Library of Heaven's Path

by Little Merger

Traversing into another world, Zhang Xuan finds himself becoming an honorable teacher. Along with his transcension, a mysterious library appears in his mind. As long as it is something he has seen, regardless of whether it is a human or an object, a book on its weaknesses will be automatically compiled in the library. Thus, he becomes formidable. “Emperor Zhuoyang, why do you detes

19. 577

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed? - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed? Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 577: Can It Be Fixed?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

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

Wuwuwuwu!

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

"Is this Soul Beguilement?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

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

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

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

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

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

Boom!

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

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

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

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

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

Could this test really be that difficult?

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

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

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

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

"Eye of Insight!"

Thinking such, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Draw soul!"

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

Weng!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"The stone pedestal at the center is the control center?"

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

"Isn't this way too conspicuous?"

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

But soon, he came to a realization.

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

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

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

Too lazy to read on, Zhang Xuan closed the book, and with his Eye of Insight still active, he began assessing the stone pedestal.

He couldn't tell what the stone pedestal was made of, but it was exceptionally hard. Looking around it, Zhang Xuan wasn't able to find any mechanism around it.

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

"I don't believe that I can't move it. Heaven's Path Fist Art!"

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

Peng!

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

"What a hard stone..."

Zhang Xuan was astonished.

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

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

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

"What should I do now?"

Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Come out!"

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

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

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

"Alright!"

The clone tightened his fists and released a punch.

Heaven's Path Fist Art!

Kacha! Kacha!

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

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

"You... Can't you hold back a little?" Zhang Xuan's eyes widened in rage.

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

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

"Could it be that... clone's physical body is simply too powerful, such that it induced a suppression effect on the stone pedestal?"

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

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

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

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

Hong long!

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

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

"Keep!"

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 'warrior' scratched his head apologetically and said, "Hong shi... It seems like I accidentally broke your Ghost Domain Illusory City... Can it be fixed?"

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Chapter 578: The Fearsome Otherwordly Demonic Tribe

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Fixed?"

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

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

Fix your head!

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

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

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

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

"Indeed..."

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

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

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

To cut off other people's path while walking your own...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Fix... It's impossible to fix it!"

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

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

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

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

The other master teachers also shot glances over.

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

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

"Courage test?"

"How is it going to be carried out?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Otherworldly Demon?"

"Hasn't that race gone extinct already? Could it be that there are still survivors?"

Everyone was taken aback.

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

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

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

Hula!

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

Fearsome!

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

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

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

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

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

This was a matter of courage.

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

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

Waving his hands, Hong shi flicked his finger.

Huala!

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

Honglong!

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

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

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

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

"This is an Otherworldly Demon?"

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched.

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

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

"Fearsome!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Under such circumstances... even ten meters would be difficult, not to mention, five meters!'

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

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

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

'Let me try driving my zhenqi!'

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

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

Hu!

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

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

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

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

He secretly peeked at the others

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

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

'Incredible!'

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

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

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

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

'Could the immense pressure exerted by the Otherworldly Demon... be considered as a battle technique as well?'

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

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

'Flaws!' Zhang Xuan willed.

Hu!

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

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Chapter 579: Zhang Xuan in a Daze

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

'He isn't a purebred Otherworldly Demon but... a progeny with a spirit beast?'

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes.

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

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

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

'But even so, this fellow is indeed strong!'

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That Luo Xuan is leading the group..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

Beneath the stage.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Cough cough..."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pavilion Master Kang shook his head, "... he might cause something huge once more!"

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

Su shi shook his head. "There's no need for you to worry about this!"

"I hope so..."

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

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

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

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

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

"Ah..."

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

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

"You lowly creatures, how dare you capture and use me! I'll devour every single one of you..."

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

"AHH... I'M NOT GOING TO COMPETE ANYMORE..."

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

A pool of pungent fluid was left in his wake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

... in a daze!

In a daze?

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

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

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

"Little fellow, do you think you are courageous? Let's see how courageous you can be after you're dead..."

Hualala!

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

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

But...

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

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

"I'll kill you!"

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

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

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

This was too much!

Boom!

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

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

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

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

Naturally, the young man was Zhang Xuan.

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

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

"It can't be that... Zhang shi has fainted from fear?"

"Fainted? If he has fainted, how can he still be standing? Furthermore, he was still looking around a moment ago..."

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

"This... I have no idea as well!"

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

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

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

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

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Chapter 580: Kill Yourself!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

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

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

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

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

"I'll kill you..."

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

"This is bad! The Otherworldly Demon is activating Blood Berserk!"

"Blood Berserk?"

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

"Then what should we do?"

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

Hong long!

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

"Die..."

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

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

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

"You..."

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

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

"I'll kill you..."

Huala!

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

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

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

"Zhang shi..."

Hong shi couldn't stand looking at it anymore.

What the heck are you doing?

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

"Ah?"

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

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

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

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

Pah!

A crisp sound echoed across the round stage.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The Otherworldly Demon's eyes also widened in frenzy.

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

"You lowly human, die!"

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

Hu hu!

A piercing wind screamed in the surroundings.

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

"You beast, you're seeking death..."

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

"Audacious! Who are you calling lowly?"

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

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

"You..."

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

"What? Is there anything wrong about what I said?"

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

"I..." The Otherworldly Demon subconsciously took a step back in fear.

"Wh-what... is going on?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"..." The Otherworldly Demon trembled in fear.

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

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

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

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

Just the thought of it evoked sympathy for his parents.

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

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

The Otherworldly Demon trembled once more.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"I..."

The Otherworldly Demon trembled yet again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pah!

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

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Chapter 581: The Test Is on Reading Books?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"He committed suicide?"

"Zhang shi actually convinced... the Otherworldly Demon to commit suicide?"

...

The crowd went completely silent.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was known for being terrifying!

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

Did it have to be so fantastical?

Could it be that we're dreaming?

"It's... Impartation of Heaven's Will!"

"Isn't it an ability that only could be executed in the midst of a lesson?"

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

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

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

"I see..."

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

...

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

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

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

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

This was way too fearsome!

"He was actually killed... by words?"

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

But it was fortunate that he succeeded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Hong shi, what do I do with the carcass?"

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

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

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

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

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

"Yes!"

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

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

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

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

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

"Reading?"

Everyone was taken aback.

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

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

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

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

"This is the test?"

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

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

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

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

Zhang Xuan made up his mind.

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

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

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

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

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

Low profile!

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

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

You call this keeping a low profile?

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

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

"Quick!"

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Compile!'

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

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

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

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Chapter 582: Daze Book Reading Technique

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Beneath the stage...

"Given that the test is on reading books this time round, Zhang shi... shouldn't cause any trouble, right?"

"I... think so..."

Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others wiped the cold sweat off their forehead.

This Zhang shi seemed to be bent on causing a huge ruckus for every single test he took. It was as if he would feel uncomfortable if he didn't scare them to death.

They were initially worried that Zhang shi would cause something in the third round as well, but from the looks of it now, the chances should be near null.

After all, unlike the first two tests, this test consisted of simply reading. There didn't seem to be any room for Zhang shi to cause any trouble.

"Hmm? What is Zhang shi doing?"

Just as they heaved a sigh of relief, Ling shi voice cried out. Alarmed, Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi leaped from their seats. "What's wrong? Did he destroy the bookshelves? Or did he burn the books?"

The duo quickly turned their sights to Zhang shi, only to see the latter reading peacefully.

The shocks that Zhang Xuan had caused them had left a deep trauma in their hearts. As such, whenever they hear of anything relating to him, they would immediately think that the latter had done something catastrophic.

Seeing the tense looks on the duo, Ling shi was speechless. Pointing forward, he said, "That's not it. Rather... Everyone seems to be in a rush to cram as many books in as possible, but why is he standing completely still after grabbing that book?"

"Hmm?"

Pavilion Master Kang and Su shi finally understood what was wrong about the scene.

They saw Zhang shi walking up to the bookshelf and tracing the books with his fingers, seemingly trying to look a book that interests him. After choosing his book, he flipped it open and entered into a daze again!

It was exactly how he'd reacted before the Otherworldly Demon. Could there be some special significance behind his dazing off?

Zhao Feiwu's eyebrows shot up as she exclaimed, "Could this be the Daze Book Reading Technique?"

"Daze Book Reading Technique?"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others were bewildered by Zhao Feiwu's words.

"Actually, back when Zhang shi was taking the examination for other occupations, he utilized the Beast Pummeling Taming Method, the Knockout Treatment Method, and the Formation-Crushing Kick Technique. So, I'm wondering if this is another technique of his!"

Zhao Feiwu had been with Zhang Xuan for a significant period of time, and she had witnessed many inconceivable means from the latter.

"Beast Pummeling Taming Method? Knockout Treatment Method? Formation-Crushing Kick Technique?"

The three 4-star master teachers glanced at one another in confusion.

What the heck are these?

I don't seem to understand what you are talking about...

"Oh, it's actually like that..."

Zhao Feiwu began explaining the various incidents she had encountered in detail.

"There's such a thing?"

Upon hearing of the matters, the three master teachers widened their eyes in shock. It felt as though what they had just heard came from a dream.

To tame a savage beast just by beating it up; to heal anyone just by knocking them out; to break any formation with just a single kick... Why did it sound like something that had come out of a fantasy novel?

It seemed like this fellow truly couldn't be assessed through common sense... anyone who tried to do so would probably go mad.

Since there were so many precedents... perhaps, he might truly have such a unique way of reading books.

"But even so, if all he's staring going to stare at is a single page, surely there would be nothing for him to read and learn?"

After recovering from the primary shock, more doubts emerged in their minds.

No matter how formidable your 'Daze Book Reading Technique' is, even if it allows you to comprehend the content within in an instant... if all you are just going to stare at one page the whole time, how are you supposed to read anything else?

At the very least, shouldn't you flip the pages of the book?

"Is Zhang shi... giving up on this stage?"

They weren't the only bewildered ones. There were some among the crowd that noticed this peculiarity, and they were confused by Zhang Xuan's actions too.

In the previous two rounds, he had caused so much trouble that even Hong shi was left on the verge of a frenzy. The crowd below must be blind if they couldn't notice his uniqueness.

Naturally, such a 'unique' person would have the spotlight on him. The crowd thought that he, just like the other participants, would quickly flip through the books to memorize as many of them as he could. And yet, after picking up a single one... he stopped moving altogether.

Wasn't his efficiency a little... way too low?

There was no way he could match up to the others with this kind of speed?

Did he use up all of his talent in the past two rounds?

...

Oblivious to the reactions of the crowd, at this very moment, Zhang Xuan was staring at the nearly compiled Clarifying Turbidity realm Heaven's Path Divine Art with gleaming eyes.

He thought that he would only be able to compile it after reaching Huanyu Empire. Never in his dreams did he expect to be able to perfect it through this preliminary selection test.

With the cultivation technique perfected and sufficient number of spirit stones in his storage ring, it wasn't a problem for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle right now.

It was a pity that he was in the midst of the preliminary selection test. If he were to cultivate the Heaven's Path Divine Art right here, who knows how many eyeballs would pop out from their sockets...

Thus, all Zhang Xuan could do was reread the manual and understand the essence of the cultivation technique entirely. After he was done, he turned his attention to the other books.

'To think that there would be books on souls here as well...'

Sweeping through the rest of the five thousand books, he found quite a few books about soul as well. Most of them were Hong shi's notes on his comprehension of the topic.

As a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm expert, Hong shi's possessed a unique interpretation of the topic of souls.

'Compile!'

Zhang Xuan compiled the notes on soul with the techniques Mo Hunsheng gave him.

Soon, a book was formed.

Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Heaven's Path Soul Art!

'To think that I would get two complete Heaven's Path cultivation technique through this preliminary selection,' Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.

He had come with the thought of just getting the Master Teacher Tournament over and done with. He didn't expect to be given enough valuable books to perfect a cultivation realm of Heaven's Path Divine Art and Heaven's Path Soul Art.

This meant that his fighting prowess could be raised significantly once he found some free time to cultivate.

The rest of the books weren't of much use to Zhang Xuan. He swept across them with his mind, but he couldn't find anything that interest him. Thus, he drew his consciousness out of the Library of Heaven's Path.

"Only ten minutes have passed?"

When his consciousness returned, he realized that only ten minutes had passed.

In total, they were given two hours. In less than a tenth of the time, Zhang Xuan had already finished browsing through all of the books. If he were to say that he was done with the test, Hong shi could very possibly faint from shock.

But still, he couldn't possibly stand idly here and wait for others to be done!

"Forget it, since I still have some time, why don't I try memorizing the content in those books as well!"

Since Zhang Xuan had nothing better to do now, he decided to try memorizing and deciphering the content of the books as well.

But of course, he would be doing so through the Library of Heaven's Path. After all, it was much more efficient that way.

Upon making this decision, Zhang Xuan immediately dived straight into action. Immersing his consciousness back to the Library of Heaven's Path, he picked up a book and began reading through it.

Hualalala!

Back then, when he was only at Tongxuan realm, he was already able to read at a speed dozens of times faster in the Library of Heaven's Path. With his strengthened soul, this ability of his had been further enhanced.

In the time when the master teachers outside read through a handful of books, he was already done memorizing the content of all five thousand books.

As such, Zhang Xuan turned to the other books in the Library of Heaven's Path.

In the past few months, Zhang Xuan had gathered more than ten million books in the Library of Heaven's Path, and he hadn't had the time to browse through them yet. Since he was free now, he decided to take a look at them.

Time passed swiftly as his mind was completely immersed in those books. Suddenly, Hong shi declared, "Alright, time's up. Everyone, put down the books in your hands!"

Hearing that time was up, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Withdrawing from the Library of Heaven's Path, he put down the book and took a glance at the other competitors.

At this moment, everyone looked a little fatigued, and their faces were considerably pale.

Two hours of operating one's mind at full throttle to memorize the content of those books had taken a huge toll on them.

"How many books have you memorized?"

"820 books. What about you?"

"I did slightly better than you, I managed to memorize 917 books!"

...

Putting down the books in their hands, everyone walked to Hong shi. There were some hushed conversations between some of the participants.

Given that their Soul Depths were all beyond 10.0, they possessed photographic memory. Still, it was no easy feat to browse through and memorize all those books.

Honestly, eight to nine hundred books in two hours was the limit for most 4-star master teachers.

Ruohuan gongzi walked over and asked, "Zhang shi, how many books did you memorize?"

"Me?" Fearing that he would scare the other party to death if he were to utter the truth, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and replied, "It should the same as yours!"

"Same as mine? I read 1240 books, did you reach around 1200 books too?" Ruohuan gongzi asked doubtfully.

Given how formidable Zhang shi's performance was all along, how could the other party have the same result as him? Ruohuan gongzi found the other party's words hard to believe.

"Err... I think it should be around that amount. Right, how will Hong shi assess the number of books we have read?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

Since this was a test on Wisdom, clearly, they couldn't be assessed just by the number of books they managed to read. More importantly, the participants must be able to memorize and comprehend the content... But how was this going to be tested? After all, they couldn't possibly recite the content of the books they have read line after line given the sheer number of books they have read!

"I don't know either. Hong shi should be revealing it soon!"

Ruohuan gongzi was perplexed too.

To be fair, reciting or writing down the content would be the best way. But... this is just the preliminary selection. They couldn't possibly drag it out over several days just for this single test, it would be too inefficient!

Besides, how many books do they have to memorize to pass the test?

Furthermore, the word count in each book was different. If they were to count purely by books, that might introduce so biasedness in the results.

And in truth, all of the other participants also shared the same confusion.

"Hehe, is everyone worried about how the test will be carried out?"

Seemingly noticing everyone's doubts, Hong shi chuckled. "Don't worry. Since I've proposed this test, naturally, I have my own way of assessing you!"

Stroking his beard, Hong shi's eyebrows shot up. "Based on my experiments, an average 4-star primary stage master teacher can memorize around five hundred books in two hours. But of course, as geniuses of your respective power, the expectations of you are much higher!"

"Thus, after much deliberation, I've decided to set the bars at... 800 books. Those who fail to memorize 800 books will be eliminated from the tournament!"

"800 books?"

Amongst the crowd, around a dozen young men's faces paled.

Clearly, the number of books they had read didn't reach that number.

"But of course, each book is unique, and thus, we have to consider the varying length and the difficulty of the content of each book as well. Thus, while the standard I've set is 800, if you specifically choose to only memorize the thinner and easier books, your score might end up below 600!"

Hong shi continued, "To ensure fairness in this aspect, I've applied for a treasure from the headquarters... the Book of Emptied River!"

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Chapter 583: Book of Emptied River

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Book of Emptied River? What is that?"

"I've never heard of it!"

"Given that it's an artifact that Hong shi applied to the headquarters for, it must be extraordinary!"

"Indeed!"

...

Hearing of the Book of Emptied River, confusion surfaced on the faces of the master teachers on the stage.

No one here had heard of it, and even Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others were perplexed over this matter.

Seeing the confusion on everyone's faces, Hong shi explained with a smile, "As master teachers, everyone should have heard of the saying that knowledge isn't just words or information, it has its own weight as well!"

"I've heard of that saying!"

"Knowledge will reinforce one's mental fortitude and refine one's disposition!"

"The more knowledge accrued, the denser one's soul will become. It's said that back then, Kong shi was able to sink the earth and tilt the oceans with just a single stomp, and that's because the knowledge he harnessed within him encompassed the entire world!"

"Indeed! After Kong shi departed, even though his 72 direct disciple possessed cultivation comparable to him, they weren't capable of exerting the same might as he did!"

...

Discussions broke out amidst the crowd.

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but nod his head as well.

He didn't know too much about the affairs of Kong shi, but from the books, he learnt that knowledge carried weight as well.

Even though knowledge was intangible, it could make a person more cultured and collected.

"Since knowledge has weight, naturally, it can be measured. And the artifact to do so is the Book of Emptied River!"

Hong shi continued, "Empty the river sediment to reveal true gold, part the veiling fog to uncover clear moon. The Book of Emptied River is able to peer through all of one's facades to weigh one's knowledge.

"This artifact was created by an 8-star master teacher ten thousand years ago, and it harnesses a function to search one's soul. As long as you place your hand on it, it'll determine the weight of the knowledge you have accrued within a certain period of time!

"Of course, it can only weigh into the knowledge one has accrued; it can't analyze one's thoughts, so there's no need for you to worry! The one I've borrowed from the headquarters is an inferior good, but it is more than enough to check the number of books you have read."

"Weigh one's knowledge?"

"This... How incredible!"

"Indeed, this is amazing. As expected of an artifact from the headquarter!"

...

Upon hearing that this artifact was capable of assessing the amount of knowledge one had accrued, everyone was amazed.

"Usually, if a teacher instructs his student to study, even if the student lazes off, the teacher isn't able to check. But with this artifact, he could simply weigh his student's knowledge and determine whether his student has been diligent or not!"

"This is also the main reason why the Book of Emptied River was created."

With a flick of his finger, a book appeared before everyone's eyes.

The book was snowy-white in color and average in size. However, its very presence seemed to induce an intense spiritual energy disturbance in the surroundings, indicating that it was no ordinary artifact.

Placing the book on the table before him, Hong shi turned to the crowd and explained, "The Book of Emptied River will emanate seven different colors depending on the amount of knowledge one has accrued within a specific period of time. The colors are namely red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet! Every rise in color equates to 800 books. Meaning... if the Book of Emptied River glows red, it means that you've passed the examination; if it glows orange, it means that you've managed to memorize the content of 1600 books, so on and so forth. Thus, you will come up one by one to touch the book!"

"To think that it would be so simple!"

"Given that the artifact was made by an 8-star master teacher, we have no qualms about the fairness of the test!"

Hearing Hong shi's explanation, everyone came to a realization and nodded their heads.

Since it was a treasure from the headquarter, there was definitely no trouble at all.

"I'm done for..."

But contrary to everyone's delight, Zhang Xuan's vision went dark, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

If he'd known that he was going to be assessed by such an artifact, he would never have read so many books! In that two hours, the other competitors might have only read a few hundred to more than a thousand books, but he, by browsing through the books using his soul, had managed to read around 200,000 books...

He thought that the test would involve a few questions testing him on the content of the books, and he could easily keep a low profile... Who knew that everything would spiral out of his control so quickly? How was he supposed to keep a low profile like that?

There was no way he could make an artifact created by an 8-star master teacher lie for him!

What was he supposed to do now?

While Zhang Xuan was conflicted, Hong shi stroked his beard and asked the crowd, "Alright, let's begin the test. Who wants to go first?"

"This..."

Everyone glanced at one another, and after a moment of hesitation, everyone's eyes suddenly turned to look at Zhang Xuan in unison.

"Why don't we allow Zhang shi to go first again?"

"Indeed! Zhang shi, feel free to go first. We're in no hurry at all!"

...

A few of them urged Zhang Xuan forward.

But before Zhang Xuan could reply, Hong shi, upon seeing the sight, staggered and nearly spewed blood.

Of course none of you will be in a hurry! All of you are just hoping that Zhang shi will cause some kind of trouble once more so that you can pass the test easily!

This might be good news to you... But how am I to account this matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion if such a farce were to occur once more!

With a reddened face, Hong shi immediately raised his hands and instructed, "Alright, since no one has stepped forward, let's go by age once more. But this time, we'll start from the oldest!"

It wasn't that Hong shi wanted to discriminate against Zhang shi, but this fellow... was simply too fearsome.

If he were to allow him to go up first, who knew what would happen to this Book of Emptied River.

At the very least, the Ghost Domain Illusory City and Otherworldly Demon belonged to him, so he could still bear the burden of them breaking. However, the Book of Emptied River was borrowed from the headquarter, and it had to be returned after the test!

"I'm going last?"

Not expecting even a 5-star master teacher to be so scared of him, Zhang Xuan shook his head, not knowing whether he should laugh or cry.

In any case, going first or last made no difference to him. All that mattered at the moment was for him to pass the test, so he didn't pay too much heed to the matter.

Besides, he didn't have the effort to be thinking about it either! The most urgent matter at hand was to figure out how he could hide the knowledge which he had just learned...

...

Hearing the decision made by Hong shi, Pavilion Master Kang and the others were also dumbstruck. Zhang shi, to be able to instill such fear into the host of the Master Teacher Tournament, sure is talented!

Now that the rules had been established, the rest was simple. The first participant to head up was the oldest master teacher of the group-a master teacher from Mingxia Empire.

This master teacher was also among the top ten of the list of contenders to look out for, and his cultivation had reached Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. Upon hearing that he was to be up first, he started walking toward the Book of Emptied River.

Everyone's eyes gathered on him.

Taking a deep breath, the master teacher placed his hand on the book momentarily before withdrawing it. The snowy-white book shook for an instant before a clear crisp sounded, and a red light shone.

"Red light, he has passed the test!"

"Wonderful!"

"To be able to weigh one's knowledge, this artifact really is amazing!"

Seeing the Book of Emptied River in operation left everyone excited.

In their view, artifacts were mainly used in battle or to raise one cultivation. This was their first time seeing an artifact capable of testing one's knowledge.

Hong shi nodded his head in commendation as he asked, "How many books did you read?"

"Reporting to Hong shi, I've read a total of 1238 books!" the master teacher replied.

"Un, not bad!" Hong shi complimented before announcing the result. "Mingxia Empire's Liu Quan has passed the test. Next, Hengsha Empire's Zhang Mingzhi."

Hearing his name being called, a young man stepped forward-Zhang Mingzhi. Even though he was the second oldest among all of the master teachers gathered here, his cultivation was only at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage, and he was ranked at the lower end of the group.

Walking to the Book of Emptied River, he placed his river on it.

But different from before, the Book of Emptied River didn't react at all. It was as if his hands had never touched it.

"It seems like he failed to read 800 books!"

After waiting a moment later and confirming that there was no reaction from the Book of Emptied River, everyone shook their heads.

"I have only read 771 books," Zhang Mingzhi explained with a bitter smile.

He thought that since he was just a little off from reaching 800, he might be able to smoke his way through. But from the looks of it now, it was impossible to fool the Book of Emptied River.

"Un!" Hong shi nodded. "Zhang Mingzhi has failed the test and he'll be eliminated from the tournament. Next..."

After the first two participants, everyone got a better understanding of the mystical effects of the Book of Emptied River. Following which, based on their age, the master teachers tested the number of books they have read one by one.

Two hours later, all 53 participants, with the exception of Zhang Xuan, had been tested.

This Wisdom test wasn't as simple as it seemed. In total, seventeen people were eliminated, and after some questioning, all of them had failed to memorize 800 books. In fact, there was one who memorized 799 books, but the Book of Emptied River still deemed him to have failed, and he could only leave in disappointment.

"The results of the Book of Emptied River sure are accurate!"

Seeing how the Book of Emptied River could gauge the difference of even a single book, the crowd couldn't help but be impressed by its accuracy.

As expected of a treasure from the headquarters, it was indeed fearsome!

Of the 35 people who had passed the test, the one with the best result at the moment wasn't Luo Xuan nor Liao Wuzhi. Surprisingly, it was one of Zhang Xuan's acquaintance... Song Chao!

During his test, the Book of Emptied River actually emanated an orange glow... this meant that he had memorized a total of 1600 books!

To be able to memorize so many books in just two hours, his memorization ability was nothing short of monstrous.

Even Zhang Xuan was surprised by his results.

Even though that fellow looked a little slow on the surface, he didn't expect him to have such a good memory.

Ruohuan gongzi's result of 1200 or so books was also amongst the forefront.

"Last but not least, Zhang shi!"

Following Hong shi's declaration, everyone turned their eyes to the troublemaking young man.

"Zhang shi is about to be assessed. I'm really curious to see what his results will be!"

"I don't think he'll fare too well in this test. I took a look at him during the test just now, and all he did over the course of the test was take out a book and go into a daze... Under such circumstances, it will be difficult for him to achieve good results!"

"I think so too, but... No matter what, this is Zhang shi! Given his astounding results in the previous two tests, I find it hard to believe that he will be eliminated in this round!"

"Let's wait and see then..."

...

After the previous two tests, Zhang Xuan had already become the center of attention. Everyone was curious to see how the fellow who smashed the previous two tests would fare in this one.

Seeing that he couldn't hide any further, Zhang Xuan walked forward with a depressed look.

He had been wracking his brain over this problem throughout the entire duration, but he still couldn't find a feasible solution to it.

"Forget it, I'll just have to get it done with..."

Knowing that it was impossible for him to avoid it, Zhang Xuan could only muster his courage and step forward. He placed his hand on the Book of Emptied River and retracted it quickly.

Then, he stared at the book, curious to see what color it would glow.

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Chapter 584: Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Under Zhang Xuan's stare, the Book of Emptied River remained motionless, as though nothing had been done at all.

"Why isn't it moving at all? Could it be that... he failed the test?"

"It can't be... That would truly be disastrous..."

"But given how formidable Zhang shi is, how could he possibly be unable to memorize 800 books?"

After waiting a moment longer, seeing the Book of Emptied River remaining motionless, everyone was taken aback.

There was no reaction on the part of the Book of Emptied River, it could only mean that the number of books Zhang Xuan read was less than 800!

And if he didn't meet this mark, it means that he would be... eliminated!

No matter how astounding his results were for the previous rounds, he would be disqualified from this tournament.

How could this be?

"This is such a huge pity! I thought that given how formidable Zhang shi is, he would surely be able to get into the top ten. To think that... he would fall here!"

"It's indeed surprising how he failed to memorize 800 books!"

"He should have known he would have ended up like that when he went into a daze..."

A commotion broke out amidst the crowd. There were some who expressed their pity while there were some who gloated over the matter as well.

The outstanding performance of this Zhang shi in the previous two rounds had convinced others of his capability, and many saw him as the dark horse of the tournament. Never in their dreams did they expect him to be eliminated in such a manner.

"This..." Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others felt as though their heads were bursting apart. They were on the verge of tears at this point.

They were still worried that Zhang shi would cause some kind of trouble, but in the end, it turned out that... he didn't pass the test at all!

This meant that all of the hopes they had pinned on him had been crushed!

Pavilion Master Kang had an awful expression on his face for a long moment before he managed to recover. Sighing, he shook his head and said, "In the end, it seems like Zhang shi is still... much too young!"

Even though he was talented and had a formidable teacher, he was still unable to stand his ground on such formal occasions!

Sighing, a dejected look surfaced on Pavilion Master Kang's face. He seemed as though he had aged by a decade in an instant.

He had devoted significant effort into this tournament, and he thought that with Zhang Xuan's appearance, the long trend behind Myriad Kingdom Alliance's poor performance in the Master Teacher Tournament could be broken... but in the end, his hopes had fallen empty, just like many times before!

On the other hand, Hong shi trembled, and a frenzied look appeared on his face.

Who was the young man before him?

Yang shi's student!

Even though the latter had put him in a very awkward position in the previous two rounds, he still thought that this was to be expected.

After all, how could a direct disciple of an 8-star master teacher be someone ordinary?

And yet, the other party ended up being eliminated...

The main goal of Pavilion Master Mo in leaving behind a high-tier spirit stone was to motivate Zhang shi as well as to win a favor from him...

And yet, the latter actually failed in the preliminary selection. How was he going to survive as a master teacher now that he had gotten on the bad side of the pavilion master of the headquarters?

Not to mention, there was an 8-star master teacher standing behind Zhang shi...

He could feel tears welling up in his eyes, threatening to spill at any moment.

Zhang shi passing the test was awful enough, but him not passing the test was even worse!

He must be the first host of the Master Teacher Tournament to land in such a state.

But even so, since the result was out, he couldn't change his words. Otherwise, the preliminary selection would lose its meaning, and his integrity as the host would be questioned. Thus, he could only muster his courage and announce, "Since the Book of Emptied River didn't glow, it means that Zhang shi didn't pass the test. Alright, let's move on to the last test..."

Halfway through his announcement, he suddenly noticed the shocked widened eyes of the crowd below, as if they had seen a ghost.

"What's wrong?"

Perplexed, Hong shi turned around and looked, and in an instant, he was dumbfounded as well.

Unknowingly, the Book of Emptied River was already floating in the air, and its entire body was glowing a bright shade of red.

Just when Hong shi was contemplating the reason behind the difference in the shade of red, the color of the glow changed-orange. And after which, orange, green, blue, indigo, and violet...

In an instant, it was as if someone had opened up a rainbow kaleidoscope, or the most brilliant and beautiful firework had exploded. Bright colors filled the entire surroundings.

"Seven... colors?"

Hong shi was stunned.

He had seen before someone inducing a red glow, an orange glow, a yellow glow, a green glow, but... seven interchanging colors, what the heck?

Could it be that the Book of Emptied River had suddenly got high on something, so it decided to show a few colors to celebrate?

Or did it suffer a stroke and malfunction?

But... such a matter had never happened before!

Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd exclaimed, "Could it be that the Book of Emptied River had just finished analyzing Zhang shi's knowledge... and it's reflecting his results now?"

"To take so long to analyze? Is that even possible?"

"For it to take so long, how many books must he have read?"

Hearing those words, a huge commotion broke out.

If this matter had happened to someone else, they would have surely just attributed it to the book malfunctioning. But since the person in question was Zhang shi... they couldn't exclude any possibility.

Given how this fellow was able to tear down the Ghost Domain Illusory City and convince an Otherworldly Demon to commit suicide, it wouldn't be unimaginable for him to turn the Book of Emptied River into a firework simulator...

Kacha!

While the crowd was in the midst of their discussion, a crisp sound suddenly echoed. The Book of Emptied River, after flickering for innumerable times, suddenly swayed. A crack slowly crept across it, and it fell from the sky, torn into two halves.

"Ah..."

Seeing the precious Book of Emptied River being torn apart, everyone was shocked for a moment before realization struck them.

"There's no doubt about it now, it is true!"

"Yes, Zhang shi must be the culprit behind it. Otherwise, how could it possibly have broken all of the sudden?"

If they were still hesitant as to the reason why the Book of Emptied River was going bonkers all of the sudden, upon seeing it torn into two, they were confident that it was Zhang shi's doing!

Given the many precedents that fellow had set, who else could it be?

Hong shi sure was pitiful... Breaking an object borrowed from the headquarters, he would surely be punished severely.

Thinking so, everyone turned to look at the elder on the stage with a sympathetic look.

They were just about to utter words of consolation when what they saw made their eyes widen further.

Upon seeing the torn Book of Emptied River, not only did Hong shi seem in the least panicked or sorrowful, excitement was even gleaming in his eyes. His face flushed a deep shade of red out of excitement, and if not for the etiquette he had cultivated over the years, he might have leaped up in exhilaration.

What was going on?

Didn't you borrow this artifact from the headquarters? Since it has been destroyed, shouldn't you be distressed? Then why are you trembling uncontrollably in agitation as though you have eaten an aphrodisiac?

"... What happened to Hong shi? In the previous two stages, when Zhang shi destroyed his possessions, he had a clear look of displeasure on his face. Why would he look so excited this time round?" Zhao Feiwu was perplexed.

"Most probably..." Pavilion Master Kang contemplated for a long period of time before continuing, "... he has just gotten used to it!"

"Gotten used to it?"

The excited Hong shi staggered upon hearing those words.

How open of a heart must he have to get used to having his prized possessions being shattered?

Naturally, the reason why he was happy wasn't because he had gotten used to having his items being destroyed but that... Zhang shi wasn't eliminated!

The Book of Emptied River might be precious, but compared to getting on the bad side of Pavilion Master Mo and Yang shi, it was nothing at all.

It was clear which was the lesser of the two evils. Given that Zhang shi had passed the test, naturally, this was something for him to celebrate.

But still... He was probably the only host in the history of Master Teacher Tournaments to be delighted over having his own possession destroyed.

"Red light means one has memorized 800 books, orange light means on has memorized 1600 books, so on and so forth... Given that all of the lights have flickered continuously... Zhang shi, exactly how many books have you memorized in the past two hours?"

Recovering from his negative emotions, Hong shi turned to look at the youngster with doubt in his eyes.

Given that memorizing 5600 books would induce a violet light, and that fellow had induced the violet light to appear as though a firework, even causing the inferior-tier Book of Emptied River to break into two from being overloaded...

How many books must he have read for such a situation to occur?

Thinking of the same thing, curious, the others also turned their gazes to him.

"How many books?"

Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

The matter which he had been troubled over really came to be.

He had been worried about this matter for the entire period of time, but what had to happen would eventually still have to happen.

If he were to tell the truth and say that he had memorized more than two hundred thousand books while the others were struggling to memorize a thousand... would Hong shi die of fright on the spot?

"Cough cough, I wasn't counting. I think it should be around ten to twenty thousand books..." Awkward, Zhang Xuan decided to divide the figure by ten.

"Ten to twenty thousand books?"

But still, the astonishing amount was still sufficient to shock everyone present here.

While others were still reading seven to eight hundred books, you had read more than ten times of what they did. Are you sure you are still a human?

A master teacher among the crowd exclaimed, "That can't be. There is only a total of five thousand books on the shelves, and I've been looking at you throughout the examination. You have been dazing off, and you didn't flip through those books either. How could you have memorized the contents of so many books?"

This fellow had been dazing off like a fool right from the start. He had been holding the same book from the start to the end, so how could he possibly memorize the contents of all of the books on the shelf?

Not to mention, there was only a total of five thousand books up there. How in the world did you read ten to twenty thousand books?

"This..."

Scratching his head, Zhang Xuan was at a loss. But still, this was not the first time he had stumbled by such a situation, so he was able to recover quickly. Coughing lightly, he explained, "This concerns a unique book reading technique that my teacher imparted me... Even without flipping through the books, I can still read through them! As for the additional books... After I was done with the books on the shelf, I realized that I still had some additional time, so I went on to read the books I keep in my storage ring as well..."

Knowing that it was impossible for him to explain this matter, he decided to push this matter to the 'mysterious teacher' of his. In any case, given that he had such a 'huge backing', there was no need for him to worry at all.

"To read through books without flipping through it?"

Everyone was confused.

The words were contained within the book, how could one read a book without flipping through it? Does he have the ability to peer through material objects?

Does such a technique really exist in the world?

But why haven't I heard of it then?

While everyone was skeptical of Zhang Xuan's words, Hong shi's body suddenly trembled, his face paled, and he muttered with a slightly hoarse voice, "Could... Could it be... But how is that possible?

"Hong shi, could it be that you've heard of such a technique before?"

A master teacher couldn't help but ask upon seeing the other party's reaction.

Everyone also turned their gazes over.

As a 5-star master teacher and a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, Hong shi was indubitably the most knowledgeable of them here, be it cultivation or worldly experience.

"Indeed, I happen to have heard of such a matter before..."

Hearing the question, Hong shi recovered from his shock. He glanced at Zhang Xuan and thought of a certain person, and a look of respect gradually surfaced.

"I had the privilege of listening to Hongyuan Empire's Pavilion Master Mo's lesson once, and he mentioned such a matter before. If my conjecture is right, it should be...

"A technique that only a Saint 2-dan expert is capable of... Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique!"

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Chapter 585: Celestial Chess

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Spiritual Perception Book Reading Technique?"

"Saint 2-dan?"

All of the master teachers below stared at one another in confusion.

They had never heard of such a term before.

Instead of answering the question straight away, Hong shi said, "Beyond Fighter is Transcendent Mortal, followed by Half-Saint, Nascent Saint, and finally, Saint. I believe you all should be aware of these cultivation realms!"

"Un!" The crowd nodded their heads.

Most of those present were all master teachers. Even though Saint was still very far off from them, perhaps even out of reach, they had at least heard of it.

"Half-Saint and Nascent Saint are just intermediary stages while Saint, just like Transcendent Mortal and Fighter, consists of 9 dans!" Hong shi continued.

Half-Saint and Nascent Saint are just two normal realms, just like Origin Energy realm and Yin-Yang realm. On the other hand, Saint was the name for the entire set of cultivation realms.

Just like Fighter and Transcendent Mortal, it could be divided to nine tiers.

"The first dan is known as Void Pursuit realm. At this realm, one will be capable of flight. As for the second dan, it is known as... Spiritual Perception realm!"

With a grave look on his face, Hong shi said, "Only at this level can one open their 'Incipient Eye' and awaken their Spiritual Perception."

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Spiritual Perception... What's that?"

He had heard of the concept of souls, but he had never heard of Spiritual Perception before.

Hong shi explained, "Spiritual Perception is a unique capability that only Saints possess. As we know, upon reaching Consonant Spirit realm, one's soul becomes aligned with one's body, thus allowing one to temper one's soul and strengthen it!"

