his all. After all, is there anything in this world that is more fearsome than Zhang shi? Since he doesn’t even fear Zhang shi, why should he hesitate over anything?” Pavilion Master Kang stroked his beard.

“Cough cough…”

Su shi and Ling shi staggered. They were rendered speechless by the words of their old friend.

But giving it some thoughts, while these words were indeed a little peculiar, it was indeed good advice.

A fellow who could collapse even the Ghost Domain Illusory City in two to three minutes-if Ruohuan gongzi didn’t even fear such a monster, what did he have to fear from the other geniuses out there?

Just that… To use Zhang shi to suppress the fear toward Otherworldly Demons… Why does it feel as though something is wrong?

After a moment of speechlessness, Su shi suddenly frowned and said, “Right, why isn’t Zhang shi moving? Could he be at his limit?”

Zhang shi proceeded rather swiftly initially, but after advancing four steps, he abruptly came to a stop and hadn’t moved since. It had been several minutes since then. Could it be that he was unable to withstand the pressure from the Otherworldly Demon?

“Even though he possesses astounding capability, he’s still much too young. It’s his first time meeting an Otherworldly Demon, and it’s unavoidable that he would freeze in fear…” Ling shi shook his head.

“I don’t know what’s going on either. Actually, I thought of the same thing too, but what I’m more worried about is that…”

Pavilion Master Kang shook his head, “… he might cause something huge once more!”

“Cause something huge? I think it’s unlikely for that to happen. Given the strength of the Otherworldly Demon, even you and I wouldn’t be a match for it, and he’s currently only at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle… Besides, the goal of the test is just to approach the Otherworldly Demon. How could any problem occur from this?”

Su shi shook his head. “There’s no need for you to worry about this!”

“I hope so…”

Pavilion Master Kang nodded, and just as he was about to speak, he suddenly froze. Then, lifting a finger up to the stage, he exclaimed, “How can that be?”

Hearing the anxiousness in the latter’s voice, Su shi and Ling shi hurriedly turned their gazes over, and their eyes narrowed uncontrollably.

As Luo Xuan and the others stepped into a 5-meter mark, the Otherworldly Demon, who had his eyes shut all along, opened abruptly, and a sinister light gleamed in his blood-red eyes.

“To dare use me as a test of courage, you are courting death!”

A voice boomed as though thunder, rattling everyone’s soul. The immense body of the Otherworldly Demon shook, and in an instant, everyone abruptly felt as though they were plunged into a storm.

“Ah…”

The few master teachers standing at the very front cried out in agony simultaneously. Their bodies lost all strength and they fell helplessly to the ground from fright.

Luo Xuan wasn’t spared either. His body stiffened, and he looked as though his soul had escaped from his body.

“You lowly creatures, how dare you capture and use me! I’ll devour every single one of you…”

Roaring furiously, the Otherworldly Demon’s glaring red lips parted, revealing rows after rows of sharp teeth. The sight of it left goosebumps rising through one’s body, inducing a sensation as though one would be torn to shreds just by approaching him.

“AHH… I’M NOT GOING TO COMPETE ANYMORE…”

Before the Otherworldly Demon could finish his words, a pale-faced master teacher abruptly screamed as he scrambled off the stage.

A pool of pungent fluid was left in his wake.

With a precedent, the second and the third soon emerged.

For 4-star master teacher geniuses to actually be reduced to such a state! The crowd below fell completely silent. But even so, no one thought that they were cowardly.

After all… none of them could say that they would do better when put in such a position as well.

The Otherworldly Demon was already fearsome when it was idle; now that it was roaring and baring its fangs, it would be wonder if the others could hold on.

“To think that even trash lifeforms like you all would be able to rule over the continent, the world sure has regressed!”

Seeing some of the participating master teachers escape and the rest collapsed on the floor, the Otherworldly Demon sneered. Just as he was going to drive all of them away in a single breath, he saw a young man standing quietly at a distance away, seemingly…

… in a daze!

In a daze?

Aren’t all of you here to test your courage? What the heck are you dazing off for?

Besides, I’ve been roaring here and there, and I even intensified the killing aura to the maximum. Even a half 5-star master teacher would find it hard to withstand the pressure. And yet, a little fellow like you is actually unfazed?

With a livid expression, the Otherworldly Demon focused all of its killing intent on the young man and roared.

