Chapter 692

Chapter 692: Rules of the Master Teacher Academy

 

Han Chong had heard a little of the various trouble Zhang Xuan had stirred up in Myriad Kingdom City and Huanyu Empire. Like a tornado, he left nothing but destruction in his wake…

It was hard to tell whether it would be a fortune or misfortune for the Master Teacher Academy to have a student like him!

Han Chong couldn’t help but solemnly pray for the long-established institution in his mind…

…

High above the clouds, Great Violetwing Beast glided across the sky.

It was dragging something that resembled a seven to eight meters ship behind it. The ship consisted of three rooms, and Zhang Xuan, Luo Qiqi, and Yu Fei-er took one each.

A flying ship!

The Beast Hall had crafted this for Zhang Xuan in gratitude to him for freeing them from the tyranny of Great Violetwing Beast. This magnificent flying ship had an elegant design, and all kinds of amenities were present on it.

It was said that this flying ship had cost the Beast Hall several thousand middle-tier spirit stones, and only after hearing this piece of news did Zhang Xuan feel a little more balanced inside.

After all, in order to save Draconic Granite Beast, he even had to use his own middle-tier spirit stones. At the very least, he should obtain something in return…

If those from the Beast Hall were to learn of his thoughts, they would surely spurt blood. Zhang Xuan had tamed the strongest spirit beast in their region and was gifted such a valuable flying ship, and yet he only felt that it was a fair exchange at this point…

Wasn’t he being a little too greedy!

Would he only be happy after he robbed the Beast Hall of its entire wealth?

While Zhang Xuan didn’t have any intention of cleaning out the Beast Hall, he did secretly wish to receive one or two high-tier spirit stones in exchange for his effort. However, it was a pity that all of Elder Qian’s wealth had gone to the Great Violetwing Beast throughout the years, so even producing a hundred middle-tier spirit stones was impossible for him.

On the deck of the flying ship, Luo Qiqi walked up to Zhang Xuan.

“Teacher!”

Zhang Xuan turned to her and asked, “You came at a good time. I recall you saying that there is the Apothecary School and Blacksmith School in the Master Teacher Academy. Can you tell me more about it?”

Since he was about to enroll in the Master Teacher Academy, he should at least gather some basic knowledge regarding it.

“It is a fundamental prerequisite for a master teacher to have sufficient supporting occupations before they can be promoted to a higher rank. As such, on top of imparting the various ways of a master teacher, the Master Teacher Academy also provides supporting occupation classes for its students to take on,” Luo Qiqi explained.

“After many years of development, the Master Teacher Academy has grown to consist of ten schools! They are namely the Apothecary School, Blacksmith School, Celestial Designer School, Formation Master School, Painter School, Martial Arts School, Beast Tamer School, Physician School, Demonic Tunist School, and Terpsichore School.

“The Apothecary School is a place where one studies the art of pill forging, and it is from there that I learned my pill forging skills. On the other hand, the Blacksmith School is a place where one learns how to smith weapons. Given my previous mastery of smithing, I wasn’t able to rank amidst the top hundred there. However, after receiving teacher’s guidance, I’ll surely be able to make a name for myself there!

“The same applies for the Celestial Designer School, Formation Master School, Painter School, and Physician School as well, so I won’t explain them. I’ll talk about the Martial Arts School, Demonic Tunist School, and Terpsichore School instead!”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Celestial Designer School was definitely a place where celestial designers learned about the complex engineering designs and mechanisms, he could tell so much from Wu Zhen. It was probably the same for the Formation Master School, Physician School, and Painter School as well.

Zhang Xuan had once studied these occupations, so he had a considerable understanding of them.

It was only the remaining three which he had an incomplete knowledge of.

“The Martial Arts School isn’t a support occupation school. Rather, it is a place to temper the fighting prowess of the master teachers. It conducts tournaments every now and then, and those who perform well will be allowed to study the top-notch battle techniques of the academy, thus further enhancing their fighting prowess. As for the Demonic Tunist School, it is a place where demonic tunists are groomed. Has teacher heard of demonic tunists before?” Luo Qiqi asked.

“Un. I have heard bits and pieces of it before. It is a Lower Nine Paths occupation, but its members are able to beguile hearts and crush souls through the utilization of melody. Even true experts find it hard to guard against such attacks!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Not only had Zhang Xuan heard of demonic tunists, he had even met two of them before. However, neither one of them seemed to have fared well from the encounter with him. One was nearly driven mad by him while the other party plummeted straight from the sky.

“Yes, you’re right. As for the Terpsichore School, it is a place where terpsichores are groomed!” Luo Qiqi smiled.

“Terpsichores? You mean dancers?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“That’s right, dancers!” Luo Qiqi nodded. “Dancers are actually similar to demonic tunists in many ways. Through aligning their dance with nature, they can enthrall their target with their elegant movements, drawing in spellbound birds and bewitching even experts.”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Since there were dancers in the world, it was only natural that there would be an occupation regarding it. The founder of the occupation went by the surname of Gongsun, and legend has it that her dances could even rivet Saints.

It was said that when Gongsun was younger, her entire clan was purged by the hands of its enemies. Having survived the calamity, this huge grudge was heaped onto her shoulders. One day, while she was in the midst of studying the freely flying birds in the air, enlightenment suddenly struck her, and she created the terpsichore occupation. After training for thirty years, she emerged from her seclusion and awed the world with her enthralling dances. Before long, she caught the attention of a certain Conferred Empire, and she was invited over to perform for the royal family.

The emperor of this Conferred Empire happened to be Gongsun’s enemy, and he was a Saint expert at that time.

However, as soon as Gongsun began dancing, it was as if the entire world was revolving around her. No eyes could tear away from her, and no mind could remain rational before her. In his riveted state, even the Saint realm emperor was killed easily.

Just as she was escaping from the capital, she was surrounded by a million guards. However, through her dance, she persuaded all of them to put down their weapons and allow her to leave, and eventually, the entire matter became a legend that spread far and wide across the entire Master Teacher Continent.

After learning of this matter, Kong shi once visited Gongsun to witness her dance. After the performance, he was filled with compliments for the latter and left behind the following words: ‘Sighing at the fleeting moment, pursuing the terpsichore for one more gaze’. It was then that the occupation was put amidst the ranks of the Nine Paths, and the name ‘Terpsichore’ became known throughout the world.

This occupation was also among the Lower Nine Paths, and it was mainly pursued by women. As those who studied this art were even rarer than demonic tunists, not many knew of this occupation.

By some stroke of luck, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy managed to receive the heritage for this occupation and established the Terpsichore School. However, due to its limited members, it was considered as the weakest of the ten schools.

Luo Qiqi chuckled.

“Yu Fei-er has been studying the art ever since she was young, and just recently, she passed the 5-star terpsichore examination.”

Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Master Teacher Academy was very similar to the universities in his previous life, where the academy was divided into many faculties as well.

The master teachers studying in the Master Teacher Academy could choose to undertake any supporting occupation that interested them and advance in that path.

Honestly speaking, it was indeed an excellent place to groom master teachers. It was no wonder why it was an esteemed organization even within a Tier-1 Empire.

“Even though many master teachers view the Master Teacher Academy as their goal, it is no paradise inside there. The Master Teacher Academy is extremely competitive, and regardless of what one intends to do, be it to study or to listen in a lecture, one must have sufficient academic credits. Otherwise, it’ll be hard for one to make any progress in there! And to earn academic credits, one will have to accomplish all kinds of missions or clear the difficult tests set by the academy… There are some master teachers who choose to withdraw from the academy due to their inability to withstand the stressful environment, and there are also a few who are expelled due to their poor results!”

At which, Luo Qiqi’s face turned grim.

“Withdraw? Expelled?”

All along, Zhang Xuan had thought that entering the academy in itself was a gateway to success. However, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“That’s right. Back then, when Kong shi first established the Master Teacher Academy, he once said that the master teachers are the crux to the advancement of mankind. Only with strong teachers can humanity be strong! As such, the Master Teacher Academy didn’t need any unmotivated students. The only choices before them are to push forward or to leave, it’s that simple.”

Saying those words, Luo Qiqi smiled bitterly.

“Only with strong teachers can humanity be strong?” Zhang Xuan’s body trembled at those words.

Luo Qiqi was right. If mankind wished to advance further, the role of teachers was of utmost importance.

If students didn’t have the right values in life, their accomplishments would be severely limited.

If even the teachers had stagnated in their studies, how could they possibly groom motivated, driven students and bring humanity to greater heights?

Zhang Xuan found himself relating deeply to these words.

The strong emerges victorious whereas the weak are eliminated.

Such was the way of the world. Not even the number one occupation of the world could be spared from this competition.

“Actually teacher, you need not worry too much. Given your abilities, it will be extremely difficult for you to be expelled from the academy…”

Recalling the monstrous proficiency her teacher had shown in numerous occupations, Luo Qiqi smiled bitterly. Then, she suddenly recalled something and added, “However, there is an esteemed Master Teacher Elite Board that teacher can strive for. It’ll be difficult, but I think teacher should be able to get a place on it with a few years of effort!”

“Master Teacher Elite Board?”

“Un. It is a ranking board in the Master Teacher Academy that automatically reflects the top hundred most outstanding students in the academy. Those who are listed in the ranks of the board are all formidable geniuses who are highly respected in the academy!” Luo Qiqi said.

Zhang Xuan asked, “The top hundred students of the academy? How many people are there in the academy?”

“The Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy doesn’t only accept students within Hongyuan Empire. It also recruits students from other Tier-1 Empire, so there are at least several hundred thousand people throughout the entire academy, and all of them are top-notch geniuses!” explained Luo Qiqi.

Those who were able to enroll in the academy were all top geniuses in their own region. To be able to rank amidst the top of such a group was as difficult as ascending the heavens.

Zhang shi might be formidable, but Luo Qiqi still thought that it would be difficult for him to get on the board without several years of hard work.

“You aren’t on the board?” Zhang Xuan asked.

Over the time Zhang Xuan had spent with Luo Qiqi, he could tell that the latter was an extraordinary genius. Just by her cultivation, pill forging, and smithing skills, there would be very few of her peers who could match up to her. But even so… she still wasn’t on the board?

“Me? How could I possibly be on the board? That board is tied to one’s academic credits, cultivation, and eye of discernment. As such, it is mainly dominated by the upper grade students, so how could a Grade 2 student like me possibly get on it…” Luo Qiqi shook her head.

Naturally, the upper grade students had a higher chance of getting on the Master Teacher Elite Board as compared to the lower grade students.

They had been in the academy for many years now, and they had accomplished innumerable missions, thus granting them a huge wealth of academic credits. On top of that, the grades in the academy were determined by the student’s master teacher ranking, which was inadvertently related to one’s cultivation. Naturally, a Grade 2 student who had just joined the academy not too long ago wouldn’t be able to surpass them so easily.

“I see.”

Hearing the other party’s explanation, Zhang Xuan gained a substantial understanding of the Master Teacher Academy.

He’d thought that it was just a place for one to learn and study, but things were far more complex than he had expected.

It was no wonder even a princess like Yu Fei-er would have to participate in missions and face dangers for academic credits. It seemed like the academy doesn’t compromise its policies for nobility.

Such a competitive landscape was just to Zhang Xuan’s liking.

At the very least, he wouldn’t be so bored.

In an instant, endless fighting spirit suddenly sprouted within Zhang Xuan, and he began looking forward to entering the renowned Master Teacher Academy.

