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

52. 1633

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1633 - Tantai Admits Defeat - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1633 - Tantai Admits Defeat Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1633: Tantai Admits Defeat

Translator: StarveCleric

Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan's comprehension of Time Quintessence did not induce any pulsations of power, but Tantai Zhenqing still noticed that something was amiss. He could not help but frown.

To him, it was as if the disposition of the head of the Zhang Clan had abruptly changed. The other party's aura felt even heavier and reined in, creating a feeling of unfathomable depth.

"Time is up!"

The hour ticked by very swiftly. With a flick of Zhang Xuan's finger, Zhang Jiuxiao awoke from his state of trance. He took a few deep breaths as he consolidated his newfound knowledge before walking over to Tantai Jiankui.

Clasping his fist and bowing deeply, he gestured politely. "Please!"

"Very well!"

With a firm nod, Tantai Jiankui suppressed the energy in his body. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation was lowered to Saint 8-dan pinnacle, the same level as Zhang Jiuxiao.

"Let's begin the duel!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand by the side.

"Please guide me along!"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Jiuxiao took a step forward before abruptly vanishing. Before anyone realized it, he was already standing before Tantai Jiankui.

With a light thrust of his palm, immense might poured forth from his hand.

"Swift and powerful!"

Initially, Tantai Jiankui did not think very highly of his opponent even after suppressing his cultivation. After all, he was already an Introspective Convalescence realm expert whereas his opponent was only at Saint 8-dan pinnacle.

However, Zhang Jiuxiao's swift maneuver had caught him off guard, causing him to narrow his eyes in astonishment. He anxiously drove his zhenqi desperately as he swiftly retreated.

Tantai Jiankui could tell that his opponent had not managed to comprehend Time Quintessence yet, but he was not too far from reaching that realm.

To come so close to Time Quintessence within a single hour... was that even humanly possible?

Tantai Jiankui's reaction was not slow, but Zhang Jiuxiao was simply faster. He abruptly opened up his thrusting palm and flicked his fingers lightly.

Sou sou sou!

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Sword qi shot forth from his five fingers simultaneously.

These strands of sword qi appeared to move at a terribly slow speed, but in truth, they were not limited by the constraints of time and space. They would arrive right before its target in the blink of an eye, making it nigh impossible to guard against them.

"This is the highest level of the Zhang Clan swordsmanship! H-he..." Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng traded shocked gazes with one another.

Even for them, they had to collaborate closely with one another before they were able to execute the highest level of the Zhang Clan swordsmanship. Zhang Jiuxiao had clearly never learned the Zhang Clan swordsmanship prior to this, but he actually managed to reach such a level within a single hour...

Furthermore, it was sword qi shot out from his fingertips and not a sword...

Just what kind of mystical manual did their son impart to Zhang Jiuxiao?

Pu pu pu!

Even though Tantai Jiankui's retreat was swift, he was still unable to outrun the sword qi chasing after him. That being said, through his sheer battle instincts, he was still able to pull off an ingenious defensive maneuver at the very last moment. As a result, the sword qi only scraped his clothes.

"It's my turn now..."

Tantai Jiankui had thought that he would be able to defeat his opponent easily and make a huge contribution to the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, but he had nearly sustained severe injuries in just the first encounter. Knowing that it would be foolish to continue underestimating his opponent, his expression turned serious.

Without any warning, he charged forward with astounding speed to launch a counterattack.

Through the augmentation of his temporal art, his movement speed was unimaginably fast. Putting aside one's naked eyes, it would be impossible to trace his movements even through one's Spiritual Perception. Before one could even process what was going on, a fist carrying tremendous might would be right before one's face.

But despite the abrupt counterattack from Tantai Jiankui, Zhang Jiuxiao did not show the slightest hint of fear. Instead, he weaved his fingers before him and created a protective sphere made of sword qi around him, thus successfully defending against Tantai Jiankui's assault.

At this point, Tantai Zhenqing suddenly shook his head grimly and sighed pitifully. "It seems like Jiankui is going to lose..."

"Going to lose? His opponent might be formidable, but isn't Jiankui standing his ground?" Nangong Yuanfeng was taken aback by Tantai Zhenqing's remark.

In his view, the two young men appeared to be equally skilled with one another. In fact, in the face of Tantai Jiankui's relentless punches, Zhang Jiuxiao seemed to have been forced into a disadvantageous position, unable to counterattack at all. So, why would Tantai Zhenqing say that Tantai Jiankui was going to lose?

"Jiankui's opponent hasn't made use of the power in his bloodline yet!" Tantai Zhenqing pointed out.

"This..." Hearing those words, Nangong Yuanfeng widened his eyes before falling silent.

It went without saying that they would investigate the unique abilities of the Zhang Clan before coming to challenge them. In their investigation, they had found that the Zhang Clan was able to ignite their bloodline to bring about a temporary surge in their speed and strength.

Considering how Zhang Jiuxiao was already able to stand toe-to-toe with Tantai Jiankui without igniting his bloodline, it was clear who the victor would be once he did so.

"Furthermore, while it might appear that he has been forced into a defensive position, did you notice that he's gradually improving throughout the course of the battle? Initially, he could barely stand his ground against Jiankui's punches at all, but he's already able to return three out of ten punches now... Slowly but surely, he's familiarizing himself with his newfound strength. In fact, it seems like he might even be intentionally going easy on Jiankui just to make use of this opportunity to refine his control and further his understanding of temporal arts!" Tantai Zhenqing said with a helpless smile.

As much as he hated to acknowledge it, this was the truth.

Previously, when he heard that Nangong Yuanfeng had failed with the Luo Clan, he had thought that it was utterly ridiculous for something like this to happen. But after witnessing the prowess commanded by the young talents of the Zhang Clan, he realized that the Master Teacher Continent had already become a formidable force that they could not afford to underestimate anymore.

The Hundred Schools of Philosophers had guarded the world from an isolated dimension for tens of thousands of years, remaining completely oblivious to the developments of the outside world. Before they even knew it, they had already become like

frogs in a well

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1

!

Hearing Tantai Zhenqing's lamentation, Nangong Yuanfeng turned his gaze to the duel once more. Indeed, Zhang Jiuxiao's movements were becoming smoother and smoother over the course of the battle. Very soon, he was already able to retaliate against seven out of ten punches.

At this point, it was very clear that the tables were turning on Tantai Jiankui.

Hula!

In a momentary lapse between Tantai Jiankui's attacks, Zhang Jiuxiao took a step forward and pushed a powerful punch through the other party's defenses. If the punch really connected, the other party would sustain severe injuries.

Flustered, Tantai Jiankui hurriedly retreated as he exclaimed, "I admit defeat!"

He had not expected such an outcome at all. However, it was already apparent to him that his opponent had grown to a level beyond his means to deal with. He no longer stood a chance at victory.

On the other hand, hearing Tantai Jiankui's surrender, Zhang Jiuxiao retracted his fist and halted his offense. Placing his hands behind his back, he gazed quietly at the crowd from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, seemingly waiting patiently for his next opponent.

"Teacher, allow me!"

Sensing Zhang Jiuxiao's subtle provocation, another young man from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers stepped forward.

