Chapter 866

Chapter 866: Zhang Xuan’s Prowess

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Zhang shi…”

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, the eyes of Hu Yaoyao and the others immediately lit up. They immediately attempted to retreat from the battle to unite with him, but their opponent harrumphed coldly. “Do you think that you can stop this battle just because you want to?”

Hu hu!

The opponent brandished the sword in his hand, and a powerful might immediately chased after Hu Yaoyao and the others, leaving them no choice but to turn around to counterattack.

However, their counterattack was still a little late, and the opponent’s slash left them with a deep cut on their arms.

What swift swordsmanship! Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up.

The opponent’s swordsmanship wasn’t exceptionally profound, but it made up for its simplicity with speed, preciseness, and exceptional mastery in the comprehension of Sword Intent. Despite collaborating with one another, Hu Yaoyao and the others were still unable to withstand its might, and they were pulled back into the battle once more.

Seeing the opponent attack Hu Yaoyao and the others relentlessly, leaving them no opportunity to escape at all, Zhang Xuan frowned. “That friend over there, we are all master teachers, so surely we can talk things out. There is no need to resort to a life-and-death duel!”

“You want the duel to stop? Sure, if you think that you can save them, you are free to try. Otherwise, I am afraid none of you will be getting out of here unharmed!” the Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivator fighting Hu Yaoyao and the others taunted with a smirk.

The opponent’s voice sounded extremely young, which drew Zhang Xuan’s gaze to his facial features. Astonishingly, he realized that the opponent seemed to be even younger than Hu Yaoyao and the others, possibly only in his early twenties.

To reach Chrysalis realm pinnacle at such a young age and subdue Hu Yaoyao and the others simultaneously, the opponent’s talent was truly fearsome!

Turning his gaze to the Half-Saint realm cultivator as well, Zhang Xuan noticed that the other party was only in his mid-twenties as well.

“Since that is the case, pardon me!”

Seeing that the opponent had no intention of stopping, if the battle were allowed to continue, Hu Yaoyao and the others would eventually suffer severe injuries. Thus, without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan leaped into the battle as well.

“Ethereal Treading realm?”

Sensing Zhang Xuan’s cultivation, the disdainful sneer emerged on the lips of the Half-Saint standing by the side, seemingly anticipating that Zhang Xuan would make a fool out of himself.

Even four Chrysalis realm pinnacle cultivators are no match for my companion. What can an Ethereal Treading realm primary stage like you possibly do? You are merely courting death!

“I was thinking, how formidable must you be to talk so much by the side? But it turns out that you are only at the Ethereal Treading realm. Since that’s the case, I will have you collapse first!”

The fighting young man also noticed Zhang Xuan’s weak cultivation, and the same disdainful sneer surfaced on his face as well. After pushing back Hu Yaoyao and the others with a powerful slash, he rushed straight toward Zhang Xuan with a stab.

Even before the sword arrived, the powerful aura it emanated would have already pierced deep into one’s body, leaving one shivering uncontrollably.

That young man might only have been at Chrysalis realm pinnacle, but the might of his sword surpassed even some Half-Saint experts.

It was no wonder Hu Yaoyao and the others couldn’t defeat him even in a four-to-one battle.

Facing such a powerful stab, Zhang Xuan didn’t bother to hide at all. Activating his Eye of Insight, he swiftly analyzed the area where the sword would land, and abruptly exhaled deeply.

Hu la!

Zhang Xuan’s chest immediately deflated along with the exhalation.

In a battle between experts, the slightest millimeter could make the greatest of difference. The sword was aimed right at his chest, but it seemed that the other party had no intention of killing him with this stab, aiming to only achieve a shallow pierce and stop right before his heart. However, with the deep exhalation Zhang Xuan had made, the rampaging force of the advancing sword stopped right before his chest instead.

Even the sharpest of sword can’t pierce the thinnest of cloth once it loses its momentum!

As powerful as the young man’s stab was, it had already run out of strength at this point. With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan lifted his hand and held the other party sword’s lightly between his forefinger and middle finger.

Weng!

As if a captured snake, the sharp sword wouldn’t budge no matter how the young man tried to pull it away.

What sharp insight and mental fortitude…

The Half-Saint cultivator by the side narrowed his eyes.

This movement might seem simple and lackluster, but it wasn’t something that just anyone was capable of pulling off. One’s eye of discernment and mental fortitude must reach be on par.

If one’s discernment wasn’t sufficiently keen and a wrong judgement was made, the sword could end up piercing one’s chest instead. On the other hand, if one lacked sufficient mental fortitude, it would be impossible to retain one’s composure before a life-and-death situation such as this.

Interesting!

For an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator to dare to face the sword of a Chrysalis realm pinnacle expert head-on, the other party sure had a lot of guts.

However, Wu Xu’s sword can’t be stopped that easily. He will have to pay a heavy price for it!

His companion might possess a weaker cultivation than him, but his mastery of swordsmanship was astonishing. The other party might have managed to catch his companion’s sword out of a stroke of luck previously, but… the true challenge had yet to come.

With his lips curled up, the Half-Saint cultivator turned his sight to the battlefield calmly, expecting to see how his companion would subdue the young lad. However, what he saw instead was his companion exerting all of his strength, such that his face had turned red, but was still unable to pull his sword out of the other party’s fingers.

What is going on? the Half-Saint cultivator’s eyebrow shot up.

His companion could be said to be invincible among cultivators of the same cultivation realm, but for his sword to be captured by an insignificant fellow who was nearly two realms weaker than him, and be unable to retrieve it from the other party’s fingers at that… How could that be possible?

“Y-you…”

While he was shocked, the person who was experiencing the situation personally, Wu Xu, was nearly scared out of his wits.

He had thought that the other party was a small fry who he could defeat in an instant. Yet, the stab that he had put a significant amount of strength into was not only negated by his opponent easily, he even had his sword trapped within the other party’s grasp!

“Let go!” Wu Xu roared as he gathered his strength and pulled furiously.

“Here you go!” Zhang Xuan abruptly released his grip.

“Humph!”

As expected of a combat talent, unlike the situation with Ying Qin, Wu Xu immediately did a somersault to neutralize the momentum from his pull, allowing him to recover his balance swiftly. After which, he charged forward and quickly sent another stab toward Zhang Xuan.

Knowing that his opponent wasn’t ordinary, Wu Xu’s stab was abrupt and much swifter than before. Before one could even process what was happening, the sword would already be right before one.

The Half-Saint nodded in approval upon seeing the stab. “This ‘Blithe Sword’ is well-executed. It seems he has achieved at least twenty percent of my mastery!”

That stab was swift and agile, carrying the aura of a conqueror!

It might be only twenty percent of his mastery, but that was already a fearsome level. Considering how close the two of them were, even of an average Half-Saint intermediate stage cultivator would be unable to dodge the attack!

There was no doubt about it; the Ethereal Treading realm lad’s defeat was certain!

“You really want to have a go at it, don’t you?”

If Zhang Xuan had been unable to react, he would have surely suffered severe injuries under the assault. Even if he were to survive this ordeal, he would have to spend at least the next few months in bed.

He had already gone easily on the other party, but the other party still launched such a vicious attack on him. Displeased, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up as he bent his middle finger and flicked it lightly.

Ding!

With a crisp echo, as if a cracked glass, Wu Xu’s sword abruptly broke into numerous pieces and fell to the ground.

When Zhang Xuan had held Wu Xu’s sword previously, he had already compiled a book regarding it, so he knew where its weakness was. On top of that, he possessed strength comparable to a Half-Saint pinnacle, making it an easy feat for him to destroy the sword with a simple flick of his finger.

“What?”

Seeing his Spirit pinnacle sword destroyed by a single flick of the other party’s finger, Wu Xu nearly fainted from shock.

Even if a Half-Saint pinnacle expert were to exert the full extent of his strength, it would still be nigh impossible to destroy a Spirit pinnacle sword. Yet, for it to shatter with a single flick of the other party’s finger… Just how could that be possible?

At the same time, the eyeballs of the Half-Saint watching the battle by the side also nearly popped out of their sockets.

He had thought that Zhang Xuan would be surely be severely injured at the very least, but the latter had actually managed to shatter Wu Xu’s sword with a simple flick of his finger… How could the other party possibly wield such fearsome strength?

Was the other party really an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator?

They had always prided themselves on being invincible among cultivators of the same cultivation realm, so how could his companion be defeated by someone of a weaker cultivation level than him?

“Damn it!”

Wu Xu shook his head in disbelief, unwilling to believe what had just happened. With a frenzied look on his face, he charged at Zhang Xuan once more.

It was impossible for someone who was nearly two cultivation realms weaker than him to defeat him so easily. Impossible!

On the other hand, seeing that the young man was still unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh and raised his fist.

Heaven’s Path Fist Art!

Peng!

Before Wu Xu could even process what was going on, he had already been struck by a punch to his chest. He collapsed to the ground, coughing an endless stream of blood. It felt as if his internal organs had shifted under the incredible force, and even after a brief respite, he was still unable to catch his breath.

“You…”

It took him a few more moments before he managed to recover sufficiently to return to his feet. With a face completely warped by rage, Wu Xu glared at Zhang Xuan, seemingly preparing to make his next move, when the Half-Saint cultivator by the side abruptly intervened. “Enough! Don’t you think that you have embarrassed yourself enough?”

“… Yes!”

Wu Xu glared at Zhang Xuan hesitantly for a moment longer before hesitantly backing down to the side. He took out a pill and swallowed it, and only then did he feel his condition alleviate slightly. Even though he had decided not to make a move, his hostile gaze was still fixated on Zhang Xuan, seemingly tempted to tear him apart.

Ignoring the duo, Zhang Xuan whipped out a wine gourd and infused his zhenqi inside before passing them over to Hu Yaoyao and the others to heal their injuries. After that was done, he turned his gaze back to the duo with a deep frown on his face.

“We are all master teachers here, but you willfully made a move on my companions, and not to mention, you even resorted to such vicious moves. Do the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion mean nothing to you?”

“Vicious moves? You haven’t seen what truly vicious is yet! Hand over the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, and I can consider letting you off. Otherwise, none of you will be getting out of here unscathed today!” Wu Xu roared in response.

Hearing those words, the short-tempered Xue Zhenyang bellowed furiously, “Scarlet Firefly Fruits? We have been behind you all this while, how in the world could we possibly have obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruits ahead of you?”

From the start to the end, they had never found an opportunity to approach the cavern. Yet, the duo actually came over to demand the Scarlet Firefly Fruits from them. Was there something wrong with their minds?

Even if you wish to accuse us, at least find something less illogical than that!

“We confirmed earlier that there were Scarlet Firefly Fruits inside the cavern, but they suddenly disappeared when we entered the cavern just a moment ago. On top of that, we noticed traces suggesting that someone had hastened the maturity of the fruits. There are only the few of us in this valley, so who else could it be if not you?” Wu Xu snapped.

The two Sabertooth Spirit Tigers had lost their consciousness, and there were no signs to say that they had devoured the fruits ahead of them. From this, they deduced that someone must have beaten them to the Scarlet Firefly Fruits.

There weren’t too many people in the valley, so the culprit could only be them!

“If we had obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we would have already long left the valley. Why would we waste our time loitering around this area and talking to you? You are clearly making up nonsense to extort our wealth!” Hu Yaoyao harrumphed.

In her opinion, the duo were the ones who had harvested the fruits, and they were only making use of this opportunity to extort them.

They were truly a disgrace to all master teachers.

“Preposterous, we…” Wu Xu was just about to argue with Hu Yaoyao when the Half-Saint cultivator beside him abruptly waved his hands and bellowed, “Enough!”

Wu Xu immediately fell silent.

“I am sure that we can agree that the Scarlet Firefly Fruits are very important to all of us here. Like you have said, we are all master teachers. If you have harvested the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, we are willing to officially negotiate the distribution of the fruits with you under the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion,” the Half-Saint said calmly.

“How do you intend to negotiate?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“Simple. If any of you can withstand three blows from me, we will turn around and leave straightaway. Otherwise… pardon me, but you won’t be leaving until you hand over five Scarlet Firefly Fruits today!” the Half-Saint replied.

“If we win, you get to leave without any compensation, and if we lose, we have to hand you five Scarlet Firefly Fruits? Hahaha, this is the most hilarious joke I have heard in the longest time. You call this a negotiation? What makes you think that we will agree to such terms?” Zhang Xuan sneered coldly.

Chapter 867: I Can Use Any Means at My Disposal?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Of course, we aren’t expecting to take the Scarlet Firefly Fruits from you for free. If we win, we will buy those fruits from you at a price of 50 high-tier spirit stones!” the Half-Saint cultivator said.

“50 high-tier spirit stones?” Zhang Xuan scoffed. “If you can fork out 5000 high-tier spirit stones, I can sell them to you right now!”

Just the several bottles of Origin Heavy Water and formation plates that Hu Yaoyao and the others had prepared to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits already exceeded 50 high-tier spirit stones. To offer to buy five of them for such a price… Did he really think that they were fools?

If you want to buy some of the fruits, sure, we are willing to sell them. Five thousand high-tier spirit stones, no more, no less!

“You should learn to watch your words. You might possess exceptional talent, but in my eyes, you mean nothing at all! The Master Teacher Pavilion might forbid killing among fellow master teachers, but teaching you a lesson… I think I have sufficient authority to do so!” the Half-Saint said coldly as he glanced at Zhang Xuan with narrowed eyes.