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm opened up a whole new world to cultivators. At this level, not only would a cultivator be able to train their physical body and zhenqi... they would be able to train their souls too.

"A strong soul can achieve unimaginable feats; you will understand this upon reaching that realm. Once one's soul reaches a certain level... one becomes able to extend the reach of their soul and perceive everything that it touches. In fact, one's sight would even be clearer than what our eyes are capable of... This is what Spiritual Perception is!" Hong shi said.

"Extending... the reach of one's soul?"

"For a soul to be able to extend beyond one's body to conduct observation... how powerful must one be?"

"It can't be... Is Hong shi saying... Zhang shi already possesses the strength of a Saint 2-dan?"

Everyone leapt in shock.

Saint 2-dan? How was that possible?

Zhang Xuan was also perplexed by the situation unfolding around him. All he had spouted was nonsense, how did Hong shi draw the line to the Saint realm?

Hong shi shook his head.

"Naturally, Zhang shi can't possibly be a Saint. There's no need to worry, allow me to finish my explanation first. You'll understand it after I'm done!

"Reading via Spiritual Perception is much more convenient and efficient than reading manually. This is also the reason why Saints accrue knowledge swiftly, and they grow at an astounding pace.

"While Zhang shi isn't a Saint, he seems to possess an ability equivalent to this as well. If I'm not mistaken... an expert must have dug out the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan and transplanted it to him using some unique method, thus allowing him to read and memorize content swiftly!"

Even though Hong shi was the one raising the conjecture, he still couldn't help but feel shocked by the matter.

Only a Saint who had opened his Incipient Eye could awaken his Spiritual Perception.

Theoretically speaking, if an Incipient Eye was dug out and transplanted onto another person, as long as it was done properly, that person should be able to awaken his Spiritual Perception as well.

But of course, due to the lacking cultivation, that person wouldn't be able to utilize the Spiritual Perception properly. At most, he would only be able to use it on reading books.

But even so, for a low-tier master teacher, its significance was immense.

To be able to read ten books in the time it took for others to finish reading one, it was just a matter of time before one surpassed all of one's peers.

It was no wonder Zhang shi was able to be adept in so many occupations despite his young age. It had to be the working of this ability of his!

Most probably... Yang shi had prepared this specially for him just for this.

To dig out a Saint 2-dan's Incipient Eye and transplant it on another perfectly... How powerful must Yang shi be?

Just the thought of it sent shivers down his spine.

It was no wonder Pavilion Master Mo feared the other party so much, going to the extent of even using a high-tier spirit stone to please the other party. An expert of such caliber was indeed qualified to be fawned upon by him.

"To transplant the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan on someone else?"

"To be able to read swiftly even without flipping pages?"

"Not to mention, to be able to read books in the storage ring as well?"

"It is no wonder you could read so many books within two hours. But still... to be able to memorize all of these, isn't your memory a little way too good?"

"Indeed. Just browsing through a book doesn't mean that one has necessarily memorized it. What is truly fearsome is for one to read swiftly while assimilating its contents!"

...

Hearing Hong shi's explanation, everyone came to a realization. They turned to look at the young man before them with a look of fright.

To be able to dig out the Incipient Eye of a Saint 2-dan, what kind of terrifying background does this fellow have?

Amidst everyone's shock, Ruohuan gongzi's eyelids were twitching violently. Depression loomed over his head.

It was just a moment ago that he asked Zhang shi how many books he had read, and the latter replied that he had read the same number of books as him. This had left Ruohuan gongzi happy for quite a while. He thought that he had finally found something that he was on par on with that monster, but in the end...

How in the world can your twenty thousand books be around the same as my one thousand books?

Even if you wish to console me, please do it with some sincerity!

Interrupting into the noise, Hong shi said, "Alright, regardless of how it is, given that Zhang shi has memorized the contents of more than twenty thousand books, as can be proven by the shattering of the Book of Emptied River, I hereby announce that he has cleared the test. Is there anyone with any objections?"

"None at all..."

The crowd hurriedly shook their heads.

You must be jesting! The other party read twenty thousand books and even crippled the Book of Emptied River. Even if we were to have objections, would you listen to them?

"Un, since that's the case, let's move on to the last test of our preliminary selection-intelligence!"

Hong shi turned to look at the remaining participants.

"Even with the support of a teacher, the path of cultivation is ultimately individual. Other than hard work and talent, more importantly, one has to possess superior intelligence. Even when studying the same cultivation technique or battle technique, different students will interpret it differently and thus, the extent of benefit they could derive from it would differ as well. One can easily become a master teacher with talent, but to wish to become a capable master teacher relying solely on that, I can tell you it's nigh impossible!

"As such, intelligence is crucial to walking further as a master teacher.

"Intelligence is indeed important to a master teacher... But how can one test their intelligence? Will they be given a cultivation technique to analyze?

"But analyzing a cultivation technique would make the test biased toward some. Everyone would have differing levels of compatibility with a specific cultivation technique, and besides, talent and wisdom also counts in it as well. It doesn't seem possible to isolate intelligence and test it as itself!"

The crowd was puzzled.

Intelligence is of utmost importance to a master teacher, everyone present here could make the association. However, such a quality couldn't be quantified easily, and given such, how could comparisons be made?

Even if you can measure wisdom through weighing knowledge, how can you measure intelligence?

Even when attempting to comprehend a cultivation technique, a person with lower intelligence would surely find it easier to comprehend a technique aligned with his constitution as compared to a person whose constitution is incompatible with the technique.

"Hehe, I understand your concerns, and I've thought a lot about this issue as well."

Noticing everyone's worry, Hong shi chuckled, and with a wave of his hand, the fog veiling another corner of the round stage scattered, revealing a seemingly ordinary gazebo.

Seated in the gazebo was a white-robed old man, and a gray chessboard was placed on a stone table in front of him. Black and white stones intersected one another atop the chessboard, as though yin and yang assailing one another-a chess formation.

The old man had an impassive face, and there wasn't the slightest vitality that could be felt from him. With a look, it was clear that he was a puppet.

"This is Celestial Chess. Its rules are completely different from all other chess games existent in the world, thus forming its own school. Back then, when I was touring around the world, I chanced upon it in some ruins. I don't know who created it, and there weren't any explanations regarding the rules either. Intrigued, I spent many years attempting to decipher it, but even so, I only managed to comprehend around forty to fifty percent of it."

Waving his hand once more, a wall not too far away from the gazebo shimmered, and an image of the layout of the chess in the gazebo was projected on it. It was entirely foreign to everyone present here. Even those who had immersed themselves in chess in the past were unable to draw on their experiences to decipher this.

"A chess formation?"

"It seems so. But given that no one knows the rules... how will the participants be assessed?"

"I've no idea as well!"

There were many among the crowd who were learned in the Way of Chess, but seeing the profound formation projected on the wall, they realized it was entirely different from what they had learned before, and this left them dumbfounded.

"In Celestial Chess, the heavens and earth are the chessboard, and the stars are the stones. It is intricately aligned with the essence of the world. One won't be able to comprehend anything by seeing the formation on the wall, but on the pillars in the gazebo, there are some words left behind by the previous owner of the chessboard.

"Through these words, one is able to decipher the rules of the game.

"After deciphering the rules, one can challenge the puppet in the gazebo. If one were to make an invalid or a losing move, one will find himself incapable of placing the stone down on the board. This test has nothing to do with talent, cultivation, or anything at all, it is purely a match of intelligence. Those with higher intelligence will be able to decipher more of the rules and make more moves whereas those with lower intelligence will have limited comprehension of the rules and find the number of moves they can make limited as well. To pass this test, you'll have to make at least six valid moves," Hong shi explained.

"This... To actually use chess to gauge one's intelligence, amazing!"

"The heaven and earth as the chessboard, and the stars as the stones, how domineering!"

"Through this chess, one would indeed be able to isolate intelligence from other external factors. It is truly a fair test!"

...

Hearing the rules, everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

The Way of Chess was highly demanding on one's intelligence. Some who devoted decades to the game might find themselves outmatched by a child who had barely learned it for a few days, albeit rarely. This didn't necessarily mean that the child was more knowledgeable than the adult, just more intelligent.

As such, there was a saying among top chess players: 'Chances are null if one fails to reach the top by twenty!'

Without sufficient intelligence and talent, it would be nigh impossible for one to reach the top. It's cruel, but such is the world.

Given that this Celestial Chess operated by entirely different rules compared to all other games in the Master Teacher Continent, and one was to compete with the puppet through deciphering the limited words written on the pillars, it was indeed the best way to quantify one's intelligence.

As expected of a 5-star master teacher, his means were indeed exceptional.

"All master teachers who enter the gazebo will only be given an incense's time to read and decipher the words on the pillars before starting the match with the puppet. If one exceeds the timing or is unable to put down his piece, that would be the end of the test."

Hong shi waved his hands and said, "Alright, now that I've finished explaining the rules, let's begin the test!"

"Yes!"

The participants nodded their heads.

"Since there is only one chess board, we can only go one by one. Thus, let's decide the sequence..."

Hong shi glanced at the crowd.

In the first test, Zhang Xuan was the first to take the test, and he destroyed the Ghost Domain Illusory City, thus no one was eliminated. In the second test, due to the Otherworldly Demon committing suicide halfway through the test, only the three men who fled in the midst were eliminated. And in the third test, seventeen people were eliminated.

After the three tests, of the fifty-six initial participants, only twenty were eliminated, leaving behind a hulking thirty-six.

"Why don't... I go first?"

Zhang Xuan stepped forward.

Given that there were thirty-six people in total and given that just the preparation time in itself was one incense's time, by the time everyone was done, the sun would have already set. Since that was the case, he might as well quickly get it over and done with so that he could rest.

"Cough cough..." Seeing Zhang Xuan walk over, Hong shi nearly choked on his saliva. "You? Don't even try!"

I am not so courageous as to let you go first after you wrecked the previous three tests!

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Chapter 586: Failure?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Knowing what the other party was worried about, Zhang Xuan said, "It's just a chess game, I don't think it's possible for me to destroy the chessboard..."

Everything before... was just carelessness. Now that he knew the rules, he would surely make sure to take precautions and make only six moves... As long as he were to show some restraint, it would be impossible for anything awry like in the previous few tests to happen.

Ignoring Zhang Xuan, Hong shi waved his hands and spoke affirmatively.

"Why don't we go by age once more? We'll start from the oldest!"

I also thought that nothing would go awry in the previous test! After all, it was just a test on reading books. Who could have imagined that the Book of Emptied River which I borrowed from the headquarter would be destroyed?

Just think about how much damage you have caused since the tournament started! And you still want to go first? Dream on!

"Alright then."

Seeing how even a 5-star master teacher was scared to such a point, not even giving him a chance to explain himself, Zhang Xuan shrugged helplessly.

It seemed like he could only bide his time here and wait for the others to be done.

"It is fortunate that Hong shi stood his ground! Otherwise, who knows what would happen this time round..." Pavilion Master Kang and the others also wiped the cold sweat off their foreheads upon seeing the scene.

When Zhang Xuan offered to go first, all of them also leaped in shock.

While it seemed implausible for anything to happen in a chess game, the person in question was Zhang Xuan! Given his unconventional way of doing things, there was no way they could be certain!

In any case, the safest bet was to put him at the very last.

While they were deciding on the rules, among the participants, Liu Quan of Mingxia Empire's eyelids were twitching uncontrollably.

He just happened to be the oldest among the group... Who in the world did he offend for him to have to go first each time?

It was not like he did anything wrong, he was just the oldest among all of the participants here. Was there really a need for him to go first consecutively?

But in any case, being the first or the last was unlikely to make any difference in this test anyway. It was just a difference in the mental state.

Taking a deep breath, he drove his Soul Depth and activated the Heart of Tranquil Water. After which, clasping his fist toward Hong shi, he proceeded over to the gazebo.

The others also quickly turned their sights over.

Liu Quan walked to the four pillars propping from the gazebo one by one, and after which, he fell into deep contemplation. It didn't take too long for an incense's time to be up. With a frown, he walked to the opposite end of the chessboard form the puppet, picked up a stone, and lightly placed it down on an empty spot.

Huala!

The stone floated in the air for a moment before slowly falling down onto the chessboard.

"He managed to place it..."

"It seems like he has made a right move!"

Seeing that the stone had been successfully placed down, everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

Hong shi had said previously, the stone couldn't be placed if the move was an invalid or losing move.

Hu!

The old man opposite of him also put down a stone.

Seeing the move the old man made, seemingly put in a difficult position, a deep frown appeared on Liu Quan's forehead. But his dilemma didn't continue for too long. Soon, he placed down another stone as well.

Just like that, they quickly exceeded the minimum requirement of six stones to pass the test, and soon, they reached their ninth stone.

But on the tenth, Liu Quan found himself unable to push his stone down anymore.

"Mingxia Empire's Liu Quan passes with nine stones! Next! Fenglie Empire's Han Zhaoji..." Hong shi announced.

Han Zhaoji walked up onto the stage.

Not too long later, he left the gazebo with an excited expression on his face. He had passed the test with a score of seven stones.

Following which, the next candidate went up.

After five consecutive successful challenges, the remaining participants felt much more confident. But at this point, the streak was broken. The sixth challenger found himself unable to put down the fourth stone, and the next four challengers that went after him failed the test as well.

Eventually, it was Luo Xuan who broke that losing streak.

At this point, everyone realized that the formation on the chessboard would change for each participant, and thus, everyone would be unable to emulate the moves of those who had gone before them. This ensured the equality of the test.

Time passed, and the sky soon darkened. Just like what Zhang Xuan guessed, by the time the thirty-five master teachers were done, a full moon was already hanging in the sky.

Even though those who came for the tournament were all geniuses, many still fell in this test. While the number of eliminated participants wasn't as exaggerated as in the previous test, a total of nine people still failed.

However, most of Zhang Xuan's acquaintances, such as Ruohuan gongzi and Song Chao, still managed to pass the test.

Surprisingly, the one holding the current record wasn't a participant from the strongest Fleeting Cloud Sect or the second strongest White Helios Sect; rather, he came from an empire that was of similar standing to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

The cultivation of this master teacher could be considered to be near the lowest among the participants, but his intelligence seemed to be exceptional. Against the puppet, he managed to hold on for sixteen steps, and the impressed old man puppet even said, "Good."

"Zhang shi, it's your turn!"

After everyone was done, Hong shi turned his gaze to the bored Zhang Xuan with a slightly apologetic look.

The latter wished to go first, but due to his own fear, he forced the latter to the back instead.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan stretched his back before walking over to the gazebo.

The gazebo wasn't too big-around an average person's height. The first thing he saw upon entering was that the closest pillar to him had the four words 'East', 'South', 'West', and 'North' on them.

These four words didn't possess any artistic conception belonging to a painter behind it, they were just ordinary words.

Turning his sight to the second pillar, there were words on them as well... 'Spring', 'Summer', 'Autumn', and 'Winter'

As for the next pillar, there were only two words... 'To' and 'Fro'.

And for the fourth pillar, there was only a single word... Reason!

"North South East West, Spring Summer Autumn Winter, To Fro, and Reason? This... What the heck are these?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

He thought that there would be more detailed hints, but they were just normal words.

Four pillars of eleven words, but there were no links among them whatsoever, and none of them had anything to do with chess either. What was he supposed to decipher?

After looking at each of the pillars, he turned his attention to the chessboard.

The chessboard looked much more chaotic than before. With just a single glance, Zhang Xuan was plunged into confusion.

"Celestial Chess, heaven and earth as the chessboard, and stars as the stones..."

Frowning, Zhang Xuan recalled what Hong shi said and a thought struck him. "North South East West refers to space, Spring Summer Autumn Winter refers to time, To Fro... refers to position, and Reason... refers to the heart!"

"Space, time, position, and heart..."

All the knowledge that Zhang Xuan learned previously flowed through his head, and the light in Zhang Xuan's eyes slowly intensified.

It was no wonder why Hong shi was intrigued by it. The name of the Celestial Chess wasn't just show. It was indeed emulating the heavens and earth as the chessboard!

It built on a person's heart to construct a vast world and used it as the chessboard. It was indeed a formidable game.

"I wonder how far I can go based solely on my comprehension and intelligence."

Upon understanding the rules behind the Celestial Chess, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly.

He had depended heavily on the Library of Heaven's Path and Eye of Insight on his previous stages. Given how simple the current stage was, he was curious to see how far he could go on his capabilities.

Turning around, Zhang Xuan walked over to the opposite of the stone table and sat down. Studying it for a moment, he decided on a position, grabbed a stone, and decisively placed it down.

...

"Do you think that Zhang shi will break the Celestial Chess?"

"That should be impossible; it's just a chess game. Besides, one will be unable to put his stone down if one makes a wrong move."

"It is indeed unlikely for anything to happen to the Celestial Chess... But I still think that it won't end that simply. Why don't we bet on it then?"

"What do you want to bet on?"

"I bet that Zhang shi will destroy the Celestial Chess. If I win, you will hand over your Silk Fan to me. Otherwise, I'll give you the Emerald Pearl which you have been eyeing!"

"Deal..."

...

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked into the gazebo, discussions immediately broke out among the crowd. There were even a few who betted on it.

"Cough cough!"

Hearing the excited bets in the surrounding, Zhao Feiwu, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others slapped their foreheads in embarrassment, fearing that others would know that they were acquainted with Zhang shi...

To think that a participant of the Master Teacher Tournament would actually be regarded as the God of Destruction...

"It will be the dueling round right after this test. Even though we still don't know the rules behind it, if Zhang shi and Ruohuan gongzi were to both proceed on to the next round, this would be the best results that our Myriad Kingdom Alliance has ever achieved over the years!" Ling shi analyzed and said.

"Indeed!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head.

There were only twenty-seven people left in the tournament.

There were seven powers whose two participants were already eliminated.

In other words, even if Zhang shi and Ruohuan gongzi were to fail terribly in the dueling round, the results would still be much better than what the Myriad Kingdom Alliance had ever achieved in the previous tournaments.

It was fortunate that Ruohuan gongzi had managed to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle under Zhang shi's help, and his experience with Zhang shi had helped temper his soft qualities such as courage. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for him to pass those tests.

In other words... Zhang shi had played a pivotal role in the current outstanding results of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

Just as they were thinking about this matter, Su shi suddenly exclaimed, "Look! Zhang shi is making a move!"

Everyone quickly lifted their gazes and saw Zhang Xuan seated right before a puppet. He placed a stone down onto the board.

In that moment, everyone waited with bated breaths.

Fortunately, the stone went down. After which, the old man opposite to him picked up a stone as well, but at that moment, he suddenly froze, as though he had no intentions of playing the stone at all.

"What's going on?"

"It can't be that... Zhang shi is intending to destroy the puppet instead of the Celestial Chess?"

Upon seeing the old man's frozen body, everyone stared at one another in bewilderment.

They were just contemplating whether the Celestial Chess would be destroyed by Zhang shi, and the latter, with a single step, caused the movements of the puppet to freeze... It couldn't be that it was really broken?

Wasn't that a little... way too exaggerated?

Everyone turned to look at Hong shi, and the latter had a deep frown on his forehead as well.

After a short moment later, Hong shi couldn't stand the tension anymore. He walked over to the gazebo and looked at the puppet.

And a moment later, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Just like the others, he thought that the puppet might have malfunctioned. But after taking a closer look, the puppet was still operating perfectly.

"Please make your move!"

Standing beside the puppet, Hong shi bowed.

Even though the old man was a puppet, it possessed spirit and it was capable of interpreting human speech. The both of them had often played against one another, and Hong shi possessed deep respect for him.

"Un!"

After a moment of hesitation, the puppet nodded and placed his stone down.

Zhang Xuan was stunned for an instant, but he soon picked up a second stone and placed it down.

Weng!

But the chess simply floated in midair, refusing to go down no matter how much force Zhang Xuan put into pushing it down.

"He can't place the stone? Does this mean that... his move is invalid?"

"So... he failed?"

Everyone was taken aback. Even Hong shi was in disbelief.

Based on the rules, one would only be considered to have passed the test after making six moves, and currently, Zhang shi had only made a single move. Did this mean that... he had failed the test?

"Shit... Does this mean that there's a mistake in my comprehension?"

Gedeng! Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat.

He used neither the Library of Heaven's Path nor the Eye of Insight this time... Was he really going to fail just like that?

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Chapter 587: Dueling Round Begins

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

All along, regardless of what it was, he had always used the Library of Heaven's Path and Eye of Insight to interpret and understand profound topics. But this time, he had decided to test out his own intelligence by playing with the rules he interpreted from the words inscribed on the pillars.

He thought that he would at least be able to get six pieces down, yet... he found himself stuck on the second stone. Could he have really screwed up this time?

Was his intelligence really that poor?

Zhang Xuan was on the verge of tears.

He had proceeded smoothly in the past three tests, he didn't expect to fail here.

Hong shi's face was also twitching violently.

To be unable to put down the second stone... How was he supposed to clear up the mess this time? He couldn't possibly say that considerably Zhang shi's talent, he was an exception and could clear the test just by putting down a single stone?

If only he'd known this would happen, he would have surely allowed Zhang shi to go first!

In the end, such a matter happened. If Zhang shi were to bear a grudge against him over this matter, he would surely be screwed...

What the heck was this! For a 5-star master teacher, the host of the Master Teacher Tournament, to have his heart hanging over a mere preliminary selection, he couldn't help but feel intense indignation.

Gritting his teeth, Hong shi mustered his courage and announced, "Since Zhang shi was unable to put down the second stone, this means that... he has failed the test! Alright, since the preliminary selection is over, let's move on to the dueling round..."

But at that moment, the puppet opposite to Zhang Xuan suddenly pushed the chess board aside and stood up. A clear voice reverberated in the air.

"I have lost!"

"Lost?"

"What does that mean?"

"Zhang shi... won against the puppet in a match of Celestial Chess? Not to mention, he even had the other party willingly admit his defeat?"

"Aren't the rules of the Celestial Chess difficult to comprehend? To actually understand the rules within an incense's time to defeat the puppet..."

Everyone was taken aback. The impossibility of the situation was driving them insane.

They thought the reason why Zhang shi was unable to put down his second stone was due to his lack of understanding of the rules. Never could they have imagined that the puppet would admit his defeat in the next moment...

This wasn't just at the level of 'understanding the rules' or not... Rather, Zhang shi had become an expert in the game, an existence that others could only look up to!

"Are you for real?"

Luo Xuan, Song Chao, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

They had undergone the test personally, and they knew how profound Celestial Chess was. Those who could put down more than six stones could be considered geniuses among geniuses. And yet, the person before them actually defeated the puppet utterly in his second move...

Was he still a human?

Contrary to everyone's shock, Hong shi felt immense relief instead.

It seemed like every time he was going to announce Zhang shi's loss, the other party would make a huge turnaround...

In that instant, he felt as though he was being toyed with.

If this were to go on, on top of going bankrupt, he would have to worry about his heart malfunctioning due to the excessive shock...

While everyone was dumbfounded, shocked, gritting their teeth, convulsing, kicking, rolling... The person in question, Zhang Xuan, was also bewildered.

He used neither the Library of Heaven's Path nor the Eye of Insight this time, and he was relying solely on his own intelligence to clear this test. As such, he was lacking in confidence.

This was precisely the reason why his heart stopped when he found himself unable to put down the second stone and panicked.

But... Never in his dreams could he have imagined that not only would he clear the test, the puppet would even admit defeat on his own accord...

Just as he was about to say something, the old man before him bowed, and a voice echoed in his mind. "Even though you only made a single move, you sealed all possible paths of advancement and retreat. I'm unable to counter your move at all. Finally, Celestial Chess... has a successor!"

After which, a surge of information suddenly dived into his head.

Hong long!

With this surge of information, countless plausible chess formations and set ups became assimilated as part of his knowledge.

"Soul Impartation?"

Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

'To be able to allow a puppet to conduct Soul Impartation, how powerful must the person who created the puppet be?' Zhang Xuan thought with a grim expression. But before he could take a look at his newfound knowledge, the puppet before him suddenly fell motionless, as though it had lost all strength. Following which, countless cracks starting creeping across its body.

"This is bad!"

Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in alarm. He quickly rushed forward to stop the impending destruction.

In the information that was transferred to him, he learned of the meaning behind the existence of the puppet-to pass down the heritage of Celestial Chess. Now that it had accomplished its raison d'être, the lingering will left within the puppet vanished, resulting in its inability to continue functioning. Naturally, the puppet started to fall apart.

Just that...

Even if you are going to fall apart, at least do it after I'm done with my test, when no one is around! To fall apart at such a time... How am I supposed to face Hong shi?

Placing his arm on the old man, Zhang Xuan infused his zhenqi into him in hopes of forcefully keeping in intact. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the zhenqi he infused collided with the other party's zhenqi.

Boom! The puppet immediately exploded into dust.

And the chessboard and gazebo also seemed to have lost its source of power, and they collapsed, turning into ruins.

"The heck..."

Zhang Xuan was frenzied.

I only did that out of goodwill so as to sustain the puppet for a moment longer... How could I've known that such a thing would occur?

But actually, thinking deeper into it, Zhang Xuan also realized his error. The puppet was sustained by a lingering will, and most likely, this lingering will was infused into it through the means of a soul oracle. Otherwise, it shouldn't be possible for a lifeless puppet to be capable of Soul Impartation...

And his Heaven's Path zhenqi happened to be the nemesis of soul oracles. What should have been a simple collapse turned into an explosion instead with the interference of his zhenqi...

Turning his gaze to the crowd, Zhang Xuan saw everyone staring at him with widened eyes, as though looking at a monster.

"Did you see that? Even the Celestial Chess wasn't spared!"

"I told you that it would be destroyed right? And to think that you didn't believe me..."

"How could Zhang shi explode the puppet even after it has admitted defeat? This is too much!"

"You're right. But if he didn't do so, how could he maintain his reputation as the God of Destruction?"

...

Everyone whispered with hushed voices.

They thought that perhaps Celestial Chess would be an exception, but in the end, just like the artifacts in the previous three tests, it was destroyed as well! It seemed as though regardless of how valuable an artifact, it only had one fate upon meeting Zhang shi... Utter destruction!

It doesn't matter how sturdy or resilient you are...

"..."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan spurted blood.

I really didn't do it intentionally, I was really trying to save him...

I didn't do any of these voluntarily, it was all just coincidence!

"He destroyed something yet again?"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others stared at one another. At this point, there was only one thought in their mind-relief. They couldn't help but feel relieved that they didn't use any valuable artifact in the selection round back then... Otherwise, their Master Teacher Pavilion would probably be bankrupt by now.

"My Celestial Chess..."

Hong shi's lips trembled in agitation.

Only he knew how long it took for him to accrue sufficient wealth to obtain the Ghost Domain Illusory City and the Celestial Chess... and yet, in a single tournament, they were all destroyed by Zhang shi. In just a single day, he was reduced to a poor bloke.

He felt as though a knife was lodged deeply into his chest, leaving his heart bleeding profusely.

Even so, he did see what happened to the puppet clearly.

The puppet was crumbling even before Zhang shi approached it, and Zhang shi was indeed moving to secure it... It was just that his help only made things worse, and an explosion was induced.

But while he knew of this, there was no doubt that the reason behind the crumbling of the puppet was still due to Zhang shi...

If only he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have bothered with a preliminary round. He would have just gone ahead with duels in an elimination format instead!

It took a while before Hong shi was able to calm down. Exhaling deeply, he forcefully suppressed his indignation.

All he could do now was ask for some compensation from Pavilion Master Mo, and hope that the latter would offer something in exchange for the loss he had incurred... He didn't know how else he could console himself at this point.

Hong shi glanced at the crowd and asked, "Given that the puppet has admitted defeat, it means that Zhang shi has fully comprehended the rules behind the Celestial Chess. Does anyone have any objections against this ruling?"

"No!" Everyone shook their heads.

While the fellow standing before the ruins of the Celestial Chess was indeed a God of Destruction, they had to admit that the other party did possess capability that an average person could hardly imagine.

"Since Zhang shi has completed his challenge, this signifies the end of the preliminary selection. Since it's no longer early, let's waste no time and proceed straight onto the dueling round!" Hong shi announced.

Since the four tests of the preliminary selection was over, it was time to move on to the dueling round.

"The rules for the dueling round are simple. The duels will be in pairs, and the sequence and matching will be decided by picking lots. The duel need not be a fight, it can also be based on the various core aspects of a master teacher, such as Soul Depth, knowledge impartation, understanding of cultivation, flaws identification, so on and so forth!

"The winner moves on to the next round whereas the loser is eliminated. This will go on until the top ten is out!"

Hong shi glanced at the participants and said, "Is there anything you wish to clarify?"

"No!"

The participants hurriedly shook their heads.

This was the usual format of the dueling round in the Master Teacher Tournament, and the rules were simple as well.

"Alright, we'll start with picking lots. There are 27 people currently, and 16 people will move on to the next round. In other words... there will be five people who will move on to the next round straight without competing," Hong shi said.

There is a fixed rule to dueling rounds stating that no matter how many participants there are initially, after the first round, it should be in a power of two, meaning 2, 4, 8, 16, 32... so on and so forth. This was to ensure greater fairness in the subsequent rounds, especially as the fights became more intense later on.

Only through this sequencing could it be guaranteed that only two people would be competing for the champion spot eventually.

"Alright, let's begin picking lots!"

After introducing the rules, Hong shi waved his hand, and a master teacher walked up with a box prepared beforehand. The remaining twenty-seven participants came up one by one to pick a number.

Zhang Xuan was the same as well.

After a quick look, he shook his head.

It seemed his luck wasn't too good; he hadn't managed to draw the five empty slots that allowed for automatic advancement to the next round.

"I managed to draw the empty slot!"

Just as Zhang Xuan was lamenting his misfortune, he saw Ruohuan gongzi looking at him excitedly. Taking a look at the other party's lot, he saw 'A1, empty' written on it.

On the other hand, written on Zhang Xuan's lot was 'D2'.

Seeing that everyone was done drawing the lots, Hong shi said, "The dueling round will be divided into four main sectors, namely A, B, C, and D, and each sector will be further divided into 1, 2, 3, and 4. Those who draw the same lots will be matched against one another, and those who have the word 'empty' written on their lot will progress straight on to the top sixteen!

"Based on the ranking of the respective powers in the previous tournament, the participant with the higher ranking will have the privilege to choose the content of the duel. Of course, his opponent will have the right to object to the chosen dueling format as well, but the right to object will be limited to once per duel! After that right has been used once, he would have no choice but to accept the next proposed dueling format."

This was similar to the rules employed in previous rules, so there was no need to elaborate on it.

"Alright, the first round will start now. Since A1 is empty, may the two participants who drew A2 proceed on to the stage in the A sector!"

Hong shi waved his hand, and the final area of fog veiling the stage dissipated, revealing four stages. They were labeled A, B, C, and D respectively.

Two young men holding onto the lot which they had just picked walked toward the stage labeled A.

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Chapter 588: Challenging Fist Art

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

As they proceeded onto the stage, Hong shi urged the participants of the other three stages to proceed there as well.

The master teachers who drew B1, C1, and D1 got into their position.

Following which, they began to discuss the content of their duel.

Regarding this, Hong shi wouldn't interfere at all.

And soon, they finished making their choices.

Of the four stages, two chose knowledge impartation, one chose Soul Depth, and the remaining one chose a physical duel.

A competition among master teachers extended way further than mere brute strength; their capability included their supporting occupations, Soul Depth, Impartation of Heaven's Will, knowledge impartation, and many other aspects. If it was just a simple battle, there would be no need to make it so grand.

As such, there were actually very few master teachers who chose physical duel as a means to determine the victor.

"So, this is the real Master Teacher Tournament!" Zhang Xuan remarked in awe.

The previous round was just to weed out the less capable participants; what that was unfolding before him at this very instant was the true competition among master teachers.

As well as the true Master Teacher Tournament.

Gazing at the four stages, Zhang Xuan found a familiar face.

Song Chao!

Even though the preliminary selection wasn't easy, he seemed to have achieved fairly decent results, thus advancing honorably to the dueling round.

The person he was matched with was a disciple of a sect. While that disciple was of similar cultivation realm to Song Chao, he had fared relatively poor in the preliminary round. Knowing that it was unlikely for him to emerge triumphant in other aspects, he, making full use of the advantage derived from the rules, proposed for a straightforward fight instead.

"Begin!"

The gong signaling the start of the match sounded, and the disciple immediately dashed straight toward Song Chao.

Trading blows, a huge wind gushed into their surroundings. Possessing similar cultivation realms, both of them stood their ground and it was hard to tell who had the upper hand.

Even though the stage wasn't too big, there was formation around it. It was impossible for the duo to break the formation with their current cultivation realm, so they could fight as they pleased without any worries.

"It seems like... Song Chao will be able to advance to the next round!"

After looking at the duel for a moment, Zhang Xuan soon deduced that it was likely for Song Chao to triumph over this opponent.

While the duo was nearly equally-matched, Song Chao's movements were much more flexible and careful, biding his time for an ideal opportunity to strike.

As long as his opponent showed the slightest opening out of anxiety, Song Chao would capitalize on the opportunity to defeat him swiftly.

Knowing the likely conclusion, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to one of the stages conducting the knowledge impartation duel instead.

Compared to Song Chao's stage, where the competitors were driving their zhenqi to hurl fists at one another, this side seemed much more refined.

Twenty cultivators of differing cultivation realms were randomly picked from the square, and the competitors chose ten of them each to form a group.

After dividing the cultivators among the two competitors, they began to conduct their lesson via zhenqi telepathy so as to not interrupt one another.

The time limit was an incense's time; whoever's group experienced a greater degree of growth during this period of time would be deemed the winner.

This kind of competition was much more refined, and it seemed to be more aligned with the disposition of a teacher.

Seeing that it would take some time for the victor to be decided, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the stage where the competitors were competing on Soul Depth.

The two of them held onto a Stone of Insight each, and soon, numbers appeared on them-14.7 and 14.9. Naturally, the latter was deemed as the victor.

This was the simplest and most efficient dueling format.

But still, Soul Depth was the foundation of a master teacher, and most people were unwilling to have it publicly known. As such, it was very rare for participants to choose such a dueling format.

And soon, the first round was over. Just like what Zhang Xuan guessed, Song Chao won.

The two stages dueling via knowledge impartation also came to a conclusion. The one who fared the best induced a breakthrough in a cultivator among his group within the time limit and achieved victory. On the other stage, the master teacher won through a high overall evaluation score and advanced on to the next round.

At the end of the first round, there were some who celebrated, and similarly, there were those who looked gloomy as well. But indifferent to the results, Hong shi announced the lots for the next round.

"For the second round, will the competitors who drew A3, B3, C3, and D2 proceed on to the stage..."

B2 and C2 were empty slots.

Upon hearing that it was his turn, Zhang Xuan walked toward the 'D' stage.

"Zhang shi... drew D2? Why am I so unlucky?"

Seeing Zhang Xuan walk out from the crowd, a young man's face suddenly warped, and he nearly cried on the spot.

He had also drawn D2, which meant that he was matched up against this God of Destruction.

"It is indeed unfortunate that you were paired with him for the very first match..." The mouth of the friend beside him also twitched.

This Zhang shi had been showing outstanding results since the start of the tournament, even destroying all of the artifacts through inconceivable means. If there was a list of competitors whom one didn't want to be matched with, that fellow would surely be at the top.

At the current stage, his reputation was even greater than Luo Xuan's.

To be matched with such a person in the first round, his luck was indeed terrible.

"What do I do now? Should I just forfeit? If I don't forfeit, will he... destroy me too?" The young man asked his friend with a tearful face.

Given how that fellow tore apart everything before him, the young man was seriously frightened that he might be ripped into pieces if he were to stand against that God of Destruction. It was only a tournament, he had no desire to die so tragically...

"Cough cough, I don't think he would go so far as to do it to a human too!" consoled his friend.

"But I also thought the same for the Celestial Chess as well..." the young man retorted.

"This..." His friend was tongue-tied.

That fellow was simply too frightening. If he had a choice, he would rather face the Otherworldly Demon once more than stand against that fellow.

In other words, the pressure he felt from facing Zhang Xuan even exceeded that from the Otherworldly Demon!

"It wasn't easy for you to come to reach this stage, it would be unwise to forfeit at this point. Don't worry, even though that Zhang shi is incredible, he can't possibly be infallible!"

His friend patted his shoulder and said, "In any case, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance fared worse than our sect in the previous tournament. As long as you propose a dueling format that benefits you, there might still be a chance of victory. Once you succeed, with this momentum, you will surely be able to strive for the top eight at least!"

After a moment of contemplation, the young man nodded his head.

"That... you're right!"

Everyone would surely be watching his duel with Zhang Xuan. If he could achieve victory, not only would his confidence be inflated, he might also instill fear in the other competitors as the person who defeated the God of Destruction. With this advantage over his competitors, he just might be able to get into the top ten.

After all, psychological warfare was an essential aspect of a duel as well.

"Fine, for glory!"

Understanding that only with risk could one achieve something great, the young man gritted his teeth and stepped forward.

While he was still frightened, as a 4-star master teacher, he was still able to get himself back into condition swiftly.

"Then let's quickly analyze Zhang shi's weakness then..."

Seeing the young man regain his fighting spirit, his friend nodded his head in commendation. "In the first test, Zhang shi broke the Ghost Domain Illusory City. This means that the Mystic Gate Hidden Jia contained within the artifact is ineffective toward him, hinting that he has excellent mental fortitude and eye of discernment!"

"Un!"

Finding the words rational, the young man nodded his head.

The pitch-black Ghost Domain Illusory City was filled with spirit beings, and without outstanding eyesight, it would be impossible for one to even navigate within it. Under such circumstances, it would be impossible for one to destroy it so easily even if they intended to do so!

"You are unlikely to defeat him in that aspect, so... avoid any duels that concerns one's vision or discernment ability."

The young man added, "Right! So that means that flaws identification and cultivation guidance are out of question!"

His friend continued his analysis. "Ok. Moving on to the second test, he managed to persuade the Otherworldly Demon via his Impartation of Heaven's Will. This means that his Soul Depth is extraordinary... Therefore, you shouldn't compete with him in Soul Depth or knowledge impartation!"

To be able to persuade an Otherworldly Demon to commit suicide with just mere words, this meant that the other party's Soul Depth and mastery of Impartation of Heaven's Will had reached an astounding level. If the young man were to compete with Zhang shi over this, it was likely that the scene with the Otherworldly Demon might replay.

His friend summarized his analysis and gave his final evaluation.