"Your strength is only slightly above Jiankui's. If Jiankui was unable to defeat him, you won't stand much of a chance either," Tantai Zhenqing said with a shake of his head.

In truth, the fighting prowess of his four disciples did not differ too much from one another. While the young man who had just stepped forward commanded a higher understanding of temporal laws, it was still insufficient to defeat the current Zhang Jiuxiao.

Even if they fought, there was little doubt that the duel would end in his disciple's defeat.

Realizing the same as well, Nangong Yuanfeng suggested, "Why don't you try to suppress your cultivation and challenge him?"

Tantai Zhenqing pondered deeply for a moment before glancing at Zhang Xuan. Looking at the young man's impassive face, he released a deep sigh before shaking his head. "Forget it! A loss is a loss. Even if I step forward, I doubt that things will go our way!"

To be honest, he did not think of Zhang Jiuxiao as a threat to him at all. He was confident of defeating the young man with ease... but the problem was that Zhang Jiuxiao's defeat did not translate to the Zhang Clan's defeat!

The head of the Zhang Clan had pulled off the 'Memorization Through Spiritual Perception, Recital of a Thousand Books' and even raise his student's comprehension of temporal laws to a level surpassing that of his disciples within an hour...

A person who wielded such capabilities could not possibly be weak.

If he made a move, the head of the Zhang Clan was bound to make a move as well. In the end, the outcome would still be the same. In the worst-case scenario, he might even be given free transportation through the Master Teacher Continent, just like what had happened to Nangong Yuanfeng back at the Luo Clan.

Since the odds were not in his favor at all, there was no need for him to humiliate himself unnecessarily.

Without much hesitation, Tantai Zhenqing clasped his fist and said, "We'll admit defeat!"

Seeing that the other party had admitted defeat right after a single battle, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist back and smiled. "Elder, I'm grateful for your leniency toward my student!"

He had fully expected Zhang Jiuxiao to be able to defeat Tantai Jiankui eventually... However, he did not think that the other party would make such a dignified admittance of defeat.

Even Nangong Yuanfeng had struggled for quite a bit before being forced to admit defeat.

"A loss is a loss; there's no leniency here to speak of," Tantai Zhenqing replied. He flicked his wrist, took out Ancient Sage Zi Yu's inkstone, and tossed it over. After which, he clasped his fist and said, "Farewell!"

After taking the inkstone, Zhang Xuan grabbed the floating Temporal Mirror and glanced at it before tossing it over to Tantai Zhenqing. "Your mirror!"

"Thank you."

Tantai Zhenqing took the mirror before leaving together with the others. In the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from view.

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Chapter 1634: The Luo Clan Arrives

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After flying for some time, the departing crowd of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers finally came to a halt.

"Teacher, I feel indignant at admitting our defeat just like that!" one of the young men exclaimed.

"While Zhang Jiuxiao might be improving swiftly," another young man added through clenched teeth, "as long as we go all out right from the start, we might still be able to defeat him. Also, the head of the Zhang Clan might simply be skilled at imparting knowledge. If Sword Saint Xing's words were true, that would be the first time that the head of the Zhang Clan had come into contact with the heritage of the Zhang Clan! No matter how talented he is, there's no way his comprehension of temporal laws could possibly surpass ours within a single hour!"

Given that they had not completed the mission that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had entrusted to them, they would surely be severely punished upon their return!

Seeing that his students were indignant at their loss, Tantai Zhenqing shook his head in disappointment. "You said that the head of the Zhang Clan's comprehension of temporal laws is beneath yours?"

"That's right!" A young man nodded vehemently.

"I might have agreed with you a moment ago. However... just take a look at the Temporal Mirror!"

Without explaining a thing, Tantai Zhenqing flicked his wrist, and a golden mirror materialized on top of his palm.

"What happened to the mirror?"

The crowd quickly gathered around Tantai Zhenqing. With just a single glance, their eyes narrowed in astonishment.

A long crack could be seen on the surface of the mirror, reminiscent of a glaring laceration.

"Teacher, what happened? Who damaged the Temporal Mirror?" Tantai Jiankui asked in shock.

The Temporal Mirror was one of the top treasures of their clan. Even Great Sage experts would have trouble trying to damage it! Why would such a huge crack suddenly appear on its surface?

"It was caused by a single glance of the head of the Zhang Clan!" Tantai Zhenqing said with a deep look in his eyes.

"It was caused by a single glance?"

The crowd frowned in incomprehension.

Given the resilience of the Temporal Mirror, there would not be the slightest dent even if they were to exert their full strength on it. The head of the Zhang Clan was only a Saint 9-dan pinnacle cultivator, but he was able to produce such a long crack on the Temporal Mirror just by glancing at it?

"The Temporal Mirror was left behind by one of our predecessors as a trial to the later generations. It's embedded with all kinds of formations in order to challenge those whose consciousness has slipped within it... It might seem to be a casual glance from the head of the Zhang Clan, but in truth, his consciousness had already slipped into the Temporal Mirror and destroyed all of the formations within it!" Tantai Zhenqing explained grimly.

"His consciousness slipped into the Temporal Mirror and destroyed all of the formations within it?"

The crowd narrowed their eyes in disbelief.

The deeper one's comprehension of temporal laws was, the faster one would be able to escape from the Temporal Mirror. However, not only did the head of the Zhang Clan escape from the Temporal Mirror, he even destroyed all of the formations within it... Just how deep was his comprehension of temporal laws in order to pull something like that off?

"Most likely, he has already reached the level of Time Quintessence..." Tantai Zhenqing addressed the doubt that was in everyone's mind.

In a moment, the crowd fell silent.

Time Quintessence and Spatial Quintessence were at a different order to Sword Quintessence and the like. Even Ancient Sages would face great difficulties trying to comprehend those two Quintessences, but a Saint 9-dan lad actually managed to do it...

"It seems like the head of the Zhang Clan possesses talent on par with the Luo Clan's Luo Tianya. It won't be easy for the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to accomplish its goals!" Nangong Yuanfeng sighed deeply.

It was no wonder Tantai Zhenqing had left so hurriedly. Given the same cultivation realm, it was nigh impossible to defeat someone who had comprehended Time Quintessence, even if he was a Sempiternal realm cultivator suppressing his cultivation.

Leaving was indeed the wisest decision they could make. Otherwise, all they would face was humiliation.

...

"We have won?"

"We actually defeated the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?"

In contrast to the gloomy air hanging around Tantai Zhenqing and the group from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, exhilarated cheers echoed throughout the Zhang Clan.

When they heard that the experts of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers had come to challenge them, they had thought that they would have their dignity trampled upon. Who could have thought that their clan head would be able to drive them away so easily?

This was something that they would not dare have imagined in the past.

But what they had deemed impossible had really happened right before their eyes!

"I have won?"

Even Zhang Jiuxiao could hardly believe what had happened.

To actually duel and win against a descendant of the Philosophers... Had it been half a year ago, he never would have thought that he would be able to pull off something like this!

In his mind, he could not help but feel deeply grateful to his teacher once more. It was his teacher who had helped him acquire everything that he possessed at this very moment.