“Why? Are you going to resort to threatening me now that you don’t have enough money?” Zhang Xuan burst into laughter.

“This is not a threat; I am merely stating facts. In the world that we live in, the only thing that truly counts is strength!” The Half-Saint harrumphed as an aura reminiscent of a sharp sword abruptly burst out of him, forcing all flora and fauna in the area to lower themselves subserviently.

Feeling that aura, the faces of Hu Yaoyao and the others paled in astonishment.

They had met plenty of Half-Saints in their time, but the aura of the other party felt like a guillotine above their heads, threatening to decapitate them should they show the slightest resistance. This fearsome aura was something that they had never felt before, even from a Nascent Saint expert.

Seemingly unaffected by the other party’s overwhelming aura, Zhang Xuan asked with a wry smile on his lips, “In other words, you are saying that justice lies in the hands of the strong?”

“That’s right. The Master Teacher Pavilion might have its own set of rules, but before true strength, those rules are meaningless! I recommend you learn your place and hand over the Scarlet Firefly Fruits obediently; perhaps, we might still be able to settle this matter peacefully. Otherwise, I don’t mind challenging you all to a Master Teacher Confrontation. By then, not only will you not receive any spirit stones at all, you will have to call someone to carry you back!” the Half-Saint cultivator sneered coldly as he placed his hands behind his back, glancing at Zhang Xuan with an aura of superiority.

Snatching was forbidden among master teachers, but challenging one another to duels was allowed.

Furthermore, considering that they were in a rural area, there would be no eye-witnesses to say anything if the pair did do something to them.

“Fair enough. Since you have already said that much, there is nothing else I can do.”

Seeing that the other party was insistent on settling the matter with force, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a sigh and commanded, “Byzantium Lad, get him!”

Hu!

Before anyone could process what was going on, the Byzantium Helios Beast abruptly flew over from further down the valley and appeared before the Half-Saint.

In order to not reveal his possession of the Myriad Anthive Nest, Zhang Xuan had secretly slipped the nest a distance away before having the Byzantium Helios Beast emerge from it.

“What?”

The Half-Saint cultivator did not expect to see a Saint 2-dan saint beast appear before him abruptly. He immediately leaped in the air to flee, but the next instant, a massive palm smacked him back to the ground.

Peng!

Due to the immense force, the Half-Saint cultivator tumbled eight rounds before knocking heavily into the cliff face, and a large mouthful of blood spewed from his lips.

In the first place, the Byzantium Helios Beast was a saint beast capable of rivaling cultivators who possessed a cultivation beyond it, not to mention, its cultivation was far higher than his at that. He might possess exceptional fighting prowess, but there was no way he could be a match for the other party!

“Damn it!” Knowing that it was impossible for him to flee, the Half-Saint cultivator’s face turned so dark that it could bleed ink.

Flicking his wrist, a sword appeared in his hands, and with a swift motion, he charged forward to strike the Byzantium Helios Beast.

Seeing the other party’s movements, Zhang Xuan nodded in commendation. “Not bad!”

It was no wonder the other party was so arrogant. He did have the strength to back up his words. Just this single move in itself could easily overwhelm an average Nascent Saint!

Even Zhang Xuan didn’t have the confidence to overcome this move head-on.

However… it was a pity that his opponent was the Byzantium Helios Beast!

As one of the elders of the Master Teacher Academy, the Byzantium Helios Beast had fought innumerable battles. How could it possibly be afraid of a mere Half-Saint? With a roar, its massive palm plucked an enormous tree from the side and flung it toward the Half-Saint cultivator.

Peng!

When the sword was still eight meters away from reaching the Byzantium Helios Beast, the wielder of the sword was already struck on his head, and he was smacked flying toward the cliff face once more.

In the first place, this battle served no purpose at all. There was an insurmountable gap between the two of them, so there could only be one outcome.

“You…”

Pushing himself away from cliff, the Half-Saint cultivator popped a pill into his mouth to alleviate his injuries. Gritting his teeth, he spat, “We are all fellow master teachers; don’t you think that it is underhanded for you to have a saint beast elder interfere in our duel?”

In his view, the Byzantium Helios Beast was probably an elder accompanying them on this trip to ensure their safety.

It should have been a fight among peers, but you had an elder fight in your stead. Don’t you think that it is embarrassing?

“Elder?” Zhang Xuan burst into laughter. “The Byzantium Helios Beast is my tamed beast, why do you think that he is an elder? Surely a beast tamer can use his own tamed beast in a duel, right?”

“Your tamed beast?” The Half-Saint was stunned.

He had seen many beast tamers before, but even the most capable 7-star beast tamer he had seen could only tame a saint beast one realm stronger than him. Yet, this lad, despite being only at the Ethereal Treading realm, actually managed to tame a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast…

How could this be possible?

Ethereal Treading, Chrysalis, Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, Void Pursuit, Spiritual Perception… That was five whole realms!

“That’s right,” Zhang Xuan replied nonchalantly as he beckoned with his hand.

The Byzantium Helios Beast immediately walked over and nudged intimately Zhang Xuan with its head.

“This…” The Half-Saint was rendered speechless.

If he had known that the other party had such a powerful tamed beast, he would have never provoked him!

Beast tamers always fought with their tamed beast. While the other party’s tamed beast might be irrationally powerful, that could only be credited to his astounding capability as a beast tamer. There were no bones anyone could pick from this.

How was this duel supposed to proceed?

Even if he were to grit his teeth and fight on, he would only be furthering his suffering!

“What’s wrong? Didn’t you say that you want to challenge me to a duel? Sure, I accept your challenge. Beast taming is one of my supporting occupations, so my tamed beast can be considered part of my own strength as well. You shouldn’t have any problem with that, right? Feel free to make your three moves, I will also have Byzantium lad make three moves as well, there is no need to stand on ceremony!” Zhang Xuan said as he politely gestured for the other party to make his moves.

Weren’t you arrogant just now, thinking that we are powerless before you?

Sure, two can play that game. If you can withstand three blows from my Byzantium Lad, I will admit defeat willingly!

“I…” The Half-Saint cultivator nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

If the Saint 2-dan Byzantium Helios Beast were to fight him seriously, he would be destroyed in an instant! Three moves… He wouldn’t even survive the first one!

“It’s true that beast tamers can bring their tamed beasts into battle, but since we are master teachers, don’t you think that you are diverging too much from your origins by relying so much on your tamed beast?”

With a reddened face, the Half-Saint cultivator challenged, “I dare you to have a battle with me without the assistance of your tamed beast. You can use any other means at your disposal, and as long as you can defeat me, we will turn around and leave immediately.”

“I can use any other means at my disposal?” Zhang Xuan asked the Half-Saint cultivator with a peculiar smile on his lips.

“That’s right!” The Half-Saint cultivator nodded vehemently.

As long as the other party didn’t make use of the Byzantium Helios Beast’s strength, given his prowess as a Half-Saint, he could achieve victory easily.

He had gained a rough gauge of the other party’s strength from his battle with Wu Xu earlier, and he was confident that he could defeat the other party in a normal duel.

“Don’t you think that those words sound familiar? I recall that someone said those words just a moment ago… However, if you are willing to compensate me a hundred high-tier spirit stones if you lose, I don’t mind having another duel with you!” Zhang Xuan said.

Naturally, Zhang Xuan wouldn’t accept a duel if he had nothing to gain from it.

“A hundred high-tier spirit stones? Fine! But if you lose, you have to give me five Scarlet Firefly Fruits!” Seeing Zhang Xuan agree to the duel, the Half-Saint cultivator’s eyes lit up in excitement.

Sensing the other party’s excitement even before the duel had started, Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, “I haven’t lost yet, you know…”

“Humph, we will see soon enough!”

The Half-Saint cultivator flicked his sword, and a crisp reverberation sounded from his sword. “Come!”

“Wait a moment. Allow me to confirm once more. As long as Byzantium Lad doesn’t make a move, I can use any other means at my disposal?” Zhang Xuan confirmed once again.

The Half-Saint cultivator nodded. “That’s right!”

“Alright then, sounds fine to me,” Zhang Xuan replied.

“Good!”

With a cold sneer, the Half-Saint cultivator stood upright, and in that moment, it felt as if he had become one with his sword.

Despite the arrogance of the Half-Saint cultivator, his comprehension of swordsmanship wasn’t beneath Zhang Xuan’s at all, achieving Sword Heart realm. Otherwise, his swordsmanship wouldn’t harness might that could destroy even a Nascent Saint expert.

“Zhang shi, be careful!” Hu Yaoyao said worriedly.

Even though the Half-Saint cultivator had been struck twice by Senior Byzantium Helios, due to the latter going easy on him, his injuries weren’t too severe, and they had mostly recovered with the pill he had swallowed earlier. In his current state, he should be able to exert his full strength.

Hu Yaoyao wasn’t too sure how powerful Zhang Xuan was, but the disparity in their cultivation realms was simply too huge. No matter how formidable Zhang Xuan might be, defeating a Half-Saint while at the Ethereal Treading realm seemed to be nigh impossible.

This worry was also shared by Xue Zhenyang and the others.

It was not that they didn’t have faith in Zhang Xuan’s strength, but that his opponent was simply too powerful. Be it the other party’s aura or Sword Intent, those weren’t what ordinary cultivators could withstand.

Seeing everyone’s expressions, Zhang Xuan chuckled leisurely.

“Don’t worry. He said it himself that I can resort to any means as long as Byzantium Lad doesn’t interfere in the duel!”

With a flick of his wrist, he said, “Ding Ding, you’re up. Teach that fellow a lesson!”

Hu!

In the next instant, a massive weapon cauldron appeared before everyone else. It seemed to harness searing flames within it, causing in the surroundings to become exceptionally torrid.

“This is… the Guardian Saint Artifact of our academy, the Golden Origin Cauldron?” Recognizing the other party, Hu Yaoyao nearly collapsed to the ground.

It was well-known among the student populace that the Master Teacher Academy had a powerful Guardian Saint Artifact that even Senior Byzantium Helios wasn’t a match for. Even though Hu Yaoyao had never met the Guardian Saint Beast before, she had seen a painting of it in some books.

She had thought that it was already formidable that Zhang shi had succeeded in taming Senior Byzantium Helios… but he had actually managed to tame the Guardian Saint Artifact as well?

Beside her, Xue Zhenyang and Long Cangyue also saw the world darken before them, and they nearly keeled over.

To tame even the Guardian Saint Artifact…

It was no wonder he was ‘forced’ to become the principal. There were no viable candidates other than him!

Otherwise, if he were to take both Senior Byzantium Helios and the Guardian Saint Artifact away with him, it would be no different from the Master Teacher Academy’s treasury being emptied out…

Hu Yaoyao and the others were only overwhelmed by shock, but at the moment that the Golden Origin Cauldron appeared, the Half-Saint cultivator saw ten thousand divine beasts stampeding through his mind. His mouth widened to the point where one could stuff an egg in, but he was still unable to alleviate the suffocating sensation he felt in his chest.

You tamed a saint beast? Fine, I will accept that. Perhaps, you might just be lucky, encountering an injured saint beast and treating him, thus becoming its benefactor… But to tame a Saint-tier artifact as well, not to mention one as powerful as that cauldron, just how in the world did you do it?

A pity it was that the Half-Saint cultivator wasn’t even granted the time to brood over his misery. The Golden Origin Cauldron, upon hearing that that there was someone it could beat up, leaped up in excitement and declared, “Don’t worry, Master. I will fulfill the mission you have asked of me perfectly. Watch how I, the Golden Origin Cauldron, reduce him to cinders within moments…”

After which, the Half-Saint cultivator saw the large figure before him turn into a blur, and he instinctively raised his sword in defense.

Kacha!

The sword in his hands broke into smithereens, but before he could even process that, his body was already whizzing through the air before crashing right into the cliff face once more, leaving a huge ‘大’-shaped depression behind him. More than a dozen of his ribs had shattered, and fresh blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth.

Chapter 868: Breakthrough, Chrysalis Realm!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Brother Lu…”

Wu Xu hurriedly rushed forward to pull his companion out of the wall and fed him a recovery pill.

“Y-you…”

After consuming the recovery pill and resting for a moment, the Half-Saint Brother Lu finally regained consciousness. Pointing a shaking finger at Zhang Xuan, he felt as if he was going to burst into tears.

It is one thing for an Ethereal Treading realm lad like you to possess a Spiritual Perception realm saint beast as a tamed beast, but to have a Saint-tier artifact on top of that… Tell me the truth, are you actually Kong shi’s illegitimate son?

Otherwise, how can you have so many good items in your possession?

“What’s wrong? You were the one who told me that I can resort to any means at my disposal as long as Byzantium Lad doesn’t interfere in the battle. You were the one who set the rules, and I simply followed them!” Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly.

Pu!

A strong feeling of frustration welled up in Brother Lu’s chest, and he spurted yet another mouthful of blood.

What was this!

He had thought that the other party could only have a Byzantium Helios Beast as his trump card. As long as he restricted that, he would be able to pummel the other party as he pleased. How could he have known that the other party would have a cauldron on top of that?

Screw this!

The person who I want to fight is you, not your Saint-tier artifact… You might not have broken any rules, but how the hell am I supposed to fight with a Saint-tier artifact?

There is no way I can win, right?

Gritting his teeth, Brother Lu exclaimed, “What I mean is a fight without relying on any artifact or saint beast, a proper duel between two cultivators using their own strength!”

Fearing that the other party would whip out some kind of powerful item next, he emphasized ‘using their own strength’.