In the next few days, whenever the both of them were free, Luo Qiqi would explain the various rules of the Master Teacher Academy to Zhang Xuan, and in exchange, Zhang Xuan would guide her on her pill forging and smithing. Thus, in just ten days, Luo Qiqi’s pill forging and smithing proficiency had risen significantly.

“Teacher, we have arrived at Hongyuan City!”

On a certain day, just as Zhang Xuan was explaining the essence of pill forging to Luo Qiqi, he suddenly heard the latter’s exclamation and lowered his gaze to take a look. He saw a massive city that was far larger than Huanyu Empire below him.

Chapter 693: Salvage the Situation?

Even with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could hardly see the outskirts of the city.

“A capital of a Tier-1 Empire is indeed… grand!”

Zhang Xuan gazed across the lands.

As expected of a Tier-1 capital, it was grand and domineering. In comparison to this, Tianxuan Kingdom felt like a countryside village whose buildings were made of mud.

In fact, just this city itself could match up to the entire area of Tianxuan Kingdom.

It seemed there was a massive formation that was controlling the weather and various other conditions of the city, thus bringing convenience and comfort to the population in the city. On top of that, the formation also seemed to draw in spiritual energy, thus making it easier for cultivators in the city to advance their cultivation.

“The ability to go against nature and alter the conditions of the land is an ability that only Saints possess!”

Yu Fei-er walked over proudly.

In this period of time, before the other party’s formidable prowess, she felt nothing more like a countryside bumpkin. Thus, seeing the other party’s astonishment upon seeing Hongyuan City, she immediately grasped this opportunity to boast.

“Un.”

Even though Zhang Xuan was able to set up formations as well, and his capability was on par with most 5-star formation masters, it would still be difficult for him to create a massive environment-manipulating formation spanning over several thousand li.

To set up such a formation, precise control was of absolute importance. Otherwise, a slight inaccuracy in the formation could easily result in devastating destruction.

Recovering from the astonishment, Zhang Xuan said, “It is still a few days before the start of the school term. Hong shi and the others should have just arrived as well, let’s meet up with them first.”

Three days were spent on the fusion of his body and his soul, and another four days was spent in the Otherworldly Demon’s underground chamber. Following which, the time in the Beast Hall and the flight to Hongyuan City took up a total of twenty days, so there was still around three days before the start of the school term. Making a rough estimation, Hong shi and the others should have arrived here already as well.

“The freshmen from Huanyu Empire usually reside in the Academic Sea. I’ll take you over there first to settle in. After which, we’ll have to return to the academy to report on our mission,” Yu Fei-er said.

They had uncovered such a huge secret in the midst of their mission, so it was necessary for them to make a formal report on the matter.

Even though Xing Yuan and Wu Zhen had returned in advance, Wu Yangzi’s handwritten book and the Crimson Blaze Cauldron were still in Luo Qiqi’s hand. On top of that, Zhang Xuan’s return was also an important matter as well. Thus, they would have to explain everything face-to-face.

“Un.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

“Teacher, there are many other freshmen who reside in the Academic Sea as well. Most of them are geniuses in Tier-2 Empires, and there is a possibility that some of them might even be from Hongyuan Empire. Thus, you must be careful not to get into a conflict with them!” Luo Qiqi advised grimly.

Those who were termed as geniuses tended to be proud individuals. As the residence that the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy used to receive its freshmen, there were many geniuses amongst them. Some of them might even be from the royal family such as Ye Qian. Thus, if a conflict were to occur, not even a princess like Yu Fei-er would be in a good position to interfere.

“Don’t worry, how could I possibly get into trouble that easily?” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er glanced at one another and shook their heads.

‘With that natural disposition for trouble of yours, how can you say those words without blinking?

‘On the very day of your arrival at Huanyu Empire, you sent Feng shi and his group plummeting to the ground from a high altitude. Afterward, you pummeled up the top three rankers of the other Vessel States. Following which, you turned into a corpse in the Cleansing Lake…

‘In any case, calamity seemed to follow your footsteps, and you actually said that you won’t get into trouble easily?’

The Academic Sea named as such due to the large number of freshmen coming from all directions. It was also commonly known as Academic Manor and Freshmen Lodge.

From the direction Zhang Xuan and the others were coming from, they weren’t too far from the Master Teacher Academy. On top of that, the speed at which the Great Violetwing Beast traveled was also incredible. Thus, they arrived at their destination very quickly.

Stepping out of the flying ship, Zhang Xuan stowed it within this storage ring before bidding Luo Qiqi and Yu Fei-er farewell.

After which, he stepped through the gates of the Academic Sea, and numerous towering infrastructures immediately appeared before his eyes. Many young master teachers walked to and fro the compound with grace.

Most of them looked like they were in their twenties, but the four stars pinned on their chest reflected their 4-star master teacher rank. Most of their cultivation levels had reached Consonant Spirit realm.

As expected of the geniuses of the various sects, kingdoms, and empires. They were indeed exceptional.

Walking in the direction Luo Qiqi and the others had mentioned previously, Zhang Xuan soon arrived at a courtyard.

“Hmm? Why is there no one guarding the door?”

After ascertaining that this was the location where the freshmen of Huanyu Empire lived, Zhang Xuan was perplexed by the lack of security.

The other residences of the freshmen of other empires were either locked or heavily guarded. However, the door to Huanyu Empire’s residence was wide open, but there wasn’t a single figure in sight. Could it be that Hong shi and the others hadn’t arrived yet?

Bewildered, Zhang Xuan stepped into the residence.

The courtyard was clean, signifying that the residence was often cleaned. Along the empty corridors and gazebo, there were signs that there had been people living here recently.

“It seems they have arrived. But why aren’t they here then?”

Possessing the Eye of Insight, it wasn’t difficult for Zhang Xuan to determine whether someone had been living in the residence or not. Just as he was perplexed by the lack of people in the area, he suddenly heard a loud crashing sound reminiscent of something knocking heavily onto the wall.

“There is a fight ahead!”

Zhang Xuan’s face darkened, and he hurried forward. Turning around a corridor, he soon arrived at a vast main hall. Not too far away from the entrance was an average-sized dueling stage, and on it, two people were facing off with one another.

A large group of people were gathered beneath the stage, and Hong shi and Feng shi were amongst the crowd.

Ruohuan gongzi, Bi Jianghai, Luo Xuan, and the others were seated below as well. However, their faces were swollen and bruised, as if someone had beaten them up just a moment ago.

Zhang Xuan also recognized one of the fighters on the stage. It was one of the geniuses under Feng shi’s lead, and his name was Han Ling. His cultivation was at the Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage the last time Zhang Xuan saw him, but in less than a month, he had already broken through to Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage.

Facing him was a gray-robed young man. The other party’s cultivation was at the Consonant Spirit realm advanced stage as well, but his fighting prowess seemed to be far above Han Ling. In just a few blows, Han Ling was already forced to the corner of the stage.

“Go, Han shi!”

“We mustn’t lose anymore…”

“That’s right! If we were to lose, we’ll be at their disposal…”

…

Luo Xuan and the others clenched their fists tightly in indignation.

“What are they up to?”

As everyone was too engrossed in the battle, no one noticed Zhang Xuan’s presence. Perplexed, Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

Why would there be a duel going on here?

“Haha, stop struggling pointlessly and just admit defeat. Considering how none of you are able to defeat me, how can you possibly rival Senior Feng, whom I can barely withstand three blows from? Given such, you still wish to win? Dream on!”

As the gray-robed young man slowly forced Han Ling to a corner, a gleeful smile surfaced on his lips, and he laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, we’ll surely take care of you well if you follow us. If you continue to act so obstinately, don’t blame me for getting nasty!”

As the gray-robed young man spoke those words, his powerful blows continued raining down on Han Ling. Han Ling was using all of his might to withstand those attacks, but his face turned a shade paler with each strike.

With just a momentary glance, Zhang Xuan could tell that Han Ling would fall in just a few more blows. Thus, he walked over to Hong shi and asked, “Hong shi, what is going on?”

“Ah… Zhang shi, you’re fine? This is wonderful!”

Upon seeing Zhang shi, Hong shi nearly leaped from his seat in excitement. The others beneath the stage, including Luo Xuan and the others, also noticed Zhang Xuan’s presence, and their faces immediately flushed red in excitement.

Even Xiulian gongzi, who had been beaten to pulp by him at Huanyu Empire earlier, gazed at him with eyes reddened in agitation, as though Zhang Xuan was his long-lost kin.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing everyone’s responses, Zhang Xuan was bewildered. They’d only been apart for a month, was there any need for them to react so intensely to his presence?

“It’s the Freshman Examination!” Seeing the confused look on Zhang Xuan’s face, Hong shi hurriedly explained, “The examination topic has been decided—it will be hunting in the Hongyuan Mountain Range…”

Soon, Hong shi explained the entire matter to Zhang Xuan.

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan finally got a grasp of the situation.

In truth, getting into the top ten of the Master Teacher Tournament didn’t signify a straight pass into the Master Teacher Academy. Rather, it would be more apt to consider it as an opportunity to take on the entrance examinations, and if they were to clear it, they would be allowed to enter the academy. The topic of the entrance examination would change each year; it had been an obstacle course in some years, formation deciphering in others, and even an academic examination was within the list of possibilities as well… And for this year, it was hunting.

The location of the hunt would be at the Leiyuan Peak of Hongyuan Mountain Range.

The Leiyuan Peak was a huge mountain in proximity to the Master Teacher Academy. Its exceptionally steep terrain made it extremely difficult to scale it. Even Consonant Spirit realm experts would find it laborious to travel to the top, let alone, hunt.

The duration was one day, and depending on the number of spirit beasts hunted, one would be allocated a set number of points, and this would be reflected as one’s result at the end of the examination. To pass, one would have to hunt at least one Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle spirit beast.

Even though the powerful physique of spirit beasts allowed them to challenge cultivators possessing higher cultivation realms, the examination shouldn’t be too difficult considering the formidable might that the master teacher elites from the various region possess. Not to mention, most of the examinees were at the Consonant Spirit realm as well, so defeating a Clarifying Turbidity realm advanced stage spirit beast shouldn’t be a problem at all.

However, the problem was that… the number of spirit beasts across the entire mountain was limited! Furthermore, once the spirit beasts realized that they were being hunted, they would surely flee and hide.

On top of that, there was no limit to the number of spirit beasts one could hunt, and if one were to exceed the passing criteria, they could exchange the excess points for academic credits… Thus, the competition among examinees would be extremely intense!

To make things worse, Clarifying Turbidity realm spirit beasts weren’t the only ones roaming the mountain. There were also Consonant Spirit realm spirit beasts, Cosmos Bridge realm spirit beasts, and even some beyond that! Thus, on top of hunting, they had to prevent themselves from being hunted as well.

Casualties were anticipated in this examination, and this was the norm for the entrance examination for the Master Teacher Academy.

This examination served to test the examinee’s resilience, strength, adaptability, eye of discernment, and various other aspects.

Only the strongest of experts would be able to emerge victorious amidst the group. Those who were weaker physically or mentally would surely find themselves breaking down in the midst of the examination and eventually return in tragic defeat.

This examination would eliminate the weak and frail from the group. Those who failed to meet the mark would be disqualified and forced to leave!

So as to increase the success rate and avoid danger, some of the examinees from various regions had decided to form an alliance.

With more people in their alliance, they would be able to vie for spirit beasts from other students and stand their ground against stronger spirit beasts.

However, an alliance also had its downfall as well. While it was definitely safer to remain in a group, more people operating together also meant that the group would be easily detected by the spirit beasts. As such, spirit beasts would choose to stay out of their way, making their hunting highly inefficient. On top of that, distribution was a problem as well.