"I want you to properly cultivate the two manuals I have imparted to you over the next few days. Try your best to comprehend Time Quintessence as soon as possible. Also, I want you to cultivate this cultivation technique accordingly. With this, you should be able to make a breakthrough very soon and raise your cultivation significantly!" Zhang Xuan looked at Zhang Jiuxiao sternly.

"You are the weakest of my students at the moment, so you have to work harder to advance your cultivation. I hope that you will be able to become a stout shield for mankind in the future, just like your seniors!"

"Yes, Teacher! I will not let you down!" Zhang Jiuxiao clasped his fist.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.

Following which, he turned his gaze toward the Xingmeng Sword Saints. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Father, Mother!"

The truth was that he had already acknowledged the two of them as his parents, but for some reason, he found it incredibly difficult addressing them as 'father' and 'mother'.

However, he felt that it would be inappropriate to allow their relationship to continue this way. It was likely that he would work closely with the Xingmeng Sword Saints in the future to protect mankind from the Otherworldly Demons, especially since the two of them still wielded greater influence in the Zhang Clan than him. It would not do for their relationship to remain awkward.

Thus, he bucked up his courage and did it.

The Xingmeng Sword Saints were taken aback for a moment before irrepressible smiles crept onto their faces. They clenched their fists tightly in agitation as they called out, "Xuan-er!"

They had been looking forward to this day ever since their reunion. However, they knew that they had done their son wrong, so they had not dared to impose their expectations on him. They could only wish that the day would come when their child acknowledged them on his own accord.

They did not think that their wish would come true so quickly!

"Even though the cultivation techniques that you practice are top-notch, the distress you have been under in the past two decades has caused some blockages in your meridians, preventing your zhenqi from flowing smoothly. I'll impart a method for resolving the blockages to you so that you can achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible!" Zhang Xuan said.

His parents might be the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, but under the reflection of the Library of Heaven's Path, there were still many flaws with their cultivation techniques and physical conditions. These flaws became the bottleneck that hindered the advancement of their cultivation.

If they could resolve these problems, it would not take them too long to reach the peak of Great Sage!

"You... are going to give us some pointers?" Hearing their son's words, the eyebrows of the Xingmeng Sword Saints shot up in astonishment.

Their son was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle at the moment. Was he really capable of offering pointers to Great Sage 3-dan cultivators like them?

"It's not really pointers. I'm just pointing out a few flaws I have noticed in your cultivation so as to resolve the traumas you have sustained!" Zhang Xuan explained with a smile.

He had long compiled a book on them in the Library of Heaven's Path, but he just had not had time to sort out their conditions and offer them some pointers.

Having said that, Zhang Xuan took out two empty books and began writing on them. Soon, he had already jotted down the flaws and problems that they were suffering from, as well as the solutions to resolving them.

"This..."

The Xingmeng Sword Saints took the books and flipped through them, and their bodies jolted in shock.

There was nothing wrong with what their son had pointed out. Those were indeed the problems that they were facing!

Zhang Xuan turned to the other elders and instructed, "I need the rest of you to execute a battle technique so that I can offer you some pointers for your cultivation!"

With a war against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe just around the corner, it was of the utmost importance for him to raise the fighting prowess of the Zhang Clan as much as possible.

However, before the elders could do anything, a guard suddenly rushed in with an anxious look on his face.

"Clan head, bad news! The Luo Clan has arrived at the entrance of Dracotiger City!"

After three days of flight, the crowd from the Luo Clan had finally arrived!

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Chapter 1635: Refining the Ancient Sage Corpse

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Knowing that he would have to face the Luo Clan eventually, Zhang Xuan instructed, "Let them in!"

"Yes!" The guard nodded before rushing out.

"The Luo Clan sure is impudent! Did they not embarrass themselves enough the last time? Are they so desperate to make a fool out of themselves?"

"It's hard to say. I heard that they have found themselves a clan head who has comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Most likely, they are here to cleanse themselves of the humiliation they suffered back at the engagement ceremony!"

"Cleanse themselves of the humiliation? Humph! Just how far can their arrogance go? The name of their clan head is Luo Tianya, right? What right does he have to compete with our clan head?"

"He's just a member of the side family who managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing by sheer luck. Just how arrogant must he be to dare challenge our clan head! We must make sure to teach him a lesson that he'll never forget..."

...

Such discussions could be heard around the room.

Hearing how the crowd from the Zhang Clan were putting down Luo Tianya to prop him up, Zhang Xuan suddenly felt incredibly exhausted.

When they learned that the new head of the Luo Clan was actually him... would they faint from shock?

How should he deal with this matter in order to resolve the conflict between the two clans once and for all?

If he told the Luo Clan that he was Luo Tianya, the Luo Clan would surely think that he was trying to humiliate them once more, especially after what had happened at the engagement ceremony...

On the other hand, if he told the Zhang Clan that he was Luo Tianya, the matter about him having a Luo Clan bloodline purity level of '9' would convince them otherwise too. In the worst-case scenario, they might even think that his father had been cuckolded.

What a frustrating situation to be in!

Everyone wants to be outstanding, but they don't understand the woes of being too outstanding!

All that comes with it is endless frustrations!

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan was still unable to find a feasible solution to get him out of his current quandary, so he could only find a reason to excuse himself for the time being. "I'll leave it to all of you to host the Luo Clan for the time being. I suddenly had an epiphany and would like to cultivate right now..."

As long as he and Luo Tianya were not around, surely things would not get too far between the two clans...

His presence would only complicate things.

"Go ahead. Leave the Luo Clan to us," Sword Saint Xing replied with a nod.

The reason behind the conflict between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan was the rejection of the engagement, and the primary culprit behind that was Zhang Xuan. It would indeed be best for Zhang Xuan to stay out of the Luo Clan's sight so as to avoid triggering them, especially when they were clearly still in the heat of their anger.

After entrusting the problem to his father, Zhang Xuan quickly led Luo Ruoxin to his residence.

He settled her down in the adjacent room before returning to his bedroom. With a thought, he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest.

With his deepened understanding of space, he was able to expand and reinforce the Myriad Anthive Nest, making it far more resilient and larger than before. The entire folded space spanned several hundred li from one end to the other, and it was filled with countless buildings. In terms of size, it was already comparable to a major city.

Zhang Xuan swiftly found an empty clearing in the Myriad Anthive Nest and sat down. With a thought, a massive corpse fell onto the ground, crushing the bluestone tiles underneath. A cloud of dust rose into the air.

It was the corpse of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage that he had killed back at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild.

It had been difficult for him to deposit it into the storage ring, but taking it out was much easier. He could do it even without the help of the Dragonbone Divine Spear.

He had expended his three droplets of Kong shi's blood, his golden pages had been used up, and Vicious was currently in hibernation. This meant that he had no life preservation means with him at the moment, and this was extremely dangerous considering the current state of affairs on the Master Teacher Continent. As such, it was of the utmost importance for him to forge the Soulless Metal Humanoid as soon as possible!

Should I see if I can enter the corpse first? Zhang Xuan thought as he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his body.