“I see. So, you want to have a proper duel as martial artists?” Zhang Xuan asked.

“That’s right. Do you dare accept my challenge?” Brother Lu taunted.

He had always been a proud person, but he had ended up being humiliated more than he had ever been in his life today. If he didn’t vent it out today, it would become a permanent trauma that would hunt him for life.

While it was unbecoming for a Half-Saint expert like him to challenge an Ethereal Treading realm cultivator, in view of the many means the other party possessed, not even he could say that he had absolute confidence in achieving victory.

“Sure, but the same stakes apply!” Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

A duel? As long as there is sufficient money involved, I am open to negotiations.

“Fine by me!” A glint flashed across Brother Lu’s eyes as he nodded in agreement.

“Remember, you have already lost once, so you owe me a hundred high-tier spirit stones!” Zhang Xuan reminded.

Brother Lu harrumphed. “You don’t need to worry about that; I won’t stoop so low as to renege on my promise! But of course, if you lose, I hope that you can fulfill your end of the bet as well!”

“Alright then. I won’t take advantage of you; I will give you two hours to recuperate from your injuries before we begin the duel, lest you refuse to admit defeat later on!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.

“You…”

It should have been a good thing that the other party was giving him some time to recuperate, but for some reason, Brother Lu felt as if the other party was mocking him, and he felt another warm surge gushing up his throat once more. It took some time before he managed to recover, and after taking a deep breath, he nodded. “Fine!”

It was through countless battles that he had managed to attain his current strength. He knew that it was precisely in crucial periods like this that he shouldn’t allow his emotions to cloud his rationality. Two hours might not be sufficient for him to make a full recovery, but he should be able to exert around 95% of his full strength by then.

And to him, that was more than enough!

Brother Lu turned to Wu Xu and said, “Wu Xu, give me two of your Miniature Restorative Pills!”

“Yes!” Wu Xu nodded.

The Miniature Restorative Pill was an extremely valuable grade-6 pill, and he was usually reluctant to use one even when he was injured. However, knowing that Brother Lu had gotten injured for him, he passed them over without any hesitation.

This grade-6 pill was known to be effective on even the injuries of Saint realm experts. Even if the two pills couldn’t guarantee a complete recovery, they should improve his condition significantly.

Swallowing the Miniature Restorative Pill, Brother Lu immediately felt the medicinal energy coursing through his body, and his pale complexion swiftly regained its color.

The Golden Origin Cauldron turned to Zhang Xuan and advised, “Master, given that this fellow was able to survive my attack, his strength is extraordinary. It would be best not to make light of him!”

By the side, the Byzantium Helios Beast also nodded in agreement.

The two of them had exchanged blows with Brother Lu, and even though they were able to subdue the other party easily, they could feel that the fellow’s strength far surpassed that of ordinary Half-Saint cultivators.

Even though their master wasn’t a weakling either, he was still some way off from matching the other party.

“I know.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Through the Eye of Insight and Library of Heaven’s Path, he knew that the other party possessed exceptional prowess, which he couldn’t match in his current state.

However, the outcome of a battle couldn’t be determined by just mere stats. The decisions one chose to make in the midst of a battle played a vital role, too.

Even though Zhang Xuan felt that he wouldn’t lose, he still thought that he should make some preparations just in case. This was also why he had proposed taking a two-hour break before the duel.

The enemy needed time to recuperate, but he needed time to prepare his hand as well.

Zhang Xuan turned to Hu Yaoyao and the others and asked, “Do you have any Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals? I need as many of them as possible!”

The best way for him to stand against that Brother Lu was to raise his cultivation and narrow the gap between them.

Two hours might not be much to anyone else, but to him, as long as he compiled the corresponding Heaven’s Path Divine Art manuals, he would be able to raise his cultivation swiftly!

“We do have some!” Hu Yaoyao nodded, and the four of them began taking out all of the Ethereal Treading realm cultivation technique manuals they had.

As the leaders of their respective factions, they tended to keep quite a handful of cultivation technique manuals of lower cultivation realms in their storage rings so that they could refer to them whenever they were guiding their subordinates in their cultivation. For Ethereal Treading realm, they had around several hundred books each.

Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned them with his gaze, collecting them into his Library of Heaven’s Path. By compiling all of them together, he successfully formed the Ethereal Treading realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

Zhang Xuan turned to them and asked once more, “What about Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals?”

“I only have twenty Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals with me at the moment!”

“Twelve here. Dong Xin is more meticulous, so she might have more with her.”

“I do have a few more, but I only have around forty of them in total.”

…

Soon, gathering the four’s Chrysalis realm cultivation technique manuals together, there was a total of around a hundred books or so.

After collecting them all into the Library of Heaven’s Path and compiling them, the result was just as Zhang Xuan had expected. There were still too many flaws to form a complete Heaven’s Path Divine Art.

Nevertheless, the portion regarding the breakthrough to Chrysalis realm was still perfected.

In other words, he had the Heaven’s Path Divine Art manuals to cultivate from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage all the way to Chrysalis realm primary stage!

“Guard me, I need to cultivate now!” Zhang Xuan said.

Even though he had failed to compile the complete Chrysalis realm Heaven’s Path Divine Art, he was still rather satisfied with the result.

“Yes!” The others nodded, but they couldn’t help but trade perplexed glances with one another.

To cultivate right before the duel… Isn’t that just desperately grasping at straws?

But despite the doubts in their mind, they still made sure to guard him earnestly. They hid him behind them while directing their gazes intently at Wu Xu and Brother Lu, fearing that they might attempt to do something in the meantime.

However, even though the two of them had resorted to some underhanded means out of their desperation to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruits, they still had their pride as martial artists. As such, even though they had noticed that Zhang Xuan was cultivating, they didn’t try to disrupt him in any way.

They chose to focus their efforts on recuperating from their injuries instead, so that they would be in their top condition for the duel two hours later.

Seeing that they weren’t going to pull anything, Hu Yaoyao heaved a sigh of relief. However, with her attention freed, doubts about the impending duel began sprouting in her mind. Unnerved, she turned to Senior Byzantium Helios to ask her about the chances of Zhang shi achieving victory, hoping to ease her worries, when she suddenly heard Dong Xin gasping in shock.

“What’s wrong?” The others immediately turned to her with doubtful gazes.

With a body stiffened with shock, Dong Xin pointed behind her. “Look at Zhang shi!”

“Zhang shi?”

Hu Yaoyao and the others turned around to take a look, and what they saw left them dumbstruck.

“Is it just my imagination, or has Zhang shi’s cultivation reached… Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage?” Xue Zhenyang uttered with quivering lips.

They had gotten a clear glimpse of Zhang Xuan’s cultivation when he made a move against Wu Xu earlier—Ethereal Treading realm primary stage. Yet, in just a short moment after he started cultivating, why did it feel as if the latter had achieved a… breakthrough?

“It’s not your imagination. He has indeed reached Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage!” Hu Yaoyao nodded affirmatively. “Most likely, Zhang shi must have been stuck at Ethereal Treading realm primary stage for quite a long while and was already on the verge of a breakthrough!”

Advancing a single stage abruptly wasn’t much to be surprised about. To use an analogy, if one was already standing before the goal of a marathon, all it would take was one final push to successfully achieve the breakthrough.

There was no need to make a fuss over it.

“That does seem to be the case. No wonder Zhang shi agreed to have a duel with the other party so readily; it seems he was already on the verge of a breakthrough. However, it doesn’t seem like advancing a single stage will make much of a difference to the outcome… Ah?” Xue Zhenyang remarked while he nodded, but then he suddenly exclaimed in the midst of his words.

“What is with you again?” Seeing Xue Zhenyang make a big fuss out of everything, Long Cangyue was rendered speechless.

No matter what, they were the cream of the crop in the Master Teacher Academy, competent and knowledgeable. Why did it seem that after meeting Zhang shi, they had all become countryside bumpkins who were ignorant of the world?

“Why do I feel like… Zhang shi has reached Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage? Could my eyes be playing tricks on me?” Xue Zhenyang’s face paled as he rubbed his eyes forcefully.

He was certain that Zhang shi had just reached Ethereal Treading realm intermediate stage a moment ago, so how could he be at the advanced stage right now? Even the greatest genius in the world couldn’t advance that fast!

“Advanced stage? You must be joking! All of us clearly saw it just now, and he is definitely at the intermediate stage…” Long Cangyue chuckled softly, and just as he was going to make a joke about how Xue Zhenyang’s eyes had been failing him recently, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhang Xuan, and his eyes widened in shock. “Holy moly!”

“He… really is at advanced stage!” Long Cangyue exclaimed with tears threatening to spill from his eyes.

On the other hand, watching the frenzied state that the other two were in, Hu Yaoyao and Dong Xin hurriedly turned their gazes over, and their eyes couldn’t help but widen in astonishment as well.

It appeared that Zhang shi was truly at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage!

Could they have made a mistake earlier?

But was it really possible for all four of them to make such an elementary mistake simultaneously?

However… no matter how they looked at it, the other party was indeed at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage! There was no mistake about that!

Before the few of them could recover from their shock, Dong Xin suddenly exclaimed with a hoarse voice, “Wait a moment… he isn’t at Ethereal Treading realm advanced stage but… Ethereal Treading realm pinnacle!”

“Pinnacle?”

The group couldn’t help but feel the world spinning around them.

With a tearful expression, Hu Yaoyao gasped, “Why does it seem like he is attempting a breakthrough to Chrysalis realm? No, he is indeed attempting a breakthrough… Wait, that isn’t right, he has already reached Chrysalis realm!”

The group couldn’t help but be dumbstruck once again. The young man behind them was already a Chrysalis realm primary stage expert at this very moment!

To advance from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage, one entire realm, in less than an hour… Even though they had witnessed the sight with their very own eyes, they still couldn’t help but think that they were in a dream.

Feeling so shocked that her mind was going to explode, Hu Yaoyao asked, “Dong Xin, how long did it take you to advance from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage?”

“Two years and four months… With this record, I was already considered one of the fastest cultivators in the Master Teacher Academy…” Dong Xin replied hoarsely.

When she’d achieved the feat back then, she had felt a huge surge of confidence, which had made her feel as if she was unrivalled in the world…

But looking at the young man before her, she realized that her record didn’t even come close to being associated with the word ‘fast’…

It felt as if even a turtle would be faster than her!

It was no wonder that, back at the Elder Hall, that fellow had said that his rate of cultivation had slowed due to him being busy with various matters. Back then, she had thought that he was just bragging, but after witnessing this sight, she realized that not only was he not bragging, he was even being incredibly humble…

At this moment, a random, passing thought raced through her mind.

If she were to run to the Ten Great Master Teachers to tell them that Zhang shi was actually extremely humble and low profile, would they think that she was exaggerating and throw her out?

Chapter 869: Still a Human?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Having compiled the relevant Heaven’s Path Divine Art manual, Zhang Xuan began cultivating with the Earth Vein Spirit Essence without any hesitation.

Due to the easier absorbability of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, his rate of cultivation was much faster than if he had cultivated using a spirit stone instead, so he was able to achieve breakthroughs faster than normal.

However, even though he had managed to achieve breakthroughs swiftly, the amount of spiritual energy he needed had, in fact, increased exponentially instead.

He had procured a huge pool of Earth Vein Spirit Essence from the Cloudmist Ridge, but in just this hour of cultivation, he had already depleted nearly a third of it!

The higher my cultivation is, the harsher the requirement on the spiritual energy I have to absorb. Even though the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is rich in spiritual energy, its purity is still lacking… Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The Earth Vein Spirit Essence was rich in spiritual energy and had a high absorbability, thus making it an invaluable treasure. However, its purity was inferior to high-tier spirit stones. It was sufficient for the usage of saint beasts and other cultivators, but to Zhang Xuan, who cultivated the Heaven’s Path Divine Art, it was still lacking.

Only a tenth of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was suitable for his absorption, and the remaining nine-tenths ended up being wasted in the process.

It seems like I shouldn’t cultivate using the Earth Vein Spirit Essence anymore. If it comes to it, I should just sell it for high-tier spirit stones… Zhang Xuan thought.

Since the effectiveness of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence for him was declining, he would only be wasting it if he were to continue using it. Rather than to waste such a valuable resource, it would be wiser for him to sell it instead.

It might be useless to him, but it was still an invaluable treasure to others. Otherwise, the saint beasts of the Cloudmist Ridge wouldn’t have been guarding it so desperately back then.

Forget it, I will think about it when I return to Hongyuan City!

Putting the matter to the back of his mind, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to his newfound strength.

Advancing from Ethereal Treading realm primary stage to Chrysalis realm primary stage, the strength that he could draw from his zhenqi cultivation had increased from 17,000,000 ding to 29,000,000 ding!

With just that, he was already on par with a Chrysalis realm advanced stage cultivator!

(Chrysalis realm primary stage 25,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 28,000,000 ding; advanced stage 31,000,000 ding; pinnacle 34,000,000 ding)

If he were to factor in the 20,000,000 ding from his soul cultivation and 16,000,000 ding from his physical body, that would total up to an incredible might of 65,000,000 ding, which was on par with a Nascent Saint intermediate stage cultivator!

(Nascent Saint primary stage 60,000,000 ding; intermediate stage 65,000,000 ding; advanced stage 70,000,000 ding; pinnacle 75,000,000 ding)

In other words, he wielded strength equivalent to a cultivator two realms stronger than him!

With this, that fellow shouldn’t be a match for me anymore! Zhang Xuan chuckled confidently.

