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

50. 1569

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1569 - Luo Xuanqing Visits - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1569 - Luo Xuanqing Visits Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1569: Luo Xuanqing Visits

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Shrouding Ethereal City?"

Zhang Xuan lowered his head and saw that the city below seemed to be hiding beneath an illusory space. The city was situated in the midst of a mountain range, shrouded by endless clouds, reminiscent of a labyrinth.

Without knowing the way beforehand, it would be nigh impossible to find the Shrouding Ethereal City.

"What a formidable formation!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed.

"Similar to the Zhang Clan's Guardian Formation, it's intended to protect the Luo Clan in times of emergency. It harnesses the law of space, distorting one's sense of direction and thus entrapping one. Of course, this formation can't hope to keep us out..." Sword Saint Xing chuckled as he flicked his wrist, and a mirror appeared before Zhang Xuan.

Looking through the mirror, one could clearly see the correct pathway to navigate through the formation.

The formation was constantly changing, making it impossible for one to determine any fixed pattern to it. To be able to discern the correct pathway with just a glance, it seemed like his father was quite a skilled formation master.

"Is it our guests from the Zhang Clan ahead?"

After advancing a while longer, a hearty chuckle suddenly echoed from the distance, followed by the appearance of several figures.

The person standing at the forefront was the First Elder of the Luo Clan, Luo Qingchen.

"Indeed!" Sword Saint Xing flew out of the room and greeted the elders of the Luo Clan, and Zhang Xuan and the others quickly followed suit.

"We have been waiting for your arrival! Our Luo Clan has already prepared accommodations for you all, so do quickly come in!" Luo Qingchen greeted with a smile as he led the way forward.

The convoy of saint beasts from the Zhang Clan quickly followed behind Luo Qingchen to enter the city.

The accommodation that the Luo Clan had prepared was a massive manor, vast and spacious. Even with forty saint beasts landing in the courtyard, it did not appear to be cramped in the least.

After settling the crowd from the Zhang Clan into their accommodation, Luo Qingchen said with a warm smile, "I'll require some time to gather all of the elders and grand elders who have gone into seclusion, so let's discuss the details of the marriage tomorrow. The matrimony between our clans is a huge matter for the Master Teacher Continent, so we have to ensure that everything proceeds smoothly!"

"Indeed, First Elder. This matter must be handled with the utmost care!" Sword Saint Xing nodded politely in response.

"Alright, I shan't impose on you all anymore. Please do have a good rest, and I'll see you tomorrow!" Luo Qingchen clasped his fist and bade farewell. Before taking his leave, he instructed an elder to properly attend to the needs of the Zhang Clan.

So, this is Luo Ruoxin's clan?

The layout of the guest rooms was particularly exquisite. All sorts of formations came together to form a massive Spirit Gathering Formation, artificially creating what could be considered a blessed land to a cultivator.

Strolling around the massive manor, Zhang Xuan could hardly curb the excitement in his heart.

He had seen many beautiful ladies, and there were also a couple of them who harbored romantic feelings for him. However, there was only one who had truly moved his heart. As if a fine wine, his feelings for her only seemed to deepen with time. It was as if he was already intoxicated with her entire being, such that losing her was no longer something that he could imagine.

Seeing her son walking impatiently around the manor, Sword Saint Meng walked up to him and teased, "What? Can't you even wait till tomorrow?"

Her son was someone who could remain perfectly calm even while he was surrounded by the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, yet at thatmoment, he was wandering around aimlessly. There was no way she would be so dense as to be unable to see through her son's thoughts.

"How could that be? I'm just taking a look around..." Having his thoughts exposed, Zhang Xuan's face reddened in embarrassment.

"The marriage between the both of you will surely go through, so there's no need to worry about that. Besides, even if this engagement didn't exist, as long as it's a girl you fancy, I'd help you snatch her!"

Imagining the sight of his mother kidnapping Luo Ruoxin, a slight chuckle escaped from Zhang Xuan's lips. Given his mother personality, there was really a chance that she could pull something like that off!

Just as he was about to speak, the Luo Clan elder who was in charge of taking care of their needs suddenly walked up and reported, "Clan Head Zhang, Young Master Xuanqing hopes to meet you!"

"Bring me over!" Hearing that Luo Xuanqing was in the Luo Clan as well, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

He had thought that the other party would still be in the Sanctum of Sages, but who could have thought that he would have already returned?

But thinking about it, given that his younger sister was going to be married, there was no way that he would obediently remain in the Sanctum of Sages. Given what a sister-doting monster he was, he would surely rush back to the Luo Clan in the fastest time possible!

Following behind the Luo Clan elder, they soon arrived in the main hall. Luo Xuanqing was seated with a teacup in his hand, deep in thought. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, he quickly stood up, clasped his fist, and bowed. "Luo Xuanqing pays respect to Clan Head Zhang!"

"Brother Luo, you're too courteous!" Seeing how formal Luo Xuanqing was with him, Zhang Xuan quickly walked forward to help him up.

Luo Xuanqing raised his head to look at the young man before him once more, and he could not help but exclaim internally how swiftly things had changed.

When they first met, the young man had just been an ordinary student in the Sanctum of Sages. It was only because he had found the young man's temperament to his liking that he had befriended the young man. When he found out that the young man had duped his younger sister of her feelings, he had flown into a rage, wanting to pummel him to death...

But before he knew it, the young man had transformed into the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, the fiancé of his younger sister. Not only so, he had also become the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and every single one of his students was unimaginably powerful.

No matter how many times he verified the news, he still found the matter hard to believe.

Initially, when his younger sister told him that the fellow from the remote Hongyuan Empire was actually a remarkable genius, he had snorted in disdain, thinking that his younger sister was blinded by her feelings for the other party. However, from the looks of it now, the one who was truly blind was him!

While Luo Xuanqing was still deep in thought, he suddenly noticed the anomaly in the young man's cultivation, and he widened his eyes in astonishment. "Your cultivation... You have already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle?"

Just a few days ago, when he pummeled Zhang Xuan, the young man had only been at Phantasmal Space realm pinnacle. Yet, within this short period of time, the young man had already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle!

While he had never expressed it before others, the truth was that he took great pride at having reached Dimension Sundering realm primary stage despite his young age. Yet, it was as if achieving breakthroughs came as easily to the young man as eating or drinking... Did the young man really have to be so exaggerated?

"Ah, it was a stroke of luck," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

"A stroke of luck..." Luo Xuanqing felt so stifled that he thought that he would suffer grievous internal injuries from talking with the young man at this rate.

Each time he asked about the young man's cultivation, the latter would simply perfunctorily attribute it to luck.

Even though we all know that you are just making up an excuse, surely you can be more sincere than that!

Would it kill you to think of a different line?

Luo Xuanqing took in a deep breath and asked, "Clan Head Zhang, may I have the honor of sparring with you?"

Back when he first met the young man, the young man had only been a Saint 5-dan minor figure, not even worthy of his attention. Within just two to three months, the young man had already surpassed him. While he knew that the young man was an incredibly talented individual—there was no one in the world who would dare underestimate the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan—he was still unable to accept this reality.

"Sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was also itching to try his hand since he had just made a breakthrough. Since Luo Xuanqing had challenged him to a spar, there was no reason for him to turn him down.

"Let's begin then!"

Without any hesitation, Luo Xuanqing forcefully pushed against the ground and dashed forth, reaching Zhang Xuan in the blink of an eye. He raised his hand and thrust his palm down upon the latter forcefully.

Huala!

Along with the movement of his palm, the surrounding space grew viscous, creating great inertia to any movement made in the area.

While Zhang Xuan had been pushing ahead, Luo Xuanqing had not been slacking either! Through his diligence, he had also made considerable advancements in his fighting prowess!

"Come!" With a chuckle, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi as he raised his palm to clash against Luo Xuanqing's offense.

But all of a sudden, his hand froze in midair.

Seeing the young man's abrupt halt in actions, Luo Xuanqing retracted his palm strike and harrumphed coldly. "What's wrong? Are you intending to go easy on me just because you think I'm no match for you? If you still think of me as a brother, use your full strength!"

He knew that it was unlikely for him to be a match for Zhang Xuan, and he was prepared to accept his loss. However, his pride would not allow the latter to take pity and go easy on him!

"No, that's not it..." Zhang Xuan raised his hand to stop Luo Xuanqing as his lips twitched frenziedly. "I accidentally exerted too much force earlier... I think... I am going to achieve a breakthrough soon..."

Hong long long!

Before Zhang Xuan could finish his words, the entire sky darkened. Storm clouds converged above the area, and flashes of lightning streaked furiously across the sky.

Zhang Xuan's Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal had come!

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Chapter 1570: Scare It Away!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Back when Zhang Xuan was still at the Zhang Clan, he had already reached the peak of the Dimension Sundering realm, ready to push for a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm at any moment. However, he feared the massive destruction that might come as a result of the lightning tribulation, so he had forcefully suppressed his cultivation.

However, earlier, as he was sparring with Luo Xuanqing, he had accidentally pushed his zhenqi a little too far, overcoming the bottleneck of the Dimension Sundering realm, causing his cultivation to begin advancing right for Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm.

"You can achieve a breakthrough just like that?"

Looking at the ominous clouds gathering all around and sensing the energy raging within the young man's body, Luo Xuanqing nearly fainted on the spot.

Weren't you still at Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle a moment ago?

How in the world did you manage to make a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm just by driving your zhenqi?

Luo Xuanqing nearly spurted blood from frustration.

It was with the thought that Zhang Xuan's cultivation might not be too stable due to his swift breakthroughs that he had dared challenge the young man to a duel. Yet, before the duel could even start, the young man had already achieved another breakthrough.

In comparison, his rate of cultivation was as slow as a tortoise... no, more like a crawling snail!

With such a contrast between the two of them, he no longer dared identify himself as a prodigy before others.

Hong long long!

As Luo Xuanqing was still grumbling gloomily over the matter, the storm clouds in the sky were swiftly growing bigger and bigger, cloaking everything in their shadow. Before one knew it, the clouds already spanned tens of thousands of mu!

Luo Xuanqing gulped in fright as he turned his trembling body toward Zhang Xuan and asked, "Zhang Xuan, are you here to ask for my younger sister's hand in marriage or to tear our Luo Clan down?"

The young man's Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal was simply too powerful. If it really fell, no matter how powerful the Luo Clan's formations were, the formations would not stand a chance against it!

Aren't you here to propose a marriage?

But what you are bringing in over here could very well wipe out the entire Luo Clan!

"This... I didn't do it on purpose... Should I try suppressing my cultivation?" Zhang Xuan exclaimed with a reddened face, showing a rare sign of panic.

He had been suppressing his cultivation all this while, intending to find a quiet place to push for a breakthrough once everything had been settled. Who could have thought that he would make a mistake at this crucial moment and achieve a breakthrough? This wasn't what he had intended at all!

"Suppress your cultivation? Your cultivation ordeal is already right above you! Do you think suppressing your cultivation right now will work?" Luo Xuanqing roared furiously.

Are you messing with me? Do you think that the cultivation ordeal will obediently disperse just because you have suppressed your cultivation back down?

What you should be thinking of right now is how you can overcome this ridiculously powerful lightning tribulation!

Even Saint 9-dan experts wouldn't stand a chance against a lightning tribulation of this level... Are you really not frightened at all?

"Y-you're right! I have to scare the lightning tribulation away... But..." Zhang Xuan frowned in distress as he spoke. "I don't think I'll be able to do it right now..."

His soul cultivation had already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle, and he had not compiled the Saint 9-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art to further his zhenqi cultivation yet. On top of that, he had just cultivated his physical body a few days ago. What was he supposed to do with the massive pool of spiritual energy in the air? He would explode if he absorbed all of that!

"You won't be able to do it right now? What do you mean by that? Don't you have some kind of means to chase the lightning tribulation away?" Luo Xuanqing urged anxiously.

Since his Dimension Sundering Ordeal had been chased away by the young man before him, surely the young man should be able to do the same for his own Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal.

"I'll just say this clearly to you right here and right now. If you fail to chase away the lightning tribulation and it falls on the Shrouding Ethereal City, don't even dream of our Luo Clan forgiving you. It goes without saying that your engagement with my younger sister will be over as well!" Luo Xuanqing spat in fury.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was really on the verge of tears.

Why did he have to achieve a breakthrough now of all times?

He had already raised all of his cultivations as far as he could, so there was nothing he would require spiritual energy for at the moment. And without absorbing the energy of the lightning tribulation, how was he supposed to scare it away?

"Wait a moment, perhaps I could try that..."

Knowing that the lightning would fall at any moment, and there was no time to be wasted, Zhang Xuan clenched his jaw and leaped into the air. He swiftly assumed a cold and forbidding appearance as he placed his arms behind his back, facing the lightning tribulation before him fearlessly.

"How can Xuan-er's Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal be so powerful?"

"Dear, rest assured! Our son has managed to drive away several lightning tribulations in the past, so he should be able to do it easily this time around. This is a good opportunity to see what he's capable of!"

"Yes, I have also heard the rumors as well. If I recall correctly, our son dove into the storm clouds, and before long, the storm clouds trembled uncontrollably before eventually dissipating..."

In the courtyard, the attention of the Xingmeng Sword Saints was captured by the unbelievably massive lightning tribulation in the air as well. However, recalling the previous deeds of their son, they reassured themselves and heaved sighs of relief.

Their son had simply produced too many miracles, especially when it came to dealing with lightning tribulations. The legends that he had created were something that would eventually go down in the annals of the Master Teacher Continent's history, never to be forgotten even after many generations! As powerful as the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal before them was, he should be able to resolve it with ease!

"Look, he's flying into the air. He should be diving into the storm clouds very soon," Sword Saint Xing exclaimed excitedly.

The First Elder of the Luo Clan, Luo Qingchen, turned to the elders behind him and instructed, "This is truly a rare sight, make sure to watch it closely! If we can figure out the secrets behind Zhang Xuan's technique, our Luo Clan offspring won't have to worry about their cultivation ordeals when they achieve a breakthrough anymore!"

"Yes!"

The many elders of the Luo Clan nodded in agreement.

Luo Qingchen had witnessed with his own eyes how the young man helped Luo Xuanqing drive away his Dimension Sundering Ordeal, but back then, he had been unable to make sense of how it had been done. Since he had the privilege to witness it once more, he would really have to observe it closely.

If they could learn the young man's secret art, the offspring of their Luo Clan would not need to fear lightning tribulations anymore!

"Bring the Dimension Mirror over, I want this scene to be perfectly recorded!" Luo Qingchen instructed once more. "Even if we fail to make sense out of it now, we can slowly examine it later on. As long as we study it long enough, it will only be a matter of time before we uncover his secrets!"

As a 9-star master teacher himself, Luo Qingchen's eye of discernment was not to be underestimated. Yet, even an expert of his caliber was unable to figure out how Zhang Xuan had managed to drive away Luo Xuanqing's lightning tribulation back then. Thus, there was a good chance that they would not be able to figure it out easily even with most elders of the Luo Clan present here.

Just to be safe, it would be best for them to record this sight so that they could refer to it again and again in the future.

"That's a good idea!"

An elder swiftly flew away, and it did not take him long to return with a massive mirror in hand. It was one of the mystical artifacts from the Luo Clan's treasure vault, the Dimension Mirror. It could be used to record anything that it saw.

"He's going to dash into the lightning tribulation..."

Right after the elders had finished preparing the mirror, Luo Qingchen's excited exclamation sounded in the air. Turning their gazes over, the elders saw the young man rising into the air, stopping right beneath the storm clouds.

Everyone watched the scene with bated breath. They could not wait to see how the legendary young prodigy of the Zhang Clan would deal with the lightning tribulation.

Hong long long!

Provoked by Zhang Xuan's approach, the lightning tribulation crackled wrathfully, threatening to annihilate everything beneath it.

Facing the imposing lightning tribulation before him, Zhang Xuan's heart could not help but shudder in dread. Nevertheless, he did not allow it to show on his face. With a perfectly composed expression, he said, " Little Leilei 1 , we meet again!"

Hong long!

Upon hearing that voice, the lightning tribulation seemed to fall into a daze, such that the thunderous rumbling appeared to have toned down a little.

"Stop kicking up a needless fuss. I'll give you a chance. Scram before I fly into a rage!" Zhang Xuan snorted impatiently.

Boom!

The lightning tribulation seemed to have fallen even quieter.

It was hard to tell if they were overthinking it, but the crowd witnessing this scene felt as if the lightning tribulation was trembling in fright, seemingly fearful of the young man before it.

Seeing that the lightning tribulation was still refusing to leave, Zhang Xuan's voice grew even sharper and colder. "I am not a patient person, so you'd better quickly make up your mind whether you want to cross me or not. However, you should know that I'm not one to give second chances, so I hope that you won't make a decision you'll regret."

Boom!

After a moment of hesitation, the lightning tribulation seemed to have made the greatest decision in its life, and it released an indignant rumble.

Huala!

Following which, it turned around and took flight. In the blink of an eye, it had already disappeared without a trace.

Earlier, when the ominous clouds set in, everyone had thought that the end of the world had come. But in the blink of an eye, a clear sky had been returned to them, leaving no trace of the impending calamity from earlier.

"The heck! This works as well?"

"It's possible to scare away the lightning tribulation with words? When did the lightning tribulation become such an easy existence to deal with?"

Luo Qingchen and the others were shocked beyond words.

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Chapter 1571: Unforeseen Circumstances (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Lightning tribulations were the world's punishment toward cultivators for getting ahead of themselves. There was no cultivator who was not fearful of lightning tribulations.

Even someone as powerful of Luo Qingchen would turn pale in the face of a lightning tribulation, requiring much preparation before he dared clash with it.

Yet, this young man had simply crushed all of their expectations. Everyone had thought that he would utilize some kind of formidable technique in order to chase away the lightning tribulation, but who would have thought... with just a simple reprimand and threat, the lightning tribulation actually backed off in fear!

No cultivator on the Master Teacher Continent could have imagined that such a thing would actually be possible!

Was this still the lightning tribulation that they knew of?

"Have you recorded it?"

"We have recorded it, but... will we really be able to learn something like this?" An elder's apprehensive voice sounded from behind.

"It's unlikely..." Luo Qingchen shook his head and sighed.

If any of them dashed right up to the lightning tribulation and spouted such words, they would be reduced to cinders in the blink of an eye.

Such an action was as good as challenging the authority of the heavens!

Yet, despite his brazen actions, the young man had actually walked away from the ordeal unharmed. Could he actually not be the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints but the illegitimate son of the heavens themselves?

"Phew, I managed to overcome this hurdle..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

It was fortunate that he had already traumatized the lightning tribulation through his past experiences with it. Otherwise, if the lightning tribulation had really fallen, he would have been in deep trouble.

Returning to the ground, Zhang Xuan walked up to Luo Xuanqing and smiled. "Alright, I have driven off the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal. Let's continue our fight!"

"..."

Luo Xuanqing felt a prickling sensation on his scalp.

Continue your head!

How can an ordinary mortal like me possibly fight against someone who could scare off a lightning tribulation with just words? Isn't that asking for a beating?

"Forget it! It would be impolite for me to lay my hands on a guest like you..." Luo Xuanqing hurriedly shook his head vehemently.

He had already made up his mind. From that day forth, he would no longer compare himself with the inhuman freak before him!

Hearing that Luo Xuanqing was unwilling to fight with him anymore, Zhang Xuan sighed in disappointment. A moment later, he raised his head and looked at Luo Xuanqing expectantly. "Then... Brother Luo, can you bring me to meet your younger sister?"

With what he desired finally within reach, he could no longer retain his usual composure.

Knowing that his younger sister was the only edge that he had against Zhang Xuan at the moment, Luo Xuanqing waved his hand in feigned impatience. "You'll meet during the engagement ceremony tomorrow. You can at least wait one more day, right?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly. "Alright then!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was really disappointed, a playful smile emerged on Luo Xuanqing's face as he asked, "Do you really want to meet her?"

He was delighted to see Zhang Xuan's disappointment, not just for his personal vengeance but for his younger sister as well. After all, this meant that his younger sister carried significant weight in Zhang Xuan's heart.

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan quickly nodded.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped if that's the case," Luo Xuanqing said. "I can arrange for a secret meeting with my younger sister for you, but just for a short moment, alright?"

The real reason he had come here to find Zhang Xuan was to test the latter's feelings for his younger sister, as well as to allow the two lovebirds to have a short meeting prior to the engagement.

Without a doubt, he was certain that Zhang Xuan really harbored feelings for his younger sister. Given so, it would be pointless for him to make things difficult for the latter.

While it was a breach of propriety for the couple to meet privately just ahead of the engagement, rules were ultimately just rules. Even if they were caught, the elders of both clans would only shrug it off as the recklessness of youth and turn a blind eye to it.

Besides... the young man before him was not only the young prodigy and clan head of the Zhang Clan but the head of the Sanctum of Sages and Yang shi's senior!

"Is this for real?" Zhang Xuan's face immediately lit up in happiness.

"Of course, when have I ever not meant my words!" Luo Xuanqing harrumphed impatiently. "Wait here for a moment, I'll go make some arrangements..."

Zhang Xuan anxiously nodded in response. Just as he was about to thank Luo Xuanqing for his help, an elder of the Zhang Clan suddenly rushed into the main hall. "Clan Head!"

"What's wrong?" Zhang Xuan frowned upon seeing the grim look on the elder's face.

"We have just received news that Court Chief Zhao and Hall Master Wei of the Glacier Plain Court and Poison Hall have gone missing!" the elder reported anxiously.

"Missing?" Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing those words, and he abruptly rose to his feet. Narrowing his eyes coldly, he questioned, "What do you mean by that? What happened?"

"I-I don't know... It appears that there was some kind of fight, then the both of them suddenly went missing. The Zhang Clan has already dispatched some men to investigate the issue," the elder reported.

"After fully awakening her unique constitution, Zhao Ya is able to stand her ground even against Great Sage experts. On the other hand, Wei Ruyan's poison is able to curb even Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan... Yet, the two of them actually went missing? Did they not even have any time to send out a help message?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in disbelief.

Even when Zhao Ya was captured by You Ruoxin back then, she had still been able to find an opportunity to send a message to him asking for help. Just who in the world had the ability to make the two of them vanish, such that they could not even afford to send a help message to him?

"I'm afraid I don't know!" the elder shook his head fearfully.

Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath to calm himself down before instructing, "Do you know where the battle occurred? Bring me over to take a look!"

The Zhang Clan's intelligence was unlikely to be inaccurate. Chances were that something had really happened to Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, so there was no time for him to be idling around.

If he wanted to know what had happened, he would have to drop by the area personally. Otherwise, it could already be too late by the time the others were able to get to the bottom of the matter!

The elder nodded in response. "The battle occurred in the vicinity of the Empire Alliance. Court Chief Zhao and Hall Master Wei were on their way back after resolving the issue that day when something happened to them..."

"In the vicinity of the Empire Alliance? Very well!" After confirming the location, Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Xuanqing and clasped his fist apologetically. "Brother Luo, I..."

Knowing that this matter was far more important, Luo Xuanqing nodded in understanding. "Don't worry, you should hurry over to investigate the situation. If there's anything that I can help you with, feel free to contact me!"

"Thanks!"

Zhang Xuan walked out to the courtyard and took out the grade-9 formation flags that his mother had given him. It did not take him too long to construct a Teleportation Formation.

"Xuan-er, I'll come with you!" Seemingly having heard of the matter as well, Sword Saint Meng suddenly rushed over. "Don't worry, your father and Yang shi are here, so they will be able to handle matters here promptly. I don't feel too assured leaving you on your own. If anything happens on the other side, at least I'll be able to cover you!"

Most preparations for the engagement had been prepared, and Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi were around to settle whatever administrative matters there were, so there should not be any problems on their end.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

While he had managed to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan, it was still a little difficult for him to activate the Teleportation Formation with his current strength. Thus, it would indeed be helpful to have his mother tagging along.

"Let's go!"

Having made up their minds, the duo swiftly got to action. With Sword Saint Meng infusing her strength into the Teleportation Formation, it soon shone into activation.

Hu! Hu!

The duo vanished simultaneously from the spot.

The next moment, they were already in the vicinity of the Empire Alliance.

"According to the directions from the Eighth Elder, it should be over there..." Sword Saint Meng quickly scanned the surroundings and pointed in a direction.

Swiftly advancing ahead, it did not take the two of them too long to arrive at the foot of a mountain. This mountain had been forcefully sliced in half by some formidable force, and the greenery on it had been completely destroyed. From this, it could be seen that an earth-shattering battle had occurred not too long ago.

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

There was a layer of frost over the entire area. Without a doubt, it had been left by Zhao Ya.

At the same time, the plants in the area had taken on a dark yellow shade, a sign that they had been poisoned to death. From the looks of it, that seemed to be Wei Ruyan's doing.

Initially, Zhang Xuan had thought that they had been taken down separately, but contrary to his expectations, the two of them had actually been fighting side by side when they were subdued.

Just who in the world wielded such tremendous power?

Putting aside the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, probably even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would not be able to take those two away discreetly!

"Could it be... that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor?" Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed in astonishment.

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Chapter 1572: Unforeseen Circumstances (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In terms of prowess, Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan were still far beneath Yang shi. Nevertheless, due to their unique abilities, in a real battle, even Yang shi would have much difficulty dealing with them.

But despite their strength, they were still unable to send a signal for help before they were taken away. Unless it was him with the Pavilion Master Seal activated or an Ancient Sage personally making a move, he could not think of anyone who could pull this off.

Eye of Insight!

Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned the surroundings.

A moment later, a frown appeared on his forehead as his face turned livid.

There isn't any trace of at all?

The Eye of Insight had never failed him before, but at that very moment, it was not working!

In the past, as long as he observed close enough, he would be able to find something amiss. However, no matter how he squinted, he could not find any traces of the assailant or the trail of his students. It was almost as if they had evaporated on the spot!

"Those two students of yours are considerably powerful. For the assailant to be able to kidnap them without leaving any trace behind, it must be a formidable foe!" Sword Saint Meng remarked grimly.

"Could it be the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"The killing intent that Otherworldly Demons emanate is too powerful for it to be concealed entirely. Since there isn't any trace of their killing intent here, it stands to reason that it shouldn't be their doing... However, if the culprit is an Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon, that might not hold anymore," Sword Saint Meng replied.

"Ancient Sage..." Zhang Xuan's complexion turned terribly awful.

While he did have some conflict with the Master Teacher Pavilion, they had already been resolved. It was unlikely that the master teachers would do something as ignoble as getting back at him through his students afterward.

As for the other powers, the only way that they could nab his students was to mobilize their Ancient Sages.

However, the human Ancient Sages did not have much time left, so to awaken them just to capture his students... the notion did not seem too probable.

Thus, that made the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor the most likely culprit.

Noticing her son's agitation, Sword Saint Meng quickly stepped forward and took charge of the situation. "Calm down, let's check the area once more. We might be able to find something. The most important thing that we have to do right now is confirm whom the culprit is and whether your students are in any danger!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

It was hard to remain rational when it came to something that affected one. Instead of panicking, the most important thing at hand was indeed to confirm if the two of them were safe.

So, they went through every single detail that could be found in the vicinity, checking every nook and cranny carefully.

"Did you manage to find anything?" Sword Saint Meng asked.

Zhang Xuan shook his head. "The culprit is either very skilled in concealing their tracks or they really vanished into thin air, leaving nothing behind at all! What about you?"

The person who had nabbed Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had utilized some kind of unfathomable means that rendered even the Eye of Insight useless in identifying and tracking them down.

"I managed to figure out a few things!" Sword Saint Meng replied. "Firstly, based on the battle marks, the culprit used a total of two moves in order to subdue Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, rendering the both of them completely helpless."

"Two moves?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"That's right. While there are many smaller holes on the ground, which makes it seem as if there was an intense battle, there are only two larger pits. The first pit is cloaked with a layer of frost, so I deduce that it should be the area where Zhao Ya faced off with the culprit!"

Tracing Sword Saint Meng's finger, Zhang Xuan saw a slightly deeper pit with chilling frost lingering around it.

"It's likely that Zhao Ya was intending to launch an attack, but it was deflected by the culprit. The deflected energy ended up scattering around the area, resulting in the many smaller holes. From that, it could be seen that even when Zhao Ya was utilizing the limits of her strength, she was still no match for the culprit at all," Sword Saint Meng analyzed.

Zhang Xuan examined the surroundings once more and realized that the smaller holes seemed to congregate around the larger pit, which lent credibility to Sword Saint Meng's analysis. Furthermore, there were no notable marks of battle aside from that, so it was safe to assume that the battle had ended with that single collision.

"The same applies to Wei Ruyan through the other pit. Furthermore, from the proximity of the two larger pits, my guess is that the both of them made a move simultaneously, but the culprit still managed to subdue them with ease!" Sword Saint Meng said with a grim look on her face.

To be honest, she was a little astounded by her own discovery. For an individual to be able to subdue two top-notch experts in a single move... just who in the world could the culprit be? And what was their motive for doing this?

Did the culprit not know that their actions would turn the Glacier Plain Court, Poison Hall, Sanctum of Sages, and even the Zhang Clan against him?

Each of those powers had extraordinary trump cards in their grasp that they would never use unless in desperate situations. Otherwise, they would not have been able to remain standing on the Master Teacher Continent for so many years.

"Clan head!"

While the two of them were still trying to make sense out of the situation, an elder of the Zhang Clan suddenly flew over and called out.

He was the Eighth Elder, the person who had delivered the message to Zhang Xuan earlier.

Zhang Xuan turned his head over questioningly.

The Eighth Elder clasped his fist and reported anxiously, "Reporting to the clan head, the Yuan Clan has just sent a request for help. Their young master has been kidnapped by someone as well!"

"Yuan Tao has been kidnapped, too?" Zhang Xuan nearly exploded on the spot.

"This is the message that an elder of the Yuan Clan just sent over..." The Eighth Elder passed a jade token over.

Zhang Xuan lowered his head and browsed through it gravely.

Unlike the case with Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan, the culprit had stomped right into the Yuan Clan, breaching all of its defenses in an instant. Not even the full might of the Yuan Clan was enough to stop them. Before they could even clearly see whom the culprit was, the culprit had already fled with Yuan Tao in their grasp.

"Where's the Yuan Clan?" Zhang Xuan asked the Eighth Elder anxiously.

"The Yuan Clan is located here!" Sword Saint Meng said as she quickly sent the coordinates over.

"Let's head over right now!"

After confirming the location, Zhang Xuan took out another bunch of grade-9 formation flags and constructed a Teleportation Formation.

Hu!

The duo disappeared from the spot.

The next instant, they were already in the vicinity of the Yuan Clan.

"Clan Head Zhang, Sword Saint Meng..."

Very soon, the deputy clan head of the Yuan Clan led the two of them to the main hall.

"We didn't manage to catch the appearance of the culprit clearly, but he was wearing a long robe when he entered the Yuan Clan. Our first thought was that he was a master teacher, but there were some discrepancies in his attire. As soon as he arrived, he immediately captured Yuan Tao. We tried to stop him, but he simply blasted through out Guardian Formation with a single palm strike," the deputy clan head said as he pointed at the formation above.

Zhang Xuan and Sword Saint Meng turned their gazes upward and saw a palm print on the roof and even the formations above them.

A formation should not have any tangible form other than its formation flags, thus making it highly difficult to deal with. Yet, to be able to tear a hole right through multiple formations and even prevent the formations from converging back in to repair the hole... the culprit would truly be a troublesome person to deal with.

As one of the top Sage Clans on the continent, the Guardian Formation of the Yuan Clan was the crystallization of the wisdom of many generations of experts. Even among grade-9 formations, it was ranked at the very top.

It would be no exaggeration to say that even those who had reached the pinnacle of Great Sage would be unable to do so, yet the culprit was able to do it with a single palm strike. It was no wonder he could capture Yuan Tao, who had already awakened his Emperor's Bloodline, so easily...

It seemed like the culprit had already achieved an inconceivable level of strength.

"Even Yang shi would not necessarily be able to pull this off..." Sword Saint Meng's lips twitched at the sight as well.

She had sparred with Yang shi before, so she had a rough idea of just how powerful the latter was. Since she had said such words, it was likely the case.

With a concerned frown, Zhang Xuan could not help but ask, "Is the culprit... an Ancient Sage?"

Having reached the pinnacle of Great Sage, Yang shi was indubitably one of the strongest experts on the Master Teacher Continent, matched by very few in the newer generation. The only ones who could really outdo him would be the Ancient Sages.

And the only one whom Zhang Xuan knew had the ability to do so was the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor.