Even though the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage was already dead, its corpse still emanated a crushing pressure on beings around it. Even from a distance away, it felt as if a squall was blasting his way, putting his Primordial Spirit under such strain that it almost seemed like it would be torn apart.

The might of an Ancient Sage is indeed not to be underestimated! Zhang Xuan thought grimly.

After tempering his Primordial Spirit under the pressure emanated by the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it had already become incredibly resilient. Even Great Sage cultivators would find it difficult to inflict any damage on his Primordial Spirit. Yet, he was actually having difficulties approaching a mere corpse...

This was truly inconceivable!

Zhang Xuan tried a few more times, but he was forced to retreat before he could come into contact with the corpse time and time again. In the end, he could only shake his head helplessly.

In order to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid, his Primordial Spirit must first be able to enter the corpse. If he could not even come into contact with the corpse, how could he forge it?

It seems like I'll have to raise my soul cultivation as soon as possible. If I could just make a breakthrough to Great Sage, I might be able to successfully enter the corpse!Zhang Xuan thought as he returned his Primordial Spirit to his body.

He quickly sorted out the urgent matters that he had to complete in his mind.

First, I have to find the cultivation technique that Kong shi left behind to push for a breakthrough to Great Sage. Second, I should try to take in more students, obtain their gratitude, and form more golden pages. Third, I need to push for a breakthrough in my soul cultivation so as to forge this corpse!

While Zhang Xuan knew that the prowess of the golden page was formidable, he had not thought that it would actually be capable of smashing an Ancient Sage as well.

After all, Ancient Sages were symbols of invincibility in the hearts of all cultivators. Cultivators who had not reached an equivalent level could be crushed by a single thought from them, so those who had not reached Ancient Sage yet would never dream of opposing an Ancient Sage...

But he actually managed to kill an Ancient Sage with ease, using the golden page.

There would be no better life preservation method than that, so he would really have to try to obtain as many golden pages as possible.

The first and the second are rather difficult to accomplish at the moment, but for the third... I think I might just be able to do it!

He was not too certain about the circumstances in the Master Teacher Pavilion at the moment, so it would be particularly dangerous for him to head there, especially since he had lost his trump cards. If those who were in collusion with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe sabotaged him, he might just lose his life there. Thus, he was not too keen on heading there at the moment.

As for the second, as powerful as the golden pages were, the issue was that the formation of the golden pages was an extremely spontaneous process.

He had previously deduced that its formation was triggered by the gratitude of his students, but it did not seem to happen for certain every single time. It might be due to the extent of their gratitude or perhaps some other factors, but in any case, it was not safe for him to bank on that.

Thus, after some contemplation, it seemed like only the third was within his control at the moment.

Having clarified such thoughts, Zhang Xuan leaped out of the Myriad Anthive Nest and left his residence. He found one of the elders of the Zhang Clan and instructed, "Bring me to the library!"

As the clan head, it went without saying that he had the authority to enter the Zhang Clan's library freely. He did not have to snoop around like he had done before.

...

Four hours later, Zhang Xuan walked out of the library with his head hanging in disappointment.

Although the Zhang Clan was the number one Sage Clan on the Master Teacher Continent, it did not have too many advanced books relating to soul. While he did manage to gather quite a few new books, he was still unable to perfect the Great Sage 1-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art.

In other words, he was not able to cultivate it yet.

Sighing deeply, he turned to the elder who had brought him over and asked, "How's it going with the Luo Clan?"

"Reporting to the clan head, the Luo Clan said that they have come to challenge you to a duel, but it happens that their clan head, the newly inaugurated Luo Tianya, had some urgent affairs to attend to, so he wasn't able to come over with them... So, we have settled them down in the guest accommodations for the time being!" the elder replied.

"Un, that's good!" Seeing that the situation did not blow up, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He pondered for a moment before asking once more, "Are there any occupations or powers that specialize in souls in the vicinity of the Zhang Clan?"

"Occupations or powers that specialize in souls?" The elder thought deeply for a moment before replying. "The Terpsichorean Guild headquarters is located in the Terpsichorean City, roughly forty thousand li away from the Zhang Clan. Due to the nature of their occupation, they are quite adept in the topic of soul.

"However, if we are speaking of the power that commands the deepest understanding of souls, it would indubitably be the Jiang Clan of the Three Premier Clans! Their predecessors comprehended Soul Quintessence, and their home base is located half a day's journey away from our Zhang Clan!"

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Chapter 1636: Has the Jiang Clan Betrayed Mankind Too?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"The Jiang Clan?" Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before slapping his forehead in realization.

Why didn't he think of that earlier?

Of the Three Premier Clans, the Zhang Clan was adept in temporal arts, the Luo Clan was well-versed in spatial arts, and the Jiang Clan specialized in soul arts.

When the soul oracles were eradicated from the Master Teacher Continent back then, the heritage of soul cultivation nearly vanished completely. It was the founder of the Jiang Clan who stood up at that moment and resuscitated soul cultivation on the Master Teacher Continent. With his comprehension of the Soul Quintessence, he created countless formidable soul arts and became one of the strongest experts in his era.

Speaking of which, he wasn't completely unacquainted with the Jiang Clan either. He had met the head of the Jiang Clan, Jiang Fangyou, during the engagement ceremony with the Luo Clan. He had also crossed blows with the top prodigy of the Jiang Clan, Jiang Feifei, during the celestial designer trial while challenging the Tower of Master Teachers back at the Sanctum of Sages too!

Just that, he didn't think that the Jiang Clan would be located just half a day's journey away from the Zhang Clan.

"Clan head, do you intend to pick up soul-related techniques?" the elder asked curiously.

"I have advanced my cultivation too swiftly in recent days, and that has resulted in instability in my Primordial Spirit. I was thinking of learning some soul cultivation techniques to reinforce my soul before pushing for higher realms!" Zhang Xuan replied.

Hearing those words, the elder nodded in agreement.

Such problems did occur if one were to advance one's cultivation too quickly.

The first time their clan head came to the Zhang Clan, he was only at Saint 7-dan Phantasmal Space realm. Yet, within such a short span of time, he had already reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle... That was indubitably a breakneck pace. Of course, the problems from advancing his cultivation so quickly might not be very apparent at the moment, but trying to build upon unstable foundations would indubitably cause him a huge amount of trouble in the future.

Learning the clan head's intent, the elder remarked, "Our Zhang Clan doesn't really have a close relationship with the Jiang Clan. However, as fellow Premier Clans, I don't think the Jiang Clan would refuse your request as long as the books you require doesn't violate the privacy of their heritage!"

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in realization.

Indeed, he was no longer the nobody he was!

Soul arts might have been the most tightly guarded secret of the Jiang Clan, but as the head of the Zhang Clan, the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and Yang shi's senior, if he were to request to browse through the more superficial soul art manuals in their collection, it was unlikely that they would refuse his request!

After bidding the elder farewell, he informed Luo Ruoxin that he would be heading out for a moment before whipping out his Dragonbone Divine Spear to tear open a dimension rift and head off.

He had obtained the precise location of the Jiang Clan from the elder he had chatted with earlier. Flitting at a neck-breaking speed, it didn't take long for him to arrive at the suburbs of a city. Similar to the Zhang Clan, this city spanned over many mu 1 , boasting a scale greater than that of the Empire Alliance.

