Chapter 743

Chapter 743: Is It Too Late to Practice?

 

With nimble movements from his fingers, Zhang Xuan precisely manipulated the metallic fluids with his zhenqi.

Those metallic fluids clashed with one another in midair, producing resounding melodic metallic clangs reminiscent of the music from a keyboard.

If a blacksmith were to be present here, he would surely be left with his mouth agape upon seeing this sight.

This was no longer smithing but a performance! It was a melody perfectly aligned with nature!

The reason Wu Yangzi’s Zither Forging Technique was so sought after was due to its alignment with nature, making the arduous smithing a pleasurable activity. However, the smithing technique that Zhang Xuan was utilizing here was clearly far more profound than the Zither Forging Technique!

Not only was it an enjoyment to the eyes and the ears, one might even find one’s soul resonating in pleasure to it.

Heaven’s Path Smith Art!

Hu hu hu!

Before long, the eight metallic fluids were completely synthesized with one another, forming a solid alloy. Following which, Zhang Xuan threw the alloy into the water trough by the side.

Tz la!

As soon as the searing metal alloy came into contact with the water, steam immediately rose from the water surface.

This was the final step of smithing, quenching!

Typically, smithing consisted of three steps—synthesizing the metals and ores into an alloy, forging the alloy into its intended form, and quenching the weapon to strengthen the material. Zhang Xuan had jumped from the first phase right into the third phase, skipping the second phase.

In smithing, the forging phase was extremely important. If a weapon was forged properly, it could enhance its grade as well.

Skipping the second phase meant that his work couldn’t be considered as a true weapon, and thus, its grade would take a steep fall. However, it also spared him from the most arduous and lengthy process of hammering his weapon into its intended form, thus significantly speeding up his smithing process.

Hu!

The searing alloy caused the calm water in the trough to bubble furiously. After some time, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, retrieving the alloy from the water.

Timing was essential for quenching. The duration for which a weapon was immersed into a quenching fluid would affect the quality of the end product.

Zhang Xuan had used eight different types of ores and metals to create his alloy, each with vastly different properties. While they could serve to complement each other’s strengths, if he couldn’t grasp the perfect timing for the quenching, it could introduce an imbalance within the weapon, causing the various metals and ores to hinder the functions of one another. If that were to happen, the resulting alloy would be severely weakened, turning it into a failed product.

“Alright, this… should be it…”

Having completed the quenching process, Zhang Xuan glanced at the metal lump in his palm and scratched his head awkwardly.

If he were to take this metal lump out and call it a weapon, he would surely be mocked by the other blacksmiths, and his reputation would plummet. Fortunately, he was only in a simulation.

Sighing deeply, he walked up to the grading pedestal and placed the metal lump on it.

The grading pedestal served to gauge the quality of the weapon smithed, and as long as the weapon achieved the required grade, the examinee would be deemed to have cleared the examination.

Weng!

A light buzz sounded, and a red light glowed.

Following which, a mechanic voice announced, “Using the most basic Lava Stone, White Steel, Black Pebble… the examinee has managed to smith a Phantom low-tier weapon. Congratulations, you have passed the 1-star blacksmith examination!”

“This metal lump has reached Phantom low-tier? Not bad…” Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

In truth, this was his first time smithing, so he didn’t have a precise gauge of how he had fared. To think that this lump of metal would be considered as a Phantom low-tier weapon!

Weapons could be divided into five tiers—God, Saint, Spirit, Phantom, and Mortal.

The criterion for clearing the 1-star blacksmith examination was to smith a Mortal pinnacle weapon. Even though the weapon Zhang Xuan had smithed using the Heaven’s Path Smith Art was crude, bearing no semblance to a weapon whatsoever, it was still graded as a Phantom low-tier weapon due to the quality of its alloy.

If it were to be properly forged into a weapon, it could easily reach Phantom intermediate-tier or even high-tier.

After clearing the 1-star examination, Zhang Xuan spoke up without any hesitation.

“I request to challenge the 2-star blacksmith examination!”

Ji ya ya!

The entire area abruptly darkened, and the rumbling of mechanisms whirring into action sounded. By the time the area lit up once more, he was already in another hall.

The entire layout was similar to the 1-star examination hall, but the area was visibly larger. There was a larger variety of ores and metals placed on the table in the room, and most of them were higher grade and rarer than the ones offered in the 1-star examination.

“Time to start work again!”

After swiftly examining the selection of ores and metals, Zhang Xuan picked 17 of them and threw them into the furnace. Working as he had previously, another metal lump was soon standing in front of him before long.

This metal lump looked even more horrendous than the previous one smithed. It was completely black, and no one would ever be able to make a correlation between it and a weapon.

This was the result of skipping the forging phase of the smithing process.

The forging process was essential to giving shape to the alloy. If one wanted a sword, one would have to hammer it into a sword. If one wanted a dagger, one would have to hammer it into a dagger.

However, putting aside the fact that this phase was extremely time-consuming, hammering was also a skill that one could only master through hands-on experience. With no prior experience whatsoever, it would be nigh impossible for Zhang Xuan to shape the weapons properly even if he were to attempt it in earnest.

Since that was the case, he decided to skip it altogether.

Once again, he placed the metal lump on the grading pedestal.

Weng!

With a brilliant flash of red light, a mechanical voice announced, “… the examinee has managed to smith a Phantom intermediate-tier weapon. Congratulations, you have passed the 2-star blacksmith examination!”

After clearing the 2-star blacksmith examination, Zhang Xuan immediately moved on to the 3-star.

An hour later, taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan said, “I request to challenge the 5-star blacksmith examination!”

After challenging four examinations consecutively, he was starting to feel a little drained despite his pure zhenqi.

Hu la!

The mechanisms rumbled into action once more, and an even larger room came into sight.

“They are all actually the same hall, it’s just my perception of it that has changed…”

After undergoing the ‘venue switching’ procedure several times, Zhang Xuan soon realized that despite the various differences among the examination halls, the location where he was hadn’t changed at all.

In the first place, the examination halls were only a simulation created by the Ocean of Weapons, not a real location. As such, changing the venue wasn’t a difficult job,

“Ashenstar Rock, Purpletopaz Metal, Greendust Stone… The materials offered in this examination sure are far better than the ones in the previous examinations…” Zhang Xuan remarked in awe as he examined the selection of ores and metals in the room.

There were plenty of rare materials in the previous four examinations as well, but they paled in comparison to the current spread before him.

Both the Ashenstar Rock and the Purpletopaz Metal were materials which Transcendent Mortal experts would kill to get their hands on. With them, they could forge top-notch weapons.

However, these superior materials did little to alleviate the grimness on Zhang Xuan’s face. While better materials did allow for the forging of better weapons, the criterion to clearing the examination was rising at an even faster pace.

To clear the 5-star blacksmith examination, he would have to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. It was impossible to smith a weapon of that tier with just good materials in hand!

More importantly, one had to wield incredible control over the metals and ores and command an extremely high understanding of the quenching process. Otherwise, the slightest mistake made could result in the wastage of these precious materials.

Hu hu hu!

Zhang Xuan’s hands went through the various metals and ores nimbly, synthesizing them together one by one. Unlike previous times, he was working with the metals and ores in the furnace this time around. As such, he had to regulate the temperature in the furnace through his zhenqi simultaneously.

Each metal and ore had its own melting point. In order to create a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, each material had to be processed carefully to bring out the finest properties within it in the resulting alloy, so the temperature had to be carefully regulated in the synthesis phase.

Soon, just as Zhang Xuan’s zhenqi was just about to be completely depleted, he finally finished synthesizing the last ore into the alloy.

Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan threw the metal lump into the water trough by the side.

“Quench!”

Tzzzzz!

A dense layer of mist formed around the water trough, concealing it from sight. Zhang Xuan activated his Eye of Insight to keep a close eye on even the most trivial of changes in the metal lump, and as its quality finally reached its peak, he quickly took it out.

Based on his experience in the previous examinations, he learned that it was easier for him to grasp the condition of the quenching process through his Eye of Insight, thus further enhancing the quality of the final product.

“Test!”

Once again, Zhang Xuan placed the metal lump on the grading pedestal.

Weng!

A mechanical voice announced, “… the examinee has managed to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. Congratulations, you have passed the 5-star blacksmith examination!”

“I’ve passed the examination!” Seeing that it was a success, Zhang Xuan’s body finally gave into exhaustion, and he fell weakly onto the ground.

Even though he had skipped the hammering stage, it was still tough work controlling the flames in the furnace with his zhenqi. At this point, his zhenqi was nearly completely depleted.

It was fortunately that he had still succeeded eventually.

“I should heal up first.” Sitting on the ground, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and a jade box appeared in his hands.

Opening the jade box, he immediately felt a gush of incredibly pure spiritual energy blowing at him; it felt as if small needles were pricking his skin, creating a tingling sensation.

A translucent stone sat inside the box.

This was Zhang Xuan’s first time using a high-tier spirit stone.

Those whose cultivation was too low would be unable to assimilate the pure spiritual energy within a high-tier spirt stones into their body. Even if they could absorb it, the spiritual energy would still leak from the minuscule pores in their meridians.

The meridians within the human body was similar to a sandpit in some ways. There were many fine pores in them such that while thick and viscous mud could flow through it, pure water would usually seep right through those pores, resulting in immense wastage.

In this analogy, the pure water would be referring to the concentrated spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone.

Spiritual energy, in its purest form, was extremely fine, to the point that it could easily seep through the smallest openings. Even if an ordinary human were to try to absorb the spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone, they wouldn’t be able to retain the slightest bit of it in their body.

Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm would the openings in one’s body be sealed like a cocoon, forming a Seamless Body. Only then would one be able to absorb the spiritual energy within a high-tier spirit stone to strive for greater heights.

Zhang Xuan was currently only at Cosmos Bridge realm, three realms away from reaching Chrysalis realm. Typically speaking, even if he had a high-tier spirit stone in his possession, he shouldn’t be able to use it.

However, having cultivated Heaven’s Path zhenqi, his body had already been reformed by it, granting him a physical body far stronger than other cultivators. On top of that, he had also reached the Second Incandescence of the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body. This granted him enhanced control over his body, allowing him to seal his pores to retain the fine spiritual energy from the high-tier spirit stone within his body.

Gu gu gu gu!