“Little fellow, do you think you are courageous? Let’s see how courageous you can be after you’re dead…”

Hualala!

The voice, tinged with overpowering killing intent, swept across the entire stage as though a hurricane. It was so strong that a 4-star master teacher beneath the stage even fell off his seat and fainted.

All of the 4-star master teachers collapsed on the ground huddled their bodies together in fear, not daring to even breathe loudly.

But…

The young man whom he focused all of his killing intent on was still standing silently on the spot with all of his attention devoted to… dazing off!

It seemed as though the other party didn’t even notice his attack!

“I’ll kill you!”

Not expecting that he, despite being a proud Otherworldly Demon, would actually be disregarded by such a young master teacher, his rage was unleashed.

Back then, Hong shi had to deploy more than seventy master teachers before he was able to capture him.

And in that battle, he had managed to slay at least twenty of them and severely injured another thirty. Even Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, was afraid of him. And yet, a 4-star primary master teacher actually dared to disregard him?

This was too much!

Boom!

An even more powerful aura gushed into the surroundings, and upon feeling the killing intent infused into the aura, even Hong shi’s face paled. Yet, the young man before him continued on in his daze.

It was as if nothing mattered before him. Neither the pressure nor the killing intent he exerted was able to faze the young man at all.

“This… I knew that Zhang shi would surely stir something up, but still… to think that it really happened!”

The faces of Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the other elders paled as they trembled uncontrollably.

Naturally, the young man was Zhang Xuan.

Despite the odds, they thought that something would happen since Zhang shi was involved. And as though not to let down their expectations, something did indeed happen.

The other party was an Otherworldly Demon, even they themselves found it hard to cope with that overpowering killing intent. Yet, even though the bulk of the other party’s killing intent was focused on you, you are actually dazing off… Could you at least give a reaction, even if it’s only out of respect for your opponent? To be dazing away on a battlefield like this, what in the world are you up to?

“It can’t be that… Zhang shi has fainted from fear?”

“Fainted? If he has fainted, how can he still be standing? Furthermore, he was still looking around a moment ago…”

“But if he is still conscious, what can he be doing? The Otherworldly Demon is exerting so much pressure that he is about to spew blood, how can there be no reaction on Zhang shi’s part at all?”

“This… I have no idea as well!”

They weren’t the only ones who noticed that something was amiss. The other master teachers and the crowd beneath also noticed the peculiarity, and they were staring at one another in bewilderment, confused over the situation unfolding before them.

The Otherworldly Demon, with its innate ability to instill fear into a soul, left all of the competitors paralyzed on the floor, not daring to even utter a word.

And yet, despite focusing its attention on Zhang shi, roaring relentlessly and baring its fangs… the latter remained completely impassive…

Big Brother, do you really not fear the Otherworldly Demon, or are you dead already?

Chapter 580: Kill Yourself!

Just as everyone had seen, the Otherworldly Demon was truly on the verge of falling into a frenzy.

Even if you don’t fear, you need not make it so obvious, do you?

I’m already putting in all my effort into it. Even if just to acknowledge my effort, you should at least give a reaction!

Look at how everyone above and beneath the stage has collapsed on the ground, you are the only one standing there, unfazed, at this point… Aren’t you being a little too disrespectful to me, your opponent?

“I’ll kill you…”

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Roaring once more, the tall Otherworldly Demon gritted his teeth and a mouthful of blood spewed from his mouth. His eyes grew even redder, and the callous aura shrouding him intensified.

“This is bad! The Otherworldly Demon is activating Blood Berserk!”

“Blood Berserk?”

“Indeed. On top of their powerful physical bodies and souls, the Otherworldly Demon are also capable of burning their blood essence in exchange for raising their fighting prowess temporarily. I’ve read the ‘History of the War Against the Otherworldly Demons’ written by Master Teacher Zheng Xiao, and it states that many master teachers have died under such attacks.”

“Then what should we do?”

“I don’t know either. However… since Hong shi has sealed his root bone with the Golden Soul Lock, he shouldn’t be able to exert any strength!”

…

Seeing the huge fellow going into a rampage, a look of worry appeared on the faces of the knowing master teachers below the stage.

An Otherworldly Demon in his normal state was already sufficiently frightening, how fearsome would he be once he went into a berserk state?