The Jiang Clan!

One of the Three Premier Clans, a behemoth on the Master Teacher Continent!

Zhang Xuan scanned the city and swiftly noticed the many defensive formations erected around the place. He couldn't help but compliment, "It seems like every single one of the Premier Clans wields power that shouldn't be underestimated!"

He had been to the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan, and they had all kinds of formations that would put even Great Sage cultivators in a bad position if they were to charge in recklessly. Such was clearly the case for the Jiang Clan as well.

However, it just happened that formations posed no threat to him at all. Through the Library of Heaven's Path, all he could see were hulking flaws after hulking flaws.

After looking around for a moment, he was just about to hand his name scroll to the guards stationed at the entrance of the Jiang Clan to have them report his arrival when he suddenly narrowed his eyes in alarm.

He hurriedly dashed into a nearby shrub to hide.

Through the lush shrubbery, he looked into the sky above and saw a figure appearing in the aerial space above the Jiang Clan.

Following which, the head of the Jiang Clan, Jiang Fangyou, personally rushed over to welcome him, and the two of them descended to the ground together.

"Why is he here? Does this mean that... the Jiang Clan is colluding with the Otherworldly Demons too?" Zhang Xuan thought lividly.

The figure who had just appeared was no other than the scholarly young man whom he had met back at the White Creek Mountain and the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild!

Why would the scholarly young man appear here?

The fact that he was personally welcomed by the head of the Jiang Clan suggested a peculiar relation between the two of them.

"Let me take a look!" Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan scanned his surroundings with the Eye of Insight before heading forward.

He might not have too many trump cards at the moment—if he were to engage the scholarly young man in his current state, it would surely end in his defeat. However, he was still confident in his ability to hide his presence.

Besides, having comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing and Time Quintessence of Acceleration, he was confident that he would be at least able to escape even if he were no match from them!

Hula!

Countless spatial ripples diffused in the space in front of Zhang Xuan as he strutted boldly through the main gates of the Jiang Clan.

There were plenty of guards stationed at the doorstep of the Jiang Clan, and their cultivation ranged from Saint 3-dan to Saint 4-dan. Yet, not a single one of them noticed Zhang Xuan, as if he didn't even exist.

This was another skillful manipulation of the spatial laws.

Through sealing an area around him and preventing any energy from entering or leaving this area, he would be able to prevent even light from revealing his presence. As long as one's cultivation was beneath him, it would be impossible for one to notice his presence.

After walking through several corridors, he finally came to a halt before a majestic hall.

Right ahead was the area where the Jiang Fangyou and the scholarly young man had landed at. As deep as his comprehension of spatial laws was, he dared not to come too close.

Thus, he found a location to conceal his figure before looking into the hall.

On the inside, he saw the two men standing opposite one another, seemingly discussing some important matters.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan focused his attention into the hall. Soon, he began to hear snippets of their conversation.

"... news that you have? I understand!"

The scholarly young man nodded and said, "I'll leave the arrangements to you. Nothing must go wrong. If we were to succeed for this, it would bring a new day upon us. The dreams that we have harbored for many years would finally come to be!"

"Yes, I understand!" Jiang Fangyou nodded hurriedly.

"It's good that you understand. You must take precautions too. The upheaval will be happening very soon, and a huge war will be inevitable. You have to prepare yourselves to make a move at any moment!"

After saying those words, the scholarly young man shook his head grimly. He quickly bade his farewell before leaving the vicinity.

Even as the scholarly young man departed, Zhang Xuan still dared not to move carelessly. He reined in his aura as tightly as possible while folding the space around him firmly, not daring to allow any leeway in whatever that could possibly betray his presence.

As he left, the scholarly young man glanced downward for a moment, but it seemed to just be a sweeping look. It took only a few moments for him to vanish from sight, disappearing in some other direction.

"Hai!" Watching the departure of the scholarly young man, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply. With a complicated look in his eyes, he walked out of the hall.

Zhang Xuan figured that the other party was probably going to make whatever arrangements he had agreed on with the scholarly young man.

"The Jiang Clan is in collusion with those bunch of scoundrels too. Have they betrayed mankind as well?" Watching as Jiang Fangyou walked away, the frown on Zhang Xuan's forehead scrunched tighter and tighter together.

The Jiang Clan was one of the Three Premier Clans! While their standing was beneath that of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan, they were still highly respected in the Master Teacher Continent, and their ranks were filled with many master teachers... Why would they betray mankind and collude with those bunch of scoundrels too?

He had met the scholarly young man twice so far. While he was unable to see through the other party's true appearance, the fact that the other party had close ties with Otherworldly Demons was a direct hint at his true identity.

Even if the other party wasn't an Otherworldly Demon, the fact that he was in cahoots with them meant that he was a traitor of mankind.

And for the head of the Jiang Clan to have a secret discussion with the other party at this juncture... It was truly hard for Zhang Xuan not to suspect anything.

"'It would bring a new day upon us', 'a huge war will be inevitable'... Just what in the world could they be up to? Are they conspiring something against the Master Teacher Pavilion, or perhaps, the entire continent?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly together.

He was still unable to figure out what their plans were, but the fact that they had stolen Vicious' upper body and brought over several Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages to the Master Teacher Continent showed that they had great ambitions in mind! If something were to happen to the Master Teacher Continent, everything that he cared about would be in peril.

Be it the Zhang Clan, the Luo Clan, the Xuanxuan Faction, the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy... Once the nest was destroyed, there would be no egg in the nest that would be able to remain safe!

A conspiracy between the Jiang Clan and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe could deal a huge setback to mankind. Since he had noticed it in advance, he would have to stop it at all costs!

"I'll have to discuss the matter with my parents to decide on a suitable course of action to deal with the Jiang Clan..." Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly.

If they couldn't root the Jiang Clan's influence in a single move, they would swiftly go into hiding. With the massive influence the Jiang Clan wielded across the Master Teacher Continent, their constant sabotage from the shadows would surely be a huge setback to mankind if a war with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were to break out!

"In any case, since the Jiang Clan has betrayed mankind, there's no need for me to stand on ceremony with them... Let me head to their library to collect their books first!"

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly scanned the area around him before heading off in a certain direction.

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Chapter 1637: A Breakthrough in Soul Cultivation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

A moment later, he arrived before an imposing building.

There was a plaque at the entrance of the building with three massive words gleaming on it—Jiang Clan Repository!

This should be it, Zhang Xuan thought.

While he had often snuck around to collect books in the past, ever since he became the head of the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had resolved himself to stop doing so.

However, since the Jiang Clan had already chosen to betray mankind, there was no need to uphold principles and values toward them.

Zhang Xuan walked up to the gates and tapped them lightly, opening a small passageway in the formation protecting the building. Without any hesitation, he walked in.

After mastering the 4-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, most seals and formations had become nothing more than ornaments to him.

"There is indeed quite a large collection of manuals relating to souls here," Zhang Xuan muttered delightedly beneath his breath as he quickly scanned through the books on the first level.

However, most of the books on the first level were not too profound, so Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to collect them. Thus, he quickly made his way to the next level.