As the pure spiritual energy circulated in Zhang Xuan’s body as per the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it was swiftly converted into zhenqi before being deposited in his dantian.

His depleted dantian swiftly filled up, reaching full capacity within thirty minutes.

“As expected of a high-tier spirit stone, I was able to recover swiftly!” Zhang Xuan stood up and did some stretches.

If it had been a middle-tier spirit stone or a Spirit Gathering Formation, it would have taken at least several hours for his zhenqi to fully recover. However, through absorbing the spiritual energy in a high-tier spirit stone via the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he was able to recover within just thirty minutes. This was a pace comparable to most pills forged specially for recovering one’s zhenqi!

‘I still have another hour to go!’ Zhang Xuan thought in delight as he returned the high-tier spirit stone to his storage ring.

With an hour left, perhaps he might have enough time to challenge the 6-star blacksmith examination!

While his current cultivation was still a little too low, the depth of his comprehension in smithing was superior to most 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths. If he could pass the 6-star blacksmith examination as well, he would be spared from spending even more Academic Credits here.

Based on what he had seen and heard so far, he could tell that Academic Credits were extremely difficult to earn. There would surely be many places where he would require them in the future, so it was best for him to save as much as possible for the time being.

“Challenging the 6-star blacksmith examination is a little beyond my current cultivation at the moment. If I want to clear the examination, I won’t be able to skip the forging phase anymore…”

The reason Zhang Xuan had been able to clear all of the previous examinations was because of the superior quality of the alloy he had created. As such, even though the weapons he had smithed so far were just mere lumps of steel, they were still able to reach the required grade.

However, in the 6-star examination, he would have to handle ores and metals which were beyond his current cultivation, and this meant that he wouldn’t be able to process them as freely as he had all along. Due to that, it was unlikely that he would be able to clear the examination based on the quality of the alloy in itself.

In other words, if he wanted to clear the examination, he would have to forge the weapon… However, he had no experience with hammering whatsoever. If he were to start practicing now… would he still be able to make it in time?

Chapter 744: Attempting the 6-star Blacksmith Examination

 

“I won’t be able to make it in time…”

Hammering, just like pill forging, was a hands-on skill which could only be mastered through countless years of practice. Even with the Library of Heaven’s Path guiding him along, it would still be impossible for him to master the skill in time with only an hour left on the clock.

Just as Zhang Xuan was distressed as to what he should do next, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind, and his eyes lit up in excitement.

“Wait… Even though I can’t forge a sword or those of that sort, I can turn the iron lump into a hammer! That should be much easier than other weapons…”

There were many intricacies behind swords and sabers which made them extremely difficult to forge them, but that shouldn’t be the case for hammers!

With just a few hits on the metal lump, he should be able to create a hammer easily!

“Alright, it’s decided then!” With a smile on his lips, Zhang Xuan shouted, “I request to challenge the 6-star blacksmith examination!”

Weng!

The sight before Zhang Xuan changed once more, turning into an even larger hall.

Many ores and metals that would have been difficult to find in real life appeared before him.

After some contemplation, Zhang Xuan picked out a few dozen of them and brought them to the furnace.

Xiong xiong!

Tossing the ores and metals into the furnace, Zhang Xuan began with his smithing.

…

Meanwhile, Yuan Hong and a group of master teachers were standing outside the Ocean of Weapons, waiting for the results of the examination.

After all that had happened, it was already nearing midnight. However, it didn’t seem like anyone had the intention to leave.

That Zhang Xuan fellow had caused such a huge mess in the Blacksmith School, but not only did Vice School Head Yuan not punish him, he even escorted him to the Ocean of Weapons for him to take the blacksmith examination.

Everyone was curious to see what kind of legendary figure Zhang Xuan was for a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith to treat him with such respect.

“How far do you think he can advance in the Ocean of Weapons?”

“Do you even need to ask? With just four hours on the clock, he will only be able to clear the 1-star examination!”

“Even if he is a talented blacksmith who is capable of producing weapons at an unprecedented speed, he’ll only be able to clear the 2-star examination at the maximum. Anything beyond that is physically impossible!”

“Indeed. Just take the forging process for example, in order to hammer the alloy into the perfect shape, one would have to spend at least an hour or two on it. Even seasoned blacksmiths wouldn’t be able to go any faster than that!”

…

Everyone muttered with hushed voices.

Since that fellow declared that he would be challenging the 5-star blacksmith examination, he should possess the ability to smith a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon at the minimum. However, due to the time limit within the Ocean of Weapons, it would be difficult for him to reach 2-star.

Anything further than that would be plain impossible!

As such, there was no one here who really thought that he would be able to clear the 5-star blacksmith examination today.

Nevertheless, for a person who had never challenged the blacksmith examination before, clearing two stars simultaneously was still an incredible feat.

Just as everyone was waiting patiently for the results from the Ocean of Weapons, footsteps suddenly sounded. Turning their heads over, everyone saw a few elders walking over.

“Look, the school head is here!”

“No, it isn’t just the school head. The other vice school heads as well… Why are they all here?”

“They probably heard about the matter here and came over to take a look!”

The one who was leading the group was the head of the Blacksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, Zhao Bingxu.

There were three elders walking behind him, and they were the remaining three vice school heads.

After conducting a Meridian and Bone Cleansing for Luo Qiqi and the others, they decided to head over here to see if the legendary student would be able to clear the 5-star blacksmith examination.

“School head!” As if having guessed that the school head would come, Yuan Hong didn’t seem surprised in the least. He clasped his fist and greeted the other party.

“How is it? Has he begun the 5-star blacksmith examination yet? Judging from the current time, he should be done soon!” Zhao Bingxu asked with a smile.

“5-star blacksmith examination… This…” Yuan Hong muttered awkwardly.

Bewildered by Yuan Hong’s reaction to his words, Zhao Bingxu asked doubtfully, “What’s wrong? Isn’t it Zhang shi who is undergoing the examination inside at the moment?”

“It’s indeed him who is inside, but… it appears that Zhang shi has never taken a blacksmith examination before, so he is currently challenging the 1-star examination,” Yuan Hong replied.

“He has never taken any blacksmith examination before?” Zhao Bingxu exclaimed.

The other three vice school heads behind him were also stunned by the revelation.

Since that fellow had never taken the 1-star examination before, why in the name of Kong shi was he attempting to challenge the 5-star examination?

“Yes.” Yuan Hong nodded. “His intention before entering the Ocean of Weapons seemed to be to challenge the 2-star examination after clearing the 1-star examination. I wonder if he will be able to succeed.”

Before entering the Ocean of Weapons, that fellow had asked if he could challenge the subsequent examinations as well, so he was probably preparing to do so. It would be difficult, but that fellow might just be able to pull it off.

“Are you curious? Actually, we can just take a peek at it!” Zhang Bingxu chuckled.

“Take a peek? But the Ocean of Weapons is still in operation, how do we take a look?” Yuan Hong was bewildered.

By right, as long as the Ocean of Weapons was still in operation, it was impossible to know the results of the test inside. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be waiting here.

“While it’s indeed impossible to see the results within the Ocean of Weapons, we can always try to apply for the emblem for him! If the emblem appears, it will mean that he has cleared the 1-star examination!” Zhao Bingxu said as he stroked his beard.

“That… Indeed! Why didn’t I think of that?” Yuan Hong slapped his thigh and chuckled.

The emblem would be dispatched outside after one cleared the examination in the Ocean of Weapons. As long as one had cleared the examination inside, the system would distribute an emblem when an application was sent in.

It was impossible to know the results of the blacksmith examination directly since Zhang Xuan wasn’t out yet, but they could use this method to know how far he was into the examination!

If they were to succeed in applying for the 1-star emblem, it would mean that he had already cleared the 1-star examination and was in the midst of challenging the 2-star examination…

Such a simple matter, but to think that it had slipped his mind!

“Alright, I shall give it a try!”

Yuan Hong stepped forward, placed his hand on a button on the gigantic doors of the Ocean of Weapons, and pressed it lightly.

There was a momentary burst of light before an emblem fell from an aperture below the button.

“Oh? He cleared the 1-star examination?” Yuan Hong muttered as he grabbed the falling emblem.

It was Zhang Xuan’s 1-star blacksmith emblem.

Since it was dispatched, it could only mean that Zhang Xuan had cleared the 1-star examination.

“Since he has cleared the 1-star examination, he should probably be in the midst of the 2-star examination at the moment…” Zhao Bingxu nodded.

“Hmm, it is about to be four hours soon. Let me give it a try to see if he has passed the 2-star examination yet…” Yuan Hong pondered for a moment before placing his palm back on the button.

Weng!

Another burst of light, and an emblem fell from the aperture once more.

“Th-this is the 2-star emblem? He has cleared the 2-star examination as well?” Yuan Hong froze for an instant before hurriedly reaching out to grab the falling emblem.

In his view, clearing an examination within four hours was already extremely difficult in itself. Even if there was some spare time after clearing the 1-star examination, the chances were that the examinee would already be exhausted by then, making it nearly impossible to clear the next one. Yet, this fellow actually cleared two examinations consecutively… Was this for real?

“He’s cleared the 2-star examination?” Zhao Bingxu was taken aback as well.

He walked up to Yuan Hong, took the emblem from him, and examined it carefully. Inscribed on it was Zhang Xuan’s name. There was no doubt about it… he had cleared the 2-star examination within the four-hour limit!

“But if he has cleared the 2-star examination, why isn’t he out yet? Could it be that… he is trying for the 3-star examination?” Yuan Hong widened his eyes at that thought.

If Zhang Xuan wasn’t out after clearing the 2-star examination, did that mean that he was attempting the subsequent 3-star examination?

To still have the strength to attempt subsequent examinations after clearing the 2-star examination… What was that fellow made of?

“That should be the case. However, given the limited amount of time, it is impossible for him to clear the 3-star examination…” Yuan Hong shook his head.

As a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith, he knew how difficult smithing was.

Even with his current skills, he would only be able to smith Phantom low-tier weapons within four hours at best. Anything more than that was impossible!

To clear the 1-star and 2-star examination, Zhang Xuan would have to smith at least two weapons. However, no matter how proficient he was in smithing, he couldn’t possibly be faster than a 6-star pinnacle blacksmith. As such, how could he possibly be able to smith the third weapon?