"No, the culprit isn't an Ancient Sage." The deputy clan head shook his head. "I still can recognize the aura of Ancient Sages, and I'm certain that the other party hasn't reached such a level yet!"

"The culprit is so powerful despite having yet to reach Ancient Sage?" Zhang Xuan's heart jolted in astonishment.

"Does the culprit possess some means reminiscent to the Pavilion Master Seal, granting him strength invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage?"

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Chapter 1573: Just Who Could It Be?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

While Yang shi was unable to pull off a palm strike that could blast a hole right through the Yuan Clan's Guardian Formation, Zhang Xuan felt that he should be able to do it with the power of the Pavilion Master Seal. Could this mean that the culprit wielded strength comparable to him even in his enhanced state?

But he was already making use of Kong shi's blood essence! Did the culprit have something on par with that?

"But that's impossible!"

The fact that the Pavilion Master Seal containing three droplets of Kong shi's blood was considered one of the strongest artifacts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was enough to show how valuable and rare it was. It did not seem too probable for there to be a second artifact in the world that could compare to it.

Even if the other party had Kong shi's blood droplets in their possession, based on what he knew, only Celestial Master Teachers should be able to utilize the power within them. So, it should not be possible for them to utilize the power within the blood droplets.

Unable to make sense of the situation, Zhang Xuan asked, "Could it be an Ancient Sage intentionally lowering his cultivation?"

"That isn't too likely... If an Ancient Sage was truly here, the Ancient Sage of our Yuan Clan would surely have sensed his presence and awoken" replied the deputy clan head, shaking his head.

Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

If the Yuan Clan had a hibernating Ancient Sage, it would make sense for him to awaken upon sensing the presence of other Ancient Sages.

The fact that their Ancient Sage remained motionless despite the assault from the culprit showed that even though the culprit wielded incredible strength, he had yet to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage.

"To wield such strength despite not being an Ancient Sage... just who could it be?" Zhang Xuan's complexion was turning worse and worse.

It might have been better if the culprit was a real Ancient Sage so that the Yuan Clan's Ancient Sage had awoken and stopped him or, at the very least, found out who the culprit was. However, that was unfortunately not the case, and that effectively left them with no clues to work with.

All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan recalled something and asked anxiously, "Yuan Clan, do you know where the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters is located in?"

"I have a map over here!" The head of the Yuan Clan flicked his hand and passed a jade token over.

"Are you worried that the culprit might make a move on Wang Ying too?" Sword Saint Meng immediately understood Zhang Xuan's intentions.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao... Three of his direct disciples had been kidnapped just like that. If the culprit was intentionally working against him, Wang Ying was likely to be the next victim!

As for Zheng Yang, he should be safe with the Combat Master Hall. Even if the culprit really wielded prowess invincible beneath Ancient Sage, the culprit was still unlikely to provoke the powerful Combat Master Hall easily, so Zheng Yang should be in a considerably safer position.

"Let's quickly head over!"

Zhang Xuan quickly set up a Teleportation Formation, and before long, they were already in the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters.

After having expended her energy in activating three Teleportation Formations and using her zhenqi to protect Zhang Xuan from the spatial turbulence, Sword Saint Meng was starting to show signs of exhaustion.

"Teacher, why are you here? We were just planning to head over to the Luo Clan to celebrate your engagement!" Wang Ying was delighted by Zhang Xuan's arrival, but a slight hint of bewilderment could be seen in the depths of her eyes.

She knew that her teacher would not come to visit her all of a sudden without any reason, especially since they were soon going to meet in the Luo Clan.

"Wang Ying... Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao have been kidnapped!" Zhang Xuan explained grimly.

"They have been kidnapped?" Wang Ying's eyes dilated in disbelief as her body trembled in shock. "But... who could possibly have the strength to kidnap them?"

"I have no idea either. I was worried that something might have happened to you, so I rushed over to check on you," Zhang Xuan said.

"Teacher, you suspect that the person might make a move on me next?" Wang Ying swiftly understood what was going on. She turned around and instructed, "Elder Qin, inform all spirit awakeners to prepare themselves. A battle could be coming very soon!"

"Yes!" Understanding the severity of the situation, Elder Qin quickly left the area to make preparations.

After making arrangements, Wang Ying turned to Zhang Xuan worriedly. "Teacher, do you how Senior Zhao Ya and the others are doing at the moment?"

"I don't know that either. The culprit didn't leave behind any trail, so even I'm unable to track the other party down..." Zhang Xuan shook his head with a deep frown. "For the time being, I'm thinking of lying in wait here. As long as the culprit strikes once more, we'll be able to apprehend and interrogate him!"

"I understand!"

Realizing her teacher's intentions, Wang Ying nodded before falling silent. She arranged a place for the two of them to rest before sitting down to cultivate, not wasting any time at all.

She was unable to match up to Zhao Ya and the others in terms of talent, so she could only make it up with her diligence. Along with the ample resources that she had as the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, she was still able to improve considerably quickly.

As they waited, the day soon went by. Before they knew it, the sun had already risen once again.

However, there was still no movement from the culprit. It was as if the culprit knew that they were there and had chosen to lie low for the time being.

Unable to wait patiently any longer, Zhang Xuan stood up and asked, "Do you have any long-range Communication Formations here? Send a message over to Zheng Yang to check if he's alright."

"Alright, Teacher!" Wang Ying replied before leaving the room.

Not too long later, she returned. "Teacher, Senior Zheng Yang has already arrived in the Luo Clan. It doesn't seem like he has met with any trouble along the way..."

"Nothing happened on his end either?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

As the culprit had made a move on Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao one after another, he figured that the culprit meant him and his students harm. That was the reason he had chosen to camp in the Spirit Awakener Guild for an entire day, waiting for the culprit to appear. Yet, it turned out that nothing had happened during this duration. Could he have mistaken the intentions of the culprit?

All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan's body stiffened as he exclaimed in horror, "Unique constitutions!"

Previously, Yang shi had said that in order to obtain the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, other than gathering all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, one could also break the seal through substituting the amulets with the blood of those possessing specific unique constitutions.

Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao's unique constitutions happened to be the few unique constitutions that could be used to substitute the amulets.

On the other hand, Wang Ying and Zheng Yang did not possess a unique constitution, which might explain why they had not been targeted.

Could that be the reason why the three of them had been targeted?

If that was the intention of the culprit, in a sense, this could be considered good news as the three of them should not be in any danger for the time being.

After all, the purpose for the culprit capturing them was to open the seal to the Temple of Confucius and not to kill them. In order to ensure that nothing went wrong, it was unlikely for the culprit to harm them until the seal was finally deciphered.

"From this moment onward, Wang Ying, you should follow me around. Try not to stray too far away!" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before instructing.

In the end, the matter about unique constitution was just speculation on his part. It would still be best for him to be careful.

"Where do you intend to head to now?" Sword Saint Meng asked.

After a day of rest, she had recuperated from her exertion the previous day. Her aura had regained its usual sharpness, reminiscent of a keen edge that could slice the heavens in two.

"Let's return to the Luo Clan!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Right now?" Sword Saint Meng was surprised to hear those words.

She could tell that there was a deep bond between her son and his students, so she had thought that her son would want to further investigate the issue.

"There are some things that I would like to ask Yang shi. Also, if the culprit is really searching for unique constitutions, I suspect that he might go for the little princess next. If that's the case, there's a chance that he might wreak havoc during the engagement ceremony!" Zhang Xuan said.

There was also one more thing he had neglected to mention, and that was that the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan each possessed a Celestial Amulet of Legacy!

If the culprit had really captured Zhao Ya and the others for the sake of opening the Temple of Confucius, there was no way he would pass on the real Celestial Amulets of Legacy. Furthermore, today was the day of the engagement between him and the little princess of the Luo Clan, so nearly the entire upper echelons of the two clans would be around.

From such a perspective, it could be an ideal opportunity for the culprit to strike if he wanted to acquire the real Celestial Amulets of Legacy!

Thus, the most effective move that he could make at this moment was actually to return to the Luo Clan!

Besides, if he could learn from Yang shi how the unique constitutions could be used to decipher the seal in the Temple of Confucius, he might be able to uncover some useful clues that would help him track down the culprit.

"Let's go then!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had made up his mind, Sword Saint Meng decided not to say too much. They swiftly constructed a Teleportation Formation and warped back to the Luo Clan.

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Chapter 1574: The Little Princess' Happiness (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was a bustling sight within the Luo Clan. Festive lanterns were hung all around, and auspicious red cloth cloaked the buildings throughout Shrouding Ethereal City, indicating a joyous celebration.

On this jolly day, the First Elder of the Luo Clan, Luo Qingchen, was dressed in a grand robe stitched with golden lining as he stood at the entrance to the main hall of the Luo Clan with a radiant smile on his wrinkled face.

"The head of the Jiang Clan, Jiang Fangyou, has arrived with thirty Saint 8-dan beasts to congratulation the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan on their engagement!"

"The head of the Mu Clan, Mu Hengzhen, has arrived with three boxes of thousand-year-old medicinal herbs and ten stalks of the Truespirit Pipa Tree to congratulate the union of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan!"

"The head of the Shui Clan, Shui Fangtian, has arrived with three thousand Wateranima Crystals, five thousand Southern Sea Diamonds, and two hundred 7-star Dragon Eyes to offer early congratulations to the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan for their matrimony!"

...

Such declarations sounded one after another as eminent figures of the Master Teacher Continent arrived one after another with wide smiles on their faces.

Even a stomp of one of these figures' feet would resound loudly throughout the continent, but at that moment, they were personally delivering invaluable gifts to the Luo Clan, not daring to show the slightest hint of impoliteness.

Looking at the bustle all around, one of the elders in charge of welcoming the guests could not help but remark in awe. "It seems like the entire continent has heard of Zhang shi's affairs in the Empire Alliance just a few days ago. This is just the engagement ceremony, but they are already delivering such generous gifts. I can't begin to imagine how long the queue of gifts will be for the official wedding..."

While the Luo Clan wielded considerable influence on the Master Teacher Continent, it was far beyond its means to gather so many powerhouses together on the spur of the moment.

In fact, even the Zhang Clan would have trouble pulling something like that off.

But Zhang Xuan, the current head of the Zhang Clan, had managed to do it during a mere engagement ceremony. There was no doubt that the official marriage ceremony would be far grander than this, such that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would feel compelled to send an envoy down to relay their blessings.

Of course, the reason for this unprecedented grandeur could only be attributed to the magnificent show of power from Zhang Xuan a few days earlier. By now, the news should have already spread far and wide across the entire continent.

In the tens of thousands of years since the establishment of the Master Teacher Pavilion, no one had ever successfully escaped from its arrest warrant before. However, Zhang Xuan had created history on that very day. Not only did the world learn that the future head of the Combat Master Hall, the master of the Poison Hall, the chief of the Glacier Plain Court, and so on were all his students, he was even the head of the Sanctum of Sages and Yang shi's senior.

That news had really shocked the entire world.

With so many distinguished identities to his name, how could these shrewd powers possibly remain oblivious to the stance that they ought to take?

It was also with knowledge of this that the Zhang Clan did not hesitate to conduct the inauguration ceremony to officialize Zhang Xuan's position as the clan head. Under Zhang Xuan's halo, the Zhang Clan's position was immediately brought to an unprecedented height. With so many formidable powers under the Zhang Clan's sphere of influence, the Zhang Clan would only grow stronger with time.

Given so, who would dare snub the Zhang Clan's dignity and refuse to offer their congratulations?

Putting aside something as important as an engagement ceremony, even if Zhang Xuan suffered the slightest cold, there was no doubt that an army of clan heads and sect leaders would swiftly deliver medicine and artifacts over as a display of goodwill!

"Indeed. How many years has it been since our Luo Clan last enjoyed such splendor?" another elder by the side replied deeply.

Even when their little princess had shocked the world by successfully assimilated the Dimension Silencer, thus elevating the reputation of the Luo Clan to new heights, only a couple of clans had come to the Luo Clan to offer their congratulations. Yet, in this very moment, nearly all of the notable powers throughout the Master Teacher Continent had arrived to convey their best wishes.

It was no wonder the two elders felt as they did.

"Previously, when there was completely no news from the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, I had still been lamenting at how unfair the engagement was for the little princess. Who could have thought that the young prodigy would suddenly appear before our eyes once more with such magnificence, reminiscent to how it was when he was born back then!"

"Indeed, indeed! Born as a Connate Saint, even Kong shi's sculpture levitated into the air to pay its respects to him, and the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters specially sent an envoy down to relay their goodwill. There was no one in the world back then who didn't know about the extraordinary young prodigy of the Zhang Clan! Truly, he didn't disappoint us even after all these years!"

"Well, a star will eventually shine, but more importantly, who could have thought that person the little princess likes would actually be him too! I can't even begin to describe how happy I am for the little princess. After all the heavy tension over the past few months, it seems like everything will be resolved perfectly..."

Many elders nodded delightfully in agreement at those words.

Despite the glory cast on the Luo Clan as a result of the marriage with the Zhang Clan, as long as the little princess was not fond of her fiancé, it would be like dynamite had been planted in their midst, waiting to explode at a trigger.

Fortunately, it had been found that the little princess and the young prodigy actually had mutual feelings for one another, and this was the best ending that everyone hoped to see.

...

Away from the bustle at the forefront, there was a small residence deep in the Luo Clan that was filled with resplendent flowers. Within one of the rooms, a young lady sat before a mirror, carefully dressing herself up.

A maid standing behind the young lady combed her hair carefully as she excitedly exclaimed, "Young Mistress, doesn't it sound very lively outside? I heard that many distinguished figures have come to our Luo Clan!"

"I know, I know. This is the third time that you have said that!" The young lady shook her head with a helpless smile.

"Back then, I couldn't understand why someone as outstanding as our Young Mistress would fancy a principal from a Tier-1 Empire's Master Teacher Academy, but it turns out that the future Young Master is actually a remarkable figure! Without saying a word at all, so many powers have already come to offer their congratulations. Other than the Master Teacher Pavilion, I can't think of any power that could possibly wield such influence!" the maid combing the young lady's hair remarked with admiration twinkling in her eyes.

"Not to forget, the Master Teacher Pavilion is without its real pavilion master at the moment, so it would be difficult for it to rally so many people at once!" another maid chirped in with a chuckle.

"Our Young Mistress is truly a person blessed by the heavens!"

Just like that, the two maids chatted delightfully among themselves.

The young lady seated in front of the mirror looked at her impeccable appearance in the mirror, and a blissful smile crept onto her lips.

All of a sudden, the young lady turned around to look at the maid behind her, and the blissful smile on her face was replaced by uncertainty and apprehension. "Have you found out what I asked you to investigate? Zhang shi... did he say anything when he arrived yesterday?"

"This..."

The maid was taken aback by the young lady's sudden actions. Just as she was about to speak, footsteps abruptly sounded outside, and cheerful laughter filled the air. "There's no need to ask them. I have already checked on your behalf!"

"Young Master!" Upon seeing who the person who had just walked into the room was, the maids quickly bowed down.

"Un!" Luo Xuanqing waved his hands, gesturing for the maids to rest easy. Looking at his younger sister, he chuckled. "When I spoke of you before the lad yesterday, he was so agitated that he would have flown right to your side if he could. If not for me holding him back, he really might have done so!"

"He was... agitated?" The young lady's face reddened in embarrassment. "Elder Brother, please don't make fun of me! Are you certain that he was agitated because of me?"

"Aren't you asking the obvious? He's already here to ask for your hand in marriage, so how could he not know who you are? There's no need to worry!" Luo Xuanqing shook his head, not understanding his younger sister's worries.

Perhaps this was how brides were. The closer they were to their marriage, the more unnerved they became.

"That's a relief. I was just thinking that when I had disguised my appearance when I first met him..." the little princess replied with an awkward smile. "I was afraid that he wouldn't recognize me after seeing my true appearance."

"Young Mistress, rest assured! I have seen your disguised look, too, and the current you looks at least ten times prettier than you did back then! There's no way the future Young Master wouldn't be charmed by your beauty!" a maid remarked joyfully.

"That's surely the case, Young Mistress. I can swear on my life that if you meet him with your current looks, he will swiftly fall in love with you all over again," the other maid teased with a smile.

"The two of you only know how to tease me!" the young lady retorted with a crimson blush on her face. Turning her gaze back to Luo Xuanqing, she asked, "Elder Brother, where is he at the moment?"

"He has some matters to attend to, so he's currently out at the moment, but he should be returning very soon. Yuxin, you don't have to worry about anything. I'm sure that you don't want him to see you with a fretful frown on your face, right?" Luo Xuanqing chuckled as he massaged the young lady's glabella to loosen the deep creases there.

"Un!" The young lady nodded with a smile.

As far as she could remember, she had always carried the burden of an engagement. She had thought that this was the only path that she could follow, and the only thing that she could do was compromise. As such, she had never dared imagine a life where she walked down the long journey of life with the person whom she loved till the end of their time.

Perhaps, the heavens were not as heartless as she thought.

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Chapter 1575: The Little Princess' Happiness (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing the euphoric look on his younger sister's face, Luo Xuanqing said with a relieved smile, "Sword Saint Xing of the Zhang Clan is currently discussing the plans for the marriage ceremony with our father, and we have already accepted their betrothal gifts. Most likely, you will return to the Zhang Clan with that lad today. You should quickly head out once you are done preparing—the guests are dying to meet you!"

While he was a little reluctant to see his younger sister marrying another man, this was already the best possible situation there could possibly be. Such a coincidence was one that he never would have dared imagine to be possible.

"Un!" The young lady nodded before turning her gaze back to the mirror. "Help me check if there's anywhere that needs more tidying up..."

"Don't worry, Young Mistress. There's no one who could be more beautiful than you today!" the maid behind replied with a smile.

All along, the Young Mistress had been a cold and composed person. Who could have thought that she would have such a side to her when it came to the person whom she loved?

"Is that so?" Heaving a sigh of relief, the young lady stood up and looked at her elder brother with a demure smile. "Elder Brother, let's go!"

"Un!" Luo Xuanqing nodded as he led the way out.

The two maids quickly followed behind them.

The young lady could not resist asking, "Elder Brother, who is here today?"

While she had heard rumors about the formidable lineup of guests from the maids, she was not too clear about the specifics.

"Nearly all of the clan heads and First Elders of the Sage Clans are present. It seems like that lad's reputation is really one to behold!" Luo Xuanqing chuckled.

To be honest, even he could hardly believe that so many people had come.

"All of the Sage Clans' clan heads are present?" The young lady widened her eyes in astonishment. "They are all here... to congratulate us on our engagement?"

"Why else do you think?" Luo Xuanqing replied. "The last time something as grand as this happened was when our founder established the Luo Clan, but there weren't even as many guests back then. Your engagement has really pushed the Luo Clan back to the top of the Master Teacher Continent once more. While that lad can be unreliable from time to time, I must say that he has really done well this time. He has allowed our little princess over here to marry in fashion, not suffering the slightest grievance at all!"

"Un!" The young lady nodded as a warm surge flowed into her heart.

Despite having assimilated the Dimension Silencer and becoming the strongest expert in the younger generation, she knew that even she did not have the influence to rally so many people at once.

This glory would be eternally carved in the history of the Luo Clan, remembered even after many millenniums.

"The Young Mistress has always wished to marry the person whom she loves with the blessing of the entire world. Can this be considered as her wish coming true?" one of the maids behind asked with a smile.

"Of course! If this can't be considered as the blessing of the entire world, what else could be?" Luo Xuanqing replied. "The main hall is right ahead. You should put on your veil first!"

While merrily chatting, they finally arrived before the main hall. With a gaze from Luo Xuanqing, the maids behind quickly covered the young lady's ravishing looks with a red veil.

According to tradition, the bride had to cover her face with a red veil during the engagement ceremony. With so many powers observing the ceremony, this tradition had to be respected.

After putting on the red veil, the young lady walked into the main hall behind Luo Xuanqing. Before they could even assume their positions, a loud declaration came from behind.

"Deputy Sanctum Head Zhan Tiancheng and the many elders of the Sanctum of Sages have arrived to congratulate the fated couple from the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan!"

"Deputy Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan and ten other 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have come to relay their blessings to the engaged couple!"

"Even the personnel from the Sanctum of Sages and Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters have come? Furthermore, it's the deputy sanctum head and the deputy pavilion master!" The young lady was astounded.

It was already shocking to see that all of the heads of the Sage Clans had come to offer their best wishes, but to think that even the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion would arrive with so many 9-star master teachers to relay their blessings! There was truly no greater honor than this.

With a ceremony of such a scale, there was nothing more that she could ask for!

"Grand Elder Huo Shiqing of the Master Teacher Pavilion has come with his disciples to congratulate the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan!"

"Huo Shiqing? Isn't that the grand elder who has already retired from the secular world? Why would he attend this wedding ceremony as well?"

"I have no idea. Previously, when Ren Qingyuan was inaugurated as the deputy pavilion master, an invitation was sent to Huo Shiqing as well, but he turned down the invitation. Who would have expected him to attend this wedding instead?"

"Could there be any greater honor than this? If I were the little princess of the Luo Clan, I would have died of bliss by now!"

...

Shocked and envious exclamations erupted all around.

"Even Grand Elder Huo Shiqing is here as well..." The young lady clenched her fists tightly in agitation.

When she was still a young child, her father had taken her to Huo Shiqing in the hope of convincing the latter to tutor her, only to be turned down. Who would have thought that the other party would actually attend her engagement ceremony!

"Mystical Hands Gentleman has come to relay his blessings!"

"Grand Elder Wu Qing of the Blacksmith Guild has come to congratulate the soon-to-be-wedded couple!"

"Priest of the Calm Lake Du Yiyao have come to relay their blessings!"

"Frenzied Saber Ling Huchong has come to offer his best wishes!"

...

The shock did not stop with just the arrival of Grand Elder Huo Shiqing. Soon, many more declarations sounded outside.

Many familiar names who had left a mark in the history of the Master Teacher Continent sounded one after another in the ears of the crowd, raising an uproar in the main hall.

"Mystical Hands Gentleman is a figure who rose into prominence a thousand years ago. He was once the head of the Physician Guild, but he suddenly disappeared from the world five hundred years ago. Many thought that he had passed on, but who knew that not only is he still alive, he even came to relay his blessings to the newlywed?"

"That legendary man has saved the lives of countless experts during his time, such that many of the experts from the older generation are indebted to him!"

"Isn't Grand Elder Wu Qing known as the Heartless Blacksmith, devoid of any sentiments or emotions even to his loved ones? It's said that his son personally begged him to forge a weapon for his lover, only to be shut out of his door. Yet, he actually came for this engagement ceremony..."

"I have taken a look at his gift, and it seems to be a Great Sage-tier treasure!"

"Who is the Priest of the Calm Lake?"

"That man is quite an eccentric figure on the Master Teacher Continent. He made a name for himself three hundred years ago when he defeated three 9-star master teachers simultaneously with his swordsmanship. He's very fond of chess, and he has gone around the world challenging chess experts one after another, only to be unable to find a worthy rival. But one day, he abruptly disappeared from the face of the continent, his whereabouts known to none. I never would have thought that he would come for the engagement ceremony today!"

"Actually, the one whom I respect the most is still Frenzied Saber Ling Huchong..."

"I came here hoping to forge a good relationship with the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan, but who could have thought that I would actually have the honor of meeting these distinguished experts as well... This is really a huge eye opener for me. This trip here hasn't been wasted!"

"Indeed. I would have regretted it for life if I had missed out on such a huge gathering!"

...

As the names that only existed in legends in the minds of the crowd sounded one after another, a huge uproar broke out amid the crowd.

Even the esteemed heads of the Sage Clans trembled excitedly in face of these legendary figures, as if little kids meeting their idols.

"Zhang shi was the one who got all of them here?"

With her face veiled, the young lady was unable to see what was happening around her. However, she could still roughly figure out what was going on from the discussion of others, and her eyes reddened in agitation.

As a female offspring of a major clan, her fate had already been determined at birth. Knowing that she could only walk down the path that others had carved for her, she had never dared dream of the future. She had never thought that her life could ever be so dazzling and magnificent!

"Thank you..."

Knowing that Zhang shi must have gone through a lot of effort to specially invite them over for this occasion, the young lady's heart was filled with gratitude.

"Look, Zhang shi is here!"

At that moment, another commotion broke out amid the crowd. Zhang Xuan and Sword Saint Meng were making their way into the main hall from afar.

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Chapter 1576: The Storm After the Calm

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"How come there are so many people around?"

Zhang Xuan had rushed all the way back to the Luo Clan, but before he even arrived at the main hall where the guests were hosted, he had already nearly fainted from shock.

He was only here to ask for Luo Ruoxin's marriage in hand—it was not even their marriage yet! He had thought that it would just be a small ceremony consisting mainly of his students, but that notion had swiftly been overthrown by the sight before him.

"Given the commotion that you've caused, it's a given that you would draw so many people here! As for those experts who have already gone into seclusion, I figure that they have come on Yang shi's account!" Sword Saint Meng said.

"Yang shi's account?"

"That's right! Grand Elder Huo Shiqing of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters once received Yang shi's guidance, and the two of them are very close friends with one another. As for the Mystical Hands Gentleman, it's said that Yang shi once saved him from a treacherous predicament. I'm not too sure about Wu Qing, but for the Priest of the Calm Lake, it's said that he challenged Yang shi to a chess battle several hundred years ago, only to lose tragically. Eventually, he could only resign himself to becoming a guard for Yang shi's residence," Sword Saint Meng explained with a smile.

Those were confidential secrets, but due to the close relationship between the Zhang Clan and Yang shi, she was still aware of quite a few things.

Considering that most of them were seniors who had already retired from the secular world, who other than Yang shi could possibly have the ability to rally them together?

"I'll have to make sure to relay my thanks to Yang shi later on then," Zhang Xuan remarked as he shook his head with a bitter smile.

He had come to ask for Luo Ruoxin's hand in marriage, but it turned out to be something far larger than what he had thought it would be.

However, it was apparent that Yang shi was doing this for him too.

The more imposing the engagement ceremony was, the greater his influence would be. In the future, when he revealed his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher, his authority and prestige would be greater, too!

"Let's enter the main hall!" Sword Saint Meng said.

As soon as the two of them entered the main hall, Lu Chong and Zheng Yang swiftly rushed up to him.

"Teacher!"

They had also heard the news, and it had left them deeply worried and anxious.

"I've been to the scene, and with the culprit's strength, he could easily do away with Zhao Ya and the others if he wanted to. The fact that he chose to go through the trouble of kidnapping them instead means that they won't be in any danger for the time being!" Zhang Xuan reassured the two young men before him.

"However, we still mustn't let our guard down. Since the culprit has made the first move, we can anticipate more actions from him in the future. If I'm right, there's a good chance that the culprit might appear here today... So, prepare yourselves for battle at any moment!"

"Un!" Zheng Yang and Lu Chong traded glances before nodding simultaneously.

Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan were by no means weaker than them, yet the culprit had still managed to kidnap them so easily. If the culprit went to the Luo Clan, they would really have to use everything at their disposal in order to prevent the culprit from getting away!

"Clan Head Zhang, I am the sect leader of the Lucid River Sect. It's really an honor to be able to witness the engagement between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan..."

Shortly after Lu Chong and Zheng Yang walked away to make preparations, the others in the room swiftly swarmed over after confirming Zhang Xuan's identity.

"That's Zhang shi? He sure is an extraordinary young man!"

"Despite only being twenty this year, not only has he become the head of the Sanctum of Sages, all of his students are also powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. I really wonder how he managed to do this..."

"I heard that even the esteemed Yang shi has to call him Senior!"

"Given Yang shi's guidance and the fact that he possesses the purest bloodline in the Zhang Clan, it's no wonder he has achieved such heights at his young age!"

...

"Everyone, there's always time to get together and chat in the future. It wouldn't be good if we made the pair of soon-to-be-newlyweds miss their auspicious hour 1 !" Luo Qingchen stepped forward and calmed the crowd down.

Be it for engagement or marriage, it was always best to pick out the most auspicious moment in order to bless the couple. Such traditions were exceptionally important for large clans with a long heritage such as the Luo Clan.

Knowing this, the crowd shared some pleasantries before swiftly opening a pathway into the main hall.

Zhang Xuan inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before following Luo Qingchen to the center of the main hall.

There were three chairs at the very center, and Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi were seated in two of them.

As for the last one, it was taken up by a rather imposing-looking middle-aged man. His facial features bore some semblance of Luo Xuanqing's, but they were a little deeper and more authoritative. Without a doubt, the middle-aged man was the little princess' father, as well as his future father-in-law.

Standing behind the middle-aged man was Luo Xuanqing and a demure young lady with a red veil concealing her appearance.

"Ruoxin..."

Zhang Xuan's body tensed up upon seeing the young lady, and indescribable joy surged through his body.

The several months that they had been apart from one another felt like several decades to him. There was no day or night when the young lady had not crossed his mind.

Zhang Xuan took in a deep breath to calm his agitation before forcefully turning his attention back to the discussion between the heads of the two clans, wanting to hear the details for the wedding.

However, his eyes still could not help but drift over to the young lady, and he swiftly noticed that something was amiss. Her physique... looks a little different?

He had sealed his relationship with Luo Ruoxin at the Qiu Wu Palace, but they had ended up parting from one another not too long after that. While the time spent together was extremely short, her beautiful physique was imprinted in the depths of his mind, never to be forgotten. While there was no flaw to be picked with the demure young lady beneath the red veil too, the differences were still apparent to him.

Could it be that she has not only disguised her appearance but her physique back then too?

He had indeed used the Eye of Insight on Luo Ruoxin before, and he was aware that she had disguised her appearance. However, as for her physique, he really had not paid too much heed to it. Could this be what her body truly looked like?

Just as Zhang Xuan's mind was wandering around the place, conflicted as to whether he should use his Spiritual Perception or Eye of Insight on the young lady to assuage the uncertainty in his mind, Sword Saint Xing's voice suddenly sounded ahead of him.

"Xuan-er, our opinion is that the marriage ceremony should be carried out as soon as possible after we return to our Zhang Clan. What's your view on the matter?"

"I have no objections to that!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly nodded.

Marrying Luo Ruoxin had been his greatest desire ever since he arrived on the Master Teacher Continent, and with the end point already in sight, how could he possibly back out at this moment?

"Great, it's settled then! I would like to thank our friends for coming all the way here for us, and I would like to formally invite every single one of you to the Zhang Clan to witness this joyous occasion for both our clans!" Sword Saint Xing laughed heartily.

"Of course, of course!"

"I wouldn't want to miss out on the wedding toast!"

The crowd quickly clasped their fists and replied.

Having decided on the procedures for the marriage ceremony, there was nothing else that needed discussion. Thus, Sword Saint Xing stood up from his seat and gestured grandly. "Great! Let's set off then!"

At this point, he realized that his son was still standing in a daze by the side, and he could not help but chuckle. "What are you spacing out for? Shouldn't you be leading your future wife to the bridal sedan chair 2 ?"

"Yes!"

Zhang Xuan shook himself out of his daze and hurriedly walked over to the young lady. Just as he was about to hold the young lady's hand, a huge commotion suddenly erupted outside, followed by deafening explosions.

"What's happening?" The head of the Luo Clan hurriedly stood up and looked outside.

One of the elders of the Luo Clan rushed over and reported, "Clan head, bad news! Two intruders are barging into our main hall, and our men aren't able to stop them..."

"So many experts have gathered here today to witness the marriage between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, yet there's still someone who is so brazen as to dare wreak havoc here? Very well, allow me to meet that person then!" The face of the head of the Luo Clan turned livid, and his eyes narrowed menacingly.

To dare stir trouble on such an important occasion, not to mention in the face of so many experts, were the intruders not too impertinent?

"It should be him..." Zhang Xuan quickly shot a glance over to Zheng Yang and the others, only to see that they had already prepared themselves.

Previously, he had already guessed that the culprit who had kidnapped Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao would appear at this important occasion in order to acquire the Celestial Amulets of Legacy from the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, and considering the fuss that was happening at this moment, it seemed like his intuition was spot-on!

"Let's head over to take a look as well!" Unable to remain composed upon realizing that the culprit who had kidnapped his students was in the vicinity, Zhang Xuan quickly followed the head of the Luo Clan out.

As he reached the doorway of the main hall, he saw all of the elders of the Luo Clan and the experts who had charged out earlier being knocked back forcefully. Even with their strength combined, they were not a match for the intruders!

"Are they the ones who have kidnapped Zhao Ya?"