Hong shi grasped a weapon tightly in his hands. As soon as that fellow made a move, he would slaughter the other party without any hesitation.

But even so… at the current moment, he was still confident in the ability of the Golden Soul Lock in sealing the Otherworldly Demon’s movements. As long as the Otherworldly Demon was unable to break out of his restraints, it shouldn’t be a problem at all. After all, the main point of this test was to assess the courage of the participants. As such, there was no need for him to make a move as long as there was no threat to the participant’s life.

Besides, it took him a lot of effort to capture this Otherworldly Demon alive. He was hoping to take him to the headquarters to claim his reward. If he were to kill him, he wouldn’t be able to claim any reward at all.

Hong long!

Amidst everyone’s frightened gaze, the Otherworldly Demon finally activated Blood Berserk fully and roared at Zhang Xuan.

“Die…”

The killing intent and the pressure harnessed within the roar seemed as though thunder booming from the highest heaven. ‘Jiya’, the round stage creaked, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure.

All of the master teachers and cultivators around the young man trembled uncontrollably in fear, not daring to move in the slightest.

And yet… Zhang Xuan still remained in his daze, completely indifferent to the other party’s offense.

“You…”

The Otherworldly Demon was about to explode in rage. After struggling for a moment, fresh blood spurted from his mouth once more. Stepping forcefully against the ground, he advanced forward.

Even though he was incapable of fighting due to his root bone being sealed by the Golden Soul Lock, he was still able to move around. The only reason why he’d remained stationary previously was in fear that Hong shi would kill him. But panicked and enraged, he couldn’t care as much anymore.

“I’ll kill you…”

Huala!

With his gigantic head at a distance less than fifty meters before Zhang Xuan, it roared furiously.

Even at such a far distance away, the immense pressure the Otherworldly Demon exerted could leave countless trembling helplessly in fear. At such a close proximity, it would surely feel as though one was already in death’s embrace, leaving one completely terror-stricken and hysterical.

And yet… Zhang Xuan remained completely motionless, still in his daze.

“Zhang shi…”

Hong shi couldn’t stand looking at it anymore.

What the heck are you doing?

Even if you are dazing off, isn’t this going a bit too far?

“Ah?”

Hearing someone shout his name, Zhang Xuan finally returned to his senses.

The introduction and the flaws concerning the Otherworldly Demon was simply too long and too shocking. Despite the vast knowledge Zhang Xuan had gathered through the books he had read before, he still found himself astonished by its contents, thus resulting in his attention being completely absorbed in the book.

As for the other party’s roaring… Zhang Xuan thought that the fellow was simply trying to scare some other participant, and as such, he didn’t pay it much heed.

As soon as he drew his consciousness out from the book, he suddenly saw a hideous face right before him. Alarmed, he sent a slap right at the other party.

Pah!

A crisp sound echoed across the round stage.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The Otherworldly Demon’s eyes also widened in frenzy.

In order to exert further pressure on the other party’s soul, he burned his blood essence to intensify his killing intent. He even went to the extent of laboriously making his way here just so to teach this arrogant brat a lesson… And yet, not only did the other party remain completely unfazed, the other party even slapped him!

“You lowly human, die!”

With his mind clouded with wrath, the Otherworldly Demon couldn’t care less about the Golden Soul Lock any longer. He raised his immense fist and sent it right toward the young man before him.

Hu hu!

A piercing wind screamed in the surroundings.

With his root bone sealed, the Otherworldly Demon could only tap into the strength of his physical body. But even so, blessed with strong innate physique, his physical strength wasn’t one that a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan cultivator could withstand.

“You beast, you’re seeking death…”

Seeing how the Otherworldly Demon actually dared to make a move, Hong shi’s eyebrows shot up. Raising his sword, he prepared to make a move. But before he could do anything, Zhang Xuan leaped to the side, dodging the attack. Then, with a displeased look on his face, he glared at the Otherworldly Demon.

“Audacious! Who are you calling lowly?”

Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan stood upright. His master teacher robe danced along with the slight tug of the wind, creating an impression of an incredible expert.

“As an offspring of an Otherworldly Demon and a Dustshell Beast, your blood is impure and your energy is adulterated. Not to mention, the technique you used to exert pressure on others’ soul is filled with flaws. Given how you can’t even deal with an ordinary human like me, what rights do you have to say that humans are lowly?”