“Let’s just try giving it a press…” Zhao Bingxu interjected as he walked up to the door and pressed on the button.

Weng!

Yet another flash of light and emblem.

“This… a 3-star emblem?”

Not only did Yuan Hong leap in shock, even Zhao Bingxu was stunned.

To smith three weapons within four hours, advancing from an apprentice to a 3-star blacksmith… This speed was insane!

“Could it be possible that…”

The duo glanced at one another, only to see the shock in each other’s eyes. Unable to stand the curiosity any longer, Yuan Hong pressed the button once more.

Huala!

Again, another flash of light and another emblem.

Yuan Hong swallowed his saliva and uttered hoarsely, “4-star… He is actually trying to clear up to the 5-star blacksmith examination within four hours…”

When that fellow said that he would challenge the 5-star blacksmith examination, Yuan Hong had regarded it as nothing more than a joke. After all, how could anyone advance from an apprentice to a 5-star blacksmith within a single day? But who could have thought that he would actually succeed!

Since the 4-star emblem had appeared, it could only mean that he was currently attempting for the 5-star blacksmith examination.

To smith four weapons within four hours, and not to mention, all four of them had to reach the required quality in order to clear the examination… How in the world was that fellow doing it?

Xiong Bing, who had been watching the scene, couldn’t help but ask, “Do you think that it’s possible that… he might have cleared the 5-star examination?”

“That’s impossible!” Hearing those words, Yuan Hong immediately shook his head in denial. “If he had cleared the 5-star examination, he would have been out by now. Why would he still be inside?”

But despite the words Yuan Hong was speaking, his hand still stretched out to press that button once again.

Huala!

And yet again, another emblem fell from the aperture.

Grabbing it hurriedly, Yuan Hong rubbed his eyes and stared at the name and rank inscribed on the emblem, and his body began shaking intensely.

“A 5-star emblem… H-h-h-h-he has even cleared the 5-star blacksmith examination as well? T-t-t-then… what examination is he taking at the moment?”

Yuan Hong felt as if everything he had known about the world was crumbling before his eyes, and tears threatened to spill down his cheeks.

If they could apply for the 5-star emblem but that fellow wasn’t out yet, didn’t that mean that the fellow was attempting the 6-star blacksmith examination?

But how could that be possible?!

Even if he had sufficient time to attempt it… his cultivation was too low to clear the examination!

In order to become a 6-star blacksmith, one must be able to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon at the minimum, and in order to do so, the minimum cultivation one must possess was Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm!

This was a well-known fact amongst blacksmiths. Until one had achieved a Seamless Body at Transcendent Mortal 9-dan Chrysalis realm, the inadvertent leakage of zhenqi would result in imperfections in the smithing process, making it impossible to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon.

For a weapon to reach Spirit pinnacle, it had to be rich in spirit and nearly impeccable. If one couldn’t even control one’s body perfectly, how could one possibly forge such a weapon?

Weng!

In the midst of his shock, Yuan Hong subconsciously reached out to press the button once more, and with a flash of light, another emblem fell from the aperture again.

“6-star…”

As if statues, everyone froze in place, and silence loomed before the Ocean of Weapons.

Chapter 745: Accepting You As My Teacher’s Disciple

 

Usually in the four-hour timeframe in the Ocean of Weapons, one would only be able to raise one’s rank up by a single star. Yet, in a single seating, six emblems had been distributed by the Ocean of Weapons!

This meant that… in a single breath, he cleared the examination from 1-star all the way to 6-star, and it was all a success!

For a freshman with a Cosmos Bridge realm cultivation to actually clear the 6-star blacksmith examination…

Everyone couldn’t help but tremble out of sheer agitation and shock.

This was especially so for the female receptionist, Li Xuan. Her eyes rolled up, and she nearly fainted on the spot.

Through her conversation with him, she could tell that he possessed minimal knowledge of the Blacksmith School at best. And yet, such a person actually cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination…

She actually got impatient with a person who possessed the capability of a 6-star blacksmith! As such a thought flashed through her mind, she began shaking in fear. If there was a hole in the ground at this moment, she would dive in without any hesitation.

On the other hand, Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the other vice school heads also nearly blacked out.

To forge six weapons within four hours to progress from a mere apprentice to a 6-star blacksmith… Was he still a human?

“School head, do you think that… you would be able to do it as well?” Yuan Hong couldn’t help but ask with his quivering lips.

School Head Zhao boasted the greatest capability in smithing among them, and it was by a wide margin at that.

If there was any one of them who could match that achievement, it would only be School Head Zhao.

“I…” After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu eventually shook his head, “I couldn’t do it either!”

Despite his superior smithing speed, it was impossible for him to complete six weapons within six hours.

In truth, the smithing of lower grade weapons didn’t necessarily take less time than higher quality weapons.

It was true that lower quality materials were easier to process, making the synthesis phase much easier. However, the forging phase was still likely to be extremely time-consuming. While the material would be easier to shape, special care had to be taken in order to ensure that the weapon didn’t snap or deform. As such, the forging of the weapon still had to be done step by step.

In such a case, his incredible strength as a Saint didn’t provide him much of an advantage.

If he were to start from 1-star, 3-star would probably be his limit. Yet, that fellow actually reached 6-star in a single breath…

Was this feat still humanly possible?

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Yuan Hong asked hesitantly, “Then… the matter regarding accepting him as your disciple…”

“That…” A crimson tinge swiftly enveloped Zhao Bingxu’s face as he found himself at a loss for words.

He was still thinking a moment ago that he would accept the other party as his student and impart the essence of his comprehension of smithing to him, thus creating a beautiful legend for the Blacksmith School.

But… if that fellow was able to accomplish what he wasn’t able to, he would only be humiliating himself if he were to ask the other party to be his student!

Ji ya!

While the both of them were stuck in a dilemma and the others were frozen in shock, the Ocean of Weapons’ doors abruptly opened, and the silhouette of a young man came into sight.

At this moment, fatigue was written all over Zhang Xuan’s face, and his movements were sluggish.

Even though he had recovered some of his strength inside through absorbing the spiritual energy in the high-tier spirit stone, he had still overexerted himself in the 6-star blacksmith examination.

Ultimately, his current cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. Even with the enhancement from Heaven’s Path zhenqi and Heaven’s Path Golden Body, he was still pushed to his very limits. Thus, after clearing the examination, he had to rest for a moment before he could muster the strength to stand up and leave.

Nevertheless, it was fortunate that he had cleared the examination!

At the current moment, he was already a quasi 6-star blacksmith!

(In the Upper Nine Paths occupations, unless special exceptions are given from the headquarters, as long as one’s cultivation has yet to reach the required level, it could only be considered as a quasi-rank.)

“Zhang shi…” Yuan Hong walked over with admiration evident on his face.

If he was still a little conflicted a moment ago due to the destruction of the various amenities, at this moment, he finally realized how wise the school head’s decision was.

To be able to pass the 6-star blacksmith examination with just a cultivation of Cosmos Bridge realm, such talent had never been seen in the Blacksmith School’s thousands of years of history!

Given sufficient time, he would surely become yet another Wu Yangzi of Hongyuan Empire!

With such a figure in the Blacksmith School, the reputation of the school would soar, and more talents would opt to join their ranks as well.

“Here is your emblem!” Yuan Hong stepped forward and passed Zhang Xuan his quasi 6-star emblem.

“Thank you!” Taking the emblem, Zhang Xuan nodded.

At this moment, another elder with a bright smile on his face stepped forward.

“Zhang shi, I am Zhao Bingxu!”

“Zhao Bingxu?” Zhang Xuan glanced at Yuan Hong doubtfully.

This name sounded extremely foreign to him. He didn’t know anyone who went by such a name.

Looking at the puzzled expression on Zhang Xuan’s face, the master teachers in the area staggered.

‘You came to the Blacksmith School to challenge its examinations, but you don’t know who the school head is? That’s really enough of you!’

Li Xuan could also feel tears pouring down her face.

She’d thought that Zhang Xuan was only ignorant of the rules of the academy, but it turned out that… he was ignorant of everything!

Yet, it was such an ignorant person who cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination, bringing the school head and vice school heads here just to meet him personally. On the other hand, she could only serve as a humble receptionist in the Blacksmith School…

Truly, how could the difference between two humans be so great?

Knowing that the young man before him truly didn’t know of the Zhao Bingxu’s identity, Yuan Hong hurriedly explained, “Zhao shi is the head of the Blacksmith School, one of the Ten Great Master Teachers…”

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted him.

“Zhang Xuan pays respect to School Head Zhao!”

While he had successfully cleared the 6-star blacksmith examination, there was still a huge gap between him and the head of the Blacksmith School and a member of the Ten Great Master Teachers.

“It’s okay, there’s no need to stand on ceremony, Zhang shi. It is heartening to see a man as young as you clear the 6-star blacksmith examination!” Seeing the young man retaining his humility despite his astounding achievement, Zhao Bingxu nodded in commendation.

“Thank you for your polite words, I was just lucky…” Zhang Xuan quickly replied.

With his current cultivation, it was extremely difficult for him to smith a Spirit pinnacle weapon. If not for a fair bit of luck here and there, he would still be a 5-star blacksmith at this moment.

“Luck favors the diligent and capable. It is rare to see a person who can still remain level-headed in the face of success. I can see why Luo Qiqi and the others are in awe of you,” Zhao Bingxu said as he stroked his beard. He was getting more and more fond of the young man before him.

Too many times he had seen young geniuses with their heads in the skies due to just a few accomplishments here and there. On the other hand, the young man didn’t allow his success to go to his head. It seemed like his smithing ability wasn’t just the only aspect of him that was admirable; his mental fortitude was incredible as well.

If he could accept such a genius as his disciple, his reputation would surely soar!

However… considering that the other party’s skills were not beneath his, it would be unlikely for the other party to accept it.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhao Bingxu smiled and said, “Zhang shi, your talent in smithing is unmatched by any in the younger generation! However, if you wish to reach greater heights, you must have someone to guide and correct you… With my shallow grasp of smithing, I dare not ask you to become my student. However, if you wish, in the stead of my teacher, I hope to accept you as his student!”

“Accept me as your teacher’s student?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“That’s right. My teacher is a 7-star master teacher in Qingyuan Conferred Empire, and he possesses great prestige there. I’m sure he would be more than glad to have a talented blacksmith like you as his student!” Zhao Bingxu replied.