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze toward the intruders and saw that the person who had made a move earlier was an adolescent boy, appearing to be only around thirteen to fourteen years old.

Standing behind the adolescent boy was a veiled young lady. While it was impossible to discern her appearance through the veil, it was apparent from her silhouette that she was a rare beauty.

"Her physique..." Zhang Xuan's body suddenly stiffened as a bad premonition arose in his heart.

Hu la!

At the same moment, the veil concealing the young lady's face slowly drifted to the ground, revealing a ravishing face that would leave any man frenzied over it.

"Firesource City, I opened my heart to you. Qiu Wu Palace, I swore my future to you... Zhang Xuan, you have promised to be with me no matter what the future holds, but why do I see you marrying another woman here?"

Many emotions rippled in the reddened eyes of the young lady—anger, indignation, sorrow, resentment...

"Y-you are Luo Ruoxin..."

As if a streak of lightning had flashed through his brain, Zhang Xuan's mind was plunged into chaos.

The young lady before him was none other than the person whom he had sworn to walk down the long journey of life with, Luo Ruoxin!

But if she was Luo Ruoxin... who could the little princess be?

Hurriedly turning around, Zhang Xuan saw the other young lady removing her red veil, revealing a breathtaking countenance that carried some semblance of someone he knew.

Zhang Xuan froze on the spot. "Qiqi..."

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Chapter 1577: Who Dares to Hurt Him?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

She was much more beautiful than the Luo Qiqi that he knew, but from her disposition, gaze, and gesture, he could still see the student who was filled with admiration for him in her, Luo Qiqi!

It was in the Huanyu Empire that they first met. Despite her cold exterior, she was a very hardworking and driven person, never hesitating to lower her pride in order to improve herself.

At Qingyuan City, she confessed to him earnestly, only to be pushed away then.

He had thought that it would be unlikely for them to meet once more after their parting then, but who could have thought that... their reunion would actually come in such a form?

"How could Qiqi be the little princess?" Zhang Xuan felt as if he was going to crumble into pieces.

All this time, he had thought that Luo Ruoxin was the little princess of the Luo Clan. In order to be with her, he had desperately trained and cultivated; he had wreaked havoc in the Zhang Clan; he tried his best to get close with Luo Xuanqing...

But all of a sudden, it turned out that the little princess was actually Qiqi, not Luo Ruoxin... His mind simply could not accept that fact all of a sudden.

"Luo shi..." Luo Qiqi had also noticed Luo Ruoxin as well, and her body trembled a little.

She knew that Zhang Xuan had always viewed her as his student, and his feelings for her were not romantic in nature. So, when she heard that the other party had come to ask for her hand in marriage, she had been surprised. It had been like a dream come true for her, but she did not dare harbor any expectations about it. She had thought that it might have been a mistake, so she had kept urging her elder brother to verify the matter for her.

And the moment that she saw Luo Ruoxin, she immediately understood everything.

Could it be that... Zhang Xuan had thought that she was actually Luo Ruoxin?

Could it be that... the person whom Zhang Xuan truly loved was the master teacher of the Hongyuan Empire, Luo shi?

Otherwise, what could her words about Firesource City and the Qiu Wu Palace possibly mean?

Luo Qiqi felt as if a knife had plunged deep into her heart. All of the bliss that she had felt receded like water flowing through her hand. She found herself completely helpless as despair encroached on her. There was nothing she could do but tremble powerlessly as the tragedy unfolded before her eyes.

Using the Dimension Silencer to seal her cultivation had come with many flaws. A huge portion of her memory had been locked away in the sealing process as well, and it could only be recovered after her cultivation reached a certain level.

Despite that, there was no doubt that this young man was the first person to have walked into her heart, and this had not changed even with her memories unlocked. Her feelings for him remained as vivid as before.

She had been born with great talent, and those around her expected great things from her. She had always tried to meet their expectations, but meeting him had made her realize that such a life was not what she truly wanted. The time spent with him had given rise to a very simple yet faraway dream for her.

She wished that the person she loved would one day marry her with blessings from the entire world!

Everything had been perfect. The person she loved had come to propose to her, and the entire world had pretty much come to offer their blessings for her marriage. Yet, everything beyond had veered off course.

It was no wonder Zhang Xuan had refused to accept her feelings, forcefully changing the conversation to turn her down subtly. It turned out that he already had someone whom he fancied then, and the both of them had already gotten together.

Otherwise, there was no way Luo shi would have rushed in at this moment and uttered those words.

As this thought came to mind, a tear flowed down Luo Qiqi's cheek.

...

"You said that you would wait for me. You said that no matter how difficult it would be, we would eventually be together..." Ignoring the gazes from the surroundings, Luo Ruoxin gazed at Zhang Xuan with eyes reminiscent of an inferno, as if wanting to bore a hole through this man and peer into his heart.

Due to her birth, she had never dared devote her feelings to anyone. She could not afford to allow herself to be vulnerable. She had always maintained an icy-cold exterior before others, and it had protected her well until the frost in her heart had slowly been thawed by the young man before her. In Qiu Wu Palace, he had sworn that he would be with her no matter how much suffering and pain he had to go through, and his vow had convinced her to take a leap of faith this once to pursue this uncertain future with him.

Yet, in just a few short months, she had found that he was actually going to marry another woman. Was this all his feelings for her amounted to?

"Ruoxin, this is a misunderstanding! I..." Seeing Luo Ruoxin's state, Zhang Xuan panicked. "I thought that you were the little princess of the Luo Clan..."

"What?" Luo Ruoxin was caught off guard by the unexpected response.

"You never told me your real identity, but those around me told me time and time again that you are the little princess of the Luo Clan... I thought that given your surname and the strength you wield, that would be the case..." Zhang Xuan felt as if his scalp was exploding. He had no idea how he should explain the situation to the other party!

To fail to recognize even his own girlfriend, that was simply courting death!

But back then, Ruoxin had left without saying a word or explaining anything at all, and if one had to think of a person who wielded such tremendous strength at such a young age, it could only have been the little princess of the Luo Clan.

It was not that he had never tried to verify this matter himself, but when he tried to do so, he had realized that he did not even know Luo Ruoxin's real name! Thus, he could only clutch on desperately to this clue that he had, or else he would have been completely lost.

And the affairs afterward only further confirmed his suspicion. An elder of the Luo Clan sought him to warn him against getting close to the little princess of the Luo Clan, and shortly after, the little princess of the Luo Clan also declared her feelings for him...

More importantly, out of some sheer coincidence, he had actually never met with the little princess of the Luo Clan to date!

Luo Ruoxin stared at Zhang Xuan intently, wanting to see if the young man before her was speaking the truth. After a long while, she sighed deeply and said, "I can't tell you my true identity for the time being... Come with me, I'll bring you somewhere else!"

"Somewhere else? Where?" Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was giving him a chance to explain, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

"You'll know once we get there," Luo Ruoxin replied before turning to leave.

"Alright..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a brief instant before taking a step forward, intending to leave together with her.

After his huge botch-up, if he did not leave with Luo Ruoxin right now, they might very well never meet again in the future.

"Wait a moment!" Barely after taking two steps, a figure suddenly stood in Zhang Xuan's path—Luo Xuanqing. The young man was trembling with sheer rage, reminiscent of a volcano that would erupt at any moment. "Zhang Xuan, what are you doing right now? Who is that person over there?"

"Brother Luo, I have to..." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before replying, but before he could finish his words, a punch was already smashing right for his face.

Hu la!

This punch harnessed Luo Xuanqing's full strength, such that even space warped before his might.

"Brother Luo..." Zhang Xuan exclaimed as he took a step back.

"Don't call me your brother, I am unworthy of it!" Luo Xuanqing bellowed as he charged toward Zhang Xuan, seemingly reluctant to rest until he finally reduced the person before him into meat paste.

"This is actually..."

While dodging the attacks, Zhang Xuan tried to explain the matter to Luo Xuanqing, but he had no idea where he should start.

It was only because he had thought that Luo Ruoxin was the little princess of the Luo Clan that he agreed to the marriage. So many esteemed guests had come to witness the ceremony, yet he wanted to turn around and leave at this crucial moment... all because he had recognized the wrong person.

This was as good as viciously trampling on the Luo Clan's pride! There was no one who could accept such a thing!

"Stop hiding! If you are a man, face me straight on in a battle! Either you give me a satisfactory explanation here, or you'll have to step over my dead body when you leave!" Luo Xuanqing bellowed furiously as he continued his assault.

As if six more arms had sprouted out of his body, he launched powerful punches one after another. Despite being only at Saint 8-dan primary stage, the might that he exerted was actually on par with a Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle expert!

"Brother Luo, I..." Zhang Xuan tried to explain as he retreated.

"Enough! I told you not to address me as Brother Luo!"

Seeing that his attacks were not reaching the other party, Luo Xuanqing gritted his teeth furiously. In the next moment, his strength swiftly surged to an unbelievable level.

Bloodline ability!

Luo Xuanqing had actually activated his bloodline ability without much hesitation!

Si la!

Before long, Luo Xuanqing's strength had risen to a level comparable to Saint 9-dan primary stage cultivators. He swiftly whipped out a sword and continued his frenzied assault against Zhang Xuan.

His sword art was far stronger than the barrage of fists that he had launched previously, and his swings tore right through space, creating spatial rifts one after another in the air.

In the first place, the Luo Clan was skilled in spatial manipulation, and Luo Xuanqing had activated his bloodline ability at that. The prowess that he exerted was so fearsome that even a Macrocosm Ascendancy realm pinnacle cultivator would have trouble coping under his furious assault.

However, even though Zhang Xuan was only at Macrocosm Ascendancy realm primary stage, his fighting prowess was already on par with Great Sage 1-dan experts. With nimble movements, he managed to dodge Luo Xuanqing's sword perfectly.

"Brother Luo, I know that I have done your Luo Clan a great injustice this time around, and rest assured that I will definitely give you a satisfactory explanation in the future..."

"There's no need for you explain anything anymore! Today, only one of us will leave here alive!"

Hong long!

With frightening momentum, Luo Xuanqing continued hacking down on Zhang Xuan with his sword. His sword severed the fabric of the surrounding space, and after several strikes, his attack culminated to form a spatial storm.

"If hitting me will make you feel any better, do it then!" Seeing that it was impossible to converse with Luo Xuanqing, Zhang Xuan eventually came to a halt, choosing not to dodge anymore.

In the first place, this matter was his fault.

Puhe!

Luo Xuanqing's sword pierced right through Zhang Xuan's shoulder, creating a gaping hole. Fresh blood trickled down to the floor.

"Die!"

After piercing through Zhang Xuan's shoulder, Luo Xuanqing twisted his blade, intending to tear Zhang Xuan in two.

But barely after twisting the blade, he suddenly felt his entire body freezing in place, as if some kind of compelling might was shackling him down, preventing him from moving.

"He's the man that I, Luo Ruoxin, love! I would like to see which of you dares to hurt him!"

Boom!

A powerful shockwave burst forth from Luo Ruoxin, and Luo Xuanqing was forced to retreat continuously. At the same time, the sword in his grasp also flew into the horizon, disappearing without a trace.

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Chapter 1578: The Adolescent Boy

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Audacious! Men, take that demoness down!"

Seeing that the young lady had actually made a move on Luo Xuanqing, the head of the Luo Clan also swiftly understood what was going on, and with a wrathful look on his face, he bellowed furiously.

If the young lady really took Zhang Xuan away with her, their Luo Clan would become the laughingstock of the entire continent!

"Yes!"

Huala!

After those words were spoken, several dozen Luo Clan's elders rose into the air and surrounded Luo Ruoxin and the adolescent boy beside her.

"No!"

Not expecting things to turn out like that, Zhang Xuan panicked. However, when he tried to make a move, he felt something constricting his body. He quickly turned around and saw that two elders of the Luo Clan had sealed the space around him.

He immediately tried to activate the power of Kong shi's blood droplet in his hand, but he found himself unable to close his hand to touch the blood droplet, thus rendering him unable to activate it.

"Demoness! Since you have dared come here today, why don't you allow our Luo Clan to give you a warm welcome?" Harrumphing coldly, Luo Qingchen flicked his finger furiously, shooting a burst of sword qi forth.

At this moment, the young lady had already reverted to her usual cold and lofty demeanor. Gazing at the elders around her, she was just about to make a move when the adolescent boy beside her took a step forward and said, "Milady, please allow me to handle these lowly beings. You mustn't dirty your hands over them!"

"Un." Luo Ruoxin nodded before placing her hands behind her back, not moving at all.

It was as if the attack from the First Elder of the Luo Clan could not even catch her eye.

"Die!" Not expecting the other party to be so arrogant, Luo Qingchen felt blood rushing to his head in fury.

He pumped even more energy into his sword qi, causing it to glow menacingly in the air as it sliced through the space in its pathway.

Just as it was about to land on Luo Ruoxin, the adolescent boy suddenly walked up with a smile and grabbed the burst of sword qi in between his fingers.

Po!

The burst of sword qi exploded.

After dissipating Luo Qingchen's sword qi, the adolescent boy raised his palm and spat, "Grovel!"

In an instant, Luo Qingchen felt as if the world was shaking around him, causing him to be unable to balance himself. If not for him exerting all of his strength to balance himself, he might have fallen right from the sky.

"Attack him together!" Luo Qingchen barked out a command.

Despite the young appearance of the adolescent boy, there was no doubt that the other party was a formidable expert! It would be foolish to underestimate the other party after what had just happened.

The elders in the area also realized that the adolescent boy was far stronger than he appeared after seeing the powerful First Elder meeting a setback while clashing with the adolescent boy. Without any hesitation, they charged forth simultaneously.

Even the weakest of the dozens of elders was at Saint 9-dan, and their powers rained down on the adolescent boy and Luo Ruoxin like rapid rain. In the blink of an eye, a spherical light barrier formed around the two of them.

The area around the spherical barrier was pitch black, a sign that the surrounding space had been torn to shreds by the very emergence of the barrier. Within the barrier, a fearsome spatial storm raged, such that even pinnacle Saint artifacts would be swiftly reduced to dust before its might.

"It's the Luo Clan's Demon Subduing Sphere! Even I wouldn't be able to last long within it," Yang shi remarked grimly.

Individually, these elders came nowhere close to being a match for him. However, when their prowess was put together, it would be truly foolish to underestimate the might that they could exert.

Even a Sempiternal realm cultivator like Yang shi would be unable to withstand its prowess.

"Heh, interesting!"

The adolescent boy showed no signs of panic against the attack. He stretched his fingers outward, and they seemed to transform into the meandering branches of a tree as they struck specific points in the air.

Po!

The surrounding space immediately swayed unstably, reminiscent of a rock being thrown into a calm lake.

Under the intense swaying of the surrounding space, the prowess of the spherical light barrier was diverted upward into the sky before vanishing without a trace.

"This is... Spatial Interference? Just what kind of level has that adolescent boy reached?" Yang shi exclaimed in shock.

He had already been surprised by how the adolescent boy was able to withstand Luo Qingchen's attack, but who would have thought that he would be able to defend against the Luo Clan's strongest Demon Subduing Sphere so easily by redirecting its might upward?

Such a feat could only be described as terrifying.

"Spatial Interference? What's that?" Sword Saint Xing asked.

Even he was unable to make sense out of the move that the adolescent boy had executed earlier.

"The Demon Subduing Sphere is a collaborative formation that an elder of the Luo Clan has created. It serves to combine the might of twenty-one experts through overlapping three Big Dipper Formations upon one another to channel their might into forming a dimensionally-isolated spherical space. As this space exists in a different dimension from the one that we are in, it is impossible for ordinary cultivators to flee from it, and it would just be a matter of time before those trapped in the space are killed. It's due to this reason that I said that even I would be no match for it!"

At this point, Yang shi's face grew incredibly grim as he continued, "However, through simple taps, the adolescent boy was able to send ripples of spatial disturbance through the space, tearing it apart with ease. Using an analogy, the Demon Subduing Sphere could be described as a cloth with ants crawling on it. As long one remains on the cloth, it will be impossible to avoid the ants. However, if one just jumps out of the cloth and flicks it, the ants will be diverted elsewhere, thus rendering their offense futile... This is basically how Spatial Interference works! Similarly, through stirring up the surrounding space, even the Demon Subduing Sphere won't pose a threat anymore!"

"This..." Sword Saint Xing's body jolted in astonishment.

For Great Sage cultivators, severing space did not pose much of a problem at all, but this Spatial Interference was clearly far more fearsome than simply severing space!

For even the adolescent boy to be this formidable... just who in the world could the young lady whom his son fancied be?

"Forget it, I won't play with you all anymore. All of you, grovel!"

After undoing the Luo Clan's Demon Subduing Sphere with a single move, the adolescent boy chuckled and raised his palm once more.

Huala!

The next moment, Luo Qingchen and the other elders plummeted from the sky and crashed onto the ground. Their faces turned ghastly pale, and fresh blood spurted from their mouths.

"Activate the Guardian Formation!" the head of the Luo Clan bellowed. He had not thought that the two intruders would wield such frightening prowess.

He flicked the token in his hand into the sky, and soon after, an intense energy disturbance rippled through the surroundings. Then, everything suddenly calmed down, as if nothing had happened at all.

It might have seemed as if nothing had happened to weaker cultivators, but those who had gathered there were all top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, and they could clearly feel that a formidable formation had enveloped them, sealing the sky away from their reach.

As a clan whose heritage could be traced back to tens of thousands of years ago, the Luo Clan's Guardian Formation was truly formidable. Once it was activated, as long as one could not find the right way to decipher it, even an expert of Yang shi's caliber could only remain trapped in it.

The reason Zhang Xuan had been able to easily escape from the Zhang Clan's Guardian Formation back then was because he had been able to find its flaws easily through the Library of Heaven's Path. To him, formations were no different from a sheep stripped bare of its fleece, its secrets laid bare before him.

But it was different for others.

Most spatial arts could not be utilized within sealed spaces, thus reducing one's fighting prowess significantly. On top of that, the Guardian Formation was bound to have an offensive aspect to it, such that even Sempiternal realm cultivators would fall into a fluster once they were trapped within it, making it difficult for them to escape.

Seeing that even the collaboration of the many elders was insufficient to subdue the other party, the head of the Luo Clan had decisively chosen to execute his trump card!

"So, this is the Guardian Formation of the Luo Clan. Not too shabby. However, you are still too naive if you think something of this level is sufficient to trap me!" With a chuckle, the adolescent boy leaped into the sky.

Tzlala!

At the same time, the Luo Clan's Guardian Formation began coiling innumerable spatial threads around the adolescent boy, intending to tear him into shreds.

Faced against such an attack, the eyebrows of the adolescent shot up as he raised his hands to his side and pulled them down lightly.

Boom!

Astonishingly, the Luo Clan's Guardian Formation collapsed without the slightest resistance under his pull! A devastating shockwave rippled into the surroundings as the spiritual energy in the Guardian Formation diffused into the surroundings.

After dealing with the Luo Clan's Guardian Formation, the adolescent boy placed his hands behind his back as he gazed down coldly on the crowd from the sky.

"What other means do you have? Throw everything at me at once!"

In an instant, complete silence devoured the surroundings.

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Chapter 1579: Qiqi, I'm Sorry

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Everyone simply stared at the adolescent boy in the air with aghast expressions.

The Guardian Formation of the Luo Clan had stopped many experts in their tracks since the inception of the Luo Clan. Innumerable assaults of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been foiled by its formidable prowess. Yet, it did not even last a single second against a small, adolescent boy!

How was that possible?

Just what realm had the adolescent boy reached?

The experts in the area could not help but gulp in shock, unable to believe what they were seeing.

"Have any of you seen that person before?"

"Under normal circumstances, a person as powerful as that lad couldn't possibly have remained unknown. So, why do I have no impression of him at all?"

"I have never seen him before either. It's as if he's appeared out of nowhere..."

"If even the adolescent boy is this powerful, I can't begin to imagine how strong the young lady must be! Just who in the world is she?"

The clan heads of the Sage Clans subconsciously backed away, fearing that they would be implicated in this conflict.

To the eyes of ordinary cultivators, these clan heads represented the top fighting prowess of the Master Teacher Continent, but even they did not dare stand against an expert of this caliber. They had no doubt that the adolescent boy would be able to claim their lives with a single flick of his finger. It would be utter foolishness to stand against such an opponent!

Without a doubt, they were severely outmatched!

"You..."

Seeing how the adolescent boy had been able to overcome the collaboration of the many elders and tear apart the Luo Clan's Guardian Formation so easily, the head of the Luo Clan's face flickered with rage and fear.

After a moment of silence, he turned around and clasped his fist. "Yang shi, I beseech you to lend us your help in this matter!"

The Luo Clan still had its final trump card, but it should only be used in times of absolute emergency. As such, the head of the Luo Clan could only place his hopes on Yang shi.

"Of course, there's no way I can simply turn a blind eye to this matter!" Yang shi said as he turned his gaze to the sky. "How could I be oblivious to the existence of an expert of your caliber on the continent? I really must be growing old!"

Hu!

As he said those words, he slowly took step after step upward.

His movements were very slow, but with every step that he took, an inconspicuous glow emanated from his feet. At the same time, the space that he trod on seemed to grow even stabler, seemingly reinforced by some mysterious energy.

The adolescent boy was initially unfazed by Yang shi's provocation, but watching as the latter slowly walked over, his eyebrows knitted together into a frown. "Who are you? You aren't from the Luo Clan, are you? The Luo Clan doesn't have an expert of your caliber."

"I am Yang Xuan!" Yang shi clasped his fist.

"Yang Xuan of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?" The adolescent boy widened his eyes in realization. He clasped his fist in reciprocation and said, "This is a problem between Milady and the Luo Clan, so I ask you not to interfere in this matter!"

"The Master Teacher Pavilion is responsible for maintaining order on the continent. You have chosen to wreak havoc in the Luo Clan at an important occasion like this, completely disregarding the dignity of everyone here. I might be getting on in my years, but it's still my responsibility as a master teacher to stop you!" Yang shi replied coldly.

"Since you aren't going to back down, make your move then. Let me see how powerful the rumored number one expert of the Master Teacher Continent is!" the adolescent boy spat coldly.

He crossed his arms, ready to make his next move, but at this moment, a nonchalant voice sounded beside him.

"Enough, stand down," Luo Ruoxin instructed.

"Yes, Milady!" Not daring to say a second word, the adolescent boy quickly retracted his palm and returned to his position behind Luo Ruoxin.

At the same time, perhaps out of apprehension for Luo Ruoxin's strength, upon seeing the adolescent boy backing away, Yang Xuan also stepped back and fell silent.

Luo Ruoxin swept her gaze across the crowd, and after seeing that no one else was going to make a move, she turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Zhang Xuan, let's go!"

The next moment, Zhang Xuan felt the restraints on his body being released.

Seeing that the adolescent boy had not killed anyone, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He nodded in response to Luo Ruoxin's words, but he still could not help but turn around to face the beautiful young lady dressed in red behind him.

Looking at her tear stained cheeks, he felt a sharp ache in his heart. He walked up to her and said, "Qiqi... I'm sorry."

He really had no idea how he should express his apology toward this young lady.

The engagement with the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan was a huge matter on the Master Teacher Continent. Innumerable clan heads, powerful experts, and esteemed seniors had come to witness this momentous event, yet he was simply going to walk out of this.

He knew that his actions would inflict grievous damage on the young lady, but he could not imagine a life without Luo Ruoxin, and he could not let Luo Ruoxin down.

"Why?" Luo Qiqi asked silently.

In the eyes of outsiders, she was an unparalleled genius who had broken innumerable records. But those who knew her would know that she was simply an innocent little girl who lacked a sense of security.

It was due to this that Luo Xuanqing had constantly been looking out for her, fearing that she would be taken advantage of by others.

"I..."

Zhang Xuan had no idea how he should respond to the young lady's question.

It had never been his intention to hurt her, which was also why he had never rejected her confession directly. He had thought that their fate would have ended with her departure, but who could have thought that life had something like this in store for them?

While trying not to harm her, he ended up inflicting the greatest damage upon her.

After a long moment of silence, Zhang Xuan spoke up. "I always thought that you were the princess of the Baiyuan Empire..."

Back then, when they parted at the Qingyuan Empire, Yu Fei-er had said that the reason Luo Qiqi had been able to enroll into Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy back then was because of an insignia from the Baiyuan Empire's royalty, which left him thinking that Luo Qiqi was the princess of the Baiyuan Empire.

Not even in his wildest dream would he have thought that Luo Qiqi had anything to do with the Luo Clan.

"In order to hide my tracks from the Luo Clan, I used the powers of the Dimension Silencer to seal my bloodline and cultivation. While I have assimilated the Dimension Silencer, I have yet to fully master it, so there are abilities that I'm still unable to fully control. As a result, not only did my cultivation fall to the Transcendent Mortal realm, some of my memories ended up being sealed, too. I had to slowly raise his cultivation in order to unseal my memories once more..." Luo Qiqi looked into the sky and said solemnly, "That is also why I was unable to save you back in the underground cavern despite the danger we were in."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

When he found out that Luo Qiqi was the little princess, he had already figured most of the story out.

There were indeed some methods on the Master Teacher Continent that allowed a cultivator to seal their cultivation and bloodline. For example, Zhao Ya's mother had sealed away her Pure Yin Body and hidden herself away in the ancient domains. Afterward, she had married Zhao Ya's father, and despite having been together for many years, no one was any the wiser of her true strength.

As for the reason that Luo Qiqi had been in Grade 2 back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy...

Considering when she left the Sanctum of Sages, there was no way that she could have been in Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy for more than a year. However, Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy worked by a system where a student was promoted by their strength and master teacher rank rather than the time that they had spent in the academy.

Rational explanations could easily be found for most parts of Luo Qiqi's history, but there was just one doubt that he was unable to make sense of.

The Luo Clan's little princess possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, which should have made it impossible for him to use the Library of Heaven's Path on her. At the very least, this was the reason he thought that the Library of Heaven's Path did not work on Luo Ruoxin.

However, he did use the Library of Heaven's Path on Luo Qiqi, and a book had successfully been compiled on her. Yet, her true identity had not been detailed within the book. Could this mean that those who possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination possessed the ability to fool and provide incorrect answers to the Library of Heaven's Path?

If that was really the case, that would be really fearsome!

He would have to slowly search for the answer in the future, or else he could not fully believe the information provided by the Library of Heaven's Path anymore.

"Back when I was still the little princess of the Luo Clan, I did the royal family of the Baiyuan Empire a great favor. Even though I had sealed my cultivation, they were still more than willing to introduce me to the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy as a 4-star master teacher. It was with such an identity that my clan was unable to find me easily.

"I had always been the center of attention from the moment I was born, and I know that many would love to be in the position I am in. But this is not what I wanted. All I wanted was an ordinary life, living my days out peacefully and happily," Luo Qiqi muttered with a desolate look on her face.

Even though she had sealed her cultivation and bloodline, due to her past relationship with the royalty of the Baiyuan Empire, she had easily been able to convince them to do her a favor and recommend her to Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy. Furthermore, given her standing, the Baiyuan Empire had been more than willing to allow her to pass off as their princess.

It was due to this convincing identity that she had been able to remain in the Hongyuan Empire for so long without anyone noticing. Even her close friend, Yu Fei-er, was oblivious to her true identity.

In a sense, this was similar to how Zhang Xuan passed himself off as Yang shi's student. As long as one had a convincing cover, it would be unlikely for others to dig too deeply into one's identity.

"I told you before that there's someone whom I like, and that person is actually Luo shi. All along, I thought that she was the little princess of the Luo Clan, which resulted in this misunderstanding..." Zhang Xuan lowered his head as he spoke softly.

He had to explain this matter properly to the young lady before him, or else the person who would be hurt would not only be her but Luo Ruoxin as well.

"I guessed..." Luo Qiqi nodded quietly before lowering her head, concealing the tears glistening in her eyes.

"Qiqi, I am sorry..." Zhang Xuan bowed deeply.

He finally understood why she had been able to take out so many thousand-year-old medicinal herbs the very last time that they met, as well as why Luo Chengxin suddenly appeared before him shortly after she left.

From the looks of it, it seemed like Luo Chengxin had found her in Qingyuan City, and aware of her impending departure, she had made use of the excuse of needing to practice her pill forging techniques to gift those medicinal herbs to him.

At this moment, he also recalled Luo Xuanqing saying that his younger sister had high aptitude in most occupations, but somehow, when it came to pill forging, her talents seemed to fall flat. He had not thought too much about the matter back then, but everything seemed to fit like pieces of a puzzle to him now.

That would also explain how a 5-star master teacher like her had been able to easily track down the underground cavern that Wu Yangzi had been locked in through the peculiar smithing method when no one in the Hongyuan Empire had been able to...

Even with a huge portion of her memories sealed, her instincts were still far beyond those of ordinary cultivators.

That would also explain why she had been able to improve far quicker than Yu Fei-er and even his direct disciples.

Most likely, when she achieved a breakthrough to the Saint realm in the Qingyuan Empire, the seal that she had placed on herself had begun to unravel, rendering it impossible for her to conceal her bloodline anymore. This had allowed Luo Chengxin to find her, eventually leading to this series of events...

Lifting her eyes to take one final glance at the young man before her, Luo Qiqi decisively turned around, bellowing, "Scram! I never want to see you again!"

"Thank you..." Understanding Luo Qiqi's intentions, Zhang Xuan muttered softly before turning around and walking away.

Nothing that he could say would mend the damage that he had done. Staying there would only worsen the other party's pain.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Huala!

Barely after taking two steps, innumerable cold glints suddenly shimmered from the surroundings. The wounded elders of the Luo Clan, along with Luo Xuanqing, had drawn their blades, and every single one of them was glaring at Zhang Xuan with wintry eyes.

"Zhang Xuan! If you dare walk away today, you will be an eternal enemy of the Luo Clan! The relationship between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan will become irreconcilable!" the head of the Luo Clan roared furiously.

"If you dare leave with that demoness, you'll become my sworn enemy. I, Luo Xuanqing, swear that I'll devote my life to hunting you down and killing you!" Luo Xuanqing bellowed wrathfully.

Zhang Xuan's footsteps visibly halted for a brief moment, but he still chose to continue advancing toward Luo Ruoxin.

"Die!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still adamantly walking forward, Luo Xuanqing flicked his palm and thrust it toward Zhang Xuan.

"Hold it right there!"

With a flick of his spear, Zheng Yang dissipated the force of Luo Xuanqing's palm strike. At the same time, Lu Chong, Wang Ying, and the others also quickly stood in between their teacher and the Luo Clan.

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Chapter 1580: Zhang Xuan Breaks the Engagement

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Progeny of Combat and Guild Leader Wang Ying, are you two planning to make enemies out of our Luo Clan?" the head of the Luo Clan growled menacingly.

"Didn't your Luo Clan's Luo Xuanqing nearly take our teacher's life earlier? You should be glad that he failed. Know that I won't allow any of you to put our teacher's life in jeopardy anymore! If you wish to harm even a single strand of my teacher's hair, you'll have to step over my dead body!" Zheng Yang glared down at the crowd of the Luo Clan intimidatingly.

"Anyone who intends harm to our teacher will be our enemy!" Wang Ying and Lu Chong stepped forward as well.

The auras emanated by the three of them towered as if an unscalable mountain. The elders who had intended to make a move earlier were forced to stop in their footsteps, not daring to move at all.

They could not have cared less about the enmity between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, but anyone who dared lay their hands on their teacher would be their enemy!

"Well said!" Sword Saint Meng stepped forward and swung her sword threateningly too. "My son will have my full support no matter what he does. If you intend to hurt him, don't even expect my blade to take mercy on you!"

"You..." The head of the Luo Clan's face turned red with rage. He immediately turned his gaze toward Sword Saint Xing and questioned sharply, "Is this your intention too?"

"I..." Sword Saint Xing was put on the spot.

The marriage between the two clans should have been happy news, but who could have thought that it would end in such a state?

Seeing Sword Saint Xing's hesitation, Sword Saint Meng roared furiously. "Zhang Zhenxing! You have already sacrificed your son once! If you make him suffer any more grievances, I'll take my son and leave the Zhang Clan immediately for a place where you will never find us!"

"This..." Sword Saint Xing scratched his head in embarrassment before clasping his fist toward the head of the Luo Clan and bowing. "My apologies, Clan Head Luo, but I'll have to side with my own son!"

As he said those words, he went over and stood beside Sword Saint Meng.

It was not just because he was afraid of his wife but also because he was painfully aware of the fact that he was indebted to his son.