“You…”

Not expecting the person before him to identify his origins, the Otherworldly Demon was stunned. For a moment, he forgot his rage against the other party.

“What? Is there anything wrong about what I said?”

With his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan slowly walked up to the Otherworldly Demon. “It’s one thing for your blood to be adulterated, but you didn’t even receive the heritage that an Otherworldly Demon should possess at birth. To grow stronger, you had to study the human language and practice human cultivation techniques. And yet, you dare to say that humans are lowly? What gave you the confidence to utter such words?”

“I…” The Otherworldly Demon subconsciously took a step back in fear.

“Wh-what… is going on?”

Seeing how Zhang shi, who was still dazing off a moment ago, lecturing the Otherworldly Demon as soon as he came to again, the crowd stared at one another as though they had seen a ghost.

Even Hong shi was bewildered by the situation as well… This fellow actually wasn’t a pure-blooded Otherworldly Demon?

Given how he, despite being the one who captured the Otherworldly Demon, didn’t notice it, how did Zhang shi know about it? And how could he have known that the other half of the other party’s blood came from the Dustshell Beast?

More importantly… Despite being a 5-star master teacher, he was unaware of the heritage of Otherworldly Demons. And yet, this fellow actually knew about it… Could Yang shi have taught him that?

It wouldn’t be surprising for an 8-star master teacher like Yang shi to know of such deep secrets of the Otherworldly Demons. Despite reaching 5-star, Hong shi had yet to advance to even higher Master Teacher Pavilions, and as such, he didn’t know much about such matters.

“You were born in a village on Wangyuan Mountain of Hongfeng Empire, and you were adopted and raised by humans. Before twenty, other than your large head, you were no different from a human, and you didn’t know about your unique heritage either. Yet, in a minor dispute with a villager, you killed the latter. And when the parents who raised you questioned you about the matter, out of rage, you awakened your bloodline as an Otherworldly Demon and killed them as well!”

Zhang Xuan glanced at the Otherworldly Demon. “Am I right?”

“…” The Otherworldly Demon trembled in fear.

He was indeed raised by humans. It was a poor village, and the villagers there led a simple life. Perhaps it was due to this that they possessed an innocence contrary to the depravity existent in cities.

Even though he had a huge appetite from young due to his larger stature, his parents treated him kindly. No matter how poor they were, they never allowed him to starve.

There was once when it snowed five days consecutively, and the house ran out of food. Bearing the risk of a snowstorm, his parents went out to hunt, only to come back grievously injured with an ordinary hare in hand and several wild vegetables. The rabbit wasn’t large, and it wasn’t sufficient to go around the family.

In order to not let him starve, the entire rabbit went to him while his parents ate only the plucked wild vegetable.

Just the thought of it evoked sympathy for his parents.

“Even though they were your foster parents, they still doted on you as though you were their real child. But how did you repay them? After awakening your bloodline, you slew the entire village, including your buddies, parents, and kin… and you devoured them all!”

With a livid expression and sharp eyes, Zhang Xuan pushed on. “Not only so, you even torched the entire village into ashes… Let me ask you, have you ever felt the slightest regret for your actions?”

The Otherworldly Demon trembled once more.

Even though he had inherited the brutal nature of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he still grew up amongst humans, and he was taught etiquette and shame. These past memories poked at him as though a thorn in his heart, agitating him constantly, leaving him ashamed.

“Regret? I did regret my actions, but so what? Th-they were the ones who humiliated me! They said that I looked inhumane and that I was a beast. That’s why I killed them all! Was I wrong in exacting my vengeance?” The Otherworldly Demon roared through gritted teeth.

“You don’t think you have done wrong? Alright then. After killing your foster parents and torching the village, to fill your stomach, you headed to the closest Yang City. Due to your tall stature and sturdy build, you were recruited to become a bodyguard for a wealthy family. Your employers provided you with decent food, lodging, and even imparted a cultivation technique to you. And yet, how did you repay them?”

With an icy-cold voice, Zhang Xuan continued, “Out of lust for the young mistress of the family, you raped and killed her. And out of fear that your employer would exact vengeance on you upon learning of the matter, you killed his entire clan of seventy-eight people. It’s a pity that that old man still believed in you even when your sword was placed right on his throat! Regarding this… there’s no mistake in my words, right?”