After all, it was questionable whether the alliance would be able to hunt sufficient spirit beasts to go around the group. Thus, it was very possible that there would be some who would be tragically disqualified in the alliance.

As such, the priority in the distribution of spirit beasts became an extremely important problem in the formation of alliance. All factions in an alliance would be hoping to gain this priority in distribution.

The group from Huanyu Empire was the same as well. In order to stand their ground against other competitors, they decided to ally themselves with the master teachers from a Tier-2 empire, Jinhai Empire, and both sides had agreed on determining the priority of distribution based on the results of their strength.

After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan immediately understood the situation, and he hurriedly asked, “How many more duels are there?”

If they were only halfway through the battle, he might still be able to salvage the situation.

Chapter 694: A Single Finger

 

“The number of duels we have decided on is ten, and the victor of six rounds will be given the priority of distribution,” Hong shi said. “Han Ling is currently fighting the tenth round…”

“Since it has reached the tenth round, it means that the wins and losses are equal on both sides…” Hearing that it was the tenth round, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

After all, there would be no point continuing the competition after the sixth round as the victor had already been decided. Given that they had reached the tenth round, it could only mean that both sides were equal.

“That isn’t the case…”

Hong shi’s face reddened in embarrassment. “We have fought ten rounds, but we have lost in every single one of them… and to the same person at that!”

“Lost to the same person? You mean that the person on stage has already fought ten rounds, but he hasn’t been defeated yet?”

Zhang Xuan’s eyes widened in shock.

“That’s right…”

Hong shi covered his face in embarrassment, and the others were too ashamed to raise their heads.

They had gone up one by one to challenge the man on the stage, and yet all of them suffered tragic defeats. And more importantly… the man on the stage wasn’t their strongest fighter!

Speechless, Zhang Xuan was just about to speak when a dull thud sounded from the stage.

Peng!

Han Ling was sent flying out of the ring and crashed into the courtyard.

‘All ten matches have concluded… How in the world do I salvage this situation?’

Looking at the fellow moaning in pain on the ground, Zhang Xuan’s eyelids twitched.

He thought that he might still be able to reverse the situation, but with all ten matches finished, what else could he do at this point?

Was he supposed to challenge the master teachers from Jinhai Empire once more? But the other party had no reason to accept!

“Alright, the ten matches have already concluded, and you didn’t win a single match at all. What else do you have to say?”

After sending Han Ling flying, the man on the stage gazed down at the group below with a smirk on his face.

“We…”

The faces of Hong shi and the others turned red.

If they had at least won two to three matches, they wouldn’t be so ashamed. They could have explained it as due to their strongest fighter being absent. But all of them actually lost to the same person! How were they supposed to explain this?

Furthermore, if Zhang shi wasn’t an opponent for the other party as well, wouldn’t they be embarrassed further?

Zhang shi might possess incredible talent, but in the end, his cultivation realm was only at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. Winning against this fellow who was able to singlehandedly win against ten of them without the slightest loss of breath seemed unlikely to them. Not to mention, this fellow wasn’t their strongest fighter.

(Zhang Xuan’s breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm only occurred after the ‘corpse’ incident, so none of them are aware of it.)

“You don’t have anything else to say, right? Since that’s the case, then as per our agreement, we will be going by Senior Feng’s arrangements!” The gray-robed young man chuckled before turning around and clasping his fist. “Senior Feng!”

A white-robed young man then walked forward.

His aura felt significantly stronger than the gray-robed young man. At closer examination, Zhang Xuan realized that the white-robed man had already reached Half-Cosmos Bridge realm, and he could possibly make the full breakthrough at any moment.

The gray-robed young man who defeated ten of them was already extremely powerful in the eyes of Ruohuan gongzi and the others, but even so, he was still far from matching up to this white-robed young man.

In a sense, Huanyu Empire’s loss was inevitable. Even if they had been able to defeat the gray-robed young man, they would have never been able to win against the white-robed young man.

“Since we are allies, let’s clarify the terms of our agreement first!”

Standing on the stage, Senior Feng gazed at the Huanyu Empire group and declared forcefully, “Three days from now, at the start of the hunt, all of you will listen to my arrangements, and priority will be given to our Jinhai Empire regarding the hunted beasts! However, you need not worry. As long as we stand united as one, it is not a problem for all of us to pass the entrance examination!”

“They will be given priority over all of the hunted beasts?”

“What if we don’t hunt sufficient spirit beasts? Wouldn’t all of us be disqualified then?”

…

Even though they understood that the leader of the alliance would be given additional privileges, they still couldn’t help but feel frustrated upon hearing those words.

The benefit of an alliance was that they would be able to steer clear of danger before formidable spirit beasts, as well as vie for prey against other alliances. However, there was also a clear disadvantage to it as well. Take this case for example, the group from Huanyu Empire had no say in the distribution of the hunted beasts at all. Should the number of beasts hunted within the duration prove to be insufficient, they would all stand to be eliminated.

“Why? Are you reluctant to accept this arrangement? Given the strength of our Senior Feng, it’s your blessing to be able to ally with us!” Seeing the indignant looks of the group below, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly.

In truth, given their strength, they could easily pass the examination even without allying with Huanyu Empire. However, what they were aiming for was beyond that.

The teachers and elders of the academy would be paying attention to this entrance examination, and if they were to show an outstanding performance in this examination, they could win their favor and possibly become their disciples. This would make their lives in the academy smooth-sailing.

“You…”

Hearing the other party’s words, everyone’s faces flushed in anger. They wanted to retort, but there wasn’t a single word they could say.

After all, it was the truth that they were weaker than the other party!

“I am indeed reluctant to accept this agreement…”

Just as everyone was placed in a difficult position, Zhang Xuan’s nonchalant voice suddenly resonated through the air.

“Huh? What do you mean by that? Does Huanyu Empire intend to renege on its promise?” Seeing someone speaking up at this moment, the gray-robed young man frowned.

They were all master teachers, respectable figures of society. Given that they had agreed on everything beforehand, it would be shameful for the group from Huanyu Empire to back out just because it had lost.

If that were to really happen, they would become a huge laughingstock.

“We won’t renege on our promise, but I do have a suggestion…” Zhang Xuan said.

“A suggestion?”

Zhang Xuan replied, “That’s right. I am also a master teacher from Huanyu Empire, and I am unaware of your previous duel. However, since the results are already out, there’s nothing much that I can say. However, I would like an equal distribution of spirit beasts!”

“Equal distribution? We have won the position of the alliance leader fair and square, why should we agree to an equal distribution!” the gray-robed young man sneered.

“I understand. Since we have lost the duel, it is indeed difficult for you to accept an equal distribution. How about this then?”

Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and smiled. “If your Senior Feng can withstand three strikes from me, I won’t speak about the matter regarding fair distribution anymore. You will have free reign over the distribution. In fact, we won’t even ask for you to give a single spirit beast to us!”

“What did you say?”

The gray-robed young man narrowed his eyes.

This fellow actually challenged Senior Feng to a fight?

He had seen plenty of arrogant people, but never had he seen such blind arrogance before!

‘Do you know how strong our Senior Feng is? Do you think that you are qualified to challenge him?

‘Three moves? I doubt you could defeat him in a million moves!’

“Why? You don’t have the confidence to accept the challenge? I understand. Since that’s the case, what about one move? If your Senior Feng can withstand a single blow from me, our group will not take a single hunted spirit beast from you!”

Noticing the other party’s hesitation, Zhang Xuan thought that the other party found his terms unfair, so he changed his offer.

“The heck!”

Upon seeing the fellow’s earnest expression, the gray-robed young man nearly exploded in rage!

Senior Feng’s vision also darkened, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

His cultivation had already reached Half-Cosmos Bridge, allowing him to fight on par with even some of the Grade 2 students. And yet, this fellow from Huanyu Empire was actually claiming that he could defeat him in a single blow?

What kind of a joke was this?

Just as the duo was about to die from anger, Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Xuan, and the others nearly spurted blood.

They knew that Zhang shi would surely stir some trouble here, but who could have known that he would actually utter such words?

They couldn’t even defeat the gray-robed young man, and Zhang shi was actually betting that he would defeat Senior Feng in a single strike… How could that be possible?

If they were to lose, wouldn’t they be working for nothing for Jinhai Empire in the entrance examination?

All of them would be disqualified then…

“Is a single blow still too much for you all? Sigh, since that’s the case, I’ll just use a single finger then… Surely that should be fine with you! I don’t think I can go any further than that. If you still don’t dare to accept the challenge with this, there’s nothing more I can do…”

‘After all, I couldn’t possibly defeat you without moving, right?

‘Alright, actually that’s not impossible, but it’ll reveal my means as a soul oracle or poison master. Un, I should maintain a low profile.’

Since it was his first time being in Hongyuan Empire, Zhang Xuan thought that it would be best for him to proceed warily and not reveal too many trump cards. Thus, if the other party were to reject this offer as well, he would be really put at a spot.

Pu!

The gray-robed young man and Senior Feng nearly puked blood.

‘Too much your head!

‘Besides, what is with that troubled expression on your face?

‘Am I that weak in your eyes that you will feel troubled over it?’

“Fine! I would like to see how you can defeat me with a single finger…” Senior Feng roared in anger, unable to hold back his rage anymore.

“Senior… Allow me to teach this arrogant fellow a lesson…” Seeing his senior flying into a rage, the gray-robed man hurriedly stepped forward.

“There’s no need for that. I want to see how strong the person who dares to utter such arrogant words is!” Senior Feng spoke coldly as his sharp gaze fell on the arrogant young man before him.

Perhaps, the arrogant young man might have something up his sleeves that allowed him to speak such arrogant words. Thus, Senior Feng was interested to see whether the other party was simply uttering rubbish or really possessed the capability to do so.

With narrowed eyes, Senior Feng flung his sleeves furiously and said, “This friend over here, come up onto the stage! If you can win against me, we’ll drop the matter regarding the alliance. However, if you lose, you’d better remember your words. Every single hunted beast in the entrance examination shall go to us!”

“Fine!”

Hearing the other party agree to his challenge, Zhang Xuan walked up onto the stage.

“This…”

“Can Zhang shi win?”

“I don’t know either…”

Seeing Zhang shi settling on such a disadvantageous bet with the other party, everyone glanced at one another doubtfully.

Defeating Senior Feng with a single finger?

Was Zhang shi serious?

Their loss might have sent him into a panic, but even so… this bet was way too extreme!

“Senior Feng, allow me to teach this fellow a lesson in your stead…”

Seeing Senior Feng flying into such a huge rage, the gray-robed young man quickly stepped forward and said, “It won’t be too late for senior to face him after my loss!”

Given the arrogant words that the other party had uttered, there was a possibility that he might really possess the strength to back up his words. To be safe, the gray-robed young man thought that he should test the waters first. If the other party turned out to be weak, he would simply pummel the other party to get even for his provocations. On the other hand, if the other party turned out to be strong, Senior Feng could at least prepare himself.

“This…” Senior Feng hesitated upon hearing those words. However, at that moment, the young man impatiently declared, “If you are still scared, why don’t the both of you face me together? I’ll just use two fingers!”

Hearing those words, Senior Feng and the gray-robed young man nearly fainted.

“There’s no need for that. Let me see how strong you are!”

With a cold harrumph, Senior Feng charged forward.

The other party’s words were simply too infuriating. He was afraid that he might just die from fury if he were to allow the other party to talk any more.

Stepping forcefully against the ground, he dashed forward as though a charging ferocious beast.