The soul manuals on the second level were of a higher tier. Nevertheless, with a quick look through, he found that they were still too elementary for his current soul cultivation level. As such, he moved up five levels at once, stopping only at the seventh level.

The number of books on the seventh level was considerably smaller. All in all, there were only several dozen bookshelves filled with tens of thousands of books.

With a quick sweep, Zhang Xuan collected all of the books into his Library of Heaven's Path before swiftly browsing through them.

A crease emerged between his brows. Why are there so many books relating to soul oracles?

To his bewilderment, he found that most of the books actually detailed soul cultivation techniques that should have been unique to soul oracles.

There was a fundamental difference between the soul cultivation techniques practiced by soul oracles and modern soul cultivation techniques practiced by cultivators nowadays.

The modern soul cultivation techniques that most cultivators practiced served to temper one's soul. On the other hand, the soul cultivation techniques of the soul oracle formed a full heritage that was intricately linked with the Soulless Metal Humanoids, soul rituals, and the like.

To make an analogy, if modern soul cultivation techniques corresponded to physicians, the techniques of the soul oracles corresponded to poison masters.

While there was no doubt that both sets of cultivation techniques were targeted at the soul, their cultivation methods differed vastly from one another!

As one of the Three Premier Clans, the Jiang Clan had always been held in high regards by the world. Why would they have so many soul oracle cultivation techniques?

Could it be that... the founder of the Jiang Clan was a successor of the soul oracles?Zhang Xuan's eyelids twitched as this notion surfaced in his mind.

The soul oracles had been annihilated, and their heritage had been erased from the world—this was a known fact throughout the entire Master Teacher Continent. Yet, the Jiang Clan had actually retained so many manuals regarding the heritage of the soul oracles... It was truly hard to believe that there were no ties between the two!

With many doubts in his mind, Zhang Xuan moved on to the next floor.

There were even fewer books on the eighth level, but most of them still stemmed from the heritage of the soul oracles.

If the Jiang Clan has its roots from the soul oracle, that could explain why they would choose to betray mankind... Zhang Xuan thought with narrowed eyes.

The vicious means of the soul oracles formed only a part of the reason that the Master Teacher Pavilion had decided to annihilate them. More importantly, it was because they had chosen to betray mankind to collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!

There were also many inhumane aspects in the heritage of the poison masters, but the Master Teacher Pavilion had only chosen to isolate them instead of going all out to massacre their forces.

If there was no mistake in his deduction, it explained why the Jiang Clan had ties with the scholarly young man as well.

After collecting the books, Zhang Xuan proceeded on to the final floor of the Jiang Clan Repository.

There were even fewer books there, just a small handful.

With a quick glance, he collected them into the Library of Heaven's Path.

Compile!

Without much hesitation, he quickly compiled the books that he had collected with the cultivation technique that Lu Chong had passed on to him.

Weng!

Two books materialized before him in the Library of Heaven's Path. Tapping lightly on the two books, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

I have managed to perfect the soul cultivation techniques for Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm and Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm! There are still some flaws in the two remaining realms, but at the very least, I have managed to resolve most of the issues with them...

There was a difference in achieving a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan for one's zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation. For zhenqi cultivation, there was no standard formula that a cultivator could follow to make a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. As such, one had to slowly figure out a feasible method of doing so.

On the other hand, there were no meridians or the like within one's soul. As such, a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan for soul cultivation only required the cultivator to strengthen their soul and enhance their control over their soul energy.

I'll push for a breakthrough in my soul cultivation! Zhang Xuan thought.

He quickly set up a barrier in the corner of the room before entering the Myriad Anthive Nest.

After swiftly finding an empty clearing, he laid out his cultivation resources around the area. Following which, he took a seat on the ground before studying the newly compiled Great Sage 1-dan Heaven's Path Soul Art in his mind.

Some time later, he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his glabella. With a grasp of his hand, the cultivation resources flew over to him.

Hong long!

The cultivation resources shattered simultaneously, and concentrated spiritual energy gushed into the surroundings. Zhang Xuan quickly absorbed the spiritual energy into his Primordial Spirit.

He had obtained these cultivation resources from the Luo Clan's treasure vault. Putting aside using them to advance his soul cultivation, they would suffice even for a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan.

Gone were the days when he had to rely miserably on lightning tribulations to gather the energy required for his breakthrough!

Tzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

With the nourishment of the rich influx of spiritual energy, his Primordial Spirit grew stronger and stronger. It swiftly overcame its bottleneck and advanced into uncharted territories.

Weng!

As he tempered his Primordial Spirit with the spiritual energy that he had absorbed, it slowly took on a crystalline appearance, becoming much clearer than before. A brilliant luminescence of many colors glimmered around him, creating an image reminiscent of an enlightened immortal.

The soul of a typical soul oracle would still remain turbid and chilling even after making a breakthrough to Great Sage, but the soul cultivation technique that Zhang Xuan practiced was the Heaven's Path Soul Art.

Furthermore, his soul had been tempered by lightning innumerable times, causing a qualitative metamorphosis in his soul. At this moment, his soul was already devoid of the usual chilling yin aura that a soul oracle would possess.

Even if the 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion witnessed this sight, none of them would associate his Primordial Spirit with those of the soul oracles.

Feeling the changes in his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

Finally, Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm!

His visit to the Jiang Clan had truly paid off. If not for those books that he had browsed through, who knew how long it would have taken him to make a breakthrough in his soul cultivation?

Continue!

Even after achieving a breakthrough in his soul cultivation to the Introspective Convalescence realm, he could still vaguely sense that his Primordial Spirit was not strong enough to enter the corpse of the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage yet.

Without much hesitation, he continued absorbing the spiritual energy around him and pushed determinedly for the next realm.

Four hours later...

Zhang Xuan's rate of absorption came to a halt, and he slowly opened his eyes.

I have reached Introspective Convalescence realm consummation...

Unlike for Saint, each realm in Great Sage was divided into six cultivation stages, namely primary, intermediate, advanced, pinnacle, perfection, and consummation.

Reaching consummation meant that he had reached the very peak of this realm.

It's indeed much more difficult to push for a breakthrough in Great Sage as compared to Saint. Back then, two hours would suffice for me to advance a cultivation realm, but it's taking me two times longer now...

He had never thought that the day would come when he would require four hours just to advance his cultivation by an entire realm... and it seemed like it would only become more and more arduous the higher he climbed.

He shuddered to imagine that a day would come where he would require an entire day to advance a cultivation realm... How terrifying!

Cultivation sure isn't easy... If even a prodigy like me requires four hours to advance this far, how much longer would it take other cultivators? Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed. Forget it! No matter how exhausting it'll be, I should get this over and done with. I should at least try to reach Aureate Body realm consummation before the sun sets...

While lamenting how it was getting harder and harder to advance his cultivation, he carried on cultivating.

No matter how long it would take him, in order to raise his fighting prowess, he had no choice but to carry on with this incredibly tedious and monotonous task.

Who asked him to embark on this arduous path? No matter how exhausted he was, he could only grit his teeth and hang on!

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Chapter 1638: Jiang Feifei

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Ten minutes later, Zhang Xuan halted his cultivation with a helpless look on his face.