“School Head Zhao will accept that fellow as his teacher’s student in place of his teacher?”

“If that were to happen, does that mean that Zhang shi would be School Head Zhao’s junior?”

“This…”

“To become the junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers, the student of a 7-star blacksmith… Regardless of which title it is, there will be no one who will dare to stand in his way in the academy!”

“This is amazing…”

…

Hearing the conversation between the duo, an uproar broke out amidst the master teachers in the area.

Even Yuan Hong had nearly fell to the ground from shock.

He already found it shocking to hear of School Head Zhao’s intentions to take Zhang shi in as his student, but for him to become his junior instead… This was madness!

If Zhang shi were to accept that offer, wouldn’t that mean that he would be a peer to them?

For a Grade 1 student who hadn’t even received his student token yet to become the school head’s junior…

Yuan Hong, Xiong Bing, and the others glanced at one another with bulging eyes.

But as insane as this matter sounded, Zhang shi had already shown that he was qualified for that.

To advance from an apprentice to 6-star in a single breath… This had never ever been done before, and this record would likely remain unbroken for ages to come!

Perhaps the unfathomable Sage Clans in the Conferred Empires might be capable of such a feat, but one thing was for sure, this feat was beyond everyone in the Master Teacher Academy.

“This…” Not expecting that there would be another person who would attempt to take him in as his student once more in the same day, this time in the stead of his teacher, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply for a moment before shaking his head. “I am truly apologetic, but I already have a teacher named Yang Xuan. For the time being, I don’t intend to acknowledge any teachers.”

If Zhang Xuan were to accept the other party’s offer, he might find several restrictions imposed on him. At the same time, he could easily accumulate any required knowledge by reading through books. There was no need for him to learn from another.

“He rejected the offer?”

“That was an opportunity to become School Head Zhao’s junior!”

“The world has gone mad, truly mad! An opportunity to become the student of the school head is something that countless have dreamed of, and yet he rejected an offer to become his junior… Slap me, I want to see if I am dreaming!”

“Rejecting an offer to become a student of a 7-star master teacher, what else does he want?”

…

Everyone became petrified upon hearing that rejection.

Countless here had laughed heartily when granted the opportunity of becoming School Head Zhao’s student, only to wake up and realize in dejection that it was just a dream.

Yet, that fellow wasn’t even willing to become School Head Zhao’s junior…

‘Why don’t you just ascend to the heavens?!’

At this moment, Luo Yan’s body was trembling in agitation, and he nearly fell to the ground weakly.

He had sneaked out from his quarters, and it was only after seeing this scene that he realized why his teacher’s attitude would change so abruptly.

A junior of one of the Ten Great Master Teachers… Just this title itself was deserving of Yuan Hong’s respect.

But what that left him tugging his hair in frenzy was that… that fellow rejected that offer!

Screw that!

‘Big brother, let’s negotiate about this matter. Why don’t we switch places… or rather, it’s fine if I can become your disciple too!’

“You… aren’t willing?” Zhao Bingxu was stupefied as well.

He had already gone this far, accepting that fellow as his teacher’s disciple out of fear that he wouldn’t be willing to become his student, but who could have known that he would be disagreeable to that as well!

‘Don’t you know that a formidable teacher means strong backing as well? Do you understand the kind of privileges and authority you will gain in the academy due to that?’

“School Head Zhao, thank you for your high appraisal of me!” Zhang Xuan bowed. He had an indifferent expression on his face, but the truth was that his heart was bleeding at this moment.

He had already crafted Yang shi as an unparalleled expert of the world. After all that had been said and done, he had little choice but to go on with his lie.

If he were to take another as his teacher so easily, what would that say about Yang shi?

How could he convince others that Yang shi was at least an 8-star master teacher when his direct disciple would take even a 7-star master teacher as his teacher?

Argh, he would have no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit he had sowed!

“I guess I was being a little too hasty…” Seeing the other party’s determined attitude, Zhao Bingxu sighed deeply. “Pardon me for my ignorance, but may I know who Yang shi is?”

Since Zhang shi could even reject the opportunity to become a student of a 7-star master teacher, it could only mean to say that Yang shi was a formidable master teacher himself… But if that was the case, why hadn’t he heard of the other party before?

“My teacher seeks a carefree life wandering the lands, not wanting to be tied down by fame. As such, there are very few who know of his name!” Zhang Xuan chuckled.

After a moment of pondering, Zhao Bingxu clasped his fist.

“I am interested in paying respect to the master teacher who is capable of grooming such an outstanding student. May I trouble Zhang shi to extend my regards to him?”

“You wish to meet my teacher?” Zhang Xuan froze.

“Indeed. You are an incredible genius, and I think that it’s a pity if we simply leave your talent for smithing be. It’s normal for a master teacher to have several teachers in his lifetime, and even Kong shi himself acknowledged quite a few people as his teacher—Tan shi, Li shi… Thus, I wish to meet Yang shi and discuss this matter with him. If we just impart the art of smithing to you, there shouldn’t be a conflict of interest!” Zhao Bingxu said.

Chapter 746: Zhang Xuan’s Flaw

 

“Ah…” Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

It seemed like the other party was truly determined to have him become his junior.

However, despite the various benefits that could come from the opportunity, he still thought that it was better for him to turn down the deal. The privileges would come with a set of responsibilities, and he wasn’t willing to bear them.

“Since Yang shi is also one of our own, surely it should be fine for us to just meet?” Zhao Bingxu stroked his beard.

He was indeed interested in meeting the teacher behind such an outstanding student.

“This… The truth is that my teacher has no fixed lodging, so I don’t know where he is at the moment either. However, I’ll make sure to relay your intentions to him the next time I meet him,” said Zhang Xuan with a conflicted expression.

‘What the heck is this?

‘All I wanted to do was to read my books patiently, take all of the required examinations, and leave dashingly. Who could have known that… everyone I met would be so intent on taking me as their student or their junior…

‘Do I look like an easy man?!

‘Seems like it’s about time to have Yang shi make an appearance. Otherwise, if the Ten Great Master Teachers visit me one after another, how can I read my books in peace?

‘I want to keep a low profile, you know!’

“Alright, that’s a promise then!” Zhao Bingxu chuckled.

“School Head Zhao and the other vice school heads, I have overexerted myself in the 6-star blacksmith examination, so I would like to return to my residence to rest. I’ll be taking my leave now!” Fearing that Zhao Bingxu would continue asking him about Yang shi’s affairs and put him on the spot, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

“Right, you must be drained by now. You should quickly return and have a good rest!”

“It must be exhausting to forge six weapons in four hours. Let’s talk tomorrow then!”

…

It was only after hearing those words that it struck Zhao Bingxu, Yuan Hong, and the others that the young man before them had just finished forging six weapons. In a moment of agitation, it had slipped their minds.

It was indeed rude of them to keep the other party with them when he was already on the verge of collapsing.

“Thank you!”

Hearing their agreement, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. However, just as he was about to leave, Zhao Bingxu’s voice sounded once more. “Since you have just joined the academy, you must be staying at the shared dormitory at the moment. Here is my personal token. Get yourself a residence in the Elite Sector with this. This will make it more convenient for us to meet and talk.”

As he said those words, School Head Zhao took out a token similar to the one Elder Mo had given him previously and proffered it to Zhang Xuan.

Back at the School Head’s Office, Yuan Hong had only spoken about how Zhang Xuan had destroyed the Passageway of Records. He didn’t mention that the latter had Elder Mo’s token in hand.

Besides, Zhao Bingxu clearly intended this as a gesture of goodwill to get on the good side of this rising talent. Were it not for Yuan Hong’s own personal token commanding less authority than the Ten Great Master Teachers’, he would have wanted to give his own to Zhang shi as well.

“This…” Zhang Xuan blinked in surprise.

“Take it. My token should bring you some convenience in the academy.” Zhao Bingxu nodded, indicating that it was fine for him to accept the gift.

“Thank you, School Head Zhao!” At the other party’s insistence, Zhang Xuan accepted the token.

He had already rejected the other party’s offer once, so it would be disrespectful of him to turn down this gift as well.

However, as the crowd saw the look of reluctance on Zhang Xuan’s face as he accepted Zhao Bingxu’s token, their mouths twitched violently, and they nearly burst into tears.

One must know that it was difficult for an average student to even meet School Head Zhao.

School Head Zhao had come personally to meet that fellow, and not only did he reject the offer to become his junior, he was even unwilling to accept the token… Where did this freak come from?

Did he know how many of them wanted to pummel him to death right then because of that reluctance on his face?

“I’ll be taking my leave then!”

Taking the token, Zhang Xuan immediately turned around and left. Before long, he had already disappeared over the horizon.

“It sure is a huge pity…” Watching as Zhang Xuan’s silhouette disappear, Zhao Bingxu shook his head.

“A pity?” Yuan Hong asked, uncomprehending of Zhao Bingxu’s words.

“Zhang shi is an incredible genius. Despite his politeness, I can still see the pride in his eyes. It will be hard to win him over with material gains. It will be nigh impossible to retain him in the Blacksmith School!” Zhao Bingxu sighed.

“You’re right.” After a moment of contemplation, Yuan Hong nodded as well.

That was an opportunity to become School Head Zhao’s junior, but he still rejected it without much hesitation… As such, what else could the Blacksmith School offer him?

Surely there wasn’t anything as attractive as that?

“Let’s just take a step at a time and see what we can do. In any case, make sure to treat him with respect and don’t offend him,” Zhao Bingxu said.

After which, he turned his eyes to the Ocean of Weapons and said, “Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing, follow me in. I am really interested to see how he managed to forge six weapons in four hours!”

Even Zhao Bingxu himself had to concede that it was impossible for him to forge six weapons and advance from an apprentice to a 6-star master teacher within four hours. How did a Cosmos Bridge realm blacksmith accomplish a feat that was even beyond him?

“Yes!” Yuan Hong and Xiong Bing nodded.

In truth, they harbored the same doubts as well.

Thus, the group pushed open the towering doors of the Ocean of Weapons and walked in.

As the head of the Blacksmith School, Zhao Bingxu wielded special privileges that allowed him to enter the Ocean of Weapons even without using Academic Credits.