Releasing his full might as a Half-Cosmos Bridge realm expert, the wind raged furiously, and in that instant, his charge felt reminiscent of a massive stampede, inducing helplessness in those facing it.

“How powerful!”

The eyebrows of Hong shi and the others twitched.

Even they would find it hard to withstand such a powerful attack with their cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage.

They hurriedly turned their gazes to the young man, curious to see how he would deal with it. Before their astonished gazes, the young man shook his head before raising a single finger and pointing it forward leisurely.

Chapter 695: Defeated with a Single Finger

“He’s really going to fight with a single finger?”

Feng shi, Luo shi, and Hong shi pulled their hair in frenzy.

‘Given the other party’s strength, even Cosmos Bridge primary realm experts like us will find it hard to withstand that attack. It has been only a month since you reached Clarifying Turbidity realm, and yet you intend to face such an attack with just a single finger? You must be mad!

‘Furthermore, even if you are just using a single finger, surely you can move faster than that!

‘Your leisurely and unsteady movements are reminiscent of a dying granny, are you sure you are fighting?

‘This Senior Feng’s movements are as swift as a leopard’s. Even if your cultivation has advanced significantly in the past month, and you could defeat the other party with a single finger, surely you need to gather some force and move way faster than that!

‘It is one thing for your finger to be completely devoid of skill, but to move so slowly on top of that… Even the weakest cultivator could dodge it easily!’

Not only were Hong shi and the others on the verge of fainting, the mouths of Luo Xuan and the others were also twitching violently.

They had heard the content of bet clearly just now. Given the stakes on the line, shouldn’t Zhang shi act more seriously?

With such speed, one couldn’t even kill a fly!

Seeing Zhang Xuan’s slow movement, the gray-robed young man harrumphed coldly.

“To think that I thought that you might be a formidable foe. In the end, you are just a braggart!”

It was just a moment ago that the other party arrogantly boasted about defeating Senior Feng with a single finger. Who knew that he would turn out to be so weak?

‘Do you think that you can stop Senior Feng’s charge with such a weak finger?

‘Senior Feng could probably smash you to your grave with a single slap…’

Just as he was sneering within, he suddenly heard a commotion in the surroundings.

“Something is wrong, look!”

Hearing everyone’s anxious exclamations, the gray-robed man frowned. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the stage, and his eyes immediately widened in shock.

He thought that the other party’s slow finger would be easily crushed by Senior Feng’s charge. But who knew that Senior Feng would actually slow his charge instead. There was a grim expression on his face at this moment, as if he was facing some formidable foe. He tried swerving to the side, seemingly trying to avoid the finger.

However, right after taking half a step, the trembling finger turned toward him, and his eyebrows immediately shot up in alarm. Thus, he tried leaping to the left.

But before he could make the movement, the finger pointed straight toward the direction of his intended movement.

Upon seeing the direction of the finger, Senior Feng’s face paled as if he had seen a ghost. Cold sweat flowed from his forehead, and he hurriedly tried to dodge to another direction.

However, the same sight only happened again. It felt like Senior Feng was leaping to the commands of the finger, as though he was being controlled remotely. The sight of the scene was extraordinarily bizarre.

“D-did that Senior Feng suffer a stroke?”

“That seems to be the case…”

Ruohuan gongzi, Luo Zhao, and the others were completely bewildered by the sight before them.

Zhang shi’s finger seemed to be completely devoid of strength whatsoever. Why would Senior Feng leap around the spot just because that finger was pointing toward him? Not to mention, to be even sweating profusely before it…

Did he take the wrong medicine today, or did he see a ghost somewhere?

Even couples who had danced for many years didn’t share such harmony!

Coming to a realization, Hong shi’s body stiffened.

“No, he isn’t suffering from a stroke. Rather… it seems like Zhang shi has found the other party’s flaws. His movements might be slow, but it accurately points toward the flaws of the other party. Zhang shi has not struck yet, but if he were to shoot a surge of zhenqi from the tip of his finger, that Senior Feng would surely be defeated immediately… or perhaps, he might even die from the attack!”

“That’s right!”

Feng shi and Luo shi nodded in agreement as well.

As 5-star master teachers, their eyes of discernment were far above Luo Xuan and the others, thus allowing them to see through the situation.

Clearly, Zhang shi seemed to have seen through the other party’s flaws and was pointing straight at them. Fearful that he might be struck, his opponent could only leap around to dodge.

In a battle among experts, the most feared situation was for one’s weakness or mingmen to be discovered by one’s opponents. Senior Feng might be strong, but he still had to think twice before rushing in under such circumstances.

“Senior…”

Realizing something was amiss in this situation as well, the gray-robed young man clenched his fists tightly in worry.

He knew how powerful Senior Feng was. Even the average Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage experts might not necessarily be a match for him. Yet, at this moment, he was actually leaping around under the ‘control’ of the other party’s finger. This clearly reflected the other party’s strength!

To be able to see through his senior’s flaws in an instant and force him into defense, how powerful must one’s eye of discernment be?

“Damn it!”

While everyone was astonished by this situation, Senior Feng was grinding his teeth together in anger.

Just as Hong shi had guessed, even though Zhang Xuan’s finger moved extremely slowly, it pointed straight toward Senior Feng’s mingmen.

As long as Senior Feng dared to advance forward, the other party could easily curb him just by shooting out a surge of zhenqi.

Senior Feng had a strong foundation, and in the course of the battle, he had already changed his movement technique five times and battle technique eight times. But even so, the other party’s finger was still accurately aimed at the mingmen of his techniques. Even his teacher, a 5-star pinnacle master teacher, was incapable of such a feat!

When did such a formidable figure appear in Huanyu Empire?

“Forget it, I’ll go all out!”

After leaping several more times, Senior Feng knew that going on like this wasn’t a solution—it was just a matter of time before he lost at this rate. Thus, clenching his jaws, he gathered his strength and leaped forward.

This movement of his was reminiscent of a tiger pouncing on its prey. An elder of his sect had once examined the movements of a hunting tiger and leopard, and using that as a reference, he created this killing technique. In close-range combat, it was a nigh-invincible skill that could easily catch one’s opponent off-guard. Through this technique, that elder was able to defeat all of his peers easily.

Spirit intermediate-tier pinnacle battle technique, Howling Tiger!

Roar!

The roar of a tiger resounded in the air along with his movements.

“Good!”

Seeing his senior bringing out his ultimate technique, the gray-robed young man heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he thought that they would win this round, the young man whom Senior Feng was facing suddenly sighed, and he complained, “What are you roaring for? You nearly gave me a heart attack…”

Padah!

With a dull thud, Senior Feng was abruptly struck in his mingmen, and he immediately fell to the ground. His face swiftly turned pale, and white foam leaked from the corner of his mouth.

“Senior…”

The gray-robed young man’s eyes narrowed in shock, and he hurriedly rushed forward to help his senior up.

Howling Tiger could already be considered one of the strongest techniques in their sect, and only a genius of Senior Feng’s caliber could bring out its full might. This was a howl sounded through suppressing one’s zhenqi and circulating it to build up power before an abrupt release. Before it, even a Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage cultivator would find their spirit and fighting will shattered.

He thought that this technique would surely defeat the opponent, but who could have known that the one who fell would actually be his senior instead?

With just a light blow from his finger, the other party actually broke through his senior’s defense and struck the region where his zhenqi was circulating.

How in the world did he do it?

This move might have looked simple, but the gray-robed young man could tell how fearsome it was.

Putting aside how it was difficult to find and strike at a flaw before such a swift movement, more importantly, Senior Feng had specially trained himself to neutralize the flaw. Even swords and sabers wouldn’t even be able to get past his defense, and yet a shaking finger actually pierced through it…

How powerful must the other party’s strength be?

“His strength probably exceeds 5,000,000 ding. With such might, if he were to really harbor killing intent toward Senior Feng, he could easily send senior flying with just his brute might!”

Making a swift estimation, the gray-robed young man’s body stiffened in disbelief.

He had once done the calculation—even if a Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage expert were to launch a frontal strike on his mingmen, his senior would still be able to withstand the blow and stand his ground. Yet, with just a single finger, not only did the young man manage to break through his senior’s defense, he even managed to severely wound his senior. Just by this itself, it could be deduced that the young man’s strength was beyond a Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage cultivator!

At Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage, one could harness a might of 4,800,000 ding.

Beyond that, one would wield a might of 5,000,000 ding at the minimum.

With such strength, there was no need for the young man to search for flaws at all. There was no one here who could withstand a single slap from him!

It seemed the other party was going easy on them when he said that he would only use a single finger!

Otherwise, if the other party were to utilize his fist, Senior Feng could very possibly have died on the spot.

“Thank you for your magnanimity…”

Just as the gray-robed young man was overwhelmed with astonishment, a feeble voice suddenly sounded. Lowering his head, he saw Senior Feng opening his eyes painfully.

Even though the other party had struck Senior Feng’s mingmen, it seemed that he had held back. As such, Senior Feng’s injuries weren’t as severe as expected.

“It is just a spar, so there’s no need to go all out!” Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly.

As fellow master teachers, there was no need for them to fight each other to the death. It would suffice to just defeat the other party.

Actually, just as the gray-robed young man was thinking, if Zhang Xuan truly had intended to deal with Senior Feng, given his immense might of 10,000,000 ding, he could easily slay the other party with just a flick of his finger. There was no need for him to go through so much trouble at all.

“Since I have lost, we’ll call off the alliance!”

Gritting his teeth, Senior Feng struggled to his feet and walked out of the main hall.

To think that he, the number one genius of Jinhai Empire, would be unable to match a single finger of the other party! He would only embarrass himself by staying here. Since that was the case, he decided to leave that instant.

“We won?”

“That formidable-looking Senior Feng was actually unable to match a single finger from Zhang shi?”

Seeing the group from Jinhai Empire depart, a huge commotion broke out amidst the group from Huanyu Empire.

Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai glanced at one another, and bitter smiles surfaced on their lips.

It seemed like… their gap with the other party had grown much larger than before.

Back in Myriad Kingdom City, while they might not be a match for Zhang shi, they were still able to cross some blows with him. But now, if they were to rush at Zhang Xuan with all their might, they would probably meet the same fate as Senior Feng—defeated by a mere finger.

“Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle? Zhang shi… you have reached Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle?”

Hong shi’s eyes lit up in agitation.

Even though Zhang shi’s attack ended in an instant, he still received a clear glimpse of the other party’s strength—Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle!

Back in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang shi had made a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm. It had only been around two months since then, and not only had Zhang Xuan successfully made the breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm, he had even reached the pinnacle of the realm.

His rate of improvement was too astonishing!

The hurdle to Consonant Spirit realm had trapped innumerable cultivators, but not only did Zhang shi manage to cross the hurdle in just two months, he even raised his cultivation by one entire realm… How in the world did he cultivate to achieve such an astounding growth rate?

“Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle?”

In truth, most of them had intended to get even with Zhang Xuan once he returned to the party. After all, back at Huanyu Empire, many of them had suffered greatly under Zhang Xuan’s hands. However, upon hearing those words, a strong feeling of helplessness loomed over them.

How could they possibly rival this monster? Even if they were to guzzle down pills, they still couldn’t keep up with the other party’s pace.

Most likely, the gap between them would only grow greater and greater in the future, and one day, the other party’s back would disappear completely from their sight.

“It’s just a stroke of good luck!”

Zhang Xuan chuckled. “Hong shi, didn’t my students come here along with you? Where are they?”

Since the group from Huanyu Empire have arrived here, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others were meant to be there as well.