"Good. Very good! It seems like all of you are intending to sever relations with our Luo Clan today!" The head of the Luo Clan ground his teeth and roared with seething fury. "Since that's the case... elders of the Luo Clan, heed my orders! Seal the Shrouding Ethereal City and prevent anyone of the Zhang Clan from escaping!"

"Yes, clan head!"

Hualala!

Upon receiving their orders, the elders of the Luo Clan immediately moved to seal the surrounding space, such that even Teleportation Formations were rendered ineffective.

Seeing that the Luo Clan had chosen to make a move, one of the elders of the Zhang Clan bellowed in response, "Disciples of the Zhang Clan, bear arms and protect your clan head!"

Since both clans had already fallen out, there was no need for them to put up a front anymore. If a battle was inevitable, the Zhang Clan would not go down without a fight!

"This..."

"If I knew that this would happen, I never would have come to this engagement ceremony..."

No one could have thought that the two clans, which had been chummy with one another a moment ago, would suddenly fall out in the blink of an eye. The clan heads of the other Sage Clans watched the situation hesitantly by the side, not knowing what they should do.

Helping the Luo Clan would mean offending the Zhang Clan, and vice versa... but they could not afford to offend either of these two powers!

From the looks of it, it seemed like this matter would not end well.

"Stop!"

Seeing that a battle would break out at any moment, a sharp voice echoed across the entire city. The next moment, the little princess of the Luo Clan, Luo Qiqi, stepped forward.

Weng!

A spherical artifact materialized in her hand, and with a slight jolt, the sealed space immediately shattered apart, reverting to its original form.

The Dimension Silencer, the ultimate treasure of the Luo Clan!

Its very presence carried an inviolable authority that made others not dare face it.

"Yuxin..." Taken aback by his daughter's actions, the head of the Luo Clan panicked.

"Little Sister..." Luo Xuanqing was also uncomprehending of his younger sister's actions.

"Father, Elder Brother, and elders, I hope that you can allow me to deal with my own matters..." Luo Qiqi clasped her fist.

"This..." Seeing his daughter's determined gaze, the head of the Luo Clan's fury dissolved into tenderness. "Forget it! If you suffer the slightest grievance, make sure to tell me. I might be getting old, but I haven't grown senile. I won't allow others to bully my daughter!"

"Thank you, Father!" Luo Qiqi nodded. She turned her gaze toward Zhang Xuan, and with a pleading look in her eyes, she said, "Teacher, you once told me that you would redress my grievances for me if someone bullied me... Do those words still count?"

"I..." Zhang Xuan was stunned, not knowing how he should respond.

Those were the words that he had told her when they parted at Qingyuan City, but who could have thought that this would happen instead?

When the one who had bullied her was him, how was he supposed to redress her grievances?

"I'm the one who did you wrong, Qiqi..." Zhang Xuan paused for a moment before saying, "Let's nullify the engagement between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan. You will no longer be bound by the restraints of your engagement. You will finally be able live your life freely."

He could not redress her grievances anymore, and the only thing that he could do was nullify the engagement and set her free.

"You are nullifying the engagement between the two of us?" Luo Qiqi shook her head. She stared into the distance with glazed eyes as a bitter smile spread upon her lips. "Those that I hold dear will not necessarily be with me for life. Just like the broken artifact back then, no matter what I do, it can just never be the same anymore... You might be granting me the freedom I seek, but if that means that the person I love will leave me, never to return again... Teacher, you also know that I'm an obstinate person. I disagree to the nullification of our engagement!"

"You... Why do you have to do this to yourself?" Zhang Xuan looked at the young lady with a pained expression. "If you announce the nullification of our engagement, your Luo Clan will at least be able to preserve its dignity and honor!"

"I know! I know it... but my heart doesn't allow me to do so!" Luo Qiqi cried.

If she proposed the nullification of their engagement, while this matter would still be a huge stain on the Luo Clan's history, it would at least preserve their reputation and honor. However, that would also mean extinguishing the final flicker of hope that they could be together.

It was simply too cruel for her to make such a decision. She had put all of her heart into this relationship, only to meet with such an ending. She could not accept it, and she did not want to accept it either!

"You should know that there's no other way out of this," Zhang Xuan said.

Since the person that he had chosen was Luo Ruoxin, he had to nullify the engagement. Otherwise, he would only be further hurting everyone around him.

Luo Qiqi turned around and said, "Then... you should be the one to do it..."

"I'm sorry..." Knowing that Luo Qiqi would not be able to do it, Zhang Xuan tossed his clan head token into the air and declared, "I, Zhang Xuan, in my capacity as the head of the Zhang Clan, hereby announce the nullification of my marriage with the little princess of the Luo Clan. This nullification stems from my own problem, and I am unworthy to take her as my wife!"

Those words reverberated across space, causing the air to tremor.

"Yuxin..." Upon hearing those words, the head of the Luo Clan widened his eyes in shock.

At the same time, Luo Xuanqing also glared at Zhang Xuan as if he was facing his sworn enemy.

Even with Zhang Xuan's clarification, the world would not remain oblivious to the truth. Word would spread, and the reputation of the Luo Clan would inevitably be sullied.

"Pavilion Master Ren, I have already made up my mind. I'll have to trouble the Master Teacher pavilion to relay my declaration to the world word for word!" Zhang Xuan took back his clan head token before clasping his fist toward Ren Qingyuan to make that request.

The fastest way to disseminate the news would be through the Master Teacher Pavilion.

"I understand, Zhang shi!" Ren Qingyuan nodded.

When it came to relationships, no matter how one tried, it was impossible for everyone to be happy. There would never be a clear right or wrong.

"Qiqi, take care of yourself!" Having done that, Zhang Xuan took one last glance at the forlorn back of the young lady before walking away.

The elders of the Luo Clan wanted to stop him, but looking at the Dimension Silencer floating in the air, they had no choice but to hold themselves back.

"Teacher..."

Barely after taking a few steps, the young lady's voice sounded once more.

Zhang Xuan stopped in his tracks and slowly turned around to look at the young lady's back.

It was a long while before the young lady spoke once more.

"Will you... still teach me pill forging in the future?"

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "I'll teach you whatever you want to learn!"

—

Translator's Note: This is one of the arcs that I like the most yet feel the most resentful toward too. In this arc, we saw Zhang Xuan's rise to power and Luo Ruoxin's return. Honestly, the reveal that the little princess as Luo Qiqi should have been much less obvious, but it's always easy to put the clues together once you have been spoiled and know the endpoint. I have been following the comment section, and it's apparent how much spoilers have ruined all the suspense for future plot details.

As always, I would ask for those who have read the raws or heard spoilers not to post future content in the comment section because it really ruins immersion.

If you have read the raws or looked up spoilers, I'm sure you do have some love for this book, so please don't kill it through posting spoilers here. There are other more appropriate places to post and ask for spoilers.

Even if I could delete comments, it would be hard for me to distinguish between legitimate theories and spoilers, so I can only appeal to your goodwill not to post spoilers, as well as the community to denounce those who spoil the story and not give a thumbs up to their comments.

—

Author's Note: The Eleventh Arc [Zhang Xuan Breaks the Engagement] hereby comes to an end. The confession from Qiqi was designed in accordance to a song that I really liked half a year ago, It Isn't Just Like by Xiao Quan, the idea that my feelings for you don't just stop at the level of like, but I can't find the answer I am seeking for in your eyes.

Each time that song plays on the car radio, I couldn't help but think of the second female lead of that drama and cry. For this character, I have cried many times.

Anyway, let the curtain unfold on the next arc [Finale at the Master Teacher Pavilion]. In the next arc, Zhang Xuan shall become a Great Sage realm expert and stand at the top of the continent.

Anyway, with this arc coming to an end, pour in your power stones and let's secure the top spot together!

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Chapter 1581: Why Not Marry Them Together!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The crowd from the Zhang Clan flew out of the Shrouding Ethereal City. Looking at the majestic buildings beneath, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel as if he had just been through a dream.

He knew that he had really hurt that kind young lady this time around, but there was no way that he could dictate his emotions. If he forced himself to act against his will, he would only end up hurting everyone in the end. Rather than resorting to that, it would be better for him to end it decisively.

It would be difficult at first, but once the young lady was able to let him go, she would be able to seek the true happiness that she deserved.

Luo Ruoxin glanced over and asked, "You can't bear it?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head and said, "This misunderstanding only happened because I thought that you were the little princess of the Luo Clan..."

"It's alright, I understand. You don't have to explain anymore." Luo Ruoxin nodded as she reverted to her usual nonchalance. "I can still discern the truth."

Seeing that Luo Ruoxin had chosen to trust him, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "You said that you would bring me somewhere. Where are we going?"

"You were investigating the kidnapping of Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao, right?" Luo Ruoxin asked with a smile.

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "You know where they are?"

"I don't know where they are, but I have a good idea who the culprits that took them away are," Luo Ruoxin replied.

"Who are they?" Zhang Xuan asked with clenched fists.

He would never forgive those who dared to make a move on his students. If he could just find out who the culprits were, he would never let them go!

"I still can't confirm their background yet, but one of the reasons I came to find you is to stop them!" Luo Ruoxin said.

"Stop them? Are they still intending to abduct more people?" Zhang Xuan asked with narrowed eyes.

"That's not it. They are looking for a certain object," Luo Ruoxin explained. "Most likely, it's a Celestial Amulet of Legacy!"

"They are really eyeing the Temple of Confucius!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.

It seemed like it was really the doing of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, just as he had thought.

"It might get troublesome if there are too many people around, so it'll be best if your clan members do not come along. While Zheng Yang and Lu Chong are considerably powerful, the place that we are heading to will be quite dangerous, so my view is that it would be best not to bring them along for the time being," Luo Ruoxin said.

The more people around, the more likely that they would be detected by the culprits. Furthermore, if anyone was caught by the culprits in the midst of the operation, that person would likely be used as a hostage against them.

While Zheng Yang and the others were considerably powerful, they were still lacking in worldly experience. In treacherous lands, they might not necessarily have the intuition to avoid danger, and that would place their team in a vulnerable position.

"I concur with your view, but... what if the culprits go after the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan while we are away? Wouldn't that simply put us in more trouble?" Zhang Xuan was still a little worried.

"Rest assured, with Yang shi and so many experts around, even if the culprits go for them, they will eventually have to retreat in disappointment!" Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile.

"I guess you're right..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

With Yang shi, the Xingmeng Sword Saints, Zheng Yang, Lu Chong, and the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to hold the fort while they were gone, even if an Ancient Sage arrived, he might not necessarily be able to get away unscathed.

"Alright, let's go!"

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan quickly spoke with his parents to fill them in on what was going on. After which, he handed back the clan head token and advised them to help groom Zhang Jiuxiao as the next clan head before heading off with Luo Ruoxin.

"Just who in the world is that Luo Ruoxin?"

Watching as the two of them flew into the distance, Sword Saint Meng could not help but turn her gaze toward Yang shi.

He was the most knowledgeable of them there, so if anyone could recognize her, it was him.

Yang shi pondered for a moment before saying, "I'm not too sure either, but I think that she might be related to 'that place'!"

"That place?" Sword Saint Meng asked in incomprehension.

However, the very next moment, Sword Saint Xing suddenly interjected. "Yang shi, are you referring to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?"

"Indeed. Shortly after Kong shi departed back then, all of his students vanished one after another. While no one had any concrete news on them, based on some of the records and conjectures of our predecessors, it seems like they took root in a place away from the continent!" Yang shi replied.

"A while ago, the Master Teacher Pavilion sent me a message saying that shortly after the Temple of Confucius came into sight, suspicious figures that could possibly be the descendants of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were spotted in the vicinity. In fact, they possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, which prevented the seers from divining their identities. They disappeared very quickly from the area, so our men weren't able to interrogate them. Considering the sudden appearance of Luo Ruoxin, and the formidable might wielded by the adolescent boy beside her, I think that there's a good chance that it might be them!"

"The Hundred Schools of Philosophers possess the true heritage of Kong shi, cultivating unparalleled secret manuals. On top of that, they are also blessed with superior innate strength. Now that you mention it, it does seem likely." Sword Saint Meng also came to a realization. "I was thinking that Xuan-er was too short-sighted to have given up on a watermelon for a sesame seed, but since she's an offspring of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, I can rest easy now!"

After saying those words, a gleeful smile emerged on her lips.

The marriage with the Luo Clan should have been the most perfect ending. Not only would it have widened the Zhang Clan's influence, it also would have propped her son up to the top of the Master Teacher Continent in an instant, granting him strength to stand against even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters.

However, since her son did not like it, there was nothing that she could do.

She owed her son simply too much, so the least she could do was allow him to pursue his own happiness.

Nevertheless, she still understood that this was a great loss to the Zhang Clan, considering that they had made enemies out of the Luo Clan. However, who would have thought that this mishap would actually end up drawing connections with the powerful Hundred Schools of Philosophers instead? If that's truly the case, not only did the Zhang Clan not make a loss, its future growth potential had also become unlimitedly great!

"Can feelings even be measured using gains and losses?" Seeing his wife's response, Sword Saint Xing was rendered speechless. "The marriage between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan should have provided us with the key to opening the Temple of Confucius, but with the fallout with the Luo Clan, we won't be able to break the seal anymore. Not only have the plans of the Master Teacher Pavilion fallen through, the safety of mankind could very well be at risk!"

As Sword Saint Xing spoke, a hint of jealousy seemed to seep into his voice.

Ever since his son had appeared, his position in the family seemed to have been falling lower and lower.

It was one thing for him to be scolded every single day, but to think that he would end up having to fuss over minor matters such as his son's future wife instead of conferring over major matters that affected the safety of mankind. Really, just how low had he fallen?

"Why should my son be sacrificed for the rest of the world? There are plenty of people out there to think about the Temple of Confucius anyway! All I hope is for my son to live his life happily and peacefully!" Sword Saint Meng waved her hands indifferently.

"Narrow-minded!" Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly.

"Zhang Zhenxing, I dare you to repeat those words!" Sword Saint Meng flew into a rage.

"Alright, alright! While the Temple of Confucius has started to surface, it seems like there's still some time before it truly appears," Yang shi said. "My senior should still have time to mend the relations between both clans. Furthermore, judging from the little princess' attitude, it seems like she still harbors deep feelings for my senior. As long as we explain the matter properly to her, I think she should be willing to go along with us!"

While things had not gone very well, as long as the little princess did not harbor that deep a grudge toward Zhang Xuan and the Zhang Clan, there should still be some room for reconciliation.

Besides, the predecessors of the Luo Clan had also made many sacrifices to protect mankind, which showed that they were not narrow-minded people who would allow personal grudges to get in the way of important matters. While they had been humiliated by Zhang Xuan's actions, when the safety of mankind was at stake, they would still be likely to swallow their grudges temporarily and grudgingly collaborate with the rest of them.

"Yang shi is right. Later on, I'll try to talk to my son about this matter. It's nothing much for a man to take several wives at once, and if it really comes down to it, he could just marry the little princess of the Luo Clan as well. The young lady is quite a beauty anyway. More importantly, she has quite a bottom, which means that she's suited to bear children! Regardless of whether it's Luo Ruoxin or Luo Qiqi, wouldn't it be good to take all of them in? That would be a happy ending, right?" Sword Saint Meng nodded.

"Of course, dear. It's nothing much for a man to take several wives, so having two wives is not too big a deal!" Sword Saint Xing nodded in agreement.

"Having two wives is not too big a deal? Zhang Zhenxing, are you planning to take in another woman?" Sword Saint Meng sneered as she glared at Sword Saint Xing murderously.

"I... I... I'm referring to our son..."

As if plunged into an icy cavern, Sword Saint Xing felt his hair raising on end. "I really am not talking about myself! Ahhh, save me! I'll never dare to say such words in the future again... Yes, you're right... No, I won't even think of it anymore..."

—

Please don't kill this book by posting spoilers.

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Chapter 1582: White Creek Mountain

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Standing atop the back of an aerial saint beast while gazing at the white clouds that were swiftly flitting past them, Luo Ruoxin explained, "The place that we are heading to is the Empire Alliance's Whitestream Mountain!"

"White Creek Mountain?" Zhang Xuan's body jolted in astonishment. "I know that place..."

That was the name of the mountain range that had appeared on Qingtian Emperor's painting. He had seen Kong shi's illusory figure on the mountain range, and in order to conceal the truth from the Qingtian Emperor, he had altered it into a picture of bathing beauties.

He had learned its name from Luo Xuanqing a while back, but with too many matters on hand, he had not had a chance to check on it yet.

Could it be that the illusory figure of Kong shi actually hinted at the location of a Celestial Amulet of Legacy?

There might just be such a possibility, or else it would not have compelled the entire Qingtian Lineage and even Vicious to risk exposing themselves for it!

"Since we know the location, why don't we just teleport right over? It would be faster that way," Zhang Xuan suggested.

"There's no need for that!" Luo Ruoxin replied with a smile. "It would be too troublesome to travel there through teleportation, and it isn't safe either... Wu Chen!"

"Yes!" The adolescent boy nodded.

He walked up to the window and tapped his finger lightly on it.

Hu la!

The surrounding air suddenly began warping frenziedly, and spatial folds appeared all around. Before long, a massive vortex was formed around them.

As the vortex spun faster and faster, the area that it covered grew larger and larger. Very soon, the eye of the vortex formed a stable white region.

Hu!

The aerial saint beast beneath them seemed to be accustomed to such a situation. Flapping its wings, it dived right for the middle of the vortex.

"This is... Spatial Compression!"

A look of disbelief surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face.

It was said that those who had mastered space would be able to compress it infinitely, allowing one to traverse over a thousand li with a single step.

He had thought that it was just a legend, but who could have thought that the adolescent boy would be able to pull it off so easily?

"It isn't Spatial Compression but the exploitation of a unique trait of space!" the adolescent boy explained nonchalantly. "The space that we see appears to be stable and impeccable, such that even our Spiritual Perception can't notice any anomalies in it. However, there are inherent wormholes weaved into it that can be utilized to swiftly leap from one location to another."

"I see..." Zhang Xuan could roughly grasp the concept, but it sounded a little faraway to him.

Even though he had learned the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he had only reached a mastery of 3-dan in it. There was still some way off before he could reach the top.

"Spatial Leap is a technique that only Ancient Sages are able to utilize. Wu Chen is only able to pull it off due to the unique bloodline of the saint beast and his deep comprehension of space," Luo Ruoxin added.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded. At this point, he could not resist asking out of curiosity, "Given how young Wu Chen is, how can he wield such formidable strength?"

No matter how he looked at the adolescent boy, the latter appeared to be only around thirteen to fourteen. Yet, the boy already possessed strength that he could only match while using Kong shi's blood essence.

This was inconceivable to him. Even if the adolescent boy was a Connate Saint, causing his body to age much slower than others, it was hard to imagine him achieving such strength within a short period of time.

"Wu Chen looks younger than he actually is due to his unique bloodline," Luo Ruoxin explained with a shake of her head. Not intending to linger too long on this topic, she pointed to the area ahead and said, "We've arrived."

Looking ahead, Zhang Xuan realized that the aerial saint beast that they were on had already traversed through the passageway, and a majestic mountain range had appeared around him.

The mountains around him pierced right through the layers of clouds, and they spanned a vast area around him. The imposing scale of the mountain range felt incredibly pressurizing, leaving one's breathing a little ragged.

"It's the White Creek Mountain!" Zhang Xuan remarked grimly.

This was indeed the mountain range that he was depicted on the painting of the copper-masked figure back then. They would have been identical if not for the real mountain range being even more towering and imposing.

"A Celestial Amulet of Legacy is within the mountain range. I'm not too sure about its exact location at the moment, but we can check using a unique artifact."

As Luo Ruoxin spoke, she flicked her wrist in the air, and a book materialized in front of her.

This book carried an aura that left one with a dreamy feeling. Looking at it curiously, Zhang Xuan was just about to ask what it was when he suddenly sensed something. He quickly flicked his wrist, and a crystal sphere materialized in his hand.

This crystal sphere was none other than the Qiu Wu Palace!

That was the ancient domain left behind by Kong shi's follower, Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. He had entered its premises with Luo Ruoxin previously, and it had also been the location where they confirmed their relationship. At this moment, the Qiu Wu Palace was shaking non-stop, as if it was resonating in harmony to the book that Luo Ruoxin had taken out.

"This..." Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

As the master of the Qiu Wu Palace, he could clearly feel that the book before him had come from the same origin as the crystal sphere. There was an inseverable connection between the two of them.

"I acquired this book from the Qiu Wu Palace. Using it, we will be able to find the exact location of the Celestial Amulet of Legacy." Luo Ruoxin answered the doubts in Zhang Xuan's mind.

However, that only left Zhang Xuan even more taken aback. "This..."

He had been together with the young lady in the Qiu Wu Palace, so why was he unaware that she had acquired such a book?

There were rumors that the Qiu Wu Palace contained a clue to finding the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so he had searched the entire place multiple times, only to be unable to find the supposed clue. Who could have thought that it was already in her hands?

"The reason I wanted to enter the Qiu Wu Palace was to find this item. Do you remember how I wandered freely for quite a while after entering the Qiu Wu Palace? It was during that period of time that I found this book," Luo Ruoxin explained.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

To be honest, he had found it bizarre how the young lady had insisted on entering the Qiu Wu Palace with him, only to refuse all treasures, cultivation technique manuals, and the like. Not to mention, she had even helped him assimilate the entire Qiu Wu Palace!

So, it turned out that she had already acquired what she had been looking for!

Weng!

While the two of them were speaking, a light hum sounded from the book as it began surging toward the top of the mountain.

"Let's follow it."

The two of them quickly followed the movements of the book so as to not lose sight of it.

Not too long later, just when they were roughly at the midpoint of the mountain, the book finally came to an abrupt halt.

"This is the place..." Zhang Xuan swiftly cast a sweeping gaze over the surroundings before nodding slowly.

This was indeed the exact spot on the painting where he had altered Kong shi's silhouette for the bathing beauties.

It would be too much of a coincidence for the two clues to point to the same point by sheer coincidence. Chances were that there was a folded space somewhere here that would lead them to an ancient domain where the Celestial Amulet of Legacy was hidden!

"It's good enough that we have confirmed the location. If my intuition fails me not, the culprits who have captured Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and Yuan Tao should be heading here very soon!" With a wave of her hand, Luo Ruoxin placed the book back into her storage ring before standing patiently on the spot, not anxious about finding the hidden folded space at all.

"The Zhang Clan, Luo Clan, and the Master Teacher Pavilion have a Celestial Amulet of Legacy each. Are you certain that the culprits will come here instead?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

If the goal of the culprits was to open the Temple of Confucius, they were already halfway there with the capture of Zhao Ya and the others. It was a known fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, the Zhang Clan, and the Luo Clan had a Celestial Amulet of Legacy each, so those three powers should have been the primary targets for the culprits!

Furthermore, it should have been impossible to find this location without the map from the Qingtian Emperor or the book in Luo Ruoxin's possession!

—

Chapter 1583: Luo Ruoxin's Identity

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"It's stated in the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion that there are six Celestial Amulets of Legacy. However, that isn't entirely correct."

Instead of responding to Zhang Xuan's question directly, Luo Ruoxin began explaining slowly.

"The six Celestial Amulets of Legacy are the Subordinate Amulets that are used to open the six Subordinate Halls in the Temple of Confucius. However, to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, one must enter the Prime Hall, and the key to the Prime Hall is the Prime Amulet!"

"Prime Amulet?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

"That's right." Luo Ruoxin nodded. "If the culprits are who I think they are, it's likely that they have a clue to finding this place too. After all, Kong shi couldn't possibly have just left a single clue leading to the Prime Amulet. Furthermore, the one who possesses the Prime Amulet will be able to command the Subordinate Amulets too. Rather than wrestle the Subordinate Amulets from the experts of the Zhang Clan, the Luo Clan, and the Master Teacher Pavilion, it would be much easier for them to head here and obtain the Prime Amulet!"

"That's true..." Zhang Xuan nodded contemplatively.

If that was indeed true, with the capture of Zhao Ya and the others, all they required was the Prime Amulet.

Given so, all the two of them had to do was camp there and wait for the culprits to arrive.

Just that... the matter concerning the Prime Amulet and Subordinate Amulets should be confidential. In fact, it was likely that even Yang shi was unaware of it, or else the other party would have informed him of it. How did Luo Ruoxin know such details?

Unable to take it any longer, Zhang Xuan asked, "Ruoxin, if you aren't from the Luo Clan... who are you? Why do you know of so many secrets that even the Master Teacher Pavilion is unaware of?"

He reached out to grab the young lady's hand gently. "Since we have decided to be together, I hope that you'll allow to help shoulder the burdens that you carry!"

Even though Luo Ruoxin had said that it was not inconvenient for her to reveal her true identity, Zhang Xuan still could not help but worry, especially after the huge misunderstanding earlier.

At the very least, if he knew Luo Ruoxin's identity in advance, he would be able to prepare himself to face whatever came in the future.

"I..." Luo Ruoxin instinctively attempted to retract her hand upon being grabbed, but meeting the young man's earnest eyes, she eventually decided against it. Shaking her head helplessly, she said, "You will only be hurt if you learn of my identity right now. More importantly, it might foil the greater scheme of things, and that will only bring great trouble to you... I'm sorry..."

"I'm not afraid!" Zhang Xuan said resolutely.

"I know you aren't afraid... but I am!" Luo Ruoxin shook her head with a distressed frown. She looked at the young man said tenderly, "Don't worry. As long as you trudge on, we'll eventually be together. Not even the heavens will be able to stop us!"

Judging from the look on Luo Ruoxin's face, Zhang Xuan could tell that it would be impossible for him to change her mind, so he could only sigh deeply. Relenting on his stance, he asked, "Then, at the very least... can you tell me if you are an... Otherworldly Demon?"

It took Zhang Xuan a lot of courage in order to ask this question.

Despite not being the little princess of the Luo Clan, the strength that she wielded was truly incredible, especially given her young age. Not to mention, the adolescent boy that followed her was a formidable expert who could stand equal grounds with Yang shi, if not surpassing him. If she was not a member of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, chances were that she was related to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

This possibility was further supported by how knowledgeable she was regarding Kong shi and the secrets of the Master Teacher Continent, possibly knowing even more than the esteemed Yang shi... The only possibilities that Zhang Xuan could think of was that she belonged to either of those two major powers!

If she was from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, considering how the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was under Kong shi's lineage, even if she was not a master teacher, her identity would still be accepted on the Master Teacher Continent.

The problem was that Zhang Xuan had looked into the clans of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and there was no Luo Clan among them.

If she was really an Otherworldly Demon, that would spell trouble.

Ultimately, Zhang Xuan's allegiance still lay with mankind. Even if he loved Luo Ruoxin, he could not compromise on his values and principles!

This was his bottom line. Love was important, but it could not be one's everything!

"I'm not an Otherworldly Demon."

Knowing what Zhang Xuan was worried about, Luo Ruoxin shook her head and chuckled softly. "Don't worry, I'll never do anything that would harm mankind. I'm here just to find something that a very close relative of mine lost..."

"A very close relative?"

"Un. He is someone that I really respected. He imparted my values and principles to me when I was younger. Those days that I spent with him were happy and worriless, but..."

At this point, Luo Ruoxin suddenly fell silent as she lowered her head in contemplation. An aura of sorrow seemed to gloom around her as her hands trembled slightly in Zhang Xuan's grasp. "If I had a choice, I would rather the one who had met such a mishap be me instead of him!"

"This..." Hearing that Luo Ruoxin had no relations with the Otherworldly Demon, Zhang Xuan inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before hurriedly consoling her. "If that relative of yours is ill, I might be able to help him..."

Possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, he was able to trace down the root of any illness. Even if he was unable to treat Luo Ruoxin's close relative due to the limitations of his cultivation, he might at least be able to offer a plausible direction to work toward in order to treat him.

"It's not a problem of medicinal skills..." Luo Ruoxin shook her head before directing a tender smile toward Zhang Xuan. "It's fine, you don't have to worry about these problems. If you really wish to be with me, you must raise your cultivation as quickly as possible. That would be the best way you can help me!"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he squeezed the young lady's hand reassuringly.

If Luo Ruoxin was unwilling to speak of her affairs to him, it was likely that she already had some other thoughts in mind. As long as her actions did not violate the principles that he embraced, he would give her all of his support.

Luo Ruoxin had always been a cold and lofty person, emanating a distant aura that kept everyone at bay. Even Zhang Xuan found himself unable to see through her thoughts and understand her.

But in this moment, it felt like Luo Ruoxin had finally started opening up to him, viewing him as a person whom she could share her inner thoughts with.

She was still keeping some secrets from him, but so what? He was certain that the day would come when she would be comfortable with opening up to him, so there was no need for him to rush into it immediately.

For the time being, what he had to do was trust her and give her support!

"You are currently at Saint 9-dan primary stage. You should try to achieve a breakthrough to Great Sage as soon as possible," Luo Ruoxin said. "Due to my special constitution, the cultivation techniques that I practice are completely different from yours, and I'm not in a good position to offer you any guidance. More importantly... if I share too much with you, not only will that bring trouble to you, it could potentially place a cap on your future growth. Wu Chen over here is quite knowledgeable, so feel free to raise any doubts with him. Having someone to trade insights with should help you in your cultivation!"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

After scaring the lightning tribulation away the day before in the Luo Clan, his cultivation had already reached Saint 9-dan primary stage. While he could already walk unmatched among the younger generation on the continent, he still could not help but feel deeply pressured at this moment.

Zhao Ya, having awakened her Pure Yin Body, was stronger than him! Zheng Yang, after becoming the Progeny of Combat and cultivated in the Hall of Spring of Autumn, was stronger than him! Wei Ruyan, Yuan Tao, Lu Chong, and even Wang Ying were all stronger than him!

To be at the very back of the pack despite being their teacher had left him feeling deeply indignant and frustrated.

The prowess displayed by his girlfriend was not helping either. Even her subordinate was able to easily stir up a storm in the Luo Clan, and it was questionable if Yang shi would be able to stop him.

Without a doubt, Luo Ruoxin would be even stronger than her subordinate!

As her boyfriend, the pressure that was on him could really drill him to the opposite end of the continent.

If he could not raise his cultivation quickly, how embarrassing would it be if others said that he was a person who could only rely on his girlfriend?

So as to not interrupt their conversation, Wu Chen had tactfully chosen to stand by the side, but upon hearing Luo Ruoxin calling for him, he quickly walked over.

"Macrocosm refers to the entire spatial world that we perceive formed by the three dimensions. Saint 9-dan Macrocosm Ascendancy realm is intricately linked with one's comprehension of space. While you have reached Saint 9-dan primary stage so far, in order to reach the pinnacle of the realm, not only must you accumulate sufficient energy, more importantly, you must also deepen your comprehension of space. I have a few books containing my insights of spatial laws here, and they might be of some use to your cultivation!" Wu Chen said as he passed a couple of books over.

He might have appeared to be a thirteen to fourteen year old boy in his adolescence on the surface, but when it came to cultivation, he swiftly assumed the air of an old expert, reminiscent of a grandmaster of the current era.

"Thanks!" Having witnessed the adolescent boy's skillful manipulation of space, Zhang Xuan knew that the books that the other party had offered him were bound to be extraordinary.

He quickly picked up the books and browsed through them, and before long, he was nodding in approval.

These books came nowhere close to matching the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but their contents were worth ruminating over. If he compiled those books with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he should be able to resolve a handful of the flaws in the latter.

Just as he was about to do so, he suddenly saw the adolescent boy looking over with a grim look on his face.

"These books are profound, so you must make sure to go through them very carefully. If there's anything that you don't understand, make sure to clarify it with me as soon as possible. Don't get greedy and attempt to forcefully push your way ahead. As long as you study diligently, given your talent, it won't be impossible for you to reach Saint 9-dan pinnacle within a single month!"

"A single month?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Indeed." The adolescent boy placed his hands behind his back and declared confidently, "I know that it's inconceivable to achieve a breakthrough to Saint 9-dan pinnacle in such a short period of time, but with my deep understanding of space, I'm confident that you'll be able to achieve it with my strict guidance!"

"No, that's not what I meant. What I am saying is that one month... is too long!" Zhang Xuan scratched his head awkwardly.

"Too long?" The adolescent boy was flabbergasted by what he had just heard.

"Indeed... It'll be hard to explain it with words, so just give me a moment, and I'll show you," Zhang Xuan said before closing his eyes.

Hong long!

In an instant, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi to its limit, and soon, his cultivation began surging ahead.