"As for the third test and fourth test... Even though very little can be said about those tests, it shows that he possesses outstanding wisdom and intelligence. As such, it is likely that his understanding of cultivation is superior. Thus... in conclusion, I think that you should just compete with him in a physical duel!"

"Indeed. If I were to challenge him in a physical duel, considering that he's only at Yin-Yang realm pinnacle while I'm at Clarifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage, it shouldn't be a problem for me to triumph over him!" The young man's eyes lit up upon seeing a ray of hope.

Since there was no way to win via the other dueling format, that leaves him with only one option... Physical duel!

Considering that his cultivation was higher than the other party, he was at an advantageous position.

"But... he has a chance to reject the dueling format that I propose once. What if he were to do so?" After celebrating for a short moment, the young man suddenly thought of a possibility and his smile collapsed.

Even though the Myriad Kingdom Alliance didn't have any say in the selection of the dueling format, especially since they were in the last place the previous Master Teacher Tournament, their participants were still entitled the right to reject a proposed dueling format once.

If he were to propose a physical duel and the other party disagrees to it, wouldn't he be limited to those few other dueling formats once again?

His friend smiled.

"Are you a fool? There are many types of physical duel! You can simply propose a fist duel, and after he rejects it, you can go on and propose a sword duel. There is no way he'll be able to reject you then. Given that you're ranked first in terms of swordsmanship in our sect, there is no way that you will lose to him in a sword duel!"

"That's right!"

Regaining his confidence, the young man's eyes lit up once more. "Thank you for your suggestions. When I defeat him and proceed on to the top ten, I'll surely pay back this favor. Wait for the news of my victory!"

Saying which, he walked over to the D stage with a confident smile on his face.

...

"I am Wu Tianhao from Soaring Cloud Sect. May Zhang shi guide me well!"

Stepping onto the stage, the young man clasped his fist.

"Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang Xuan!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response. "May I know what kind of dueling format Wu shi has chosen?"

"I wish to challenge you in a fist duel!" Following by his friend's advice, the corners of Wu Tianhao's lips crept up.

"Fist duel?" Zhang Xuan nodded his head. "Sure!"

"You don't agree to it? Fine, we'll have a... Ah?"

Wu Tianhao was excitedly prattling on when he suddenly came to realization and froze. "Did you just... agree to my proposed dueling format?"

"I did, you proposed a fist duel, right? Let's start then!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

In truth, Zhang Xuan could tell what the other party was up to-it was simply too obvious! But in any case, it didn't make a difference to him at all.

"..." Wu Tianhao's body swayed weakly.

Why can't you follow common sense? That's cheating, too, you know!

You're supposed to reject my initial proposal so that we can conduct a sword duel...

How can you agree to it so readily!

I was thinking that I could defeat you with my ethereal swordsmanship, but you just had to wreck my plans...

But it's fine this way as well! Even though my fist art is lacking as compared to my sword art, it isn't too weak either. At the very most, I'll just have to use my full strength from the very start. Let's see how you're going to withstand that!

The other party was two small cultivation realms weaker than him, and further, there was a qualitative difference between Yin-Yang realm and Clarifying Turbidity realm as well. As such, Wu Tianhao didn't believe that Zhang Xuan could possibly win the fist duel.

"Since you've agreed to it, let's start then!"

Having made up his mind, Wu Tianhao drove his cultivation, and in an instant, the aura surrounding him surged. For an instant, an image of a majestic tiger stepping out of the woods came into the minds of the onlooker. Clenching his fists tightly, he charged forward.

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Chapter 589: Accidentally Used Too Much Force

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"What? Why did Zhang shi agree to a duel of fist art?"

Seeing the situation on the stage clearly, Pavilion Master Kang panicked.

The main reason why he didn't think that Zhang shi would be able to win the champion spot was because he knew that such a thing would happen.

In the end, the latter's cultivation was simply too weak. This weakness of his would surely be exploited by his opponents.

The foundation to fighting was one's cultivation, and no matter how formidable Zhang shi's Soul Depth or other qualities were, it would be of minimal help to him in a straightforward duel!

"Indeed, he was definitely rash to have accepted the duel..."

Su shi and Ling shi remarked with an awful complexion.

While the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, given its ranking in the previous tournament, didn't have any say in the dueling format, Zhang shi still had an opportunity to reject the dueling format. Even though the other party proposed a physical duel, he could have rejected it!

On the other hand, Zhao Feiwu had already seen through the ploy of the master teachers and smiled bitterly in response.

"Actually... it doesn't make a difference at all!"

"Hmm?" Frowning, the group turned around to look at Zhao Feiwu.

As long as it wasn't a physical duel, given Zhang shi's astounding talents in all other aspects, there was no way he would lose!

So why wouldn't it make a difference?

"Knowing that the greatest weakness of Zhang shi is his cultivation realm, how could the other party possibly give up on such an ideal opportunity? If Zhang shi had rejected the duel of fist art, there's a high chance that the other party would've proposed a duel of spear, a duel of saber, or something along those lines... He might be able to avoid it once, but he wouldn't be able to do it the second time!" Zhao Feiwu said.

Even though she had never been to a Master Teacher Tournament before, she had read many books on it, and she had a good grasp on its rules.

"This..."

The faces of Su shi, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others froze.

They had overlooked this due to their anxiety.

Besides, as honorable master teachers, they didn't expect Zhang shi's opponent to actually exploit the loopholes in the rules in such a manner.

Upon realizing this fact from Zhao Feiwu's words, their faces immediately puffed crimson in rage.

"Despicable!"

Ling shi bellowed, "How can they be so despicable!"

"But they are still playing within the rules. In the end, this is still a tournament after all. It is natural that they would use whatever means they could to achieve victory." Pavilion Master Kang shook his head. "We can only hope for a miracle to happen now..."

"Miracle? How can a miracle happen so easily? Putting aside how Zhang shi has barely reached Yin-Yang realm pinnacle and it is unlikely that he has fully reinforced his cultivation yet, just the fact that there is a huge gap of two small cultivation realms between them already makes it nigh impossible for him to achieve victory..." Su shi shook his head.

There was a huge difference even in every small cultivation realm of the Transcendent Mortal realm, not to mention, a full cultivation realm. A Yin-Yang pinnacle cultivator only possesses 800,000 ding of strength whereas a Clarifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage expert harnesses an immense might of 1,200,000 ding. That was a difference of 400,000 ding! This was a gap that mere luck couldn't hope to cover.

"Indeed, the gap between the two of them is simply too great. I don't think it is possible for Zhang shi to reverse the situation as well... Ah?"

Pavilion Master Kang shook his head in dismay as the thought of Zhang shi falling in defeat dominated his mind. However, in the next instant, his body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes slowly widened in shock.

"What's wrong?"

Su shi was baffled by Pavilion Master Kang's sudden reaction.

"Look at the stage..." said Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly.

"At the stage?" Su shi quickly raised his gaze, only to see Zhang Xuan standing alone on the D stage. His opponent, Wu Tianhao, was nowhere to be seen.

"Where is the opponent he is fighting against?" Su shi asked bewilderedly.

How in the world did that fellow disappear in the blink of an eye?

One must know that leaving the stage after the start of the duel meant instant disqualification!

"He... He..."

With trembling lips, Pavilion Master Kang pointed in the sky and said, "He's flying up there..."

"Flying?"

Guangdang!

Su shi and the others nearly fell to the ground.

Flying? Are you saying that that fellow is a Saint?

The group traced Pavilion Master Kang's finger and looked up, and in an instant, a bizarre expression appeared on their faces.

There was indeed a black human silhouette soaring freely in the sky. At this point, he was already around a hundred meters above ground level, but his ascension didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon.

If that fellow in the sky was planning an attack, there was no reason for him to soar so high up. On top of that, he was shrieking non-stop as though he had seen a ghost. Furthermore, he was ascending backward instead of forward, as though a ball which was sent flying with a kick.

"What's going on?" Su shi could no longer hold back his intrigue any longer.

"Zhang shi... lightly pushed him up, and he just suddenly... started flying!" Pavilion Master Kang's lips were twitching uncontrollably.

Even though he had seen it happen personally, he still found it hard to believe his eyes.

That Clarifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage cultivator had driven his cultivation to its maximum capacity and shot a punch straight at Zhang shi.

The might of the fist art was so great that even an expert of Pavilion Master Kang's caliber would have to go on the defensive. But... Zhang shi didn't even attempt to avoid the punch at all. Instead, he faced it with a casual rising trajectory palm strike, and in the next moment...

That fellow was already soaring into the sky...

"Lightly pushed him up?"

Su shi, Ling shi, Jin Conghai, and the others stared at one another in confusion. They felt as though they were listening to a foreign language, and in an instant, they were all left dumbfounded.

Transcendent Mortal 4-dan intermediate stage, that was roughly their cultivation realm as well. Furthermore, the other party was a master teacher like them, meaning his eye of discernment and capability wouldn't pale in comparison to them at all. And yet, with a light push from Zhang shi, he was actually sent flying?

Why did it sound as though it had come out from a fantasy novel? No matter how they tried to process this information, it simply sounded too ridiculous to them!

...

They weren't the only ones who were left dumbstruck. At this very instant, the entire square was completely silent.

In truth, everyone also felt angered by Wu Tianhao's shameless action of proposing a duel of fist art, but upon seeing this sight, their eyeballs nearly popped out.

What just happened?

They had considered the possibility of Zhang shi achieving a victory, but that should have been a difficult one after trading innumerable blows. Yet, to send Wu Tianhao flying with a light push, as though he was simply throwing a pebble, could this all be a dream?

When did a Clarifying Turbidity realm expert become such a pushover?

"No, it's because of Zhang shi's formidable eye of discernment!"

"He used Wu shi's strength against him to send him flying!"

"That's right. He saw through the other party's technique in an instant and used the momentum of the other party's movements against him to send him flying... This technique is the ideal example of 'curbing force with skill'!"

"But everything happened in an instant, how did he manage to react so quickly?"

Soon, there were quite a few people who managed to put the pieces together, but this did little to alleviate their shock.

Everything was over in a flash, but there were a fair number of 4-star master teachers present in the square, and every single one of them possessed outstanding eye of discernment.

Wu Tianhao had put all of his strength into that single fist, but... As the saying goes, 'the branch that does not bend is the first to break'. While thoughtless flexibility can land one in a disadvantageous position, a lack of flexibility can leave one vulnerable. Zhang shi had seen through the flaws of his battle technique instantaneously and exploited them. Thus, even before his fist could even connect, he was already sent flying.

And so... the sight of the flying man occurred.

Seeing this sight, the eyelids of Wu Tianhao's friend twitched violently, and he nearly spewed blood.

If only he'd known that this fellow was so formidable, he would have never proposed a physical duel. Even if Wu Tianhao wasn't injured by that palm strike, judging from how high he was flying... even if he wasn't crushed into minced meat, he would surely be crippled.

Could it be that... he was the legendary 'pig-like teammate'?

Just as he was filled with self-reproach, Wu Tianhao finally came to the peak of his ascension, and began falling instead. He fell headfirst into the roof of the Alliance Head Residence, and amidst a cloak of dust and screams of agony reminiscent of butchered pigs, he disappeared from view.

"Junior Tianhao..."

Leaping in fright, Wu shi's friend hurriedly dashed toward the direction where Wu shi disappeared. But before he could get far, a voice tinged with embarrassment was suddenly heard from the D stage. "Um, pardon me... I accidentally used too much force..."

Pu!

Accidentally used too much force?

Hearing those words, everyone nearly collapsed to the ground.

You are the weaker one here, the one with the lower cultivation realm. You knocked a person with higher cultivation realm flying, and you still said that you accidentally used too much force...

The more Wu shi's friend thought about it, the more frenzied he felt. It was as if that fellow wasn't content with just smashing through every single test in the preliminary selection. At the start of the dueling round, he even had to knock a cultivator two small cultivation realms higher than him up into the air...

What kind of monster was this fellow?

Where did the fairness in the world go to?

While he was feeling so stifled that he could go insane, Zhang Xuan was plagued with frustration as well.

That fellow simply charged straight at him with all of his might as soon as the duel began. If it was anyone else, they might have really been forced into a disadvantageous position instantly. But in truth, that attack posed no threat to him at all.

With a might of 1,000,000 ding from his zhenqi cultivation and 1,600,000 ding from his soul cultivation, he was able to harness an immense might of 2,600,000 ding in total. This was on par with a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage expert, it would be a miracle if that fellow could withstand it.

But at the same time, he knew that if he were to send the other party flying in a frontal confrontation, it might incur some doubts. As such, he chose to utilize the Eye of Insight to search for an opening in the other party's technique so as to throw him off the stage...

However, he still underestimated that fellow's strength. On top of that, he hadn't had many opportunities to test out his strength ever since the advancement in his cultivation, and thus, he didn't have a clear grasp of his strength yet. As such, he accidentally put in a little more force...

Falling from such a high altitude, even if the other party was a Clarifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage cultivator, he would still suffer grievous wounds. While it was unlikely that he would die from this ordeal, he would probably be bound to his bed for the next two months.

Honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan really didn't do it intentionally.

His face-off with clone, which ended in a tragic defeat for him, had given him a skewed impression of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts. How could he have known that that fellow would actually fly so far...

"Forget it. Hong shi, does this count as my victory?"

Since what was done was done, there was no use being conflicted over it. Thus, Zhang Xuan turned his attention to Hong shi and asked.

"Y-yes, you've won!"

Hong shi's lips twitched.

It seemed the other party's destructive capability didn't differentiate between artifacts and humans...

He wasn't the only one harboring such thoughts. The eyebrows of the other participating master teachers on the stage were also twitching uncontrollably.

"By no means should we ever fight with this fellow!"

"You're right, but... if we don't challenge him to a physical duel, what else can we challenge him in?"

"I've no idea as well. But in any case, a physical duel is out of question. Otherwise, who knows what kind of tragic fate could befall us..."

...

While everyone was astounded by Zhang shi's amazing feats in the preliminary selection, they didn't think that he was much of a threat. After all, the other party was a mere Yin-Yang realm pinnacle cultivator. As long as they unleashed their full strength, defeating him shouldn't be a problem at all... But reality couldn't be any further than that...

Wu Tianhao was a clear example.

Just thinking about Wu Tianhao's plight was already sufficient to send shivers down their spines.

Since Zhang Xuan finished his duel early, he turned his attention to the other stages.

In this round, his pair was the only one who resorted to a physical duel. The other pairs chose to battle it out through other means.

In fact, there was even a pair who chose the unconventional 'discourse duel'.

On top of a deep understanding toward cultivation, master teachers must also possess broad knowledge.

The format of discourse duel is similar to Pill Discourse. Both parties would pose questions to one another, and the side that failed to answer correctly first would be deemed the loser.

To ensure greater equity, the duel consisted of a total of three rounds, and the side that won two rounds was the overall winner.

In the discourse duel, the other master teacher from Fleeting Cloud Sect achieved victory.

After realizing that there were actually minimal differences among the different dueling formats, Zhang Xuan quickly lost his interest. Sometime later, Hong shi's voice sounded.

"Alright, since we've decided on the top sixteen, we'll take an hour of rest before proceeding on to the next round to determine the top eight!"

"The results of the top sixteen are out?"

Just as Zhang Xuan was curious to see who was in the top sixteen, he suddenly noticed Ruohuan gongzi walking over with a worried expression.

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Chapter 590: Zhao Feiwu's Analysis

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Zhang shi..."

Walking up to Zhang Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "I have something to request of you!"

"Feel free to speak!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

While he did have some misunderstandings with this proud genius of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they had resolved most of their grudges back in the Glacier Plain Court. Furthermore, as fellow participants representing Myriad Kingdom Alliance, if he could be of help, he wouldn't reject it.

"Initially, I don't bear much hope in reaching the top ten. However... now that I'm already in the top sixteen, if I don't at least give it a try, I will regret it for life..." Ruohuan gongzi's face reddened.

Having picked 'A1', he was able to advance to the next round unconditionally.

Humans are born with desire. If he had been defeated in the previous round, he wouldn't have been so conflicted. Now that he was already in the top sixteen-a victory away from getting into the top ten-he couldn't help but harbor some hope.

"... But the one I'm fighting against in the next match is Qin Lei of White Helios Sect!"

With a distressed expression, Ruohuan gongzi uttered gloomily, "I don't have the confidence to defeat him!"

Zhang Xuan turned to look at Ruohuan gongzi and asked, "Qin Lei? The person who is ranked third on the list?"

He had seen this name on the list that Pavilion Master Kang gave him previously. Qin Lei was a genius of White Helios Sect. As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher and a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle expert, he was only below Fleeting Cloud Sect's Luo Xuan and the Frigid Gale Sect's Liao Wuzhi on the list, and he was a popular contender for the champion spot as well.

"Yes!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded his head.

"If that's the case, it would indeed be difficult for you to defeat him!" Zhang Xuan frowned.

While Ruohuan gongzi improved immensely in the past two months, reaching Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle as well, it would still be difficult for him to compete against disciples of huge sects like his current opponent.

After all, there was a huge gap in the resources they were entitled to over many years, and two months of last-minute training was far from sufficient to cover the gap.

"Thus, I wish to seek Zhang shi's guidance... Regardless of whether I'm able to defeat him or not, you'll have my gratitude!" Ruohuan gongzi quickly said.

Zhang shi had truly fared impressively in this tournament. Even the most popular contenders such as Luo Xuan and Liao Wuzhi found themselves being outshone.

If there was someone who could bring him the closest to success, it wasn't his teacher Pavilion Master Kang but the young man standing before him at this instant.

"I can offer you pointers, just that..."

At this point, Zhang Xuan shook his head before continuing, "... given that we don't even know the content of the duel, how can I offer you any effective pointers?"

There were many different dueling formats to the Master Teacher Tournament, and given that the Myriad Kingdom Alliance was ranked in the last place in the previous tournament, Ruohuan gongzi didn't have the right to choose. Under such circumstances, he could only go along with the proposed dueling format from the other party, so how could Zhang Xuan offer any effective guidance?

After all, the bare minimum to preparing a winning hand was to know what cards the other party had up his sleeves. Otherwise, even if a 6-star or 7-star master teacher were to be present here, he would surely be completely helpless in the face of this situation.

Even if Zhang Xuan wished to be of help, there was nothing he could do!

Ruohuan gongzi hesitated for a moment before saying, "In the previous round, the person he faced was Wu Qing from True Breath Sect. The both of them were nearly equals, so he proposed knowledge impartation and won through it. Against me... I think there's a good chance he might choose a physical duel so as to be spared the effort!"

Wu Qing was also another master teacher whose name was listed in the top ten of the list, but due to his bad luck, he met with Qin Lei in the very first round and ended up being eliminated.

As the both of them were nearly equally-matched, Qin Lei proposed knowledge impartation.

But against Ruohuan gongzi, it was unlikely that Qin Lei would go through that much trouble; the chances were that he would outright propose a physical duel.

Even though the both of them were Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle, the other party had more years of experience behind him. Not to mention, the resources that White Helios Sect provided the other party was far greater than Ruohuan gongzi's. Thus, it was likely for Ruohuan gongzi to be the weaker one in all aspects, be it battle technique or power control.

As such, his guess was actually rather logical. There was indeed a high possibility that the other party would propose a physical duel against him.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan scratched his head.

If it was really a physical duel, then things could be solved easily. It was a walk in the park for him to raise the other party's fighting prowess up a notch within the next hour. However... what if it wasn't a physical duel?

Wouldn't all preparation be done in vain?

Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to say something, Pavilion Master Kang called over to them.

"Zhang shi, Ruohuan, have some food first!"

Turning around, they realized that most of the master teachers had already departed from the stage to rest their wearied bodies and regain their energy.

"Let's head down first!"

There was no use discussing this matter when nothing was confirmed at all. Thus, the duo walked down the stage.

The Alliance Head Residence had prepared quite a luxurious spread. There was even spirit beast meat, an extremely effective nourishment in recovering one's expended zhenqi.

Upon seeing the feast, Zhang Xuan felt his stomach grumble.

"What were you two talking about?" Zhao Feiwu asked the duo with a light smile.

"Oh, Ruohuan gongzi is facing Qin Lei from the White Helios Sect in the next match, and he hopes that I can offer him some pointer for it. However, we don't know what dueling format the other party is likely to choose," Zhang Xuan replied as he filled his mouth with the delicacies before him.

"What kind of dueling format?" Zhao Feiwu cupped her chin, and after a moment of contemplation, she replied, "I think that... it is likely to be comprehension of cultivation!"

"Comprehension of cultivation?" Zhang Xuan, Ruohuan gongzi, and the others in the surroundings turned to look at her.

In truth, most of them had agreed with Ruohuan gongzi's view that the other party would choose physical duel. As such, they were intrigued to see that someone had a different viewpoint from theirs.

"Comprehension of cultivation? But that is a very troublesome duel to hold, and the evaluation is extremely tricky as well. Very few people would choose that kind of dueling format!" Su shi replied.

There were many ways a comprehension of cultivation duel could be held, such as interpreting a battle technique, interpreting a cultivation technique, and so on... But regardless of which one it was, it was extremely time-consuming and effort-consuming. More importantly, there were many differing viewpoints regarding the topic, and they could all be correct at the same time. In other words, as long as one's interpretation wasn't too off the mark, it would be hard to decide on a winner.

On top of that, as 4-star pinnacle master teachers, it was impossible for their understanding of cultivation to be too far off the mark. As such, there were very few who would opt for such a troublesome dueling format.

"Tell us more about it!"

But still, while the princess before him was lacking in cultivation, Zhang Xuan knew that she was an avid reader, and she had shown that she was particularly astute in guessing the thoughts of others on multiple occasions as well.

"The basis behind my deduction is simple-it depends on what he hopes to achieve in this tournament!"

Zhao Feiwu chuckled mysteriously.

"What he hopes to achieve?" Ruohuan gongzi was taken aback. "Wouldn't it be winning the champion seat?"

The greatest glory one could derive from the Master Teacher Tournament would be to win the champion seat. As one of the most popular contenders for the position, it would be natural for Qin Lei to be eyeing that seat!

"You're right, but what do you know is his greatest obstruction to his goal at the moment?" Zhao Feiwu's eyes narrowed into crescents as she turned her beautiful face toward the young man before her.

"You mean... Zhang shi?"

There was no one present in this square who would offer a different answer than that at this point.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to use the word 'rampage' to summarize Zhang Xuan's performance in the preliminary selection. And after the first dueling round, there was no one else who thought that they could exploit his low cultivation. With this, he had become the strongest contender for the champion seat, standing above even Luo Xuan.

Thus, the greatest obstruction Qin Lei would face in becoming the champion was indubitably him.

"Indeed. Since his goal is Zhang shi, naturally, he doesn't view you as a threat. Thus, in the first place... he has never really thought of you as an equal before!" Zhao Feiwu said.

Ruohuan gongzi's face reddened.

Even though those words were indeed hurtful, he knew that it was true.

Given the disparity between both of their capabilities, the other party indeed had nothing to fear of him.

"However, given that you came from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and his goal is to defeat Zhang shi... there is a good chance he will use Zhang shi's greatest strength to defeat you so as to taunt him!" Zhao Feiwu continued.

"My greatest strength?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback by those words.

"Un. Even though you have shown outstanding aptitude in multiple aspects such as your temperament and wisdom, without a doubt, your greatest strength is your intelligence and Impartation of Heaven's Will!"

"That's right!" Pavilion Master Kang nodded his head.

Zhang shi had performed impressively throughout the tournament, but these two factors were what that left the deepest mark on the onlookers.

Using Impartation of Heaven's Will to persuade an Otherworldly Demon to kill himself; defeating the puppet of the Celestial Chest with a single move.

On the other hand, destroying the Ghost Domain Illusory City didn't really reflect much about Zhang shi's capability, especially given that the other participants hadn't had the chance to undergo it themselves, whereas memorizing twenty thousand books was due to his strong background. These two feats paled in comparison to the former two.

"Impartation of Heaven's Will is highly tied to one's Soul Depth, so even if he thought that he could defeat you in that aspect, it would unlikely to be spectacular... but intelligence is different! A master teacher's intelligence is usually reflected through the depth of his understanding of cultivation, and if he could perform outstandingly in that aspect, he might be able to steal the spotlight from Zhang shi. This is a good opportunity for him, so I believe that there's a good chance that he will grasp it!"

Zhao Feiwu chuckled as she revealed her analysis. "Rather, I think that a physical duel would be one of the less likely options for him. After all, it is unseemly for a refined master teacher to be engaged in physical brawls. It wouldn't reflect well on him even if he were to win!"

"You're right!"

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

Zhao Feiwu seemed to have grasped the other party's thoughts accurately, and her words seemed to fit perfectly as though a jigsaw puzzle.

"Your analysis is right, but how would a duel involving comprehension of cultivation be carried out? After all, we can't possibly find a manual on the spot and decipher it..." Ruohuan gongzi asked in bafflement.

The most direct way for to determine whose comprehension of cultivation is deeper would be for the duo to decipher the same book, but... which book would they choose? After all, wouldn't the result be biased no matter which book is chosen?

"There are other ways to measure one's comprehension of cultivation. If I recall correctly, there's a dueling format known as... 'Flaw Identification', right?" Zhao Feiwu replied with a smile.

"Flaw identification? You mean... the dueling format where both sides each execute a battle technique, and the respective opponents point out the flaws in the executed technique, and whoever manages to point out more flaws is the winner?"

Ruohuan gongzi was stunned. "But... that requires one to have an exceptional eye of discernment and profound comprehension of cultivation. Usually, only higher rank master teachers would do it for lower rank master teachers. For him to point out my flaws..."

He didn't finish his words, but what he wanted to express couldn't be any clearer.

They were both 4-star pinnacle master teacher. For the other party to actually boast of correcting Ruohuan gongzi's mistake, wasn't he being a little too arrogant?

"Indeed. Don't worry, since this Qin Lei wishes to win the spotlight and outshine Zhang shi, there is a very good chance he will choose this dueling format!" Zhao Feiwu smiled.

Since the other party was aiming for the champion seat, he had to shatter the heavy pressure Zhang Xuan was exerting on him first. And for this, Ruohuan gongzi, who was a fellow representative of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, served as the perfect stepping stone.

Only by using the most arrogant way to step down on Ruohuan gongzi would his own strength be emphasized. Only through this way could he finally get on equal footing with Zhang shi.

"..."

Ruohuan gongzi had a bitter look on his face.

What was this?

He thought that he would at least be respected as a fellow competitor in the Master Teacher Tournament given the massive rise in his cultivation, but in the end, the other party only regarded as a mere stepping stone.

"The heck, I'll screw him over!"

The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. Gritting his teeth, Ruohuan gongzi turned to Zhang Xuan and asked, "If this is the dueling format, does Zhang shi have any ideas as to how I can achieve victory?"

To actually challenge a master teacher of equivalent rank to a match of flaw identification... the other party was indeed hubristic. But while Ruohuan gongzi hated to admit it, he had no confidence to face the other party in such a match-off.

Thus, he entrusted his hopes to the young man before him who had created miracles time and time again.

"Ideas?" Zhang Xuan frowned. After a moment of thought, his eyes lit up, and a peculiar smile appeared on his face. "I do have an idea, but it won't be easy to carry out!"

"Oh? As long as I can defeat it, I'd do anything no matter how difficult it is!"

Hearing that the other party had an idea in mind, Ruohuan gongzi's eyes lit up. He quickly stood up and bowed sincerely. "Zhang shi, I humbly seek your guidance..."

"Er... Alright then!"

Zhang Xuan casually picked up the bowl of meat soup which he was half-done with and passed it over. "Take this and pour it over your opponent!"

"Ah? Pour it... over Qin shi?"

Ruohuan gongzi's eyes widened in shock.

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Chapter 591: A Supernatural Occurrence?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

I asked you to teach me how to defeat Qin Lei in the duel, why are you telling me to pour meat soup over him instead?

Big Brother, I'm a master teacher, not a thug! To conduct such shameless actions...

Besides, if I were to do that, I would only enrage the other party. What use would it be to the duel?

Ruohuan gongzi thought that Zhang Xuan would at least offer a decent solution given his astounding means, but never in his dreams did he expect the other party to be so... unreliable!

If he were to really do so, his reputation would immediately plummet to rock-bottom!

He wasn't the only one feeling light-headed, Pavilion Master Kang and the others also widened their eyes in shock.

Pouring soup over the other party?

What kind of move is that?

Perplexed, they instinctively turned their eyes over to Zhao Feiwu, in hopes for an explanation.

Given how the latter was able to analyze Qin Lei's thoughts logically a moment ago, she might be able to do the same this time round too!

But with a single glance, they staggered.

Zhao Feiwu's eyes were so widened in shock that they could simply snap out of their sockets anytime now. She was as dumbfounded by Zhang shi's words as they were.

While her cultivation was lacking, she possessed incredible wisdom that allowed her to make sense out of most situations... but what in the world does this 'pour it over your opponent' mean?

This... The gap in logic was simply too huge for me to follow!

The dueling format is likely to be flaw identification, and Ruohuan gongzi hopes to win the match... And so, you instructed the latter to pour meat soup over his opponent. Something just doesn't sound right here!

How the heck am I supposed to analyze such a ridiculous situation?

"You aren't willing? Then I can't help you either..."

Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment.

He had already offered a solution; if the other party was unwilling to carry it out, there was nothing he could do.

While White Helios Sect's Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi had once laid his hands on Zheng Yang and the others, he had already been punished on the spot, and Zhang Xuan didn't think there was any need to implicate the juniors in this matter. The reason why he was helping Ruohuan gongzi was solely out of their relationship. If the other party wasn't willing to reciprocate, he didn't wish to push his ground either.

Ruohuan gongzi knew that the only hope he had at victory at this point was to follow Zhang shi's instructions. Clenching his fists, he asked, "If I do as you said... can Zhang shi really guarantee my victory?"

"Guarantee? No one can guarantee anything. If you believe in me, do as I say. Otherwise, we can just drop the matter!"

Zhang Xuan continued eating.

If Zhao Feiwu's analysis turned out to be accurate, and the other party really intended to slap his face, then he was confident that his plan would bring Ruohuan gongzi to victory.

Otherwise... it would prove to be futile.

"This..."

Ruohuan gongzi fell into contemplation, but it didn't take too long for him to make up his mind. Gritting his teeth, he declared, "Alright, I'll go!"

The top ten would get a chance to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. If he could grasp this opportunity, he would surely achieve incredible accomplishments in the future. If he let it slip through his fingers... Becoming a 5-star master teacher could possibly remain an obstacle that he would never overcome in his lifetime.

Weighing that against Qin Lei... his wrath did seem insignificant in comparison.

The world is like a race to get to the top of a pyramid; the further you advance, the more competition you will face. If Ruohuan gongzi didn't make a move, the other party would simply take him as a stepping stone.

Fairness doesn't exist in this world. If one were to keep thinking of the welfare of others, one could never hope to climb to the top.

"Cough cough. Ruohuan, you should reconsider this..."

Hearing that his student was really going to pour meat soup over Qin Lei, Pavilion Master Kang's eyebrows twitched. "I fear that if you were to do that, Qin shi would beat you to death... and our relationship with White Helios Sect would be a goner!"

Ruohuan gongzi's lips twitched.

Indeed. If he were to do so, the other party might just smash him into a lump of meat paste.

"Would you simply remain still as he tries to beat you? You have legs, run! Besides, there are so many master teachers watching, he won't dare do anything overboard... Besides, you should have confidence in your physical resilience, you won't die that easily!" Zhang Xuan waved his hands. "In any case, I'm here so you don't have anything to worry about. I can guarantee you that as long as you run away after that, he'll allow you to leave without beating you up!"

"..." Ruohuan gongzi.

Without beating me up? Hahaha...

"Alright then!"

Knowing that he had no other choice but to listen to Zhang shi to win, Ruohuan gongzi tossed aside his hesitation. Gritting his teeth, he took the bowl of meat soup and walked over to Qin Lei.

Somehow, it seemed to reflect the desolate sight of a soldier marching to his own doom.

Seeing him walk toward Qin Lei, the lips of Pavilion Master Kang and the others couldn't help but twitch.

While they had faith in Zhang shi, this was... a little too much!

"Zhang shi... will he really be fine?"

Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but ask.

"How can he be fine?" Grabbing a piece of meat and stuffing it into his mouth, Zhang Xuan replied with a slightly muffled voice.

"How can he be fine?"

The crowd's eyelids twitched violently.

If it wasn't fine, why did you instruct Ruohuan gongzi over? Are you that intent on seeing his sorry plight?

The expression on everyone's faces clearly said that they would never let him go if he didn't explain this matter clearly to them. Thus, Zhang Xuan began speaking.

"Your analysis is logical. There's an eighty percent chance that Qin shi will choose flaw identification as the dueling format... however, there's still a twenty percent room of error!"

"Un!"

Zhao Feiwu nodded in agreement.

No matter how logical her deduction was, she wasn't Qin Lei and she couldn't read his thoughts precisely. It was possible for the other party to have other thoughts in mind regarding this matter.

"If I were to pour a bowl of meat soup on you to provoke you, what would you do?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"I would... beat you up!" Zhao Feiwu replied.

"Indeed, that is likely to be Qin Lei's reaction too. However, looking at it from another perspective, such an action could be considered as a direct signal from Ruohuan gongzi that he wants a physical duel. As a 4-star master teacher, Qin Lei will surely deduce this much... Under such circumstances, how do you think he'll react?"

"This..."

Everyone was stunned.

Pouring a bowl of meat soup on someone-that is a clear act of provocation. To be provoked before the duel, it was clear that his opponent wanted him to propose a physical duel...

It would be hard to believe that Ruohuan gongzi didn't have anything up his sleeves given such circumstances.

While Qin Lei might be confident in his fighting prowess as well, Ruohuan gongzi's actions would surely sprout a seed of doubt in his mind. Given how much he wanted the champion seat, he would surely choose to opt for another dueling format so as to avoid any possible mishaps. At the same time, this would also reflect his magnanimity and create a positive impression of himself.

"At the same time, if Qin shi were to attempt to hit Ruohuan gongzi after being poured with meat soup, we'll be able to analyze his movements. If so, we can make some preparations for the duel later on!" Zhang Xuan said.

If the other party didn't execute a battle technique, he would be unable to peer into the other party's flaws. And in a normal and fair duel, it was nigh impossible for Ruohuan gongzi to win Qin Lei.

On the other hand, if Qin Lei were to execute his battle technique out of rage, a book on him would be formed in the Library of Heaven's Path, and Zhang Xuan would be able to exploit his flaws.

As for whether Ruohuan gongzi would be beaten up or not, that wouldn't be any of his business.

Ruohuan gongzi would just have to treat it as the price of victory.

"I see..."

Hearing the explanation, everyone came to a realization, and they widened their eyes in admiration.

They thought that Zhao Feiwu's analysis was already impressive, but Zhang shi's thoughts were clearly deeper and more thorough.

Within a short period of time, not only did he realize the possible errors in Zhao Feiwu's analysis, he even found a way to cover it up while executing his plan... Incredible!

It was fortunate that he was on the same line as the Myriad Kingdom Alliance; the group shuddered at the thought of facing an opponent like that.

"Look, it's starting!"

At that moment, Su shi suddenly pointed forward.

Everyone turned their gazes over, and at this moment, Ruohuan gongzi was already standing before Qin Lei.

At this moment, Qin Lei was also in the midst of his meal. Perplexed to see his opponent carrying a bowl toward him, he was a little stunned.

"Qin shi, nice to meet you!"

Ruohuan gongzi nodded.

"Y-you too!"

Qin Lei frowned.

"Before we start on our duel, I'd like to discuss something with you..." Ruohuan gongzi said politely.

"Discuss something with me? What is it? If you wish to admit defeat now, there's no need for it!"

Qin Lei harrumphed coldly. But before he could finish speaking, a steaming hot liquid came flying toward him, drenching his robe.

"The heck!"

In that instant, it was as if something within Qin Lei had snapped, and frenzy overtook his rationality.

He thought that that fellow was here to admit defeat in hopes that his pride could be spared on the stage later on. Never in his dreams did he expect a bowl of steaming meat soup to come flying toward him instead...

"I'll kill you..."

Roaring furiously, he immediately drove his zhenqi and a powerful aura came gushing out. He raised his palm and directed it toward Ruohuan gongzi forcefully.

Hu!

But Ruohuan gongzi was already prepared for this. He immediately leaped to the side and ran away. "Pardon me, Qin shi. I didn't do it on purpose, I simply lost my grip on the bowl..."

"..."

Black lines streaked across everyone's face.

To carry a bowl of meat soup over for no reason, and you say it wasn't intentional?

Not to mention, you were around two to three meters away from the other party. For the meat soup to travel that distance despite it being a slip of your hands... you're incredible!

Touch your conscience and ask yourself if you can believe that excuse!

"Damn it..."

After hearing those words, Qin Lei's rage flurried. Just as he was about to rush over to kill that fellow, an elder suddenly stopped him.

"Elder Zhou..."

Seeing that the one stopping him was an elder of his sect, Qin Lei hurriedly stopped.

"Don't fall for the other party's ploy..." Elder Zhou spoke to him through zhenqi telepathy.

"Fall for the other party's ploy?" Qin Lei was taken aback.

"Indeed. The other party is clearly coming over intentionally to provoke you. If you were to strike him now, there is a good chance that you might be stripped of your qualification as a participant in the tournament!" Elder Zhou said.

As a prestigious event held every decade, the Master Teacher Tournament had strict rules. If participants were to fight out of their match, there was a chance that they might be stripped of their qualification.

"But..." Qin Lei's body froze. He understood the logic behind it, but he still found it hard to suppress his anger.

As a proud 4-star pinnacle master teacher to be splattered with meat soup, it would be a wonder if he wasn't angry!

"With the death of our sect leader, our White Helios Sect is currently facing its greatest crisis. You must get into the top ten in this tournament, or else... it'll only be a matter of time before our sect is annexed by the other powers!" Elder Zhou spoke gravely.

He was present in the confrontation against Zhang shi that day, and the sight of Yang shi killing their sect leader was still fresh in his mind.

Having offended a plausible 8-star master teacher, their White Helios Sect was facing the greatest calamity in its existence. Their only hope at this point was for Qin Lei to successfully get into the top ten!

Once he got into Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the other powers would have to reconsider their options before laying their hands on them.

"Since that fellow is here to provoke you, he must have some kind of ace up his sleeves. Or else, he might have already given up on the tournament and he wishes to pull you down with him!"

Elder Zhou continued. "You mustn't fall for his ploy!"