That Brother Lu was clearly no pushover, but compared to Zhang Xuan, the other party was still slightly lacking.

Zhang Xuan meditated on the spot to reinforce his cultivation, bringing his aura to its strongest state, before opening his eyes and gazing at the duo opposite to him.

Brother Lu seemed to have mostly healed from his wounds as well, and his aura felt sharper and more pressurizing than before.

Most likely, he had used some kind of formidable secret art to bring himself back to his peak state for the duel.

That fellow sure won’t be easy to deal with! Zhang Xuan remarked internally.

Under normal circumstances, given how much weaker he was than the other party, the other party should not view him as much of an opponent. Yet, the other party focused his attention fully on conditioning himself to his peak state, not underestimating him in the least…

It was truly rare to see a cultivator not becoming complacent before an opponent weaker than them. Often, geniuses were defeated not due to being overpowered by the strong but due to carelessness against the weak.

A long moment later, Brother Lu exhaled deeply and abruptly stood up.

“I am done recuperating. Are you done yet?”

His complexion was still slightly pale, but he had managed to condition his state to be significantly stronger than he was before.

“Of course!” Zhang Xuan chuckled as he stood up as well.

“Let’s begin then. Draw your weapon!” With a flick of his wrist, Brother Lu took out another sword from his storage ring.

As a sword practitioner, it was normal for him to have more than a single sword in his possession.

“Alright.” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist as well, and a sword appeared in his grasp.

Glacier Rain Sword!

“That is… a Half-Saint weapon?”

As soon as the sword materialized, a huge gust of frigid air swept into the surroundings, as if heralding the arrival of the king. Brother Lu’s lips immediately began twitching.

To think that the fellow’s sword would be a Half-Saint artifact as well… Does your family operate a weapons shop?

Otherwise, how could you have so many good items in your possession?

With a reddened face, Brother Lu asked hesitantly, “Ahem. Your sword is a little too sharp, so can you change to another one…”

The weapon in his grasp was only at Spirit pinnacle, which was far weaker the other party’s Half-Saint sword. Just the sharpness of the sword would boost the other party’s fighting prowess by at least fifty percent. On the other hand, he would have to avoid a direct clash with the other party’s sword as far as he could, which meant that his movements would be severely restricted.

“Change to another one?” Zhang Xuan frowned in irritation.

When I sent Byzantium Lad against you, you said that I shouldn’t rely too much on my capabilities as a beast tamer. When I sent the Golden Origin Cauldron against you, you said that I shouldn’t rely too much on my Saint-tier artifacts. Now, you are even picking on my sword… At this rate, are you going to start picking on my clothes next?

But as displeased as Zhang Xuan was, he eventually nodded.

“Forget it. Since you were injured previously, I will just acquiesce to your request…”

He scanned his surroundings for a moment before reaching forward to grab a certain object. With a smile, he said, “I will fight with you using this then!”

“A blade of foxtail grass?” Hu Yaoyao and the others staggered weakly.

The object that Zhang Xuan had just picked was indeed a narrow blade of foxtail grass.

He was going to fight with that?

But his opponent was a Half-Saint, and an extraordinarily powerful one at that…

Even if you have achieved a breakthrough, is it really fine for you to do that?

Noticing their worry, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he placed the foxtail grass in between his forefinger and middle finger. Pumping a surge of zhenqi into it, the bent foxtail grass immediately became taut, as if a real sword.

“The essence of swordsmanship lies not in the sword; to a true sword master, even a blade of grass or pebble from the side of the street can serve as a sword. This might be foxtail grass, but if used well, it can display astonishing power as well!”

As he said those words, Zhang Xuan gently slit the foxtail grass through the thick tree trunk that the Byzantium Helios Beast had tossed to the ground earlier, and it was immediately sliced into two halves.

“What pure zhenqi…” Brother Lu narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

Even though the other party was wielding a blade of foxtail grass, its true edge lay in his zhenqi. But to be able to make one’s zhenqi as sharp as a sword’s edge… just how pure must his zhenqi be?

At the very least, he knew that he was incapable of doing the same!

“Let’s start!”

Knowing that the other party would still be a formidable opponent even when wielding a blade of foxtail grass as a weapon, Brother Lu let out a battle cry and charged forward, taking the initiative.

Weng!

His sword, imbued with sword qi, sliced through the air with incredible momentum. From the very start, he was already using his full strength. He knew better than to underestimate his opponent due to his lower cultivation or his choice of weapon.

“Come!”

With a light chuckle, Zhang Xuan raised his foxtail grass and stabbed it toward the other party’s armpit like a rapier.

All sword practitioners shared a common weakness. When they swung their swords, the area around the armpit would be open, even if just for the briefest of moments. This was a weakness commonly exploited against sword practitioners. But naturally, most sword experts would have already trained themselves to guard that area perfectly.

And Brother Lu was no exception to the rule.

Huala!

Even though Brother Lu was perplexed as to why the other party would use such a basic move to deal with him, he dared not to make light of the other party’s counterattack. With a powerful flick of his wrist, he pulled his sword back to seal the advancement of the other party’s foxtail grass, and at the same time, he sent a powerful blast of sword qi straight toward Zhang Xuan’s glabella.

In a single move, he managed to defend himself while launching a counterattack simultaneously, successfully turning the tides of the battle in his favor!

“Not bad, your reflexes are good. However… that’s not enough!” Zhang Xuan said with a chuckle.

In the next instant, his foxtail grass abruptly bent like a flexible rope, completely bypassing the other party’s sword.

“What?” Caught off guard by the unexpected twist, Brother Lu’s face paled in shock.

With the bending of the other party’s foxtail grass, not only was his defense rendered ineffective, more importantly, the tip of the foxtail grass was heading straight for a major acupoint on his chest. If he failed to dodge this, he would be severely wounded!

After all, he had witnessed how formidable the might of the other party’s foxtail grass was when the tree trunk was easily split in two with a light flick earlier!

Not daring to take any risks, Brother Lu hurriedly retreated a few steps back.

“Hehe!”

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan seemed to have expected Brother Lu to respond in such a way. He leaped forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. At the same time, the foxtail grass in his hand straightened as it lunged forward, this time directed at Brother Lu’s throat.

Despite the abrupt change in movements, the maneuver was completed extremely smoothly and elegantly, making it peculiarly pleasing to the eye.

While others were appreciating the gracefulness of the movement, Brother Lu felt as if the grim reaper was pulling him down instead. If he were to stop at this instant, his throat would be impaled.

Thus, with a pale face, he continued retreating hurriedly.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan continued to pursue him relentlessly, and this time, his foxtail grass was aimed for the other party’s Shanzhong acupoint, located at the center of the chest.

Helpless, Brother Lu could only continue retreating.

The foxtail grass moved around flexibly in Zhang Xuan’s hands, aiming for the gaps in the Half-Saint cultivator’s swordsmanship precisely with every move. Frightened, Brother Lu didn’t dare retaliate and could only retreat endlessly.

From the start of the battle to this point, the sword had never come into contact with the foxtail grass at all.

“How powerful…”

Hu Yaoyao, Dong Xin, and the others glanced at one another, and they couldn’t help but gulp.

They had gotten a glimpse of Brother Lu’s strength earlier from the aura he exuded, and even an average Nascent Saint wouldn’t be a match for him. But it was only after witnessing Zhang shi’s prowess that they realized what true power was.

Using a blade of foxtail grass to face a Spirit pinnacle weapon directly, but not only was the foxtail grass not severed, it was even able to force the other party back continuously. Just how deep of an understanding of swordsmanship did one need to possess to do this?

“It seems… that Brother Lu’s defeat is sealed…” Xue Zhenyang muttered with clenched fists.

Before the battle, he had thought that Zhang Xuan still wouldn’t be a match for the other party even with a Half-Saint sword in hand. But with this… he realized that he got it all wrong.

It was Brother Lu who was never a match for Zhang Xuan, and the difference between them was as clear as day!

He couldn’t help but feel thankful that he had acknowledged Zheng Yang as his teacher then, thus becoming Zhang Xuan’s grandstudent. He could hardly imagine what would have happened to him if he had really faced Zhang Xuan.

Too scary!

Peng!

While the others were overwhelmed with shock, Brother Lu continued retreating under Zhang Xuan’s relentless assault, and finally, he found his back pressed against the cliff face, left with nowhere to escape anymore.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan’s foxtail grass also stopped right before the other party’s heart.

“I have lost…”

With a face as pale as a sheet of paper, Brother Lu hated to admit it, but he knew that it was his utter defeat.

“Pardon me.”

With a polite smile, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the foxtail grass finally broke apart into eight pieces, scattering on the floor.

Wu Xu, who had taken the entire battle into sight, muttered with quivering lips, “132 moves, but Brother Lu didn’t even manage to nick the other party! Instead, he retreated a total of 77 steps and was eventually forced to cast aside his sword and admit defeat…

“Is this… still the feat of a human?”

Chapter 870: Selling the Spirit Essence

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

As Brother Lu’s companion, Wu Xu knew how powerful his swordsmanship was.

Just slightly short of becoming a Hundred Man Commander, Brother Lu’s fighting prowess far surpassed that of his peers.

132 moves from such a powerful expert, and yet, not a single one had managed to nick the other party’s clothes or even the weapon at that!

Instead, he had been forced back 77 steps before being eventually cornered…

Just how powerful was the other party to be able to accomplish this feat?

Thinking about, it was laughable how confident they had been in their strength to have challenged the other party to a duel; they had simply humiliated themselves!

“Brother Lu…” Wu Xu hurriedly rushed over, only to see the latter’s ashen face, seemingly having suffered a heavy shock.

A moment later, Brother Lu sighed in resignation and waved his hands weakly.

“Hand him 300 high-tier spirit stones!”

A hundred high-tier spirit stones had been at stake for the first duel, and the stakes had been doubled for the second. All in all, he owed the other party 300 high-tier spirit stones.

“Yes!” Wu Xu gritted his teeth before wrapping a pile of high-tier spirit stones with his zhenqi and handing them over.

There were three hundred of them, no more, no less.

“I will be accepting them then!” Upon seeing the spirit stones, Zhang Xuan’s eyes lit up, and he quickly stowed them in his storage ring.

Even though the other party had agreed to the bet, he hadn’t really expected the other party to pay him. After all, three hundred high-tier spirit stones wasn’t a small sum. It would be difficult for even a figure of School Head Mo’s standing to take out so much money on the spur of the moment.

Yet, the other party had handed him the sum so easily. Could it be that these two are not only strong but are actually… tycoons as well?

If that is the case, I should really start thinking about how I could knock some more spirit stones out of them…

Stroking his lower jaws, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

Recovering from the shock of his defeat, Brother Lu clasped his fist and bowed. “My name is Lu Cheng, and since I have lost, I shall not disturb you any further. However, I hope to learn of your name in hopes of challenging you once more in the future!”

A loss was a loss; he could only admit it. Not to mention, there was still a Byzantium Helios Beast and a weapon cauldron glaring at him in hostility by the side.

“I am Zhang Xuan.”

Zhang Xuan nodded. “You need not think of it that way; it was just a spar between peers. If I am not mistaken, the reason you are so desperate to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit is for Wu shi over here to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint?”

“Indeed!” Lu Cheng nodded.

The main reason cultivators sought the Scarlet Firefly Fruit was for the increased chances of achieving a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Since Lu Cheng was already a Half-Saint, the only reason for him to go through the effort of challenging them was for his close companion.

“Actually, I have taken a look at Wu shi condition when I was battling him earlier. The reason he was unable to achieve a breakthrough is not due to his lack of cultivation but…”

At this point, Zhang Xuan paused for a moment.

“But?” Wu Xu asked anxiously.

He had been trapped at Chrysalis realm for too long. Most of his fellow peers had already overcome this bottleneck, racing ahead of him, so he couldn’t help but be plagued with anxiety.

It wasn’t easy for him to learn about the existence of the Scarlet Firefly Fruit in this valley, and he viewed it as his only chance. That was also the reason he had lost his composure and attacked Hu Yaoyao and the others when he realized that someone had gotten to the fruits ahead of him.

If the man before him could help him achieve a breakthrough, it wouldn’t matter anymore whether he obtained the Scarlet Firefly Fruit or not.

“I believe that the reason you are unable to push for a breakthrough is due to your lack of zhenqi!” Zhang Xuan said.

“Lack of zhenqi?” Lu Cheng and Wu Xu frowned.

Due to the special training they underwent, as well as the cultivation techniques and battle techniques they cultivated, their quantity and quality of zhenqi were far above those of ordinary master teachers.

Yet, the young man before them had said that Wu Xu suffered from a lack of zhenqi?

Had it not been for the astounding prowess that the other party had shown them, they would have surely thought that he was spouting nonsense.

“Indeed. Your foundation might be far stronger than an ordinary cultivator, but that also means that the bottleneck you face is far more difficult than the others too. To use an analogy, others might require just a pail of zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough, but what you need is an entire lake!” Zhang Xuan said.

“This…”

Wu Xu knew that the other party was right. He possessed extraordinary strength among his peers, but the hurdle he had to face with each breakthrough was higher as well.

This wasn’t much trouble in his earlier cultivation, but Half-Saint happened to be an exceptionally difficult hurdle to overcome.

“This is indeed a common problem that practitioners of our school suffer from!” Lu Cheng sighed deeply. “Zhang shi, is there any way to resolve this problem?”