“They…”

Hearing those words, Hong shi subconsciously glanced at Feng shi and the others and hesitated.

Seeing Hong shi’s response, Zhang Xuan frowned, and his face darkened.

“What happened to them?”

Chapter 696: King Huai Manor

Zheng Yang and the others were his direct disciples, and they had accompanied him all the way here from Tianxuan Kingdom. They had braved many life-threatening situations together, and Zhang Xuan already viewed them as his closest kin. If anything were to happen to them, he didn’t mind wiping the entire Hongyuan Empire off the face of the world!

If he needed to, he would even punch a gaping hole through the heavens!

Anyone who meant them harm would have to suffer his wrath.

“Zhang shi, don’t worry. They are safe!”

Seeing the latter’s awful expression, Hong shi immediately realized that his hesitation had caused a huge misunderstanding. Thus, he hurriedly explained, “However, they were taken away by the men of the King Huai Manor yesterday, and we dare not stop them…”

Zhang shi had entrusted his direct disciples to his care, only to find them missing upon his return. Anyone would be angry when faced with such a situation.

It was already incredible that Zhang shi could still retain his rationality in this situation.

“King Huai Manor?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had never heard of this name before. Why would the other party take his direct disciples away?

“I am not too sure about what’s going on either!” Hong shi said and then hesitated for a brief moment before further explaining.

“King Huai, Yu Longxuan, is the blood-related uncle of the incumbent emperor of Hongyuan Empire, thus making him the Imperial Uncle of the current era. Given his esteemed position, there’s only a single man throughout the entire Hongyuan Empire who stands above him—the emperor himself. Even Princess Yu Fei-er whom we met before would have to address him as Grandpa Xuan!

“The men from the King Huai Manor came over yesterday, and they insisted on taking them over to their manor to stay for a few days. Considering their respectful attitude and their esteemed standing in Hongyuan Empire, it didn’t seem like they were harboring any malicious intentions, so I didn’t stop them…”

“Stay for a few days?”

Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

He was certain that he had no ties with King Huai Yu Longxuan. As for his students, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and Liu Yang, only Wang Ying came from a distinguished background. However, it could only be considered as a distinguished clan in Tianxuan Kingdom.

Yuan Tao was an orphan, and he had been roaming the streets ever since he was young. Unable to find a proper cultivation technique manual, he could only fumble his way through his cultivation. As a result, even though he managed to pass the Hongyuan Academy’s entrance examination back then, his examination results were the very lowest of the entire cohort. The same went for Zheng Yang and Liu Yang as well.

Since none of them could possibly be related to a king of a Tier-1 Empire, why would the latter take them to his manor?

This was way too bizarre!

A thought suddenly surfaced in Zhang Xuan’s mind, and he immediately asked worriedly, “When did you all arrive? Did they cause any trouble?”

His students and his butler were true troublemakers, and this was especially so for the latter. With ‘Yang shi’ serving as his backing, he put on a brazen attitude regardless of whom he was standing before. Could they have offended the King Huai Manor somehow, thus resulting in the latter finding an excuse to take them to the manor?

“We only arrived yesterday afternoon. As soon as we arrived, we immediately headed toward this residence, so there is no way they could’ve caused any trouble…”

Hong shi frowned as he went through his memory to see if he might have missed out something.

“But they did! Did you forget what the plump student of Zhang shi did before arriving at this residence?” Feng shi suddenly interjected.

Under Feng shi’s prompt, Hong shi also recalled the matter and quickly explained it.

“Plump student? Oh! Yuan Tao did fight with someone yesterday, but that was a small matter. Besides, the other party was an ordinary person who had no ties with the King Huai Manor!”

Hearing that Yuan Tao had caused some kind of trouble, Zhang Xuan immediately asked with a livid expression, “What happened?”

“Actually, Yuan Tao is not to be blamed for this matter. Right after we arrived, an itinerant cultivator came to provoke us into dueling with him. Thus, Yuan Tao stood forward to teach that person a lesson. Due to this matter, Yuan Tao sustained some injuries and shed some blood. However, after Yuan Tao defeated the itinerant cultivator, the latter gave him some recovery pills in compensation for the matter. Judging from that person’s dress-up, it seemed like he is a merchant. Could the both matters be related?”

Hong shi frowned as he recalled the happenings yesterday.

The person who fought against Yuan Tao was an ordinary merchant, and his cultivation was also so-so. It was unlikely for him to be related to King Huai Manor, so Hong shi didn’t think too much into the matter.

However, the frown on Zhang Xuan’s forehead deepened after hearing of the matter.

“Duel? And Yuan Tao was injured at that?”

Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, and the others might be brazen, but they still knew better than to get into conflict with someone in a foreign land, especially when their teacher was not around. Furthermore, with the awakening of Yuan Tao’s unique constitution, his defense had reached an absurd level. Making him bleed was no easy task at all.

Could this matter really be related to King Huai Manor?

Otherwise, there was no other plausible explanation as to why the other party would take his students away.

Unable to come to a conclusion, the frown on Zhang Xuan’s forehead tightened. Eventually, he turned to Hong shi and asked, “Where is King Huai Manor?”

“Zhang shi intends to head to King Huai Manor to find your students?” Hong shi was taken aback.

Given that King Huai was the Imperial Uncle of Hongyuan Empire, his manor would surely be well-protected by top-notch formations and Saint realm experts. It would be extremely dangerous for Zhang Xuan to head there alone without any preparation.

“Just tell me where it is!” Zhang Xuan harrumphed.

While his cultivation realm was lower than Hong shi’s, the legendary feats he had accomplished, his extraordinary disposition, as well as the powerful aura he carried made it difficult for anyone to stand against him.

“Yes…”

Knowing that Zhang Xuan’s mind was made up and that nothing he said could change the other party’s mind, Hong shi could only relent. “King Huai Manor is not too far away from here. After leaving the Academic Sea, turn left and walk several dozen kilometers down the streets. You should see it then…”

Saying so, Hong shi pointed in a direction.

But before he could finish his words, a shrill call suddenly resounded in the air, and the massive Great Violetwing Beast landed on the courtyard. Zhang Xuan leaped onto its back, and the duo immediately flew in the direction in which Hong shi was pointing toward.

“Zhang shi…:

Not expecting Zhang shi to actually dive straight into action, Hong shi’s face paled in fright.

Who was King Huai?

The uncle of the incumbent emperor, the highest standing official in the Hongyuan royal court. Even the emperor would have to show him some respect. And yet, Zhang shi actually rode an aerial spirit beast over to his manor. It wouldn’t be a joke if he were to offend a person of such standing…

“Ruohuan, accompany me to find Princess Yu Fei-er now. She is probably the only one who can salvage the situation now…”

Gritting his teeth, Hong shi beckoned for Ruohuan gongzi to go along with him.

The only royalty they were acquainted with at the moment was Yu Fei-er. The most they could hope for at this moment was for the latter to help Zhang shi on account of the time they had spent together in Huanyu Empire…

…

The Great Violetwing Beast was extremely swift. From the back of the beast, Zhang Xuan scanned the buildings below, and before long, a massive manor came into sight.

The manor was resplendently designed, and many of the guards on the compound were all dressed in golden armor. Even before getting into proximity, Zhang Xuan could already feel an aura of invulnerability from it.

“This should be it…”

After circling around the area to further assess the situation, Zhang Xuan instructed the Great Violetwing Beast to land on the ground.

He didn’t dash right into the other party’s manor—after all, the other party was an Imperial Uncle of the state. Without ascertaining the situation of Wang Ying and the others, it was best not to offend the other party first.

Landing on an empty street several hundred meters away, Zhang Xuan changed into a brand-new master teacher robe before walking to the gates of the manor.

At the entrance, he saw a huge plaque with three grand words, ‘King Huai Manor’, written in gold. The words seemed to be dancing around, as though they would break free of the surface of the plaque and soar into the greater world any moment now.

“This is probably the work of a 6-star painter!” Zhang Xuan assessed.

Considering the incredible skill and astounding disposition behind those words, the painter of it had to be at least at 6-star.

There were four guards standing at the entrance. Each of them was dressed in steel armor, and their presence exuded a strong pressure on one’s soul.

“Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm experts?”

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

He didn’t expect even the guards to be Cosmos Bridge realm experts as well. That would mean that their cultivation realms were even higher than his!

An expert of this caliber would at least be an esteemed official or a commander of an army of several thousand in Huanyu Empire. Yet, in Hongyuan Empire, they were only an ordinary entrance guard. Huaiwang Manor was indeed powerful!

It was no wonder Hong shi was worried. Entering this place was no different from venturing into a lion’s den.

But so what if that was the case?

If the other party had malicious intentions toward Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, and the others, even if he was a member of the royal family, Zhang Xuan was determined to cause a huge uproar.

If it came down to it, he could also bring out his Otherworldly Demon puppets to wreak havoc. With twenty Saint realm experts with nigh-invincible defense and no lack of stamina along with the unfathomable Vicious, he was confident that he could easily destroy the entire King Huai Manor!

Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan walked up to the gate.

Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, a guard raised his spear and harrumphed.

“Our King Huai Manor forbids the approach of any unrelated personnel!”

“I am Master Teacher Zhang Xuan, and I am here to pay respect to King Huai. I hope that you can relay the message.”

Zhang Xuan took out an identity scroll and passed it over.

Before confirming the other party’s intentions, it was best not to offend them first.

“Master teacher?”

The guard assessed Zhang Xuan doubtfully before grabbing the identity scroll.

There were only four words written on the identity scroll—Master Teacher Zhang Xuan. There was nothing on his rank at all.

4-star master teacher might be the strongest existence in Myriad Kingdom Alliance, but in a Tier-1 Empire, it would be insufficient for him to meet someone of King Huai’s caliber.

If Zhang Xuan were to write it down, it was highly likely that he would be denied entry immediately.

The guards wouldn’t even bother showing his identity scroll to their boss.

“This…”

The guard passed the identity scroll to the other guards to see as well, and they were all perplexed when they saw the content as well. One of them spoke up hesitantly. “May I know what Zhang shi’s master teacher rank is? Are you an acquaintance of our old master? Have you made an appointment with him?”

Since there was nothing written on it, they could only ask the person in question.

Naturally, a person of their master’s standing wouldn’t meet a person just because the other party had provided an identity scroll.

“I have never met King Huai before, but I am a close buddy of Princess Yu Fei-er. Oh, Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan is also an old friend of mine!” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

If he were to say that he was a 4-star master teacher, he would immediately be chased away. Thus, he could respond to the other party’s questions in a roundabout manner, hoping that the other party wouldn’t pursue the matter.

But in any case, what he was saying was the truth as well. He had gone through a life-and-death situation with Yu Fei-er, so it wouldn’t be going too far to address her as a close buddy. On the other hand, he had met Mo Gaoyuan, and the latter had expressed goodwill toward him. Thus, it wasn’t exactly wrong to call them old friends as well.

“Mo shi’s friend?”

As expected, upon hearing those words, the faces of the guards immediately turned grim.

Mo Gaoyuan was the pavilion master of the Hongyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, a 6-star pinnacle master teacher. Only another 6-star master teacher would dare to address him as a friend!

Just that… was it even possible for a 6-star master teacher to be so young?

“Zhang shi, this way please. We will report your arrival to our old master!”

Even though the guards were doubtful, they didn’t dare take any chances. Thus, they quickly invited Zhang Xuan into the residence.

The means of a master teacher should never be underestimated. While the fellow before them might look young, it might not necessarily an accurate indicator of his age. Furthermore, regardless of whether the other party was truly a 6-star master teacher or not, just the fact that he was a master teacher would have to make them think twice before offending him.