"Then what should I do?"

Qin Lei's heart jolted, and he immediately forced himself to calm down.

"There's no need to get even with him immediately. We should first continue on with the idea we decided upon and confirm the spot in the top ten. After the tournament, you can always challenge him to a [Master Teacher Confrontation, or even a... [Life-and-Death Battle]!"

Elder Zhou harrumphed. "By then, he will be in your palms, and you will be able to do whatever you want with him. Even if you were to tear him into pieces, there would be no one to stop you!"

"This..." Qin Lei hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth in savagery. "Alright, I'll challenge him to a Life-and-Death Duel after the tournament. If I don't kill him, I won't be called Qin Lei!"

...

"Hmm? He actually didn't chase me?"

After a moment, Ruohuan gongzi turned around and saw that no one was behind him. At this moment, he suddenly recalled what Zhang shi said. "Is this a... supernatural occurrence?"

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Chapter 592: Beguiling (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even though he didn't know whether it was a supernatural occurrence or not, one thing was for sure-Zhang shi's judgement was spot-on. For this, he was extremely awed with the other party's foresight.

In the past, he had been reveling in his position as the number one genius of Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and he thought that there was no one in the world who could best him. But after seeing this young man, he realized that he was still far from matching up to true geniuses.

Returning back to the group, Ruohuan gongzi respectfully clasped his fist and asked, "Zhang shi, what do I do now?"

"Sit down and eat!"

Zhang Xuan gestured.

Ruohuan gongzi was dumbstruck.

You got me to pour meat soup over the other party to provoke him; going to such an extent, I thought that you would have some incredible plan in mind, and yet... you're asking me to eat now?

"Your match is about to start, and you'll only have the strength to fight once you're full. Without energy, how do you expect to emerge victorious against your opponent?" Zhang Xuan rolled his eyes.

There was only an hour of resting time, and it was about to come to an end. If he didn't hurry, the tournament was going to resume.

"Alright!"

With no other better idea in mind, Ruohuan gongzi could only follow the other party's instruction. He sat down and began to eat ravenously.

The dinner prepared by the Alliance Head Residence was indeed sumptuous. Soon, they were full, and by then, the tournament was already about to start.

"Memorize the contents on it. You just have to recite it later on!"

Just as Ruohuan gongzi was still perplexed as to how he should deal with Qin Lei, Zhang shi passed a piece of white paper to him. It was filled with scribblings that were written by the other party during the meal just a moment ago.

Surprised, he quickly swept through the contents of the paper, and his eyes immediately widened. "Zhang shi, do I really have to say... this?"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded affirmatively.

Ruohuan gongzi vision immediately darkened, and he nearly broke down in tears.

Big Brother, you are pushing me off a cliff here! Are you that unhappy that I wasn't beaten up just now?

If I were to say what is on the paper, that fellow would probably forfeit his candidature just so that he could strangle me to death.

"Stop wasting time idling and quickly memorize it. Remember, you must recite it word-for-word. Otherwise, I can't guarantee your victory!"

Seeing Ruohuan gongzi wallowing in his sorrow, Zhang shi urged him with a frown.

Tears glittered in Ruohuan gongzi's eyes.

If only he'd known earlier, he would have never asked Zhang Xuan for help. At this moment, it felt as though he was onboard the ship of a pirate, and there was no backing out now.

"Alright!"

Gritting his teeth, Ruohuan gongzi quickly started memorizing the contents on the paper. Soon after he was done, a gong sounded, and Hong shi's deep voice reverberated through the entire square. "The tournament resumes. Would the participating master teachers come onto the stage?"

Everyone replied and hurried up.

On the round stage, Ruohuan gongzi took a deep breath before walking over to the dueling stage labeled A.

For a moment, his silhouette looked slightly valiant.

Knowing that it was too late for second thoughts, he had decided to simply follow Zhang shi's instructions. If death was what that awaited him, so be it!

"Humph!"

Qin Lei also walked toward dueling stage A as well. Recalling how the other party provoked him previously, his rage immediately surged.

Seeing that all participants were on their respective stages, Hong shi announced, "The match begins. Start discussing the format of the duel!"

"Since White Helios Sect was first place in the previous tournament, the right of choice is in my hands!"

Harrumphing coldly, Qin Lei turned at the detestable young man before him and said, "I choose... comprehension of cultivation!"

"Ah?"

Hearing that everything had gone as predicted, Ruohuan gongzi was momentarily stumped.

"Why? You dare not accept my challenge?" A light flickered across Qin Lei's eyes.

"What do I have to fear? Comprehension of cultivation, is it? So be it then! What are the rules?" Ruohuan gongzi replied.

"Good!"

He thought that the other party would reject his proposal, but the other party accepted it candidly instead. Heaving a sigh of relief, Qin Lei explained, "Simple. We'll both execute a battle technique, and each of us will point out the flaws in it. Whoever points out more flaws will be the winner!"

"Un!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded.

...

"It went exactly as your analysis predicted!"

Seeing the sight, Pavilion Master Kang and the others turned to look at Zhao Feiwu.

Even though this lady wasn't a master teacher, her wisdom was indeed impressive.

"Un. All that is left is to see whether the note Zhang shi gave him is effective or not!"

Zhao Feiwu chuckled lightly.

The most she could do was to deduce the content of the competition. Whether Ruohuan gongzi would be able to emerge victorious or not would depend on the content of the note that Zhang shi passed to him.

"Un!" The group nodded their heads.

While they were speaking, the duo on the stage were already done executing their battle techniques.

After having seen the entire set of movements from Qin Lei, Ruohuan gongzi was completely stumped.

He had never heard of the other party's fist art before, needless to say, seen it... How in the world was he supposed to point out any flaws?

"Going by the rules, I'll go first!"

Seeing the confusion on the other party's face, Qin Lei sneered coldly. "If I'm not mistaken, the fist art that Ruohuan gongzi executed is a Spirit intermediate-tier battle technique known as 'Seven Forsaken Fists'. It's indeed a formidable technique, but it's a pity that your mastery is still lacking... I could see a total of four flaws!

"First, having barely reached Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, your zhenqi isn't sufficiently pure yet. Even though your movements seem to be in place, you're lacking the essence of the technique...

"Second, the core of the Seven Forsaken Fist is forsaken heart, forsaken emotions, forsaken intent, forsaken benevolence, forsaken fate, forsaken thoughts, and forsaken desires. However, you aren't able to meet even a single one of these notions. Given that your movements and your intent are at odds, no matter how much you practice the technique, it will be nothing more than an empty shell!

"Third...

"Fourth..."

Soon, Qin Lei finished listing out the flaws in Ruohuan gongzi's technique. Every single point of his stabbed straight into the vitals. There was no one who wouldn't lose his confidence upon hearing too much of such words.

"Incredible!"

"With just a single look, he was able to point out the four main flaws behind the technique. As expected of one of the strongest contenders for the champion seat, he's indeed fearsome!"

"I was looking intently at Ruohuan gongzi's movements too, but I wasn't able to see a single problem about it..."

...

Upon hearing Qin Lei's words, a huge commotion raked up among the crowd below.

Nearly everyone present here was a master teacher or an expert, and they possessed a sharp eye of such things as well. The technique Ruohuan gongzi executed felt wholesome, and with just a single look, it was clear that he had devoted many years of his time into it...

But even so, Qin Lei was still able to easily list out four major problems. His eye of discernment wasn't inferior to even some half 5-star master teachers.

"Seems like it'll be hard for Ruohuan gongzi to win in this round!"

"Un. I had been paying close attention to Qin Lei's execution, but I wasn't even able to tell what battle technique he was executing!"

"I am also unable to make sense out of it..."

Everyone discussed with hushed voices as they looked toward the stage, curious as to how Ruohuan gongzi would deal with this situation.

With a cold smirk on his face, Qin Lei was also staring at Ruohuan gongzi intently.

The battle technique he had just executed had come from some ancient ruins. Even Hong shi might not be able to recognize it, needless to say this fellow.

Thus, he was confident that he would win this match.

"It's your turn. If you can't say anything constructive, you should just admit defeat!"

Seeing the conflicted expression on Ruohuan gongzi, Qin Lei harrumphed.

"This..."

At this moment, Ruohuan gongzi seemed to have come to a major decision and gritted his teeth. "If I'm not mistaken, there's something wrong... with your brain!"

"What?"

The square fell deathly silent instantaneously.

Wasn't it a duel in pointing out flaws in battle techniques? When did it become an insulting competition instead?

"What did you say?"

Hearing those words, Qin Lei immediately exploded in rage.

"Despite not having completed nourishing your soul, you forcefully tried to achieve a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm and drove your zhenqi into your head. And in that attempt, both your soul and your brain are wounded. Am I mistaken about that?" Ruohuan gongzi said.

"This..."

Qin Lei frowned.

After Sect Leader Bai Kaizhi, who was also his teacher, was killed, he understood the bad state the sect was in and panicked. Thus, he forcefully tried to advance to Consonant Spirit realm.

In that process, one's zhenqi had to be driven into one's head to open up the Heling acupoint. Only with the opening with this acupoint can one make the leap to become a Consonant Spirit realm expert... But Qin Lei wasn't ready yet then. The head was a vulnerable region, and yet, he willfully drove his zhenqi into his, thus causing significant damage to his soul and brain. As a result, he was suffering from splitting headache whenever night falls.

But he had never told this matter to anyone, even the elders of the sect for fear of worrying them. How did the other party manage to see through this?

"Not only so, there are innumerable traumas from cultivating incorrectly all over your body. For the sake of impressing others in this tournament, you even cultivated a battle technique of unknown origin... If I'm not mistaken, to master it, you would need thirty-two acupoints all over your body to resonate in harmony, right?

"This requirement in itself isn't a problem; most battle techniques have such demands from the cultivator. However, this battle technique sought to connect the Baihe and the Yongquan acupoints. The former pulls in the clear aura of the sky whereas the latter absorbs the turbid aura of the earth. As the two of them collide, an intangible cage is formed, locking your soul firmly into your body!

"In other words, without any fortuitous encounter, it's impossible for you to reach Consonant Spirit realm! If you don't believe my words, you can try driving your zhenqi into your Bihai acupoint. If you feel a numbing sensation there, it means that your soul has already started declining. Alternatively, you can also try your Qinzhen acupoint. If you feel an itch, it means that the internal of your body has grown oddly stiff, and it is nothing more than a cage at this point...

"Other people cultivate in hopes of advancing to higher realms, and yet, you do so only to seal your path of progress... Isn't there something really wrong with your head?"

Since Ruohuan gongzi had already made up his mind, he tossed aside his hesitation and recited everything that Zhang shi had him say.

In any case, he couldn't understand the other party's battle technique. At this rate, he would lose anyway. Thus, he decided to take the gamble; at the very least, there was a ray of hope down this path.

After he was done, he thought the other party would immediately rush forward to pummel him up or insult him. But shockingly, the other party remained bizarrely motionless. It was as if he had met with something incredulous, leaving his face pale with shock.

'Could it be that... I was spot-on?'

Gedeng! Ruohuan gongzi's heart skipped a beat.

When he saw the content of the note, he thought that it was just nonsense Zhang shi made up on the spot. If he were to recite it, the other party would surely rush up to kill him... Never had he entertained the thought that it would actually be true. The other party had barely raised his hands back then, and Zhang shi was able to tell all of this?

"Of course, if you don't believe me... you can continue trying for Consonant Spirit realm. You'll feel a surge of powerlessness, or perhaps, your zhenqi, suppressed by some sort of power, might even be unable to enter your head."

Ruohuan gongzi's eyes lit up, and endless confidence seemed to surge into him at this instant. Ignoring the other party's shocked expression, he continued, "Despite being a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, you cultivated a battle technique blindly without analyzing its true nature, and yet, you still dare to challenge me to a comprehension of cultivation duel... How much more arrogant can you get?"

Qin Lei's body swayed weakly as though it had lost its backbone.

He had just tried out everything that the other party had said, and it turned out that the other party was completely spot-on... Could it be that he had really cultivated incorrectly?

To err so greatly despite being a master teacher, how was he supposed to guide others then? This wasn't only a loss in this duel, this was a loss for him as a master teacher as well.

"Alright, I'll stop here... As a fellow master teacher, I can tell you this. There's still a way to resolve your problem at this point, but the longer you delay it, the harder it'll be for you to make a full recovery..."

Ruohuan gongzi waved his hands. "I'm a magnanimous person, so as long as you admit your defeat, I'll impart you the solution to your problem."

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Chapter 593: Beguiling (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Beneath the stage...

"Zhang shi, this is what that was on your note... You managed to discern this much?"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others stared at the young man before them with widened eyes.

He was well aware of his own student's capability.

He couldn't even tell what battle technique Qin Lei executed previously, and yet, his disciple was able to utter logically deduced facts that left the entire crowd stumped. Unless Zhang shi was involved, there was his disciple could be capable of this.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan admitted.

"But... Qin shi had only driven his zhenqi and lifted his palm, how in the world were you able to discern so much?" Even after hearing the words of affirmation from the person in question, the crowd still found the matter too difficult to believe.

Ruohuan gongzi did manage to provoke Qin Lei by pouring meat soup on him, but in the end, a fight didn't break out, and both sides hardly made any moves... Yet, to make such an in-depth analysis under such circumstances, are you for real?

What kind of eye of discernment is this?

"But... what kind of battle technique did Qin Lei cultivate? To think that there would actually be a battle technique in the world that would lock one's soul and prevent one from achieving a breakthrough!" Su shi couldn't help but express his shock.

A 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessed astute senses surpassing that of ordinary cultivators. How could Qin Lei possibly cultivate a battle technique that would seal his soul without realizing it himself?

"I've no idea as well..." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"You don't know? Then..." Everyone frowned.

If you don't know what battle technique it is, how do you know what kind of sensation would be induced by stimulating the respective acupoints?

The Bihai acupoint corresponds to the soul whereas the Qinzhen acupoint is the point connecting the body to the soul.

These were common facts that all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts know of. Under normal circumstances, the triggering of these acupoints with zhenqi should nourish one's souls... Given that such anomalies happened, it would be hard to believe that there was nothing wrong with the other party.

But... if you don't even know what battle technique the other party cultivated, how in the world do you know that his Qinzhen acupoint is closed and his soul is wounded?

"It's a lie!" Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

"A lie?" Everyone froze.

"The cultivators of the White Helios Sect cultivates the White Helios zhenqi, which is a type of zhenqi possessing yang attribute. Back then, when Bai Kaizhi came to attack my residence, my teacher told me about it!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Un..." Pavilion Master Kang and the others nodded their heads.

The White Helios Formula that most members in the White Helios Sect cultivated was indeed a yang attribute cultivation technique. Upon mastering it, one's attacks would be augmented with immense destructive force.

Having suffered a tragic defeat against them, they went to investigate the other party, so they were well aware of the basic information surrounding them.

"The food provided by the Alliance Head Residence consists mainly of food that seeks to revitalize, such as spirit beast meat and medicinal herbs. Am I right about that?" Zhang Xuan asked.

In truth, the Alliance Head Residence also provided the same food to the members of the other sects and empires as well.

Spirit beast meat, savage beast meat, and even precious medicinal herbs rich in spiritual energy were used in the cooking so as to nourish and energize the exhausted participants.

"That's right!" Zhao Feiwu nodded her head.

She was involved in the choosing of the ingredients for the food, so she was well aware of this matter.

"What would happen if a cultivator practicing a yang attribute cultivation technique consumes extremely nourishing food?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"His cells will become lively, and his flow of zhenqi would hasten..." Pavilion Master Kang replied.

It had a similar effect to consuming stimulant. After all, if a person rich in 'hot energy' were to consume nourishing food, his body would surely be overflowing with energy, resulting in physical restlessness.

Just that... wouldn't that simply put him in a better condition for battle?

"Under normal circumstances, it would only induce positive effects to the cultivator. However, you've neglected an ingredient used in the brewing of the soup. If I'm not mistaken, there is 'Jade Yin Grass'," Zhang Xuan said.

"There's indeed Jade Yin Grass. Even though that grass is known for its cold yin properties, it has the effect of cooling one down and boosting one's cognitive capacity. On top of that, it is a famous delicacy as well..."

Halfway through her words, Zhao Feiwu suddenly realized something, and her eyes widened.

"It's indeed a famous medicinal herb, but the problem lies exactly with its cold yin properties. Given that we are still in the midst of the tournament, Qin Lei is likely to be filled with excitement. On top of that, his yang zhenqi and the nourishing food he had consumed left him practically brimming with energy... And at such a moment, a soup containing yin energy was poured over him. I believe even if I don't explain this, you should understand the consequences of the matter!" Zhang Xuan smiled.

"The abrupt collision of yin and yang; to protect itself, the body would automatically shut its acupoint... If all of his acupoints are closed, that explains why his soul is locked in his body... Y-you actually designed this senario?"

Coming to a realization, the faces of Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others paled in frenzy.

They thought that Zhang shi had incredible capability to be able to analyze so much regarding Qin Lei; they didn't expect that it was all a huge ploy set up to trap Qin Lei from the initial pouring of the soup.

Not only was each chain of the plan linked tightly to the next, leaving little room for failure, there was also very little evidence to trace back the matter. If Zhang shi hadn't explained the matter, they would have probably never realized it. As the person standing in the center of everything, Qin Lei was unlikely to be any wiser than them... His loss was already fixed from the moment Zhang shi's help was engaged!

This was... way too formidable!

"I just happened to think of it!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

In truth, the entire plan lay upon a single fact-Qin Lei had attempted to achieve a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm and failed, causing his soul to be damaged. Without this laying the foundation for all the latter theories, it would be impossible to convince the other party of this hoax.

This was how humans worked, as well as a common ploy used by fortune tellers. With a single fact to set the foundation, the parts that came afterward would seem much more believable.

Not to mention, it was based on solid theories known by all 4-star pinnacle master teachers. On the contrary, it would be hard for him not to believe those words instead.

"Since it's a lie, then... Ruohuan said that he has a solution..."

Suddenly, Pavilion Master Kang recalled what Ruohuan gongzi had just said, and a premonition suddenly struck him.

If this was all a lie, what kind of solution could Ruohuan gongzi offer?

"Just watch on..."

Zhang Xuan gestured to the stage.

The group hurriedly turned their sights over.

At this moment, Qin Lei, after a long internal struggle, sighed deeply and said, "I admit my defeat. I beseech you to impart me the solution to my problem!"

He was already in the top sixteen. Even if he were to fail now, he could still vie for the last two placing of the top ten.

But if his problem wasn't resolved, his cultivation would be unable to advance any further. Just the thought of it was completely unacceptable to him.

Weighing the pros and cons, he decided to admit defeat and accept the other party's guidance.

In any case, it was just a matter of time before he killed this fellow. What harm was there to give a little glee to a dying man?

"Admit defeat? Qin shi actually admitted defeat?"

"It seems like Ruohuan gongzi's words were spot-on!"

"Impressive! We weren't even able to recognize the battle technique and yet he had managed to see through even the flaws in Qin shi's cultivation. When did Ruohuan gongzi become so impressive?"

"I think I saw him consulting Zhang shi just a moment ago. Do you think that it's possible that this is all Zhang shi's doing?"

...

Qin Lei admitting defeat was huge news that generated an enormous uproar amongst the crowd.

One must know that there was a huge disparity in the capability between Ruohuan gongzi and Qin Lei. This huge reversal had sparked thoughts in the minds of many.

Many of them had seen Ruohuan gongzi seeking Zhang shi's pointers during the break previously.

"Since you've admitted defeat, I'll help you then!"

Hearing the other party admit his defeat, Ruohuan gongzi began trembling in agitation, knowing that he had gotten into the top eight. "Actually, the solution is simple. Your Qinzhen acupoint is only sealed temporarily due to some external stimulus. As long as you rest well tonight, you'll be fine tomorrow..."

"Rest well tonight?"

Qin Lei widened his eyes in shock. His vision went dark, and a mini explosion occurred in his head.

If he still couldn't tell that he had been played a fool, he would be unbefitting as a 4-star pinnacle master teacher.

"I'll kill you..."

Howling furiously, he prepared to charge over angrily.

"Alright, a loss is a loss. On top of knowledge and physical strength, the Master Teacher Tournament also seeks to assess one's adaptability. It's due to your own ignorance that you were deceived, you shouldn't pin the blame on anyone else!"

Hong shi flicked his sleeves, and Qin Lei immediately stopped with a stagger.

Given that Qin Lei had willingly admitted defeat after being duped, there was no one he could blame for it.

"I..."

Since even Hong shi was speaking up, Qin Lei knew that there was nothing else he could do at this point. His teeth bit tightly on his lips out of rage, and fresh blood regurgitated at the back of his throat, threatening to spill at any moment.

What the heck was this. He had marched onto the stage so confidently, only to be fooled by someone else... and not to mention, he actually willingly admitted defeat!

Damn it... Jun Ruohuan, if I can't kill you, I'll abandon my name!

Qin Lei howled furiously inside.

...

The results were out, Ruohuan gongzi had successfully advanced to the next round. As soon as he got off the stage, he immediately turned to look at Zhang shi in agitation.

In truth, when he first read the content on the paper, he thought that he would surely be beaten to death. He never thought that he would actually succeed!

Top eight of the Master Teacher Tournament... This was a result he never thought would be possible!

"Thank you, Zhang shi!"

He clasped his fist respectfully.

It was still a while ago that he still tried to compete with this young man over everything. But at this point, such a notion vanished completely from his mind.

This fellow may seem a little dense on the surface, but if one were to try to compete with him, one would only end up utterly defeated.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony. Given how badly Qin shi was scammed, he will surely apply for a Life-and-Death Duel against you. For now, you should think of how you would face him first!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Un!" Ruohuan gongzi nodded in response.

If two master teachers had an irreconcilable grudge, they could apply for a Life-and-Death Duel to resolve the matter once and for all.

Given how badly Qin Lei was humiliated before such a huge crowd, there was a good chance that he would apply for one right after the tournament. If the headquarters were to give their consent, Ruohuan gongzi would have to face him.

But still, the headquarters rarely consented to Life-and-Death Duels unless in extreme situations. And even if it did, Ruohuan gongzi wouldn't necessarily lose to the other party.

In truth, the paper that Zhang shi gave him contained major flaws on the other party's cultivation and battle techniques, and he had already memorized them all. As such, it was impossible to tell who would be the one destroyed in a Life-and-Death Duel.

Putting aside the matter, Ruohuan gongzi warned with a grave expression, "Zhang shi, your opponent for this round is Wei Changqing of the Zijin Sect. I've heard that this fellow is extremely formidable, so you must be careful later on!"

The lots were only drawn at the initial phase, and the matching would follow by a certain fixed format afterward. The person Zhang shi would face was Wei Changqing, a formidable genius of the Zijin Sect.

"You've heard of him?" Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

"Even though he's not in the top ten of the list of contenders, it doesn't mean that he's incapable... His greatest flaw is only his lacking cultivation; just like you, he's a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle cultivator! To be able to get into the top sixteen despite his lacking cultivation, I'm sure you can imagine how talented he is in other aspects!"

Ruohuan gongzi's eyebrows shot up. "I spectated his previous match, and he used his supporting occupation as a blacksmith to force his opponent to admit his defeat!"

"Un!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had seen the match too, and honestly speaking, that fellow was indeed impressive.

Without true capability, it was nigh impossible for a Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle to triumph over a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan in smithing.

As smithing wasn't one of Zhang Xuan's supporting occupations, it would be impossible for the other party to challenge him in this field... But if the other party were to challenge him in a duel of pill forging... that may prove to be a little troublesome.

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Chapter 594: Duel of Beast Taming

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While he was a 4-star apothecary, he had only gotten his emblem through Pill Discourse. Pill forging was still impossible for him!

In a match of pill forging, Zhang shi, being unable to forge anything at all, would surely lose tragically.

But still, given that pill forging required significant preparation, it was unlikely to appear in the Master Teacher Tournament.

"In any case, you just have to know that he is impressive in his supporting occupations, and you shouldn't accept any duel of that sort!" Ruohuan gongzi advised.

Wei Changqing's cultivation was lacking, but he excelled in his supporting occupations. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan could use his right to reject a proposed dueling format once to vie for better conditions for himself.

While the Myriad Kingdom Alliance group was discussing this issue, an air of desolation seemed to be floating around the group from Zijin Sect.

"That Zhang shi has been barging his way through every single obstacle with astounding means. I fear that there's very little hope for you!" an elder from Zijin Sect lamented with a deep frown etched on his forehead.

"That monster seems to possess no weakness at all, how are we supposed to compete with him?"

No one here thought well of their own participant.

If it was anyone else, even if the person was Luo Xuan, they would surely give it their all. But against that freak, they simply couldn't see any hope at all, and a wave of helplessness overwhelmed them.

"I can't help but admit that he's nearly flawless as a master teacher too, but I find it hard to believe that his astounding capabilities... could extend to his supporting occupations too!" Wei Changqing narrowed his eyes.

He specialized in his supporting occupations, and he had absolute confidence in that field.

"I've had someone look into it, and his four main supporting occupations are namely 5-star appraiser, 4-star formation master, 4-star physician, and 4-star beast tamer!"

Wei Changqing lifted up his fingers and counted, "My four supporting occupations are 4-star blacksmith, 4-star tea master, 4-star painter, and 4-star beast tamer! The only common supporting occupation we have is beast taming, but this is more than sufficient!"

"More than sufficient? It can't be that you intend to challenge him in beast taming?" The elders of the sect glanced at one another. "Beast taming is an extremely troublesome process..."

If one wished to compete in the field of supporting occupation, both competitors must share the same supporting occupation. Otherwise, if only one side was learned in the field, there would be no point to the duel at all.

While Zhang Xuan did have other supporting occupations such as apothecary and painter, they hadn't reached 4-star yet. As such, the only viable option was beast taming.

Unaware of the rules, Zhang Xuan was still worrying over the latter challenging him to a duel of pill forging.

However, beast taming required one to be close to a spirit beast, and sometimes, this process could take several years...

On the other hand, the duel for the Master Teacher Tournament had to be completed within an incense's time.

There was a clear lack of time for this!

"Don't worry, I've an idea in mind. In the field of beast taming, I'll never lose out to him!" A gleam flashed across Wei Changqing's eyes.

"It's good that you're confident, but make sure not to force yourself..."

"Indeed. Even if you were to lose, do be polite to the other party. We'll make sure to reward you greatly when we return back to our sect!"

"Otherwise, you might as well admit defeat now. Our sect will at least be able to retain its pride..."

None of the elders had much faith in him.

"..." Wei Changqing's eyes twitched uncontrollably.

Are you on my side or Zhang Xuan's side?

It's one thing for you not to support me, but to actually advise me to admit defeat... Just the thought of it left him speechless!

'Humph, Zhang Xuan. I'll defeat you so as to shut these old fogeys up!'

Gritting his teeth, Wei Changqing howled frenziedly within.

Clenching his fists tightly, he proceeded to the stage.

This match was no longer about the top ten placing anymore, what was at stake was... his dignity.

If he wished to retain his dignity, he would have to defeat Zhang shi and prove his capability!

...

On the stage labeled D, looking at the young man opposite to him, Wei Changqing gritted his teeth tightly.

Seeing the other party's hostile gesture, Zhang Xuan was stumped.

It should be his first time meeting the other party, why did the other party look as though he had killed his father and claimed his wife?

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan tried asking, "Have we met before?"

"We have never met before! But I'm determined to defeat you!" Wei Changqing declared furiously. "I decide to challenge you to a duel in our supporting occupation, that is... beast taming! Do you dare to accept the duel?"

"Beast taming?" Not expecting the other party to propose such a dueling format, Zhang Xuan frowned. "How would this match go?"

"Simple. Since you're a 4-star beast tamer, you would surely have your own tamed beast. Why don't we call our tamed beasts over, and we'll give one another an incense's time to interact with each other's tamed beast. Whoever commands the greater degree of loyalty from the other party's tamed beast will be deemed the winner!" Wei Changqing said.

"Exchange tamed beasts to tame for an incense's time... Are you certain about it?" Zhang Xuan looked at the other party with a bizarre expression.

The other party's intent was clear-I'll tame your tamed beast while you tame mine; whoever manages to induce more loyalty from the other party's tamed beast will be the victor.

This was a common competition format between beast tamers.

Just that... this fellow really wanted to compete with him in beast taming?

"Of course!"

Wei Changqing sneered coldly. "Why? To think that the most popular contender for the champion seat would actually fear my beast taming ability? Are you that fearful of me?"

"Alright then!"

Seeing that the other party was serious in his proposed duel format, Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

...

"Compete with Zhang shi in beast taming? Is that fellow... mad?"

Hearing the content of the duel, Zhao Feiwu stared at the fool with a gaze brimming with sympathy.

You must be unaware that Zhang shi only took two breaths to tame the Demon Cinque Beast. To actually challenge him to this... Are you that desperate to find some excitement in your dull life?

I've seen people with suicidal tendencies, but you seem to top the list...

The mouths of Pavilion Master Kang and the others twitched.

Even though they had never witnessed Zhang shi taming a beast, they had heard of it from Hall Master Han Chong of the Beast Hall personally on the day of the selection round.

A spirit beast which even he was unable to tame despite years of effort, Zhang shi actually managed to turn it into a loyal guard for his residence. Are you certain that you can win?

...

"Seems like this will be an interesting match to watch. Wei Changqing is a famous genius beast tamer, and I've heard that he has once participated in a beast taming competition and became the champion!"

"I've heard of the same as well. Zhang shi really shouldn't have accepted this challenge. Unlike the other duels, a duel of beast taming won't be just about one's own capability. One would have to possess sufficient resources in one's possession as well!"

"It might be hard for him to advance to the top eight..."

...

Contrary to Zhao Feiwu and the group's sympathetic expression, the other master teachers, ignorant of Zhang Xuan's astounding feats, had a grave expression on their faces.

Beast taming is an expensive occupation which demands one to have sufficient treasures in one's possession.

Otherwise, if one couldn't even attract the spirit beast's attention, how could one possibly induce loyalty in the latter?

The Myriad Kingdom Alliance was clearly much poorer than the Zijin Sect; in terms of beast taming, the latter was in an advantageous position.

"Look, the both of them have summoned their tamed beasts over!"

Amidst discussions from the crowd, a huge gust of wind suddenly blew in the air above them. Two gigantic spirit beasts flew over and landed on the stage.

They were Demon Cinque Beast and Wei Changqing's tamed beast.

Zhang Xuan glanced over.

The other party's tamed beast was a gigantic Beryline Spirit Beast. It was at Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage-far weaker than Demon Cinque Beast.

"This is your tamed beast?"

Wei Changqing had thought that the other party's tamed beast would be around the same cultivation realm as his, and he was confident in winning significant loyalty from it. Who knew that the other party's tamed beast would turn out to be so powerful? Wei Changqing's face immediately collapsed, and tears brimmed in his eyes.

It would be amazing if a normal Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle expert could tame a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast... and yet, you actually tamed a Consonant Spirit realm fellow? How in the world did you do it?

"Feel free to go first. I'm in no hurry!"

Zhang Xuan gestured. After which, he turned to Demon Cinque Beast and said, "Wei shi over here hopes to tame you, so do cooperate with him!"

"Roar?"

Demon Cinque Beast was stunned for a moment. It twisted its gigantic head to the young man not too far away, and in an instant, the young man felt a huge pressure on his soul. It was as if his soul was placed into a furnace which would burn him into cinders.

"I..."

Feeling the immense pressure on him, Wei Changqing's mouth twitched. His body couldn't help but shudder, and he nearly spurted blood.

This... If I can't even get near to it, how in the world can I tame it?

Flicking his wrist, Wei Changqing took out a jade bottle and said, "Brother Demon Cinque, this is the blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast that I prepared for you. May I know if you would be interested in it?"

Prying the jade bottle open, a dense concentration of spiritual energy immediately surged into the surrounding.

Blood essence of a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast!

"What a generous offer!"

"Indeed! This single bottle is probably worth a minimum of a dozen middle-tier spirit stones!"

"You're giving a very conservative estimate; chances are it would be much higher than that. There's no spirit beast who wouldn't be tempted by that. Zhang shi is really in trouble this time round!"

"Seems like Wei Changqing came prepared..."

Seeing the generous offer, a huge commotion broke out below.

The blood essence of a stronger spirit beast posed irresistible attraction to a weaker spirit beast. There were countless spirit beasts who would submit before such a treasure.

It was no wonder Wei Changqing dared to challenge Zhang shi to such a duel. It seemed like he came prepared.

If Zhang shi couldn't offer anything more valuable than that, he would surely lose this match.

"Roar!"

Seeing the Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast blood essence, Demon Cinque Beast's eyes lit up. It immediately lifted its thick claws and snatched the jade bottle over.

"Ah?"

Not expecting the other party to simply snatch the blood essence over, Wei Changqing panicked, "There's no need to hurry. As long as you promise to become my friend, I'll give it to you... Y-you... What are you doing? The heck!"

He thought that he would surely win the other party's goodwill with the spirit beast blood essence in hand. Who knew that before a shadow would come crashing down on him before he was done speaking. Before he realized it, he was already beneath the other party's claws.

"You... return my spirit beast blood essence..." Wei Changqing roared furiously, but before he was done with his words, he felt the force of the claw pressing down on him intensifying.

Putong!

An indentation appeared on the stage, and Wei Changqing was pushed into the ground.

"I..."

Wei Changqing was on the verge of tears.

No matter what, he was a 4-star master teacher, as well as a respected beast tamer. To be smashed into the ground by a spirit beast... The stifled feeling in his heart left him extremely frustrated and frenzied.

"Listen to me... As long as you let me go, I have better things to offer you... Pu!"

But just like before, the pressure pushing down on him was hiked up yet another notch before he was done speaking. Snap! His ribcage creaked, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth.

In the next instant, he suddenly felt an ache on his finger-his storage ring had been taken away by the gigantic spirit beast on top of him.

"You..."

Wei Changqing was about to go insane.

No matter what, you're a Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast, and you already possess some degree of intelligence. Shouldn't you try to uphold your dignity rather than snatch whatever you want as though a willful child?

While he was spewing blood, he heard the Demon Cinque Beast above him howl. Following which, with a tinge of peculiarity, Zhang shi's voice sounded, "My Demon Cinque Beast says that... as long as you submit to it and become its tamed human, it will return your storage ring to you..."

"Submit? Tamed human? Pu!"

Wei Changqing's vision went dark.

Big Brother, I'm here to tame your spirit beast, not to have your spirit beast tame me...

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Chapter 595: What Are You Feigning Death For?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Back on Coax Ridge, the Demon Cinque Beast had been a bandit of the region. Even the Alliance Head Residence and the Beast Hall were unable to do anything about it. Those who dared challenge it were either killed or pummeled and thrown to some remote corner of the world.

Yet, this fellow actually dared to try and tame it. He could be considered lucky to have survived until now!

Roar!

Waving the spirit beast blood essence and storage ring with its claws, Demon Cinque Beast roared once more.

"Cough cough!"

Zhang Xuan coughed before translating sheepishly, "It wants you to drink the spirit beast blood essence..."

As Demon Cinque Beast was his tamed beast, he could communicate with it directly through his soul even if he didn't comprehend beast language. It wasn't too difficult for him to understand such simple expressions of the other party.

"Drinking the blood essence of a spirit beast..." Wei Changqing burst into tears.

Spirit beast blood essence was only effective against spirit beasts! If a human were to drink it, not only would it be ineffective, he might even find scales or hair growing all over him, as though a monster... or in the worst-case scenario, it might even spell death!

After all, not everyone possessed Heaven's Path zhenqi to neutralize the violent energy contained within the blood essence.

Roar!

Seeing no movements from the person under it, Demon Cinque Beast roared once more as it opened the jade bottle and tried to stuff it in the other party's mouth.

"Zhang shi, save me! I-I won't try to tame it anymore..."

Wei Changqing's face immediately paled in fright, and his soul nearly drifted out of his body.

Judging from the other party's vigorous actions, it seemed as though the Demon Cinque Beast wanted him to eat the jade bottle on top of the spirit beast blood essence. If he didn't beg for mercy now, he would be dead soon.

What the heck is this?

He confidently declared that he would tame the other party's spirit beast, but... this huge fellow simply refused to follow conventions.

There was no spirit beast, even tamed ones, who could resist the allure of Consonant Spirit realm spirit beast blood essence. Upon sight, they would immediately fawn on him in hopes of obtaining it. Yet, this huge fellow thought of it as trash, and even tried to feed it to him...

Will you be glad only after I'm dead?

To think that a 4-star beast tamer would end up crushed under a spirit beast and be tamed by the latter instead, what in the world was this...

Seeing that Wei Changqing would really die if this were to go on, Zhang Xuan reprimanded, "Alright Demon Cinque, that's enough!"

"Roar!"

With a disappointed look, Demon Cinque lifted its claws and walked over to the side of the stage. As for the storage ring and the jade bottle of spirit beast blood essence, it didn't seem like it had any intentions of returning them.

You must be jesting, these are my spoils of war. You want me to return them? Dream on!

"Cough cough!"

Spewing another two mouthfuls of blood, Wei Changqing struggled to his feet with a ghastly white face.

He hadn't even begun his taming when he was already left on the verge of death by a spirit beast. If word were to get out, he would be too ashamed to call himself a beast tamer... He would simply be mocked!

He hesitantly turned around to look at Demon Cinque Beast, hoping to get back his storage ring and spirit beast blood essence, only to meet the latter's glare instead. A shiver went down his spine.

How could he possibly get back his stuff like that? The other party's glare seemed to be saying, "It is already out of utmost benevolence on my part that you're still breathing now."

Tears streamed down Wei Changqing's face.

I am here to find prestige... Why does it seem like I'm only embarrassing myself here?

"It seems like you didn't obtain the slightest loyalty from my tamed beast... Is there any point pushing on with the duel?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The winner of the duel would be the one who managed to induce a higher Loyalty Level from the other party's tamed beast. Since Wei Changqing didn't obtain the slightest shred of loyalty from Demon Cinque Beast, he was already fated to lose. There wasn't any point in continuing with it.

"Of course we should go on. Beast taming hinges on luck; you might not fare any better than me. If you were to fail as well, it could end in a draw..."

Wei Changqing gritted his teeth as he spoke.

There wasn't much time left. Even though he wasn't able to tame Demon Cinque Beast, the other party might not be able to win the loyalty of the Beryline Spirit Beast.

It might just end in a draw!

At the very least, he would be able to retain some of his dignity this way.