“Let’s look at the recordings of the examination!” Zhao Bingxu said as he flicked his finger.

Weng!

The Ocean of Weapons whirred into action, and Zhang Xuan’s figure from a moment ago, when he was still taking the examination, appeared before the group’s eyes.

There was a special installation in the Ocean of Weapons that allowed it to record the happenings in the examinations and replay it, so that others could study and learn from outstanding examinees.

Hu!

Under the gazes of the group, Zhang Xuan casually grabbed a couple of ores and metals and threw it into the furnace. After which, he retrieved them and synthesized them together before tossing it into the quenching fluid straight.

“This…”

“He went straight into quenching without forging the weapon?” Everyone froze in shock.

“However, forging is indeed the most time-consuming phase in the smithing of a weapon. He could indeed save himself a lot of time through skipping it. This is a brilliant idea! Why didn’t I think of it?” Zhao Bingxu’s eyes glowed in excitement as he slapped his thigh.

Of the three phases of smithing, the most arduous and complicated procedure was, without doubt, hammering the ingot into its intended shape. If one could skip this step, one could indeed save a fair bit of time.

However… could the product of this smithing still be considered a weapon?

Soon, they saw Zhang Xuan retrieving a metal lump from the quenching fluid before placing it on the grading pedestal. After which… he cleared the examination.

“To think that a mere alloy which hasn’t undergone hammering yet could reach Phantom low-tier. Incredible!” Xiong Bing nodded in commendation.

It was not without reason that weapons were called “creations under a thousand hammerings”. The purpose of the forging phase wasn’t just to shape the weapon but to strike out the impurities in the weapon and balance out the alloy as well, thus enhancing its quality. Yet, without a single hammering, that fellow was able to make a mere metal lump achieve the quality worthy of being deemed as a weapon.

Even as 6-star pinnacle blacksmiths, none of them were capable of doing the same!

“To craft such a perfect alloy would require a thorough understanding of every single property of the ores and metal, so as to determine the temperature of the furnace, the timing of the synthesis, and deduce the reaction from the synthesis…”

“On top of that, he has to work on the metals and ores simultaneously in the synthesis process while controlling the heat in the furnace through his zhenqi… To be able to multitask that well, it could only mean that he has a powerful soul as well!’

“Furthermore, to be able to remain unfazed at such proximity to the furnace, and even grab the searing alloy barehanded… How powerful must his physical body be?”

“His movements are fluid, devoid of the slightest hesitation. This goes to say that he possesses mental fortitude, allowing him to move confidently without allowing doubt to hinder him!”

…

The longer they watched, the more astonished the group became.

Synthesizing the metals and ores into an alloy and quenching it straight after, they could easily do the same as well. However, it was a different question whether they would be able to clear the examination with what they created.

In fact, even the legendary grandmaster blacksmith, Wu Yangzi, didn’t seem to be capable of this feat!

Was that fellow really an inheritor of Wu Yangzi’s heritage and not his teacher?

Soon, they reached the 6-star blacksmith examination simulation.

With each flick of a finger, a melodious metallic ring sounded. Before long, a massive metal hammer appeared before Zhang Xuan.

“This…”

“Is this really a weapon forged by a blacksmith?”

Judging by how skillful that young man was in his hammering, they’d thought that the end product would astound them, just as he had done many times before. Who would have thought that… his work would turn out to be so hideous!

Are you sure that it is a metal hammer and not a steel tower?

Everyone glanced at one another speechlessly.

After watching the entire examination, Zhao Bingxu couldn’t help but remark, “It seems like… Zhang shi does possess great talent, but… his forging skills are still a little lacking!”

“Lacking is an understatement… It is as if he has never learnt hammering before!” Yuan Hong shook his head.

Honestly speaking, not even an apprentice blacksmith would create a hammer as terrible as his.

Flame control, synthesis, quenching… All of these, Zhang shi had perfect grasp over. Yet, why would he simply fail so utterly in the hammering phase?

One must know that this was actually the simplest phase of the entire smithing process. It could easily be mastered through repetition…

“But this works to our advantage as well. We can use this opportunity to teach him and rally him to our Blacksmith School!” Zhao Bingxu smiled.

He was still thinking about how he could win Zhang Xuan over and tie him down to the Blacksmith School when this opportunity appeared before him. With this, he could step forward and guide the other party along, thus making him indebted to the Blacksmith School!

“Yes, that’s a good idea!” The other vice school heads also nodded in agreement as well.

Their only fear was that Zhang Xuan would have no flaws at all. As long as he had a flaw, they could use it as an impetus to approach him and build a close relationship with him.

Once he started learning from one of them, it would just be a matter of time before he was tied down to their ship!

…

On the other hand, after returning to his residence in the Elite Sector, fatigue finally set into Zhang Xuan’s body, leaving him feeling weak throughout.

While he did cut some corners in his work, it still hadn’t been an easy feat for him to smith six weapons within four hours.

His zhenqi was depleted, and his spirit and soul were worn out.

If not for his soul having broken the ten meters bottleneck, he might have just collapsed in the midst of the examination.

“I didn’t have a chance to examine it before, but it seems my soul has undergone a qualitative change after breaking the ten meters bottleneck.”

After absorbing some spiritual energy from his high-tier spirit stone to recharge, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a matter.

Back in the Chamber of Earth Flame, when his soul had successfully overcome the ten meters bottleneck, he vividly felt some changes in his soul. However, with the chamber collapsing on him right afterward and the various troubles afterward, he hadn’t had the opportunity to check on it yet.

Since he had some time now, it would be good for him to see what was going on.

His soul, physical body, and zhenqi: these were the three factors that stood at the foundation of his strength. Through past experience, he’d learned that it was essential for him to maintain a perfect grasp of his condition so as to avoid any unfortunate mishaps.

Activating the formation around him to block out any prying eyes, Zhang Xuan sat on the ground and closed his eyes.

Hu!

His soul left his body.

At this moment, his soul was as enormous as a giant. Even with his feet on the ground, his head could still easily reach the roof of the residence.

“Introspection!”

Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight to view the situation in his soul.

“What is this? H-how is this possible…”

Upon first glance, Zhang Xuan suddenly froze, and shocked exclamations escaped from his mouth.

Chapter 747: Return of the Innate Fetal Poison

 

Under the discerning gaze of the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could see a thin gray line floating amidst his massive soul. It resembled a parasite, leaving him with an ominous feeling within.

“This is… the Innate Fetal Poison?” Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

Even back when he was still in Tianxuan Kingdom, he had already noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in him. However, as he began to cultivate the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, the poison was suppressed by the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, thus crippling it for the time being. As time passed, he began to pay less and less heed to it.

Based on his previous investigation, he should be able to resolve the problem by becoming a 9-star master teacher before the age of thirty. Who could have known that… the Innate Fetal Poison would actually slip into his soul?

He could suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his physical body through his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, but how was he supposed to deal with it in his soul?

Zhang Xuan’s face turned livid.

A soul was the foundation of a human’s consciousness. Its destruction would spell irreversible death for one.

Zhang Xuan was still previously harboring the thought of focusing on the cultivation of his soul such that even if he was unable to resolve his Innate Fetal Poison, he could at least still live on as a soul.

But from the looks of it, this idea was impossible now.

Unknowingly, the treacherous poison had managed to seep into his soul.

As his soul was too weak before, he wasn’t able to perceive it. However, as his soul broke the ten meters bottleneck and grew even stronger and more sensitive, he finally noticed that something was amiss.

“Or perhaps… has the Innate Fetal Poison been in my soul from the very start?”

The Innate Fetal Poison was planted in him back when he was nothing more than a fetus in his mother’s womb. Given how vulnerable he was then, it shouldn’t have been too difficult for it to spread from his body to his soul, or vice-versa.

However, considering how it had been some time since he’d become a soul oracle, it didn’t seem quite possible for him to have never noticed the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul all along. It was as if that congregation of Innate Fetal Poison had been invisible to him all along!

Or could it be that it was simply too weak for him to perceive then? If that was the case, could it mean that the Innate Fetal Poison was leeching off his soul, growing along with it?

‘What should I do? Will the Innate Fetal Poison be triggered sooner if I continue cultivating my soul?’ Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

Without the Heaven’s Path zhenqi, it would be difficult for him to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison. If the poison in his soul were to trigger, he would be helpless before it.

What the heck was this!

The other protagonists that transcend to another world were either top-notch geniuses or given overpowered artifacts that allowed them to dominate the world. It was one thing for him to have been born with average talent, but he was even given such a ‘gift’ from the world. What crime did he commit in his previous life to deserve this?

While the Soul of Heaven’s Path was indeed powerful, it shared one common trait with the other souls—it was incapable of harnessing zhenqi, and this included the Heaven’s Path zhenqi as well. Without the Heaven’s Path zhenqi to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison, it would be able to do as it pleased in his soul.

In other words, his life and death hinged on the whim of that monstrosity!

“Unless… I can find something to suppress it!”

If his Heaven’s Path zhenqi couldn’t help him suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul, he would just have to find something else that could!

Otherwise, if that monstrosity were to get into a bad mood and wreak havoc, he might just die a premature death.

It wouldn’t do to simply bank his fate on luck.

“Soul oracle is the occupation that specializes in the topic of souls. I have received Mo Hunsheng’s heritage, but there isn’t any method for me to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in there. Furthermore, the heritage of soul oracles has been wiped out by the Master Teacher Pavilion, so it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to find a solution from there…” Zhang Xuan contemplated.

If he wanted to find something to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison in his soul, he would have to first find something compatible with his soul. To do so, he would first have to deepen his understanding regarding souls.

However, with the heritage of the number one occupation specializing in the study of souls extinct, he could only try to find another substitute for it.

“Of the ten schools in the Master Teacher Academy, the supporting occupations that can influence one’s soul are painter, demonic tunist, and terpsichore. Painting can calm hearts and build conception, but it possesses no offensive capability whatsoever. On the other hand, demonic tunist and terpsichore can beguile hearts and destroy souls. Thus, I should focus on the latter two instead.”

The other supporting occupations such as beast tamer, blacksmith, celestial designer, and physicians had little regarding the study of souls.

At this point, the only two occupations which could possibly help Zhang Xuan were demonic tunist and terpsichore.

Those two occupations specialized in the beguilement of souls, so they should have a sizeable collection regarding the study of souls.