“Thank you.”

Seeing that the guards were going to report his presence to their old master, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. With a nod, he followed the guards into the manor.

Chapter 697: Scram!

King Huai Manor was so huge that it was impossible to see the end of it with a single glance. Many powerful guards dressed in golden armor patrolled the soundings of the majestic buildings rising throughout the entire estate. It felt like even an army wouldn’t be able to take down this manor easily.

It was no wonder Hong shi was so worried when Zhang Xuan said that he would come here. This was indeed the den of a ferocious tiger.

‘The movements of these guards seem to be aligned with some kind of formation. They will be difficult opponents!’

As a formation master, Zhang Xuan could easily tell that despite the seemingly random movement of the guards, their movements were actually aligned with something to form a powerful offensive formation.

If anyone were to attempt to intrude into the manor, they would be able to immediately bring forth a destructive assault upon him.

‘Wang Ying and the others should be fine. If the men from King Huai Manor really intended to mean them harm, no one from the Huanyu Empire party would be able to stop them. There is no reason for them to go through so much trouble…’

Upon seeing the astounding might of the manor, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief instead.

Considering how the other party could easily overcome the entire group from Huanyu Empire just by dispatching a few guards, there was absolutely no need to go through the trouble of inviting Wang Ying and the others to the manor.

Possessing absolute power, there was no need for the other party to hide his actions at all.

“Zhang shi, please wait here. We’ll report your arrival to our old master!”

Soon, they arrived at an elegant gazebo. The guard invited Zhang Xuan to take a seat before taking his leave.

Understanding the rules around here, Zhang Xuan sipped on the fragrant tea that a maid served while waiting patiently.

It must be said that the etiquette of King Huai Manor toward guests was truly impeccable. Even the tea leaves used were freshly picked, and the fragrance drifting from it left one feeling deeply revitalized.

While sipping on the tea, Zhang Xuan took this opportunity to activate his Eye of Insight to examine the area.

After taking a brief look, he couldn’t help but shake his head in disappointment.

Even though the security in the manor seemed tight, he could still see many openings under the scrutiny of the Eye of Insight.

Zhang Xuan was confident that with his current cultivation, he could easily enter and leave the residence without being discovered.

“Zhang shi!”

Just as Zhang Xuan was scanning his surroundings, the guard from before suddenly rushed back and announced, “The old master invites you to the main hall!”

“Un.”

Retracting his curious gaze, impassiveness returned to Zhang Xuan’s face. Standing up, he followed the lead of the guard.

After strolling through a maze of corridors, they soon arrived at a vast main hall with a high ceiling.

“Old master, Zhang shi has arrived!”

Upon reaching the main hall, the guard immediately rushed forward and reported their arrival with clasped fists before backing out of the room. Following which, Zhang Xuan stepped into the main hall.

At the center of the massive room sat an austere middle-aged man who exuded a strong authoritative disposition. On the guest seat by the side was a white-haired elder, and a young man was standing behind him.

These were the three people in the room.

The middle-aged man carried a demeanor which reflected the many years in which he’d held his position of power. The chances were that he was King Huai. As for the white hair elder, his very presence felt unfathomable, making it extremely difficult to assess him. On the other hand, the young man behind him unreservedly exerted his aura, revealing his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan primary stage expert!

A Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert in his twenties!

Even among the geniuses in Hongyuan Empire, he could be considered as the cream of the crop!

Walking to the center of the room, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted, “Master Teacher Zhang Xuan pays respect to Your Highness!”

“You are Zhang Xuan?”

Before the middle-aged man could even speak, the young man turned his sharp gaze on Zhang Xuan and questioned him coldly.

Seeing how that young man was devoid of the slightest respect, Zhang Xuan ignored him and walked to the guest seat on the opposite side.

“Didn’t you hear my words?” Realizing he had just been snubbed, the young man’s face darkened.

While he was standing subserviently behind the elder, his cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan at his age made him a respected figure no matter where he went. How dare the other party act so arrogantly as to ignore his words?

Zhang Xuan glanced at the young man and replied, “I heard them.”

“Then why aren’t you answering me?” The young man harrumphed furiously.

Ignoring the young man once more, Zhang Xuan turned to the middle-aged man and clasped his fist.

“Your Highness, I believe you should know the reason for my visit!”

“You…”

Seeing how the other party disregarded him yet again, the young man staggered.

‘Stop ignoring me, I am talking to you!’

Gritting his teeth, the young man bellowed furiously, “If you want His Highness to answer your question, you’d better answer mine first!”

“Fine.”

Zhang Xuan finally turned his gaze back to the young man, “Speak.”

“Answer me, are you Zhang Xuan?” the young man asked rudely.

Zhang Xuan turned his face back to King Huai once more and said, “I heard that my students have been invited to your manor as guests. I hope that you will allow me to take them away with me.”

“…”

Fury gushed to the head of the young man, and his body swayed weakly from side to side.

At this point, how could he possibly not tell that the other party was making a fool of him? The other party had no intention of answering his question in the first place!

“How dare you make a fool out of me! Do you know who I am?” With a furious roar, a powerful aura reminiscent of the expansive ocean burst forth from the young man.

Even though his cultivation wasn’t on par with Ye Wentian, the strength he wielded seemed to be far mightier. Especially now that he was enraged, his muscles began bulged out furiously, creating a formidable sight. With just a glance, one could easily tell that he possessed an exceptionally strong body.

“You?”

Despite the other party’s rage, Zhang Xuan remained completely impassive. “Do you think it matters to me who you are? I am a noble master teacher who stood against the Otherworldly Demons for humanity, a respected figure of all mankind. How dare a mere cultivator like you act so haughtily before me? Who gave you the guts to act this way?”

Driving his Soul Depth, Zhang Xuan’s words were imbued with the Impartation of Heaven’s Will. Paired with the inviolable aura he possessed as a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan’s presence suddenly towered before the young man as though a giant before an ant.

It was as if desecrating him was an act of blasphemy.

“I…”

The young man froze in fear.

As the number one occupation in the world, the prestige of the master teachers wasn’t just for show. All cultivators had to respect them.

Dishonoring them was equivalent to provoking the Master Teacher Pavilion, as well as the entire human race!

This was simply the prestige that master teachers commanded!

If anyone could shout and order a master teacher around, how was the Master Teacher Pavilion supposed to establish order on this continent?

The young man tried to take advantage of Zhang Xuan’s weakness to instill fear into him, but he forgot about this unspoken rule. Thus, upon being questioned under the effects of the Impartation of Heaven’s Will, he was immediately rendered speechless. His face swiftly paled.

Seeing that the young man was suppressed entirely by him, Zhang Xuan continued, “No matter what, I am a guest in King Huai Manor. His Highness hasn’t even spoken yet, and a subordinate like you actually dares to overstep your bounds and cause such a fuss. Do you have no respect for His Highness and the elder before you?”

“I…” The young man’s body trembled weakly. The ferocious aura he had exuded on earlier vanished completely at this moment.

He had been too engrossed with forcing some humble pie onto Zhang Xuan that he forgot that he was in the presence of King Huai and the elder before him. He had gotten ahead of himself, and his actions could be easily interpreted as insubordination.

“To forget your own place and act so conceitedly before your elders… You aren’t welcomed here. Scram!”

Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves.

“I-I…”

The young man couldn’t find a single word to say. His complexion swiftly turned awful, and after a moment of hesitation, he turned around and walked out.

Zhang Xuan’s current Soul Depth was 19.1, making him comparable to even a 6-star master teacher. Even though the young man was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, he was far too weak to withstand Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will.

With just a few words, Zhang Xuan had made him lose himself.

“This…”

The middle-aged man and the elder were stunned. They didn’t expect Zhang Xuan to be able to beguile the young man into leaving just like that, and they glanced at one another in astonishment.

Wasn’t Zhang shi supposed to be a 4-star master teacher?

How could his words be effective even on a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert?

In the end, the elder shook his head and uttered, “Enough.”

Boom!

That voice wasn’t loud, but it resounded clearly in one’s ears as though a clap of thunder.

The departing young man suddenly froze. The elder’s words had shaken him out of the effects of Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will, and he immediately turned around to glare at Zhang Xuan in animosity.

He was on the verge of going insane.

To think that he, a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert, would actually be beguiled into leaving the room while trying to teach the other party a lesson. The immense humiliation induced a furious blaze within him.

“I will kill you!”

Howling angrily, the young man stepped against the ground and charged forward.

However, at that very moment, the elder’s voice rang in his ears. “Enough! Don’t you think you have embarrassed yourself enough today?”

“Yes!”

Hearing the displeasure in the elder’s tone, the young man shuddered and hurriedly retracted his aura. He swiftly returned back to his place behind the elder and fell quiet. Even so, his vengeful eyes were still fixated on Zhang Xuan, seemingly trying to tear him apart.

However, Zhang Xuan couldn’t care less.

While he wasn’t a match for the other party, there was no need for him to fear the other party either.

After all, the Saint realm puppets he had on him weren’t just for show.

Ignoring the young man, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the elder instead.

Zhang Xuan knew how strong his Impartation of Heaven’s Will was. Those whom he had beguiled couldn’t be awakened that easily by external force. Yet, with just a single word, the elder actually managed to return the young man’s rationality. Without a doubt, the elder was a formidable expert!

In fact, even Mo Gaoyuan didn’t seem to wield such capability either.

“Zhang shi’s students are indeed guests in my manor. I’ll have my men invite them over.”

Noticing the peculiar atmosphere drifting in the air, the middle-aged man chuckled awkwardly and hurriedly issued some instructions to a servant.

The servant swiftly left the room.

“I’ll be thanking His Highness in advance then!”

Hearing that his students were indeed just guests of the manor, the heavy stone weighing down Zhang Xuan’s heart was finally released. But even so, he still had some doubts in mind and said, “My students are mischievous, so I beg Your Highness’s pardon if they have troubled you in any way!”

“Troubled me? How can that be? Zhang shi’s students possess astonishing talent. If anything, I am impressed by them…”

Knowing that it would be impossible for him to hide the truth from the master teacher before him, King Huai shook his head and explained, “To tell you the truth, it was by Elder Yuan’s request that I invited Zhang shi’s students to the manor!”

“Elder Yuan?”

Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

Elder Yuan? He didn’t recall ever meeting such a figure. Why would the other party invite his students to King Huai’s manor?

The elder before the young man stroked his beard and said, “I am Yuan Cheng, the elder of Boundless Empire’s Yuan Clan!”

“Boundless Empire? Yuan Clan?”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

On the way here, Yu Fei-er had told him about the various Tier-1 Empires and Tier-2 Empires around Hongyuan Empire, but he didn’t recall any of them going by the name of Boundless Empire.

Could it be… a Conferred Empire?

Chapter 698: Yuan Tao’s Heritage

Conferred Empires were a rank higher than Tier-1 Empires. 7-star master teachers stood at the core of the empire, ensuring the prosperity of the nation.

Considering how King Huai didn’t fly into a rage despite the rudeness of the young man, intervening to mediate the situation even, it was likely that the elder and the young man possessed extraordinary standing.

If they were truly from a Conferred Empire, everything would make sense.

After all, when Yu Fei-er and Xing Yuan visited Huanyu Empire, Ye Wentian had to act prudently around them, not daring to offend them at all.

“That’s right!”

The elder chuckled. “Zhang shi sure is incredible. To think that you would possess a Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers at such a young age. Your talent is incredible even among the multitude of geniuses I have seen. You will surely achieve great things in the future!”