To possess strength superior to one’s peers, one would have to reinforce one’s cultivation over and over again, making it sturdier and stronger than the others. However, the more reinforced one’s cultivation was, the harder it was to achieve a breakthrough.

This was similar to building a castle. To build a sturdier castle, one would have to build a stronger supporting structure. However, that would also mean that one would have to devote more resources and time for that.

This was the problem Wu Xu was facing at the moment. Due to their strict training, their zhenqi was condensed to be far purer than others’, granting them nigh invincible prowess among their peers. However, the bottlenecks they faced were also more difficult to overcome in comparison.

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying. “I do have a solution for that… but it will be quite troublesome!”

“You do?”

Lu Cheng had only asked this question casually, not hoping for a positive answer. However, hearing that Zhang Xuan really had a solution, his eyes immediately lit up, and he quickly shot his companion a meaningful gaze.

Grasping the intention behind Lu Cheng’s gaze, Wu Xu hurriedly suppressed his agitation and clasped his fist. “As long as Zhang shi can help me achieve a breakthrough, I am willing to pay any price!”

For the young man before him to possess such formidable strength at such a young age, he must have come from a powerful background, so he might just know of some means that could help him successfully achieve a breakthrough.

“The solution is actually really simple. Since you are unable to gather sufficient zhenqi to achieve a breakthrough, you can easily make up for that by increasing the rate you absorb external spiritual energy at to make up for the deficiency,” Zhang Xuan said.

“Increase the rate I absorb external spiritual energy at?” Hearing Zhang Xuan’s solution, Wu Xu shook his head bitterly. “I have used quite a number of high-tier spirit stones to push for my breakthrough, but I have still been unable to build up sufficient momentum to overcome the Half-Saint bottleneck…”

For a person who could whip out three hundred high-tier spirit stones at a whim, Wu Xu was definitely not a person who lacked spirit stones.

Since he couldn’t achieve a breakthrough even with sufficient spirit stones at hand, what else could he do to increase the rate he absorbed spiritual energy at?

“High-tier spirit stones do indeed help to make up for the deficiency, but their effectiveness is limited due to the long duration required to process the spiritual energy contained within them into zhenqi!” Zhang Xuan shook his head.

In a sense, high-tier spirit stones were like beef. They were effective in staving off hunger, but it wasn’t easy to digest them.

“You’re right, but what else can I use if not spirit stones?” Wu Xu asked.

“The reason the spiritual energy within spirit stones is harder to process is due to the solid form the spiritual energy is in. If you were to use spirit essence instead, the rate you could absorb spiritual energy at and convert it into zhenqi would be at least three times faster, and that should be sufficient for you to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint!” Zhang Xuan said.

If spirit stones were beef, spirit essence was porridge, easily digestible.

Lu Cheng pondered for a moment before frowning. “Spirit essence? Do you mean… Earth Vein Spirit Essence?”

There were many forms of spirit essence, but the one that was most effective for Half-Saints was the Earth Vein Spirit Essence.

The rest would be less effective than high-tier spirit stones.

Zhang Xuan nodded. “That’s right. This spirit essence is formed through the accumulation of the spiritual energy contained in the earth veins. Not only is the spiritual energy pure, it is also easily absorbed and converted into zhenqi… If Wu shi absorbs it, he should be able to gather sufficient zhenqi within a short period of time to overcome his bottleneck!”

“But the Earth Vein Spirit Essence is only found in grounds rich in spiritual energy, and those lands are often occupied by dominant powers, so it is even harder to procure it than Scarlet Firefly Fruits. Where are we supposed to find any?” Wu Xu said with a bitter smile.

Everyone knew that the Earth Vein Spirit Essence was good stuff, but obtaining it was easier said than done.

Even if he knew it could help him achieve a breakthrough, he had to find a way to obtain it first!

“This… Out of a stroke of luck, I managed to obtain a bit of it. However, I was planning to use it to overcome my Half-Saint bottleneck…” Zhang Xuan said hesitantly.

“You have Earth Vein Spirit Essence with you?” Wu Xu’s eyes immediately lit up in excitement. “Can you sell it to me? I am willing to buy it using high-tier spirit stones!”

“This…” A conflicted expression surfaced on Zhang Xuan’s face. “You also know how difficult it is to obtain Earth Vein Spirit Essence, and I don’t have too much of it either. I’m afraid that I can’t sell it to you…”

After a moment of thought, Wu Xu gritted his teeth and said, “Brother Zhang, I am willing to buy it at two times the market price!”

He had to reach Half-Saint as soon as possible or else he would risk being eliminated. This was a rare opportunity, and he couldn’t miss it, no matter the price he had to pay.

“Two times?” Zhang Xuan pondered for a long moment before reluctantly nodding in agreement. “Alright, seeing that you need it so much, as a fellow master teacher, I will make an exception and sell it to you!”

After which, he flicked his wrist and took out a massive gourd containing around seven liters of spirit essence.

“This is all of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence that I have collected thus far; I will give it to you then!” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

Wu Xu hurriedly took the gourd and uncapped the cork, and he immediately saw that it was filled to the brim with Earth Vein Spirit Essence. The spiritual energy that gushed out of the opening left his cells feeling energized and refreshed.

“This… Thank you, Zhang shi!”

Seeing that the other party was willing to give all of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence he had gathered to him, Wu Xu immediately clasped his fist in agitation and thanked him. After which, he went to Lu Cheng and pooled some stuff together before stowing them away in a storage ring.

“As we left our place in a hurry, we didn’t bring too many spirit stones with us. We know the high-tier spirit stones we have won’t be enough to make up for the value of the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, so we placed some of the valuables we have accumulated over the years in as well. I hope that Zhang shi can accept it,” Wu Xu said as he presented the storage ring over.

Even though they knew that the young man before them probably didn’t lack money, considering that he had a Saint realm tamed beast and artifact, it would still be improper for them to take something from the other party for free, not to mention that they had agreed on paying double the price earlier.

Taking the ring, Zhang Xuan swept through the contents and saw over 200 high-tier spirit stones, a handful of grade-6 pills, and a bunch of valuable medicinal herbs.

If it was in Hongyuan City, this gourd of Earth Vein Spirit Essence would probably only have been worth fifty high-tier spirit stones at most. Yet, the other party had given him so much money in return. It could be said that he had made a huge killing this time around!

It was not that the other party was foolish, but that the value of an item was determined by the person’s perceived necessity of it.

Ordinary cultivators could achieve breakthroughs with high-tier spirit stones just fine, so they didn’t require the Earth Vein Spirit Essence. As a result, its perceived value would be lower to them.

“Rest well and condition your body to its peak state. With the Earth Vein Spirit Essence, you should be able to push for a breakthrough in a single try!” Zhang Xuan said after putting away the storage ring.

“Yes!” Wu Xu nodded.

He had suffered a punch form Zhang Xuan earlier, and even up to this point, he hadn’t fully recovered from it yet. To maximize his chances of reaching Half-Saint, he should only attempt a breakthrough once he was in his peak state.

“Thank you, Zhang shi. The both of us will take our leave now!” Having obtained what they wanted, the duo clasped their fists, turned around, and left. In just a few moments, they had already disappeared from sight.

With the departure of the duo, Hu Yaoyao and the others finally heaved a sigh of relief. “Zhang shi, thank you for saving our lives!”

Before, they had thought that Zhang Xuan was only terrifying in his supporting occupations. However, with this experience, they learned that his talent for his supporting occupations was nothing compared to his fighting prowess!

Chapter 871: Breakthroughs

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“If I am not mistaken, the both of them are combat masters, right?”

Exhaling deeply, the tension left Zhang Xuan’s body, and the exhaustion accumulated over that whole period finally set in.

Even though he seemed to have won the battle against Lu Cheng easily, he’d had to concentrate deeply as he couldn’t afford to make the slightest error. Thus, even though the battle had only lasted for a few minutes, it had sapped Zhang Xuan’s energy dry.

Dong Xin nodded in agreement. “To possess such fighting prowess at such a young age, and considering the different master teacher robes that they have, they should indeed be combat masters.”

She had read a fair number of books, and she knew how fearsome combat masters were. She hadn’t really thought much into it before, but with Zhang Xuan raising the topic, it suddenly dawned on her.

Those two might just really be combat masters!

Otherwise, given that most master teachers cultivated a variety of supporting occupations, rarely would they compete with one another directly in a physical duel.

“Combat masters?” The others also glanced at one another before nodding in agreement.

Indeed. Only the legendary combat masters, who boasted the greatest fighting prowess among the master teachers, could wield such strength!

That would explain why a fellow Chrysalis realm cultivator could subdue the four of them so easily.

“Wait… If Zhang shi can defeat a combat master that easily, doesn’t that mean that he is qualified to become a combat master as well?” Hu Yaoyao exclaimed in astonishment.

“Easily?” Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. “He went easy on me, or else it is questionable whether I would have been able to defeat him or not!”

It might seem as if he had won with ease in the eyes of others, but he knew that wasn’t the case!

“Went easy on you?” The others were perplexed.

You used a blade of foxtail grass while the other party used a Spirit pinnacle weapon. On top of that, the other party was unable to even land a single blow on you, so how could he have possibly gone easy on you?

Zhang Xuan shook his head. “If I had wielded a Spirit pinnacle weapon just like him, it is hard to tell which of us would have emerged triumphant. That Lu Cheng is a proud person. He didn’t want to take advantage of the disparity in our weapons, so he curbed his own swordsmanship. On top of that, I intentionally sliced the tree trunk in two before the battle to create a vivid impression of the prowess of the weapon in his mind… Those were what caused him to retreat continuously. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for me to win against him!”

It might have seemed like an ordinary fight, but before the duel began, the other party had already fallen for Zhang Xuan’s mind games.

“I see…”

It was at this instant that realization struck them.

The foxtail grass was an unimpressive weapon, but in a single move, Zhang Xuan had sliced the tree trunk in two, instilling fear into the minds of those who had seen the sight.

Lu Cheng was probably the same as well, which led to his subconscious unwillingness to face the foxtail grass head-on. As a result, he had found himself unable to take back the initiative and turn the tides of the battle, thus eventually resulting in his loss.

“Forget it, it’s already over. Here are the Scarlet Firefly Fruits. Condition yourselves well before consuming them. Try to achieve a breakthrough before we return to the academy!” Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and passed the fruits over.

“Zhang shi… really managed to obtain the fruits?”

“How could they be in your hands?”

None of them could believe it.

They had been watching the cavern intently the whole time, and they had only seen Lu Cheng and Wu Xu entering it… But if Zhang Xuan had never entered the cavern, how could the Scarlet Firefly Fruits be in his hands?

“I found another entrance behind the valley and sneaked in from there,” Zhang Xuan replied casually.

Naturally, he couldn’t talk about his means as a soul oracle. In any case, the items were already in his hands, so the others probably wouldn’t be bothered to check on his story either.

“Incredible…”

Nevertheless, the others were still impressed.

To stumble upon another entrance, it had indeed been the correct decision to invite him over!

“Here is some Earth Vein Spirit Essence, I will give a gourd to each of you. After recuperating, try your best to make a breakthrough to Half-Saint!” Flicking his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out four gourds of Earth Vein Spirit Essence and passed them over.

These four gourds were significantly smaller than the one given to Wu Xu earlier, but it was still worth quite a sum, considering that it was filled with Earth Vein Spirit Essence. At the very least, it was definitely worth more than the Origin Heavy Water that they had bought earlier.

“This…”

“Thank you, Zhang shi!”

After seeing Zhang Xuan sell a gourd earlier, they knew that the gourd they had just received was at least worth fifty high-tier spirit stones. To give it to them just like that…

How could they ever return the favor?

With reddened eyes, they mustered their determination, knowing that they had to successfully make a breakthrough so as to not let down Zhang Xuan’s expectations.

Gugugugu!

With the Byzantium Helios Beast and Golden Origin Cauldron guarding them by the side, they need not worry about anyone disturbing them here. Thus, sitting cross-legged on the ground, they began to cultivate.

Six hours later, once they had managed to reach their peak condition, they devoured a Scarlet Firefly Fruit each.

As expected of the divine medicine that could raise the chances of a breakthrough to Half-Saint, as soon they consumed it, they immediately felt their psyche growing stronger. Hu Yaoyao, under Zhang Xuan’s tutelage, was the first one to achieve a breakthrough.

The second person to succeed was Dong Xin.

After the events at the Elder Hall, her mind had grown much more resilient than before. This state of mind would help her achieve greater heights in her cultivation in the future.

Following her was Xue Zhenyang. After listening to Wang Ying and the others’ teachings on the basics of cultivation, he had managed to reinforce his cultivation further. Even though he was the third one to achieve a breakthrough, his cultivation was considerably more stable than the other two.

However, the last one, Long Cangyue, wasn’t as lucky.

After failing four times consecutively, he felt a sense of fatigue creeping up on him. Knowing that it was impossible for him to succeed that day, he could only sigh in disappointment and stop there.

Initially, there hadn’t been much of a difference between the four of them. However, three of them had succeeded in achieving a breakthrough, and he was the only one to have failed. It wasn’t too difficult to imagine his current emotions.

The three of them are Zhang shi’s apprentice, grandstudent, and great grandstudent, so they have received his guidance. On the other hand, due to my overthinking of matters and my pride, I ended up being the furthest away from him… Long Cangyue shook his head bitterly.

In one way or another, the other three were related to Zhang shi, so they had received his guidance. But he, due to his excessive worries, had chosen to stay out of Zhang shi’s way, and the outcome was him eventually lagging behind the others…

If he had known this was the case, regardless of whether he would have become Zhang shi’s great great grandstudent or anything else, he would have tried to strike up a connection with the latter somehow.