“Un, I will pay those two schools a visit when dawn comes!”

Time waited for no one. Every day he waited meant an additional day where he could be killed by the Innate Fetal Poison.

However, it was already nearing midnight, so it was unlikely that their facilities would still be open. Thus, it would better for him to head there after daybreak.

Even though there was an event in the academy tomorrow, in which the teachers of the academy would accept students under their tutelage, it didn’t make a difference to him whether he went there or not.

After all, if he intended to seek a teacher, he would have already accepted Zhao Bingxu’s offer to become his junior. It would be pointless for him to reject that offer and seek a normal teacher instead.

Even if a student was left without a teacher at the end of the event, it wasn’t the end of the world for him. For one, he could still attend public lessons.

Besides, Zhang Xuan’s main goal for coming to the Master Teacher Academy was to access the collection of books in here. In view of that, it didn’t matter whether he had the guidance of a teacher or not.

“I don’t think I can sleep tonight. I guess I shall take a look at how Wang Ying and the others are doing!”

With the issue regarding the Innate Fetal Poison weighing down his mind, it was unlikely that he would be able to rest. Since that was the case, he might as well take a look at how his students and butler were doing and provide them some guidance on their cultivation.

Otherwise, they might find themselves lagging too far behind Yuan Tao, Zhao Ya, and Lu Chong.

Thus, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out of his room.

Turbid clouds shrouded the night sky, and not a single star or the moon was to be seen.

Even on such a dark night, it would be too conspicuous for him to travel using the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, especially since there were sentries keeping a lookout for the aerial space in the academy given the presence of Saint realm experts in the city. After a moment of hesitation, he decided to summon the Great Violetwing Beast.

There were quite a few students in the academy who bore the beast tamer occupation, so aerial spirit beasts were allowed to travel to and fro unrestricted grounds in the academy.

Leaping onto the back of the aerial spirit beast, Zhang Xuan flew out of the academy.

Before heading to Leiyuan Peak, Sun Qiang had already found a residence, and he had informed Zhang Xuan of the address as well. After a couple minutes of flight, a small residence soon came into sight.

This residence was only a few hundred meters square large, significantly smaller than the previous one they’d stayed in.

Nevertheless, in Hongyuan City where every inch of ground was worth a fortune, it must have taken a huge deal of effort to find a residence of this size.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leap down from the Great Violetwing Beast’s back, he suddenly frowned.

“Eye of Insight!”

With a sharp gaze, he surveyed his surroundings.

Soon, he saw a few shadows hidden inconspicuously in the shadows around the residence, seemingly up to no good.

“They are all Ethereal Treading realm experts!”

While they had done a good job concealing their trail, they were still unable to fool the Eye of Insight.

Zhang Xuan could feel immense power lying dormant in their bodies, as if a crouching mighty dragon. Astonishingly, they were all Transcendent Mortal 8-dan experts!

Why would such experts be lurking around his residence?

Could it be that they meant Sun Qiang and the others harm?

“We have just arrived here, and Sun Qiang and the others have nothing much of fortune on them either. How did they catch the eye of such experts?”

While Ethereal Treading realm cultivators weren’t the top tier power in Hongyuan City, they were definitely considered experts here.

For so many experts to surround a small residence, what could they be up to?

Surely Sun Qiang and the others didn’t have any possession on them that could attract their attention?

“Forget it, this is a good opportunity to try out my new strength!” A glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes.

At Leiyuan Peak, he had managed to advance his cultivation to Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle, resulting in his zhenqi strength rising to 8,000,000 ding. In the Chamber of Earth Flame, he had managed to achieve Second Incandescence in the Quintuple Incandescence Golden Body, thus enhancing his overall physical strength to 8,000,000 ding as well. Factoring in the 3,200,000 ding of strength from his soul cultivation, the overall might he could harness added up to almost 20,000,000 ding.

This granted him the strength to fight with Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage experts on equal grounds!

Since those fellows seemed to be up to no good, there shouldn’t be any trouble using them as punching bags.

Hu!

With a leap, Zhang Xuan descended from the back of the Great Violetwing Beast.

Since the Great Violetwing Beast was maintaining a high altitude in the sky, the several men hidden in the shadows didn’t seem to notice Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi and activated the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Step. As if a light feather, he slowly drifted down amidst the cloak of the night sky.

“I should start from the weakest!”

There was a total of four men hidden in the area, and the weakest of them was at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage. Silently, as if an apparition, Zhang Xuan’s figure floated stealthily toward the masked man hidden behind an ancient tree.

By cloaking his vitals with his Heaven’s Path zhenqi, he was able to erase his presence such that not even a Chrysalis realm expert would be able to notice him.

He silently gathered his strength on his palm and pressed it against the masked man.

The masked man behind the ancient tree felt an abrupt jolt on his back before immense might began gushing through his body, sealing every single one of his meridians.

Putong!

The next moment, he was already lying on the ground, unconscious.

“Oh? This isn’t as difficult as I thought it would be!” Zhang Xuan muttered.

It was just a day ago that he was still completely powerless before an Ethereal Treading realm expert, but at this moment, he could already incapacitate them without much effort.

After knocking the first one out, he turned his gaze toward his second target and slowly made his way over.

The target this time around was an Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage expert. He was slightly warier, and Zhang Xuan was discovered before he could make his way to him. Just as he was able to exclaim to warn his other comrades, he suddenly felt an extremely heavy pressure pushing on his soul, rendering him incapable of speech.

It was an assault on his soul!

While he was an Ethereal Treading realm expert, he was far weaker than Zhang Xuan when it came to the prowess of their souls. As a result, he was paralyzed for half a second.

It was a short moment, but a moment was all it took to overwhelm an opponent in a battle.

Hu!

Executing the same palm strike, the second target was also knocked unconscious. Even at the point when his consciousness faded, he wasn’t able to see the face of his assailant.

“It was easier for these two because they are weaker, but it probably won’t so as smoothly for the remaining two…”

After knocking out two of the four targets, Zhang Xuan exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

In terms of absolute strength, the two he had knocked out were weaker than him. However, the remaining two were at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage and pinnacle respectively, and this meant that both their cultivation and absolute strength were higher than his.

As such, it wouldn’t be easy for him to assault them and knock them out as easily as the other two.

“It’ll be troublesome if they band together upon noticing my presence. I should clear one of them as fast as I can first!”

While it would be difficult to strike out the remaining targets with a single strike, he should be able to overwhelm his opponent swiftly using the element of surprise as long as he attacked decisively. Thus, he pushed his foot powerfully against the ground.

Hu!

With movements as swift as lightning, he rushed straight for the Ethereal treading realm advanced stage masked man.

Heaven’s Path Movement Art!

Zhang Xuan’s movements were so fast that one could only barely see a shadow flitting across the darkness.

“What?”

The huge gale raked up by the Heaven’s Path Movement Art alarmed the remaining two targets. The Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage masked man whom Zhang Xuan was aiming for narrowed his eyes, and cold sweat suddenly began trickling down his back.

However, it was already too late for him to do anything. Just as he was about to flee, a fist was already heading straight for his solar plexus.

Peng!

This punch harnessed the great momentum of the Heaven’s Path Movement Art and the immense strength of the Heaven’s Path Fist Art, creating an overwhelming might that couldn’t be opposed.

Pu!

Before the masked man could react, he was already struck squarely by the fist. Fresh blood spewed from his mouth as he flew a dozen meters away, striking head first into a massive boulder before passing out.

Chapter 748: Spirit Emporium

 

“You are seeking death!” the final masked man howled.

He didn’t expect to be assaulted here, and his face turned livid. Clenching his jaw, he drove his zhenqi, and the powerful aura of an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert gushed from his body.

Hu!

The masked man raised his hands, and his zhenqi suddenly flooded the area. In an instant, the air around Zhang Xuan grew viscous. There was an immense resistance against every single movement he made, resulting in a huge dip in his movement speed.

His strength didn’t pale too far in comparison to the other party, but due to the difference in their cultivation, and thus the comprehension of nature, his ability in utilizing zhenqi was far beneath the other party’s. In a battle, this would pose as a significant disadvantage.

In other words, while he could stand toe-to-toe with an Ethereal Treading realm expert in a direct clash of strength, he was still severely handicapped in a proper battle.

“Break!”

But even so, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t allow himself to be defeated without any resistance. Gathering his strength, he abruptly kicked forward.

Huala!

Under the immense force nearing 20,000,000 ding, the zhenqi spatial lockdown shattered like a broken mirror.

Hu!

Activating the Heaven’s Path Movement Art once more, Zhang Xuan charged right up to the masked man.

Hua la!

A fist as tough as adamantium shot forth for the masked man.

“Humph!” After the first clash, the masked man could already see that his opponent’s cultivation was only at Cosmos Bridge realm pinnacle. While the other party might have raised his strength significantly through some unknown means, it was still a far way from reaching up to him, an Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert!

There was no way he could lose to a Cosmos Bridge realm opponent!

Gathering his zhenqi in his arms, he struck back with a palm strike.

Hua la!

His hand carried great might that seemed to be more than capable of collapsing mountains.

Spirit high-tier battle technique, Mountain Collapsing Palm!

In a moment of daze, it felt as if the heaven and earth had dimmed in the face of this palm. Even if his opponent was another Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle expert, he was confident he could overpower the other party easily!

This was the strongest battle technique he had up his sleeves. The bizarre means of the fellow before him had sent warning bells ringing in his head, so he decided to use his strongest technique right from the get go.

He thought that he would be able to send that fellow flying in an instant with this strike, incapacitating him. But who knew that before his palm could even reach, he would hear the other party’s excited voice.

“A head-on confrontation? Great!”

Following which, the young man before him agilely dodged to his left.

“This…” Upon seeing this maneuver, the masked man’s soul nearly fled his body from fright.

The other party’s hand was headed right for where the mingmen of his Mountain Collapsing Palm was located!

Every technique had its own flaws, this was something inevitable. However, as long as one were to move with sufficient speed, one could prevent one’s opponent from exploiting one’s weaknesses. As such, in a battle among experts, it was rare to see the striking of mingmen.

However, it was as if that fellow had known the flaws of his Mountain Collapsing Palm from the very start, moving right into his blind spot to strike his mingmen as soon as he began executing the technique.