“Soul Depth superior to most 6-star master teachers?”

King Huai was astonished to hear that.

He had sent his men to investigate the background of Zhang Xuan, and the other party was only a 4-star master teacher of Huanyu Empire. He’d thought that it would still take many years before the other party could achieve anything sizeable, but who could have known that his Soul Depth would actually be so high?

It was extremely difficult to raise one’s Soul Depth.

There were many master teachers whose cultivation had reached the mark but were unable to be promoted due to their Soul Depth not reaching the prerequisite.

And yet, the fellow before him, despite his low cultivation, possessed an extraordinarily high Soul Depth. This meant that it was just a matter of time before the other party became a 6-star master teacher!

If he were to be given some time to grow, he would surely make a name for himself… It seemed like there was a need to establish close ties with the other party.

Hearing the other party’s evaluation, Zhang Xuan frowned.

Without using a Stone of Insight, not even a 6-star master teacher was able to gauge his Soul Depth accurately. And yet, the other party was actually able to evaluate it accurately. Clearly, the other party’s eye of discernment and cultivation had truly reached a fearsome level.

With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and said, “Elder Yuan is being too generous!”

“Given your cultivation and talent, there’s nothing generous about my praise. Since Zhang shi’s surname is Zhang, may I know if you are related to the Sage Ancestry Zhang Clan?” Elder Yuan asked doubtfully.

“Sage Ancestry? Zhang Clan?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “I have never heard of them before, and I am unrelated to them.”

He was an orphan as well as a transcender, so how could he have known of this Zhang Clan and Sage Ancestry?

“Unrelated?”

Elder Yuan was taken back for an instant before saying, “It doesn’t matter whether you are related to them or not. It is admirable in itself that you were able to advance so far in your Soul Depth cultivation given your age, as well as your composure and steadiness in dealing with matters, and your lack of complacency and impatience. It is no wonder Young Master Tao views you so highly, refusing to acknowledge anyone else as his teacher except for you!”

“Young Master Tao?” Zhang Xuan frowned. “Do you mean… Yuan Tao?”

Zhang Xuan only had a few students, and the elder also went by the surname of Yuan. It wasn’t too difficult to figure out who the other party was referring to.

Just that… wasn’t Yuan Tao an orphan? On top of that, he grew up in Tianxuan Royal City as well. How could he be the young master of the Boundless Empire’s Yuan Clan?

“That’s right. We found Young Master Tao through the resonance in our bloodline. I have heard stories about his travels with you, and I would like to thank you for the care you have shown him!”

Elder Yuan nodded.

“This…” Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

Bloodline resonance… Could Yuan Tao really be a missing young master from the Yuan Clan? But… this was way too inconceivable!

If this was really true, considering how the Yuan Clan was likely to be a powerful clan in a Conferred Empire, how could their young master possibly be left behind in a place as remote as Tianxuan Kingdom?

Seemingly noticing Zhang Xuan’s doubts, Elder Yuan asked with a smile, “As Young Master Tao’s teacher, are you aware of his ancient bloodline?”

“He possesses the Emperor’s Bloodline!” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Zhang Xuan had noticed Yuan Tao’s Emperor’s Bloodline from the very start through the Library of Heaven’s Path. It was due to his bloodline that he accepted Yuan Tao as his student.

Just like unique constitutions, there were many differing types of bloodlines too. Ancient Bloodlines, New Bloodlines, inheritances, and mutations…

The Emperor’s Bloodline was an extremely powerful bloodline from the ancient era which boasted invincible defense.

Zhang Xuan had met so many talented people, but not even a 6-star master teacher like Mo Gaoyuan was able to discern Yuan Tao’s Ancient Bloodline. As such, it was unlikely that the elder was lying.

“Zhang shi indeed has keen eyes!” Elder Yuan nodded. “That’s right, Young Master Yuan possesses the purest Emperor’s Bloodline of our clan, and to our surprise, Zhang shi has managed to awaken it.”

“… Clan?”

“Our Yuan Clan is built on the Ancient Emperor’s Bloodline, and every single one of our members possesses it. However, with each passing generation, our bloodline grows thinner and thinner.”

Elder Yuan sighed. “However, the heavens have taken pity on us! They have given us Young Master Tao, who possesses the perfect Ancient Emperor’s Bloodline. With his return, it’ll only be a matter of time before our clan rises to power once more!”

“This…”

Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He suddenly recalled the young man who tried to act arrogantly before him earlier.

Judging from the other party’s bulging muscles, it was clear that he specialized in physical body cultivation. Thinking about it, the Emperor’s Bloodline probably ran through his blood as well.

The Emperor’s Bloodline boasted invincible defense, and if one were to fully awaken it, the might of one’s physical body would reach unimaginable levels.

In truth, Zhang Xuan had been wondering how the rare Emperor’s Bloodline could possibly appear in Yuan Tao—it turned out that he had such a huge clan behind him after all!

“But if he is from your clan, how did he end up in Tianxuan Kingdom?”

Zhang Xuan voiced his doubts.

Considering how Yuan Tao was born with the complete Emperor’s Bloodline, how could the Yuan Clan possibly leave him alone in a remote kingdom?

“It was out of helplessness that we chose this course of action. As time passes, the bloodline running through our veins only continues to grow thinner. In order to revive the Ancient Bloodline, we could only send our offspring to ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations and allow them to grow by themselves! Only in places like that could the recovery of the bloodline be triggered,” Elder Yuan explained.

An Ancient Bloodline could only retain its complete form in ancient ruins. If they were to stay cooped up in their clan, the bloodline would only grow thinner and thinner, and eventually disappear entirely.

“Ancient ruins? You mean… Tianxuan Kingdom is considered as ancient ruins as well?”

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

Tianxuan was an Unranked Kingdom located in the most remote part of the continent, but there was actually more to it?

“That’s right. The war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race was spread across the entire continent, and we term the regions unaffected by the conflict as ancient ruins! Such places tend to be more backward, and there are no Teleportation Formations in the vicinity. Even the Master Teacher Pavilions wouldn’t dispatch any personnel to such a region, thus isolating it from the entire world,” Elder Yuan explained.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes.

It seemed like… Tianxuan Kingdom fit that description aptly!

Devoid of a Master Teacher Pavilion or Teleportation Formation… Remote and thin in spiritual energy…

“Such lands tend to be located by the borders of the continent, and they spread across a wide area. We send our offspring to these ancient ruins via Teleportation Formations shortly after their birth, but we are unable to clearly locate their specific coordinates, so we could only slowly look for them… and throughout the years, many have failed to survive there as well!”

Elder Yuan shook his head.

They couldn’t choose where their offspring were teleported to nor whether they would be able to survive there or not. If they had another choice, they wouldn’t have sent their offspring to such places either.

Many of their offspring ended up dead, and those who lived on to restore the Ancient Bloodline numbered even more in the minority.

It was truly fortunate that they had managed to find Yuan Tao, who had recovered the Ancient Bloodline. How could they not be agitated?

After conversing for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan finally gained a good grasp on the situation.

Back then, the war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and the human race had spread far and wide across the entire Master Teacher Continent. The regions that were unaffected by the conflict were known as ancient ruins. But while such places were closer to the ancient era, they were extremely backward, especially in terms of cultivation techniques and battle techniques.

Without anyone to care for the Yuan Clan offspring who were sent there, there was a lot of doubt about whether they could survive or not, let alone, restore the Ancient Bloodline.

But this was the only course of action they could take.

Otherwise, if they were to allow their bloodline to continue thinning, it would only be a matter of time before they were consumed by other powers and disappeared in the annals of history.

‘But still, to possess Teleportation Formations, the Yuan Clan is far stronger than I had thought!’

After hearing the other party’s words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

Rumor had it that an 8-star formation master possessed the ability to construct a formation capable of teleporting lifeforms. Considering how the Yuan Clan sent their offspring to the ancient ruins through such formations, how could they be an ordinary clan?

Elder Yuan then revealed his true intentions.

“Since we have found the young master, we intend to bring him back to our clan to inherit our heritage… However, Young Master Tao insists on meeting you, and he wants to receive your approval before deciding anything. I hope that Zhang shi can express your support for this matter.”

It wasn’t easy for the Yuan Clan to find an offspring that possessed the complete Emperor’s Bloodline, so Elder Yuan was determined to bring Yuan Tao back to inherit the heritage regardless of the situation. However, Yuan Tao insisted on meeting his teacher before making a decision, thus resulting in the present situation.

On the other hand, the young man behind Elder Yuan felt that it was humiliating that the actions of the Yuan Clan had to be dictated by a mere 4-star master teacher. On top of that, he didn’t think that Zhang Xuan was qualified to serve as Yuan Tao’s teacher either, and that was the reason he provoked Zhang Xuan earlier.

“This…”

Zhang Xuan was hesitant to respond.

First Zhao Ya, and now Yuan Tao was standing before a crossroad as well.

Considering how the Yuan Clan had a complete heritage of the Ancient Emperor’s Bloodline, the best course of action was clearly for Yuan Tao to return with them… But after the days they had spent together, Zhang Xuan was reluctant to part with the other party, especially since Zhao Ya had left. Who knew when they would be able to meet, or whether they would even meet again at all?

“I have heard of the methods Zhang shi used to awaken Young Master Tao’s bloodline, and they are indeed novel… However, our Yuan Clan possesses the complete heritage regarding the Emperor’s Bloodline, so Young Master Tao will surely be able to awaken his bloodline much faster, allowing his cultivation to soar. Thus, I hope that Zhang shi can agree to this matter. After all, this is for Young Master Tao’s welfare!” Elder Yuan urged.

He had already discussed the matter with Young Master Tao, and he could see the deep relationship they had for one another. If Zhang Xuan were to say no, Young Master Tao would surely refuse to leave with them.

However… the fate of their clan lay on their shoulders. A prospective successor was standing before them, so how could they possibly allow him to continue roaming instead of bringing him back?

“I understand.”

Zhang Xuan sighed gloomily.

Life is a cycle of reunion and separation. There is no teacher who can stay by his student’s side for life. Sometimes, letting go is the best way to unleash a student’s potential.

Take Zhao Ya for example, after heading to the Glacier Plain Court and receiving the best heritage and resources, her cultivation was probably on par or even beyond Zhang Xuan’s right now.

The same applied for Lu Chong as well. He and Mo Hunsheng had gone on a journey to search for the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles. They might not have reached their destination yet, but once they did, Lu Chong’s cultivation would surely soar.

Seeing the look of hesitation on Zhang Xuan’s face, the young man by the side said coldly, “Our elder has already said so much, and yet you are still reluctant? Young Master Tao possesses the complete Emperor’s Bloodline, and it is a matter of time before he grows to become a mighty dragon.

“You might be a master teacher, and your talent is not bad, but in terms of physical body cultivation… you are far from a match for us. You aren’t qualified to be the young master’s teacher at all. You’d better learn your place, it is only out of politeness that we are discussing this matter with you!”

Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

“Did you just say that I am unqualified to be Yuan Tao’s teacher?”

Chapter 699: Zhang Xuan’s Physical Body

“That’s right!” the young man sneered in disdain. “If you think that I am speaking nonsense, why don’t we verify it through a physical fight? If you lose, you’d better hand Young Master Tao obediently to us and admit that you are unqualified to be his teacher! On the other hand, if you win, I can even acknowledge you as my teacher…”

The young man roared, “How is it? Do you dare to take on the challenge?”

Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

The other party was a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert. Even without the use of the Library of Heaven’s Path or Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could still easily tell that the other party possessed tremendous physical strength and resilience. Even if Zhang Xuan were to gather the entirety of his 10,000,000-ding strength, he couldn’t be sure whether he could break the other party’s defenses or not!