Seeing through Long Cangyue’s thoughts, Zhang Xuan offered a word of advice. “What you are lacking is not strength but confidence! Due to your indecisive character, you are unable to rid yourself of your hesitation and charge forward, which has led to your inability to build up sufficient momentum to achieve a breakthrough to Half-Saint.”

If one were to ask whether he had played a part in the successful breakthrough of the other three, the answer would be yes.

The points that he listed in his guidance were often direct and spot-on. If one were to cultivate as he had advised, it would indeed be much easier to achieve a breakthrough.

However, making a breakthrough to Half-Saint wasn’t just a problem of strength. One’s mind also played a huge part as well.

Hu Yaoyao had a willful and decisive personality, allowing her to make prompt decisions and commit to them. Dong Xin’s mind had been tempered to be more resilient after the setback she had suffered back in the Elder Hall. Xue Zhenyang had a straightforward personality, which allowed him to charge forward without any hesitation.

On the other hand, Long Cangyue was an indecisive worrywart, which made it difficult for him to put his mind entirely into something. It was such a personality that made it difficult for him to succeed.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan’s words, Long Cangyue suddenly felt enlightened.

“Zhang shi’s teaching is right!”

Gathering his remaining strength, he sat down and began cultivating, embracing the determination to lose his life if he were to fail.

Hong long long!

He drove his zhenqi and rammed it furiously into his spiritual sea.

A long moment later, he finally felt the invisible ceiling that had been limiting him loosening before abruptly falling apart.

Half-Saint, reached!

By the side, the Byzantium Helios Beast and the Golden Origin Cauldron gasped in awe. “Incredible!”

Their master might be young, but he had a deep insight into cultivation and the human psyche. His analyses were often spot-on, directed at the very root of a problem.

More importantly… he never discriminated in his guidance. Be it to an ally or a rival, he would offer them his pointers unreservedly. Such magnanimity was rare even among master teachers.

Having reached Half-Saint, Long Cangyue shed the haughty attitude he once had and bowed deeply to Zhang Xuan, thanking him earnestly from the bottom of his heart.

“Thank you, Zhang shi!”

“Alright, let’s return!”

Having achieved their goal here, there was no longer any need to remain there. Thus, he stepped onto the back of the Byzantium Helios Beast to return to Hongyuan City.

…

Shortly after Lu Cheng and Wu Xu left the valley, they suddenly halted.

“Brother Lu, why didn’t you use your full strength against Zhang shi earlier?”

Wu Xu had been overwhelmed by the outcome of the battle earlier, but after giving the matter some thought on the way, he couldn’t help but feel that something was amiss.

He knew very well how powerful Brother Lu was, and there were many powerful moves that he hadn’t executed in the duel before he fell in defeat… It was clear that the latter had gone easy on Zhang shi earlier!

“I didn’t use my full strength?” Lu Cheng shook his head, and the next moment, his body abruptly faltered weakly, and he spurted a mouthful of blood.

“Brother Lu!”

Not expecting Brother Lu’s injuries to be so severe, Wu Xu hurriedly helped him to a nearby boulder to rest before feeding him another pill. Seeing the other party’s complexion alleviate, he heaved a sigh of relief before asking, “Brother Lu, this…”

After recovering slightly from his injuries, Brother Lu shook his head and said, “There were indeed many powerful moves that I didn’t execute in the duel, but it isn’t that I was unwilling to use them—I couldn’t use them at all!”

“You couldn’t use them?”

“Un. Even though it might seem as if he was underestimating me by wielding a blade of foxtail grass against me, in truth, every single move he made was aimed perfectly at my opening, leaving me incapable of driving my zhenqi properly to execute my most powerful moves at all!” Brother Lu said with a bitter smile.

The duel might have already ended, but just at the thought of how he had been cornered by the other party’s astounding eye of discernment, he couldn’t help but shudder.

He had tried multiple times to execute his strongest sword art, but he had been stopped by the other party’s foxtail grass before he could even gather the momentum for it.

It was just like how a river impeded every now and then couldn’t possibly build up the momentum to form a devastating flood.

“You were unable to drive your zhenqi properly?” Wu Xu was taken aback.

“That’s right. What’s fearsome about Zhang shi isn’t just his overwhelming strength that allowed him to challenge even those stronger than him but his terrifyingly discerning eyes. It was as if he had studied every single one of my moves in advance, seeing through their flaws and intercepting them the moment I executed them… In truth, from the very first move, I already knew that I had lost. The remaining hundred moves could only be considered the other party’s attempt to spare my dignity!” Brother Lu shook his head.

“How can that be?” Wu Xu could hardly believe what he was hearing.

He knew how powerful his companion was. To lose in a single strike, that was impossible! Furthermore, he had been watching the battle all along, and he didn’t notice any hint of Zhang shi going easy on Brother Lu at all.

“You don’t believe me? Alright, I will tell you the truth then. In truth, the injury from the Byzantium Helios Beast and the cauldron was more severe than I thought. Even though I had two hours to recuperate, I wasn’t able to fully recover from my injuries… You should be well aware of this, too!” Brother Lu explained.

“Un.” Wu Xu nodded.

He had been beside Brother Lu while he was recuperating, so he had a clear view of the extent of the latter’s injuries.

“Thus, I made use of a secret art to suppress my injuries temporarily for the duel. Coming from the same lineage, you should be well aware of what the secret art is,” Brother Lu said.

“Are you referring to the Hu Po Recuperation Art left behind by Elder Hu Po?” Wu Xu asked.

Chapter 872: The Bodhi Saint Tree Is Dying!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Indeed, it’s the Hu Po Recuperation Art!” Lu Cheng nodded. “Do you know its effects?”

“According to what I know, this secret art doesn’t really treat one’s injuries. Instead, it aims to trigger the potential of one’s body, suppressing one’s injuries so as to draw one’s fighting prowess to the peak temporarily. This is an emergency maneuver that we combat masters only use under desperate circumstances on the battlefield,” Wu Xu replied.

Just as Zhang Xuan had guessed, they were combat masters. As the warriors of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was inevitable that they would have to face deadly battles frequently.

On the battlefield, losing the ability to fight meant that one was just moments away from death.

As such, an elder of the Combat Master Hall, Hu Po, created such a secret art aimed not to heal one’s injuries, but to trigger the potential harnessed within the body to grant one the ability to disregard one’s injuries and continue fighting.

This secret art had managed to save many combat masters from desperate circumstances.

Eager to obtain the Scarlet Firefly Fruit earlier, he had ended up using this secret art as well.

“You’re right. Then, do you know the flaw of this secret art?” Lu Cheng asked.

Wu Xu nodded. “The flaw is… as soon as the effects end, one’s injuries will worsen.”

“That’s right, one’s injuries will worsen, and there is a chance that one’s cultivation might plummet as well…” Lu Cheng said grimly. “Zhang shi seemed to know the condition I was in, so he went easy on me from the very first move, and he chose to avoid the places where I was injured previously. Otherwise… I wouldn’t have survived three moves, let alone a hundred!”

“This…” Wu Xu still found the matter a little inconceivable, thinking that Brother Lu was just overthinking it.

“You don’t believe me?” Lu Cheng shook his head. “The Hu Po Recuperation Art suppresses one’s injuries by forcing it into a few acupoints. For me, it is the Hongmen and Zhanghui acupoints. If the other party had struck either of these two points, I would have suffered severe backlash from my injuries.”

Wu Xu nodded in agreement.

The essence of the secret art lay in manipulating one’s zhenqi to seal one’s injuries, and the mingmen of these seals would be located on certain acupoints, depending on the cultivator themself.

“Take a look at this…” With a bitter smile, Lu Cheng pointed to his clothes.

Wu Xu hurriedly took a look, and his eyes immediately narrowed in astonishment.

On the area of the clothes corresponding to where Brother Lu’s Hongmen and Zhanghui acupoints were located, there were small holes reminiscent of a thin needle; it would have been hard to notice them if one didn’t take a closer look.

“These were… left by him?” Wu Xu’s voice quavered in fear as he spoke.

“Indeed. From the very first move, he had already noticed my weakness and swept his foxtail grass at those two points. Back then, I hadn’t realized it yet, thinking that he might just not have sufficient power to complete the attack. However, the next moment, in order to avoid hurting me, he forcefully diverted his attack to my Shanzhong acupoint on my chest…”

As Lu Cheng spoke, a hint of deference surfaced in his eyes. “In truth, if it had been a life-and-death duel, he could have killed me in the very first blow. However, he chose to go easy on me. It was just that I wasn’t aware of it then…”

“T-this…” Wu Xu’s face paled as it dawned on him what kind of figure he had just crossed earlier.

To be able to go easy on his opponent in such an intense battle, was he still human?

That was way too fearsome!

“Even I can hardly gauge the true prowess of Zhang shi. He is truly like an unfathomable enigma. By no means should we ever make an enemy out of him again,” Lu Cheng said grimly.

“Yes!” Wu Xu nodded.

Since even Brother Lu wasn’t a match for Zhang shi, there was no way he would dare to provoke the other party once more.

“Alright, you should hurry up and recuperate from your wounds; then you can attempt a breakthrough to Half-Saint. Once you succeed, you will be able to follow us to the Four Great Academies to participate in the selection of new members and accomplish that mission. Otherwise, it will be an extremely long time before you get another chance!” Lu Cheng said.

“Don’t worry, Brother Lu. I will surely succeed this time around!” Wu Xu said with great determination.

…

On the journey back, Hu Yaoyao and the others spent most of their time reinforcing their Half-Saint cultivation, and Zhang Xuan also used this time to reinforce his Chrysalis realm cultivation as well.

It was a silent half-day journey back to the Hongyuan City.

From their departure to their return, they had only taken slightly more than a day. When the sun started rising from the horizon once more, Hongyuan City was already in sight.

A moment later, as Zhang Xuan glanced downward, he was completely stunned.

Is that… my manor?

What had been rubble when he last saw it had transformed into an exquisite manor that didn’t pale in comparison even with the royal palace.

On top of that, he could vaguely feel a handful of grade-6 formations that not only gathered spiritual energy in the area but wielded astounding offensive and defensive capabilities as well.

What has happened? Zhang Xuan was unable to understand what had happened during his absence.

School Head Zhao and the others had said that they would send someone to repair his manor for him, but did they really have to make it so extravagant?

Outsiders might just think that this was the royal palace itself!

“Let’s head down to take a look!”

After bidding Hu Yaoyao and the others farewell, Zhang Xuan had the Byzantium Helios Beast descend to the courtyard of the manor.

As soon as they landed, Sun Qiang immediately rushed up to greet him.

“What happened?” Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment.

“It’s the Hongyuan royal family! I tried to stop them, but they insisted on fixing the manor. In the end, I could only watch helplessly as they made this,” Sun Qiang said indignantly.

In truth, he was also completely dumbfounded by the happenings as well.

He could still understand it if the Master Teacher Academy had dispatched some men to fix their manor, but for the royal palace to get involved as well, and to go such great lengths at that… Just what were they up to?

“The royal palace?” Zhang Xuan blinked blankly.

He had been kicked out of the royal palace by the emperor himself two nights ago. Why would the other party offer to fix his manor all of the sudden?

“That’s right. Not only so, Emperor Shen Yuqing has also visited three times in your absence, requesting to meet you…” Sun Qiang said.

“He wants to meet me?” Zhang Xuan’s bewilderment deepened.

Were all emperors as unpredictable as that? It was as if they suffered from severe mood swings!

But just as Zhang Xuan was confused by the situation before him, one of the manor servants abruptly rushed in to report that Emperor Yu Shenqing had turned up once again!

“Invite him in.” Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

Even though he had no idea what the other party was up to, it happened that he needed the other party’s Bodhi Saint Tree. This was a good opportunity to ask about it.

“Yes!” Sun Qiang headed out.

A moment later, Zhang Xuan met Emperor Yu Shenqing in the main hall. The latter clasped his fist upon meeting him and greeted, “Zhang shi!”

Zhang Xuan gestured for him to take a seat before asking, “Your Majesty, I am thankful that you sent your men to fix my manor, but may I know the reason behind it?”

“We had some misunderstanding the other night, so I hope that we can reconcile our differences through this,” Yu Shenqing quickly replied.

“Misunderstanding?” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “Don’t worry about it, it’s really nothing much.”

He hadn’t really taken the matter that night to heart.

After all, he was also at fault for destroying the other party’s main hall and ruining the banquet.

Seeing that there wasn’t any hint of unhappiness on the other party’s face, Yu Shenqing heaved a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to see that Zhang shi isn’t angry about it.”

He had been worrying over this matter for the last two days, fearing that he had offended the other party, but it seemed like the other party hadn’t taken the matter to heart.

But that was no wonder as well. A person who could create and gift such a formidable set of cultivation techniques on a whim was likely to be a magnanimous person, unbothered by such trifling matters in the world.

After chatting for a moment longer, Zhang Xuan raised his request. “I heard that the royal family has a Bodhi Saint Tree. If it isn’t too much, may I borrow it for something?”

“Bodhi Saint Tree?” A conflicted expression surfaced on Yu Shenqing’s face. “This…”

“It isn’t convenient?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

Since he had promised to save Wei Ruyan, he would keep his word. However, if Yu Shenqing were to refuse to lend him the Bodhi Tree, there would be nothing he could do either!