After leaving the main hall of the Luo Clan, his parents had passed him a storage ring filled with the Saint 9-dan cultivation technique manuals that Ren Qingyuan had entrusted to them. With a swift glance over those books, he had collected them into the Library of Heaven's Path and compiled them to form the Saint 9-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art.

While the adolescent boy's books on spatial laws were a great help, ultimately, they were only supporting material when it came to raising one's cultivation. In this world, there was nothing more suitable for raising one's cultivation than the Heaven's Path Divine Art.

Back when he was still at the Zhang Clan, Sword Saint Xing had given him a huge stockpile of cultivation resources. Even after raising his zhenqi cultivation, soul cultivation, and the cultivation of the Inferno Qilin and Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he still had more than half of the stockpile left.

Since there was nothing to do at the moment, this was a good opportunity to push for a breakthrough.

Gugugugu!

His zhenqi raced furiously through his meridians before accumulating in his dantian, and in just a few moments, he had already broken through his previous bottleneck.

Macrocosm Ascendancy realm primary stage!

Macrocosm Ascendancy realm intermediate stage!

...

"T-this..." The adolescent boy could not help but stagger backward with a pale face. "How can he grow so quickly?"

The Macrocosm Ascendancy realm required a cultivator to enhance their understanding of spatial laws and accumulate sufficient energy simultaneously in order to achieve a breakthrough. It was just a moment ago that he had handed over his books, and the young man was already achieving breakthroughs as if it was nothing at all.

Furthermore, he was improving with an imposing momentum that showed no signs of slowing down at all, such that it almost seemed as if he was just releasing a seal on his cultivation!

How could someone be so talented?

Seeing how shocked Wu Chen was, Luo Ruoxin explained with a light chuckle, "His condition is a little special, so it's no surprise that he can achieve breakthroughs so quickly."

As a Celestial Master Teacher, a person whose talent was recognized by even the heavens, it did not come as a surprise no matter how fast he grew.

"Special? But no matter how special his condition is, such an extent is inconceivable..." the adolescent boy exclaimed in disbelief.

Boom!

Before the adolescent boy could even finish his words, Zhang Xuan's cultivation had already come to a halt. He exhaled a mouthful of turbid gas as his cultivation stabilized at Saint 9-dan pinnacle.

"Done!" Zhang Xuan clapped his hand in satisfaction before directing a smile at Wu Chen. "How's that? It didn't take a month, right?"

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Chapter 1584: Who Is Guiding Whom?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The adolescent boy shook his head vehemently, almost as if he was expecting to see something different once he was done shaking.

He had seen geniuses and experts from various races, and he had clashed with the top experts of the continent. It went without saying that he had confidence in his judgement and talent.

But... to advance one's cultivation so easily as if it was just walk in the park... he had never even heard of something like this before, let alone seen it!

Even Kong shi back then did not seem to have improved so quickly!

Was this still a humanly possible deed?

"You managed to achieve a breakthrough from the books I just gave you?" the adolescent boy questioned.

It was only after taking his books and flipping through them that the young man abruptly achieved breakthroughs to Saint 9-dan pinnacle... Could it be that his books had inspired the young man?

Then again, he had written those books personally, and he knew their contents by heart. There should not have been anything in them that would allow one to advance one's cultivation so quickly!

"Oh. I had a look at those books, and while they do offer a fresh perspective, there are simply too many flaws with them. It would be problematic to cultivate them directly!" Zhang Xuan replied earnestly.

"Too many flaws? Problematic?"

Those words immediately riled the adolescent boy up.

He was able to overcome the Demon Subduing Sphere of the Luo Clan easily with a flick of his hand and carry out a Spatial Leap to cover several million li in just a few moments. No matter how one looked at it, his comprehension of spatial laws was definitely on par with the heritage of the Luo Clan, if not surpassing it.

Yet, for what he had personally written to be described with 'too many flaws' and 'problematic'... And that disdainful look on the young man's face was not helping either!

Disdain your head!

"May I know what kind of flaws there are in my books that made you find them problematic? Why don't you share them so that I can learn from my mistakes?" It took some effort for the adolescent boy to calm himself down and squeeze those words politely out of his mouth.

If not for Luo Ruoxin watching by the side, he would have given that arrogant young fellow a good smack!

"I guess I could enlighten you since you are asking so politely!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "You wrote in the book that the more stable a space is, the more unlikely it will collapse. Only in stable spaces should one find wormholes and conduct Spatial Leaps, or else the stress from the Spatial Leap could potentially cause the space to collapse inward, and that would be dangerous!"

"That's indeed the case!" The adolescent boy nodded. "The stability in folded spaces is severely lacking. If one places it under too much stress, it will collapse on itself. Thus, abilities like Spatial Leap are only feasible on the Master Teacher Continent, where space is far more stable. Is there any mistake in that interpretation?"

Such an interpretation of space had been acknowledged by expert cultivators over the past tens of thousands of years. It was impossible for there to be a mistake with it!

"Yes, there is a huge mistake in that interpretation. You are assuming space to be stationary," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Assuming space to be stationary? Are you implying that space flows like a river?" The adolescent boy burst into laughter. "You must be messing with me! If the space we live in is moving, how can we possibly be unaware of it?"

"The world we are standing on is constantly moving. Are you able to feel its movements?" Zhang Xuan replied.

"This..." The adolescent boy was taken aback.

He had flown high enough to see the entire Master Teacher Continent before, and from afar, he could tell that the continent was in a state of constant rotation, giving it day and night. But when he was standing on the continent, its rotation was imperceptible to him.

"It's due to the movement of space that the locations of spatial wormholes are constantly changing. If one is able to grasp the movement of space and move alongside it, movement through the spatial wormhole will result in minimal instability to the surrounding space, and naturally, the space won't collapse either!" Zhang Xuan explained.

In truth, this was not a theory that he had come up with but something derived from Lu Chong's Soul Traverse.

Through Soul Traverse, soul oracles were able to pull off short distance teleportation discreetly, thus allowing them to conduct surprise attacks. If space was truly stationary, their abrupt movements would create a huge disturbance in space each and every time, making it impossible for their movements to be discreet. However, if they moved in harmony with the flow of space, the disturbance caused by their movements could be reduced to the minimum.

"This..." The adolescent boy fell into deep thought.

This was the first time that he had encountered a theory of moving space, so it was inevitable that he would be somewhat skeptical toward it. However, when he gave it further thought, he realized that it reconciled all of the spatial phenomena that contradicted the concept of flowing space. To put it in simpler words, it was indeed very likely for space to be flowing!

This had really overthrown everything that he had thought in the past.

"There's one occupation in the world that boasts the greatest understanding of space... I have read all of the theories and speculations as to what the foundation of space truly is, and all of them are built on the idea of stationary space. This is the first time that I have heard something like this!" the adolescent boy remarked in astonishment.

"The occupation you are referring to is soul oracle, right? Soul oracles are an agglomeration of will, which makes them more sensitive to the world around them. As a result of that, they have finer control over space than ordinary cultivators. However, you mentioned that you have books from the soul oracles?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Of all the occupations that he had come into contact with, the one that had the greatest control over space was indubitably the soul oracle.

In fact, Soul Traverse was the very proof of the soul oracles' ingenuity when it came to space!

It was unfortunate that the soul oracles and their heritage had been destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion after they had chosen to ally themselves with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

Even Lu Chong had only managed to obtain their heritage through entering the secret Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles, so where in the world did the adolescent boy find the books of the soul oracles?

Furthermore, judging from his tone, it seemed like he had accessed quite a huge collection of them at that!

Or... could it be that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers still had the heritage of soul oracles with them? That was possible, considering that their heritage had come directly from Kong shi.

"Hmm..." Instead of answering Zhang Xuan's question, the adolescent boy looked at him earnestly and asked, "Other than the idea of stationary space, may I know what other errors the books have?"

If he thought that Zhang Xuan was spouting nonsense previously, after that exchange, it had already become apparent to him that the young man's understanding of space was likely to be deeper than his.

"There is a total of thirteen major conceptual flaws in your books..." Zhang Xuan replied honestly.

"..." Luo Ruoxin.

Her intention was to have Wu Chen offer pointers to the person that she loved so as to help him advance his cultivation. But somehow... things seemed to have gone in a different direction from what she had expected.

Not only so, Wu Chen was even nodding vehemently, as if having epiphanies one after another.

Just who was guiding whom?

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to go through the thirteen flaws in detail, Luo Ruoxin suddenly sent a telepathic message to the two of them.

"Someone is coming."

The two of them widened their eyes in alarm as they quickly fell silent.

Earlier, when they landed in the vicinity, they had already used a secret art to seal the space around them and conceal their presence. As such, even if they continued speaking, no one in the external world would be any the wiser.

Zhang Xuan turned his head forward, and without him realizing, several long-robed figures had appeared in the midst of the mountain range.

Their robes were made in a similar fashion to that of the master teacher robe, but perhaps because they were made of black cloth, Zhang Xuan could not help but find them a little incongruent and odd.

He activated his Eye of Insight to take a closer look.

There were four people in total. They did not look too old on the surface, seemingly only in their early to middle thirties.

Are they the Otherworldly Demons who have kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others?Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

His previous analysis of the incident was that the culprits could only be the Hundred Schools of Philosophers or the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Since Luo Ruoxin was not an Otherworldly Demon, it stood to reason that the group in front of him was from the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

Clenching his fists tightly, he took a deep breath as he readied himself to activate the blood droplet in his hand at any moment. He turned to the young lady beside him and asked, "Now?"

"Wait a moment first." Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "We aren't too familiar with the ancient domain, so it would be best to let them enter first before deciding our next move."

"Alright." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Chapter 1585: Ancient Sage Ran Qiu

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He had only learned about this place from the copper-masked figure's painting. As for the exact location of where the ancient domain was, what was hidden in the ancient domain, and what kind of dangers lay in it, he was completely oblivious.

Since these Otherworldly Demons were intending to enter the ancient domain, he was more than happy to let them scout the way ahead for them. Even if they were discovered afterward, he could activate Kong shi's blood droplet to deal with them. As long as none of them were Ancient Sages, he was confident that he could kill or even apprehend them all.

"Where is it?"

While they were lying in wait, the four new arrivals were carefully scanning the area, seemingly trying to determine the exact location of the folded space.

"Give me a moment, I'll check on it!"

A frail-looking young man took a step forward, and with a tap on his finger, a book materialized and floated right in front of him, emanating a faint turquoise glow.

"It looks quite similar to the book you have," Zhang Xuan remarked to Luo Ruoxin.

In terms of appearance, it could be said to be identical to the one that she had acquired from the Qiu Wu Palace.

It seemed like she was indeed right. There was more than one clue leading to the ancient domain.

It seemed like it was not without reason that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been able to render mankind utterly helpless until Kong shi appeared. They were indeed far more resourceful than he had thought.

Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion was aware of the distinction between the Master Amulet and the Subordinate Amulets, yet the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had already acquired the artifact required to track the Master Amulet down.

Weng!

The book gradually drifted ahead, slowly combing the entire area before abruptly jolting. With a light buzz, it came to a halt.

"It's here!" the frail-looking young man exclaimed.

"Un!" The young man who had issued the command before nodded as he quickly rushed over.

This young man had a clean-looking face and the air of a scholar, which formed a stark contrast to the vicious appearance of the Otherworldly Demons that Zhang Xuan had met before. If not for the fact that he had appeared there, there was no way that one would have been able to imagine that he was one of the culprits who had made a move against Zhao Ya and the others.

Previously, Zhang Xuan had heard that the Otherworldly Demonic Emperors were able to impersonate humans, such that even master teachers would have difficulties seeing through their disguise. From the looks of it now, that was indeed true.

"Open!" The scholarly young man raised his hand and pumped a surge of tremendous power into the space in front of him.

Jiyaya!

A deafening noise echoed in the air as a door made solely out of light materialized before their eyes. Incredible energy flowed within the door of light, making it impossible to discern where the door would lead one to.

Instead of entering the ancient domain immediately, the scholarly young man turned around and instructed severely, "Everyone, be careful. This ancient domain was left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so we must maintain the utmost caution!"

The other three young men quickly nodded in response.

"Ancient Sage Ran Qiu?" Zhang Xuan gasped in astonishment.

The seventy-two direct disciples of Kong shi were known as the seventy-two Philosophers.

Of them, the ten strongest disciples were collectively known as the Ten Apostles, and Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was one of the apostles. He was equal to Ancient Sage Bo Shang in terms of standing, and in terms of strength, he was reputed to be the strongest among the Ten Apostles.

Back during the war with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, he had charged into armies of enemies with just a single spear in hand, killing innumerable Otherworldly Demonic Emperors.

In fact, he was the founder of the Combat Master Hall!

If he was indeed the man behind the ancient domain, there was little doubt that the ancient domain would be fraught with dangerous trials.

"Let's go!"

After warning the others to keep their guard up, the scholarly young man walked into the door of light, and with a pulsation of energy, he disappeared from everyone's sight.

The other three young men followed behind him, and they vanished in the blink of an eye as well.

"Let's head in, too!"

Seeing that the four of them had entered the door of light, Zhang Xuan was just about to step out of their concealment when Luo Ruoxin suddenly grabbed his arm and said, "Wait a moment first."

Zhang Xuan was taken aback for a moment before widening his eyes in realization. "Have they noticed our presence?"

"I don't think they are able to sense our presence, but I think it's better to be safe," Luo Ruoxin replied before falling silent.

They waited on the spot for roughly half a tea's time before the door of light suddenly wavered once more. The scholarly young man who had entered first earlier walked out, scanned the surroundings, and heaved a sigh of relief after finding nothing. After which, he entered the door of light once more.

This time, the door of light did not last too long before dissipating.

"What a cautious bunch they are! To think that they would be hiding on the other side of the door, waiting to ambush anyone tailing them! If we had entered earlier, we would have been attacked!" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

All along, he had been the one scheming against others, but who would have thought that his complacency would nearly get the better of him? If not for Luo Ruoxin stopping him, he might have fallen into their trap!

It was true that activating Kong shi's blood droplet would grant him strength that was unrivalled by all those beneath Ancient Sage, but if he came under the simultaneous assault of four experts, it was questionable whether he could really hold his ground or not.

He really would have to pay more attention to such matters so as to not fall into such traps again in the future.

"Humph, you want to play with me? Let's see who will be played with at the very end!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly.

Back then, despite his weak cultivation, he had still managed to eliminate the entire Qingtian Lineage. Now that he had reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle and had Kong shi's blood droplet with him, he could not possibly allow himself to fare worse than he did back then!

"Let's enter."

Removing the spatial secret art around them, Luo Ruoxin walked up to the space where the four men disappeared from previously.

Wu Chen walked to her side, and taking a deep breath, he splayed his hand and pressed it downward.

Weng!

By infusing his energy into the space, just like what the scholarly young man had done previously, a door of light gradually materialized out of nowhere.

Wu Chen was the first to enter the door, and he vanished on the spot.

Zhang Xuan and Luo Ruoxin traded glances before entering the door of light together.

With a light buzz, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself standing in the midst of a vast grassland. There was a clear sky, and the surrounding air was crisp and refreshing. With a quick look, it felt as if they had been teleported away instead of entering a folded space.

"The space in here is really stable," Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment.

Even folded spaces on the level of the Qiu Wu Palace were extremely crass in construction, and exertion of excessive strength could easily result in their collapse. On the other hand, the space that they were currently in was extraordinarily stable, such that it made them doubt if they had really entered a folded space.

"The greater stability of the space only goes to show how dangerous it will be here. I'll first look ahead to scout the path they have taken. As long as we trace their footsteps, we should be able to avoid most of the dangers!" Wu Chen clasped his fist.

Luo Ruoxin nodded, granting her permission.

Wu Chen quickly examined the surroundings. Slowly, a deep frown etched itself onto his forehead.

"It's very dangerous in here. There are formations and spatial rifts all around, and the slightest misstep could possibly land us in one of those. We need to be..."

Before Wu Chen could finish his sentence with the word 'careful', Zhang Xuan had already taken a huge stride forward.

As he walked, he even beckoned to them leisurely, saying, "Quick, over here. Follow me..."

"You..." Taken aback by the young man's reckless action, Wu Chen suddenly felt his heart tightening in anger. "What are you doing? Don't you know what kind of treacherous place we are in? I haven't found the path that they have walked in yet! It's very dangerous to be roaming dangerously in here..."

Just as Wu Chen was about to grab the young man back, he saw Luo Ruoxin following the young man's footsteps without saying a word.

"Milady! It's dangerous..." Wu Chen exclaimed anxiously.

It was one thing for the weak Zhang Xuan to not know better, but why would Luo Ruoxin be so rash as well?

While Wu Chen was still panicking inside, Luo Ruoxin's voice drifted to his ears. "He has the Eye of Insight. It'll do to follow him."

"Eye of Insight? The ability that allows one to see through all facade?" Wu Chen widened his eyes in astonishment.

To possess the Eye of Insight and command such a deep understanding of space... Am I the expert, or is he the expert?

Why does it feel like my feeling of superiority as an expert seem to vanish before the young man?

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Chapter 1586: Yellow Water of the Netherworld

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The trio slowly advanced ahead.

As they were following the trail of the group of four before them, they did not meet much danger along the way.

Those four young men did not leave the slightest trail behind when they kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others, which went to show that they had intentionally destroyed all marks of themselves.

In this ancient domain, however, perhaps because danger was all around, they could not bother about it anymore, or maybe they felt that no one would be able to follow them there—regardless, they had lowered their guard. That being said, their trail was still very faint, to the point of nearly being indiscernible, but fortunately, it was still barely visible through the Eye of Insight.

Those four are indeed powerful... Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

If not for his Eye of Insight improving along with his cultivation, even he would have had trouble making out their nearly indiscernible trail!

To be able to do so without intentional concealment, just how powerful would they really be?

Most likely, even if they were not on Yang shi's level yet, they were not too far from it. If the four of them collaborated with one another, even Yang shi would be no match for them!

With their cultivation and the element of surprise on their side, it was no wonder Zhao Ya and Wei Ruyan had fallen to them.

They are likely notable figures even within the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes.

While those of the Otherworldly Demon Tribe were born with greater innate strength and longer lifespans than humans, there was no doubt that only a small handful would be able to reach such a level, which meant that the group of four consisted of the elite of the elites. Otherwise, there was no way mankind would have been able to keep the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe away from the Master Teacher Continent for so many years.

Even if Zhang Xuan's group was able to subdue the four of them, chances were that they would sustain severe damage in the process.

...

"There are signs of battle ahead..."

After proceeding ahead for a moment, the adolescent boy Wu Chen suddenly raised his hand to warn the group before walking over alone.

Zhang Xuan quickly followed behind him, and he swiftly noticed pits of varying sizes and depths all around the area, a sign that an intense battle had just occurred.

"No, something is wrong..." Doubts surfaced in Zhang Xuan's eyes as he analyzed the surroundings. "While these marks appear to originate from a battle, the fact is that they originate from a single source. In other words, it's the doing of an individual—there are no marks around that suggests that he was facing an opponent!"

Through the discerning Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could tell that despite the chaotic marks all around, they were all inflicted by the zhenqi of a single person. There was no other person to fight with if a battle had truly happened here!

"Could it be..." Luo Ruoxin's eyebrows shot up. "... a hallucination?"

There could only be one reason for a person to desperately launch attacks one after another in the presence of no opponent at all—he was in a disorientated state, thus compelling him to make such irrational actions.

Such was the case when they entered the Qiu Wu Palace back then. They had immediately been exposed to a demonic tune, which placed them in a poor state of mind. If not for Zhang Xuan finding the core of the formation and destroying it, the group would have marched on till they finally died of exhaustion.

"That does seem to be the case!" Wu Chen nodded. "Illusory Formations blur the distinction between reality and hallucinations, and that could be extremely dangerous in here. Milady, Zhang shi, please wait here for a moment while I find a way to destroy the formation!"

"Be careful. The fact that this formation was able to trap one of those four shows that it's of formidable prowess," Luo Ruoxin warned.

"I understand!" Wu Chen nodded.

Gritting his teeth, he began advancing slowly. However, barely after taking two steps, he suddenly found Zhang Xuan walking right past him before halting at a certain point and stomping his foot forcefully on the ground.

Hu!

The surroundings seemed to waver for a moment, as if something had come undone.

Clapping his hands together, Zhang Xuan turned around and said, "Job's done. The Illusory Formation has been dispelled!"

Wu Chen felt goosebumps rising all over his body. He hurriedly walked forward and extended his Spiritual Perception to the surroundings before he was able to convince himself that the formation had indeed been deciphered!

"You..." Wu Chen stared at the young man not too far away in frenzy.

It was one thing for the young man to be more formidable than him when it came to spatial manipulation and eye of discernment... but to think that the young man would wield such amazing prowess in formations as well! He had not even located where the formation was when the young man was already done deciphering it... How could that be?

Was there anything that the young man was incapable of?

It was almost as if they had been given the wrong scripts!

He was supposed to be the knowledgeable expert whereas the young man was the countryside bumpkin!

"Milady..." Wu Chen quickly turned to the young lady behind him, wanting to see her reaction to this matter, only to see a faint smile on her face.

It was as if she had known that the young man wielded such capabilities from the very start, and she was not surprised in the least.

Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was not saying anything, he did not feel that it would be appropriate for him to comment on the matter. Thus, despite the strange feeling in his heart, he decided to keep his silence and trudge on ahead.

This time, the group did not walk too long before a river came into sight.

The river water was slightly yellowish and translucent, making it hard to see through it. Looking at it from afar, it did not seem to be flowing either, almost as if it was a still painting.

Wu Chen observed it for a while before flicking his wrist to take out a Saint high-tier artifact to toss into the river.

Tzzzzzzzz!

A trail of smoke rose from the tip of the weapon, and it did not take long for the Saint high-tier artifact to be completely corroded by the river water, leaving nary a trace at all.

Following which, Wu Chen took out a Saint pinnacle artifact and placed it in the river water. In less than ten breaths, a scorched mark had already appeared on the surface.

"This is the Yellow Water of the Netherworld. It's highly corrosive, capable of devouring a Saint high-tier artifact within moments. Even Saint pinnacle artifacts won't last too long in it. It's also extremely harmful to cultivators and their zhenqi. If one falls into the water, their Primordial Spirit will swiftly become corrupted, inflicting irrecoverable damage!" Wu Chen said grimly.

"Yellow Water of the Netherworld?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had read many books, but he had never heard of such a liquid before.

"Un. It's a natural product of the world, and it's also commonly known as Yellow Springwater. Even Great Sage realm cultivators would not dare come into contact with it easily. From the looks of it, we'll have to cross this river in order to advance further in the ancient domain. However, the river corrodes the air directly above it as well, so even flying past the river will be extremely dangerous. Unless..." Wu Chen paused for a moment before continuing. "Unless we build a Netherworld's Bridge!"

"Netherworld's Bridge?" Zhang Xuan was even more confused.

Was it not a little troublesome to construct a bridge on the spot? How did the group of four ahead of them manage to get past the river then?

"To cross the netherworld without falling into it, the Netherworld's Bridge is of paramount importance. Most likely, the four of them were able to cross because they were aware of the situation in the ancient domain and made preparations in advance, such as bringing along the Netherworld's Boat or artifacts of a similar nature," Wu Chen explained.

"Similar to the Netherworld's Bridge, the Netherworld's Boat allows one to traverse through the Yellow Water of the Netherworld freely without falling into it. However, its construction method has long disappeared from the world!"

"Considering how the Yellow Springwater is able to corrode even Saint pinnacle weapons, does that mean that the Netherworld's Boat is a Great Sage artifact?" Zhang Xuan asked out of curiosity.

In the three days that he had spent traveling to the Luo Clan, he had conversed at length with Sword Saint Xing and Yang shi, and he had learned much about the higher realms.

Saint artifacts were divided into low-tier, middle-tier, high-tier, and pinnacle, and beyond that were Great Sage artifacts!

There was no finer distinction to Great Sage artifacts as most of them had unique properties that would be difficult to classify properly. Nevertheless, depending on how they were forged, there could still be vast differences in their quality.

To date, Zhang Xuan had yet to see any Great Sage artifacts, so he was not in a good position to comment either.

Since the Netherworld's Boat that Wu Chen had mentioned was able to travel through the Yellow Water of the Netherworld safely, could it possibly be a Great Sage artifact?

Otherwise, how could it withstand the corrosion of the Yellow Water?

"You might not believe it when I say this, but it isn't a Great Sage artifact but simply..." Wu Chen shook his head bitterly. "Paper! The Netherworld's Boat is a type of paper boat!"

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Chapter 1587: Delicious

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Paper boat?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Even Saint pinnacle artifacts are unable to withstand the corrosion of the Yellow Water of the Netherworld, so how could they travel safely through it in a paper boat?"

The entire matter was simply too unbelievable.

Even Saint 9-dan pinnacle experts would not be able to destroy Saint pinnacle artifacts, and yet, such an artifact could not last long under the corrosion of the Yellow Water either. On the other hand, even ordinary mortals would be able to tear paper apart, so it was ridiculous to think that a paper boat would be able to float one across the river.

"To be honest, I don't know either. This is beyond my understanding as well. It's said to be a method that Kong shi came up with back then, but the art has long been lost. It's unlikely for even the Master Teacher Pavilion to have a record on it!" Wu Chen shook his head.

"Doesn't that mean that it'll be impossible for us to cross this river?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Just by hearing the term, he could already imagine how troublesome it would be to construct the Netherworld's Bridge. At the same time, he had no idea how to construct the Netherworld's Boat either, so there was nothing more they could do, right?

Could they only wait there helplessly?

"If it was any other occasion, I would still be able to cross the river without much trouble... but without sufficient power and resources on hand at the moment, I fear that there's nothing much I can do!" Wu Chen remarked helplessly.

"This..." Zhang Xuan turned his gaze to Luo Ruoxin, only to see the latter shaking her head too.

"I do know of some methods that would allow us to cross the river, but with my current strength, it would be a little difficult for me to execute them."

"I see... I'll try to think of an alternative solution then!" Zhang Xuan said.

Considering that the group of four ahead of them had already crossed the river, if they continued wasting time, it was likely that the Master Amulet would be gone before they could even set their eyes on it.

Thus, after some hesitation, Zhang Xuan walked up to the river and placed his hand into the water.

"Are you insane!" Seeing the young man touching the water directly with his hand, Wu Chen nearly fainted from shock.

Was he tired of living?

Wu Chen was just about to rush over to drag the young man away when he saw a bizarre look surfacing on the young man's face. After which, the young man scooped a mouthful of water from the river and licked it with his tongue before gulping it down.

A brilliant gleam shone from the young man's eyes as he exclaimed in agitation, "It's actually quite delicious! Come, try some!"

"Try some?" Wu Chen nearly fainted on the spot.

As the name suggested, the Yellow Water of the Netherworld would send those who dared touch it into the cycle of reincarnation.

Yet, not only did that fellow touch it, he even drank it...

Did the young man really have to be so tenacious?

"Seriously speaking, aren't you over exaggerating?" Zhang Xuan said as he took another mouthful, and a feeling of invigoration consumed his body.

It was almost as if he was drinking the nectar of life!

The adolescent boy had described the water to be so treacherous that even Great Sages would avoid it like the plague, but when he touched it, he did not feel any of that at all.

He also activated the Library of Heaven's Path on it, and it was not as frightening as the adolescent boy had described.

Not only was it not dangerous, it was delectable with a nice texture to it! Was this an attempt by the adolescent boy to scare him?

"..."

Seeing how the young man was completely unaffected by the Yellow Springwater, not sustaining the slightest damage even when ingesting it directly, Wu Chen could not help but gape at the young man doubtfully.

Could he have really made a mistake?

As such a thought arose in his mind, he slowly walked over to the river and placed a finger in.

Tzzzzzzzzzz!

A heart-wrenching pain assaulted him, and he swiftly retracted his hand like a bolt of lightning. Even so, it was already charred black. Had he been even a split instant later, he might have lost his entire finger!

Clenching his jaws tightly together to bear through the pain, the adolescent boy took another look at the young man, who was splashing the water around merrily as if a little child, and he felt like bursting into tears.

The adolescent boy had absolute confidence in his strength. Even when taking the entire Master Teacher Continent into consideration, he did not think that there would be anyone who was a match for him. Even so, his finger still swiftly corroded upon contact with the water... yet the young man was actually completely fine?

This was illogical!

"No, that's not right... There's something wrong with your physical body and soul!" Wu Chen widened his eyes in a mixture of realization and astonishment.

"There's something wrong with my physical body and soul?" Zhang Xuan stopped his merrymaking and turned a doubtful look toward the adolescent boy.

Even though his body had been tempered by the Heaven's Path Golden Body and was comparable to Saint pinnacle artifacts, it was still nowhere close to that of Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm cultivators. Considering how the adolescent boy would challenge even Yang shi to a battle, it was likely that he had already reached this level.

To be honest, he was not really able to make sense out of the bizarre turn of events.

"I can sense the presence of lightning within your body and soul. It is the lightning energy that's keeping the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater at bay!" Wu Chen said.

"Lightning?"

"Indeed. The Yellow Water of the Netherworld is hidden deep underground, cold and eerie. On the other hand, lightning is the element of absolute yang, the manifestation of the authority of the heavens. In the face of the heavens, the demons and specters of the netherworld would dare not step out of line," Wu Chen exclaimed in disbelief. "But how can your body and soul harness the Power of Lightning without crumbling?"

While cultivators would have to face the lightning tribulation from the Leaving Aperture realm onward, they could only take a passive role in the process, gritting their teeth and praying for the lightning tribulation to be over as soon as possible.

There were indeed experts in the world who had successfully cultivated lightning attribute cultivation techniques, but even they were unable to infuse lightning into their very body and soul without sustaining permanent damage!

This was especially so for one's soul.

Even after metamorphosing into a Primordial Spirit, it still remained extremely vulnerable to lightning, just like how fire would always remain the nemesis of ice.

The young man before him had not reached Great Sage yet, but his body and soul were charged with the Power of Lightning. It was this Power of Lightning that protected him against the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater!

"I see..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

He had spent his last two months absorbing the lightning energy within lightning tribulations in order to achieve breakthroughs, so his body and Primordial Spirit were already suffused with the Power of Lightning. If the Yellow Water of the Netherworld was indeed fearful of the Power of Lightning, it was understandable why he possessed such strong resistance against its corrosion.

"Since lightning energy is able to oppose the corrosion of the Yellow Springwater, won't we be able to cross the river easily as long as we summon lightning here?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up as an idea crossed his mind.

As long as they could summon something that the Yellow Springwater feared, they would be able to curb it and cross the river with ease!

"Summon lightning?" Hearing those ridiculous words from the young man's mouth, Wu Chen could not help but shake his head in disapproval. "You are putting it too lightly. Lightning is the authority of the heavens. While it's possible to summon a lightning tribulation by making a breakthrough, who of us here will be able to make a breakthrough right now? Taking a step back, even if we successfully summon a lightning tribulation here, we will already have our hands full dealing with it, let alone channel its powers to help us cross the river!"

There were times that the young man displayed incredible acuity for things, seeing through the very nature of things without being restrained by prior ideas. However, there were also times where he seemed like a complete amateur, showing an absolute lack of common sense!

Lightning was the retribution that the heavens brought upon cultivators... Just how naive did one have to be to even conjure the notion of using it to cross the river?

Seeing that this was what the adolescent boy was worried about, Zhang Xuan replied with a smirk. "Don't worry, that isn't a problem at all..."

With a flick of his wrist, a saint beast flew forth from his storage ring and circled in the sky, emanating a frightening aura.

Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast!

"I have just checked on it, and the water in here should be able to help you achieve a breakthrough. I'll point out the flaws in your cultivation right now, so use the Yellow Springwater here to stimulate the acupoints that I mention. With that, you should be able to push for a breakthrough to the next realm..." Zhang Xuan looked at the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast flying above him and issued his instructions.

The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast harnessed the cold attribute of the netherworld, too. Absorbing spiritual energy of a similar attribute to it would help to accelerate its cultivation, and the Yellow Water of the Netherworld happened to be one such source. While the corrosion would also deal significant damage to it, as long as it was utilized carefully, it could potentially achieve unexpected effects.

Perhaps, it might even successfully push for a breakthrough to Great Sage!

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Chapter 1588: Offering Pointers to the Lightning Tribulation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"The Great Sage realm is the greatest hurdle for Saint cultivators. It's like bridging the gap between the earth and the heavens for human cultivators, and even more so for saint beasts. Without a sufficiently pure bloodline, it's impossible to succeed. Yet, you want it to achieve a breakthrough on the spot and summon a lightning tribulation? You... are you actually serious about this?" Wu Chen was beyond frenzied.