"Are you certain?" Zhang Xuan asked the other party with a peculiar expression.

"Of course!"

Seeing the Zhang Xuan's expression, Wei Changqing thought that the other party was unconfident. Regaining his confidence, he sneered coldly, placed his hands behind his back, and turned to his tamed beast, "Beryline Spirit Beast, Zhang shi over here will be trying to tame you. As long as you stand your ground and get back at him for me, I'll give you whatever you want when we return home. I can even find a suitable Ancient Bloodline to induce a Bloodline Evolution for you..."

"Roar!"

Hearing its owner's promise, Beryline Spirit Beast's large eyes gleamed in determination as it hurriedly nodded its head.

"Shameless! How can one be so shameless!"

"Indeed. Zhang shi told Demon Cinque Beast to cooperate with him, and yet he actually told his tamed beast to not give in no matter what happens! How is Zhang shi supposed to tame the Beryline Spirit Beast like that?"

"That is cheating!"

"This is supposed to be a fair duel, and yet, he gave his tamed beast such orders. Does he have no dignity?"

...

Hearing Wei Changqing's words, a huge uproar broke out amidst the crowd below.

Zhang shi had told Demon Cinque Beast to cooperate with you. You were the one who lacked the capability to do so and ended up being beaten up instead!

And now that it is the other party's turn, you actually gave such orders to your tamed beast, even offering a huge incentive for it...

Do you have any pride?

Since this is a duel of beast taming, the conditions should at least be fair. What happened to the magnanimity a master teacher should possess?

"Embarrassing, how embarrassing!"

The various elders of the Zijin Sect clasped their faces. They didn't expect a genius of their sect to resort to such underhanded tricks.

What is this...

With this, even if they were to win the Master Teacher Tournament, they would be too ashamed to face anyone.

...

"I'll be starting then!"

Seeing that the other party hadn't given up yet, Zhang Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile before turning to look at Beryline Spirit Beast.

"Roar!"

Roaring furiously, Beryline Spirit Beast, like Demon Cinque Beast, tried to crush Zhang Xuan under its claws.

It had seen how its master had suffered under Demon Cinque Beast, and it intended to get back at Zhang shi for this.

However, it only possessed a cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage. It couldn't pose any threat to Zhang Xuan at all.

With a sidestep, Zhang Xuan dodged the attack and retaliated with a slap.

Pah!

A resounding slap struck Beryline Spirit Beast's giant face. Before that giant fellow could react, it was already twirling in the air before being face-planted into the ground, leaving behind two gigantic, twitching feet exposed.

Zhang Xuan possessed the strength that rivalled even a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage expert, a might exceeding two million ding. Even a Spirit realm low-tier weapon would shatter before such immense might! If not for him holding back, Beryline Spirit Beast would already be crippled at this point.

Not to mention, the other party's movement was too fast for it to even perceive, let alone retaliate. Beryline Spirit Beast stood no chance against Zhang Xuan from the very start.

"What?"

"With a single slap, he actually face-planted a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan spirit beast?"

"How much strength does it take to achieve such a feat?"

Everyone was flabbergasted.

Spirit beasts were blessed with superior physiques. With their powerful might and formidable defense, human cultivators of the same cultivation realm were hardly a match for them. In other words, this Transcendent Mortal 4-dan primary stage Beryline Spirit Beast would be match for even a Transcendent Mortal advanced stage cultivator.

Yet, it was actually face-planted helplessly into the ground with a single slap... What kind of monstrous strength did Zhang shi possess?

Isn't that a little... way too fearsome?

Below the stage, the lips of Wu Tianhao, who had been recovered from the building and was currently spectating the duel, twitched in fright.

He thought that it was only a stroke of fortune that the other party managed to throw him off the stage. If he had been a bit more careful, he would not have lost. But at this moment, he realized that... it was a stroke of fortune that he was only thrown into the sky! If the other party had directed that slap at him then...

... his head might not have been attached to his neck right now...

"You said that he's weak in physical duels?" Wu Tianhao glanced at his friend. "I'll sever my friendship with you!"

"..." Wu Tianhao's friend.

...

"Wait a moment. While Zhang shi does have the upper hand in a physical duel, if he continues to beat Beryline Spirit Beast up like that... how can he win the other party's loyalty?"

"That's right!"

"If Zhang shi fails to induce the slightest bit of loyalty in Beryline Spirit beast, won't the duel end in a draw?"

"Damn it, Zhang shi should have been the winner. Once a draw occurs, things will get troublesome!"

After recovering from the shock, everyone came to a realization.

In a conventional beast taming process, one would take out alluring treasures that a spirit beast couldn't reject to win its goodwill.

On the contrary, beating up a spirit beast would only result in an irreconcilable grudge with it.

As a 4-star beast tamer, Zhang shi should of aware of this! Why did he lay his hands on Beryline Spirit Beast then? Not to mention... his blow was exceptionally heavy!

Such actions would only incur the resentment of Beryline Spirit Beast. Not only would he not win the Loyalty Level of it, he would even be hated.

"Haha, let's see what are you going to do now..."

Not expecting Zhang Xuan to be so reckless as to lay his hands on Beryline Spirit Beast, Wei Changqing nearly burst into laughter.

He had spent two entire years offering all kinds of treasures for the other party to choose, even hunting and sleeping with it before he managed to tame it.

Yet, this fellow actually sent such a heavy slap to it! Given Beryline Spirit Beast's proud nature, it would be a huge blessing if it didn't charge up to tear him apart.

To achieve a positive Loyalty Level under such a situation? Impossible!

Even though he failed to obtain the loyalty of Demon Cinque Beast, the other party also failed with Beryline Spirit Beast. If so, it would be a draw!

In fact... in terms of good will, he might even be said to be the winner!

Dang!

Just as Wei Changqing was trembling with delight, a tong sounded-an incense's time was up.

An incense's time was only a rough gauge for the duration of a match, but even so, it meant that the competitors should start wrapping up to determine the winner.

Zhang Xuan didn't have any time to resort to any tricks anymore. It could be said that Wei Changqing was in a safe position already.

Humph!

Didn't you all say that I should admit my defeat, and that I would surely lose?

Look, I've managed to achieve a draw with even the strongest contender of the tournament. Let's see what else can you say...

The more he thought about it, the more excited he felt. Turning to the young man before him, he spoke proudly, "Zhang shi, since you failed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast and I failed to tame Demon Cinque Beast, why don't we call it a draw?"

"A draw?"

"Indeed. In fact, given how you laid your hands on Beryline Spirit Beast and incurred its resentment, it can be said that you've already lost in terms of good will..." Wei Changqing said.

You all spoke of magnanimity? Here it is!

It should have been clearly Zhang shi's loss, but I allowed him to go off with a draw...

"Resentment?"

Just as Wei Changqing was still immersed in his delight, the young man before him shook his head and kicked the gigantic legs twitching above the ground. "What are you feigning death for? Hurry up and acknowledge your new master!"

Huala! Roar!

Following which, Beryline Spirit Beast hurriedly plucked itself out of the ground, rushed to Zhang shi excitedly, and knelt down. It cuddled up to Zhang shi with its head, as though a cute pug fawning over its master.

"What?"

Wei Changqing's body stiffened, and his eyes nearly fell to the ground.

How could this be?

Didn't the other party just beat it up? Why was it acknowledging the other party as its master now?

Can anyone tell me what in the world is going on?!

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Chapter 596: Sword Duel

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Wei Changqing found himself standing on the brink of insanity. It was just a moment ago that he offered such a huge incentive to Beryline Spirit Beast for it to resist the other party's taming.

And yet... in the blink of an eye, it had already betrayed him. Isn't there a mistake somewhere?

If the other party had offered something beyond him, such as a higher-tier spirit beast blood essence, Wei Changqing would have conceded. But what the other party offered was a resounding slap instead...

Where did the pride you had when I tamed you go? Do you have any dignity?

"Beryline Spirit Beast, what are you doing? Have you already forgotten that you're my spirit beast?"

Blood rushed to Wei Changqing's head as his face reddened in rage. Roaring loudly, he stomped forward.

As my spirit beast, how can you kneel and fawn over another? If even this could be tolerated, there would be nothing in the world that couldn't be tolerated!

Hu!

But before he could get close, a gigantic claw suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Peng!

Kicked squarely in his chest, Wei Changqing was sent flying backward, and blood spurted wildly from his mouth.

"You..."

Wei Changqing was frenzied. The one who struck him wasn't anyone else but his own tamed beast!

To think that he would be kicked by his own tamed beast while giving it a piece of his mind. It seemed like the latter had really betrayed him...

I spent two years to tame you, and the money I spent on you is sufficient to build even a castle. And yet...

Just the thought of it caused another mouthful of blood to spurt from Wei Changqing's mouth.

Big Brother, isn't this going a little too far...

"Zhang shi... managed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast?"

"Furthermore, with just a single slap?"

...

While Wei Changqing was busy spewing blood, the crowd spectating the commotion also felt as though their heads were bursting apart. The sight before them was simply too inconceivable for them to accept.

Was this a supernatural encounter, a paranormal sight, or an occult occurrence?

With just a single slap, Zhang shi actually managed to tame Beryline Spirit Beast to the point that it didn't even recognize its own master anymore, even kicking the latter away...

Why did it sound so fantastical?

"So this is... Zhang shi's Beast Pummeling Taming Method?"

Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others found their lips twitching uncontrollably.

When they heard of it from Zhao Ya, they took it with a tinge of skepticism; after all, the very notion of it was simply too ridiculous. But upon seeing it, they realized that it was even more ridiculous and fearsome than what they had imagined.

To make a spirit beast betray its master and become subservient to one with a single slap, how in the world does this work?

"How humiliating!"

The various elders from Zijin Sect grasped their faces once more.

"Cough cough, you don't need to kowtow anymore. I'll take you in as my tamed beast!"

After Beryline Spirit Beast kicked Wei Changqing away, it started kowtowing profusely, in fear of being rejected.

Roar!

Seeing that the other party had agreed to it, Beryline Spirit Beast stood up, walked over to the edge of the stage, and stood beside Demon Cinque Beast as though an underling. Indescribable excitement glowed in its eyes. With a proud gaze, it glanced at Wei Changqing, whose face was trickling with blood.

"..."

Wei Changqing clutched at his own chest, stifled.

It was only at this moment that it suddenly struck him-the reason why Zhang shi kept asking him if he was certain. It wasn't that the other party was unconfident... the other party was just afraid that he would be humiliated too badly.

If only he'd known, he wouldn't have clutched on to his pride and defied the words of his sect elders. He would have just admitted defeat obediently.

Not only did he lose his storage ring and spirit beast blood essence, his sole tamed beast even betrayed him. In just a single duel, he had lost all of his wealth...

Just as he was thinking this, Zhang shi's voice suddenly sounded. "Does this count as my victory?

"If you still have any disagreements, we can go another round..."

"There's no need for it! I admit defeat." Wei Changqing face paled in fright, and he hurriedly shook his head.

Go another round?

Just a single round could put me in such a tragic state. If I were to go another round, who knows whether I would be alive by the end of it or not.

Seeing the other party admit his defeat, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. Then, he turned to Demon Cinque Beast and gestured.

"Demon Cinque, return his possessions to him!"

"Roar?"

Demon Cinque Beast's face was filled with indignation, but eventually, it still returned the jade bottle and the storage ring.

"This..."

Wei Changqing was taken aback.

Demon Cinque Beast had stolen these from him in the midst of his beast taming, and after his shameful actions, there would be no one who would protest even if Zhang shi were to take these things for his own. But to his surprise, Zhang shi actually chose to have it returned to him.

"Demon Cinque is lacking in propriety so do pardon him for his actions. It isn't easy for you to accrue such wealth, so it is only right for me to return these to you!" Zhang Xuan said impassively.

"Zhang shi..."

Wei Changqing's eyes reddened.

This is what a true master teacher should be like!

To win, Wei Changqing had shown an unsporting attitude and resorted to many underhanded tricks. Despite this, the other party overlooked it and defeated him honestly. On top of that, the other party didn't fault him on his behavior either, going to the extent of even returning the confiscated goods...

This magnanimity... He felt as though he was nothing more than a clown. Compared to the other party, his actions were truly laughable.

'From now onward, I shall be Zhang shi's loyal follower. I'll make anyone who dares to talk bad about him apologize!'

Clenching his fists tightly, Wei Changqing made a vow in his heart.

Formidable master teachers had their own followers as well. These followers would help to build the master teacher's reputation and bring glory to his name.

To become a great master teacher respected throughout this vast continent, followers were a necessity.

Zhang Xuan couldn't have expected that this casual whim of his would actually make this 4-star master teacher a follower of his.

Wei Changqing's loss meant that Zhang Xuan had successfully progressed to the next round. Soon, the other stages also came to a conclusion, and the top eight candidates were out.

Luo Xuan and Liao Wuzhi, the two most popular contenders for the champion seat, were among the group. What that surprised Zhang Xuan was that Song Chao was also among the group. It seemed like even though the latter seemed a little dull-witted before him, he still possessed incredible capabilities.

With his help, Ruohuan gongzi was also within the group. However, the competition was extremely intense at this stage, and it would be difficult for him to progress any further than this.

Hong shi soon announced the pairings of the next match.

"Alright, let's begin the round to determine the top four. I'll announce the matches now. On stage A, Jun Ruohuan of Myriad Kingdom Alliance will face Luo Xuan of Fleeting Cloud Sect. On stage B, Bi Jianghai of Gazing River Sect will be facing Song Chao of Blue Frost Sect... On stage D, Zhang Xuan of Myriad Kingdom Alliance will be facing Liao Wuzhi of Frigid Gale Sect!"

"Liao Wuzhi?"

Hearing the name of his opponent, Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had heard of this name before. It was the genius second to only Luo Xuan on the list of contenders for the champion seat.

He didn't expect to meet him in the round to determine the top four.

"Zhang shi, you must be careful of Liao Wuzhi. I've watched his previous matches, and all of them were physical duels. Furthermore, he won every single one of them with astounding might each time!"

Su shi stepped forward and said. "Take the last match where he fought against a candidate of White Helios Sect for example, with just three slashes of his sword, his opponent was no longer able to raise his arm anymore and was forced to surrender!"

"Three slashes?"

"Un. In the entire tournament, the maximum number of moves he made with his sword was only three slashes. In fact, in the first round, he didn't even draw his sword. He was able to knock out his opponent with just the sheath itself," Su shi said with a grim expression.

Zhang Xuan's previous matches coincided with Liao Wuzhi's, and as such, he hadn't really seen much of the other party's duels.

"Even though he's only at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, if my eyes fail me not... his true strength is comparable to even a Half-Consonant Spirit realm master teacher!" Su shi said.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

If what Su shi said was true, Liao Wuzhi was indeed formidable.

One must know that master teachers, with their keen eye of discernment and vast knowledge of cultivation in itself, are considered to be invincible within their power class. To be able to defeat a master teacher of higher cultivation realm is an incredible feat in itself.

"It's about to start!"

After discussing a moment longer, Zhang Xuan saw the other party walking over to the stage, and thus, he began walking over without any hesitation as well.

At this moment, the aura shrouding Liao Wuzhi seemed to have reached the peak. His very presence was reminiscent of the sharp edge of a sword.

As soon as Zhang Xuan stepped onto the stage, Liao Wuzhi immediately said, "Zhang shi, I challenge you to a sword duel!"

"Sure. It just so happens that I've learnt a new sword art recently, and I've yet to try it out."

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly.

He didn't say those words out of humility; those words were the absolute fact. Not only had he never used the sword art before, he had never even practiced it before.

In other words, he had only emulated the sword art in his mind ever since learning it. As such, he wasn't sure about exactly how strong it would be.

And this sword art was the enhanced version of Heaven's Path Sword Art that he tidied up on his way to the Glacier Plain Court.

The Heaven's Path Sword Art, Heaven's Path Spear Art, and other Heaven's Path battle techniques started out as movements, but beyond that point, it was hinged mainly on conception. A difference in conception could result in vastly different results for the same set of movements.

As such, master swordsmen were able to train through their thoughts; they didn't need to go through the physical motions with a sword in hand.

To have not executed a sword art that one has learned and not know how powerful it is... Zhang Xuan was probably the only one in the entire history of the world.

Seeing the other party agree to it, Liao Wuzhi smiled. Then, he turned to Hong shi and said, "Hong shi, I've a request that I'd like to make!"

"Speak!" Hong shi nodded.

"I wish for a private duel with Zhang shi. I hope that you can accede to my request!" Liao Wuzhi said.

"You want a private duel? Alright, I can agree to that!" Hong shi nodded.

Given that Zhang shi was a powerful adversary, the chances were that Liao Wuzhi would have to resort to his trump cards, and it was understandable why he wouldn't want his trump cards to be exposed in public.

As such, his request was reasonable.

In any case, everyone here was a master teacher, and there was no one who would be so shameless as to deny their own loss.

Hu!

Hong shi snapped his fingers, and a mist immediately rose in stage D, hiding it from the sight of others. Even a Consonant Spirit realm expert would be unable to peer through it.

"It's a pity that we'll miss out on such an exciting duel!"

"Indeed. Liao Wuzhi possesses incredible aptitude in swordsmanship while the depth to Zhang shi's ability has yet to be uncovered. I thought that I could learn some things from their duel, but it turns out they will be conducting it in private... How frustrating!"

"Then, who of the two do you think would win?"

"My bet is on Zhang shi. There hasn't been an opponent in the tournament who could match him so far. Liao shi might be powerful, but it is unlikely that he would be a match for him."

"I disagree with your view. Liao shi's aptitude in swordsmanship could be said to be unmatched by any of his peers. It's like you didn't see the previous duels he had; there was no one who could withstand the immense might of his swordsmanship. Given how skilled Zhang shi is in fist art, he must have devoted most of his time to it. There is a good chance that he might be lacking in his swordsmanship!"

...

The most anticipated duel ended up being a private one. Everyone couldn't help but find it a huge pity.

"Shh, I think their duel... has already begun!"

Suddenly, someone amidst the crowd shouted. Following which, the guards and soldiers in the surroundings suddenly felt their swords in their hands shake, and an agitated metallic call sounded from their resonance.

"This is... Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons! But which of the two of them... has achieved Sword Heart realm?"

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Chapter 597: Imparting Sword Art

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons; this phenomenon was a manifestation of Sword Heart realm. Upon reaching such a level of mastery in swordsmanship, one's sword would be granted spirit, allowing one to wield it as though it was one's own limbs. To a master swordsman, this enhanced level of control could easily translate into a twofold increase in fighting prowess.

Those who had achieved this realm were already qualified to establish their own sects and start their own lineage of swordsmanship.

In fact, most of the current sect leaders and emperors in the world hadn't even reached such a level yet. Just which of the duo in the mist was the one who had reached this astounding level of mastery, causing the innumerable swords out here to bow down to him?

And who was the one filling the entire stage with sword qi, leaving the crowd below with goosebumps?

"It must be Liao Wuzhi. Our two sects are stationed at the foot of the mountain beyond Myriad Kingdom City, and he has been practicing his swordsmanship by the waterfall every morning. The metallic echo of his sword reverberates through the entire valley, gushing up into the heavens. Back then, I realized that even if he hadn't reached Sword Heart realm, he must at least be at Sword Intent realm pinnacle!"

"Now that you spoke of it, I suddenly remember seeing the marks he left behind in his training once. Through the manifestation of sword qi, his swings could easily reach a distance of several zhang (10 - 30 meters). That day, when I coincidentally walked by his training location, I realized that all of the marks on the ground are of equal depth! Most probably, only a person who has achieved Sword Heart realm would be capable of such precise control!"

"Well, Liao Wuzhi isn't called the Unparalleled Sword Genius of the Frigid Gale Sect for nothing, after all."

"Indeed. One who has achieved Sword Heart Realm is practically undefeatable among those of the same cultivation realm. Not to mention, Zhang shi's cultivation is lower than the other party from the very start. I'm afraid the latter's chance at victory is extremely slim!"

"I don't share your viewpoint. On the contrary, I think that Zhang shi is the one who has reached Sword Heart realm! It's not like you didn't see the miracles he has created in past few rounds..."

...

Sensing the manifestation of seemingly endless sword qi within the mist, grave looks appeared on the faces of the master teachers below the stage.

"Sword Heart realm?"

Wu Tianhao's body trembled.

His initial thought back then was to challenge Zhang shi to a sword duel instead of a fist duel. He thought that given his mastery in swordsmanship, the duel would be a walk in the park for him. How could he have known that Zhang shi would accept the fist duel?

Thus, he thought that if he had another chance to challenge the other party, he would surely propose a sword duel straight away. But after sensing the clash of sword qi before him, he lost all of his confidence.

Even if Zhang shi wasn't the one who had comprehended Sword Heart realm, given how he could rival such an expert, his swordsmanship couldn't possibly be poor.

At the very least, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance against a Sword Heart realm expert.

"Can Zhang shi... win?"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others were worried.

"Don't worry, he'll surely win. Just that..." Zhao Feiwu's eyebrows knitted together.

"Just that?"

Knowing that the Second Princess was close with Zhang shi, the others immediately turned their attention to her.

"Without a doubt, Zhang shi's swordsmanship has already reached Sword Heart realm!" Zhao Feiwu revealed.

Back then, on Xuanyuan Kingdom's Heaven's Altar, Zhang shi has displayed the might of a Sword Heart realm expert. Standing atop the back of an aerial spirit beast then, Jin Conghai and her had seen everything clearly.

Along with the rise in his cultivation, his level of comprehension in swordsmanship must have been deepened as well. She had no doubt that the person who had gotten into the Sword Heart realm within the mist was him.

Even if that wasn't the case, she was confident that Zhang shi's swordsmanship mastery was in no way lower than this.

"Just that... he doesn't have any suitable weapons..." Zhao Feiwu continued.

Zhang shi had risen too quickly. Even though he managed to accrue sufficient spirit stones to fuel his cultivation, he hadn't been able to find a suitable weapon for himself.

Back at Honghai City Formation Master Guild, he even had to borrow the weapons of others to inscribe a formation plate.

While one's swordsmanship mastery was important in a sword duel, one's weapon also played a pivotal role. If one didn't have a decent weapon to rival the weapon of one's opponent, one would be immediately placed in a disadvantageous position.

"H-how... can this be?"

Pavilion Master Kang and the others were stunned.

With a teacher as formidable as Yang shi, they thought the one thing Zhang shi wouldn't lack was cultivation resources. Who could have known that he wouldn't even have a Spirit middle-tier sword? To fight against a formidable sword genius in a sword duel without a decent sword... how could he win?

If only they had known in advance, they would have surely gotten one for him. Now that the duel had already begun, they couldn't interfere anymore.

"It's too late to do anything, we can only have faith in Zhang shi!"

Zhao Feiwu shook her head.

While the group was still worried for Zhang shi, a voice suddenly sounded from the mist, "Hong shi, please release the formation!"

"The battle has ended?"

Everyone was stunned.

If the formation was going to be released, did it mean that there was already a conclusion to the duel?

But how much time had passed? Making a rough estimate, it seemed like it hadn't been even two minutes since the start... A victor was already decided in this short period of time?

This was way too fast!

Hu!

Amidst perplexed gazes, the mist slowly scattered, revealing two silhouettes.

Zhang shi and Liao Wuzhi were still standing at their original position before the duel, as though nothing had happened before. There wasn't the slightest wound or cut on their bodies either. It should have been a perilous sword duel, but on the surface, it seemed as though the fight hadn't even started.

"This... So who won?"

"I've no idea either... but where is Zhang shi's sword?"

"You're right. Isn't this a sword duel? Why isn't Zhang shi wielding a sword?"

"It can't be that Zhang shi has admitted defeat?"

...

The crowd quickly realized that, while there was a sharp sword in Liao Wuzhi's hand, Zhang shi's hands were completely empty. It was impossible to tell whether he had put the sword back into his storage ring or he didn't take anything out in the first place.

It was impossible to discern who won or loss from this alone.

Just as the crowd was speculating the situation...

"I lost!" Liao Wuzhi declared suddenly. He shook his head and put his sword back into his storage ring.

"Liao shi lost?"

"What happened?"

A huge commotion immediately broke out after the shocking admit of defeat.

What in the world did Zhang shi do in that two minutes to make the Sword Genius Liao Wuzhi admit defeat so willingly?

"Zhang shi's swordsmanship has reached a profound level that is far beyond me!"

Ignoring the shocked gazes from the crowd below, Liao Wuzhi stepped forward and clasped his fist, "I've reached Sword Heart realm primary stage, but I find myself unable to progress any further than that. May I ask Zhang shi to enlighten me as to how I should proceed from here onward?"

He was the only one of the entire Frigid Gale Sect to have reached Sword Heart realm, and thus, he could only slowly progress through trial and error. But at this stage, he found himself completely clueless as to how he could further progress.

Even though the person before him was even younger than him, his comprehension of swordsmanship was far beyond his own. If the other party could offer him some pointers, he would surely be able to climb to even higher heights.

"You want my pointers?"

Even though Zhang Xuan didn't expect Liao Wuzhi to ask for his guidance so directly, he nodded his head impassively and raised his hand. "Pass me your sword!"

"Yes!"

Liao Wuzhi's eyes lit up upon hearing those words. He immediately took out his sword and passed it to the other party.

With a flick of his finger, Zhang Xuan drew the sword, and a stifling cold gleam immediately reflected into the surroundings.

"Zhang shi... is going to offer some pointers to Liao Wuzhi?"

"That seems to be the case. But... if it's just offering pointers, why can't he use his own sword? After all, the sword has already acknowledged Liao Wuzhi to be his master. If the sword spirit were to resist Zhang shi's control, he would be unable to fully display the might of his swordsmanship!"

"Indeed, how bizarre..."

...

A deep frown appeared on everyone's forehead after seeing Zhang Xuan asking for Liao Wuzhi's sword.

A Spirit-tier sword possessed spirit, and as long as the master it had recognized was still alive, it would be hard for anyone else to wield it. Since Zhang shi was going to display his impart some pointers to the other party, why couldn't he use his own sword?

Just as the crowd was perplexed as to what Zhang shi was doing, the sword in the latter's hand suddenly released a crisp call.

"Spirit Euphoria, the sword wants to acknowledge him as its master?"

"He made Liao shi's sword acknowledge him just by touching it?"

Everyone was stunned.

One must know that making a Spirit-tier weapon acknowledge one as its master was an extremely troublesome process. There were many people who would spend years wiping their sword daily, treating it with utmost care and concern, and had yet to succeed. On the other hand, Zhang shi, with a single touch, actually induced Spirit Euphoria from Liao shi's sword...

Wasn't this way too unbelievable?

Liao Wuzhi clearly didn't expect this either, and his eyes widened in shock.

Back then, he had spent half a year of effort, during which, he even nourished it for an entire month with his own blood, before successfully making the sword submit to him.

Yet, the other party, with a single touch, won the loyalty of the sword... Was the gap between the both of them really this big?

While he was overwhelmed with shock, Zhang shi's impassive voice sounded.

"Look carefully, I'll only show it to you once!"

Thus, he quickly calmed himself down and focused his attention on the other party.

The crowd below also fell silent. Everyone's eyes were widened, and they dared not blink in fear of missing out even the slightest detail.

To defeat Liao shi who had comprehended the Sword Heart realm, they wanted to see how far Zhang shi had progressed in the path of swordsmanship.

Hu!

Amidst everyone's intense gazes, the sword in Zhang Xuan's hand moved.

The sword which was emitting a stifling cold gleam a moment ago seemed to have lost its glow and strength in Zhang shi's hand. The blow seemed to carry no weight behind it at all; at the same time, it felt like a movement from the extension of his hand-there was no dissonance in that simple movement at all.

Huala!

The cut was made toward Liao Wuzhi. After shooting past him, it quickly retracted. Even though there was minimal force behind the movement, it was extremely fast, so there were many who failed to catch its full motion.

Danglang!

Zhang Xuan sheathed the sword, threw it back to the other party, and walked off the stage.

"What a fast sword art!"

"Is this Zhang shi's comprehension of swordsmanship?"

Everyone stared at one another in incomprehension.

Even Liao Wuzhi himself was confused.

While Zhang shi's sword was fast, he could easily emulate that speed with his strength. In fact, he could go even faster than that... If this was all there was to it, there was nothing he could learn from this!

Hu!

Amidst his confusion, a wind suddenly blew, and a hair from his forehead was lifted into the air before slowly floating down.

"With his previous movement... he severed a strand of my hair?"

Seeing the floating strand of hair, Liao Wuzhi's eyes narrowed.

Given his lush hair, to sever a single hair precisely without cutting any other, the other party's control over his sword had reached an absurd level!

As expected of Zhang shi, fearsome!

"Zhang shi severed a hair with his sword without Liao shi noticing?"

"What kind of swordsmanship is that? How powerful must one's control of the sword be to achieve such a feat?"

"I have no idea... But this is probably the very pinnacle of Lower Sword Heart... Perhaps, it might even be at the level of Middle Sword Heart!"

"Middle Sword Heart?"

Everyone fell silent in shock.

If they hadn't witnessed such a sight for themselves, they would have never believed that anyone in the world would be able to control their weapon so precisely.

"Zhang shi, I thank you for your pointer..."

Liao Wuzhi clasped his fist respectfully.

Zhang Xuan departing figure suddenly stopped and asked, "Did you understand it?"

"I understand. The reason why Zhang shi severed a single hair is to tell me to refine my control over my sword..." Liao Wuzhi quickly stated his own understanding of the situation.

But before he was done speaking, Zhang shi shook his head. His back beneath the moonlight seemed to slump slightly in disappointment. "It seems like... you didn't understand it!"

After which, he flicked his wrist lightly.

Hu!

Another wind blew, and the hair instantaneously split into dozens of segments which danced in their surroundings.

"It... wasn't a single slash?"

Liao Wuzhi's face immediately paled.

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Chapter 598: Duel of Knowledge Impartation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was impossible for the wind generated from the movement of the other party's sleeve to sever the air. There was only one possibility to the current situation-Zhang shi's previous movement wasn't just a single cut... it was dozens of cuts!

However, these cuts didn't sever the strand of hair entirely, making it seem as though it was still whole. It was only under the tug of the light breeze that they came to the limit of their durability and broke into dozens of segments.

Glancing downward to look at the floating segments of the strand of hair, he realized that each segment was of equal length, and the point of severance was smooth.

Even slicing a strand of hair with a sword was extremely difficult even for a Sword Heart realm expert, to consecutively cut a strand of hair dozens of time without severing it... How insane must one's level of control be?

Liao Wuzhi's body trembled uncontrollably. No words could express his emotions at this moment.

He'd thought that he had understood the other party's pointer, but from the start to the end... he was merely scratching at the surface!

This wasn't just mere control anymore. Rather, his sword had become a part of his body and gained 'sensitivity'. That was the only plausible reason as to why he could accurately gauge the depth of each cut so it could be split apart with a slight breeze instantaneously...

Coming to a realization, he quickly lifted his head, only to realize that Zhang shi had already left the stage.

'I'll work hard so as to not let you down!'

Replaying the motion of Zhang Xuan's sword in his head, Liao shi realized that this was a huge opportunity for him. Clenching his fists tightly, he walked down the stage and returned back to his group. In an instant, numerous elders of the Frigid Gale Sect immediately surrounded him.

"How did you lose just now? He didn't seem to be holding a sword just now, what did he use to defeat you?"

The group was still bewildered by the happenings before.

Zhang shi didn't seem to have even taken out his sword at all. But if that was the case, why did Liao Wuzhi admit defeat?

"What did he use to defeat me?"

Remembering the sight from before, Liao Wuzhi smiled bitterly before saying, "A finger..."

"A finger?"

Everyone was dumbstruck.

...

Luck no longer played as heavy a role in the battle for the top four. Song Chao and Ruohuan gongzi were forced to stop at this point. Other than Zhang Xuan, the other three who managed to qualify for the next round were all 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle experts.

As if trying to not let the expectations of the crowd down, they were all the most popular contenders for the champion seat as well.

This was especially so for Luo Xuan. In the fight against Ruohuan gongzi, he had achieved a near perfect victory.

While it was regrettable that Ruohuan gongzi had to stop here, he was already content. If not for Zhang shi, he might have been eliminated in the selection round. How else could he have possibly gotten into the top eight and gain the opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?

"For the next round, Luo Xuan of Fleeting Cloud Sect will be fighting against Bi Jianghai of Gazing River Sect, and Huang Zheng of Cascading Sand Sect will be fighting against Zhang Xuan of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance!"

Hong shi revealed the matching for the round.

"Huang Zheng of Cascading Sand Sect? The fellow who is placed fourth on the list of potential contenders for champion?"

Zhang Xuan glanced at the young man on the stage.

Placed in the fourth rank, this fellow was in no way inferior to Liao Wuzhi, be it his strength or his cultivation.

"Un. Zhang shi, be careful. Even though the dueling format Huang Zheng proposed in each match has been different, he still won every one of them with ease. His true capability is fearsome! In fact, I'm even thinking that he might have hidden his true strength!" Pavilion Master Kang said with a grim expression.

He had been paying attention to Huang Zheng's duels, and even though the latter had chosen different dueling formats for each round, he was still able to triumph over his opponent easily. The latter's capability seemed to be greater than what he had predicted.

In fact, the latter didn't seem to lose out to Luo Xuan at all.

"It matters not who he is; having to face Zhang shi, he should be the one who's worried!" Zhao Feiwu smiled.

"You're right..." Pavilion Master Kang laughed awkwardly.

He had been worried that Zhang shi would be unable to survive the full tournament due to his lacking cultivation, but after the duels with Wu Tianhao and Liao Wuzhi, such a thought had vanished completely from his mind.

Zhang shi was just like an invincible God of War. Those who faced him in battle would meet tragic ends that would totally shatter their confidence.

While Huang Zheng had shown spectacular results in his previous matches, that was only because his opponents were someone else. Against Zhang shi... it was unlikely he would fare any better than the others.

Seeing the group's confidence in him, Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly before walking up to the stage.

Huang Zheng was already on the stage at this point. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he clasped his fist and greeted, "Zhang shi!"

"Huang shi!" Zhang Xuan also returned the gesture.

"I wish to challenge Zhang shi to a match of knowledge impartation!" Huang Zheng said impassively.

"Knowledge impartation?"

"Un. The rules are simple. A hundred people will be randomly chosen from the square, and we'll conduct our lectures simultaneously. Impartation of Heaven's Will is banned in the duel. At the end of the lecture, whoever manages to awe more people to acknowledge him as their teacher will be the victor!" Huang Zheng revealed the rules.

Even the same dueling format could have different types of rules. But of course, if one were to find it unfair, they were allowed to reject it.

"I'll accept your challenge!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

...

"Knowledge impartation? And Impartation of Heaven's Will is banned? Isn't this a little too much!"

"Indeed. Impartation of Heaven's Will is a symbol of master teacher's power, as well as their greatest strength. How could a match of knowledge impartation do without it?"

"Huang shi surely has it planned out well. Based on the previous experiences, it would be difficult to win against Zhang shi in any type of dueling format. However, knowledge impartation is different. Sometimes, no matter how good a teacher's lecture is, if a student doesn't simply doesn't like it, he wouldn't benefit much from it. As such... luck plays a significant role in this challenge as well. On top of that, Impartation of Heaven's Will is banned in the challenge as well... It's hard to tell who will win!"

"Indeed..."

Hearing the content of the competition, discussions broke out amidst the crowd.

Knowledge impartation didn't hinge solely on the reputation and capability of the teacher only, there were many other factors in play as well. It was just like how even the most perfect of beings couldn't possibly win the amity of everyone.

Human emotions are fickle, and this would be the greatest variable of them all.

Zhang shi might be able to win with absolute certainty in other types of duel, but this... it would be hard to say for sure.

As expected of one of the most popular contender for the champion seat, Huang Zheng was able to come up with a countermeasure swiftly and propose a dueling format that was the most advantageous to him.

Otherwise, he probably wouldn't stand a chance at all.

...

The rules were simple, and since both sides had no objections, they started making preparations for the duel.

Soon, a hundred people were seated on the stage. Some were the guards from Myriad Kingdom Alliance while some were just ordinary spectators.

Having been chosen to listen to the lectures of two great master teachers, the eyes of the hundred people glowed in excitement.

This was a godsend for them. It was not every day that one got to listen to the lecture of two genius 4-star master teachers.

"The cultivation realm of the group ranges over a wide spectrum, so why don't we just talk about some of the more fundamental knowledge behind cultivation instead? Otherwise, if we were to decipher a specific cultivation realm instead, those with lower cultivation realm would not understand, and those with higher cultivation realm would find it pointless!" Huang Zheng said.

The cultivation realms of the hundred people chosen ranged from Fighter 1-dan to Transcendent Mortal 3-dan. If they were to lecture on the cultivation of Transcendent Mortals, those still in the Fighter realm wouldn't understand. On the other hand, if they were to decipher the cultivation of Fighters, the ones who had transcended that realm would simply yawn in boredom.

Only fundamental knowledge applicable to cultivation in general could pique all of their interest simultaneously.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was fine with this decision. He might be lacking in other topics, but in terms of fundamentals in cultivation... even Kong shi might not necessarily be able to speak better than him if he were here.

The fundamentals compiled by the Library of Heaven's Path was completely devoid of flaws, and this was one feat that no master teacher could possibly achieve.

"Alright. The both of us will use telepathy to relay our lecture to the group, and they'll be allowed to listen to the lecture of whoever they prefer. The time limit is an incense's time, and whoever wins the acknowledgement of members of the group after the time is up will be the winner!"

Huang Zheng explained the content of the duel before waving his hands. "Let's begin then!"

"Un. You go first!"

Zhang Xuan gestured patiently with a smile.

"I won't stand on ceremony then!"

A glint flashed across Huang Zheng's eyes, and he began on his lecture.

As he used telepathy to relay the content of his lecture, there was no one beneath the stage who could hear anything.

After listening to the other party's lecture for a while, Zhang Xuan felt that the other party's deciphering of the fundamentals wasn't too bad and nodded his head in commendation. Only then did he step forward and begin as well.

...

"The duel has begun!"

"But given that the both of them are lecturing simultaneously, how does the listening group decide on whom they should listen to?"

"Simple, they'll just listen to the lecture which content attracts and benefits them!"

"You're right. Although most cultivators are incapable of multi-tasking, it isn't too difficult for them to filter off the words of one side!"

Seeing that the duel had begun, discussions immediately sounded from the crowd.

"Who do you think will win this match?"

"It's hard to say, but my bet is on Zhang shi again!"