“It isn’t that…”

With a shake of his head, Yu Shenqing sighed deeply, “To be honest with Zhang shi, our Bodhi Saint Tree, for some unknown reason, started to wither some time ago. The situation has worsened particularly in the recent two years… I have tried all kinds of means, but I have been unable to reverse its declining condition. I fear that in its current state, it isn’t too far from death anymore!”

“Wither?” Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

“That’s right. I have invited over a hundred herbologists over the past two years, but none of them were able to resolve its illness,” Yu Shenqing replied despondently.

The condition of the Bodhi Saint Tree was a huge secret of the royal family, so he had been guarding it tightly all along. However, since Zhang shi had asked about it, he could only reply honestly.

“Can you take me over to take a look?” Zhang Xuan asked after a moment of thought.

“Zhang shi wants to take a look?” Yu Shenqing asked in astonishment.

“Indeed. I do know a thing or two about herbology too, so I might just be able to help you on this matter,” Zhang Xuan explained.

He had once solved a problem for a herbologist back in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, so he wasn’t unfamiliar with the occupation.

Hearing those words, Yu Shenqing’s eyes lit up, and he nearly leaped up in excitement. “Zhang shi is knowledgeable in herbology as well? That’s great!”

His ears were already on the verge of growing calluses from hearing about the incredible deeds that Zhang shi had accomplished. After two years of effort, he already didn’t harbor much hope for the recovery of the Saint Bodhi Tree. However, if Zhang shi were to make a move, there might still be a chance for it to happen!

Without any hesitation, he immediately brought Zhang shi onboard the saint beast he had arrived on and headed back to the royal palace.

Upon landing in the royal palace, Yu Shenqing led the way, and after twisting and turning about numerous roads, they finally arrived at a residence.

“The Bodhi Saint Tree is right inside…” Yu Shenqing said as he gestured toward the building.

“Here?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had never been to this residence before, but he couldn’t help but notice that there were no formations set up in the area. Considering how valuable the Bodhi Saint Tree was, was it really fine to leave it lying around without any protection?

Noticing Zhang Xuan’s doubts, Yu Shenqing answered, “The Bodhi Saint Tree is only useful for those who practice soul cultivation techniques, so, perhaps in the whole of Hongyuan Empire, it only has value to our Yu Clan. Others wouldn’t benefit from it. Besides, having reached Saint realm, it already possesses its own sentience, and it detests being surrounded by formations, so…”

“I see.” Zhang Xuan nodded.

Formidable saint herbs, just like Saint-tier artifacts, possessed sentience. It was harder to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings if they were surrounded by formations, so they loathed it.

While speaking, the duo entered the residence, and a few elders within immediately walked over and greeted respectfully, “Your Majesty!”

These elders were all Saint realm experts, and they were probably stationed there to take care of the Bodhi Saint Tree.

“Zhang shi, this is the Bodhi Saint Tree!”

Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and saw a majestic tree in the middle of the courtyard. It had an extremely thick trunk, and it towered at a height of around a dozen meters tall.

However, the leaves on its branches were shriveled and sparse, and traces of white had surfaced on the tree trunk as well. It didn’t seem to be in a good condition.

“Indeed, the Bodhi Saint Tree is nearing death…” Zhang Xuan frowned deeply.

It was spring, the season when everything came to life and vitality permeated the air, but the massive tree was showing clear signs of decline. There was no doubt that it was extremely ill.

Had it not been for the royal family pumping in endless resources to sustain its life, it might have already died.

Unable to determine its condition from a distance away, Zhang Xuan asked, “Can I take a closer look?”

“Of course, feel fr…”

Yu Shenqing nodded, but before he could finish his words, one of the elders stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, it is not advisable for anyone to approach the Bodhi Saint Tree now!”

Chapter 873: Burn It (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Elder Zhao, this is Zhang shi. He possesses a deep understanding of herbology, so I invited him to treat the Bodhi Saint Tree as well!” Yu Shenqing quickly introduced.

These elders were herbologists who he had gone to great lengths to invite here. If not for them, the Bodhi Saint Tree might have long died.

“Treat the Bodhi Saint Tree? A young brat like him? Your Majesty, I think you should proceed warily, lest yet another scammer makes things difficult for us once more!” Elder Zhao took a glance at Zhang Xuan and frowned in displeasure.

“Elder Zhao, Zhang shi is different from those before. He is a man of great capability,” Yu Shenqing said awkwardly.

“Different? Your Majesty, you say the same words each time, but the results speak for themselves!”

Elder Zhao flung his sleeves and harrumphed. “If you don’t trust us, we can leave this instant. There is really no need for you to invite outsiders one after another to render our previous efforts futile!”

“Indeed. Your Majesty, if you don’t trust us, we can leave right now!”

The other elders also chirped in agreement, clearly displeased by Zhang Xuan’s arrival.

Yu Shenqing hurriedly tried to appease them. “Of course, I trust you all! Otherwise, I wouldn’t have entrusted the most important Bodhi Saint Tree of our Yu Clan to you.”

Elder Zhao harrumphed. “Your Majesty, if you trust us, we will have to ask you not to invite these kinds of shady figures to interfere with our work. The Bodhi Saint Tree’s condition is already very complicated as it is, and we might not be so lucky as to successfully save it the next time someone you invited over who screws it up once more! We will try our best, but whether we succeed or not will depend on fate.”

Over the years, Yu Shenqing had invited many herbologists to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Tree’s conditions, and there were plenty of them who had given empty promises, hoping that they could succeed by some stroke of luck and make a name for themselves. However, not only did they fail tragically, they even worsened the Bodhi Saint Tree’s state. It was these elders who had to work tirelessly for days in order to stabilize its condition.

This was precisely the reason why they felt extremely frustrated whenever Yu Shenqing tried to bring someone new over.

Such an emotion was exacerbated when Yu Shenqing introduced a young lad who was barely in his early twenties as someone who possessed a deep understanding of herbology… Like hell they would believe that!

Even though herbologist wasn’t officially recognized as an occupation, it did have its own heritage. Similar to the physicians, it was an occupation containing deep wisdom within it, and the knowledge one learned had to be corroborated with practice as well.

For a young lad who was barely in his early twenties, even if he had start studying from the day he was born, how much could he possibly have learned?

“This…” Yu Shenqing was conflicted.

If it was in the field of pill forging or smithing, he would harbor no doubts about Zhang shi’s capability. But herbology… he really couldn’t say for sure.

Just as Yu Shenqing was still in a dilemma, not sure who he should side with, the young man beside him ignored everyone and walked straight toward the Bodhi Saint Tree.

There was a formation set up around the tree in order to protect it from further harm, but the young man walked past it as if it were non-existent. In just a short moment, he was already standing before the tree; he then raised his hand and placed his palm on its thick trunk.

“What are you doing?”

Not expecting that young lad to disregard them and head straight for the tree, touching it even, Elder Zhao and the others bellowed furiously. They felt as if their authority had been challenged, and they glared at the young lad in hostility.

“I am not doing anything,” Zhang Xuan replied innocently.

After which, he turned to Yu Shenqing and said, “If those fellows want to leave, let them be. It’s not like they are doing any good around here…”

The elders immediately lashed out furiously.

“What did you say?!”

“Lad, where are you from? There are just this many herbologist clans in Hongyuan Empire, which one are you from?”

“You sure are haughty for someone your age…”

Yu Shenqing had also brought in plenty of renowned herbologists before, but there were none who had dared disrespect them like that.

After all, they were second to none in the field of herbology in Hongyuan Empire!

It was one thing for that fellow to have disregarded them and overstepped his bounds, but to question their professionalism on top of that…

How dare he!

“What I said is a fact. It’s such a simple illness, but none of you managed to see through it, even saying that it would depend on fate… Are you here to treat the Bodhi Saint Tree or to hasten its death?” Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

He had already noticed some problems when he assessed the tree via the Eye of Insight when he first arrived. However, he wasn’t too sure whether his analysis was right or not, so he decided to step forward and check via the Library of Heaven’s Path as well.

The result was similar to what he had deduced.

The illness was, in truth, not very complicated, but it was extremely difficult to diagnose it accurately by examining just the exterior of the tree.

“You…” Elder Zhao’s eyebrows shot up disdainfully as he uttered coldly, “Simple? So, you are saying that you know what illness the Bodhi Saint Tree is suffering from? Speak then, I sure look forward to hearing what comes out of your mouth!”

“Even if I tell you, will you understand?” Zhang Xuan replied impassively.

Given that these fellows had failed to determine the root of the Bodhi Saint Tree’s illness despite spending so much time analyzing and treating it, it was doubtful whether or not they would believe him even if he were to tell them.

“You…” Elder Zhao and the others felt as if their veins would rupture from sheer rage.

As the top herbologists of Hongyuan Empire, they had always been the ones to look down on others. This was the first time in a long while that someone had dared underestimate them like that.

Will we understand, you ask?

Lad, does your clan know who you have just provoked? Just wait and see, soon, there won’t be a place for you in the circle of herbologists in Hongyuan Empire!

Zhang Xuan turned to Yu Shenqing and urged, “Your Majesty, the Bodhi Saint Tree’s condition is dire, and we can’t afford to delay it any longer. Otherwise, it might just die in the hands of these men…”

“Audacious! You said that the tree will die in our hands? You’d better explain yourself right now, or else I won’t let this matter slide!”

Seeing that the young lad was getting more and more overboard with his words, Elder Zhao stepped forward and glared at the other party menacingly.

A powerful aura burst forth from him, as if saying that he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the other party should his words turn out to be nonsense.

As a top-notch herbologist and a Saint realm expert, Elder Zhao had always been respected no matter where he went, and even Emperor Yu Shenqing had to speak to him courteously. Yet, this young lad had actually dared to insult him like that…

This was completely unacceptable!

“The Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation, if I am not mistaken, serves to pump spiritual energy into the Bodhi Saint Tree to stimulate its spirit, right?” Zhang Xuan asked calmly.

“You know the Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation?” Elder Zhao was slightly taken aback.

Due to the young age and the arrogance of the lad before him, he had already regarded him as one of those incapable fame-seekers. Thus, he hadn’t thought that the other party would be able to see through the essence of their treatment so quickly.

The Nine-Nine Soul Consonance Formation was a secret art passed down only among top herbologist clans. It had the ability to stimulate and nurture the spirit within spirit herbs and saint herbs, bringing vitality back to them.

Most herbologists weren’t even aware of it.

From their diagnosis, they had determined the cause of the Bodhi Saint Tree’s withering to be the dissipation of its spirit. That was why they had spent such a heavy price to set up this expensive formation, hoping to revitalize its spirit and bring it back to life.

But for the young lad to speak in such a manner, could there be a problem with their treatment method?

“Of course! Not only that, you also gathered the spirit of eighteen different saint herbs and tried to forcefully in fuse them into the Bodhi Saint Tree, but it ended in failure,” Zhang Xuan said confidently.

“This…” Elder Zhao and the other herbologists traded gazes, stumped by the situation before them.

The other party was right. They had thought that they could swiftly revitalize the tree’s spirit by infusing the spirits of other saint herbs into it, but the attempt had ended in a failure.

As the result was unsatisfactory, they hadn’t reported this matter to Yu Shenqing, so it was only known among them. How did this fellow learn of it?

Did he deduce it with just a glance?

But that was impossible!

Matters regarding spirits and souls had always been an enigma to most of mankind. It might still be possible to deduce that a successful spirit infusion had occurred by looking at the spirit of the medicinal herb, but if it had been a failure, not even top herbologists like them would be able to discern it. How could the young lad before them deduce it accurately?

“This Bodhi Saint Tree has yet to die, and its spirit is still alive and kicking. Yet, you attempted to infuse another spirit into it to take over its body… It is really a blessing of the heavens that it hasn’t died in your hands yet! To still be acting so arrogantly around here despite that, do you have not the slightest bit of shame? I really do wonder where you get your boldness and confidence from!” Zhang Xuan flung his sleeves majestically.

“You… Nonsense! We have checked using various means, and the spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree has definitely disappeared. How could it still be alive?” Elder Zhao’s face reddened in agitation.

Naturally, they understood the implications of a soul infusion, so they had checked over and over again to ensure that their diagnosis was correct. If the Bodhi Saint Tree still retained its spirit, how could they not be aware of it?

Another elder stood forward and said, “Indeed! I checked for its spirit using the Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method thrice, and the results were all negative. Furthermore, if its spirit was still around, how could it allow its body to wither like that?”

Yet another elder nodded in agreement. “I also used the exclusive Green Mist Spirit Detection Method of my lineage, and I can testify that the tree has already lost its spirit!”

It was common knowledge that saint herbs possessed spirit. If one were to forcefully infuse a spirit into a saint herb that still retained its spirit, that would be practically no different from murdering the herb!

If they, who prided themselves on their expertise in the field of herbology, had truly unintentionally killed a herb when they were supposed to save it, they would be too ashamed to continue living.

Another elder waved his hands and harrumphed. “The spirit infusion might have failed, but it sprouted new leaves on the withered tree and alleviated the yellowing of the existent leaves. This is a clear sign of the Bodhi Saint Tree making a recovery. There’s really no need for us to listen to the nonsense of an ignorant lad here!”

The others nodded in agreement to his words.

The spirit infusion might have failed, but the fact that it had regained its green glow for even a short moment of time meant that their treatment was effective and they were moving in the correct direction.