It was as if the lad was jumping from one impossibility to the next!

If it was that easy to make a breakthrough to Great Sage, there would not be so many cultivators who departed the world with regrets due to being unable to take the final step forward.

And the case was much worse for saint beasts. The requirement on their bloodline was extremely strict, so most saint beasts would require further refinement of their bloodline before they could advance their cultivation. However, to use the Yellow Water of the Netherworld to refine its bloodline?

To think that the lad could even think of something as ridiculous as that!

Wu Chen turned to look at Luo Ruoxin, hoping that she would talk the young man out of his futile pursuit. Contrary to his expectations, she simply looked at the situation with a calm smile, not finding the young man's actions nonsensical at all. In fact, her demeanor seemed to suggest strong confidence in the young man!

Even after he suggested something so ridiculous, Luo Ruoxin still trusted that fellow.

Gritting his teeth furiously, he turned his gaze back to the young man and saw that the latter had already gotten to work. The young man had taken out many swords and placed them together from end to end, forming a straight line. After which, the young man tied the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast on it with zhenqi treads.

From afar, it really looked like a skewer.

After all was ready, the young man placed his hand into the river and scooped up the water.

Tzzzzzzzz!

The Yellow Water of the Netherworld was sprinkled on the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, and charred marks of corrosion swiftly appeared on its scales.

"Hai, just what heinous sins did the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast commit in its previous life to become this fellow's tamed beast? This is not helping it advance its cultivation but kill it..." Wu Chen could not help but shake his head.

The Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast seemed to trust Zhang Xuan deeply, but the price of its trust turned out to be being corroded to death by the Yellow Water of the Netherworld. It sure was unlucky.

Sighing deeply, Wu Chen could not bring himself to watch on any longer. Just as he was about to avert his gaze, perhaps because watching his tamed beast being corroded by the Yellow Springwater was not enough to satisfy his depraved urges, the young man took out another dozen swords and plunged them right into the body of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.

However, as soon as the swords were plunged in, the Yellow Springwater began seeping into the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast's body, and something seemed to have been stimulated. The Saint 9-dan beast began writhing intensely, and a moment later, devastating might suddenly burst forth from its body.

It seemed as if its bloodline had been filtered by the Yellow Springwater in an instant, raising its purity to a new level. Not only so, its body had also been tempered, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation was already surging toward the level of the Introspective Convalescence realm.

Hong long long!

A deep rumble echoed as innumerable storm clouds slowly gathered overhead, carrying a might that could tear even space apart.

"He really managed to summon a lightning tribulation..." Wu Chen's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he tore out clump after clump of his hair.

He had thought that it was utter nonsense, but the young man really had helped the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast achieve a breakthrough and summon the lightning tribulation! To think that there was a breakthrough method that would require one being tied up like a skewer, lubricated, and pierced... His eyes had truly been opened that day!

Then again... what use was summoning the lightning tribulation?

It was not as if they could use it to cross the river!

Wu Chen turned a doubtful gaze over, wanting to see what the young man would do next, only to see the young man directing an amicable smile toward the ominous clouds in the sky. "Little Leilei, you are finally here... Come to your Brother Xuan's side. I need you to bring us across the river!"

Boom?

The lightning tribulation in the air quivered a little as an aggrieved rumble echoed within it. However, after a moment of hesitation, a surge of lightning still streaked across the air, forming a massive tangible bridge.

"Let's go!" Zhang Xuan said.

He moved the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast back into his Myriad Anthive Nest to have it slowly comprehend the strength that it had just gained before stepping onto the bridge of lightning, taking huge strides toward the other end of the river.

"There... there's actually such a method?" Wu Chen was completely stumped.

He had seen cultivators taming beasts, taming weapons, and even taming humans... However, he had never seen anyone taming the lightning tribulation before.

This sight had really overturned what he had deemed to be possible and impossible!

"Let's go."

Just as Wu Chen was shocked beyond words, he heard Luo Ruoxin's voice by the side. Following which, he saw her stepping onto the bridge of lightning as well, slowly making her way over to the opposite end.

"Forget it, there's no point thinking too much into it at the moment..." Seeing that the two of them were moving far ahead, Wu Chen knew that this was not the time for him to get shocked, so he quickly followed along as well.

Countless volts of blue lightning crackled wildly beneath his feet, but unlike ordinary lightning tribulations, it did not deal the slightest damage to him. Instead, it felt warm and nourishing.

With the presence of the lightning, the Yellow Water of the Netherworld beneath dared not run rampant, so it could only lie there peacefully.

It should have been impossible for them to cross the river without the Netherworld's Bridge or Netherworld's Boat, but who would have thought that they would actually be able to pull it off in such an inconceivable manner? He really could not help but wonder if it was all a dream.

He had come into contact with innumerable top-notch master teachers, and many of them were extremely talented individuals. However, none of them would be able to achieve this feat.

In fact, even Kong shi would not have been able to do so!

It did not take long for the trio to reach the opposite shore of the river. After they got down from the bridge of lightning, Zhang Xuan turned around and smiled. "You should return for now. I'll look for you the next time I need you! Right, I realized that you made a lot of mistakes when you gathered your lightning energy together earlier, resulting in the rate of gathering being needlessly slow and its final output being diminished. If you have time, feel free to look for me. I'll give you some pointers to help you improve yourself!"

Boom!

The thunder seemed to rumble with a quaver, seemingly unable to believe what it had just heard.

It was actually... possible for it to improve itself too?

Seemingly seeing through its doubts, Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and nodded. "You have a total of seven flaws. Listen to my words obediently, and I'll reveal these flaws to you along with the method to correct them slowly over time!"

How embarrassing it was for him to trouble Little Leilei each and every time! Earlier, when the storm clouds began gathering, he had observed the process carefully using the Library of Heaven's Path and found that there were many flaws in the process. Thus, he could make it up to Little Leilei by offering it some guidance when he was free.

Boom!

Upon hearing those words, the lightning tribulation rumbled excitedly before slowly dissipating before everyone's eyes.

"It actually heeds your command? Furthermore... you are able to lecture it?" Seeing that the lightning tribulation had really left like an obedient child, Wu Chen clutched his hair in frenzy.

"Un, it's a good kid!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Good kid?" Wu Chen nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.

The lightning tribulation had always been the nemesis of cultivators. Every year, countless cultivators would die in its hands, making it their object of fear. This was the very first time that he had heard someone describing the lightning tribulation as a 'good kid'!

If word were to spread, the cultivators of the world would go insane!

If even the lightning tribulation could be obedient, was there anything in the world that could not be obedient?

"If... the lightning tribulation has no flaws and is able to gather even faster, won't that mean that there will be even more cultivators dying from it?" Wu Chen could not help but voice the question on his mind.

Putting aside how the fellow was able to make the lightning tribulation heed his orders, more importantly, if he was really able to correct its flaws and make it grow stronger, would the lightning tribulations for human cultivators not become harder?

The death toll was already as high as it was. If the lightning tribulation grew any stronger, who would dare cultivate in the future?

"Don't worry, I'll teach it ways to exploit the flaws of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe so that it will only strike down Otherworldly Demons in the future. I'm pretty free at the moment anyway..." Zhang Xuan replied with a shrug.

"You..." Not expecting the young man to be so shameless, Wu Chen felt his hair standing on end. Just as he was about to say something, Luo Ruoxin's voice suddenly sounded.

"Look!"

Zhang Xuan and Wu Chen quickly turned their heads over, and they swiftly noticed that a palace was floating quietly in the air not too far away

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Chapter 1589: Dimensional Sand

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The palace carried an ancient and distant aura to it, as if it had existed for innumerable years. It felt like a construction that had transcended history.

"This was likely left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. If there's really a Celestial Amulet of Legacy here, it's probably inside!" Luo Ruoxin said.

With just a glance, it was apparent that the palace was extraordinary. It was not an infrastructure that ordinary beings were capable of constructing, and the means that were concealed within would strike fear even in the hearts of Great Sages. This did seem like the work of Kong shi's strongest disciple.

Activating his Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area around the palace, and a moment later, he said grimly, "The trail ends here. Most likely, the four of them have already entered the palace. Let's quickly enter as well!"

Knowing how important this matter was, the three of them quickly flew for the palace ahead of them.

While the palace might not have appeared to be too far away from them, roughly twenty li at most, they swiftly found that something was amiss. No matter how swiftly they tried to fly toward it, they found that the palace was still the same distance away from them, as if the gap between them and the palace had not reduced at all.

"Have we fallen into another Illusory Formation?" Zhang Xuan asked with an awful expression.

He had met with such a situation back at the Old Sword Maestro's Sword Lagoon. It was like a supernatural incident. No matter how far he walked, he would end up coming back to the same spot.

Could this be the same situation as well?

"No, that's not it." Luo Ruoxin had noticed the problem as well, and a frown formed between her eyebrows. "If I'm not mistaken, it's likely to be Dimensional Sand!"

"Dimensional Sand?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed.

Even Wu Chen was unable to make sense out of it.

"I read about it in a book of records. Dimensional Sand is the byproduct of a collapsed space, and if the sand is gathered back together, it is possible to recreate a complete space. However, traveling through Dimensional Sand poses a huge challenge," Luo Ruoxin explained. "To make an analogy, it is similar to rowing a boat against the currents—the faster you row, the greater the counter force will be. As a result, no matter how powerful a cultivator is, they will be forced to stand helplessly before it, unable to advance a step at all.

"In other words, while we might feel as if we are traveling at a normal speed, the flowing space amid the Dimensional Sand is constantly repelling us, causing our movements to be as slow as a snail, thus creating the effect that we aren't advancing at all!"

"There's actually such a thing in the world?" Zhang Xuan was astonished.

He had never heard of Dimensional Sand before, but Luo Ruoxin's explanation made perfect sense to him. In a way, it was similar to running on a treadmill. While one was attempting to run forward, the treadmill would push one backward, thus resulting in zero net progress. No matter how fast one ran, one would be bound to the spot, unable to advance at all.

"If that's the case, it should be impossible to advance through here. Yet... how did those four manage to get through this obstacle?" Wu Chen frowned in doubt.

In terms of strength, they did not pale to the group of four that had come ahead of them, so why would the four of them be able to advance successfully through the Dimensional Sand while they could not?

"Most likely, they must have used some kind of artifact to seal the movement of the Dimensional Sand. Once the flow of the sand is stopped, it shouldn't be too difficult to travel past it," Luo Ruoxin explained.

"Isn't it possible for us to use spatial wormholes to leap past the Dimensional Sand? This way, we will be able to circumvent it, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Previously, Wu Chen had made used of spatial wormholes to cover a distance of several million li in the blink of an eye. Considering how the distance between them and the palace was just twenty li, it should be much easier than before.

"The theory behind traveling through spatial wormholes is somewhat similar to that of Teleportation Formations. You're not wrong in saying that we would be able to leap past the Dimensional Sand, but the problem is that Dimensional Sand is not stable in the first place. If we attempt to travel across it using a spatial art, I fear that it might create spatial turbulence. While this folded space is unexpectedly stable, I don't think it would be wise to try its resilience against spatial turbulence," Luo Ruoxin replied with a deep frown.

Even an Introspective Convalescence realm cultivator would have trouble surviving in spatial turbulence, so attempting to leap over it would be extremely dangerous to Zhang Xuan. Furthermore, it could lead to instability in the folded space that they were in, and that could potentially lead to many undesired outcomes.

"So, is there no way for us to get past it?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

It was impossible to fly over it, and Spatial Leaps were too dangerous to be utilized. The palace was right in front of their eyes! Was there really no way for them to get over there?

"That isn't necessarily the case. As long as we are able to hold the Dimensional Sand still like they did, we should be able to travel through it easily," Luo Ruoxin said.

"Hold the Dimensional Sand still?" As Zhang Xuan asked, his gaze instinctively drifted over to Wu Chen.

The adolescent boy's comprehension of space was on par with even the experts of the Luo Clan. Perhaps, he might have a solution to the quandary that they were in.

Sensing Zhang Xuan's gaze on him, Wu Chen shook his head. "If I had the Luo Clan's Dimensional Silencer, I might still be able to pull it off. However, I fear that I won't be able to do so in my current state!"

"Dimensional Silencer?"

"It's a treasure that the founder of the Luo Clan found by chance. It wields the ability to hold space still and calm spatial turbulences. The Dimensional Sand in front of us is difficult to deal with, but with the Dimensional Silencer, we would be able to halt its flow directly!" Wu Chen said with a nod of his head.

"The Dimensional Silencer is so formidable?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

He had long heard that the little princess of the Luo Clan, together with her Dimensional Silencer, wielded frightening prowess that would strike fear in the hearts of any cultivator. However, he had not sparred with her before, and deep within his heart, he still regarded her as the innocent and courteous little lass who addressed him as her teacher.

He had never really thought that the Dimensional Silencer would actually be so formidable.

"The Dimensional Silencer is a formidable artifact, and from the feeling I get, Luo Qiqi is still far from unlocking its true prowess," Luo Ruoxin remarked with a nod. "However, there's no point talking about this right now. The Dimensional Silencer isn't here, and even if we were to head out to fetch it right now, we wouldn't make it back in time."

"That's true..." Zhang Xuan nodded helplessly.

As powerful as the Dimensional Silencer was, they did not have it with them at the moment.

Furthermore, after the deep wound that he had dealt to Luo Qiqi's heart, no matter how thick-skinned he was, he could not possibly bring himself to head to the Luo Clan and borrow their Guardian Artifact!

"Speaking of the Dimensional Silencer, an idea suddenly came into my mind. If we were to... No, that wouldn't work either. Never mind!" Wu Chen suddenly interjected, but halfway through his words, a bitter smile broke out of his face, and he shook his head.

Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over and asked, "Feel free to voice of any ideas you have in mind. We might be able to build on them to derive a feasible solution."

"Actually, the Luo Clan and Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's comprehension of space are derived from the Dimensional Silencer. As such, the Quintessence of their spatial heritage lay in sealing and stabilizing space. If any of us are able to comprehend it, we will be able to halt the flow of the Dimensional Sand and easily fly across it!" Wu Chen said.

"However, Spatial Quintessence is much harder to grasp than other Quintessences. It took me countless years to achieve my current understanding of space, and I had to browse through innumerable ancient texts before I finally succeeded..."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled a matter and asked, "If I divide space by the levels of Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction, which realm would I have to reach in order to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of the Luo Clan?"

"If you were to divide it by those levels..." Wu Chen pondered for a moment before replying, "You should be able to comprehend the Luo Clan's Spatial Quintessence by reaching the fourth level, which is the level of Creation!"

"The fourth level?"

Those words made Zhang Xuan's eyes light up in agitation, and his lips crept up confidently. With a heated look in his eyes, he asked, "You mentioned earlier that you have many ancient books concerning space... Do you, by any chance, have them with you? I would like to browse them!"

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Chapter 1590: 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"You want to read right now?" Wu Chen was stunned to hear those words.

He could not figure out what the young man was up to.

Everyone is discussing how to escape from the Dimensional Sand and enter the palace in order to find the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, but at this crucial moment, you are telling us that you want to read books...

Can you propose anything more inappropriate for the situation than that?

"Zhang shi, we are currently in a tough spot. We can't get to the palace, and there's no place for us to retreat to either. Why don't we discuss how we should proceed from here on instead?" Wu Chen advised awkwardly.

To be honest, if not for the fact that Luo Ruoxin liked this fellow, he would have already killed him with one crisp slap!

The least you can do is get your priorities straight, right?

"I said that in order to get us out of this situation," Zhang Xuan said. "I have seen the Luo Clan using their bloodline ability and their spatial secret arts. As long as you give me the books that you have concerning space, I think I might just be able to derive a similar cultivation technique, comprehend Spatial Quintessence, and resolve the current situation!"

"You want to cultivate right now?" Wu Chen nearly spurted blood.

So, that was what the fellow was thinking of...

He sure knew how to daydream!

Suppressing his overflowing rage, Wu Chen took in a deep breath to calm himself down before saying, "Zhang shi, I know that you are a man of great talent, but spatial laws are the most difficult set of laws to grasp among the various laws of the world. This is even more so for the Spatial Quintessence of sealing space. Countless geniuses have devoted their lives to exploring this field of study, only to make no progress... I'm afraid that it might be too late for you to start cultivating right now!"

If it was that easy to grasp spatial laws, the Luo Clan would not enjoy such prestige on the Master Teacher Continent!

To only be thinking of studying after you are trapped... Do you think that Spatial Quintessences are like cabbages by the road, ready to be picked whenever you need one?

Just as Wu Chen was about to continue speaking, he suddenly heard Luo Ruoxin's slightly displeased voice sounding by the side.

"Since Zhang Xuan has said so, he must have his considerations in mind. Pass him the books."

"Yes, Milady!"

Since Luo Ruoxin had already spoken, Wu Chen did not dare complain anymore. Thus, with a flick of his wrist, he took out the massive collection of books that he had gathered over the years. Piled on top of one another, they resembled a mini mountain.

As he took out those books, he could not help but grumble in his heart, I really wonder what kind of spell that fellow has cast over Milady for her to trust him so much!

Oblivious to Wu Chen's internal thoughts, Zhang Xuan swiftly scanned through the books and collected them into the Library of Heaven's Path. As he compiled them together with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel in his head, he casually picked up one of the books from the pile and began flipping through it as a cover.

Unfortunately, the book that he had picked up on a whim only drove Wu Chen's mind into greater turmoil, and he nearly spurted blood.

That was because written on the cover of the book were the words 'Spatial Laws for Dummies'.

To be reading the bare basics of spatial laws right now... I will have already died of old age by the time you comprehend Spatial Quintessence!

But as stifled as Wu Chen was, with Luo Ruoxin backing Zhang Xuan, he had no choice but to suppress his fury.

On the other hand, as he flipped through the Spatial Laws of Dummies, his consciousness was actually already within the Library of Heaven's Path.

Previously, when he compiled the various manuals that Wu Chen had given him with the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he had already managed to remove quite a number of its flaws. With the hulking number of books that he had right now, he successfully perfected the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, bringing it to the level of Heaven's Path!

"The level of Creation is centered around the concept of creating stable folded space. If one is able to create space, it goes without saying that one will be able to stabilize existing spaces as well..."

Allowing the content of the book to flow through his head, Zhang Xuan slowly closed his eyes.

The five levels of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel were namely Compress, Traverse, Control, Creation, and Destruction.

His initial thought upon seeing them was that Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had gotten the levels wrong. Typically speaking, one should comprehend the notion of Destruction before comprehending Creation, right?

However, as he began to understand the crux of Creation in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, he realized that there was not any mistake at all.

The level of Creation did entail the idea of creating new space, but it was limited to creating small folded spaces rather than naturally stable spaces like the Master Teacher Continent. On the other hand, Destruction was at a different level. It was about tearing through space to achieve true freedom.

To put it in simpler terms, a cultivator who had comprehended Destruction would not only be able to traverse freely with their soul, even their body would be able to tread through space freely!

Only upon reaching that realm would one be considered to have reached the pinnacle of space, achieving true freedom and strength.

However, it would be incredibly difficult to reach such a realm. Even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu only had a partial understanding as to what Destruction consisted of when he left the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel behind, having yet to reach the level of Major Accomplishment.

Fortunately, Zhang Xuan did not need to cultivate up to the fifth level. Just the fourth level would suffice to get them out of the current quandary that they were in.

Taking in a deep breath, Zhang Xuan went through the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel once more before starting his cultivation.

Geji! Geji!

The energy in his body began circulating in a unique pathway, and in an instant, his meridians and zhenqi seemed to have disappeared within a sealed space, making it impossible for one to sense them anymore.

"I see!"

Sensing the changes in his body, Zhang Xuan immediately widened his eyes in enlightenment.

While Zhang Xuan had stopped after cultivating the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel up to 3-dan, his understanding of space had still gradually grown deeper and deeper as he raised his cultivation. Of course, the deepening understanding of spatial laws as a result of the advancement of his cultivation was different from what he learned in the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, but the two branches of knowledge did complement one another.

The epiphany that had struck him induced greater clarity in his consciousness, allowing him to perceive the very foundations of space.

"Complete spaces are like parts of a honeycomb fitted together, fixed in structure. Even if an object falls on it, there won't be much of a change to its structure. It's such a property that allows one to move through space. On the other hand, Dimensional Sand is similar to quicksand in nature. As soon as it encounters any external force, it will swiftly pull the foreign object in, preventing it from advancing any further..."

This deepening in comprehension of the nature of space also allowed Zhang Xuan to see through Dimensional Sand for what it really was.

The reason a space could be stable was because it was built up by countless smaller blocks placed over one another, similar to wooden sheets stacked over one another like a sandwich panel.

Dimensional Sand was essentially bits of space scattered loosely around the place, and traveling across it was like attempting to walk across water—there was simply no solid ground for one to step on.

One had to first stabilize the Dimensional Sand in place first before traversing across it.

While Zhang Xuan was comprehending the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, Wu Chen was shaking his head grimly. "Milady, it isn't a solution to wait on like this. Those men have already gotten into the main hall. If they obtain the Master Amulet, there won't be anything more we can do..."

"Do you have any other idea in mind other than waiting?" Luo Ruoxin glanced at Wu Chen leisurely, showing no anxiety at all.

"If it really comes down to it, why don't I..." Wu Chen gritted his teeth and suggested.

"No, that will alarm more people and complicate the situation." Luo Ruoxin shook her head. "Don't worry and put your trust in Zhang Xuan. Since he says that he has an idea in mind, he'll surely find a way through."

"Put my trust in him..." Wu Chen was rendered speechless by Luo Ruoxin's blind trust. "He has only begun to learn spatial arts, and the book that he picked up was the most elementary one. Who knows how many years it will take him to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence? By then, it will already be too late..."

Hu!

Before Wu Chen could finish his words, a slight breeze blew across his face.

"A breeze? How could there be a breeze coming from the Dimensional Sand?" Wu Chen widened his eyes in astonishment.

Under normal circumstances, even if one fanned as hard as one could, it would not raise the slightest draft amid the Dimensional Sand... So, how could there suddenly be an air current coming from the Dimensional Sand?

Hong long long!

Before Wu Chen could make sense out of what was happening, he suddenly felt the space around him tremoring intensely. Spiritual energy converged furiously toward the young man before him.

The next instant, the young man opened his eyes, and a light smile crept onto his lips.

"Freeze!"

With a resounding bellow, the scattered Dimensional Sand suddenly froze in place.

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Chapter 1591: The Excited Deputy Clan Head of the Luo Clan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"T-this..." Wu Chen nearly burst into tears.

It was just a moment ago that he had thought that he would have already withered away like an aged flower by the time the young man comprehended Spatial Quintessence, but before he knew it, the young man was already freezing the Dimensional Sand in place.

Did the young man really have to be so fast?

In this moment, Wu Chen felt a stinging pain on his face. If there was a hole in the ground, he would have dived right in out of embarrassment.

He was an expert! An expert! An expert !

But in less than half a day after coming to know Zhang shi, he had already been slapped three times in the face, and each time, it left him dizzy with disbelief. He had thought that since the young man was proficient in one field, he was bound to be weaker in another... Yet, as the facts had shown time and time again, the young man was strong in every respect!

It was as if the concept of weakness did not apply to him at all!

Each time he doubted the young man, the situation would turn on him and leave him too embarrassed to meet anyone.

Just that... how did the young man do it?

Did he really just comprehend Spatial Quintessence by reading an elementary book on spatial arts?

Could it be that the key to spatial arts actually lay in the bare foundations? So, all of the secrets were actually contained within that elementary manual?

It seemed like he would really have to study it carefully in the future. Perhaps, he might just be able to comprehend something from it and improve!

Unaware of the adolescent boy's inner thoughts, Zhang Xuan casually tossed the book in his hand back into the pile before calmly announcing, "I have dealt with the Dimensional Sand. We can move on now."

"Un." Luo Ruoxin nodded with a smile before heading for the palace.

Wu Chen picked up the book that Zhang Xuan had been reading previously and stared at it meaningfully. In the past, he would not even have spared a second glance at a book of this caliber, but in that moment, he could not even bear to grab the book too tightly, fearing that he would make the slightest dent on this unparalleled secret manual and hinder the progression of his fighting prowess.

...

In the Luo Clan, two ordinary disciples were currently walking toward the ancestral hall, where the tablets of Founder Luo Yuntian and countless other predecessors were placed.

These two disciples were on duty, and they had to clean the ancestral hall, offer incense sticks, and conduct the routine rituals to honor the predecessors.

"We have really embarrassed ourselves today! It'll be hard for the Luo Clan to make a comeback after this..." the green-robed disciple walking on the left grumbled with a shake of his head.

"When has our Luo Clan suffered such humiliation since its founding?" the gray-robed disciple on the right replied.

"What's even more infuriating is that our clan head doesn't pay any heed to the matter despite being rejected publicly!" The green-robed disciple sighed in frustration. "If she's unwilling to make a stand, what can the rest of us do?"

The gray-robed disciple harrumphed. "She isn't our clan head yet! The inauguration ceremony hasn't been conducted, remember?"

"It was only put off due to the engagement. If not for the engagement, given her bloodline and control over the Dimension Silencer, she would have already become the clan head ages ago!" the green-robed disciple said.

"But after seeing how she dealt with the humiliation we suffered earlier, I really can't bear to think what will become of the Luo Clan under her leadership..." The gray-robed disciple sighed.

"Even if the Luo Clan declines under her leadership, there's nothing we can do about it!" The green-robed disciple sighed. "It's not as if you are unaware of our clan rules! Only those whose bloodline has reached a certain level of purity can become the clan head, but there's no one other than her who has reached the mark!

"Unless someone who has comprehended our ancestor's Spatial Quintessence appears... but in the past tens of thousands of years, no one has been able to achieve that! So, it's only a matter of time before she becomes the clan head! We can't possibly go against the teachings of our predecessors over this one single matter!"

"I know that, too, but I really can't stand... What's happening‽"

Halfway through his words, the gray-robed disciple was suddenly disrupted by intense tremors beneath his feet.

"It's coming from the ancestral hall. Quick, let's head over to take a look!"

Sensing that the tremors had originated from the ancestral hall right ahead of them, the face of the green-robed disciple warped in horror as he quickly dashed toward it. The gray-robed disciple swiftly followed suit.

As soon as they entered the room, they were left in a daze by what they were seeing.

The sculptures of their founder, Luo Yuntian, had turned toward the doorway, where they were standing, gazing deeply into the distance. With a slight smile on his lips, he clasped his fist and conducted a ceremonial greeting toward a fellow peer.

At the same time, the many ancestral tablets behind him also seemed to bow down deferentially, as if standing in the face of a superior, not daring to look up at all.

At the same time, the two characters that Founder Luo Yuntian had left behind, 静 (Silence) and 空 (Space), were shaking non-stop, as if they would break out of the wall at any moment.

The tremors that they had experienced outside had originated from those two characters.

"Could it be that... our founder has come back to life?" the green-robed disciple muttered in a daze.

"Founder Luo Yuntian passed on countless years ago, so how could he possibly have come back to life?" The gray-robed disciple was much calmer in the face of this unexpected turn of events, but even so, he was unable to make sense of the situation. "I'm not too sure what's going on here, but something huge must have happened. We have to inform the deputy clan head, First Elder, and the others right away. They might be able to figure out what has happened!"

"Alright!"

Not daring to waste any time, the green-robed disciple quickly whipped out his Communication Jade Token and relayed the happenings in the ancestral hall to the elders. Soon, a sharp gust of wind sounded from above. The deputy clan head, First Elder Luo Qingchen, Luo Xuanqing, and the others were heading in their direction with anxious looks on their faces.

After the Zhang Clan left the premises, the members of the Luo Clan had loitered around the main hall, unable to come to terms with what had happened. It was just moments ago that they had finished clearing up the mess, but before they could return to their accommodation and rest, they received news that something had happened to the ancestral hall.

Given the importance of the ancestral hall to the Luo Clan, they did not waste a single moment in rushing over here.

"What happened?"

Before the crowd could land on the ground, the deputy clan head, Luo Ganzhen, had already bellowed out to the two below.

"This..." Not knowing how to explain the situation, the gray-robed disciple clasped his fist and said, "Deputy clan head, I think it would be best for you to see for yourself!"

"Un."

Landing on the ground, Luo Ganzhen quickly walked into the ancestral hall. When he saw the sight within, he was visibly stunned for a moment before his hands began trembling in agitation. A crimson shade dyed his cheeks as he stuttered in excitement, "T-this..."

"Father, what's going on?" Taking Luo Ganzhen's expression into sight, Luo Xuanqing frowned in incomprehension.

The other elders were taken aback by the deputy clan head's bewildering response as well.

Their deputy clan head had always been a calm person. Even during the fallout with the Zhang Clan earlier, he had not lost his cool. Just what in the world could have happened for him to act in such a manner?

"Haha! Hahahaha! The heavens are truly helping our Luo Clan! Our Luo Clan will rise to greatness once more!" Luo Ganzhen roared in laughter before turning to face the crowd with glowing eyes. "Are you all curious what this phenomenon means? This is the Submission of the Predecessors! Without a doubt, someone has managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing!"

"Someone has comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? Could it be..." Luo Qingchen widened his eyes in astonishment.

"Indeed! The Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is the very core of our Luo Clan's cultivation technique. If anyone can grasp it, they will be able to perfectly execute all of the secret arts of our Luo Clan! In the tens of thousands of years since the founding of the Luo Clan, only Founder Luo Yuntian has managed to reach such a realm. The fact that someone else has managed to do it means that our Luo Clan will rise to greatness once more!" Luo Ganzhen exclaimed in agitation.

He hurriedly issued instructions to the surrounding crowd. "Quick, investigate the matter and find out which elder or offspring has managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence. After we find them, we'll immediately conduct the inauguration ceremony and crown them as our next clan head!"

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Chapter 1592: Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Yes!" Upon hearing the commands, the elders quickly nodded before scattering.

Comprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing would mean reaching the very peak of spatial arts. With such an expert among them, there was no one who would be able to stop the Luo Clan's rise to power!

They would also be able to get back at the Zhang Clan for the humiliation that they had suffered as a result of the rejection earlier!

With this, they would let the world know how foolish it was for Zhang Xuan to have rejected the Luo Clan!

"Zhang Xuan, you probably couldn't have imagined that someone in our Luo Clan would make a breakthrough so swiftly after your rejection!" Luo Ganzhen uttered as his eyes turned cold. "Wait till we find this person and establish him as the clan head... I'll surely return this humiliation to you twofold!"

A person who had comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing would have already grasped the very crux of the Luo Clan's heritage. As long as that person's cultivation got up to par, the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan would not mean anything at all!

"Indeed! I won't be able to quench my hatred if I don't slice that b*stard in two!" Luo Xuanqing spat furiously.

He had thought of the young man as his good friend, but the young man had actually trampled on his younger sister as if she was nothing at all!

Huhu!

It did not take long for the elders who had scattered to return once more.

"Reporting to the deputy clan head, we have checked all of the experts at the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm within the clan, but none of them have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing!"

"Reporting to the deputy clan head, none of the members at the Dimension Sundering realm have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing!"

...

The elders swiftly revealed the results of their findings, and disappointed looks surfaced all around the room.

The fact that even the founder had paid his respects was more than enough to show that someone had comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing—there could not possibly be any mistake there. However, they had asked all of the cultivators in the clan, and none of them had noticed any peculiar phenomenon that could have suggested a breakthrough.

This was truly baffling.

"There was nothing? How could there be nothing? Spatial laws have always been incredibly difficult to comprehend, and this is especially so when it comes to sealing space! Without the Luo Clan's bloodline and heritage, it would be difficult for one to even grasp the bare basics..." Luo Ganzhen could hardly believe the outcome of the investigation.

Even Founder Luo Tianyun had only succeeded in comprehending it due to him acquiring the Dimension Silencer and stumbling upon Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's heritage by a stroke of luck. If the person who had comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing was not a person from their clan, who else could it be?

"We have even checked on the cultivators who have gone into seclusion... Could that person really not be from the Luo Clan?" Luo Qingchen asked with a deep frown.

If the person was from the Luo Clan, they would surely understand what it meant to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Even without them looking around for the person, they would surely appear before the elders of their own accord. However, no one was stepping forth at all.

All of the evidence seemed to suggest that the person was not from the Luo Clan.