"If Impartation of Heaven's Will was allowed, Zhang shi surely wouldn't have any problem. But given the rules, it'll have to depend on whose fundamental knowledge of fundamental is stronger..."

"Considering the larger collection of profound books in the Cascading Sand Sect, Huang Zheng seems to be in a far better position!"

...

There was no one below who wasn't curious about how this would turn out. Since they were unable to listen to the content of the lecture, they focused their attention on the group on the stage in hopes of being able to discern something.

But it was a pity that their hopes fell flat.

The group listening to the lecture seemed to have been hypnotized. They were indeed listening attentively with a look drunk in pleasure, but it was impossible to tell whether the cause of it was Zhang shi's lecture or Huang shi's lecture.

Just as everyone was curious to see the results of the duel, someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Luo Xuan and Bi Jianghai's duel has ended..."

The crowd immediately turned their sights to the other stage and saw that the duel had come to an end.

Bi Jianghai's eyebrows were arched upward. He was carrying a disposition reminiscent of a majestic dragon, unassailable by any.

On the other hand, Luo Xuan, the most popular contender for the champion seat, was standing opposite to him. He was shaking his head with slightly disappointed expression.

"What happened?"

"Who won?"

Seeing this sight, everyone was taken aback.

Bi Jianghai came from humble origins, and he wasn't even among the top ten contenders for the champion seat. As such, everyone thought that he would surely end in defeat against Luo Xuan. But why does the scene tell a different story instead?

"Luo shi lost!" a master teacher who was spectating the duel said. His voice was tinged in disbelief, as though he found his own words hard to believe as well.

"Luo shi is the strongest contender for the champion seat, how could he possibly lose?"

There were many among the crowd who found this conclusion inconceivable.

"The both of them competed in a duel of cultivation. The both of them are equals, or rather, Luo shi was in a slightly more advantageous position. Logically speaking, he should have been able to win. Who could have thought that... with a stroke of good luck, Bi shi managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of the duel, reaching Consonant Spirit realm!"

That master teacher smiled bitterly.

"Achieve a breakthrough?"

"Consonant Spirit realm?"

Everyone was stunned.

Chapter 599: Give Me a Moment, I'll Go Make Some Breakthroughs First!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Consonant Spirit realm was the first difficult hurdle of the nine dans of Transcendent Mortal. There were innumerable cultivators who found their footsteps stopping altogether at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle.

This hurdle required one's soul to be perfectly harmonized with one's physical body. This balance was difficult to achieve even if one were to focus all of one's effort into it. To do so in the midst of a battle... Wasn't this Bi shi a little, no, way too lucky?

That was a realm that innumerable cultivators dream of! To actually succeed in such an unlikely situation...

"It isn't surprising that Luo shi would lose under such circumstances. After all, that is Consonant Spirit realm!"

"While luck did play a role in Bi shi sudden breakthrough, the previous hard work he put into his cultivation and his guts were also crucial to creating this miracle. It seems like Bi shi is the true dark horse of this tournament!"

"He has remained humble all along, but at a crucial moment, he still managed to turn the tables around. Impressive!"

...

After finding out what happened during the duel, everyone was impressed.

Facing an equal in a duel was already a difficult feat in itself. To actually attempt a breakthrough at this moment, how much guts must it take for this?

Putting aside how powerful Bi shi was before, just his mental fortitude in itself was already extraordinary.

Even though Luo Xuan lost, considering his opponent, there was nothing for him to regret.

"Now the result of this match is out, let's see whether Zhang shi or Bi shi will win in that duel..."

Since one match of the semi-finals was over, everyone turned their attention back to the other stage. They were curious to see which of the two geniuses would clash over the champion throne.

"They have stopped the lecture!"

"Un. The time is up, so it's about time for them to wrap things up!"

Amidst mutters from the crowd, the hundred people seated cross-legged on the stage slowly opened their eyes, and an excited gleam flashed across each and every one of their eyes.

It seemed like this incense's time lecture session had brought them immense benefits, resolving many problems they had faced in their cultivation.

"Who won?"

"I still can't tell. We'll have to see who the hundred people on stage will choose to acknowledge!"

"Un!"

Knowing that the conclusion to the match was near, everyone's hearts beat anxiously. They quickly turned their glances over, curious to see who would emerge victorious.

With the end of the lecture, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as well.

Even though he was confident in his lecture, he had no way of telling how the hundred people would choose.

After all, without Impartation of Heaven's Will, the credibility of his words would be significantly lower. On top of that, they would also find it harder to comprehend some of the more profound and abstract concepts.

'I've already tried my best, I can only wait for the results now!'

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it. Thus, he turned his sight to the crowd and said, "Everyone..."

Zhang Xuan was just about to ask who was willing to acknowledge him as their teacher when a silhouette suddenly flashed across his eyes. A person had kneeled before him.

"Zhang shi, please take me in as your student. I'll surely study hard so as to not let you down..."

"Huang shi, what are you doing?"

Taking a closer look at the face of the kneeling person, Zhang Xuan leaped in fright.

It was no other than his opponent, Huang Zheng!

Even though the both of them were conducting their own lectures, they could still listen to the content of the other party's lecture. The content of Zhang Xuan's lecture was incredibly profound, but he had managed to express it in a simplified form that anyone could easily comprehend.

"What?"

"Right after the lecture, before the others could make their decision, Huang shi has already tried to acknowledge Zhang shi as his teacher?"

"Can anyone tell me what is going on?"

"To make a 4-star pinnacle master teacher kneel with just fundamental knowledge... Just what in the world was spoken in the lecture?"

"Indeed! Furthermore, Impartation of Heaven's Will wasn't used at all throughout the lecture!"

...

The crowd below flew into a frenzy.

Based on Zhang shi's previous feats, it was entirely possible for him to beguile Huang shi into kneeling before him. But... Impartation of Heaven's Will was banned in the duel, and the content of the lecture was only fundamental knowledge of cultivation...

For Huang shi to kneel down just like that...

What in the world happened?

It was such an intense duel, but before the results were out, the other party had already kneeled down to acknowledge the other party as his teacher... No matter how composed the crowd was, they still felt as though their heads were about to be blown away from shock.

Must everything be so exaggerated?

"Zhang shi, we would also like to come under your tutelage..."

But that wasn't the end of it. Every single one of the hundred cultivators on stage quickly rushed forward and kneeled before Zhang Xuan as well. Their eyes gleamed in earnest respect for the latter.

"All one hundred of them chose Zhang shi?"

In an instant, the entire square fell completely silent.

If two master teachers of the equivalent ranks were to conduct a lecture simultaneously, the result would usually be around half on both sides. After all, knowledge impartation in itself was subjective, and one's choice could be easily influenced by one's own emotions... And yet, all hundred cultivators actually chose to acknowledge Zhang Xuan as their teacher.

What in the world did he talk about to impress every last one of them?

On top of that, he even captured the heart of a 4-star pinnacle master teacher in the midst of doing so!

This... Even a 5-star master teacher wouldn't be capable of such a feat!

"Alright, you all should get up. Regardless of the final result, I'll conduct a lecture for everyone at the end of the tournament!" Zhang Xuan also didn't expect so many to acknowledge him at once, and he couldn't help but feel a headache.

"Yes!"

Hearing Zhang shi agreeing to conduct a lecture, the group nodded their heads and took a step back.

"In this round... Zhang shi is the victor!"

Seeing that everyone had finally calmed down, Hong shi nodded his head and announced the result.

"Don't pull me, I must acknowledge Zhang shi as my teacher..."

Just as Hong shi was about to announce the final round, a scream of agony sounded. Shooting a glance over, his lips twitched uncontrollably.

Huang shi, who had walked onto the stage haughtily a moment ago, was kneeling earnestly before Zhang shi, unwilling to back down at all. In the end, he had to be dragged away by his fellow peers in the sect, but even so, he still continued shouting as though a lunatic.

"Sigh, this fellow is a goner..."

Seeing this scene of madness, Hong shi shook his head.

As a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, it struck him even more vividly how profound Zhang Xuan's comprehension of cultivation was, and as such, he also suffered the greatest 'side effect'.

Looking at the other party's state, it seemed like he would never compromise until Zhang shi took him in as his student.

There was not a single round that Zhang shi didn't pass without breaking anything. He didn't even spare his fellow humans as well-those who faced him were either severely injured or went insane...

What the heck was this?!

It was as if shattering artifacts wasn't sufficient to satisfy him. He had to destroy every last shred of the confidence of his opponent as well.

"Alright, we'll rest for ten minutes before the champion round. Zhang shi will be facing... Bi shi!"

Ignoring the completely flabbergasted faces of the crowd below and the convulsing Huang Zheng, Hong shi announced the results.

Thus, Zhang Xuan walked down from the stage.

"Zhang shi, Bi shi has managed to reach Consonant Spirit realm in the midst of the round and defeated Luo shi..."

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked over, Pavilion Master Kang hurriedly pulled him to the side and explained the situation of the previous round to him.

"He managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of the duel and defeated Luo shi?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

This matter sounded bizarre even to him.

"Indeed. Even though there's only a thin wall between Consonant Spirit realm primary stage and Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle, it is a whole new world on the other side. I fear that... he will challenge you to a duel of cultivation!"

"There's no doubt about it, he will surely do that!"

Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others couldn't help but feel worried for Zhang Xuan.

Even though Zhang shi was able to win against Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle Liao Wuzhi with his swordsmanship, it would still be difficult for him to face a true Consonant Spirit realm expert.

Consonant Spirit realm represented a perfect harmony between a tempered soul and a body; not only would one's strength increase by leaps and bounds, one's reaction speed and flexibility would be significantly enhanced as well.

At this point, one could be said to have stepped into the gateway of becoming a true expert.

It would be difficult to win against Zhang shi in any other challenge, so Bi shi would surely opt for a challenge that could utilize the advantage in his cultivation.

After all, no matter how spectacular Zhang shi's results were, he was only at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle. Regardless of how talented or astute his senses were, it was impossible for him to make up for the gap between two huge cultivation realms to defeat a Consonant Spirit realm expert.

No one had never done so, not even the geniuses in the long history of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

"He will surely propose a cultivation duel to Zhang shi, what should we do... We can reject the proposal, right?"

"Reject? He can just pick another dueling format that is heavily dependent on one's cultivation realm!"

Everyone was anxious.

Zhao Feiwu couldn't help but comment, "Considering Zhang shi's ability to challenge even those stronger than him... if he could make a breakthrough to Clarifying Turbidity realm right now, he might still stand a chance..."

Despite being at Transcendent Mortal 3-dan pinnacle, Zhang shi was able to defeat Liao Wuzhi, who was at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. If he could make the leap to Clarifying Turbidity realm right now, he might still stand a chance.

"Make a breakthrough to Clarifying Turbidity realm... That is easier said than done! Already half of the ten minutes resting time is over, do you really think Zhang shi can make a breakthrough within five minutes?"

Hearing her word, a bitter smile surfaced on Pavilion Master Kang's face as he shook his head.

Cultivating was similar to ascending a mountain. It was impossible to jump to the peak instantly, one could only progress slowly a step at a time.

Zhang shi had already made humongous progress in the past few months. How could he possibly just achieve a breakthrough within this five minutes?

That's impossible!

Aren't you pulling our legs?

"You're right..." Zhao Feiwu shook her head as well. Just as she was about to rummage through her head for another solution, the young man beside her turned around and asked, "You're saying that as long as I can reach Clarifying Turbidity realm, I'll stand a chance against him?"

"That's right..."

Zhao Feiwu nodded her head.

"Alright then. Give me a moment, I'll go make some breakthroughs..."

Zhang shi nodded. Flicking his wrist, a middle-tier spirit stone appeared in his palm, and he gripped onto it tightly with both of his hands. In an instant, it was as though someone had set his aura ablaze, and his cultivation began raising at a rapid pace.

"Give you a moment?"

"It can't be that Zhang shi intends to achieve a breakthrough right now?"

"What's so surprising about that? It's not like he has never achieved a breakthrough during crucial moments before..."

Hearing Zhang shi's words, everyone was stunned.

Did you need to be so over the top?

Making a breakthrough as and when you like, do you really think that cultivating is that easy?

But before everyone could recover from their shock, they heard a buzz. Zhang shi seemed to have broken through some kind of barrier, and his aura rose swiftly.

"Transcendent Mortal 4-dan... Clarifying Turbidity realm?"

The mouths of Pavilion Master Kang and the others twitched.

We thought that you were just saying it on a whim, but you were actually serious about it?

Feeling the disruption in the spiritual energy in the air, from a distance not too far away, Bi Jianghai turned his gaze over to look at the Myriad Kingdom Alliance group.

He thought that he would be able to deal with Zhang shi easily now that he had reached Consonant Spirit realm. Who knew that the other party would actually make a breakthrough as well...

Zhang shi, is there anything in the world that you can't do?

"No, I mustn't allow him to continue on like that. Otherwise, I'll surely lose the tournament..."

Gritting his teeth, Bi Jianghai dashed up to the stage, flung his sleeves, and declared, "Zhang shi, surely we should have already rested enough already. Since everyone is waiting, why don't we just start now?"

"Start now?"

"He must feel threatened by Zhang shi's breakthrough!"

"Indeed! Zhang shi has just barely made a breakthrough and he hasn't had any time to reinforce his cultivation yet. Under such circumstances, he won't be able to utilize his full strength, and it seems like Bi shi intends to exploit this opening. After all, once Zhang shi succeeds in reinforcing his cultivation, things might get shaky for Bi shi."

Seeing Bi Jianghai proposing to resume the duel halfway through the break, the crowd frowned.

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Chapter 600: Finals (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Transcendent Mortal 4-dan Clarifying Turbidity realm. 'Clarify' refers to the soul whereas 'turbid' refers to the body. Usually, right after the breakthrough, the 'clear' and the 'turbid' would still be intermixed together as though a puddle of murky water. If Zhang shi was given an hour's time for the 'turbid' to settle, his fighting prowess would surely soar greatly. To fight right now... His fighting prowess would still be no different from a Yin-Yang realm pinnacle cultivator!"

"Before the distinction between 'clear' and 'turbid' is drawn, one's body and soul would remain stuck together. In the worst-case scenario, Zhang shi's fighting prowess might even dip due to this."

"But Bi shi can't be blamed for this either. In the end, this is a tournament, and if I were in his shoes, I would have done the same as well!"

"The champion seat of the Master Teacher Tournament has always been highly regarded. He couldn't possibly give up now that the crown is right before him..."

...

There was a significant proportion of the crowd who shook their heads upon seeing Bi shi's actions.

Master teachers are humans as well, and there is no human in this world that is free of desires. This final duel concerned both prestige and an invaluable high-tier spirit stone. There is no one who could possibly allow this to slip past their fingers.

As such, they were able to empathize with Bi Jianghai as well.

Yin-Yang realm-the harmony of both yin and yang would complement and drive the growth of the other. Upon breaking through to Clarifying Turbidity realm, both yin and yang would amalgamate to form a puddle of murky water. With an hour of conditioning, as the 'clear' rose and the 'turbid' sank, the distinction between the two would gradually become clearer, thus inducing a surge in one's fighting prowess. However, as Zhang shi's opponent, how could Bi shi possibly watch idly and allow him to do as he pleased?

Unwilling to spare the slightest chance to his opponent, Bi shi immediately called for the resumption of the duel. With this, Zhang shi's breakthrough became the very factor dragging him down.

"Damn it, that cowardly lad!"

"He is completely devoid of the magnanimity a master teacher should have..."

Pavilion Master Kang, Su shi, and the others were leaping in anger.

"Don't worry!"

Seeing everyone worrying for him, Zhang shi smiled, stood up, and proceeded to the stage.

"Zhang shi possesses overwhelming talent that allows you to rival stronger opponents. Even Wu shi and Liao shi were defeated by you. I respect your strength, and I wish to challenge you in a cultivation duel. I hope that you won't turn me down!"

Bi Jianghai raised his hands grandly as he spoke.

"Come!"

Just as the others guessed, this fellow challenged him to a cultivation duel. Zhang Xuan smiled lightly in response to those words.

Hong long!

Hearing Zhang Xuan's affirmation, Bi Jianghai's eyebrows shot up, and he immediately dashed forward with a fist.

He feared that something awry might happen if he were to drag the duel out, and thus, he went at Zhang shi with his full strength right from the start.

The might of a Consonant Spirit realm diffused from the immense might of his fist, as though the ripples from a rock falling into the surface of a body of water. Before the fist could even strike, one could already feel an immense pressure weighing down on one's soul.

An ordinary Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle expert possessed 1,600,000 ding of strength while a Consonant Spirit realm primary stage expert harnessed a might of 2,000,000 ding.

The fist felt as though a humongous mountain charging towards one. A huge gust of wind burst into the surroundings.

Even though Zhang Xuan's cultivation had risen immensely recently, he had never faced an expert of this caliber before. He felt his blood pumping rapidly through his body, and his meridians seemingly enlarged in anticipation of the battle that was about to come.

"Good!"

Laughing heartily, Zhang Xuan dashed forward and faced that fist with one of his own.

Heaven's Path Divine Fist!

Peng!

With the collision of both fists, Zhang Xuan was forced seven to eight steps back.

In order to examine the might of his physical body, Zhang Xuan opted not to utilize the strength derived from his soul cultivation. As such, he suffered a setback in the very first blow. Nevertheless, with a slight smile on his face, he charged forward once more.

"Humph!"

Seeing the other party charging up to him despite his cultivation still being unstable from the previous breakthrough, Bi Jianghai's eyebrows shot up.

Even though he didn't hurt the other party in the previous encounter, he got a clear glimpse of the other party's current strength-around 1,200,000 ding. That was the level of a Clarifying Turbidity realm intermediate stage expert, but it was still a long way from rivaling his current might.

"Zhang shi, you're indeed a formidable opponent. Your understanding of cultivation is indeed astounding. But... if this is all you've got, I'll be taking the champion seat then!"

With a huge gust of wind, Bi shi opened his fist into a palm and thrust it forcefully in a downward trajectory at Zhang Xuan.

Hong long!

A huge palm print appeared on the stage instantaneously. As though the claws of a ferocious tiger, it fell down onto Zhang Xuan.

"It's... Bi shi's [Great Reversal Adamantine Palm]!"

"This is a Spirit middle-tier pinnacle battle technique! With this move, he is invincible even among those of the same cultivation realm. This is bad!"

"To use his ultimate move at this start of the battle, he sure is vicious!"

...

Seeing the action on the stage, some exclaimed and some gasped in shock.

Great Reversal Adamantine Palm was an extremely powerful fist art, and it was one of the battle techniques that Bi Jianghai specialized in. To use it so early into the battle, it seemed like he intended to end things swiftly.

"Oh? Let's see how powerful this move of yours is!"

Instead of dodging, Zhang Xuan charged up and faced it with yet another fist of his own.

Peng!

As the fist and the palm collided, Zhang Xuan's face reddened, and he was sent flying several meters away like a flying rubber ball before coming to a stop.

It was a little forced for him to catch an attack of a Consonant Spirit realm without tapping into his soul cultivation.

"That's not it, this doesn't seem to be Zhang shi's true strength!"

While watching the duel on stage, amidst the crowd, Wu Tianhao frowned.

In his previous duel with Zhang shi, he was sent flying at the first encounter. While he knew that the other party did use his own momentum against him, the strength the other party displayed definitely didn't just number up to 1,200,000 ding. How could his strength plummet by so much after a breakthrough?

"Indeed. Even if Zhang shi's strength is inferior to the other party, as long as he uses his sword art like he did in my duel, Bi Jianghai will surely be in for a hard time. Why... is he not leveraging his strengths but facing his opponent with brute strength instead?"

Liao Wuzhi also frowned in confusion.

Having exchanged blows with Zhang shi, they understood how fearsome that young man's means and might were. Considering the unbelievable capability he had shown in the previous duel, why was he foolishly crossing fists with Bi Jianghai head-on at this moment?

Peng peng peng peng!

While they were perplexed over the matter, the duo on stage crossed blows several more times. Every single time, Zhang shi would use his full might to face the other party, only to end up knocked back pathetically each time.

At this time, Zhang shi seemed no different from a brute who knew nothing but pure violence.

Someone amidst the crowd suddenly shouted, "Wait... Is it just me or is Zhang shi... only using a single hand? I don't think he has used his other hand throughout the battle?"

Hearing the shout, the crowd suddenly realized that Zhang shi had indeed only been using his right hand throughout the battle. His left hand had been hanging idly by his body, as though it was injured.

"A Clarifying Turbidity realm cultivator facing a Consonant Spirit realm expert with a single hand, what's wrong with him?"

"Could he be injured? No, that can't be it. He used that hand when he was demonstrating a sword art to Liao shi just a moment ago..."

"Could it be that he is handicapping himself? But he's already in a disadvantageous position, why would he do so?"

Everyone also realized that something was wrong, and bewilderment filled their faces.

Only an expert would handicap himself when facing a weaker opponent. Zhang shi was clearly the disadvantageous side, and yet, he was adamantly using only a single hand?

"Wait... It looks like a spirit stone... I think Zhang shi is holding a spirit stone in his left hand!" a sharp-eyed master teacher exclaimed.

"Holding a spirit stone? It can't be... He is trying to absorb spiritual energy while battling to achieve a breakthrough?"

"Now that you say it, it does seem to be the case. But to cultivate in the midst of a battle... Am I dreaming?"

"I think that's really the case. Taking a closer look now, Zhang shi's aura does feel significantly stronger than before!"

...

Noticing the abnormality, the master teachers in the square stared at one another with sheer disbelief reflected in their eyes.

Zhang shi was actually grabbing a spirit stone in his motionless hand. This means that... he had been absorbing spiritual energy non-stop over the course of the battle to reinforce and advance his cultivation!

But how was that possible?

"Incredible! Incredible!"

Naturally, Pavilion Master Kang also noticed this abnormality. A thought surfaced in his mind, and in an instant, his heart suddenly quickened in agitation.

"In Clarifying Turbidity realm, the clearer the distinction between the 'clear' and the 'turbid', the stronger one's cultivation becomes. But to do so would require significant amount of time... Zhang shi knows that he's short on time... The reason why he faced his Bi shi's attack with brute force instead of skill is not because he's arrogant, but that he intends to use the might from the other party's blows to quicken the separation process and raise his cultivation!"

"Forcefully quicken the separation process of 'clear' and 'turbid'?"

"This... How in the world does he intend to do it?"

Su shi and Ling shi had been trapped in the Clarifying Turbidity realm for a long time now, but they were still unable to advance to pinnacle-tier. Upon hearing that such a method actually existed, they widened their eyes as though they had seen a ghost.

"Bi Jianghai has also barely reached Consonant Spirit realm. Thus, his control over his soul and physical body is still incomplete. As a result, his attacks are tinged with both soul energy and zhenqi. Zhang shi is exploiting this by facing the other party's zhenqi and soul with his own zhenqi and soul respectively. Through this, he can forcefully jolt his body and soul apart..."

A combination of shock and admiration shrouded Pavilion Master Kang's face. "If Zhang shi was a puddle of murky water before, through tapping into the might of the other party's cultivation, he has already jolted the 'turbid' and 'clear' apart, reinforcing his cultivation. In fact, his cultivation is even rising swiftly at the moment!"

"Making use of his opponent's attacks to jolt the 'turbid' and 'clear' apart to raise his cultivation?"

"This... This is too exaggerated!"

Su shi and the others widened their eyes in shock.

The other master teachers who came to the same conclusion also had looks of disbelief on their faces.

To exploit the opponent's flaws to raise one's cultivation in the midst of a battle... If Bi Jianghai were to realize it, he would surely be spurting blood at this moment. He had put his full might into his blows, only to be used by the other party as a whetstone.

"When I was watched Bi shi achieve a breakthrough in his previous duel, I was impressed by his guts and mental fortitude. But after seeing Zhang shi's performance... I realized that his achievement is really nothing much to brag about!"

"Indeed. In the end, achievements are relative. Achieving a breakthrough on the spot against cultivating constantly in the midst of crossing blows, there's really no comparing the two!"

"To use the might of one's opponent to temper oneself... The slightest mistake could possibly lead to tragic outcomes, probably only Zhang shi has the guts to do so!"

...

Since they were able to see through Zhang shi's intentions, naturally, they also understood the dangers in his actions.

When facing a stronger opponent, even if one were to face them with one's full strength, it would still be hard to stand one's ground. On the other hand, Zhang shi was actually multi-tasking in the battle, cultivating constantly as he crossed blows with the other party. How brave and confident of his abilities must he be to actually employ such a tactic?

Even though they were witnessing the sight personally, they still couldn't help but feel frenzied.

"It's fortunate that I lost in a single move. Otherwise, I would only have embarrassed myself more..."

Wu Tianhao smiled bitterly.

Liao Wuzhi also nodded in agreement.

The both of them did feel indignant losing to Zhang shi, but after seeing this sight, they realized that their swift defeat was actually a blessing instead...

To be cooperating as though a fool while your opponent uses you as a cultivation tool, could that be the pinnacle of humiliation?

Soon, Bi Jianghai also came to a realization, and he roared furiously, "Damn it, how dare you take me for a whetstone? Don't even dream about it!"

He thought that if he were to fight the other party before he reinforced his cultivation, the other party would surely panic, resulting in an easy victory for him. Who could have thought that he would end up being used as a whetstone instead? The immensely stifling frustration in his heart left him on the verge of going insane.

"Damn you!"

Bellowing angrily, his aura surged instantaneously, breaking through the bottleneck of Consonant Spirit realm primary stage.

"Supreme Demented Demon Fist? This is bad..." The face of an elder of Gazing River Sect darkened.

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Chapter 601: Finals (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Supreme Demented Demon Fist was a secret art passed down within the lineage of the Gazing River Sect. It was never made known to outsiders, and once executed, one's strength would instantaneously rise by a small cultivation realm for a short period of time. However, one's original cultivation would suffer a sharp fall afterward.

It wasn't easy for Bi Jianghai to reach Consonant Spirit realm. If his cultivation were to regress due to this duel, not only it be a pity for Bi Jianghai, it would be a huge loss to the Gazing River Sect as well.

One must know that of the twenty-eight powers in the surroundings, the number of Consonant Spirit realm experts was truly limited. At the very least, it numbered below one hundred.

Not to mention, there was only a total of five of them in Gazing River Sect. An additional one to the lineup could bolster their forces significantly, deterring their enemies while elevating their position.

Besides, the other party was a top-notch genius who had broken innumerable records. If anything were to happen to him, how would their Gazing River Sect face the Master Teacher Pavilion?

"Insane! That fellow has gone insane!" a pale-faced elder uttered hoarsely.

"Can we stop him?" another elder asked, but the only response he received was the shaking of heads from his peers.

The rules of the Master Teacher Tournament prohibited anyone from interfering with an ongoing duel in view of fairness.

"Zhang shi will have to deal with this himself. Let's hope that he can produce a miracle once more!"

"Indeed. But still, I fear that it's impossible for a Clarifying Turbidity realm primary stage to match a Consonant Spirit realm intermediate stage! Those are two completely different levels. There's little hope, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless... Zhang shi summons his tamed beast, Demon Cinque Beast!"

"Demon Cinque Beast? You're right, why didn't I think of that? As a beast tamer, Zhang shi has the right to bring his tamed beast to battle. With Demon Cinque Beast's Consonant Spirit realm cultivation, defeating Bi shi would be a walk in the park!"

"Your words make sense, but will Zhang shi do so?"

"This..."

The person who offered the suggestion fell silent.

Even though Zhang shi might seem like a casual person, he had shown that he would never compromise on the fairness of a duel.

Since he had agreed to the duel, he would only use his own strength to triumph over his opponent. It was impossible for him to summon his tamed beast to assist him!

"Don't think too much, let's just watch on. Perhaps a miracle might really happen..."

Everyone continued watching the duel nervously.

Master Teacher Tournament emphasizes heavily on fairness. Many people already felt contempt for Bi Jianghai due to him exploiting the other party's weakness and employing a mutually-assured destruction technique now only fanned the crowd's displeasure.

On the contrary, Zhang shi, who fought on valiantly despite being in such a dangerous position, won everyone's admiration instead.

While the crowd was worrying for Zhang shi, the duel on the stage had also reached its climax.

With the execution of the Supreme Demented Demon Fist, Bi Jianghai's cultivation surged, and his maximum strength rose to 2,400,000 ding. His attacks wielded such immense might behind them that it created a feeling of helplessness in those facing it.

"You came just on time!" Without the slightest hint of panic or fear, Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed in excitement as he charged forward with a howl.

Peng peng peng peng!

The air in the surroundings billowed. The duo crossed blows, and to the crowd's astonishment, they were actually equally-matched.

"This..."

"Zhang shi's cultivation is indeed increasing continuously!"

"Clarifying Turbidity realm primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage... How much time has passed since the start of the battle?"

"Pinnacle! He's already at Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle! Has it been ten breaths? Or is it twenty? He actually advanced from Clarifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle in this period of time? How can this be possible?"

...

Everyone thought that with the activation of the Supreme Demented Demon Fist, Zhang shi was doomed. Who could have known that not only did he manage to stand his ground, he was even getting stronger every moment. In just a short twenty breaths, he actually advanced all the way from Clarifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle!

It felt just like a dream even though they were witnessing the sight with their own eyes.

This was way too fearsome!

There were many who spent decades to progress from Clarifying Turbidity realm primary stage to pinnacle, and yet, in less than a single minute, Zhang shi had managed to achieve the very same feat while reinforcing his cultivation on top of that!

His rate of progress would leave those who dared to proclaim themselves as geniuses ashamed.

Hong shi's face also paled upon seeing the sight, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "To use the pressure from the soul and zhenqi of a Consonant Spirit realm to temper one's body and quicken the separation of 'turbid' and 'clear' so as to raise one's cultivation, even I am miles apart from him in terms of guts and confidence!"

With his eye of discernment, he was able to see through Zhang Xuan's intentions as well.

For a Clarifying Turbidity realm cultivator to face a Consonant Spirit realm expert without fear and even use the latter to temper oneself and break through one's bottleneck, it was hard to tell whether even Pavilion Master Mo would be capable of such a feat.

Hong shi knew that Zhang shi would surely excel in all aspects as a master teacher. After all, with guidance of a potential 8-star master teacher, it would be hard to believe that he was ordinary... But it seemed like he was still underestimating the latter. Even the latter's seeming weakness-his cultivation-was also unmatched by others as well.

It was as if they were people from two different worlds.

"It seems like he is the champion of this tournament."

Only at this moment did Hong shi's floating heart finally find ground.

Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan had taken out one high-tier spirit stone to get on good terms with Zhang shi and Yang shi. Fortunately, Hong shi had managed to accomplish the implied mission the he had for him.

As expected of the student of an 8-star master teacher, Zhang shi was truly superior in all aspects, even his fighting prowess and mental fortitude.

Hong!

While anxiety and nervousness overwhelmed the crowd below, on the stage, Zhang Xuan had reached a very profound state of mind.

In truth, the plan to make use of the other party's might to advance his cultivation was just a thought he had all of a sudden. He thought that it would be extremely difficult to succeed, but the results turned out to be much better than he thought.

As concentrated zhenqi flowed through his meridians like a torrent, Zhang Xuan's aura and strength increased qualitatively.

Under normal circumstances, even when using a middle-tier spirit stone, it would take at least two hours before he could reach Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle. But this time, not only did he reach Clarifying Turbidity realm pinnacle within an extremely short period of time, on top of that, his zhenqi capacity had increased significantly, and his ability to drive zhenqi was also enhanced. All of these would be equivalent to several months of effort, thus saving him a lot of time on cultivation.

At Yin-Yang realm pinnacle, he possessed 1,000,000 ding of strength. At this moment, it had increased by twofold to 2,000,000 ding!

Factoring in the strength of 1,600,000 ding derived from his soul cultivation, it totaled up to 3,600,000 ding. With such might, he could kill even a Consonant Spirit realm pinnacle expert with a single punch.

After all, a normal Consonant Spirit realm cultivator would only possess 2,000,000 ding of might in primary stage, 2,400,000 ding in intermediate stage, 2,800,000 ding in advanced stage, and 3,200,000 ding in pinnacle!

Power!

While he was enjoying the changes his body was undergoing, Bi Jianghai was about to go insane.

Under normal circumstances, his opponent should have been subdued after executing his ultimate technique.

Who knew that... the more he fought, the colder his heart became. He had tried all means and tricks, but it seemed as though the other party could deal with his attacks leisurely as though they were nothing. This made him feel extremely embarrassed, and he found his tolerance hitting its limit.

"I'll destroy you!"

Roaring furiously, he utilized every ounce of energy contained within his body without any reservations.

The rampaging zhenqi gushed out as though a torrent, swallowing Zhang Xuan whole in an instant.

"This is bad!"

Hong shi, Pavilion Master Kang, and the others narrowed their eyes.

This was no longer just a duel anymore. With such frenzied offense, this was already at the level of a life-and-death combat. The slightest mistake could lead to the death of one party.

"This is madness! He has gone mad!"

The faces of the elders of Gazing River Sect turned ghastly pale.

Even though they weren't present in the encounter with Yang shi, they had heard some secret intelligence from their sources and knew that Zhang shi's background was extraordinary.

Otherwise, given how many artifacts and humans he had broken, he would have already been stripped of his rights as a participant of this tournament. It wasn't just once that they had seen the frenzied expression of the usually composed Hong shi in the course of this tournament, and the fact that he still allowed Zhang shi to continue despite all of the trouble he had caused affirmed their doubts.

To actually try to kill a figure with such powerful backing with all your might, what else can you be if not insane?

Just as everyone was panicking, Zhang Xuan, whose consciousness had finally returned from feeling his internal changes, noticed the rampaging energy before him. Thus, he casually waved his palm.

Boom!

A cloud of dust flew up. But even amidst the cloud of dust...

Sou!

Bi Jianghai, who had channeled all of his strength against Zhang Xuan, was sent flying as though a mosquito struck by a fly swat. In an instant, just like Wu Tianhao from before, he flew into the sky.

"Ah?"

"What happened?"

"I've no idea too. I saw Zhang shi casually waving his palm and Bi shi was suddenly sent flying..."

Everyone was dumbstruck.

After so many matches, they had a clear gauge of Zhang shi's strength already. Going by rational deduction, he should have been pummeled to the point that his head would have swollen to the size reminiscent to that of a pig's head already. Yet, not only was he completely fine, the Consonant Spirit realm Bi shi was sent flying instead... What in the world happened?

When did Zhang shi become so mighty?

"This..."

Seeing Bi shi sent flying into the distance, Zhang Xuan finally awakened fully from his trance, and his eyes widened in shock. Scratching his head helplessly, he was extremely tempted to cry. He quickly tried to explain himself, "I didn't do it intentionally..."

His concentration had lapsed for a moment due to his breakthrough, thus resulting in him overexerting his strength. On top of that, he also didn't expect that seemingly formidable fellow a moment ago would be so weak...

What in the world was this? It was one thing for him to injure those participants before, but now, he even sent his opponent of the finals flying with a single slap. At this point, all he could see of the other party was a black dot... If he were to say that he didn't do it intentionally, would anyone believe him?

"Bi shi..."

Seeing the genius of their sect disappearing further and further from sight, the few elders whose heart was hanging a moment ago heaved a huge sigh of relief.

"Hong shi and everyone else, it's due to the lack of discipline in our Gazing River Sect that we nearly caused a huge calamity. We'll bring Bi Jianghai back now and teach him a lesson immediately. We're too embarrassed to accept second place..."

One of the elders-in-charge of Gazing River Sect stood up and apologized in embarrassment.

In the Master Teacher Tournament, everyone knew the accepted limits and stopped appropriately. On the other hand, the genius of their sect actually tried to kill his opponent. If not for Zhang shi achieving a breakthrough at the very last moment, he might have actually died.

With such lack in decorum, it could be said that they had infringed on the rules of the tournament. Even if no one spoke a word, they would still be too embarrassed to remain here.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

What in the world are you talking about? If that's the case, shouldn't my right as a participant have been revoked for many times already?

"Elder, you are being too harsh on yourself. Bi shi only lost his calmness and struck a little harshly due to my provocative actions. In truth, he hasn't caused any damage at all. Why don't we just call it quits..."

"You're willing to let the matter go? Thank you, Zhang shi!"

Hearing Zhang shi plead on behalf of their sect, the faces of the elders of Gazing River Sect reddened in agitation, and the entire group knelt to the floor.

Did you see that?

This is the magnanimity a master teacher should have!

Bi Jianghai watched tearfully in the air. 'Magnanimity? I would love to have it as well. But to do so... I would have to defeat this monster first...'

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Chapter 602: Combat Soul Constitution

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Alright. Since the champion of our tournament is already decided, let's move on to determine the other placings..."

After calming down the agitated crowd, Hong shi continued on with the tournament.

At the current moment, only the first and second places were decided. The tournament still had to go on to determine the third to the tenth place.

After all the excitement, the crowd was lacking in interest for the duels that followed. Two hours later, the top ten places for the Master Teacher Tournament were finally out.

Wei Yuqing, who suffered a tragic defeat against Zhang Xuan, performed extraordinarily well in the remaining duels and successfully advanced into the top ten. Qin Lei, who was eliminated by Ruohuan gongzi back then, also displayed spectacular abilities and clinched ninth place.

Actually, if not for Zhang Xuan's interference, he would be at least in the top five placing. Nevertheless, being in the ninth place, he was at least granted the opportunity to become a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well, thus making this trip worthwhile.

"Zhang shi, here is your prize!"

Once the placings were confirmed, the prizes were given out. The first place was given a high-tier spirit stone, an opportunity to study at Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and three days to cultivate in the Cleansing Lake.

While presenting the prize to Zhang Xuan, Hong shi sent a telepathic message over. "Zhang shi, the high-tier spirit stone is a private gift from Pavilion Master Mo Gaoyuan to the participant in the first place..."

Since Pavilion Master Mo intended to express his goodwill to Zhang shi and Yang shi, naturally, his name should be made known to the other party. Otherwise, wouldn't everything be done in vain?

Only then did Zhang Xuan come to a realization.

This explained why the prize this year was much more generous than previous years!

In truth, it wasn't too difficult to guess this. Given 'Yang shi's' astounding means, it was natural that Pavilion Master Mo would want to get on his good side.

In any case, this matter was beneficial to Zhang Xuan.

After all, that was a high-tier spirit stone! Its value was equivalent to ten thousand middle-tier spirit stone. If not to embarrass himself, Zhang Xuan would have surely opened the jade box then and started examining the spirit stone already.