Putting aside how he knew the mingmen of his technique, to be able to recognize it and react instantaneously, how deep of an understanding of the Mountain Collapsing Palm must he possess?

However, at this crucial moment, he had no time to process his shock at all. His rapidly twitching eyes saw the young man’s finger leisurely reaching for the weakness in his technique, but due to the immense momentum from his offense, he couldn’t move away at all.

Pu!

It was just a light jab, but his body was immediately sent flying into the distance. His zhenqi was sent into disarray, and fresh blood spurted from his mouth like a fountain. Eventually, he struck a tree and fell to the ground.

That jab had precisely struck the center of his flow of zhenqi, sending the zhenqi in his body into a devastating rampage instantaneously, tearing apart his meridians and acupoints. Even if he were to recover from his injury, his cultivation was pretty much crippled at this point.

Sensing the changes in his body, tears flowed down the masked man’s face.

He had practiced the Mountain Collapsing Palm to a very high level, making it difficult for his opponent to notice the flaws in his technique. How in the world did that fellow find it and even strike it precisely without the slightest deviation?

If only he’d known that such a situation would occur, he would have never used the Mountain Collapsing Palm against that young fellow…

After knocking out all four of them, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and instructed, “Alright, bring those fellows to me!”

Roar!

Hearing the orders, the Great Violetwing Beast immediately got into action.

“Young Master, you’re here!”

“Teacher!”

Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others rushed out upon hearing the ruckus outside, and they immediately saw Zhang Xuan’s silhouette beneath the night sky.

The group walked into the residence, and after taking a seat, Zhang Xuan asked with a frown, “Did you offend anyone in the capital or cause any trouble somewhere?”

“Offend anyone? Cause trouble? We didn’t!” Sun Qiang replied.

“If you didn’t do anything, why would four Ethereal Treading realm experts be lurking around the residence?” Zhang Xuan questioned sternly.

“Four Ethereal Treading realm experts?” Upon hearing those words, Sun Qiang immediately leaped in shock.

At that moment, “putong!”, a stack of bodies was suddenly tossed at the doorway of the main hall by the Great Violetwing Beast.

“Take a look yourself!” Zhang Xuan pointed to the doorway.

Sun Qiang walked to the doorway and examined the faces of those masked men before shaking his head in confusion. “I don’t recognize any of these men…”

“If you don’t know them, why would they be loitering around our residence?”

However, what Zhang Xuan faced was only the bewildered gazes of his students and butler. Thus, he sighed deeply and waved his hands. “Bring them in!”

Roar!

The four men were lifted and dumped into the main hall.

As they had been fighting in the dark previously, Zhang Xuan didn’t have an opportunity to examine the profile of his opponents. Under the illumination from the Night Illumination Pearls in the room, he saw four middle-aged men, seemingly in their forties. They had a dark skin-tone and a large physique.

“Who are you? Why are you lurking around this residence?” Zhang Xuan turned to the Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle cultivator, the only one conscious of the four, and harrumphed.

“We were just passing by this area; we didn’t mean to alarm you,” the other party replied.

“Passing by?” Seeing how the other party was still trying to deny the matter, a sharp glint flashed across Zhang Xuan’s eyes as he waved his hands and instructed, “Kill them and toss their bodies outside the city!”

He was already in a bad mood, and that fellow still dared to play games with him.

Courting death!

Zhang Xuan wasn’t fond of bloodshed, but he didn’t mind staining his hands with the blood of those who dared to threaten the lives of his students and butler.

Roar!

Hearing the command, the Great Violetwing Beast immediately nodded in excitement. With a deafening roar, its talon swiped right for the four men.

If it were to land on them, their heads would surely explode on the spot.

“D-d-don’t kill me! I’ll speak! I’ll speak!” The lack of hesitation from the young man before him in ordering for their deaths sent a cold chill down the man’s spine. “I was only obeying orders from my master, I beg of you to spare my life…”

The man knew that he would never get an opportunity to speak again if he didn’t speak now, so he immediately gave in.

“Orders? Whose?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“The Spirit Emporium…” the man replied.

“Spirit Emporium?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had never heard of that place before, so why would the other party go after him?

“You are from the Spirit Emporium?” Sun Qiang froze for an instant before clasping his fist toward Zhang Xuan. “Young Master, the Spirit Emporium is a shop in Hongyuan City which deals with artifacts… Just today, I visited its storefront!”

“You visited the Spirit Emporium?” Zhang Xuan asked questioningly.

“Yes. After all, we are a little short on money at the moment… Thus, I thought of selling the treasures you have gathered from Huanyu Empire to tide us through this period, and after asking around, I eventually found the Spirit Emporium,” Sun Qiang explained.

Back in Huanyu Empire’s Mystical Treasure Hall, he had acquired quite a few artifacts, but he hadn’t found an opportunity to sell them so far. However, with their finances running low, Sun Qiang had no choice but to sell those artifacts.

Who would have thought that he would end up drawing eyes to their group?

“I see.” After asking a few more questions, Zhang Xuan soon got a clear grasp of the situation.

Even though the Spirit Emporium appeared to be a proper business on the surface, it was in fact a black market headed by a dangerous organization. Through their official business, they were able to find potential targets which their members could rob from to earn easy bucks.

Sun Qiang, Zheng Yang, and the others possessed weak cultivation, but they carried immense wealth with them. How could the Spirit Emporium possibly let such an easy target go?

Thus, the Spirit Emporium dispatched these four men for them. The main role of these four men was to scout their targets to ensure that there were no experts in their midst. If the targets were within their capability, they would then conduct an attack and plunder their wealth.

“How dare they try to rob my students and butler? They must be tired of living!” Zhang Xuan’s face darkened.

They should already be thanking the gods that he hadn’t brought destruction upon their organization yet, but to think that they would be so brazen as to lay their eyes on his students and butler instead!

Zhang Xuan turned to Sun Qiang and asked, “Where is the Spirit Emporium?”

“It isn’t too far from here. It should be a ten-minute journey on foot!” Sun Qiang replied.

“Alright then. Make preparations, we’ll pay them a visit at dawn!” Zhang Xuan commanded with narrowed eyes.

If he hadn’t come back on a whim, what would be awaiting him might very well be a river of blood and lifeless corpses.

Zheng Yang and the others had accompanied him throughout his journey, and he had already regarded them as his kin. Those who dare to inflict harm on his kin must be prepared to face his devastating fury!

If he couldn’t even protect his students and butler, what was the use of him pursuing even greater power?

“Yes!”

Hearing the veiled fury behind the young master’s words, Sun Qiang nodded.

Having accompanied the young master from Tianxuan Kingdom to here, he had gotten a clear grasp of the latter’s personality.

The young master was an easy-going person who was usually fine with anything. However, if anyone dared to threaten the safety of those around him, he would transform into a demon, destroying every single enemy in his way.

Back then, when Lu Chong was mortally wounded by Ding Chong, Zhang Xuan charged singlehandedly into Xuanyuan Kingdom to destroy its royal family, exacting vengeance for his student.

Since the Spirit Emporium had dared to lay its hands on them, the same fate would likely befall them.

Sun Qiang pointed to the four men in the center of the main hall and asked, “What do we do with these men?”

Zhang Xuan harrumphed.

“Cripple their cultivation and tie them up. We’ll send them back as gifts at daylight!”

“Yes!” Sun Qiang nodded before carrying the four men down with the Great Violetwing Beast.

With their departure, only Zhang Xuan, Zheng Yang, and his other students were left in the room.

Zhang Xuan had them execute a battle technique each and offered them some pointers on their techniques. Following which, he imparted them a simplified version of the Cosmos Bridge realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art before dismissing them so that they could spend the night slowly deciphering its essence.

After which, he returned back to his room.

Hu la!

With a flick of his wrist, a massive ape appeared before him.

Byzantium Helios Beast!

He had stuffed this fellow into the Myriad Anthive Nest earlier this afternoon, and since there was some time now, he decided to take it out.

“You… What do you want to do?”

The Byzantium Helios Beast had severe wounds inflicted all over its body, and its body was tightly bound, sealing his movements. Upon seeing the face of the ‘Otherworldly Demonic Tribe’s royalty’, it immediately gritted its teeth and roared in hostility, “Kill me if you want to, but don’t even dream of making me betray my master!”

…

At the same moment, in a magnificent courtyard within the Master Teacher Academy, an elder abruptly stood up.

“Mu shi, what’s wrong?” a calm voice asked by the side.

If the head of the Apothecary School was here, he would surely recognize the owner of the voice was the ‘junior’ whom Mu shi recommended here—Luo Ruoxin.

“Lady Ruoxin… I think I sense the aura of Byzantium Helios Beast!” Mu shi replied.

Strangely, his attitude was extremely respectful, unlike how one would usually treat a junior.

Most likely, Luo Ruoxin might really be a lady from one of the Sage Clans, just as everyone had guessed.

Chapter 749: Fatal Danger

 

“Byzantium Helios Beast?” The young lady frowned. “Do you mean the tamed beast of the old principal?”

“That’s the case.” Mu shi nodded. “I am an old friend of the old principal, so I am familiar with his tamed beast as well. Even though the aura is extremely weak, I am certain that it is him!”

As a close friend of the missing old principal, he was acquainted with Byzantium Helios Beast as well.

It was just this afternoon that he heard that the other party had been kidnapped by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so how could he remain calm when he sensed his aura at this very moment?

Knowing what Mu shi was thinking, the young lady said, “Go and take a look then.”

“Yes!” Mu shi nodded in gratitude before rushing in the direction of where the aura was coming from.

Watching Mu shi’s departing back, Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply.

“Since it’s so easy for him to find what he seeks, why can’t it be the same for me? If only I’d known earlier, I’d have brought that with me. Now that I can only sense the rough region where it is, who knows how long it’ll take before I can find it…” Rubbing her glabella, she shook her head before turning her gaze back to the night sky.

Just like that, the young lady stared deeply into the depths of the night sky, creating a transient painting of tranquility.

…

“Hah, you sure are loyal to your master!” Seeing the Byzantium Helios Beast declaring his fealty to his master, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Who knew what kind of magic potion the Otherworldly Demons fed this fellow for it to obstinately hold onto their secrets despite the beatings it had taken?

“Are you really not afraid of death?” Zhang Xuan asked coldly.