"Look into it right now, we have to find that person! Regardless of the means, we have to get them into the Luo Clan, even if it means locking them down by..." Luo Ganzhen's eyes narrowed. "... marriage!"

"Marriage?" Luo Xuanqing was taken aback.

"That's right! The fact that that person has comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing means that all of the Luo Clan's secret arts no longer hold any secret to them. If that person becomes our enemy, the Luo Clan would be doomed! Thus, no matter what condition we have to offer them, we have to get them into our clan. Even if they want to marry your younger sister, we can only allow it!" Luo Ganzhen waved his hand decisively.

"No, but that..." Hearing those words, Luo Xuanqing's eyes widened in horror.

"This matter is not open for discussion. There's already no hope between Zhang Xuan and your younger sister, and since that's the case, we might as well find someone who has comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. This way, we will be able to get vengeance on the Zhang Clan... We'll tell the world that our Luo Clan will be able to stand at the very pinnacle without relying on anyone!" Luo Ganzhen spat coldly.

Hearing those words, Luo Xuanqing stared at his father with a complicated look in his eyes.

He did want to get vengeance on Zhang Xuan and the Zhang Clan as well, and he would be able to do so if they could get that person who had comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing on their side. At the same time, the Luo Clan would be able to recover its dignity.

But after what had happened during the wedding... he could not bear to watch his younger sister being sacrificed again. Once was enough.

"Alright, this matter is settled. Hurry up and dispatch our men to search for that person! Once that person has been found, report to me immediately. I'll personally pay that person a visit!" Luo Ganzhen flung his sleeves imposingly.

"Yes!"

The elders hurriedly scattered into the area.

...

Without the Dimensional Sand to block their path, the trio was able to advance ahead swiftly.

Soon, they stopped at the entrance of the palace.

Zhang Xuan raised his head and looked beyond the towering stairs in front of him.

On both sides of the entrance gate were two rock sculptures shaped in the fashion of adolescent boys. They were dressed in rather ancient-looking clothes and sported long hair. They were bent into a bow, seemingly paying respects to the visitors of the palace.

There was a plaque above the entrance with three massive words written on it. It carried a sharp aura that felt reminiscent of a spear piercing in one's direction, threatening to tear intruders into shreds.

It was a rather bizarre pairing—the respectfulness of the bowing adolescent boys and the menacing words on the plaque.

"Ran Zi Hall!" Wu Chen read out loud.

"It seems to have been personally written by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu," Zhang Xuan remarked with a nod.

Looking at it from the perspective of a painter, those three words could not be considered to be too skillful. Nevertheless, it had a high and lofty conception that even someone of Zhang Xuan's eye of discernment was not able to see through. It was hard to imagine that it had come from a hand other than that of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu.

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan bowed deeply to both of the adolescent boys and the plaque at the center.

Attainment, Solidarity, Propriety, Erudition, and Integrity. The fact that Propriety was placed before Erudition and Integrity showed how much Kong shi valued this trait. Since they were in the ancient domain of one of his direct disciples, it was best for them not to forget their etiquette.

Hu!

Right after paying his respects, there was a slight tremor. The adolescent boy sculpture on the left slowly opened his eyes before looking upon them with a smile.

"Guests of the Ran Zi Hall, I applaud you for having come this far. Unfortunately, I have to inform you that you have yet to earn the right to enter the Ran Zi Hall yet. If you wish to enter it, you will have to clear the trial!" the adolescent boy sculpture said.

"May I know what trial it is?" Zhang Xuan asked as he clasped his fist.

"Ancient Sage Ran Qiu has never liked excessive formalities, so the trial that he has set is very simple as well. You'll have to challenge one of our warriors of strength equaling yours, and if you are able to achieve victory, you will be granted passageway. Otherwise, I'll have to ask of you to turn around and leave!" the adolescent boy sculpture said as he raised his palm.

Huala!

The three massive words on the plaque abruptly fell onto the ground, and with a slight waver, they warped into three identical-looking golden-armored soldiers.

"This..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

With his eye of discernment, he could tell that those three soldiers were not any kind of special artifact but true embodiments of the words on the plaque. They carried the same strikingly sharp aura as the words on the plaque, sending shivers down one's spine.

Noting the look of bewilderment on Zhang Xuan's face, Luo Ruoxin explained, "These are Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy!"

"Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.

He had heard of Impartation of Heaven's Will and Heart of Teacher, but he had never heard of Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy before.

"Legend has it that powerful master teachers are able to retain their own spirit and psyche in the form of words. Under specific conditions, these words will transform into Golden Warriors to battle with others," Luo Ruoxin explained. "As these Golden Warriors are the manifestation of the master teacher's spirit and psyche, they possess the master teacher's fighting instinct and moves, thus making them formidable foes."

"Possess the master teacher's fighting instincts and moves... Since these words were left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, doesn't that mean that these Golden Warriors possess his fighting prowess?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock.

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Chapter 1593: Wu Chen's Terrifying Strength

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was reputed to be Kong shi's strongest direct disciple, so naturally, his strength was not to be underestimated.

If these Golden Warriors really possessed his fighting instincts and moves, it would be nigh impossible for those of the same realm to defeat them!

"Actually, it isn't as exaggerated as that. While the Golden Warriors do possess the battle instincts of the master teacher behind the calligraphy, the circumstances in battle are ever changing. The slightest lapse in response can create the largest difference in the results of the battle. It would be amazing if the Golden Warriors could wield even half of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's true strength," Luo Ruoxin remarked with a light chuckle.

In the end, even if the calligraphy was infused with Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's will and psyche, it was ultimately just a couple of characters. It was not really as fearsome as it sounded.

"You're right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "Who should go first?"

"Allow me!" Wu Chen stepped forward and volunteered himself. "Allow me to pave the way forward for Milady and Zhang shi!"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

While Wu Chen might have appeared to only be a thirteen to fourteen-year-old adolescent boy on the surface, the strength he had displayed so far was completely unlike what Zhang Xuan had seen before, so he did not think that there was anything to worry about.

Instead, this would be a good chance to see what those Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy were capable of!

"Let's begin!"

Seeing that someone had stepped out, the adolescent boy sculpture nodded, and the 'Ran'-word Golden Warrior walked over with widened strides. Its body shuddered a little before its aura began surging right to the level of the Great Sage realm, equivalent to that of Wu Chen.

"Formidable!" Zhang Xuan nodded in awe.

For calligraphy to be able to raise its cultivation and fight like a human... he never would have believed such a thing to be possible if he had not seen it with his own eyes.

It was no wonder the clans would go fight desperately just to obtain a small scroll of Kong shi's personal writing. It seemed like every single word of an Ancient Sage wielded extraordinary capabilities.

Hula!

After raising its strength to Wu Chen's level, it whipped out a spear and thrust it toward Wu Chen without any hesitation.

Even while the spear was bolting for Wu Chen's heart, it tore a rift through space in its path, exhibiting the frightening might infused into this thrust.

"What impressive spearmanship..." Zhang Xuan clenched his fists excitedly.

The skills of a true expert would show even in a simple thrust.

As the one who had imparted his spearmanship to Zheng Yang, it went without saying that Zhang Xuan's mastery of the spear had reached a truly profound level. Admittedly, the spearmanship of the Golden Warrior was not as simple and effective as his, but it had still managed to capture the crux of spearmanship. Its sharpness was keenly directed to seal its opponent's movements and will, thus making it extremely difficult to withstand or escape from.

Naturally, Wu Chen also noticed the dangers behind the spear thrust, and he chuckled softly. "Good move!"

That being said, instead of dodging the spear thrust, he raised his finger and directed it right toward the spear tip, seemingly intending to face the Golden Warrior's attack straight on.

Under normal circumstances, facing a spear with one's finger was a foolproof method to win a date with death, but Wu Chen had channeled a revolving sphere of energy at his finger tip. If the spear tip really came into contact with this sphere, it would swiftly plunge the attack into the midst of a spatial turbulence, thus creating an opportunity for Wu Chen to turn the tables on the Golden Warrior.

Perhaps the Golden Warrior had instinctively sensed danger from Wu Chen's revolving sphere of energy, but without the slightest emotion on its face, it raised its spear abruptly.

This transformation in moves did not have the slightest hint of hesitation or delay in it, as if the earlier thrust was only a feint, and this was the real killer move.

To be able to switch from one move to another so swiftly was definitely not an easy task. Even for Zhang Xuan, it would take quite some effort.

"Truly impressive. Just this transformation grants the attack a third of my strength!" Zhang Xuan could not help but compliment.

With the Library of Heaven's Path and Eye of Insight, he was able to easily see through the flaws of the opponent's moves. As such, if he proclaimed himself the number two in executing offensive transformations, no one would dare declare themself number one! The fact that the Golden Warriors, who were solely made out of words, could wield a third of his true strength was already quite a terrifying feat.

"Heh!" Taken aback by the transformation in the Golden Warrior's spear art, Wu Chen harrumphed coldly as he bent his finger downward and flicked it.

Weng!

A burst of sword qi surged forth from the tip of his finger and struck the Golden Warrior's spear, inducing a metallic clang. The spear was immediately sent flying from the Golden Warrior's hand.

Deng deng deng deng!

At the same time, the Golden Warrior was forced to retreat four steps before its body abruptly dissolved like flowing water, transforming back into the 'Ran'-word before flying back into the plaque.

"Incredible!" Zhang Xuan looked at Wu Chen with narrowed eyes.

In terms of individual fighting prowess, this Golden Warrior would be stronger than even Zheng Yang, yet Wu Chen had achieved victory with just two moves, and from the looks of it, the other party had not even gone all out... It seemed like there was more to Wu Chen than he had thought.

Flaws! Zhang Xuan willed.

Previously, he had attempted to use the Library of Heaven's Path to check Luo Ruoxin, only to end up fainting. After that incident, he did not dare peek at her anymore... However, surely peeking at the information of the adolescent boy who followed her around should be fine.

Once he knew the identity of the adolescent boy, it would not be too difficult for him to figure out Luo Ruoxin's identity.

Hu!

The Library of Heaven's Path jolted, but no book was compiled.

What's going on? Zhang Xuan was astonished.

After battling with the Golden Warrior, Wu Chen was still driving the zhenqi in his body, and such an action could be considered as executing a battle technique. Under normal circumstances, the Library of Heaven's Path should have compiled a book on him, revealing his history and flaws. Why was nothing happening at all?

This should not be!

Does this mean to say that the adolescent boy possesses the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well? Zhang Xuan frowned.

There should only be one possibility if the Library of Heaven's Path was unable to look into a person... and that was if the other party was an existence unseen by the heavens, a host of the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, just like himself!

There were many experts and geniuses on the Master Teacher Continent, but to this very day, there were only three people known to possess such a constitution. The first one was him, the second one was Luo Qiqi, and while the last one still remained a mystery... the chances were that the mysterious lady that Elder Feng had mentioned back then was Luo Ruoxin.

The fact that seers were unable to peer into this girlfriend of his and the Library of Heaven's Path was unable to read her proved this fact.

It was one thing for Luo Ruoxin to have the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, but to think that it would be the same for the adolescent boy... This was too fearsome!

When did such a constitution become so cheap and commonplace?

It's really about time for me to raise the level of the Library of Heaven's Path... Maybe I should find some time to pay a visit to the Shrine of Seers... Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw and pondered.

He had been raising his cultivation, but he had not really upgraded his Library of Heaven's Path over time.

While the Library of Heaven's Path was still plenty formidable without being upgraded, it was a little unnerving that there were some things that he could not see through. Perhaps this problem could be resolved after it was upgraded.

To date, he still had not fully figured out how upgrading the Library of Heaven's Path worked. The first time that it happened, he had been with Luo Ruoxin and passed out for three days straight. The second time, it had been right after he punished the Shrine of Seers.

He could not hope to emulate what had happened with Luo Ruoxin that day since he had no idea how that had happened either, but as for punishing the Shrine of Seers... that was a walk in the park! He could easily find the major Shrines of Seers over the continent and pay them a visit!

Of course, that was something to be thought about afterward. For the time being, he had to resolve the current situation first.

Raising his head, he saw Luo Ruoxin staring at him with a complicated look in her eyes. Words seemed to be at the tip of her tongue, but she chose not to speak in the end. Turning around, she looked at the two remaining Golden Warriors and said, "I'll deal with the second one."

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Chapter 1594: Challenging Two Words

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Let me do it instead!" Zhang Xuan replied awkwardly.

He had been so focused on observing Wu Chen that he had forgotten about this matter. How could he allow his girlfriend to fight while he watched on from the side?

He was not intending to return to singlehood just yet!

"It doesn't matter who goes first," the adolescent boy sculpture replied nonchalantly as he waved his hand.

The 'Zi'-word morphed into a Golden Warrior too and stepped forward.

"It does matter. You have three words over there to deal with the three of us... but if I am able to defeat the rest of your Golden Warriors single handedly, does that mean that she won't have to make a move? Zhang Xuan asked calmly.

"You wish to face two words single handedly?" the adolescent boy sculpture was stunned. "Are you certain?"

"Of course!" Zhang Xuan replied with an affirmative nod.

He had been paying close attention to the battle between Wu Chen and the first Golden Warrior, and the latter's prowess was only so-so, far from reaching a level that would worry him. It would not be too difficult for him to achieve victory.

Since that was the case, there was no need to trouble Luo Ruoxin.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, Luo Ruoxin frowned. "Zhang Xuan, the Golden Warriors of the Mentor's Calligraphy grow stronger with each passing word..."

"It's fine. It's just two words. I'll be able to deal with them!" Zhang Xuan replied.

"... Very well then. Be careful." Seeing how confident Zhang Xuan was, Luo Ruoxin sighed deeply and nodded.

"Let's begin!"

Zhang Xuan chuckled as he walked up to the two Golden Warriors. He raised his palm, and a formidable aura surged into the clouds, creating an imposing sight.

I guess he does have some valiance to him after all... Wu Chen thought.

All along, he could not figure out why someone as formidable as Luo Ruoxin would actually fancy this ordinary young man. However, watching as the young man bucked up his courage and challenged two words simultaneously for the woman that he loved, he felt like he could understand Luo Ruoxin's feelings a little.

Despite the young man's boastfulness and showy character, it seemed like he was still rather reliable at crucial moments!

Hula!

At the same time, the two Golden Warriors also swiftly raised their cultivation up to the level of Saint 9-dan pinnacle, and without any hesitation, they charged forward and flanked Zhang Xuan from both sides. The moves that they executed differed from one another, but the timing and coordination of their moves were impeccable, almost as if they were a single entity. Their attacks were sharply directed to strike at Zhang Xuan's flaws and blind spots, making it difficult for him to dodge.

"Not bad!"

Through their outstanding coordination, the prowess that they exerted was many times more fearsome than that of the 'Ran'-word character. Despite that, Zhang Xuan did not show the slightest hint of panic. With a faint smile, he tapped his finger forward.

"Seal!"

Hula!

The light breeze that had been blowing their way abruptly vanished without a trace. The surrounding space had been entirely sealed. As if fish frozen in ice, the two Golden Warriors found themselves unable to advance even a single step further.

If there had been anything falling at that moment, it would have frozen in midair as well.

After comprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, while Zhang Xuan might still have difficulties sealing the movements of Great Sage realm experts, he definitely did not have a problem with subduing those in the same cultivation realm as him.

It could be said that with this ability, no one in the same cultivation realm as him would stand a chance at defeating him! He was invincible in his power class!

Of course, that was unless the other party had comprehend the same Spatial Quintessence as well or something on par with it, such as the Zhang Clan's Time Quintessence...

"Scatter!"

After freezing the two Golden Warriors in place, Zhang Xuan raised his finger with the intention to dissipate the two of them when the adolescent boy sculpture suddenly exclaimed at this point in time, "Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's Spatial Quintessence of Sealing? You are the successor of Qiu Wu Zi 1 ? Please have mercy on the Golden Warriors!"

"Oh?" Not expecting the sculpture to be able to see through the root of his technique, Zhang Xuan turned his gaze over curiously.

Huala!

In the moment that Zhang Xuan's mind laxed, the sealed space around the two Golden Warriors loosened, and the light breeze continued whistling once more. At the same time, the frozen attacks of the two Golden Warriors continued bolting forth toward him.

"Heh!"

In the face of the two attacks, Zhang Xuan simply smirked triumphantly. Without making a move at all, the attacks from the two Golden Warriors abruptly curved in unnatural angles, causing them to slide past him.

"This is... Spatial Interference?" Wu Chen widened his eyes in shock.

This was the move that he had used to deal with the Demon Subduing Sphere of the Luo Clan elders—Spatial Interference!

To put it simply, Zhang Xuan had distorted the space around him to tilt in an upward trajectory instead, such that an attack that was headed straight for him would be deflected away.

At the Great Sage realm, it was extremely easy for Wu Chen to pull off this move, but for a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator... such a feat could only be described as impossible!

Yet, the fellow before him did it easily, and it was at a level far beyond him...

In his long life, he had seen his fair share of experts executing Spatial Interference, and he had also read plenty of books depicting how it should be executed and the anticipated outcome. However, compared to the Spatial Interference executed by the young man before him, all of that was no different from toddlers waddling around before a running adult!

They were not even close to being at the same level!

To be able to pull off such strength within ten minutes after comprehending a Spatial Quintessence, surpassing even those experts who had devoted their lives to studying the art... just what was going on?

It seemed like Wu Chen's doubts were shared by the adolescent boy sculpture as well. With a deep frown on his forehead, he asked in incomprehension, "Qiu Wu Zi's Spatial Quintessence is formidable, but not even the person in question would be able to pull of Spatial Interference as smoothly as you did!"

Ancient Sage Qiu Wu was reputed to be one of the few grandmasters of spatial arts, but even he had not reached this level of expertise!

"Oh. I found some flaws in Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's spatial heritage, so I altered it a little!" Zhang Xuan replied leisurely.

The Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel could probably be considered the pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent's spatial arts, but when reflected under the Library of Heaven's Path, there was still a hulking number of flaws with it. What Zhang Xuan had cultivated was the perfected manual, a Heaven's Path technique, so it went without saying that the prowess would be on a completely different level!

Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's version might still have required the cultivator to gather energy, thus resulting in some time delay, but the one that Zhang Xuan had perfected through the Library of Heaven's Path had no such need!

"A-a-altered?"

Before the adolescent boy sculpture could say a word, Wu Chen had already shrieked in disbelief as he nearly keeled over.

He had witnessed the young man comprehending the Spatial Quintessence through browsing his books, and he had thought that it was already a formidable feat that the young man was able to grasp the spatial laws within it so quickly. Yet, who could have thought that within this short period of time, the young man had leisurely been picking bones with the current system of spatial arts and correcting its flaws...

And more importantly, his corrections were all spot-on, thus bringing the prowess of the spatial art to a whole new level.

How in the world could the heavens give birth to such a monster? This was unfair and inhumane!

Or... could that elementary spatial art manual really be that formidable, granting someone the ability to alter even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's ultimate technique right after browsing through it?

If that was the case, he would really have to study it carefully once he got back so that he would one day possess the same mastery over spatial arts as Zhang Xuan!

"You corrected it?"

The adolescent boy sculpture also found it hard to believe Zhang Xuan's words, but he decided to attribute Zhang Xuan's success to the support of his seniors and chose not to ask any more about it. Thus, he got back to the topic at hand and said, "Since you have attained Qiu Wu Zi's heritage and cleared the test, you are more than qualified to enter the Ran Zi Hall. Please!"

As adolescent boy sculpture spoke, he bowed deeply before walking toward the Ran Zi Hall to lead the way in.

Jiyaya!

The tightly-shut doors to the Ran Zi Hall slowly creaked open, and the scent of ancient history burst forth from within.

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Chapter 1595: The Stone Doors

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Let's go!" Seeing that the sculpture had entered, Zhang Xuan and the others quickly made their way into the Ran Zi Hall as well.

The passageway had many brilliant Night Illumination Pearls embedded in the ceiling, lighting up the entire place. As such, despite the closed space that they were in, the surroundings were as bright as day.

There were ancient inscriptions carved along the passageway that detailed desirable values that a person should cultivate and the etiquette one should preferably adhere to.

"Didn't you say that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu is not one to care too much about formalities? Why would..." Zhang Xuan could not help but ask the adolescent boy sculpture.

Earlier, the adolescent boy sculpture had said that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was a person who paid little attention to formalities, so it seemed highly contradictory to see inscriptions of values and etiquette in the passageway of the Ran Zi Hall.

"It's precisely because he paid little attention to it that he was criticized by Kong shi over it. Thus, he carved these inscriptions to remind himself to adhere by these values and etiquette at all time!" the adolescent boy sculpture replied.

Kong shi had once said that one should seek to reflect and learn from one's actions, and as one of Kong shi's direct disciples, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu was bound to adhere by his teachings.

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking with a hushed voice, "Did the four people who came prior to us cleared the trial as well?"

So far, they had not seen any traces of the four Otherworldly Demons who had come ahead of him. Could they possibly have failed the test?

Of course, it was not to say that the four Otherworldly Demons who had come before them were weak, but surely the ancient domain left behind by the number one student of Kong shi should at least have the capability to discern between Otherworldly Demons and humans?

Otherwise, what a huge disgrace it would be!

"They have cleared the trial and entered the compounds," the adolescent boy sculpture replied politely.

After learning that Zhang Xuan had inherited Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's heritage, the attitude of the adolescent boy had become much more courteous.

"They cleared the trial, too? Then, did you notice... any anomaly with them?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Anomaly?" The adolescent boy sculpture shook his head in response. "There's nothing of that sort. They have defeated the Golden Warriors of Mentor's Calligraphy and cleared the trial fair and square. However, one of them did have one of Ancient Sage Yan Yan's treasures with him."

"Ancient Sage Yan Yan's treasure?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in astonishment.

Ancient Sage Yan Yan was one of the Ten Apostles under Kong shi's lineage, too. Viewed to be of equal standing with Ancient Sage Bo Shang, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, and the others, he had specialized in the field of music 1 . He had played a huge part in passing down the heritage of the Demonic Tunist Guild, and for that reason, most demonic tunists viewed him as their founder.

But to think that those four Otherworldly Demons would actually have one of his possessions.

To be able to arrive on the Master Teacher Continent while avoiding the detection of the master teachers, find ancient domains that even the Master Teacher Pavilion is unaware of, and even be in possession of one of Ancient Sage Yan Yan's treasures... it seems like the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has really prepared! Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

The war between the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind had caused immense damage to both parties over the years. Mankind had lost a lot of its treasures to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, so it was not unthinkable for them to be in possession of one of Ancient Sage Yan Yan's treasures.

However, Zhang Xuan was a little surprised by how well-prepared they were. It was definitely no easy feat for one to fool the eyes of the adolescent boy sculpture.

The reason Zhang Xuan had asked that question was to warn the adolescent boy sculpture. If those four fellows had shown the slightest lapse in their disguise, the adolescent boy sculpture would surely have raised his guard against them.

However, from the looks of it, there was no point bringing up the matter anymore since he had no evidence against those four fellows. It would be one thing if he failed to convince the adolescent boy sculpture of the matter, but it would be a catastrophe if he accidentally turned the adolescent boy sculpture against him in the midst of doing so.

Without a doubt, they must have prepared for this matter for a very long time. It was no wonder they had been able to capture Zhao Ya and the others so easily. Indeed, it would not be easy to deal with those four after all.

"We have arrived."

In the midst of his thoughts, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard a voice from the side. Raising his head, he found that they had already arrived in an atrium.

The atrium was round in shape, and there were doors all around. With just a quick glance, he could already spot nearly a hundred of them.

"There are ninety-nine doors here, and each of them represents a different trial. Each of you can only enter one of the doors, and no two persons can select the same door to enter. If you successfully clear the trial and reach the very end, you will be able to find what you seek." The adolescent boy sculpture turned around and addressed them. "If you fail to clear the trial, you will have to spend the rest of your life here with me till your time is finally up!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan looked at the doors around him as he confirmed once more. "So, we can choose any door that we like here?"

"That's right, feel free to enter any door you want. You only have an incense's time, so make your decision quick!"

After saying those words, the adolescent boy sculpture took two steps back and stood quietly.

Knowing that it would be futile to ask the adolescent boy sculpture for any hints, Zhang Xuan, Luo Ruoxin, and Wu Chen exchanged glances as they began examining each of the doors carefully.

All of the doors were made of granite and were identical in appearance. There was nothing that allowed them to set any of the doors apart from one another. If not for the doorway that they had entered the atrium from, had they closed their eyes and spun around, it would have been impossible to tell which doors they had set their eyes upon previously.

"This is no different from a labyrinth..." Looking at the doors around left Zhang Xuan feeling a little light-headed. Unable to make sense of the situation, he willed in his heart, Eye of Insight!

Hula!

Lines of insight surfaced in Zhang Xuan's eyes, and he quickly scanned his surroundings carefully.

Since the four Otherworldly Demons had entered the palace before them, they would have come to this atrium and made a decision as well.

The fact that they had come well-prepared for this ancient domain, bringing with them the Netherworld's Boat and even a treasure of Ancient Sage Yan Yan, would suggest that they had prior knowledge of this place. So, it should be much safer to follow their footsteps.

With a swift scan of the surroundings, a deep frown formed in between Zhang Xuan's brows. Hmm? Why aren't there any marks around?

He had thought that he would be able to find some clues, just as he had done outside. However, who could have thought that those four fellows did not leave any clues behind, such that even the Eye of Insight was unable to catch the slightest trace of them?

Seeing through Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Luo Ruoxin sent a telepathic message over. "Don't bother. Since this is a trial, there's no way it would allow you to see through anything. Furthermore, the stone sculpture has also said that no two people can enter the same door, which means that even if you find the doors that they've entered, we won't be able to enter them."

"This..." Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

Indeed.

Since this was a test, there was no way that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu would have left such an obvious loophole. After all, after someone had entered one of the doors and triggered all of its traps and formations, there would no longer be any danger in it.

"What do we do now?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Let's leave it to fate and pick a random one," Luo Ruoxin said as she randomly picked a door and pulled it open without any hesitation.

"You... Be careful!" Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was going to enter the door just like that, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little apprehensive on the inside.

"Rest assured!" Luo Ruoxin replied with a faint but confident smile. "Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's trial is unlikely to be easy, but to keep me here is not an easy feat either!"

After saying those words, she decisively entered the door.

"That's true..."

Zhang Xuan had never seen Luo Ruoxin making a move before, but considering how powerful Wu Chen was, it stood to reason that Luo Ruoxin was a formidable expert as well.

The trial left behind by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu might still pose a great challenge to ordinary geniuses, but to her, it was unlikely to pose any threat at all.

"I'll be entering as well!" Seeing that Luo Ruoxin had already entered one of the doors, Wu Chen also randomly picked a room and strode in.

"You're the only one who is left..." the adolescent boy sculpture remarked calmly by the side.

"Un." Zhang Xuan nodded. He was just about to select a random room too when his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The Eye of Insight might be unable to see through what lies beyond the door, but what about the Library of Heaven's Path?

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Chapter 1596: My Hands Itch to Draw

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

With different encounters behind each of the ninety-nine doors, the danger levels were bound to be different too. Without a doubt, there would be a huge difference between selecting a right door and selecting a wrong door.

Otherwise, the adolescent boy sculpture would not have given them a whole incense's time to make their choice.

Considering that this was a trial left behind by an Ancient Sage, due to the limitation of his cultivation, it was understandable why the Eye of Insight did not work. However, what about the Library of Heaven's Path?

It boasted the ability to see through everything beneath the heavens.

Since that was the case, what better tool could there be than to have it make a choice in his stead? It should be easy for it to discern which ones were the right ones and which ones were the wrong ones!

Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately got to action.

He flicked his wrist, took out a white sheet of paper and a brush, and began drawing.

As an 8-star painter, the speed and quality of his drawing had already reached a superb level. In less than three minutes, he had already replicated a lifelike view of the entire atrium.

After that was done, he swiftly wrote the words 'Correct' on each and every door.

Given how many doors there were here, there was bound to be one that was more correct than the others. The Library of Heaven's Path was able to analyze the flaws and mistakes of objects, so by looking at the flaws, he would be able to determine which door he ought to enter.

While Zhang Xuan was busy doing all of this, the adolescent boy sculpture looked on with a completely bewildered expression.

He had thought that the young man would simply select a door and enter, but who could have thought that he would suddenly take out a brush and paper and begin drawing and writing?

All you have to do is choose one of the doors! Surely you don't have to go through so much trouble just to choose one, right?

Do you have difficulties making choices or something?

"Time's almost up. If you don't enter soon, your qualification to challenge the trial will be revoked," the adolescent boy sculpture warned.

"Noted. I'll make my choice soon..." Zhang Xuan replied as he finished scribbling 'Correct' on the final door.

Once that was done, he placed his finger on the painting.

Hu!

An identical painting appeared in his mind.

Soon, upon finding the correct door to enter, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Opening his eyes, Zhang Xuan said with a smile, "Alright, I have made my choice..."

Seeing the confused look on the adolescent boy sculpture's face, he explained with a light chuckle, "Actually, I'm also an avid painter. Whenever I see interesting scenes, I have an urge to draw them... This bad habit of mine kicked up earlier when I saw this splendid atrium, so I ask for your understanding!"

"Interesting scenes? Splendid atrium?" The adolescent boy sculpture was rendered speechless.

All that's in this atrium are granite doors... If even such a sight is interesting to you, your right hand must be really busy!

"Well, I don't blame you for not understanding. You are just a stone sculpture, so it's understandable that you don't share the aesthetics of us humans!" Zhang Xuan laughed heartily a little as he patted the shoulder of the adolescent boy sculpture sympathetically before heading toward one of the doors.

"You..." Realizing that he had just been mocked, the adolescent boy sculpture bared his teeth furiously.

Ancient Sage Qiu Wu had been an upright and austere person, so how in the world did he end up taking in such an infuriating little brat as his student?

A person as troublesome as you is doomed to be single for life! To think that you can be so indecisive about choosing a door... Huh? Wait a moment!

Looking at the direction that the young man was heading in, the adolescent boy sculpture suddenly widened his eyes in astonishment.

Jiya!

He stared with his mouth agape as the young man opened the door and disappeared into it.

He actually chose that door? But that is... How did he know? The adolescent boy sculpture blinked in disbelief.

Of the ninety-nine doors, the chances of that young man choosing that door randomly was simply too slim, so he did not think that the young man would be able to select that one. Who would have thought that he would be so lucky as to choose that door out of so many choices?

It was almost as if lady luck was shining on him!

Soon, the adolescent boy sculpture recovered from his shock and harrumphed coldly. Even if his luck is good, he'll need some strength to match his luck. That fellow in the door is far more violent and merciless than I am! Even if he has chosen the correct door, he could very well lose his life in there!

...

Jiya!

As the granite door closed, Zhang Xuan found himself standing within a passageway. He took a few more steps forward, intending to scan his surroundings so as to see what was around, but before he could do anything, an overwhelming pressure suddenly pressed down on him, causing his body to stagger a little.

This pressure seemed to seep right into his soul, carrying a force that threatened to crush him into bits the moment that he let his guard down.

It's a soul attack... Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

He had undergone plenty of soul attacks in the past, but this was the first time that he had encountered one as forceful as this. It seemed to pierce right through his physical body, leaving him feeling as if he was standing in the midst of a turbulent ocean, powerless against the overwhelming force before him.

Heaven's Path Soul Art!

Knowing that it would be bad if he allowed such an attack to continue getting to him, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and began driving his soul energy furiously to fend off the attack.

While his soul was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, it had undergone the tempering of lightning, making it far larger and more resilient than other souls. As such, even though the soul attack was formidable, he was still able to just about withstand it.

Heaving a sigh of relief, he quickly advanced forward.

He wanted to see just what kind of existence could execute such a powerful soul attack.

Geji! Geji!

However, the further he advanced, the stronger the pressure on his soul became.

After taking roughly a dozen steps, he was forced to come to a halt.

In the end, it seemed like his cultivation was still too low for this trial. At this point, his body and soul were already at their breaking point.

It seems like I have already reached my limit... Should I activate Kong shi's blood droplet then? Zhang Xuan pondered grimly.

With the enhanced power from Kong shi's blood droplet, there was no doubt that he would be able to fend off the soul attack with ease. However, the problem was that there were only three droplets in total, and he had already consumed one. He would definitely need one when he encountered the Otherworldly Demons who had kidnapped Zhao Ya and the others, so he was a little hesitant about using one right now.

After all, it was his strongest trump card. He could not afford to squander it away so easily!