Placing the prize carefully in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan was filled with agitation and excitement.

With a high-tier spirit stone in his possession, his future cultivation would become much easier. At least in the short run, he wouldn't have to worry about spiritual energy anymore.

After distributing the prizes, Hong shi announced, "Alright. The Master Teacher Tournament has come to a conclusion. The top three of the tournament shall follow me to Huanyu Empire tomorrow to claim their prize of cultivating in the Cleansing Lake!"

"Tomorrow?"

"So soon?"

"There's no choice. Huanyu Empire is more than a million kilometers away, and if we don't rush there, we might miss the opening of the Cleansing Lake. If so, we might miss this opportunity!"

"That's true. The Cleansing Lake opens at the start of the year for each opening, and there's barely a month until then. If we don't rush now, we might fail to make it in time..."

Upon hearing from Hong shi that they were leaving tomorrow, the participants were astonished. However, they soon understood his intentions.

The Cleansing Lake was the most valuable treasure of the Huanyu Empire's royalty, as well as the foundation of its establishment. The grounds would be opened once every decade, and it wasn't too long to it now. If they didn't hurry now, they might just miss this opportunity by.

"Alright, you should return to make preparations. We'll set off tomorrow noon!"

Hong shi waved his hands to dismiss the group.

By now, it was already late at night, and the time left for them to prepare was less than a day.

"I should also make some preparations!"

Zhang Xuan stood up.

There were many things he had to deal with, and time was tight.

"Pavilion Master Kang, thank you for your care during this period of time. This is a cultivation technique my teacher prepared for you, and if you were to cultivate it accordingly, it should assist you in reaching Consonant Spirit realm!"

Flicking his wrist, a book appeared in Zhang Xuan's palm as he passed it over.

Pavilion Master Kang had really helped him a lot during this period of time, especially the trip to the Glacier Plain Court. Without his help, it would be impossible for him to nurture his soul sufficiently so as to divide into two and successfully forge his clone. At the same time, Zhao Ya wouldn't have met with such a rare opportunity either.

As such, Zhang Xuan specially compiled a cultivation technique manual to deal with the various flaws the other party suffered from. As long as the other party cultivated along with it, it would just be a matter of time before he reached Consonant Spirit realm.

"Reach Consonant Spirit realm? This cultivation technique was prepared by Yang shi?"

Pavilion Master Kang's breathing immediately hastened, and his eyes reddened in agitation.

Yang shi, an existence likely to be an 8-star master teacher. Just receiving a single pointer from such a person was a huge blessing in itself. To think that he would even have a cultivation technique created just for him, he truly had no idea how he could ever repay this favor.

Putong!

Pavilion Master Kang kneeled onto the floor, and with a grim expression, he kowtowed eight times toward Zhang Xuan's residence before standing up.

"Su shi and Ling shi, these are yours..."

Of course, Zhang Xuan couldn't possibly forget about these two. Without them, he wouldn't have been able to participate in the Master Teacher Tournament.

After receiving the cultivation technique, Su shi and Ling shi also thanked him profusely.

Zhang Xuan had always remembered grudges and favors clearly.

"Zhang shi, can I follow you to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy?"

Knowing that Zhang Xuan was about to leave, Zhao Feiwu's eyes reddened.

This young man had solved her ailment, granting her a whole new life. Gratitude, along with the experiences at Xuanyuan Kingdom, soul oracle tomb, and such, had left her with an indescribable emotion toward the latter. Just that, she was too embarrassed to face her own emotions.

But now that separation was right before them, she couldn't hold herself back anymore.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan said, "Your cultivation is still too low, you might stumble into a lot of trouble if you were to head there now. It would be safer if you study under Pavilion Master Kang here!"

After which, he turned to the elder beside him and said grimly, "Pavilion Master Kang, I'll be entrusting Princess Feiwu to you!"

"Hehe, Zhang shi, you need not worry. I'll take her in as my direct disciple and teach her well. I won't let you or Yang shi down!" Pavilion Master Kang gave his word.

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

Actually, this was also another reason why he gave Pavilion Master Kang the cultivation technique manual.

Along the way, Zhao Feiwu had helped him a lot. As the daughter of the alliance head, she was unlikely to care much about fortune, resources, or so. Rather than that, it would be more practical to help her find a good teacher. This way, she would be able to live the life she wanted.

And Pavilion Master Kang was clearly the most suitable choice.

"Thank you, Zhang shi..."

Hearing the arrangements, Zhao Feiwu flashed a bitter smile and thanked Zhang shi. She found the entire matter hard to accept, but knowing that Zhang shi was doing this with her welfare at heart, she eventually nodded her head.

Zhang shi was destined to achieve great things in the future. A small, little princess of the alliance like her couldn't possibly compare to him. No matter how reluctant she was, she knew she had to let go.

After bidding Pavilion Master Kang and the others farewell, Zhang Xuan returned to his residence. The moment he entered, he saw Mo Hunsheng walking over with widened strides.

"Zhang shi!"

Mo Hunsheng clasped his fist.

"How is it?" Zhang Xuan asked.

He had asked the latter regarding Lu Chong's condition even before joining the Master Teacher Tournament. After a day of effort, the latter should have some results by now.

"Reporting to young master, Young Master Lu Chong has just finished his cultivation, and I've taken a look at his condition. If I'm not mistaken, it's a unique constitution among soul oracles... [Combat Soul Constitution]!" Mo Hunsheng said.

"Unique constitution?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

If the latter really had a unique constitution, the Library of Heaven's Path should have already long detected it. How could it elude him?

"Combat Soul Constitution is not something one is born with. Usually, it is developed after a life-and-death experience or a wave of immense emotions. Such a constitution is extremely rare and cannot be emulated by any means. If I'm not mistaken, Young Master Lu Chong has only just awakened it..." Mo Hunsheng explained.

"Let's go over to take a look!"

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan walked into the courtyard.

Not too far from the corridor, Lu Chong was cultivating while standing. His soul was dancing in the air, and it seemed to carry a majestic aura to it.

"Transcendent Mortal 2-dan soul?" Zhang Xuan's eyes widened in shock.

When he left earlier this morning, the latter was still at Zongshi realm only. How could he become so powerful over a single day?

Soul cultivation was similar to zhenqi cultivation in the sense that it was slow and accumulative. To actually break through four cultivation realms-Zhizun, Half-Transcension, Prolonged Longevity, and Origin Energy realm-in a single day... that was really way too fast!

"Flaws!"

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan willed.

Weng!

With a soft buzz, a book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path.

Quickly flipping it open, Zhang Xuan swiftly browsed through the content and froze.

Lu Chong was indeed different from before. Just as Mo Hunsheng said, he had awoken the Combat Soul Constitution.

But from the looks of it, this awakening seemed to be incomplete.

Recalling what he encountered in the other party's consciousness, a thought emerged in Zhang Xuan's head.

'This is probably what I saw back then...'

Back then, when he used the Soulrouse Incense to wake up the other party's soul, he had seen a gigantic figure lying in the other party's consciousness. Thinking about it now, that should be the result of the Combat Soul Constitution.

"Regarding this constitution... How can it be awakened?"

Zhang Xuan glanced at the Soulless Metal Humanoid before him.

After a moment of contemplation, Mo Hunsheng replied, "Reporting to young master, it's extremely troublesome to awaken such a constitution totally. It might require a visit to the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles!"

"Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles?" Zhang Xuan was stunned.

Mo Hunsheng hesitated for a moment before he said, "Yes, that is the place where soul oracles originate from. In the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles, one can find the energy of ancient souls, that is a crucial catalyst to awakening the Combat Soul Constitution completely. There's no other way around it!"

"Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles? Where is that?"

"It is... at the utmost east of the continent. I also don't know exactly how far it is from here..." Mo Hunsheng scratched his head.

"You don't know how far it is from here?" Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

If it was too far, how was he supposed to head there?

The Master Teacher Continent was incomparably vast, and even several hundred thousand kilometers would require many days of flight. Yet, from Mo Hunsheng's tone, it was apparent that he meant a distance of dozens or even a hundred million kilometers...

Without several years of traveling, it was impossible to cover such distance.

"Actually... if young master trusts me, I can take Young Master Lu Chong there. This way, it won't interrupt your cultivation while allowing Young Master Lu Chong to grow swiftly," Mo Hunsheng said.

"You'll take him there?"

Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation.

If he wanted to climb up as a master teacher, he would have to remain in public view. Furthermore, with the threat known as the Innate Fetal Poison looming above him, spending several years searching for the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles was clearly too much of a luxury for him to afford.

However, if he were to delay Lu Chong's growth by forcing the other party to follow him, it would indeed be unfair for the other party.

The ideal situation was indeed to split up.

"We'll see what he thinks!"

After a moment of thought, Zhang Xuan felt that Lu Chong should have the right to decide.

Thus, he interrupted Lu Chong's cultivation and explained the matter to him.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, the young man nodded his head earnestly.

"Teacher, I wish to go to the Ancient Domain of Soul Oracles!"

He shared the same thoughts as Zhao Ya when she made her decision back then. He knew that he would only be a burden if he were to remain by his teacher's side. If he were to grasp this opportunity, he might be able to be of true use to his teacher in the future.

He didn't wish to remain as a burden to his teacher.

"Since you've made up your mind, I'll respect your decision. Mo Hunsheng, I'll be leaving Lu Chong to your care!"

Seeing that Lu Chong had made his decision, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before nodding his head.

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Chapter 603: Lecture (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

There would eventually come a day when a student would have to leave their teacher.

Zhang Xuan understood this fact, and he knew he would have to part with his students one day. Ever since the incident with Zhao Ya, he had been preparing himself mentally. But even so, he still found himself gripped with reluctance when faced with the situation.

"This is a surge of zhenqi from me. It should help you if you face danger!"

Pulling Lu Chong to a room, Zhang Xuan began delegating some matters to him.

His plight was very different from that of Zhao Ya. Zhao Ya would be taken care of by the Glacier Plain Court, and it was unlikely that she would be in any danger. On the other hand, Lu Chong and Mo Hunsheng would be traversing across the continent to search for a place which might not even exist. The journey would be fraught with danger, and this surge of zhenqi may help to protect them, even if just once.

"Demon Cinque, you shall follow Lu Chong..."

After instructing some matters, Zhang Xuan called Demon Cinque Beast over.

While safety shouldn't be a problem given that a Transcendent Mortal 9-dan expert, Mo Hunsheng, was escorting him, they would still require an aerial spirit beast for their travel. As a Transcendent Mortal 5-dan spirit beast, Demon Cinque Beast should prove to be useful for them.

After settling all of the issues he could foresee, he brought Lu Chong to Wang Ying and the others for them to bid their farewell.

Two of the original six students have left, and everyone couldn't help but feel slightly depressed.

After settling the arrangements regarding Lu Chong, Zhang Xuan went to look for his 'junior', Garden Owner Xue.

For the time being, the latter didn't have any intention of heading to a higher-tier empire, so she wasn't going to tag along with Zhang Xuan.

By the time everything was done, the sun was already up in the sky, and it was soon going to be the meeting time with Hong shi and the others.

"Let's go!"

With everything settled, Zhang Xuan proceeded to the square near the Alliance Head Residence with Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the other students beside him.

Since he had promised to conduct a lecture, he decided to settle this too before leaving.

However, before he could even reach the square, he could already see an uncountable number of people in the square, stretching all the way to the limits of his eyes.

"Sect Leader Hu, you're here to listen to Zhang shi's lecture as well?"

"Well, this is the first champion of the Master Teacher Tournament who won with such a huge landslide. Since he is going to conduct a lecture, there's no way I can miss this!"

"Indeed. There are several centuries of history behind the Master Teacher Tournament already, and Zhang Xuan is the first person to achieve such astounding records. Look, even Sect Leader Zhi and Sect Leader Liu are here..."

"You're right! Even Hong shi's lectures wouldn't be met with such popularity..."

"I don't know about how popular Hong shi's lectures are, but at the very least, we half 5-star master teachers wouldn't be able to match up to this..."

"There are so many people here that I can't help but feel envious. Speaking of which, I tried putting myself into Zhang shi's position in the tournament, but I realized that I wouldn't be able to emulate his achievements at all! To think that a person who has just passed the 4-star master teacher examination would be able to achieve feats beyond that of a half 5-star master teacher... It is no wonder why he enjoys such exploding popularity!"

...

The entire square was full of life.

"All of them are here to listen to my lecture?"

Zhang Xuan blinked his eyes in shock.

In his view, it would already be a huge achievement if several thousand people were to attend his lecture on the basics of cultivation. Never could he have expected that he would be able to rally so many people here. For a moment, he even suspected that there was a second, hidden stage to the Master Teacher Tournament that he was unaware of.

How many people are there here?

Hundred thousand? A million?

Not to mention... There were many who were hanging on walls and standing on trees as though ninjas as well.

And what is with those aerial savage beasts in the sky?

"I heard that those who were unable to get a seat in your lecture went to rent savage beasts from the Beast Hall..." Pavilion Master Kang explained awkwardly.

"I understand the part about aerial savage beast, but what about those grounded ones?"

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask about them.

He could understand the reason behind the mass of aerial savage beasts in the sky, but by the side of the square, there was also a bunch of land savage beasts lying down. There was the Sabretooth Tiger, Half-limbed Gale Wolf, Sable Ape...

What were they doing here?

"After hearing that you were going to conduct a lecture, Hall Master Han Chong of the Beast Hall sent all of the savage beasts and spirit beasts in the Beast Hall over to support you," Pavilion Master Kang said.

"..." Zhang Xuan.

This could be called support as well?

Just the beast tamers would suffice; what kind of support are you giving me through sending this bunch of savage beasts over?

"Actually, Zhang shi's reputation is simply too great. Knowing that you are going to conduct a lecture, there is no one who is willing to be left out!" Pavilion Master Kang said.

In truth, Hall Master Han had no choice either... After the Master Teacher Tournament, Zhang shi's reputation exploded. Everyone wanted to listen to the lecture that was to be conducted by this top-notch genius... Even the intelligent savage beasts and spirit beasts couldn't hold themselves back...

And thus, such a sight occurred.

The square outside the Alliance Head Residence was extremely vast, and it could contain even a million people at once. And yet, at this very moment, it was so cramped that there was hardly room for one to fidget. Even Pavilion Master Kang himself found such a sight unbelievable.

He had conducted similar public lectures before, and with fifty thousand people participating, that event was proclaimed to have changed the history of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion. Never in his dreams did he expect the popularity of Zhang shi's lecture to be so over the top...

There were indeed vast differences even among fellow humans...

"Forget it. It doesn't matter how many people are here, I just have to conduct my lecture properly!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan decided not to think too much into it. Thus, he raised his foot and began heading toward the stage at the very center of the square.

...

Li Hanbing was sixteen this year, and he was a beggar. He had been an orphan as far as he could remember, and he had always been a subject of mockery and a target for humiliation.

His greatest dream was to become an expert, but what a pity it was... His humble background disallowed him from obtaining any cultivation technique or cultivation resources.

As the saying goes, the poor study and the rich train. Without sufficient resources to back up one's cultivation and the guidance of teachers, it was difficult for him to make any progress.

As such, despite being sixteen this year, he was still trapped in Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, unable to make any progress.

Most probably, he would remain this way for his entire life.

He thought that it would be impossible for him to ever listen to the lecture of a master teacher. But one day, he suddenly heard that an incredibly talented master teacher known as Zhang shi was going to conduct a public lecture on the basics of cultivation... Upon hearing this news, he rushed to the square the night before to secure a spot for himself before waiting patiently.

"It's starting..."

After a long wait, he saw a figure walking majestically up the stage.

"This Zhang shi doesn't seem much older than me..."

He thought that the champion of the Master Teacher Tournament would at least be in his late thirties, but the latter didn't even seem to have reached his twenties yet. He couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment.

He had waited for an entire day, but at this moment, he feared that he might have only wasted his time.

Would his hopes fall flat once again, just as they had many times before?

In truth, the Master Teacher Pavilion would organize public lectures every month, but the content tended to be rather profound. An orphan like him who had never gone through proper education wouldn't understand a single word of it, and thus, wouldn't benefit from it as well.

He had tried attending those several times, but he quickly realized that it was futile. On the contrary, he lost confidence instead.

There were some master teachers, who like proud academics, wished to be recognized and wanted to be respected for their work. There was no problem with this, but they treated these public lectures as a platform to showcase their knowledge... and if the content of their lecture was too simple, it would seem as though they were incapable.

As such thoughts proliferated among the master teachers, the culture behind the public lectures seemed to change as well. Earnest cultivators attending the lecture soon realized that those lectures were impractical for them.

Considering the young age and astounding accomplishments of the person on the stage, it was likely he would just be yet another proud master teacher fishing for glory through this public lecture. It seemed that... he would only be disappointed once again.

"Seeking the Heaven's Path can be viewed as an arrow placed against a bowstring. Too high, it has to be lowered; too low, it has to be raised; too taut, it has to be loosened; too loose, it has to be tightened. Heaven's Path is about supplementing one's deficiencies with one's strengths..."

Hu!

A voice sounded in his ear.

Even though he was a thousand meters away from the stage, every single word of Zhang shi reached his ears with resounding clarity.

"As expected, I don't understand it at all..."

Listening attentively, he realized that this public lecture was no different from those he had attended before. He couldn't understand a word at all.

In the end, all master teachers were cut from the same cloth. Public lectures were just platforms for them to boast about their knowledge; it mattered not to them whether it was meaningful to their audience or not.

And those audiences were also equally hypocritical... For fear of exposing their ignorance, instead of questioning the lecturer, they feigned understanding and even showered the lecturer with praises.

After all, if one turned out to be the only unknowledgeable one in the room, how embarrassing would that be?

This is simply human nature...

Shaking his head in disappointment, Li Hanbing stood up and prepared to leave. But right after he took his first step, he suddenly felt a jolt in his acupoint. Following which, he felt a numbing sensation in his Baihai acupoint, and a huge wave of spiritual energy was drawn in from the surroundings and circulated continuously throughout his body.

Kacha! Kacha!

With a crisp sound, he noticed something similar to small lake appearing within his lower abdomen.

"This is... dantian?"

Li Hanbing's eyes widened in shock, and his body trembled.

After breaking through Fighter 1-dan Juxi realm, one would form a dantian in one's lower abdomen, allowing one to store spiritual energy... Li Hanbing had been trapped in Juxi realm for a very long time, and he thought that this would remain so... Who could have known that a few words from Zhang shi would actually induce a breakthrough within him?

"But I don't understand the content of the lecture at all? Why am I still able to achieve a breakthrough?"

Li Hanbing was stunned.

He didn't understand a single word of what Zhang shi said, so... how could he have suddenly achieved a breakthrough?

Shouldn't the lecture be ineffective to his cultivation if he couldn't understand a word of it?

Raising his head to look around, he saw several beggars, who had come here along with him, sitting on the floor with smiles overflowing with happiness on their faces. Their auras had also grown significantly stronger.

"Heaven's Path is about supplementing one's deficiencies with one's strengths... So, this is the law of nature. It means that only if we cultivate alongside the flow of nature can we improve quickly..."

Suddenly, a thought emerged in his head.

Even though the other party's words were extremely profound, completely incomprehensible to him, but for some reason, he could understand the intent behind the other party's words as though they were conceptualizing right before him.

Heaven's Path, the law of nature!

Quickly sitting down, he felt his spiritual energy flowing slowly through his dantian.

Kacha! Kacha!

A crisp echo sounded from his body again and yet again as his cultivation soared non-stop.

Dantian realm primary stage!

Dantian realm intermediate stage!

Dantian realm advanced stage!

His cultivation rose quickly as though he were a balloon and someone was blowing into him.

He still couldn't understand the other party's words, but for some reason, he was still able to gain a much deeper understanding of what cultivation was... and it aligned with his own comprehension of it as well.

"This is the lecture of a true master teacher..."

As though having drunk a heavenly brew, a smile slowly crept onto Li Hanbing's face.

His happiness wasn't derived from his rise in cultivation, but the knowledge that was slowly building up within him. He could actually understand the intent behind the other party's words clearly! It was as if the lecturer, Zhang shi, was conducting a one-to-one lesson for him!

As he listened on, the spiritual energy in his body continued circulating, and all of a sudden, his body jolted lightly-Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm, reached!

Zhenqi realm could be considered as one's official inauguration as a cultivator. To think that a beggar like him could actually reach such a level as well...

Zhang shi, from today onward, you will be the only teacher I will ever recognize!

Li Hanbing kneeled onto the floor as he made a solemn vow.

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Chapter 604: Lecture (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the vast main hall of the Fleeting Cloud Sect's base in Myriad Kingdom City, Sect Leader Luo Huang glanced at the young man before him.

"Others might not have realized anything in the previous duel, but don't think you can hide it from me. I've been your teacher for more than decade now!"

"I knew that I wouldn't be able to hide it from you..."

Smiling bitterly, Luo Xuan admitted to it frankly. "I did hold myself back in the duel with Bi Jianghai!"

"For what reason?" Sect Leader Luo Huang asked.

"Given Zhang shi's ability, there's no doubt that he would be able to progress on to the finals. If I were to defeat Bi shi, I would have to face him. As teacher knows, our relationship with Zhang shi is rather poor at the moment. Rather than worsen the conflict with him... I might as well forfeit and allow the Gazing River Sect to deal with this trouble!"

Luo Xuan clasped his fist, and with an apologetic look, he continued, "Teacher, please pardon me for making such a decision of my own accord!"

"Good. The fact that you were able to think that far means that you've already grown up!"

Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded his head in satisfaction. "Don't worry. Not only am I not blaming you for that, I even want to commend you for your decision! To be able to weigh the pros and cons in the midst of a tournament and make such a decision is indeed no easy feat. Regardless of whether it is Zhang shi or Yang shi, they aren't people we can afford to cross. It's best that we stay out of their path for the moment and slowly mend our relationship with them in the future!"

"Yes. I was also thinking the same!" Luo Xuan nodded.

Seeing his student becoming so sensible, putting the welfare of the sect before his own pride, Sect Leader Luo Huang felt gratified. Stroking his beard, he asked, "So, you've seen Zhang shi's capabilities with your eyes. What do you think about it?"

"Zhang shi?"

A sharp gleam flashed across Luo Xuan eyes, "I can't deny that he's a difficult opponent. There are even several aspects which I am inferior to him in... But if I had proceeded to the finals and challenged him in a duel, I don't think that I would have lost!"

"Oh?" Sect Leader Luo Huang glanced at Luo Xuan in interest.

"Taking the round on knowledge impartation for example, even though he seemed to have fared impressively, if I'm not mistaken, he probably resorted to hypnotism. Otherwise, how could all of the hundred people possibly acknowledge him?" Luo Xuan declared confidently.

Smiling lightly, Sect Leader Luo Huang replied, "You said that he resorted to hypnotism, but what about Huang shi? He also acknowledged Zhang shi as well!"

In that duel, Zhang Xuan even made Huang Zheng desperately attempt to acknowledge him as his teacher, and the incident had made him a huge laughingstock. While the hundred people on the stage could have been hypnotized, how could a 4-star pinnacle master teacher be hypnotized that easily?

Hearing his teacher's words, Luo Xuan sneered coldly, "Actually, if it wasn't for how ridiculous he was behaving, I'd not have seen through Zhang shi's ploy. How could a 4-star pinnacle master teacher possessing a Soul Depth beyond 14.0 possibly willingly acknowledge Zhang shi, who wasn't even using Impartation of Heaven's Will then, as his teacher? This in itself is a huge joke!"

As a fellow 4-star pinnacle master teacher, Luo Xuan knew how formidable and proud experts of his class were. If Zhang shi had used Impartation of Heaven's Will, there might still be a possibility of it happening; after all, one would be forced to move contrary to one's will. However, to win over Huang shi with just basic knowledge of cultivation in itself... Are you trying to fool a three-year-old kid?

"He must have feigned it to please Zhang shi. But in the end, his acting turned out to be too poor, and his plan backfired on him!" Luo Xuan harrumphed.

Even a 5-star master teacher couldn't possibly win over a 4-star master teacher by lecturing on basic knowledge. If Zhang shi was truly capable of such as feat, it would mean that his capability already surpasses that of a 5-star master teacher!

"It's a rational argument. Is that the reason why you refused to attend his public lecture?" Sect Leader Luo Huang nodded in agreement.

They had heard of Zhang shi's public lecture, but they didn't think there was any need for them to attend it.

"It's just a lecture on basic knowledge, what is there to listen to? In the end, it all boils down to the same old things. I'm sure I could conduct one as well as his, so there's no point wasting my time there," Luo Xuan replied. After which, he clasped his fist confidently and said, "Teacher, I wish to attempt a breakthrough to Consonant Spirit realm right now. Can you guard me for a moment?"

"Hehe, don't worry about it!" Sect Leader Luo Huang smiled.

"Thank you, teacher!" Replying gratefully, Luo Xuan sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.

In truth, he could have made a breakthrough during the fight with Bi Jianghai as well, but he intentionally suppressed his cultivation.

Once he achieved that breakthrough, his strength would soar. By then, he wouldn't have a legitimate reason to lose to the other party anymore.

Gugugugu!

Energy flowed through his body, creating a sound reminiscent to the croaking of frogs. Luo Xuan drove his cultivation swiftly in an attempt to break through the final wall blocking his path.

"Hmm? Why can't I absorb any spiritual energy?"

But a moment later, he opened his eyes.

No matter how hard he tried to draw in spiritual energy, it was completely ineffective. It was as if the spiritual energy in the air was dried out, rendering him incapable of cultivating.

"Sect leader! Sect leader! Bad news..."

Just as he was perplexed by the bizarre situation, an anxious voice suddenly sounded, and Luo Xuan's junior suddenly dashed into the room.

"For you to get so anxious, what's wrong?" Sect Leader Luo Huang's face darkened.

"It's Zhang shi's lecture..." the junior hurriedly said.

"What's wrong with the lecture? Did he create a miracle with the basic knowledge of cultivation?"

Luo Xuan shook his head. Following which, a frown appeared on his forehead, and he questioned, "Didn't teacher ban everyone from attending the lecture? Did you all sneak out?"

"We... didn't go to listen to the lecture. We only went to take a look!" The junior's face turned crimson.

The sect leader did order that no one was to listen to the lecture, but out of curiosity, they sneaked out and saw something that they should have never seen there.

"Take a look? What did you see then?" Luo Xuan asked.

"We saw... in Zhang shi's lecture, spiritual energy was pouring into the square, and many who had been trapped in their bottleneck achieved a breakthrough during the lecture..." the junior said.

"Spiritual energy was pouring into the square? How could that be possible!"

Luo Xuan shook his head.

Spirit Gathering Diction, this is an ability that only 5-star master teachers possess!

How could a 4-star master teacher possibly influence the spiritual energy in the surroundings to such an extent, not to mention, while lecturing on basic knowledge?

"It's true! If you doubt my words, you can try sensing the spiritual energy in the surroundings..." the junior quickly said.

"Spiritual energy?"

Gedeng!

Luo Xuan suddenly recalled his inability to draw in spiritual energy a moment ago.

Just as astonishment struck him, his teacher narrowed his eyes and began trembling uncontrollably. "This is... Spirit Gathering Diction, Ten Li of Vacuum!"

(Li = 0.5km, 10li = 5km)

"Ten Li of Vacuum?"

The two were taken aback.

They had heard of Spirit Gathering Diction-it was an ability that only 5-star master teachers possessed. What does 'Ten Li of Vacuum' means?"

"I-it's... an ability that only 6-star master teachers possess..." Sect Leader Luo Huang's lips trembled as his eyes widened. It seemed like even he dared not believe this to be true.

"6-star master teacher?"

Luo Xuan and the junior trembled in astonishment.

"Rumor has it that 6-star master teachers are able to gather spiritual energy within a ten li radius through their diction for those cultivating under their tutelage, forming a huge vacuum..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang's teeth clattered together. "Under such a situation, a cultivator would grow at a swift pace that is not any inferior to Cultivation Impartation..."

"Zhang shi is only a 4-star master teacher, and the topic he is lecturing on is only basic knowledge of cultivation. How could the ability that only 6-star master teachers possess be triggered?"

Luo Xuan was in disbelief.

It was just a moment ago that he declared confidently that the other party had cheated in a knowledge impartation match. Yet, in the blink of an eye, the other party had drawn in spiritual energy from a ten li radius for his lecture...

Are you serious?

"No matter how he did it, hurry up and gather the members of our sect and have them attend the lecture! Otherwise, our Fleeting Cloud Sect will lag behind the other sects, and it won't be long before we lose our title as the strongest power..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang immediately stood up in a panic.

A lecture that could create 'Ten Li of Vacuum' would definitely be highly beneficial to one's future cultivation... And yet, their entire sect actually missed it! The loss they suffered from this oversight in decision was incalculable!

It could be foreseen that the sects who went to listen to the lecture would surely find their overall fighting prowess soaring, and it would just be a matter of time before they surpassed their Fleeting Cloud Sect.

This was especially so for the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Most of the people who attended the lecture were from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. The deeper understanding of cultivation they gained from the lecture had created a bright future for all of them.

With this group of 'potential experts', in less than twenty years, the Myriad Kingdom Alliance could possibly soar to the peak of the twenty-eight regional powers.

It was for the ability to nurture many experts that high-tier master teachers were feared and respected.

"Attend the lecture? It's too late. Zhang shi is only lecturing for two hours and... it's about to end already. Besides, even if we were to head there now, there's already no space for us..." the junior said.

"No space..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang's face paled, and he nearly fell to the ground.

Indeed. Upon sensing spiritual energy disappearing from the surroundings, which cultivator wouldn't rush over to listen to the lecture?

It was already too late for them.

"Our Fleeting Cloud Sect... We lost a chance to climb to greater heights... just like that..."

Sect Leader Luo Huang's body trembled in regret.

If only they had attended the lecture, with the huge amount of resources their sect possessed, they would surely have risen the quickest. Surpassing Hongfeng Empire, where Hong shi came from, wouldn't be a dream. But now... they could only sigh in lamentation.

The opportunity had already slipped past their fingers, and no matter how they clawed at it, they couldn't possibly take it back.

"You said that... you would be able to conduct a lecture as well as him?"

The more he thought about, the more stifled he felt. Thus, he turned his gaze over to Luo Xuan.

"I..."

Luo Xuan's body trembled, and he nearly burst into tears.

He thought that the gap between him and Zhang shi wasn't too wide, and he could catch up with some diligence. Only at this instant did he realize that they were of completely different standing, and there was no basis of comparison at all!

It was laughable that he even got ahead of himself and lost intentionally in the fight against Bi Jianghai so as to not offend Zhang shi in case he won the finals. Even if he had got into the finals... the only possible fate was to be crushed!

"It seems it wasn't hypnotism that all one-hundred people acknowledged him... he indeed possesses such capability!"

How could a person capable of employing 'Ten Li of Vacuum' possibly lower his pride to hypnotize others just to win? Not to mention, a person with such capability could possibly win easily even without it...

Huang shi and the other cultivators were earnestly acknowledging Zhang shi as their teacher...

And they noticed this fact way too late!

...

The same sight was also occurring in the other sects who skipped the lecture.

Upon learning that Zhang shi had managed to induce Ten Li of Vacuum through a lecture, everyone flew into a frenzy.

Those who attended such a lecture would surely walk out of it with an incomparably solid foundation. Very few bottlenecks could stifle their cultivation in the future, and they would grow stronger swiftly.

It could be said that this two-hour lecture would determine their fate. No amount of gold or spirit stones could make up for this loss of opportunity.

...

"It seems like... the rise of Myriad Kingdom Alliance is inevitable. It's time to redraw the map of the twenty-eight regional powers!"

In the Alliance Head Residence, Alliance Head Zhao stood up with his fists tightly clenched. He glanced at the young man lecturing on the stage with eyes reddened in agitation.

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Chapter 605: Capital of Huanyu Empire

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Ever since inheriting the seat of the alliance head, he had been working hard to strengthen the alliance to protect and extend the borders of the empire. But the foundation of Myriad Kingdom Alliance was simply too weak.

The probability of success of the task that he was undertaking was nearly zero.

And yet, this impossibility was shattered with a single lecture from Zhang shi!

The million Myriad Kingdom Alliance citizens listening to the lecture would become sturdy pillars propping up the rise of the empire; it would be impossible to stop the rise of Myriad Kingdom Alliance anymore!

"Zhang shi, thank you..."

Alliance Head Zhao bowed respectfully.

This young man had brought new hope to the entire Myriad Kingdom Alliance!

...

"Using diction to draw in spiritual energy from the world for others to cultivate, is he really... lecturing on fundamental knowledge of cultivation?"

"I once thought that it was a waste of time to uncover the basics thoroughly. But from the looks of it now, I'm mistaken. Sorely mistaken."

"This basic knowledge forms the very foundation of cultivating. It's just like the foundation of a building; only with a strong foundation can it rise to greater heights..."

"I've truly benefitted immensely from this lesson. From today onward, Zhang shi is our half teacher. If anyone intends to harm Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Zhang shi's homeland, in the future, we can't stand idly and watch anymore..."

...

The innumerable experts amidst the crowd thought and discussed similar things.

After listening to Zhang shi's lecture, they were considered as half a student of his. Thus, they felt obliged to stand up for him in the future.

"... protecting one's core and going along with nature, these are the basics of cultivation! Alright, I'll stop my lecture here."

With the lecture coming to an end, the young man on the stage flicked his wrist, and a brush appeared. Painting on midair, a massive phoenix soon appeared before everyone's sight.

Leaping off the ground, the young man stepped onto the back of the phoenix and flew into the distance.

This event would eventually go down in the annals of history.

Myriad Kingdom Alliance Year 3372, winter.

A million cultivators gathered to listen to Zhang shi's lecture, and Ten Li of Vacuum was induced in the course of the lecture.

At the end of which, he soared into the skies on the back of a phoenix.

The million cultivators kneeled down and addressed him as their teacher.

...

White clouds floated over the backdrop of a blue sky. Several massive aerial spirit beasts whizzed across the sky, sending innumerable savage beasts and birds escaping chaotically in fear.

On the back of a spirit beast, Zhang Xuan, who was in the midst of his meditation, slowly opened his eyes.

It had been nearly a month since the public lecture in Myriad Kingdom City.

In this period of time, they had spent nearly every day on the back of the aerial spirit beast, and mental exhaustion was starting to pile up.

As they would be leaving their homeland for a long period of time, the traveling master teachers brought along their family and servants, and Hong shi had to prepared ten whole spirit beasts to house everyone.

None of these spirit beasts possessed cultivation lower than Transcendent Mortal 4-dan, and they caused a huge ruckus no matter where they went, sending countless creatures darting away in fright.

Throughout his journey, Zhang Xuan had been spending his time studying and cultivating. Not only did he reinforce his zhenqi cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 4-dan pinnacle firmly, his soul cultivation even broke through the barrier to Transcendent Mortal 5-dan, and he advanced all the way to pinnacle-tier.

A soul cultivation of Transcendent Mortal 5-dan amounted to a strength of 3,200,000 ding. Stacking his zhenqi cultivation of 2,000,000 ding on top of that, he was able to wield a maximum might of 5,200,000 ding! That was comparable to Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm intermediate stage experts!

Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm; 4,000,000 ding at primary stage, 4,800,000 ding at intermediate stage, 5,600,000 ding at advanced stage, and 6,200,000 ding at pinnacle.

With a might of 5,200,000 ding, Zhang Xuan's strength was near to that of an advanced stage cultivator. At his current strength, it would be difficult for even Hong shi to defeat him.

The cultivation of 4-star master teacher usually ranged from Transcendent Mortal 2-dan to 4-dan.

Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm usually equated to half 5-star master teacher.

Only upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 6-dan Cosmos Bridge realm would one be qualified as a 5-star master teacher.

It hadn't been long since Hong shi had been promoted to a 5-star master teacher, and his cultivation realm was around Cosmos Bridge realm primary stage. If Hong shi didn't exploit the unique ability of his current cultivation realm, he would be unlikely to be able to withstand even a single punch from Zhang Xuan.

To gain the strength equivalent to a 5-star primary master teacher within two months of being promoted to a 4-star master teacher; only a monster like Zhang Xuan would be capable of such a feat.

Zhang Xuan wasn't the only one whose cultivation increased by leaps and bounds. His students, Zheng Yang, Wang Ying, and the others, also witnessed significant growth in their cultivation as well.

Zhao Ya and Lu Chong's departures made them treasure their time with Zhang shi even more. They had been cultivating diligently every single day, and with the huge pool of spirit stones Zhang shi gathered, their cultivation was increasing at an alarming rate on a daily basis.

One by one, the four students managed to reach Transcendent Mortal realm, and at this very moment, their cultivation levels had already stabilized at Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm.

Not only so, Zhang Xuan also reorganized the Heaven's Path battle techniques and imparted them to his students, thus inducing a massive rise in their fighting prowess.

The one who had improved the slowest was probably Butler Sun Qiang.

This fellow didn't possess the slightest interest in cultivation, and as such, he would slack off the moment no eyes were on him. If not for Wang Ying supervising him, he would probably remain in the same cultivation realm for his entire life.

Nevertheless, trapped on the back of a spirit beast, he had nothing better to do either. As such, he had also managed to advance from Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Prolonged Longevity realm to 2-dan Origin Energy realm pinnacle.

At the current point, his cultivation was still higher than Wang Ying, who was the strongest among the remaining students.

The reason for his rapid improvement despite his indolence wasn't due to his talent. Rather, he had consumed a part of Mo Hunsheng's soul, which allowed him to inherit the other party's comprehension of cultivation. With this serving as his foundation, and factoring in Zhang Xuan's guidance and the seemingly endless supply of spirit stones for his use, his progress could be said to be slow already.

It should have been a joyous occasion that everyone was making progress in their training, but the current Zhang Xuan couldn't find the mood to celebrate.

This was because... the six hundred or so spirit stones which he had taken from the Fleeting Cloud Sect and other powers had just completely run dry.

Zheng Yang, Sun Qiang, and the others didn't consume many of them, the culprit behind this incident was mainly Zhang Xuan himself.

Back then, in order to hasten the maturing of the Nine Hearts Lotus, Zhang Xuan expended around two to three hundred middle-tier spirit stones. After which, he gave a portion to the departing Lu Chong and spent another huge bunch to advance his soul cultivation to Consonant Spirit realm...

It could be considered a blessing that the six hundred middle-tier spirit stones lasted them until now...

Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan thought, 'Looks like I'll have to use the high-tier spirit stone for my future cultivation...'