There were many flaws in the soul attacks from the Otherworldly Demon, and it originated from these doubts he harbored in his mind.

It was due to the conflict and regret he felt that his temperament slowly declined, resulting in his inability to unleash his full strength.

Otherwise, given how fearsome the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was, it wouldn’t be possible for Hong shi and the other master teachers to capture a mature Otherworldly Demon so easily.

“I…”

The Otherworldly Demon trembled yet again.

“When the Master Teacher Pavilion sent men after you, you slew more than twenty master teacher, and even when you were captured by Hong shi, you still refused to repent. You attempted to escape and recuperate by killing others to absorb their strength… A bastard like you who is neither a human, a beast, nor an Otherworldly Demon actually dares to claim that humans are lowly. Let me direct the same question to you once more, what right do you have to say that humans are lowly?”

Before the other party could speak, Zhang Xuan pushed further on.

His voice carried immense authority that weighed down the Otherworldly Demon’s soul.

“Despite being an Otherworldly Demon, you failed to be acknowledged by your tribe; living in the human world, you ended up killing your kin and friends, thus becoming a scorn of humanity. What right do you have to continue existing on the face of this world?”

Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan spoke with a compelling strength in his voice, “Kill yourself!”

The Otherworldly Demon’s body trembled, and his eyes turned into blank voids. “Indeed, what right do I have to continue existing on the face of this world?”

Pah!

Lifting his palm, he struck his forehead. His gigantic body swayed and collapsed lifelessly to the floor.

Chapter 581: The Test Is on Reading Books?

“He committed suicide?”

“Zhang shi actually convinced… the Otherworldly Demon to commit suicide?”

…

The crowd went completely silent.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was known for being terrifying!

And the one before them was a Consonant Spirit realm expert! Except for Hong shi, there was no one else present who was a match for him. And yet, the other party… was actually convinced by Zhang shi to commit suicide…

Did it have to be so fantastical?

Could it be that we’re dreaming?

“It’s… Impartation of Heaven’s Will!”

“Isn’t it an ability that only could be executed in the midst of a lesson?”

“As long the content of one’s words are logical and without flaws, one can infuse one’s Soul Depth into one’s words to beguile another to do things they might have never done! It seemed like what Zhang shi said previously was correct, and through such, he managed to agitate the Otherworldly Demon to a corner and force him to commit suicide!”

“Impartation of Heaven’s Will can actually convince a person to commit suicide? Doesn’t that mean that… master teachers can easily kill one as long as they can find something true to speak about?”

“It’s not that easy. Not only must the matter be true, it must also be aligned with the internal thoughts of the person in question for it to be effective. Take cultivation for example, the main reason why Impartation of Heaven’s Will is effective on the cultivation of most cultivators is due to their subconscious minds acknowledging the need to cultivate, and thus, they would instinctively accept the effects of Impartation of Heaven’s Will! Even though this Otherworldly Demon possessed a savage nature, he was still raised by humans, and inculcated within him are our values. The guilt he felt over his actions was the main reason why Zhang shi was able to persuade him to commit suicide!”

“I see…”

“However, to be able to beguile a Consonant Spirit realm Otherworldly Demon, even the Soul Depth of a 4-star pinnacle master teacher would be insufficient… Exactly how high is Zhang shi’s Soul Depth? 15.0? 16.0?”

…

A moment later, the crowd below also learnt of the ins and outs of the matter, and a commotion broke out.

It was clear that the reason why the Otherworldly Demon committed suicide was due to the effects of Impartation of Heaven’s Will.

But… the Soul Depth of a 4-star master teacher would only allow one to beguile a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert. A 5-dan expert would require an even higher Soul Depth.

Not to mention, the Otherworldly Demon before them possessed an extraordinarily powerful soul. Even so, he was still beguiled. Since that was the case… exactly how high was Zhang shi’s Soul Depth then?

This was way too fearsome!

“He was actually killed… by words?”

The sight before them sent tears flowing down Pavilion Master Kang and the other master teachers faces.

They thought that Zhang shi’s daze was stirring up trouble in itself, but it seemed like they were underestimating the latter.

Of the two tests that had been conducted, he wrecked the both of them entirely…

If they didn’t know better, they would have thought his primary motive here was to stir trouble…

…

Beneath the stage, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others were rendered speechless.