I knew that it wouldn't be so easy... he thought as he rubbed his glabella in distress.

He had thought that he would be able to easily push for a breakthrough to Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm consummation with the cultivation resources that he had obtained from the Luo Clan, but who could have known that... the spiritual energy would be insufficiently pure for him to make a breakthrough!

These resources would have been sufficient for anyone else to cultivate up to Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm. However, what Zhang Xuan cultivated was not any ordinary soul cultivation technique but the Heaven's Path Soul Art. Furthermore, his Primordial Spirit had been tempered by lightning, thus making it nearly devoid of any impurities.

As a result, even though the purity of the spiritual energy in the cultivation resources was not too low, it was still insufficient for him.

And having lost his source of energy, there was no way he could gather the momentum required to make a breakthrough.

It had not been easy for him to compile the Heaven's Path Soul Art, but to think that he would be forced to stop his cultivation just because his source of spiritual energy was not sufficiently pure.

Facing such a situation, he could only sigh helplessly.

Well... I was hesitant to take too much from the Luo Clan because Luo Ganzhen was following behind me, but I don't think my conscience would hurt at all stealing from the Jiang Clan... Since they have already betrayed mankind, the more I take from them, the less harm they will be able to inflict on mankind!

Zhang Xuan thought as a grin crept onto his face.

Even though he had the authority to use the resources from the Luo Clan, he could not possibly just take all the good items from the treasure vault. But with the Jiang Clan, he had no such considerations at all.

Given that they had already betrayed mankind, any resources that they had would only bolster the enemy. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to stand on ceremony with them!

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan quickly returned his Primordial Spirit back into his body before leaving the Myriad Anthive Nest.

It was still perfectly quiet on the outside when he returned to the Jiang Clan Repository. It was apparent that no one had thought that an intruder would be able to breach their defensive formation and access their books.

I recall seeing their treasure vault while making my way here. It should be in that direction. I should head over there to take a look!

Through his skillful manipulation of space, he managed to leave the Jiang Clan Repository safely without alerting anyone. After confirming a direction, he quickly made his way over.

It did not take him too long to arrive at his destination.

The seals placed on the treasure vault were clearly much stronger and more secure compared to the library. The seals were layered over one another in a complex manner, making it difficult to decipher.

Zhang Xuan was just about to use the Library of Heaven's Path on the seals to exploit their flaws and slip into the treasure vault when he heard footsteps coming from nearby.

He darted to a remote corner, and with a wave of his hand, he swiftly set up a spatial barrier around him. Right as he was done, he saw two figures walking over.

To his surprise, they were familiar faces.

The figure on the left was the middle-aged man whom he had just seen a few hours ago—Clan Head Jiang Fangyou. The figure on the right was a tall young lady who carried an air of valiance through her demeanor. She was the Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Guild, Jiang Feifei!

Jiang Feifei seemed to have been dragged back by Jiang Fangyou, and she had an unhappy frown on her face. She groaned in protest, "Father..."

"I allowed you to squander your time learning all that celestial designer nonsense in the past, but the circumstances are different now. The Master Teacher Continent will be undergoing a massive change very soon, and there could very well be an upheaval. As the prodigy who possesses the purest bloodline in our Jiang Clan, you have to bear this responsibility!" Jiang Fangyou lectured sternly.

"Father, it's not as if you don't know my current level of cultivation. I'm still a long way off from reaching Saint 8-dan, so even if I want to shoulder the burden of the Jiang Clan, what can I possibly do?" Jiang Feifei complained reluctantly.

"The strength of our Jiang Clan is derived not from our zhenqi cultivation but our soul cultivation! Due to your pure bloodline, your soul has always been far stronger than your peers. If you could comprehend our founder's Soul Quintessence, you'll be able to inherit the complete heritage of our founder and experience rapid growth in your fighting prowess!" Jiang Fangyou explained.

With an expectant gleam in his eyes, he continued. "I'm not joking around with you. This matter concerns the very survival of our Jiang Clan. If things go wrong, our Jiang Clan could very well face extinction! We can't afford to have you throwing a tantrum at a crucial moment!"

"Alright, alright! I get it..." Seeing how severely her father was making things out to be, Jiang Feifei could only nod her head helplessly. "I'll try my best, alright? However, you should also know that it's incredibly difficult to grasp the Soul Quintessence, such that many of our predecessors have failed to do so. I don't think that I stand much of a chance!"

"... You'll just have to do your best. We have just received intelligence that there are hints that suggest that Zhang Xuan from the Zhang Clan has comprehended the Time Quintessence, and Luo Tianya from the Luo Clan has been confirmed to have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence... Of the Three Premier Clans, our Jiang Clan is the only one that is lagging behind!" Jiang Fangyou released a troubled sigh.

"That Zhang Xuan you speak of is a ridiculously talented prodigy. Despite his young age, he's already the head of the Zhang Clan and the Sanctum of Sages. It's no surprise that he was able to comprehend the Time Quintessence. However... who is that Luo Tianya you spoke of?" Jiang Feifei asked doubtfully.

So far, the Luo Clan had not officially announced the inauguration of their new clan head. As such, only the top echelons of the Jiang Clan were aware of the matter so far.

Furthermore, Jiang Feifei spent most of her time in the Sanctum of Sages instead of the Jiang Clan, and she had not formed her own faction. As such, it was inevitable that she would be unaware of this matter.

"According to the intelligence we have received, Luo Tianya is from the side family of the Luo Clan. It seems like he has maintained a low profile in the Luo Clan all along, but his sudden comprehension of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing has brought him into the limelight. After a bloodline test, it was shown that he has a bloodline purity of '9'. On top of that, he even defeated the descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Rong of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers!" Jiang Fangyou explained.

Even as he spoke, there was an incredulous look in his eyes. It seemed like he still bore some skepticism toward the existence of this figure who had appeared out of nowhere.

But if the matter was true, he really had to say that the Luo Clan was really too lucky.

It was not too long ago that the Zhang Clan had found their missing young prodigy and realized that the latter already wielded astounding influence on the continent, thus causing the reputation of the Zhang Clan to soar to new heights. Shortly after that, a person who had comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing appeared in the Luo Clan...

Given that their Jiang Clan was lagging behind the pack, it was inevitable for Jiang Fangyou to get anxious.

"Luo Tianya was from the side family of the Luo Clan? Father, why don't you try looking among our side family as well? We might just have some extraordinarily talented clan members who have comprehended the Soul Quintessence... If you find one, you won't have to worry about finding a successor anymore!"

Hearing his daughter's words, Jiang Fangyou struck her head furiously and berated, "How in the world did you manage to think of something as ridiculous as that! If even you, a core member of the Jiang Clan, are unable to comprehend the Soul Quintessence, how do you expect those of the side family to do so? Are you dreaming? It's already a miracle in itself for a Luo Tianya to appear in the Luo Clan! Do you really think that experts of that caliber can be found that easily?"

"Why are you denying the talents of our side family? If other clans have such formidable prodigies in their side family, we might just have some, too..." Jiang Feifei grumbled with a pout.