So far, he hadn't used the high-tier spirit stone that he'd received from the Master Teacher Tournament yet as he couldn't bear to use it. But now that his supply of middle-tier spirit stone had run dry, he had no other choice.

"Zhang shi, we're about to reach Huanyu Capital!"

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to take the high-tier spirit stone to take a look, Hong shi suddenly walked over.

For this journey, Hong shi chose to share a ride with him, and along the journey, Zhang Xuan helped solve some of the problems he was facing in his cultivation. In a sense, this was his way of compensating the other party for destroying his artifacts.

Naturally, this was all done in the name of 'Yang shi'.

In any case, the other party seemed to possess absolute to trust to this 'teacher' of his, so there was no harm using the latter's name.

After receiving Zhang Xuan's pointers, Hong shi enjoyed significant improvement in his cultivation. At the same time, his respect for this young master teacher also deepened.

"The capital?"

Zhang Xuan stood up and walked over to the window. A massive city came into his sight.

Pitch-black city walls were embedded into the earth as though a thick iron mail. Countless elegant buildings rose all the way into the distant sky, and from afar, it resembled an undulating mountain range. They bore testimony to the long history of the city.

"Huanyu Capital has more than ten thousand years of history behind it. The founding emperor, Ye Huanyu, led four of his brothers to conquer the lands, thus eventually forming this immense empire!"

Hong shi glanced downward, and both graveness and awe were reflected in his eyes. "The eastern end of the capital is connected to the Verdant Mountain whereas the western end is connected to the Dragon-scaled River. From afar, it looks no different from a sprawling giant."

"Un!" Zhang Xuan lowered his glance to examine the city.

Just as Hong shi had said, the capital was indeed majestic. It extended for hundreds of kilometers. As though a gigantic fortress, just the sight of it created an indestructible image in the minds of onlookers.

Even though there was no complicated formation set up around the capital, it seemed to blend in with nature, creating an unblemished and soothing atmosphere.

"Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion's Pavilion Master Wei Jiang is my teacher, a 5-star pinnacle master teacher and Transcendent Mortal 8-dan pinnacle expert. The emperor, Ye Wentian, has also reached Transcendent Mortal 8-dan as well," Hong shi explained.

"5-star pinnacle master teacher? Transcendent Mortal 8-dan?"

Zhang Xuan's mouth twitched.

Upon reaching Transcendent Mortal 5-dan Consonant Spirit realm, one's soul and body would be harmonized together as one, and one's strength would be brought to whole new heights. One's enhanced soul would also significantly increase one's comprehension of cultivation as well.

Beyond this realm is Cosmos Bridge realm.

Cosmos Bridge realm, a bridge that connects one with the world, creating a unique synergy between man and nature. Even without cultivating consciously, spiritual energy would flow along the bridge into one's body and nourish it, thus inducing a constant rise in one's cultivation.

At this realm, one's zhenqi or soul would grow at a rapid pace. Eventually, one would gain the power to move mountains and displace oceans.

After this realm is Transcendent Mortal 7-dan Perfect Harmonization realm.

Perfect Harmonization realm, the unification of everything into one entity. One's energy would become even purer and aligned with nature. At the same time, one's soul would also grow stronger as well.

Following which is Transcendent Mortal 8-dan Ethereal Treading realm. At this level, one's zhenqi and soul would enjoy a massive growth spurt. More importantly, one would gain some control over the laws of nature, allowing one to step on thin air.

In other words... one would be able to rise up into the skies. However, horizontal motion is still too difficult at this realm, so it couldn't be considered flight yet.

To think that Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion's pavilion master would actually be an expert of this caliber, just the thought of this in itself was frightening.

Even though Zhang Xuan had improved greatly during this period of time, he was still far from matching up to such experts.

But of course, having grasped the Red Dust Heaven Ascending Steps, even if he found himself on the losing end of a fight, he could still escape into the skies safely.

"I've already had someone report our arrival to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and someone should be fetching us soon..."

After introducing Huanyu Empire's emperor and the Master Teacher Pavilion's pavilion master, Hong shi chuckled.

While the twenty-eight regional powers were significantly weaker than Huanyu Empire, the Master Teacher Tournament still held some weight in the empire. Otherwise, Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, wouldn't have been dispatched to host the event

Qiu qiu qiu!

Roar roar roar!

But as soon as he was done saying those words, a series of beast calls sounded, and around a dozen gigantic aerial spirit beasts flew over toward the group.

These aerial spirit beasts weren't too large in size, and a single figure could be seen standing on top every single one of them.

Chuckling lightly, Hong shi said, "Alright, the escorting party is here. Later on, they'll lead us straight to the royal palace..."

But halfway through his words, an impassive voice suddenly sounded in the air.

"Hong Qian, it has been long since we last met... It is unfortunate, but it seems like you came at a bad time. I advise you to turn around and leave immediately!"

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Chapter 606: Obstruction

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Came at a bad time?

Leave?

Zhang Xuan frowned.

Rather than welcoming, this group seemed to be provoking them instead!

If they were here to escort them in, why on Earth would they ask them to leave as soon as they met?

The other master teachers on the back of other spirit beasts also came out of their rooms, curious to see what was going on.

They wanted to see who was so audacious as to speak to Hong shi in such a manner.

"Feng Yu?"

Hearing those words, Hong shi frowned.

"You're right!"

The man on the spirit beast that was leading the entire group chuckled lightly in response.

At this moment, both sides were only several hundred meters apart, and they could already clearly see the appearance of the other. The other party was a fifty-year-old elder dressed in a long, golden robe. His gray beard drifted along with a slight breeze. From his appearance, the other party resembled an enlightened sage.

"I came under the invitation of Huanyu Empire and the Master Teacher Pavilion, and naturally, I've no reason to leave. If Brother Feng wishes to leave, I don't mind sending you off!" Hong shi said.

During which, he sent a telepathic message to Zhang Xuan to explain the situation.

"This Feng Yu is the pavilion master of Fengyuan Empire Master Teacher Pavilion, and the both of us have never been on good terms before. While the twenty-eight powers under Hongfeng Empire were conducting the Master Teacher Tournament, they were doing the same as well..."

"Fengyuan Empire? One of the Four Great Vassal States, Hongfeng Empire?" Zhang Xuan asked.

In the one-month journey, while Zhang Xuan had devoted most of his time to cultivating, he would have occasional chats with this 5-star master teacher, and from the latter, he gained a rough understanding of Huanyu Empire.

Huanyu Empire was a Tier-2 Empire, and under it were four Vassal States: Hongfeng Empire, Fengyuan Empire, Qianfeng Empire, and Zhuyue Empire.

These four states were conferred to the four brothers who fought alongside Founding Emperor Ye Huanyu, and while they were said to be of equal standing to Huanyu Empire, their standing was slightly lower than the former.

The Four Great Vassal States had many smaller empires under them. Take for example Hongfeng Empire where Hong shi came from, it governed the twenty-eight regional powers, namely Myriad Kingdom Alliance, Fleeting Cloud Sect, and so on.

The other three Vassal States were also in the same position.

If Zhang Xuan were to use the knowledge from his previous life to classify this structure, Huanyu Empire would be the entire country while Hongfeng, Fengyuan, and the other Vassal States were provinces. The twenty-eight regional powers would be cities, Conferred Kingdoms like Xuanyuan Kingdom would be towns, and Tier-1 and Tier-2 Kingdoms would be villages.

Just like Hongfeng Empire, the other Vassal States were also conducting the Master Teacher Tournament to pick out the individuals who were qualified to enter the Cleansing Lake.

"Un. I thought that the members of Huanyu Empire's royalty would be here to pick us up, but it seems like they managed to catch hold of the news of our arrival and intercepted the news. As Master Teacher Pavilions of equal standing, a certain degree of rivalry is unavoidable. I fear that they bear hostile intentions."

Hong shi frowned.

Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

Considering how rude the other party was, they were unlikely to be here to have a friendly chat.

And as expected, while the duo was speaking, Master Teacher Feng Yu, who was standing opposite to them, bellowed loudly, "I tried speaking kindly to you, but you just choose not to listen! Hongfeng Empire is the furthest away from Huanyu Empire, and you came late as well, so there may be some things you are unaware of. Since that's the case, allow me to fill you in. While the slots for the Cleansing Lake haven't changed, Crown Prince Ye Qian of the royal family suddenly requires three more slots, and thus, we've had to cut our numbers. In other words... your group has already lost its opportunity to enter the Cleansing Lake! I'll advise you to return now rather than embarrass yourself inside!"

"Requires three more slots?" Hong shi frowned.

Just like the Yin-Yang Lake, the Cleansing Lake also had a strict restriction on the number of people who could enter it. However, the slots were decided on beforehand, so how could Hongfeng Empire lose its slots just because it came late? How could a respected crown prince steal the slots of a Vassal State?

"That's right. Why don't you all report to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy first, there's no point in staying here for you anyway!"

Feng Yu smiled.

"We'll decide for ourselves whether there's any point in staying here or not, so Feng shi need not worry for us!"

Knowing that the other party was surely up to no good for obstructing them here, Hong shi couldn't be bothered to waste his breath. Thus, waving his hands, he turned around and instructed, "Control your spirit beasts well, we'll be heading straight for the Master Teacher Pavilion first."

These aerial spirit beasts were rented from the Beast Hall and driven by its personnel.

Hualala!

Under the beast tamers' control, the spirit beasts immediately formed a line, ready to advance at any moment.

"Hong Qian, aren't you being a little too rude here? I came here to inform you of the matter kindly, and not only did you not reciprocate my favor, you even chose to snub me and leave. What do you mean by this?"

Feng Yu's eyebrows shot up.

"I'll ask teacher and His Majesty personally regarding the issue concerning the slots!"

Hong shi waved his hands.

Huala!

The aerial spirit beasts immediately spread their wings and attempted to bypass the other party by soaring to a greater altitude.

"You just want to do things the hard way. Chen Mo!"

Seeing the other party refusing to heed his advice, Feng Yu narrowed his eyes. He turned around and issued a command.

"Yes!" replied the young man behind him.

With a flick of his wrist, an ancient zither appeared in his palm, and pulling on it lightly, a melodious tune floated in the air.

Triiiing, triiiing!

The melody was constantly alternating between a high note and a low note. The tune was refined, and the melody sounded pleasant to the ear.

"What is he doing with the zither?"

"I've no idea..."

Not only did the zither lack the slightest hostile intentions, it was even gentle. It was extremely comfortable to the ears, and this left the Hongfeng Empire group perplexed.

Since the other party traveled all the way here to obstruct them, there was no reason for the other party to let them pass so easily. Yet, when they tried to leave, all the other party did was to have one of their members play a perfectly ordinary melody on his zither. What were they up to?

Demonic tunists did possess the ability to launch an offense on one's soul via sound, but for them to be injured by such gentle music... Impossible!

More importantly... while their group wasn't exceptionally powerful, every single of them was a 4-star pinnacle master teacher, and Hong shi, a 5-star master teacher, was present here as well. To influence everyone's psyche with music here felt like an impractical move.

"Wait, this offense isn't directed toward us, it's directed toward the spirit beasts!"

At this moment, Hong shi finally came to a realization, and his face darkened.

"Spirit beasts?"

Taken aback, everyone quickly turned their sights to the beast tamers driving the aerial spirit beasts, only to see a livid expression on each of their faces.

"Not bad, you sure realized it swiftly. Indeed, Chen Mo's [Void Tune of Heavens] possesses the ability to hypnotize spirit beasts and prevent them from advancing any further. In other words, as long as the music continues playing, you'll be unable to advance even the slightest inch..."

Feng Yu chuckled softly.

"Void Tune of Heavens?"

Hong shi tried to drive the spirit beast beneath him, but it seemed as though the connection between him and the spirit beast was severed. All it was capable of at the moment was to remain afloat in midair.

It was as if someone had put a cage around the spirit beasts, preventing them from going any further.

And unable to move any further, they wouldn't be able to enter the capital or the royal palace.

"Feng Yu, what are you up to?"

Enraged, Hong shi glanced at Feng Yu coldly.

"Nothing much. I just want you to accompany me here for a single day!"

Feng Yu smiled lightly before turning around to issue another instruction. "Chen Mo, continue playing the zither here. Don't allow them to advance a single inch forward!"

"Yes!" the young man known as Chen Mo replied as his fingers danced around the zither, producing a beautiful melody.

"Humph, do you think that you can stop me with this?"

Not expecting the other party to resort to such forceful measures, Hong shi's eyebrows shot up in displeasure. Emulating a sword through his finger, he flicked his forefinger lightly.

Wuuuuuu!

A piercing shrill echoed. A surge of sword qi was shot from the tip of Hong shi's finger, headed straight for Chen Mo's zither.

With the destruction of the zither, the melody would stop, and the bindings on the spirit beast would be dispelled.

But before the sword qi could even reach, 'weng!', a reverberation sounded. A huge protective barrier had appeared before Chen Mo, rendering Hong shi's offensive ineffective.

"It's a formation! The people on the dozen spirit beasts have coordinated with one another to set up a defensive barrier to protect Chen Mo. Given the long distance, it'll be difficult for us to break the barrier!"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had been perplexed as to why Feng Yu would bring so many people over. After all, as fellow master teachers, it was unlikely that a battle would break out. It seemed like this was where his true intentions lay.

All of these people were likely to be formation masters, and they must be carrying some object on them. Using the spirit beasts as the formation flags, they succeeded in setting up a defensive formation around Chen Mo.

If not for the distance, putting aside Hong shi, even Zhang Xuan would be able to break the barrier easily with a single punch. The distance of several hundred meters was a difficult problem to solve. From such a distance, even the long-range sword qi would be unable to deal much damage. Not to mention, the other party seemed to be well-prepared, so it was unlikely that they would get a chance at stopping Chen Mo's zither.

This was also what made demonic tunists fearsome.

Physical barriers meant nothing to them as long as their melody could get through.

This was probably also the basis of the other party's confidence.

"Damn it...'

Hong shi gritted his teeth tightly.

He was also able to deduce this much.

They were in a bad plight. Under the effects of the melody, they were trapped at an altitude of several thousand meters away from ground, unable to descend or leave.

"The part regarding the slots should be true, and the results are likely to be out by today. He probably intends to keep us here to stop us from vying for those slots," Hong shi said.

"That's very likely!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

Actually, this matter wasn't too difficult to guess, and master teachers specialized in noticing even the most minor of details. If they couldn't deduce this much, they might as well knock their heads onto a wall and fall dead.

"The capital might look near from here, but if we were to go proceed ahead by foot, it would take at least half a day. Besides... we're in midair right now. Given that our spirit beasts are unable to move at all, we're completely trapped here... What should we do?"

Hong shi began to panic.

Once he lost those slots, he wouldn't be able to get it back even if he were to wreak havoc with the Feng Yu.

But... they were stuck in midair, and they couldn't reach the other party's zither either. Were they really doomed to watch as the slots for the Cleansing Lake slipped by their fingers?

"Actually, there's a very simple way to resolve this issue!" Zhang Xuan smiled mysteriously.

"Simple? How can this matter be resolved simply?" The other party's words left Hong shi stunned. "Our spirit beasts are immobile, and we're too far to reach them as well. You can't expect us to fly over to destroy the zither..."

"Fly over? That would be way too troublesome..." Zhang Xuan shook his head. Turning around, he instructed, "Everyone, block the ears of your spirit beasts."

"Alright!"

Even though everyone had no idea what Zhang Xuan was up to, they still nodded their heads and carried out his instructions.

They had a deep trust toward this champion of the Master Teacher Tournament.

Soon, they managed to plug the ears of the spirit beasts on their side.

Now that all preparations were done, Zhang Xuan chuckled lightly as he turned to face the enemy.

"You said that there's a simple way to resolve this matter? Despite your young age, you sure speak arrogantly. Hong shi, is this your student? Why do you seem to be regressing as time passes? Your juniors don't seem to know the meaning of etiquette at all. It's basic manners to remain silent while your seniors are talking..."

Hearing the words between the duo, Feng Yu sneered coldly. He was just about to reprimand the other party when the young man opposite to him opened his mouth, and a sound echoed into the surroundings.

"Moo!"

Hu! Hu! Hu! Hu!

Before they could even react, the spirit beasts beneath Feng Yu and the others began a free fall journey all the way to the ground.

"The heck, what is going on? AHHH..."

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Chapter 607: And They All Fell Down!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Surrounded by screams of agony and fear, Feng Yu felt frenzied.

Falling from a distance of a thousand meters, even if he was a 5-star master teacher, a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert, he would be severely injured.

These spirit beasts had been properly tamed, and their flight should be extremely stable. Why would all of them fall simultaneously out of the blue?

"It must be that lad's call!"

After a moment of thought, he quickly came to a realization. The last thing that happened before their plummet was that fellow's call.

That call was reminiscent of the voice of a dragon. While humans might not feel anything from it, the spirit beasts facing it immediately felt an immense pressure pressing against them. Unable to withstand the pressure, they spurted blood profusely in midair. It was only out of sheer willpower that they were able to retain their consciousness at this point.

But knowing that this wasn't the time to be thinking about all of this, he anxiously communicated with the spirit beasts beneath him.

"Hurry up and fly up..."

But to his agony, he realized that the spirit beast seemed to have gone into a state of shock. Not only did it not reply to his words, it was even trembling non-stop. Given its current state, it was clearly incapable of flight.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the ground approaching him swiftly, Feng Yu nearly spewed a mouthful of blood out of frustration.

What the heck was this?!

He had come over here prepared-the formation and Chen Mo-and he was confident that he would surely be able to obstruct the other party's passage for sure. Never in his dreams could he have expected that the other party would possess a type of sound offense as well, and furthermore, from the looks of it... it was much more effective than his side's!

Chen Mo's melody was beautiful, and he could easily earn a fortune by performing concerts with this piece. On the other hand, the other party's sound was like the call of the grim reaper, threatening to take their lives mercilessly...

"Hong Qian, I'll be back!" Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, his body came to an abrupt halt, and an immense force rippled through his body.

Padah!

The sheer force of his crash created a colossal hole in the ground. A violent aftershock traveled through Feng Yu's body, breaking nearly all of the bones throughout his body. Mouthful after mouthful of blood spewed freely from his mouth.

He had come to intercept Hong Qian and his group to prevent them from entering the capital, but in the end, not only did he fail in his mission, he even sustained such heavy injuries instead... Just the thought of it made his blood boil.

He struggled to his feet and scanned the surroundings, only to see Chen Mo and the others in a worse state than him. Lying on the ground, they were inhaling much more than they were exhaling. If emergency treatment wasn't applied, they would all probably die here.

While they were all Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts, falling from such a high altitude was still lethal to them. If not for the spirit beasts cushioning their fall, they would have probably died on the spot.

"Damn it..."

The more he thought about it, the angrier Feng Yu felt. He quickly took out a recovery pill and fed it to everyone.

They had come over here confidently, thinking that they would be able to accomplish their goal easily. But in the end, they ended up being done in instead. Several spirit beasts had died from the impact, and even Feng Yu himself had sustained grievous wounds...

"Hong Qian and that fellow, I won't let you go..." Feng Yu roared loudly in rage.

...

"All of them fell down?"

Watching as Feng Yu bellowed furiously below, Hong shi and the others stared at one another, dumbfounded.

They knew that Zhang shi was a formidable person, and they thought that he might be able to come up with some unique solution to their desperate situation. Who knew that his solution would actually be so unique...

To make more than a dozen spirit beasts fall from the sky with a roar, to the point that even their masters were unable to do anything about it... This was way too overpowered!

If that was the case, wouldn't it mean that anyone who faced him on an aerial savage beast would face the threat of falling off his flight?

Swallowing a mouthful of saliva, Hong shi asked, "Are they... dead?"

No matter what, Feng Yu was a master teacher of equivalent standing as him. If he were to die from falling from a high altitude, he would probably become a laughingstock for the next few centuries.

"Unlikely, but even so... they will be in for a round of great suffering. Anyway, let's put that aside for now. We should rush to the royal palace first. Considering how far the other party went to obstruct our advancement, something must have happened!"

Zhang Xuan waved his hands.

In truth, he had no choice but to resort to such a trick. While he was capable of flight, he couldn't possibly expect to match a Transcendent Mortal 6-dan expert!

After some deliberation, this was the only feasible solution he had at hand.

As for whether the other party had crashed to their deaths, that was none of Zhang Xuan's business.

Since they came over to pick a fight, they should have known the potential consequences that could befall them... And honestly speaking, Zhang Xuan thought that he had gone light on them.

"You're right, let's go!"

As a 5-star master teacher, Hong shi was not an indecisive or overly kind person either. Nodding his head, he instructed for his spirit beast to advance to Huanyu Capital.

Without Chen Mo's zither influencing the spirit beasts, they swiftly recovered and advanced forward at a rapid pace. A few minutes later, a majestic building appeared before them.

Grand and refined, it exuded an incredibly noble atmosphere.

"This is the royal palace of Huanyu Empire. No aerial spirit beast is allowed to approach it, so let's stop at the square in front!"

Hong shi pointed forward, and the spirit beast beneath him began descending slowly to the square outside the royal palace.

As soon as the group stepped away from the back of the spirit beasts, several master teachers dressed in robes quickly rushed forward to welcome them.

"Hong shi, you're here..."

The one speaking had an emblem of 4 stars pinned on his chest-a 4-star master teacher.

"Zhuang Qin, didn't I tell you to inform teacher of our arrival? Why did no one come to pick us up, and Feng shi and his group came over instead?"

Hong shi frowned.

Zhuang Qin wasn't from Huanyu Empire but from Hongfeng Empire Master Teacher Pavilion. He was dispatched here earlier so as to take care of various arrangements.

The person who was supposed to liaise with Huanyu Empire in their stead was him.

"You met Feng shi?" Zhuang Qin's face darkened. He immediately looked over worriedly. "He... didn't do anything to you all, right?"

"Fortunately, he didn't!" Hong shi shook his head. Then, with a perplexed expression, he asked, "What happened?"

"I reported to Wei shi the news of your arrival, and he dispatched aerial spirit beasts to us to pick you up. But who knew that... before we could even fly on those aerial spirit beasts, we were stopped by Feng shi... He's a 5-star master teacher, so there's nothing I could do about it," Zhuang Qin explained with a look of difficulty.

He should have been the one to pick everyone up, but in the end... his aerial spirit beast ended up being snatched away, and he could only wait here nervously.

To his relief, it seemed like Hong shi and the others were fine.

"I heard from Feng shi that the total number of slots has been reduced by three. Is that true?"

Knowing that there was nothing that Zhuang Qin could have done in the situation, and there was no loss incurred from that encounter as well, Hong shi decided to let the matter go. Thus, he began asking about the slots.

"That's true!" Zhuang Qin nodded. "Each of the Four Great Vassal States should receive three slots to train at the Cleansing Lake, and taking into account the three from Huanyu Empire's royalty as well, that totals up to 15."

Hong shi nodded.

It was no secret that the Cleansing Lake only had fifteen slots when the grounds were opened each decade, and thus, he knew of it as well.

"The distribution of the fifteen slots was decided by the founding emperor, and it has never been changed before. However... something happened this time round!"

After a moment of hesitation, Zhuang Qin began explaining, "Upon learning of that the Cleansing Lake is going to be opened, Princess Fei-er of Hongyuan Empire specially made the trip here, and she needs a total of four slots! The royal family has given up one slot, and they have decreed that the remaining three slots will be contributed by the Four Great Vassal States..."

"Princess Fei-er?"

Hong shi was taken aback.

If the other party was a princess of Hongyuan Tier-1 Empire, she should have no lack of cultivation resources. Why would she head to a Tier-2 Empire and vie for resources with the locals?

Not to mention, she even demanded four instantly!

Besides... Who in the world was this Princess Fei-er?

I don't seem to have ever heard of her!

"Princess Fei-er... is a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, and from what I've heard... it seems like she's a senior of Crown Prince Ye Qian..." Zhuang Qin replied awkwardly.

Even though his words were a little unclear, it didn't take long for the crowd to understand the situation.

Crown Prince Ye Qian was a talented master teacher. Three years ago, he was recommended by Huanyu Empire Master Teacher Pavilion for further studies in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy.

And this Princess Fei-er, a student of Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as well, was his senior and an extremely famous figure there. Due to either Crown Prince Ye Qian being infatuated with her or some other purpose, he intentionally revealed to her the secret of the Cleansing Lake and invited her over in hopes of getting on her good side... As a result, such a situation occurred.

Considering her fame in the Master Teacher Academy, it was likely that she was at least a half 5-star master teacher. Considering her position as the princess of a Tier-1 Empire on top of that, she was indeed a person that the crown prince should get along with.

That was the reason why Feng shi said that the crown prince needed three more slots.

"To give out the slots of the Cleansing Lake to please the royalty of a Tier-1 Kingdom is fine by me, just that... how does His Majesty intend to divide the slots?" Hong shi asked.

To give out some slots to get acquainted with higher-ranked master teachers and higher-ranked empires was something understandable, and he could accept this part.

However... how were the three slots going to be divided among the Four Great Vassal States? Surely no Vassal State would be willing to give up their slots, so how would this matter be decided?

"His Majesty has instructed us to settle among ourselves, and there will be a banquet conducted by the crown prince in the Eastern Palace so as to determine the rules to solve this matter," Zhuang Qin replied.

On the day that he reported that Hong shi was going to arrive today, Crown Prince Ye Qian fixed the date of the banquet for that night.

This was the reason why Feng Yu went so far as to obstruct Hong shi's passage.

If they were unable to attend the banquet, without a doubt, the other three powers would surely have Hongfeng Empire fork out all three of their slots.

After all, each Vassal State was only given three slots once every decade, and thus, they were reluctant to fork out any slots. Since there was someone they could push everything onto, they were delighted to do so... Besides, who asked them to be late?

"This probably isn't just Feng Yu's intent. Those old fogeys of Qianfeng and Zhuyue probably contributed to this as well!"

Upon understanding what was going on, Hong shi harrumphed in anger.

Obstructing their passage was beneficial to the other two powers as well, and Fengyuan Empire was unlikely to go so far if they didn't have any allies on their side. Most likely, the other representatives of the other three Vassal States had decided on this plan, and Feng Yu was only the one to execute it.

It was fortunate that Zhang shi was able to foil their plans. Otherwise, Hongfeng Empire would have had to give up all three slots!

If so, they would have made the journey here in vain.

"Since there's some time before the banquet, you all should head to your allocated rooms to rest first. I'll go and pay a visit to those old fogeys!"

Hong shi flung his sleeves.

He had his pride and dignity as a 5-star master teacher, so how could he possibly overlook it when someone schemed so blatantly against him? Naturally, he had to get back at them!

"I've already prepared your living quarters, it's not too far away from here. I'll show you the way!"

Knowing that he couldn't interfere in a conflict among 5-star master teachers, Zhuang Qin could only change the topic and lead the group to their rooms. But all of a sudden, he thought of something and turned around to ask Hong shi with a doubtful expression, "Hong shi, from what I saw... Feng shi probably made a lot of preparations to intercept you. How... did you manage to get past them?"

"This..."

Hong shi hesitated for a moment before replying, "We were on our aerial spirit beasts when we met, and then... they fell down."

"Fell down?"

Zhuang Qin was dumbstruck.

Chapter 608: Master Teacher Confrontation!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

What the heck does that mean?

Did they fall from the back of their aerial spirit beast? Or did the spirit beasts fall along with them?

These spirit beasts were tamed by experts engaged by the Huanyu Empire royalty such that even non-beast tamers were able to drive them. The main purpose of this was to create a powerful army for aerial combat.

Even the weakest of Feng Yu's group was a 4-star master teacher, how could a 4-star master teacher possibly allow himself to fall off the back of a spirit beast?

Zhuang Qin was bewildered by Hong shi's words.

"There's no need to bother about this, let's head to our living quarters first!"

It was unlikely the other party would believe him even if he were to explain it to them. Thus, Hong shi decided to save his breath.

"Alright!"

Since Hong shi was unwilling to speak, Zhuang Qin didn't push on. He led the group forward.

The living quarters weren't too far away from the landing point. It was a mansion so vast that despite the huge size of their group, there would be no problem housing all of them in it.

Zhang Xuan took an individual courtyard for himself, Sun Qiang, and his students. It would be quieter this way, and he wouldn't be interrupted when he was teaching his students too.

After settling everyone in, Hong shi and Zhang shi discussed for a moment to refine their plans before the former stomped out of the mansion.

Those fellows actually dared to scheme against him! No matter what, he had to return the favor!

...

Not too far away from the mansion Zhang Xuan and group were living in, in a relatively vast room, two old men were looking at a young man who just walked in to report a matter to them with a deep frown on their foreheads. "What did you say? Hong Qian and his group have entered the city and are now in their living quarters?"

"Yes!" The young man nodded.

"Impossible. Didn't Feng Yu go to stop them?" one of the old men exclaimed.

"Could it be that the both of them didn't meet? No, that can't be... There's only one route from Hongfeng Empire to here. If Hong Qian wanted to enter the city, he would surely meet with Feng Yu. What's going on?"

The other old man was also clearly a little skeptical of the news.

"This... I'm not too sure either. I've sent someone to check on it, and they should be reporting back soon!" the young man replied.

When Feng shi and these two elders were discussing, he was by their side, and judging from their plan, he felt that Feng shi would surely be able to intercept Hong shi's group for a day. But before they could receive any news from Feng shi's side, Hong shi had already appeared in the city... Even he, despite being the person reporting the news, found it inconceivable.

"Un, quickly look into it. What in the world is that Feng Yu up to?"

The first old man shook his hands to dismiss the young man. Not too long later, the young man returned anxiously. It seemed like the news he had received was so shocking that he couldn't even keep his composure.

"You managed to dig up something? What happened?" asked the first old man.

The young man reported the news that he had just gathered.

"Feng shi and Hong shi did meet one another outside the city, but for some reason... Feng shi and his group lost control of their spirit beasts and fell from the sky..."

In truth, even he himself found this matter hard to believe.

"Fell down? Lost control of their spirit beasts? Does that even make sense?" The two old men stared at one another in bewilderment.

Are you jesting?

Those were the elite spirit beasts of Huanyu Empire, and they had been trained for a very long time. Even if something happened, they would surely bring their rider safely to the ground. To fall from the sky on such well-trained spirit beasts, surely you must be pulling our legs!

"There's no mistake on the news... Speaking of which, someone was coincidentally walking by when that happened, and he used a Record Crystal to take down the situation then!"

The young man flicked his wrist and took out a crystal ball. "Our men managed to buy it with spirit stones!"

A merchant party happened to pass by the area during the confrontation between Hong shi and Feng shi, and out of fascination, they recorded the scene. After which, when the young man sent his men to investigate the matter, they managed to track down the merchant party and procure this Record Crystal.

In that aspect, they were truly lucky.

"Hurry up and play it!" said the first old man anxiously.

Nodding his head, the young man infused his zhenqi into the Record Crystal.

Weng!

Amidst a buzz, dozens of aerial spirit beasts suddenly came into sight.

The recording was taken a significant distance away from the confrontation, so there was no voice to be heard. Even so, it was clear that the both sides were clearly clashing with one another.

"It's Feng shi and Hong shi!"

With a glance, the first old man immediately recognized the men standing on the spirit beasts.

They had known one another for several decades now, and they could identify one another even from afar.

"Chen Mo has made his move..."

The image swayed, and they saw a young man standing on top of a spirit beast taking out a zither and started playing. Following which, Hong shi attempted to destroy the zither with his sword qi, only to fail.

"Everything went according to plan. How did Hong shi get past them..."

The first old man was perplexed. He was in the midst of figuring what went wrong when Feng shi and the others abruptly plummeted from the sky. And then... a mushroom cloud of dust rose into the sky.

"This..."

The group stared at one another blankly.

What... just happened?

After recovering from the shock, the two old men quickly asked the young man, "What happened to Feng shi? How is he now?"

That was a distance of more than a thousand meters! To fall from such an altitude... he couldn't possibly be dead, right...

"I've sent someone to bring him back... they should be returning soon!" replied the young man.

At that moment, the door opened, and Feng shi was carried in by a few other men.

The current Feng shi was bandaged tightly with a white cloth, as though a mummy. His face was stained with mud and fresh blood, and a huge bunch of his prided beard had fallen off. It was a huge contrast from his 'enlightened sage' image. If he were to sit by the streets, a passer-by might even throw him a gold coin out of pity for him.

"Feng shi, this..."

The first old man was flabbergasted by the sight.

"I... I'm going to kill Hong Qian and that bastard..."

Feng Yu roared furiously, but before he could finish his words, a cold voice sounded outside the main hall, "Kill me? Sure! I'm waiting for you right here, come!"

The few men quickly turned their heads around, only to see an old man walking into the room with a face livid with wrath. Who else could it be other than Hong shi?

"Hong shi..."

Seeing the man they teamed up to deal with standing before them, the two old men's lips twitched.

"Hong Qian, you..."

Feng Yu gritted his teeth in anger.

"Humph!"

Ignoring the other party's shock and anger, Hong shi flicked his wrist and took out a 5-star master teacher emblem. He flicked his forefinger with his thumbnail and a droplet of fresh blood fell onto the emblem. "I, 5-star Master Teacher Hong Qian, apply for a Master Teacher Confrontation against Master Teacher Feng Yu. I beseech for your approval!"

Hu!

The emblem shimmered brilliantly, and two giant words floated into appearance, "Permission granted!"

If irreconcilable conflicts occur between master teachers, they could apply for a 'Master Teacher Confrontation' with the headquarters through the emblem, and based on the relative strength of one's opponent, the headquarters would determine whether to approve it or not.

Usually speaking, if both master teachers were of equal cultivation realm, the permission would be granted.

Rivalry is important for the growth of master teachers, especially with one's peers. As such, the headquarters promoted such duels.

This was the reason why Hong shi's duel application was granted nearly instantly.

"Master Teacher Confrontation? Permission granted?"

Seeing the two words on Hong shi's emblem, Feng Yu's vision went dark, and he nearly burst into tears.

I'm wrapped up like a dumpling, and there are broken bones throughout my body. Not to mention, I've suffered grievous external and internal damage. To fight against me at this moment... Doesn't your conscience pang in guilt?

"The headquarters have already agreed to the Master Teacher Confrontation. Feng shi, stop putting on an act. Let our fists do the talking instead!"

Hong shi flung his sleeves majestically.

"I..."

Exerting pressure on the walking stick in his hand, Feng Yu stood up from the stretcher and exclaimed, "I'm severely injured, how do you expect me to fight with you..."

"Severely injured? Feng shi, your joke isn't funny. I've heard that you were still in perfect condition when you left the royal palace two hours ago. In fact, you even offered some pointers to a guard. Since you didn't do anything, how in the world did you get injured? To think that a proud 5-star master teacher would stoop down to even feigning injury just so to not face me in a fight. And you call yourself a master teacher?" Hong shi replied righteously.

"You..." Feng Yu's lips twitched violently, and his eyes were about to pour.

He had secretly sneaked out to intercept Hong Qian and group. After all, this was an underhanded action, and if others were to learn of it, his reputation would be sullied.

Who knew that the other party would actually use this fact against him to claim that he was feigning injury... How could someone be so shameless?

You should be the more than aware whether I'm truly injured or not! I might not have fought with anyone, but falling from such a high altitude, it's already by a huge stroke of fortune that I'm still alive at this point. How do you expect me to fight with you?

"Feng shi, I hope that you won't make any more excuses!"

Harrumphing coldly, Hong shi replied, "If you refuse, I'll report to the headquarters that you, who fears even a challenge from your fellow peer, aren't worthy of your 5-star master teacher emblem."

"Fine, fine! I'll accept your challenge... Are you happy now?"

Feng Yu gritted his teeth indignantly.

If only he knew this would happen, he would have never done this. If one didn't have any special reason to justify himself, one wouldn't be allowed to turn down a Master Teacher Confrontation...

If Feng shi were to claim that he was severely injured, considering how this matter concerned a 5-star master teacher, the headquarters would surely look into it, and the issue of him obstructing Hong shi's passage would be exposed. If so, he might be subjected to an even harsher punishment.

In other words, the other party had planned all of this to corner him!

What the heck was this...

"Since that's the case, let's start then!"

Bellowing furiously, Hong shi dashed forward and sent a kick over.

Sou!

How could the severely injured Feng Yu possibly protect himself? He was immediately sent flying into the sky.

Padah!

After flying several dozen meters high, he crashed back down into the ground and spewed mouthful after mouthful of blood.

He had just barely recovered slightly after consuming a recovery pill, but this kick had sent him back to square one. His face paled, and his vision was slowly darkening.

"I..."

Struggling to his feet, Feng shi was just about to speak when a humongous fist came flying toward him.

Peng!

Feng Yu was sent flying once more.

Pi pa! Huala!

The sound of fists and kicks digging into flesh sounded, and soon, all traces of humanity were beaten out of Feng Yu.

Hong shi had controlled his attacks well so as to maximize the other party's suffering without worsening his current injuries too much.

For a proud 5-star master teacher to be schemed against, if he didn't repay this favor, wouldn't others think that he was an easy person?

Master teachers were humans, not saints! They couldn't possibly accept and forgive when someone struck them in their faces!

In this case, tolerance is not a sign of magnanimity but weakness. If they couldn't uphold their own dignity, how could they possibly protect Master Teacher Continent from the Otherworldly Demons?

It isn't a crime to be good-tempered, but if one wishes to protect something, one needs to be strong.

Peng peng peng peng!

After a long round of beating, Hong shi finally finished venting his anger. Clapping his hands, he clasped his fist and bowed. "Feng shi, thank you for going easy on me!"

At this moment, Feng Yu was no different from Chen Mo and the others when they fell to the ground back then. He was breathing heavily but exhaling lightly, and it looked as though he might just breathe his last at any moment.

"You... Very well! Hong Qian! I, 5-star Master Teacher Luo Zhao, challenge you to a Master Teacher Confrontation right now. I beseech for your approval!"

Hong shi had beaten up Feng shi in the name of the Master Teacher Confrontation. His actions were within the rules, so there was nothing they could complain about. But after the 'duel' was over, the first old man immediately took out his emblem and challenged Hong shi.

He wanted to get back at Hong shi for Feng Yu!

Hong shi placed his hands behind his back and declared proudly, "My apologies, but I've just finished my battle with Feng shi and suffered grievous injuries in the process. I won't be able to fight for the next ten years, so I'll reject your challenge!"

"You..."

The trio staggered, and they nearly burst into tears.

Big Brother, can you get any more shameless than that...

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