“What is there to fear from death? If I can be with my master after death, why should I be afraid?” the Byzantium Helios Beast roared.

“This fellow…” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The other party was extremely adamant on his view, unwilling to budge in the least.

What in the world was this?

The spirit beasts whom he had met before would usually be settled with just a kick or two, but not only did this fellow refuse to submit after all that beating, it still remained obstinately loyal to its previous master.

Honestly speaking, even Zhang Xuan was feeling a little impressed by now.

Its willpower was indeed commendable.

“This place isn’t wide enough…”

Seeing that the other party was unwilling to submit, Zhang Xuan was just about to give it another beating when he looked at the cramped room he was in and frowned.

The residence which Sun Qiang had gotten them was simply too small. If he were to summon the puppets here to pummel the Byzantium Helios Beast, the entire residence might just be torn down by them.

If even this residence were to be destroyed, where else would his students stay?

He had already used up his money on this residence, so it was impossible to purchase another one at this point.

“Forget it, I’ll head outside the city then!” Zhang Xuan muttered.

As long as he traveled a fitting distance away from the city walls, he should be able to do as he pleased without alarming anyone.

With such a thought in mind, he flicked his wrist and placed that fellow back into the Myriad Anthive Nest.

After which, he walked out of his room, activated the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, and headed to the skies.

As the residence was located in a rural part of the city, there were almost no guards or sentries stationed nearby, so there was no need for him to restrict himself. Furthermore, as unlikely as it was, it would still be better to have the Great Violetwing Beast guard the residence in case the Spirit Emporium sent another wave of assassins for them.

When it came to the safety of his students and butler, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Right after Zhang Xuan left the residence, another figure soaring through the night sky came to an abrupt halt.

“Hmm? His aura disappeared?” A white-bearded elder looked around him in confusion and frowned—Mu shi.

As soon as he sensed the Byzantium Helios Beast’s aura, he immediately rushed over. But just as he was about to zero in on the source of the aura, it abruptly vanished, as if it had never been there in the first place.

“Was he captured once more?” Mu shi frowned.

Even though he had declared that anyone who found the Byzantium Helios Beast would be declared as the next principal, this didn’t mean that he should remain idle when an opportunity to save the latter appeared before him.

The Byzantium Helios Beast was the tamed beast of his old pal, and he had slain many Otherworldly Demons in his time, saving countless humans from harm.

“There is someone there!” Scanning the area, Mu shi suddenly spotted a silhouette on the horizon.

Even though he couldn’t determine the extent of the other party’s cultivation, he should still be a Saint at the very minimum, considering that he was capable of flight.

“To be traveling in the middle of the night, there’s something amiss here…” Mu shi frowned. “I should go over and take a look!”

With such a thought in mind, he rushed toward the silhouette.

Every single Saint realm expert in Hongyuan City wielded immense prestige, and very few of them would choose to travel in the night. On top of that, the other party appeared as soon as the Byzantium Helios Beast’s aura vanished. This made the situation even more suspicious.

‘Hmm? Someone is following me?’ In the midst of his flight, Zhang Xuan suddenly noticed something, and his eyelids started twitching.

His current plan was simple: find a quiet place, teach the Byzantium Helios Beast a lesson, and force it to spew out the whereabouts of the Otherworldly Demons it was serving. Who would have thought that he would be followed as soon as he left his residence?

“To be able to mobilize even Saint realm experts, it seems like the water in the Spirit Emporium runs deeper than I thought!” Considering how his pursuer was flying in midair as well, there was no doubt about it—he was a Saint realm expert!

This fellow appeared right after he had subdued the four masked men, so the chances were that the Spirit Emporium had sent him here as well!

To have such an expert make a move over just that bit of wealth, the Spirit Emporium sure was persistent!

‘Could it be that… there are some precious artifacts amongst the items received from the Mystical Treasure Hall that I don’t know of?’

As he had obtained simply far too many objects from the Mystical Treasure Hall, he hadn’t bothered checking them properly.

However, considering that it was from Huanyu Empire, it should be unlikely for it to be worth much in Hongyuan Empire. Yet, the Spirit Emporium actually mobilized a Saint realm expert for his possession!

This was no different from making a mountain out of a molehill!

‘I should lure him out of the city and get rid of him!’ The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more furious he felt.

To send one wave after another, was the Spirit Emporium not tired of such games yet?

‘Dispatching four Ethereal Treading experts is already bad enough, but to even mobilize a Saint realm expert for us… Are you really that intent on seeing me rip apart your organization?

‘So what if your men have reached Saint realm?

‘Not even the Byzantium Helios Beast could subdue me, let alone more your men!

‘If a war is what you want, I don’t mind allowing Vicious and the other Otherworldly Demon puppets to make another appearance!

‘Did you think that you could climb over my head just because I am a newcomer in Hongyuan City?

‘No, I should still hold myself back. The Byzantium Helios Beast has pledged allegiance to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so there is no harm in killing him. However, the enemy this time around is a human, and the Spirit Emporium is aware of this operation as well. If the other party were to be killed and an investigation were to be conducted, I might risk exposing the existence of the Otherworldly Demon puppets!’

While Zhang Xuan wanted to eliminate the conceited fellow pursuing him, he knew that he mustn’t act recklessly.

Saints were the top powers in the city. The death of any single one of them would cause a huge uproar, so it would be best to avoid that altogether. On top of that, given that the Saint realm expert was dispatched to deal with Sun Qiang, the Spirit Emporium would surely know that their group was the culprit.

If the Spirit Emporium were to pull some strings and make a case against them, Zhang Xuan might eventually come under scrutiny as well.

And if the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious were revealed to be in his possession in the midst of the investigation, it would be difficult for him to account for that.

After all, how could a mere 4-star master teacher possess the ability to tame the head of the Otherworldly Demons and make those puppets obey his orders obediently?

There was no way he could absolve himself of blame once this was exposed, so he had to ensure that he wasn’t put into such a situation in the first place.

‘But if I don’t get rid of him, that will be a potential threat looming above me… What can I do?’

Considering the vicious deeds that the Spirit Emporium had committed over the years, what if the Saint realm expert were to lay their hands on him, or even worse, his students?

He couldn’t possibly just sit idly and watch it all happen!

‘Seems like it’s about time to let Yang shi make an appearance!’ After a long moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan made up his mind.

With his current capability, without tapping into the strength of Vicious or the Otherworldly Demon puppets, it was impossible for him to stand against a Saint realm expert. The only way he could get out of this situation was to… hoodwink the other party!

This wasn’t his first time doing something like this anyway.

As long as the other party acknowledged him as his teacher, the Spirit Emporium would be unable to send the other party after him.

With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan began reshaping his appearance to take on Yang Xuan’s form.

As his mastery of Heaven’s Path Golden Body deepened, he became more and more proficient in warping his muscles to alter his physical appearance, making it difficult for even a 6-star pinnacle master teacher to see through the disguise.

Not even Mo Gaoyuan had suspected that he and Yang shi were the same person back then.

Considering that his back was against the other party, it was late at night, and the other party hadn’t seen his appearance yet, he should be able to discreetly alter his appearance without the other party noticing.

After warping his appearance, he drove his Heaven’s Path zhenqi to alter the aura around him to create a fleeting and unfathomable impression.

When all was done, he heaved a sigh of relief before discreetly sending a glance behind.

‘Flaws!’ Zhang Xuan muttered internally.

In a sense, the flight of a Saint could be considered as the execution of a battle technique as well as it required one to drive their zhenqi, so he was able to compile a book on the other party via the Library of Heaven’s Path.

Weng!

The Library of Heaven’s Path jolted as a book materialized.

As Zhang Xuan’s body continued soaring ahead, his consciousness was already immersed in the Library of Heaven’s Path, reading the book which had just been compiled.

“Mu Yuan, 7-star master teacher from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. Saint realm 3-dan cultivator. Flaws: …”

‘7-star master teacher? Saint realm 3-dan cultivator?’ Zhang Xuan’s lips twitched as he nearly fell from the sky.

What was with the backing of the Spirit Emporium?!

How could they possibly be able to mobilize a 7-star master teacher as well?

Why would someone of the other party’s standing travel all the way from the Qingyuan Conferred Empire Master Teacher Pavilion just to grab his possessions? Was this for real?

‘It’s fortunate that I didn’t bring out the puppets, or else the one who would have been destroyed is me…’ While Zhang Xuan felt frustrated inside, he also felt relieved as well.

He could easily deal with Saint 1-dan and 2-dan spirit beasts with his bunch of puppets, but it would be a little iffy when it came to 3-dan.

At Saint 1-dan Void Pursuit realm, Saints would open the Zhukong acupoint, thus gaining the ability of free flight.

At Saint 2-dan Spiritual Perception realm, Saints would open their Incipient Eye, allowing them to extend their psyche over a distance, perceiving everything within their range spiritually.

Saint 3-dan Embryonic Soul realm was, in some ways, similar to Chrysalis realm. In the latter, one would gather the zhenqi stored within the dantian to forge an Embryonic Core, otherwise termed as Golden Core. As for the former, an Embryonic Soul reminiscent of an infant would break out of the Embryonic Core. As a result, this realm was also termed as Origin Soul realm.

Once one’s soul had been tempered into an Origin Soul, it would be able to tap into the power of the world. At this realm, one could be considered to have taken one’s first step into Sainthood, gaining the ability to overturn oceans and move mountains at a thought.

Furthermore, this would be done not through brute force but via zhenqi itself.

Against a Saint 2-dan, Zhang Xuan’s twenty Otherworldly Demon puppets could still overwhelm them with numbers. However, if the enemy was an Embryonic Soul realm expert, such a strategy wouldn’t work.

Even if he were to call upon Vicious’ prowess as well, it was impossible to tell if that fellow had any other trump cards up his sleeves.

If he wanted to call upon the Otherworldly Demon puppets and Vicious, he would have to be completely certain that he would be able to kill the other party. Otherwise, it would bring endless trouble upon him.

‘Forget it, I should see what kind of flaws he has and use it against him!’

Since neither fight nor flight was an option, he could only rely on his glib tongue to hoodwink the other party into obeying his commands. Success, he would be spared from danger, but failure… he would be squashed on the spot.

Swiftly browsing through the other party’s flaws, Zhang Xuan suddenly saw something that left his mouth widened and eyes bulging.

‘This…’