They had witnessed how fearsome that huge fellow was for themselves, and they knew that they would have never been able to stand their ground against such frightening killing intent. And yet, not only was Zhang shi fine, he even convinced the latter to commit suicide…

Are you sure that this fellow is truly ten years younger than us?

Could he be a 6-star or 7-star master teacher in disguise?

The mouth of Liao Wuzhi, who was looking down on Zhang Xuan just a moment ago, twitched in fright, and he didn’t dare to utter a single more word.

…

Disregarding the thoughts of the crowd. Zhang Xuan glanced at the massive carcass on the ground and heaved a sigh of relief.

The reason why he had been ‘dazing off’ previously was due to the immense shock he felt from reading the vile deeds this fellow had committed. He was already enraged from reading those events, and upon seeing how that fellow knew no repent, even going to the extent of insulting humanity as a whole, he couldn’t hold back his rage any longer and utilized the Impartation of Heaven’s Will to kill the other party!

His current Soul Depth had reached 16.1, which was at the level of most 5-star master teacher. Even so, it still wasn’t easy for him to beguile an Otherworldly Demon to commit suicide, and it had exhausted him greatly. If not for a strong will driving him on, he might have collapsed then.

(Zhang Xuan possessed 0.1 Soul Depth at the very start. The usage of two golden pages increased by Soul Depth by 10.0, the Soul Tempering of a Mentor’s Calligraphy 1.0, two occasions of acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher 3.0, Soul Enlightenment 2.0, thus adding up to a total of 16.1)

But it was fortunate that he succeeded.

Taking a deep breath, he conditioned the internal state of his body. After which, he turned around to look at Hong shi, only to see the latter’s mouth twitching uncontrollably.

The current Hong shi was indeed on the verge of a mental breakdown.

That Ghost Domain Illusory City was already his entire fortune. After it was destroyed, he was banking on bringing this Otherworldly Demon to the headquarters and submit it to recoup his losses. And yet…

In the blink of an eye, the Otherworldly Demon was convinced to commit suicide!

Big Brother, are you trying to drive me into a corner as well?

Are you here to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament or are you here to cause trouble?

Besides… We’re only halfway through the Courage test, how am I supposed to continue on with the test under such circumstances?

It was one thing for the first test to end like this, but for the second test to be like that as well… Are you actually trying to annul the Master Teacher Tournament?

Just as Hong shi was considering whether he should kick that fellow out of the Master Teacher Tournament, the latter’s voice sounded.

“Hong shi, what do I do with the carcass?”

“Otherworldly Demons are callous in nature, killing one of them can be considered to be a meritorious contribution to society. You don’t have to worry about the carcass, someone will clear it later on!”

Even though Hong shi’s heart was bleeding, he could only force a smile on and reply in such a manner.

Anyway, there was nothing he could do anymore. The Otherworldly Demon was already dead, and there was no point pursuing the matter. On the contrary, it would only make the master teachers think that he was siding with the Otherworldly Demons.

“With the death of the Otherworldly Demon, the Courage test is unable to proceed on as planned. So, with the exception of the trio who escaped earlier, all remaining fifty-three master teachers on the stage shall proceed on to the next test!”

Knowing that there was no point feeling conflicted over this, Hong shi forced a smile on his face and proceeded on with the tournament.

“Yes!”

Hearing those words, the unkempt master teachers who were lying on the floor stood up and heaved a sigh of relief. They shot a glance of gratitude toward Zhang shi.

If not for this Zhang shi, most of them would have been unable to clear the test.

It was fortunate for them that Zhang shi had caused such a huge uproar.

Ignoring everyone’s reactions, Hong shi announced, “Moving on to the third test, this shall be a test of wisdom!”

“Wisdom forms the basis for a cultivator to learning new knowledge. The higher one’s wisdom is, the stronger one’s capability to learn, and thus, the greater potential a master teacher wields! Don’t worry, this test won’t be as dangerous as the one before. It only involves… reading!”

“Reading?”

Everyone was taken aback.

“Un. There’s a total of fifty-six bookshelves here, and there are five thousand books on each shelf. These are from my individual collection, and I can assure you that the books on each shelf are identical and it is impossible for any competitor here to have read them before. The subjects the books span from cultivation techniques, battle techniques, rearing spirit beasts, all the way to my personal comprehension toward cultivation. I’ll give you two hours to browse and memorize the contents of these books!”