Not to mention, his physical strength only amounted to 4,000,000 ding!

But if Zhang Xuan couldn’t defeat the other party, what right did he have to be ‘Young Master Tao’s’ teacher?

While it might look as if the other party was acting recklessly by challenging Zhang Xuan to a battle all of the sudden, the truth was that he had grasped Zhang Xuan’s weakness accurately and placed him in check.

Furthermore, if it was just a battle involving only their physical strength, the other party would be able to avoid Zhang Xuan’s Impartation of Heaven’s Will too… His move was indeed ingenious.

Placing his hands behind his back, the young man taunted derisively, “That’s right! Do you dare to accept the challenge?”

“Humph!” Seeing how the other party arrogantly attempted to push him to a corner, Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves and harrumphed. But at that moment, an excited voice suddenly sounded, “Teacher…”

Turning around, Zhang Xuan saw Yuan Tao, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others walking over with eyes brimming with agitation.

Over the past month, his students seemed to have made significant advancements in their cultivation.

From this, it could be seen that they had been working diligently over this period of time.

“Young Master!”

Sun Qiang was also amidst the group.

At this moment, he had already reached Transcendent Mortal 3-dan Yin-Yang realm intermediate stage.

Even though his cultivation was slightly beneath Wang Ying and the others, considering Sun Qiang’s usual indolent nature, it could be considered rather impressive.

Seeing that each and every one of them was spirited, Zhang Xuan felt heartened, and a slight smile crept onto his face. All of the sudden, a majestic aura flowed out of Zhang Xuan as he turned around toward the young man and replied nonchalantly, “Fine, we’ll have a duel using just our physical bodies!”

“Duel? Teacher…”

Hearing those words, Yuan Tao and the others immediately panicked.

Even though their teacher’s cultivation had improved swiftly, it was still much too difficult for him to defeat a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan expert who specialized in physical body cultivation in a physical duel.

“Don’t worry, he’s nothing more than a little pebble in the way. Just watch how I crush him!”

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back grandly.

Since the other party had already gone this far, how could Zhang Xuan possibly back down now, especially before his students?

“It’s good that you agreed to the duel. Come!”

Hearing the other party agreeing to the duel, the young man immediately burst into laughter. He proceeded to the center of the room, and just by flexing his muscles, he seemed to have grown a few inches taller. His bulky and powerful frame gave him a sharp appearance reminiscent of a ferocious tiger.

“There’s no need to rush into it.”

Even though the young man was already preparing himself for the duel, Zhang Xuan still remained on his seat. With a smile, he turned to King Huai and asked, “Your Highness, there’s a matter I need to trouble you with. Is there a secret chamber here that I can use here? There are some matters that I need to attend to!”

“Secret chamber? Of course there is!”

King Huai was still busy finding a way to form a close relationship with Zhang Xuan when the latter delivered an opportunity for him to express his goodwill. Thus, he immediately waved his hand, and ‘jiya!’, the wall by the side of the room suddenly split apart, revealing a hidden chamber.

As a member of the royal family of a Tier-1 Empire, it wasn’t too surprising for him to install have several secret chambers in his main hall so as to discuss confidential matters.

A special formation was set up here in order to prevent anyone, regardless of strength, from peering into the room or eavesdropping into the conversation.

“Thank you.”

With a smile, Zhang Xuan entered the chamber and closed the doors. After which, he flicked his wrist, and his clone appeared before him.

With the measly 4,000,000 ding of strength that Zhang Xuan could harness in his physical body, it was surely impossible for him to teach the other party a lesson. However… his clone was different.

His clone had been forged of the Nine Hearts Lotus, thus making its physical body far stronger than his. Zhang Xuan had little doubt that the young man wouldn’t be an opponent for his clone as well.

Zhang Xuan swiftly filled his clone up on the details through their mental connection.

“That’s how it is. So, go there and smash his teeth out!”

“Don’t worry!”

His clone nodded, put on Zhang Xuan’s previous clothes, and walked out of the secret chamber.

Considering how the clone had the same form as the main body, and the main body was hidden within the secret chamber, there was no need to worry about the trick being exposed.

“You’re finally out!”

Upon seeing ‘Zhang Xuan’ coming out from the chamber, the young man sneered coldly.

‘Geji! Geji!’

Cracking sounds echoed from his body, and the aura shrouding him rapidly grew stronger. He flicked his wrist, and a deafening sound boomed in the air, seemingly threatening to shatter everything in the area to pieces.

When one’s physical body reached a certain realm, the prowess it could exert would be on par with zhenqi.

No matter how thin it was, the young man still possessed the powerful Emperor’s Bloodline. On top of that, the long heritage of his clan meant that he had access to the best physical body cultivation techniques, thus resulting in the might of his physical body to exceed even his zhenqi cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 8-dan.

‘Zhang Xuan’ chuckled lightly as he walked to the center of the room as well.

“Humph!”

Seeing how a Consonant Spirit realm brat actually dared to pit his physical body against him, the young man’s face twisted in savageness. Kicking against the ground, he dashed forward.

Boom!

Due to the absurd speed he was traveling at, a deep rumbling reminiscent of thunder boomed along with his movements.

Even before he reached Zhang Xuan, the air in the surroundings had already been torn apart, forming a huge vacuum around Zhang Xuan.

“Teacher…”

Seeing how the young man executed his strongest technique from the very start, Yuan Tao clenched his fists tightly.

Even though the young man could be considered his fellow clan member, the relationship between him and his teacher ran far deeper than that.

Wang Ying and the others were anxious as well.

They were well aware of the strength their teacher wielded. Just a month ago, their teacher was only at the Clarifying Turbidity realm, so even if he had made a breakthrough in the past month, he would only be at Consonant Spirit realm at the moment. A Consonant Spirit realm against a Transcendent Mortal 8-dan… The gap was simply too huge!

It could be said that both parties weren’t even on the same level, how could Zhang Xuan triumph against him?

“Don’t worry, since the young master agreed to the duel, he won’t lose!” Sun Qiang said by the side.

Before his students, the young master always put on an austere face to uphold his prestige. It was not that Wang Ying and the others didn’t believe in Zhang Xuan, but the gap between the two was simply too huge.

At the same time, considering the upright personality of their teacher, he wouldn’t do anything despicable just to achieve victory.

However… Sun Qiang had a differing opinion.

After living with the young master for a period of time, he had gained a good grasp of the latter’s personality. Had the young master ever done anything he was unconfident at?

Since the young master agreed to the other party’s challenge, there was no doubt that he must have found a way to pummel the other party. Besides, it was suspicious how the young master asked to use the secret chamber before the duel.

“Won’t lose?”

Wang Ying and the others were a little doubtful upon hearing Sun Qiang’s words.

Hu!

Before the young man’s ferocious attack, their teacher didn’t bother to dodge. Instead, he raised his right arm and sent a fist over.

“A frontal attack?”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan’s reaction, everyone’s eyebrows shot up. Even Elder Yuan also frowned in confusion.

Elder Yuan knew very well how strong the young man was. Even Transcendent Mortal 8-dan intermediate stage experts would find it hard to breach his defenses.

‘A Consonant Spirit realm small fry like you actually dares to face him head on… Aren’t you courting death?’

Peng!

In just the blink of an eye, the two fists clashed with one another, and a frenzied wind burst into the surroundings. The ground beneath the duo’s feet immediately cracked from the tremendous impact of the clash.

Upon the collision of fists, the young man’s excited face slowly turned in astonishment. He felt as if he had struck a steel plate, and an intense pain assaulted his knuckle.

Kacha! Kacha!

In just a brief moment, the bones in his fist were shattered. Following which, an immense force traveled through his arm, seemingly trying to suppress him altogether.

Hu!

The young man was sent flying backward.

Due to the limitations of his cultivation, it was impossible for the clone’s strength to match up to the other party. However, a unique property of a physical body crafted by the Nine Hearts Lotus was its incredible toughness that was on par with any other God artifact…

To make an analogy, it was equivalent to an ordinary man striking a wall with his full strength, not to mention that the young man’s strength was beyond ordinary. When the immense force of his attack rebounded back on him, how could he possibly withstand the impact?

On top of that, the qualitative difference in the bodies of the duo was also way too great. If the young man’s body was iron, the clone’s body would be diamond. No matter how compact the iron was, it could still be easily torn apart by diamond.

“How can you have such a powerful physical body…”

The young man widened his eyes in astonishment. At this moment, he felt as if he was going crazy.

He possessed the Emperor’s Bloodline, and he cultivated one of the strongest physical body cultivation technique in the clan. It was no joke to say that he was almost invincible in his power class. Even Spirit high-tier weapons might not necessarily be able to pierce his skin…

And yet, the other party’s fist actually crushed his bones…

‘Are you sure that I am the one possessing the Emperor’s Bloodline, not you?’

How could such a powerful physical body possibly exist in the world?

Howling furiously, the young man tried to steady his flying figure. But at that moment, a blur abruptly flashed across his eyes, and unknowingly, his opponent had appeared behind him.

Peng!

Once again, the two bodies clashed with one another.

Kacha! Kacha!

Two cracks resounded clearly in the air. The prided bones that the young man had devoted a very long period of time to cultivating had broken yet again.

“I…”

The intense pain he was experiencing left him frenzied. He immediately twisted his body and elbowed the other party with his intact left arm.

It must be said that the young man was indeed a skilled fighter. His reaction was swift and deadly. With this blow, the other party would surely have to dodge, thus giving him time to take a breather and regain his momentum in the battle.

But Zhang Xuan didn’t move at all. He simply stood idly, allowing the young man’s elbow to strike him.

Peng!

The elbow struck Zhang Xuan’s head.

“Great…”

The head was the weakest spot of a human body. Upon striking it squarely, the young man’s eyes immediately lit up in excitement. However, before he could celebrate, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm once again.

His bones had been shattered to pieces.

“What is going on?”

The young man finally cried.

The Emperor’s Bloodline was known for its invincible defense, thus making him far stronger than any cultivator of his power tier. He thought that he would be able to crush Zhang Xuan as easily as tearing a cabbage into pieces, but the other party remained completely unfazed by his attacks. On the contrary, it was his bones that had been shattered in the collisions…

It was as if he was fighting against a Saint artifact.

What the heck was with this?

“This…”

By the side, Elder Yuan’s eyes were widened as much as humanly possible.

Zhang shi was the one being beaten up, and yet he was able to rebound the might back onto his opponent and crush the other party’s bones… And this was taking into account that his opponent specialized in physical body cultivation!

How powerful must Zhang shi’s physical body be?

Even Elder Yuan, despite the long years of cultivating his body, had to admit that he was incapable of such a feat!

Could it be that… he had identified the wrong young master? Was Zhang shi the true possessor of the Emperor’s Bloodline instead of Young Master Tao?

“Teacher… is actually so strong?”

Wang Ying, Yuan Tao, and the others stared at one another in astonishment.

They’d thought that their growth rate in the past month was already incredible, but it seemed their teacher had improved far more than them!

To actually crush the other party’s bones by being pummeled, who else in the world was capable of such a feat?

Kacha! Kacha!

The same astonishment also surfaced on King Huai’s face. Amidst gazes of disbelief, Zhang Xuan went on to shatter the bones in the legs of the young man before standing quietly at the main hall.

With a nonchalant gaze, he gazed down at the young man lying on the ground and asked calmly, “So, with the strength of my physical body…

“… am I qualified to be Yuan Tao’s teacher?”