The first time that I encountered the lightning tribulation, I was also helpless before it. I thought that I would be electrocuted to death... but afterward, I found that I was able to absorb its energy! While this pressure is hard to bear, I could use it as a medium to temper my soul and make it even purer. Perhaps, this might just become the impetus for me to master Soul Traverse!

The last time that Zhang Xuan met Lu Chong, the latter had already imparted the secret art of Soul Traverse to him. He had attempted to learn it, but due to several flaws in the secret art, he had ended up losing his motivation. Furthermore, his soul had also been a little lacking then... However, with such heavy pressure pressing down on him, it was a good opportunity for him to try tempering his soul!

Perhaps, he might just find unexpected rewards.

Alright, let's begin... Zhang Xuan thought as he went through the secret manual of Soul Traverse in his mind.

As Zhang Xuan went through the secret manual of Soul Traverse, a thought arose in his mind.

Soul Traverse is achieved by slipping one's soul in between the building blocks of space, thus allowing one to transcend the limitations of space... Previously, it was due to my lack of understanding of what the 'building blocks of space' truly meant that I felt that it was plagued with flaws. However, now that my Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel has reached 4-dan, will I be able to perfect Soul Traverse by compiling the two together?

As much as Soul Traverse was a soul secret art, it could also be said to be an ingenious manipulation of the properties of space.

Considering the books relating to space that he had recently collected, if he compiled them together with Soul Traverse, would he just be able to complement the flaws in them?

Compile!

Getting right into action, Zhang Xuan combined the Soul Traverse manual with the other spatial secret art manuals, and before long, a new book materialized into existence.

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Chapter 1597: The Power of the Zhang Clan Bloodline

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan hurriedly grabbed the compiled book and flipped it open.

The content swiftly flowed into his head and imprinted into his mind.

It has indeed reached the level of Heaven's Path! Hahahaha! Zhang Xuan nearly leaped up from joy.

He had wanted to practice Soul Traverse for a very long time now, and he had been searching for books relating to souls in order to perfect the technique. However, who would have thought that what he was lacking was not soul-related manuals but space-related manuals!

I'll temper my soul first before cultivating Soul Traverse! Zhang Xuan decided.

Thus, he crossed his leg and sat down. With a thought, he drew his soul out from his glabella.

Tzzzzzzzzz!

Without the protection of the physical body, the pressure that pressed down on Zhang Xuan's soul immediately intensified. In an instant, he felt as if he was standing amid a raging hurricane that was trying to tear him apart.

Heavy like a boulder, firm like a mountain!

Knowing that if he would lose his life if he could not withstand this ordeal, Zhang Xuan focused on the imagery of a massive mountain, the White Creek Mountain.

There was a type of soul training that was known as conceptualization training. Through focusing one's thoughts on a single conceptualization, it would help to refine one's soul energy in the form of the conceptualization. For example, if one thought of flames, one's soul energy could become scorching like the raging inferno, and if one thought of ice, one's soul energy would become chilling like the heartless winter.

Zhang Xuan had done conceptualization training back when he had just started cultivating, but with the Heaven's Path Soul Art to raise his soul cultivation, he had found that there was not much need for him to do it, so he had not paid much attention to it. However, in this very moment, he knew that he had to do it or risk having his soul torn into shreds.

Weng!

Focusing on the conceptualization of a mountain, Zhang Xuan's wavering soul swiftly stabilized in place. As if an imposing mountain towering in the midst of a storm, no matter how the gale huffed and puffed, it remained completely unfazed, unable to be blown down.

After stabilizing his figure, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and drew the crushing pressure into his soul, tempering the weaker parts of his soul.

Geji! Geji!

Under the tempering of the crushing pressure, his massive soul grew more and more concentrated and powerful.

The pressure isn't as unbearable anymore. Advance!

A few minutes later, when Zhang Xuan had finally adapted to the pressure, he took a few steps forward before sitting down to continue the tempering process.

...

In the atrium, the motionless adolescent boy sculpture opened his eyes once more.

"Let's see how that fellow is faring! Even if that fellow inside doesn't make a move, just the pressure that it exerts should be able to stop that young man in his tracks or even crush his soul entirely!"

Muttering beneath his breath, the adolescent boy sculpture raised his finger and tapped the space before him.

A screen of light appeared in the air, and a display of Zhang Xuan's plight within the door came into appearance.

"Heh, the young man should have... Ah? W-what's going on?"

The adolescent boy sculpture was still uttering smug words when he noticed that something was amiss with the displayed scene before him. His eyes swiftly widened to the brim, seemingly ready to pop out from their sockets.

In the screen of light, the young man had his hands on his hips, and he howled indignantly with an infuriated look on his face. "Where the hell is the pressure? You coward, I dare you to come out and face me straight on! I haven't absorbed enough of it yet! If that's all you've got, how dare you call yourself a trial? If you don't come out now, don't blame me if I tear this entire place down!"

"He's actually provoking the it?" The adolescent boy sculpture nearly blacked out.

He had thought that with that person making a move, just the aura that the fellow emanated would be enough to crush the young man. Who would have thought that not only would the young man be perfectly fine, he was even mocking it for being too weak!

Just where did this monster come from?

This was too ridiculous!

"Forget it. Since there isn't any pressure anymore, I'll just head in..." After hurling provocations one after another without the pressure returning, Zhang Xuan could only shake his head in resignation.

To be honest, it was not that he wanted to brag but the pressure had simply disappeared too abruptly.

He had just barely gotten into the mood of training, and the results had just started showing on his soul when the pressure suddenly vanished without a trace. Anyone would have been infuriated in such a situation!

After all, if he could just cultivate a little more, there was a good chance that he would reach the prerequisites to carrying out Soul Traverse, thus raising his fighting prowess by a notch!

Let's see where the source of the pressure comes from first. I might just be able to do something about it... Zhang Xuan thought as he advanced forward.

Hula!

Barely after taking a few steps, as he was turning a corner, he suddenly felt a chilling sensation consuming his body. Following which, he sensed a powerful might rushing in his direction.

He quickly pressed himself tightly against the wall by the side.

Pu!

A small hole appeared in the wall of the passageway.

"What the..." Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in alarm.

What had just shot over was not a hidden weapon, sword qi, or anything of the sort. It was an ordinary droplet of water!

Just a droplet of water had succeeded in breaching his defenses and piercing the wall of the passageway. Without a doubt, the person who had made a move on him had to be at the Great Sage realm at the very minimum!

I'll wait and see who the person is before deciding whether I should use Kong shi's blood droplet or not.

Placing his finger right above the droplet mark in his hand, ready to come into contact with it and activate the power at any moment, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before taking another step forward warily.

He only had two more uses of Kong shi's blood droplets, so he could not afford to waste it.

Huala!

Barely after walking around the bend, he saw dozens of water droplets of varying sizes flying over rapidly, sealing all his paths of escape.

These water droplets were not really infused with tremendously powerful zhenqi, but the speed of their movements was simply frightening. Given his current cultivation, if they got a clean strike on him, he would definitely sustain severe wounds or even lose his life!

"Bloodline activate!" Knowing that there was no time for him to escape, Zhang Xuan immediately activated the Zhang Clan bloodline, which Sword Saint Xing had given him previously.

Hu!

In an instant, time seemed to have slowed down. The water droplets that had been surging in his direction furiously a moment ago seemed to have become mired in a swamp, such that he could perceive them clearly even with his plain eyes.

He raised his finger and tapped the closest water droplet to him lightly.

Po!

The water droplet immediately scattered apart, moistening his finger.

He moved on to tap the remaining dozens of water droplets, and they scattered into the surroundings, too.

Knowing that he was finally out of danger, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he nodded in awe.

As expected of the Zhang Clan bloodline! Its prowess was even more fearsome than the Luo Clan bloodline, displaying astounding might upon activation.

If he had not utilized this ability, there was no doubt that he would have sustained severe injuries from the barrage of water droplets. However, through the acceleration of his time, the water droplets were slowed to the speed of a snail's crawl, thus posing no threat toward him anymore.

Unfortunately, the rate of depletion of the blood essence is simply too great...

As excited as Zhang Xuan was, he could not help but shake his head helplessly after seeing the amount of power that he had left from the droplet of Zhang Clan blood essence.

Just to pop a couple of water droplets, he had actually expended more than half of a droplet of Zhang Clan blood essence... In other words, he could only repeat what he had done six more times before completely depleting the Zhang Clan blood essence that he had.

This was simply too wasteful!

Hu!

With another thought, he returned from his state of time acceleration, and the scenery before him reverted to its original state.

It was then that he realized that he was standing in the midst of a vast hall.

At the very center of the hall was a lake of a radius of several hundred meters. The water in the lake were bubbling furiously, as if it was being boiled.

Just as Zhang Xuan was perplexed as to how the lake could conjure such swift bullets of water, he heard an intense rumbling from beneath the water. Following which, a bizarre entity spurted forth from the lake of water, surging upward.

Huala!

More water droplets whizzed into the surroundings.

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Chapter 1598: Dragonbone Divine Spear

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Wuu wuu wuu!

Carrying the might to pierce through the air, the water droplets tore through everything that stood in their path.

Even the water droplets that it flicked out so casually wield such formidable might!Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment.

He was still wondering how the water droplets had come about, and the answer had surpassed his wildest imagination!

If even the water droplets flung out by a casual flick from the fellow in the lake harnessed such might, just how powerful would that fellow be? Would Yang shi even be a match for it?

"Bloodline activation!"

Knowing that it was no time for him to be dozing off, he quickly burned the remaining half a droplet of Zhang Clan blood essence, and the time around him slowed once again.

I have to get rid of the problem from its roots, or else it'll just be a matter of time before I lose my life! Zhang Xuan thought as he swiftly traversed past the water droplets toward the edge of the lake.

Huala!

Right after doing so, the half a droplet of blood essence also burned dry, and the water droplets ended up striking the wall all around.

Pah pah!

Zhang Xuan raised his head to take a look at what was ahead of him.

The fellow that had risen from the lake was a massive skeleton. From its head to its tail, it was dozens of meters tall. Every single one of its translucent bone glistened with jadeite, and even though it was impossible to tell just how tough it was, just the fact that a casual flick of its body was able to fling out water droplets that wielded the strength to kill Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators was more than enough to instill fear.

Upon catching the true appearance of the skeleton, Zhang Xuan jolted in shock.

This is... the skeletal frame of a dragon?

Having tamed the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, he had some understanding of the physical structure of such lifeforms. He could tell that the skeletal frame before him had a much more natural and harmonious structure compared to the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, making it highly likely that it was the skeletal frame of a dragon.

Even if it was not a Pureblooded Dragon, it was bound to possess a far purer Dragon Bloodline than the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast.

Seeing that the young man had successfully dodged its water droplets, the skeletal dragon glanced down at the young man as its deafening voice boomed in the air. "You wield the ability to control time? No, your power seems to be dependent on a bloodline... Who are you? Which Sage's descendant are you?"

"I am Zhang Xuan!"

Noting that the skeletal dragon had no intention of attacking him for the time being, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he clasped his fist and bowed toward the massive fellow before him while discreetly examining it.

The skeletal dragon had a dark exterior, and the voice seemed to have originated from the dragon's head. Its eyes were basically two holes imbued with faint green light. If not for the fact that it had spoken, it would be difficult for one to imagine that the skeletal dragon was a living being with independent consciousness.

"Zhang? You aren't a disciple of Kong shi?" the skeletal dragon asked.

"I'm not!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

It was only after the Hundred Schools of Philosophers left the Master Teacher Continent that the Zhang Clan rose to power. As such, the founder of the Zhang Clan was indeed not a successor of Kong shi's heritage.

"To be able to comprehend the laws of time, which only Kong shi is able to utilize, despite not being one of Kong shi's disciples, it seems like the later generations are filled with plenty of talents!" The skeletal dragon nodded slightly.

"I'll give you some credit for being able to withstand my pressure and dodge my water droplets, but that is far from sufficient. If you wish to win my acknowledgement, you'll have to defeat me!"

"Win your acknowledgement?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.

"Indeed. This passageway contains the greatest treasure of the ninety-nine doors, but it's also the most dangerous of them. The one who wins my acknowledgement will be able to take me away, and those who fail my trial shall have their lives reaped by me!" the skeletal dragon said impassively.

"You said that... the one who wins your acknowledgement will be able to take you away?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement at that notion.

Even the droplets casually flung out the skeletal dragon wielded the strength to slaughter Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivators with ease! That prowess was definitely nowhere beneath Yang shi's. If he could take this skeletal dragon away with him, his overall prowess would surely rise by leaps and bounds!

"Indeed. However, if you wish to earn my acknowledgement, you'll have to first display prowess surpassing mine! Back then, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu also used his strength to convince me to serve him for life. I have already slept here for tens of thousands of years, awaiting another worthy individual to serve!" the skeletal dragon replied.

"Ancient Sage Ran Qiu... You are Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's weapon? Could you be... the Dragonbone Divine Spear?" Zhang Xuan suddenly thought of something, and his body shuddered in astonishment.

He had read some books concerning Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so he knew bits and pieces of his history. The Dragonbone Divine Spear was the weapon that Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had wielded as he slew hordes of Otherworldly Demons as if a mortal manifestation of the God of War. Even Kong shi had once praised the formidability of the Dragonbone Divine Spear...

Could this skeletal dragon really be that legendary weapon?

If that was the case, he really had made the right choice choosing this passageway!

"Indeed!" the skeletal dragon replied nonchalantly. "Ancient Sage Ran Qiu has sealed my powers, such that my fighting prowess is only at the level of Great Sage at the moment. Nevertheless, as long as you are able to defeat me, I'll willingly leave with you. Otherwise... no matter who you are and what background you come from, I'll pierce a gaping hole through you for your arrogance of daring to challenge me!"

"Of course, of course! It's only right that you should do so, just that..." Zhang Xuan raised his head to look at the skeletal dragon earnestly. "As you can see, I'm only a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator myself. Even if you can only tap into the strength of a Great Sage at the moment, I'm still no match for you... Won't you consider suppressing your cultivation to my level before fighting it out?"

"You want me to suppress my cultivation to match your level?" the skeletal dragon asked with a hint of displeasure in its voice.

"Having been sealed here for a long time, I believe that you are craving to dive into the world and clash with some worthy opponents. Right now, I'm the only one who has chosen this passageway, and if no one else comes by after me, doesn't that mean that you'll never be able to get out? That would be the greatest tragedy for a top-notch weapon like you, wouldn't it!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed passionately.

"Since it's a duel, it will only be meaningful if the both of us are on equal standing, right? Otherwise, what fun will it be if you win in a single move?"

The skeletal dragon hesitated upon hearing those words.

"It's settled then! You are the trump card of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, so your fighting prowess is bound to be at the very top! There's no way a weak cultivator like me will be able to pose a threat to you even if you do suppress your cultivation down to my level!" Zhang Xuan remarked admiringly. "But if you aren't feeling too confident... I guess it can't be helped then!"

"Humph! There's no way I would lose to you with my cultivation suppressed!" Provoked by Zhang Xuan's words, the skeletal dragon harrumphed coldly. "Fine, I'll suppress my cultivation down to Saint 9-dan pinnacle!"

In truth, the skeletal dragon knew that Zhang Xuan was intentionally provoking it, but its pride still got in its way. More importantly, it did not think that it could possibly lose to Zhang Xuan.

Boom!

The next moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spear's powerful aura gradually reduced to a level equivalent to Zhang Xuan's, Saint 9-dan pinnacle.

"Humph, let's begin then..."

After sealing its cultivation, the skeletal dragon was just about to make its move when the vision before it abruptly blurred. Unknowingly, the young man who had been standing right there a moment ago was already standing before it, sending a punch right toward its dragon head.

"You..."

Caught off guard by the other party's swift movement and abrupt assault, the skeletal dragon felt a little stifled inside. It swiftly whipped its tail to strike down the young man, but the next instant, it found that the space around it had been completely sealed. As if a frozen river, it was unable to move at all.

"Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's Spatial Sealing Art?" the skeletal dragon exclaimed in shock.

The next instant, a splitting pain ripped through its skull—the young man's fist had already landed squarely on its head.

Peng peng peng peng!

Punches and kicks rained down on the skeletal dragon, sending stabbing pain reverberating through its body. It was almost like being battered by the ceaseless rapids of a river, completely messing up its momentum, not giving it the opportunity to recover at all.

Under the relentless attack, not only were the skeletal dragon's bones slowly accumulating damage, its soul was also severely jolted.

The skeletal dragon was frenzied. How is he so powerful?

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Chapter 1599: Acknowledge Your New Master

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Even though the skeletal dragon had lowered its cultivation, there was no doubt that it was the absolute pinnacle among Saint 9-dan pinnacle entities.

Putting aside the fact that its body had already been tempered to a level exceeding Great Sage realm cultivators, just its battle instincts alone had been refined over the many years of battle with Ancient Sage Ran Qiu. It had encountered all kinds of cultivators and many different ultimate techniques, but this... what the heck was this?

Seemingly devoid of skills, the young man simply rushed in to rain down a barrage of attacks on it as if some street hoodlum.

And what was even more stifling was that it was actually unable to dodge at all!

This had to be the greatest humiliation that it had ever faced since its birth!

"Roar!"

As the fists and kicks continued raining down on its head, the skeletal dragon finally reached the limits of its patience. With a furious roar, it compressed its body tightly together.

Hula!

The entire body of massive bones swiftly converged together to form a black spear.

"Break!"

With a powerful pierce, as if a block of ice struck by a hammer, the sealed space shattered instantaneously with a resounding reverberation.

Deng deng deng deng!

Due to the feedback, Zhang Xuan was forced to retreat several steps as his chest ached a little under the impact of the previous encounter.

The ability to seal space was indeed powerful, but in the face of a true expert, its effectiveness was discounted.

While the force that the Dragonbone Divine Spear exerted was still within the range of Saint 9-dan pinnacle, it was able to gather all of its might in a single point to conduct a burst attack that exceeded the limits of the sealed space.

Of course, this also had something to do with the fact that he had just comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. If he spent more time comprehending it so as to advance his level of mastery of spatial arts, he would be able to use it more smoothly, and it would not have been so easy for the Dragonbone Divine Spear to break it.

"How dare you humiliate me? I'll make you pay the price for your actions!"

After breaking the sealed space and achieving freedom once more, the skeletal dragon howled furiously. From its spear form, it reverted back to the appearance of a skeletal dragon as it dashed forth with its mouth wide open.

Sou!

Barely after arriving before the young man, another blur flashed across its eyes, and the young man vanished from sight. It hurriedly searched the surroundings for the young man, only to see a leg flying toward its face.

Peng peng peng peng!

Four consecutive kicks threw the skeletal dragon into a state of disorientation, and its skull was nearly lopped off its neck.

"Screw you..." the skeletal dragon bellowed hysterically.

Since it's a duel, surely we can have a fair fight, right? Why do you have to keep aiming for my face? Are you sure that you are a master teacher?

Don't you know that the face is out of bounds?

Huala!

Seething with fury, the skeletal dragon whipped its thick tail toward the young man in the air, wanting to crush him to bits. However, barely after raising its tail, it suddenly felt a tension stopping the movement of its tail.

Unknowingly, the young man was already beneath him, grabbing its tail bone.

Bam bam bam bam!

With overwhelming might, the young man slammed it from left to right as if a whip, causing its head to crash relentlessly with the ground, creating huge pits here and there.

...

"The skeletal dragon... is being pummeled?"

The adolescent boy sculpture watching the happenings through a screen of light shuddered in horror at that sight. It was simply too shocking that his head even fell to the ground and rolled to the side.

He swiftly picked it up and secured it on his neck before turning his gaze back to the screen. The more he watched it, the more horrified he seemed to become.

Even though the skeletal dragon had suppressed its cultivation down to Saint 9-dan, it should still have been the absolute pinnacle existence among Saint 9-dan entities! Yet, the young man was actually able to render it completely helpless, almost as if an adult toying with a child.

Do you really have to be this savage?

If not for the skeletal dragon tempering its bones to the level of near invulnerability, this vicious pummeling would have already reduced it to powdery remains.

The adolescent boy sculpture had considered most possibilities, including one where the young man was completely destroyed by the skeletal dragon, but not even in his wildest imagination did he fathom such an outcome.

How could he have?

That was the personal weapon of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, the Dragonbone Divine Spear!

...

"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! I'll kill you!"

Slammed to the point where its head was spinning endlessly, the skeletal dragon could not stand it any longer and released the seal on its cultivation. Its powers immediately pierced the heavens, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation had risen from Saint 9-dan to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm!

With the huge boost in its prowess, the skeletal dragon successfully struggled free from Zhang Xuan's grip, and it twisted its body forcefully and tore its claw down upon Zhang Xuan!

Hu!

But with a burst of wind, the young man vanished from the skeletal dragon's vision once more. The next instant, he appeared right above the skeletal dragon's head as he sent a powerful kick toward its temple.

"..." The skeletal dragon's frenzy had already transcended words.

It was one thing for it not to be a match for the young man in the same realm, but it had already raised its cultivation by one realm, and the young man was still able to dodge its attack with ease! Just how powerful was the young man?

Not even the powerful Ancient Sage Ran Qiu possessed such fighting prowess! In a battle in the same cultivation realm, it was likely that even Ancient Sage Ran Qiu would not be a match for the young man!

The skeletal dragon hurriedly cowered back to dodge the attack.

While its agility and reaction speed had been enhanced significantly after raising its cultivation up to the Introspective Convalescence realm, it was still nowhere near enough to compete with the young man's speed.

If the young man executed that time bloodline ability once more, it could still have accepted its loss. After all, there were no moves that could possibly outdo time.

But... the young man was only relying on some unique movement arts and his understanding of spatial laws to render him powerless.

Honestly, the skeletal dragon was still trying to figure out how this had happened!

It was as if the other party knew where it would attack in advance, easily finding the blind spots and flaws in its attacks!

The more the skeletal dragon fought, the more stifled it felt.

Peng peng peng peng!

After suffering yet another four-kick chain combo, its rage finally exploded, and its cultivation surged forth once more.

Despite wielding such strength, the young man had actually duped it into lowering its cultivation! Without a doubt, it was a vicious scheme, and against schemers, there was no need for it to uphold its principles!

Thus, it decided not to suppress its cultivation anymore, and in the blink of an eye, its cultivation broke through the bottleneck of Introspective Convalescence... Aureate Body, Intuitive Impulse, Sempiternal...

In less than a single breath, it had returned to the overwhelming expert from before.

"Lad, didn't you have a lot of fun pummeling me? Very well, let me see how you'll cope with this!" the skeletal dragon roared furiously.

But even so, the young man still vanished from its sights once more. Hurriedly raising its head, it saw that the young man was already sitting on a stone bench not too far away from the lake, holding a cup of tea in his hand like a refined gentleman.

"Hmm?" Hearing the skeletal dragon's roar, Zhang Xuan put down his teacup calmly and replied, "Don't you think it's really barbarous to be talking about pummeling and killing? Since you are Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's personal weapon, you should understand the propriety of respect and magnanimity. Since you have already lost, you should obediently acknowledge me as your master!"

"You want me to acknowledge me as your master? An insolent brat like you actually dares to..."

If its emotions could be materialized, the skeletal dragon would have burst into flames there and then!

You were the one who was viciously pummeling earlier, but now that I have restored my cultivation, you suddenly said that you don't want to fight anymore... How can there be something so convenient in the world?

Dream on!

If I don't leave several holes in you and reduce you to a pile of meat, I shan't be known as the Dragonbone Divine Spear anymore!

"Are you sure you don't want to acknowledge me as your master?" the young man asked calmly.

"Hah! If you want me to acknowledge you as my master, why don't you try defeating me right here and..." the skeletal dragon sneered furiously.

But before it could finish its words, a loud rumble echoed in its head.

"Moo! Mou!"

Padah!

All of a sudden, the skeletal dragon felt its body stiffening in place. It felt as if a superior being was exerting dominance over it, suppressing it very down to the core. Unable to move at all, it plummeted from the sky.

"It's out of respect for you that I allowed you to clash with me, but you seem to be climbing over my head!"

Harrumphing coldly, Zhang Xuan composedly rose to his feet and placed his hands behind his back. "Acknowledge me as your master right now or face the consequences of your insolence!"

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Chapter 1600: Golden Origin Spirit Stone

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Regardless of whether the huge fellow carried the Dragon Bloodline or was a pile of dragon bones, since there was a 'Dragon' in its name and it had not reached the level of a Pureblooded Dragon, it would be suppressed by the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon.

Even before the battle, Zhang Xuan had known this, but being the low profile person that he was, he had intended to use his raw strength to win the Dragonbone Divine Spear over. However, who would have thought that the other party would be so shameless as to raise its strength after seeing that it was on the losing end?

I could still turn a blind eye to you raising your cultivation by a realm, but raising it by several at once, that would really be going too far.

Even someone as magnanimous like me can't turn a blind eye of it!

Thus, he had mercilessly used the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon... and of course, as expected, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was immediately suppressed.

Lying on the ground, the skeletal dragon asked through chattering molars, "Y-you... are a Pureblooded Dragon?"

Suppressed by the power of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon, it felt as if its consciousness was on the verge of slipping away from it.

It was not the primary consciousness of the dragon bone but a weapon spirit that had grown after the dragon bone had been forged into a spear. As such, it had retained the traits of the Dragon Tribe, and the instinctive deference and fear toward Pureblooded Dragons was ground in its bones.

Pureblooded Dragons were existences that represented the pinnacle of the Dragon Tribe's authority, and no lower dragons could ever buck up the courage to oppose them!

"Must I be a Pureblooded Dragon in order to use the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon?" Zhang Xuan sneered coldly.

"This..."

The skeletal dragon was rendered speechless.

Having fought alongside Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, it had met the strongest being of the Master Teacher Continent, Kong shi, before, but not even Kong shi had the ability to vocalize the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon... Yet, the young man before it was actually able to do so.

Just who in the world was the young man before it?

The skeletal dragon hesitated for a moment before eventually lowering its head. "I-I'm willing to acknowledge you as my master!"

The hierarchy within the Dragon Tribe was based on their bloodline. It was natural for those of a lesser bloodline to serve those of a higher bloodline. On top of that, it was a fact that the young man had defeated it, so there was no shame in its actions.

"Good!" Zhang Xuan nodded. Just as it was about to ask how the acknowledgement ceremony would go, the skeletal dragon suddenly began contracting rapidly, and just like before, it turned into a massive spear.

Weng!

It circled in the air for a bit as it shrank to the length of roughly a zhang 1before falling into Zhang Xuan's hand.

Lowering his head to take a closer look, Zhang Xuan assessed his winnings. The spear in his hand was black in color, and a cold glint reflected off its tip. Just the sight of the spear left one with the sensation that the spear would pierce a hole through one the next moment, sending shivers down the spines of the weaker-minded.

"Excellent spear!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed in agitation.

Just by stroking the spear lightly, he could hear the roar of a dragon echoing around him. When he attempted to infuse his zhenqi into the spear, he delightedly realized that there were no obstructions at all, as if the spear was just an extension of his meridians. It was actually capable of harnessing his power with full efficiency!

Padah!

A droplet of his blood fell on the spear tip, and it was swiftly absorbed in. In the blink of an eye, a brilliant surge of light burst forth from the spear, and slight cracks appeared in the space all around.

"With this powerful weapon, my fighting prowess would be heightened by at least twofold!" Zhang Xuan trembled in agitation.

There was no doubt that this Dragonbone Divine Spear was the most powerful artifact that he had acquired ever since he arrived on the Master Teacher Continent. While Ancient Sage Ran Qiu might have sealed its power, the might that it wielded was still beyond formidable!

Of course, due to the limitations of his current cultivation, it was inevitable that he would still be unable to bring out the true prowess of the spear. Nevertheless, once he triggered Kong shi's blood droplet, with this spear in hand, there would be absolutely no one beneath Ancient Sage who would be a match for him!

In fact, even Half-Ancient Sages would be well within his means to deal with!

It's no wonder the Library of Heaven's Path guided me to this passageway! With this alone, the long journey here won't have been in vain!

Laughing heartily, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and the spear warped back into a skeletal dragon.

With a thought, the skeletal dragon turned into a belt that wrapped around his waist.

After taming the spear, he found that the skeletal dragon had the ability to freely change its form. As a spear, it could pierce through anything that stood in its way. As a whip, it could leave deep gashes on the world.

After that was done, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief as he scanned his surroundings once more.

At this point, the lake had already quietened down, returning back to its initial tranquility. In the empty-looking hall, there were no visible exits.

"Have I... cleared the trial yet?" Zhang Xuan asked the skeletal dragon in confusion.

"Of course, you have already cleared the trial! I'd send you out right now, but... there are some of my possessions over here that I hope to take away with me!" the skeletal dragon said.

"I see... Alright then!" Zhang Xuan said. "Go and take them then!"

The skeletal dragon swiftly flew out from Zhang Xuan's waist and rose into the air, reverting back to the massive several-dozen-meter-long dragon. It descended to the top of the water and swiped its claws into the lake.

Hula!

The lake immediately billowed furiously under the overwhelming might, and a circular platform slowly rose into the air. It was roughly three meters in diameter, but it emanated a shockingly concentrated spiritual energy that felt nourishing like the warm breeze of spring.

"This is... the ultimate treasure of smithing, the Golden Origin Spirit Stone?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in disbelief.

Despite being a failure of a blacksmith who could only forge bricks, his comprehension of smithing and ores was at least up to standard. Or to be more exact, even 9-star blacksmiths might not be able to compete with him in terms of sheer knowledge!

Even with a glance from afar, he could tell that the circular platform was the ultimate treasure that the top blacksmiths dreamt of even with their eyes wide open—the Golden Origin Spirit Stone!

In the forging of an average Saint high-tier artifact, just adding a single gram of the Golden Origin Spirit Stone into the forging process would be enough to enhance the artifact into a Saint pinnacle artifact... and there was actually a huge circular platform of it right in front of him!

Just how many tons would that weigh?

Even someone as calm as Zhang Xuan could not help but feel his face flushing red in agitation, and uncontrollable desire sprouted in the depths of his heart.

It could be said that just this circular platform, in terms of value, would not pale in comparison to a pinnacle Great Sage artifact!

"Indeed, this is the Golden Origin Spirit Stone! Back then, when Ancient Sage Ran Qiu sealed me here, he instructed me to wait for the next destined person to appear and win my acknowledgement... However, I have waited here for so long that I have already lost track of time! Ultimately, as a weapon spirit, my lifespan is still limited. Knowing this, Ancient Sage Ran Qiu placed this artifact into the lake. As long as I rest above it, my strength wouldn't dissipate, and my lifespan can be significantly lengthened!" the skeletal dragon explained.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

This was also a question that he had been wondering about. Even if the Dragonbone Divine Spear had been one of the strongest weapons tens of thousands of years ago, after the passing of so many years, its weapon spirit should have already aged to the point where battling would be impossible for it. Fortunately, it seemed like Ancient Sage Ran Qiu had already predicted this problem and made preparations in advance!

With the Golden Origin Spirit Stone to sustain the Dragonbone Divine Spear, the vitality of its weapon spirit could be sustained. Even after hibernating for tens of thousands of years, it was still able to exert its greatest fighting prowess without any problem!

"However, since I have already awakened, this Golden Origin Spirit Stone is of no use to me. Thus, I'm willing to offer it to you, Master!" With a wave of its claw, the Golden Origin Spirit Stone flew toward Zhang Xuan.

Zhang Xuan hurriedly caught it and stowed it into his storage ring. "Hahaha, I won't turn down your gift then!"

Seeing the possessions and magnanimity of Sword Saint Xing had made him acutely aware of how shallow his view of 'valuable' was compared to others. While this Golden Origin Spirit Stone might be an invaluable treasure to him, it likely meant nothing to an expert of Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's caliber.

Since the skeletal dragon was willing to offer it to him, he had no reason to turn it down.

Furthermore, it just so happened that the Golden Origin Spirit Stone was an ideal resource to reforge the Golden Origin Cauldron. With this, he would be able to upgrade the Golden Origin Cauldron once more, and it would be able to aid him in his future battles!

"Master, we can leave right now!"

After handing the Golden Origin Spirit Stone over, the skeletal dragon warped back into a belt and wrapped itself around Zhang Xuan. Raising his head, Zhang Xuan found that there was an identical stone door to the one that he had entered through not too far away.

He quickly walked over to it and pushed it open.

Jiya!

When the stone door opened, he found that he had returned to the atrium, where two groups of people were standing against one another. Their zhenqi crackled in the air, hinting at an impending battle.

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