With a wave of his hands, the fog covering the center of the stage vanished, and row after row of bookshelves appeared before everyone’s sight.

Each shelf was completely filled with books, or to be exact, five thousand each.

“The rules behind this test is simple, you just have to read the books on the bookshelf. In two hours, I’ll use a unique method to test your understanding of the content, and through this, determine your wisdom,” Hong shi said.

“This is the test?”

Hearing the rules, Zhang Xuan scratched his head in embarrassment.

He might not be confident in anything else, but in terms of reading… To put it in terms of a marathon, he was innumerable streets ahead of all other competitors. Even an 8-star master teacher would have to kneel in defeat before him!

For this to be the test… He felt as though he was bullying the other competitors.

“Forget it. I’ll just intentionally make a few mistakes when answering the questions later on… Anyway, my goal is just to pass the test… And this time, I’ve to make sure that I don’t break anything else of Hong shi’s!”

Zhang Xuan made up his mind.

He did feel guilty for messing up the test, thus causing the other competitors to be unable to take the test.

But he really didn’t do it intentionally… In the first test, he only planned to stop the formation. How could he have known that his clone would accidentally exert too much strength and destroy the stone pedestal?

As for the second test, there was no one in the world who would able to hold themselves back after hearing of the atrocities the Otherworldly Demon had committed. Honestly, Zhang Xuan felt that he had let the other party off the hook too easily by allowing him to commit suicide. If this wasn’t the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan would have surely punished that Otherworldly Demon personally…

But of course, it was likely that Zhang Xuan wasn’t a match for the other party, so it was fortunate that that wasn’t the case.

Regardless of whether he had done so intentionally or not, it was the truth that he had caused immense damage in his wake for the previous two tests. Thus, he was determined not to allow the same mistake to occur in this test. At most, he would just read fewer books, or perhaps… intentionally make some mistakes in the answering of the question. It would suffice as long as he passes the test.

Low profile!

Zhang Xuan thought that it would be best to keep a low profile and not attract too much attention!

If the others were to learn of his thoughts, they would surely burst into tears.

You call this keeping a low profile?

Look at Hong shi, he’s already on the verge of going insane. If you call this low profile, all of the celebrities in the world would have been fired from their jobs already!

Gesturing grandly, Hong shi declared, “Alright, choose a bookshelf each. The time starts… now!”

“Quick!”

“Memorize five thousand books within two hours? How can that possibly be done?”

“Are you a fool? Hong shi didn’t say that we must take in the content of all five thousand books! We just have to remember as many as we could…”

“Indeed. Even though, as 4-star master teachers, we possess photographic memory, it would still be difficult for us to memorize the content of a few hundred books within this span of time. Five thousand books… even a 6-star master teacher would be incapable of such a feat!”

…

Hearing that the test had started, all of the participants quickly rushed forward to one of the bookshelves.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan leisurely walked up to the last bookshelf remaining after everyone was done picking their own.

The books on the bookshelves were clearly new. Most likely, they were freshly copied over. The labels were a little bizarre, and to Zhang Xuan’s surprise, he truly hadn’t seen any of them before.

He had collected innumerable books from several libraries, and while it might be an exaggeration to say that even combining the knowledge of everyone present here wouldn’t match up to his, it wasn’t too far away from the truth!

Given the huge collection of books he had read, Zhang Xuan actually hadn’t seen any one of these five thousand books before. It seemed like Hong shi had truly put a lot of effort into this tournament.

Gently sliding his finger across the books, Zhang Xuan collected them into the Library of Heaven’s Path.

“Hmm? There are loads of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals here.”

Taking a closer look into the books that he had collected, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up.

There were actually several hundred Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals on the bookshelf!

He had been struggling to find cultivation technique manuals of this tier, and it was a huge stroke of luck that he managed to find them here. With so many books here, he might be able to compile a complete Clarifying Turbidity Realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, thus inducing a leap in his cultivation.

‘Compile!’

On the outside, Zhang Xuan causally picked out a book and began flipping through it. However, his consciousness was actually immersed in the Library of Heaven’s Path.

The Library of Heaven’s Path shook, and all of the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan cultivation technique manuals which he had collected before gathered together.

Before long, a brand-new book appeared before his eyes.