“A clear sign that the Bodhi Saint Tree is making a recovery, you say? The leaves might have turned green, but have you checked the roots? Do they show signs of recovering? What about the tree trunk? Does it look healthier, or did the wither worsen?” Zhang Xuan scoffed.

“This…”

The elders immediately fell silent.

They had checked the condition of the tree thoroughly after the spirit infusion, and the condition of the roots and the trunks seemed to have worsened considerably… But there was a period of adjustment, so it should be normal to see such conditions, right?

“The Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method can indeed check for a herb’s spirit, but how long is your golden needle? Can it reach the depths of the tree trunk? If the spirit is hidden in the depths, do you think that your detection method will be effective?” Zhang Xuan continued.

“This…”

The elders had no idea how to respond to this either.

The Golden Needle Spirit Detection Method responded only upon direct contact with the spirit. If it had been an ordinary medicinal herb, there wouldn’t be any problem.

However, considering the massive size of the Bodhi Saint Tree, there was indeed no guarantee that the needle would reach the spirit.

Zhang Xuan turned to the other elder and stated, “A similar problem applies for the Green Mist Spirit Detection Method as well. It works by triggering a response from a conscious spirit, but what if the spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree is unconscious? Wouldn’t the result you receive wrongly reflect that its spirit is dead?”

“Ahh…” Realization struck the elder, and he fell silent as well.

To the Green Mist Spirit Detection Method, an unconscious spirit was deemed to be no different from a dead spirit.

An elder abruptly interjected, “Enough! After all you have said, you still haven’t told us how the Bodhi Saint Tree should be treated? If you can’t come up with a solution, you are ultimately still the same as us!”

The others immediately nodded in agreement.

The most important thing at hand was to save the Bodhi Saint Tree; everything else was secondary.

“A solution?” Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly before turning to Yu Shenqing. “Your Majesty, I will have to trouble you to get your men to bring some pails of oil and a paper match 1 over…

“I am going to burn the tree!”

1. Paper match (not an official term) is a rolled piece of paper that contains white phosphorus, nitrogen, sulfur, and various other ingredients. When unrolled, it will come into contact with the air and light up. It is said to have been created in China in AD577.

**Rate Translation Quality**

Chapter 874: Burn It (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

“Burn it?”

“You have been invited here to save the tree, not to burn it down!”

“Ridiculous, this is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! Who doesn’t know how to kill a tree, do we still need you for that?”

…

Everyone was stunned for an instant after hearing Zhang Xuan’s words before bellowing furiously.

There must be something wrong with your head!

You spoke as if we were completely useless, but when asked for a solution, you proposed to burn the tree instead…

The Bodhi Saint Tree was the very foundation of the Yu Clan, and the herbologists had used every means at their disposal to treat it desperately, fearing that their failure would result in their heads being lopped off. That young lad had spoken as if he had some incredible means up his sleeves, but to think that the solution he proposed would be to burn down the tree… This was utter insanity!

Yu Shenqing’s body shook, and he nearly fainted on the spot as well.

Watching Zhang shi render the elders in the room speechless with his words earlier, he had seen a glimmer of hope for the Bodhi Saint Tree. But after hearing his solution, he realized that the other party was just toying with him!

The Bodhi Saint Tree was already on the verge of death. If it were to be burned down, wouldn’t it lose its life immediately?

Noticing Yu Shenqing hesitation, Zhang Xuan’s eyebrows shot up. “I won’t force you if you don’t trust me. However, if you wish to save the Bodhi Saint Tree, you’d better make your decision quickly!”

“Save?” Yu Shenqing’s lips twitched.

Are you sure that you are really saving the Bodhi Saint Tree and not murdering it?

“That’s right!” Zhang Xuan nodded before placing his hands behind his back and waiting patiently.

“This…” Seeing the grim look on Zhang shi’s face, it didn’t seem like the other party was joking around.

After a moment of hesitation, Yu Shenqing turned around to the old eunuch, Luo Fu, and instructed, “Do as Zhang shi says!”

Even though he still thought that it was ridiculous to burn down the tree, the fact that Zhang Xuan was the principal of the Master Teacher Academy, along with the various incredible feats he had achieved, still convinced him to trust the other party this once.

More importantly, those elders had been here for two years, but there wasn’t the slightest improvement in the Bodhi Saint Tree’s condition. It would be no exaggeration to say that the tree’s death timer had already started ticking.

Since Zhang shi was so confident in the matter, perhaps it was worth giving his method a try, especially since there was no better solution at hand. If the tree still died eventually, it could only be said to be its fate.

“Your Majesty, I beseech you to reconsider your options!”

“Don’t listen to the lies of this fellow. The Bodhi Saint Tree is already in a very feeble state; it won’t be able to survive being burned!”

Seeing that Yu Shenqing had really instructed his men to bring oil and a paper match over, Elder Zhao and the others immediately panicked, and they rushed forward to advise him otherwise.

“Please calm down. Zhang shi is the pr… a very talented master teacher from the Master Teacher Academy. I believe there is a reason why he made such a decision…”

Yu Shenqing was just about to reveal Zhang Xuan’s other identity when he suddenly realized that this matter was supposed to remain a secret until the inauguration ceremony, so he could only quickly change his words.

Seeing that Yu Shenqing was being beguiled by the young lad, Elder Zhao exclaimed in agitation, “I don’t deny that master teachers are knowledgeable and discerning, but in the field of herbology, there is no one who can top us in Hongyuan Empire, and none of us here have ever heard of a saint herb being saved by being burned!”

They came from the top herbology clans with long heritages behind them. The wisdom of their predecessors had been passed down from one generation to one generation, forming incredible compendiums of knowledge. Yet, despite being the successors of these compendiums of knowledge, none of them had ever heard of a herb being saved through burning.

That was no different from drinking poison to alleviate one’s thirst, a concept that completely went against the theories of herbology. It was something that could never happen.

“Indeed! Each occupation has its own experts, and even master teachers can’t possibly be knowledgeable about every single occupation in the world. After all, there is only one Kong shi!” another elder added.

Legend had it that on top of being the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Kong shi had been skilled in many occupations as well. In fact, the heritage of many existing occupations had been compiled and organized by him.

The young lad before them might be a formidable master teacher, but even master teachers weren’t capable of everything. There were times when they, too, would fail!

“This…”

Hearing the words of the elders, Yu Shenqing’s determination began to waver. However, thinking about Zhang Xuan’s identity, he eventually still gritted his teeth and said, “Say no more, I have already made up my mind. Let’s just do as Zhang shi instructs!”

While they were talking, the palace attendants had already brought pails of oil and a paper match into the room.

Zhang Xuan, upon seeing that Yu Shenqing was willing to put his trust in him at a crucial moment like this, nodded in satisfaction. He instructed the palace attendants to spill the pails of oil all over the tree, and when that was done, he lit up the paper match 1 .

In no haste to ignite the oil, Zhang Xuan turned to the herbologists in the room and said, “There are countless herbologist clans in the world, and they each have their unique ways of cultivating and treating medicinal herbs. While you all might be considered to be the best herbologists in Hongyuan Empire, do you really believe that you have grasped all possible treatment methods in the world?”

Elder Zhao and the others fell silent.

The pursuit of knowledge is an endless race. Every day, new things were being discovered, and new heritages were being formed. Who would dare say that they had already seen it all?

Not even Kong shi would dare to arrogantly declare so!

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been rendered speechless by the words of two young children while passing through a remote country back then.

“The spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree is not dead but asleep. You rushed into treating it without checking its condition thoroughly, nearly causing its death… Forget it, just watch and see.” Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan threw the paper match over.

Hu hu!

As soon as the paper match came into contact with the oil, the entire tree immediately burst into flames.

“He really is burning the tree…” The mouths of Elder Zhao and the others twitched uncontrollably.

After spending two years with the Bodhi Saint Tree, they already possessed some feelings for it. Thus, they couldn’t help but feel a stabbing pain in their hearts as they watched the flames gradually devouring the tree.

Yu Shenqing also couldn’t help but clench his fists tightly as he watched the flames.

At this point, he really didn’t know whether he was right or not to trust Zhang Xuan.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan was staring at the flames intently, seemingly waiting for the right moment.

Shortly after, he raised his hand and said, “Extinguish the flames!”

“Yes!”

A few guards immediately rushed forward and stifled the flames around the Bodhi Saint Tree with their zhenqi.

Even the weakest of them was at the Ethereal Treading realm, and with their strength combined, it took barely more than a moment for them to extinguish the flames.

With the flames gone, everyone got a clear glimpse of the current state of the Bodhi Saint Tree. At this point, its exterior was charred black, and there wasn’t the slightest hint of life from it.

Without saying a word, Zhang Xuan walked up to the tree and began striking it at certain locations while circling around it.

After striking it consecutively thirty-six times, he finally came to a halt.

Just as everyone was wondering what Zhang Xuan was up to, the latter returned to Yu Shenqing and the others’ side and snapped his finger.

Kacha! Kacha!

The charred exterior of the tree abruptly burst apart.

“T-this… How is this possible?”

The sight that unfolded before their eyes left everyone stupefied.

Beneath the charred exterior of the tree was a tree trunk only about an arm thick, but it was overflowing with vitality, like a young sprout blossoming from the old tree. It was just that it had been hidden beneath its withered exterior previously.

But considering how the exterior was already nearing death, how could the insides of the tree still remain so vibrant?

This sight was mystifying, and there was no on who could comprehend what was going on.

Elder Zhao and the others had diagnosed and treated many herbs in their time, but they had never encountered or even heard of such a scenario before.

Seeing the looks of incomprehension on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan explained calmly, “It isn’t because this Bodhi Saint Tree is nearing death that it is unconscious. Instead, it was out of self-preservation by the spirit to protect its foundation that it chose to conceal itself in the core of the tree. As a result, the external layer was no longer sustained by the spirit, thus resulting in its death-like state.

“You overlooked this and forcefully infused another spirit into it. Through doing that, you nearly destroying its remaining foundation. If you had really succeeded then, the Bodhi Saint Tree would have already died by now…”

“This…”

The bodies of Elder Zhao and the others shuddered in astonishment.

The other party was right.

Under the condition that the current spirit hadn’t died yet, if a new spirit were to be infused into the body, it would result in a huge fight, and in the worst-case scenario, the two spirits might just end up killing one another.

In other words, it was truly a blessing that they hadn’t succeeded then. Otherwise, they would have been the culprits behind the Bodhi Saint Tree’s death!

“But Zhang shi, the Bodhi Saint Tree has been perfectly fine for many years. Why would it suddenly need to resort to a self-preservation maneuver?” Yu Shenqing asked, puzzled. The others also turned doubtful gazes to Zhang Xuan as well.

“I am not too sure about that either. Under normal circumstances, a spirit will only do that if it has suffered severe injuries… Try recalling this. In the period of time just before the Bodhi Saint Tree started to wither, did anything happen?” Zhang Xuan said.

The Library of Heaven’s Path had reflected the flaws of the Bodhi Saint Tree, but it didn’t delve into the reason for its condition, so he wasn’t too sure either.

“This… I don’t think that anything major happened in that period of time!” Yu Shenqing frowned. “Two years ago… That should be around the time when the old principal of the Master Teacher Academy went missing. Oh right, the vice head of the Physician School, You Xu, visited once in that period of time to procure a seedling from the tree, saying that he wanted to try cultivating it to help locate the old principal’s soul. Other than that, I don’t think that there are any outsiders who have approached the tree!”

“You Xu?” Zhang Xuan frowned.

That fellow was the culprit behind Wei Changfeng’s death, and in order to let Wei Ruyan exact vengeance for her father personally, he had the other party imprisoned in his own manor for the time being.

Was the other party related to this incident as well?

“That’s right. Vice School Head You Xu is a talented herbologist himself, so I invited him over to take a look at the Bodhi Saint Tree’s condition as well, but he wasn’t able to tell what was wrong with it either,” Yu Shenqing replied.

“I see… Forget it, let’s put that matter aside for now. For the time being, we should find a way to awaken the spirit from its slumber first!” Zhang Xuan said.

It had been two years since the Bodhi Saint Tree was poisoned, so it would be difficult to track down the culprit now. Besides, this had nothing to do with him, so there was no need for him to get involved in the matter.

Understanding this, Yu Shenqing also chose not to talk about it any further.

Stepping forward, Zhang Xuan walked up to the Bodhi Saint Tree once more and placed his palm on it before falling into deep thought.

A moment later, he flicked his wrist and took out a gigantic wine gourd. Uncorking the lid, a concentrated surge of spiritual energy immediately gushed into the surroundings.

“That is… Earth Vein Spirit Essence?” The eyes of Yu Shenqing and the elders lit up.

Earth Vein Spirit Essence contained the energy of the earth, which made it exceptionally nourishing to medicinal herbs. It was an incredible treasure to herbologists.

Pouring the Earth Vein Spirit Essence on the vigorous tree trunk, innumerable buds began growing at a rate visible to the eye on the bald tree, and they gradually sprouted to form lush leaves.

“This… the spirit has been awakened?”

Upon seeing this sight, Yu Shenqing and the other elders couldn’t help but tremble in excitement.

For the tree to undergo such rapid growth, it could only mean that the sleeping spirit of the Bodhi Saint Tree had awakened!

However, the Earth Vein Spirit Essence only had the effect of replenishing spiritual energy within saint herbs, it shouldn’t have been capable of rousing an unconscious spirit.

Just what kind of mystical means did Zhang shi use?

1: he lit up the paper match (Usually, lighting up the paper match consists of blowing on it as well so as to increase its exposure to air.)