Despite her prodigious talent in soul cultivation, she was not fond of cultivating. Her interests lay in designing, and she was adept in the field as well. Otherwise, she would not have been able to become the Inceptive Sage of the Celestial Designer Guild.

Unfortunately... it was apparent that the Jiang Clan would not permit her to pursue her interest.

"If such a figure truly exists, I'll invite him over right now and hand over the position of clan head to him!" Hearing his daughter's words, Jiang Fangyou harrumphed impatiently. "Alright, stop dreaming of the impractical and go in! Your job right now is to sit in front of the Jiang Clan's Jade Hieroglyph and comprehend the Soul Quintessence as soon as possible. Don't bother thinking about other things. Otherwise, if you fail, in order to ensure that our clan is able to deal with the impending upheaval... we'll have no choice but to betroth you to a stronger power in order to ensure the preservation of our Jiang Clan!"

Hearing that she would be forced to marry if she failed to comprehend the Soul Quintessence, Jiang Feifei's eyes widened in horror as she hurriedly shook her head. "Father, I don't want to marry!"

"This matter isn't up to you anymore. The peril we'll face is far greater than what we have ever been through. I'm afraid that our Jiang Clan won't be able to survive this upheaval alone given our current strength..." Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply as he gazed at his daughter with a resigned look.

"However, you don't have to worry. Even if I betroth you to someone else, he will be either Zhang Xuan of the Zhang Clan or Luo Tianya of the Luo Clan... In any case, I won't allow any grievances to come upon you!"

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Chapter 1639: The Jiang Clan's Treasure Vault

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"I don't want to marry that Zhang Xuan! All he does is to humblebrag his strength and crush the confidence of others. Furthermore, he even rejected the little princess of the Luo Clan publicly! He has no considerations for the feelings of others at all!" Jiang Feifei harrumphed furiously.

"..." Zhang Xuan's complexion darkened.

I humblebragged? I crushed the confidence of others?

Please! I am already incredibly low profile, alright? Otherwise, I would have overshadowed all of you so much that none of you will be able to see the light of the day!

Furthermore, what rights do you have to be complaining about me? You are speaking as if I'm interested in marrying you!

You wish!

"If that's the case, I guess it'll have to be Luo Tianya then. It might be difficult on you though. I heard that he has quite an old appearance despite his relatively young age, and his facial features look as if someone has smashed the door in his face. Furthermore, it seems like he's already attached!" Jiang Fangyou said.

"..." Zhang Xuan nearly exploded on the spot.

Are you saying I'm ugly?

Ugly your head! You are the one who is ugly, your entire family is ugly!

My Luo Tianya might not be dashing, but he's at least decent-looking!

"I refuse to marry anyone!" Hearing that Luo Tianya was already attached, Jiang Feifei could feel her final string of sanity being pulled taut, on the verge of snapping at any moment.

"If you don't want to marry anyone, you'll have no choice but to comprehend the Soul Quintessence. Feifei, I don't want to force you into anything, but for the Jiang Clan, I have no other choice either..." Seeing that his threat was working, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply and said.

"... I understand!"

Jiang Feifei could tell that her father was intentionally trying to scare her, but there was some truth in what he was saying. If someone in the main family was unable to pull her weight, the greatest way she could contribute to the clan was through a political marriage.

"In order not to marry that Zhang Xuan, I'll have to give it my all then..." Jiang Feifei clenched her jaws tightly together.

"..." Zhang Xuan had no idea what to make of the situation anymore.

Am I that detestable? In order not to marry me, you are going to set your mind to cultivating as hard as you can... Is my reputation that bad?

"Alright, go on!" Jiang Fangyou ushered her into the treasure vault.

With a look reminiscent of a soldier marching to her death, Jiang Feifei walked up to the treasure vault and used a unique token to release the seal.

That's the grade-9 pinnacle Ether Ascension Concealing Dragon Formation! Zhang Xuan thought.

Dragons were known for their ability to adapt their situation flexibly. Large, they could devastate. Small, they could ambush. Ascend, they could soar beyond the atmosphere. Conceal, they could mask themselves amidst spatial ripples.

For this reason, dragons were extremely difficult beings to deal with. This was the rationale behind the naming of the formation as well.

To use such an advanced formation to seal the treasure vault, it seemed like there was plenty of good stuff inside.

"You can only rely on yourself to comprehend the Soul Quintessence. May the heavens bless you so that you'll be able to reach a height that few in the Jiang Clan has ever reached before... Otherwise, I'll really have no choice but to betroth you to Zhang Xuan!" Jiang Fangyou gazed quietly as his daughter's silhouette disappeared into the treasure vault before shaking his head and leaving the area.

"The heck!" Not expecting to receive another insult in such a roundabout manner, Zhang Xuan felt completely stifled.

Forget it! Let me head in to see what treasures there are inside... They should have known that retribution would come to them when they chose to betray mankind!Tossing aside the unhappiness bottled in his heart, Zhang Xuan walked warily over to the treasure vault.

If he didn't know what the formation was, he might have still required the help of the Library of Heaven's Path. However, he had already seen through the nature of the formation earlier when Jiang Feifei entered. Thus, with just his Eye of Insight and deep understanding of formations, he could slip past the formation easily and enter the treasure vault.

He casually walked around the perimeter of the treasure vault and kicked a few points here and there. After which, he made his way to the area where Jiang Feifei had entered the treasure vault from and walked into the premises too.

As soon as he entered the treasure vault, he activated his spatial prowess to seal the space around him, thus preventing others from sensing his presence.

Jiang Feifei had just entered the premises not too long ago, and he had no intentions of having a 'touching reunion' with her inside.

For one, it would reflect badly on him and the Zhang Clan if he were to be found sneaking into the treasure vault of another major power, especially since the treachery of the Jiang Clan wasn't revealed yet. Besides, he wouldn't want to alarm the Jiang Clan either.

Unlike the treasure vault of the Luo Clan, where artifacts seemed to be randomly scattered around the area, Zhang Xuan found himself standing in the midst of a vast hall. At the very center of the room was a jade wall which spanned roughly several dozen meters in length.

He couldn't tell exactly what kind of jade material the wall was made of, but it had a smooth and glistening appearance. Vaguely, he felt spiritual energy pulsating within the jade wall.

Jiang Feifei, who had entered a few minutes ahead of him, was standing roughly ten meters away from the jade wall, staring at the jade wall intently. Her body was trembling non-stop, and cold sweat was pouring down her forehead.

There was a massive character inscribed on the jade wall, and it induced an indescribable sensation within one. Just by glancing at the jade wall, Zhang Xuan felt a powerful attraction force drawing his Primordial Spirit in. At the same time, the jade wall was emanating immense pressure, threatening to dissipate one's Primordial Spirit.

It's the hieroglyph of the soul oracles... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly.

It would have been nigh impossible for ordinary cultivators to recognize the massive character inscribed on the jade wall, but having inherited the heritage of the soul oracles, he knew that the character was inscribed using the unique hieroglyph of the soul oracles—'Soul'!

As a crucial aspect of the heritage of the soul oracles, this hieroglyph harnessed great power over souls.

The hieroglyph seems to harness the method to comprehending the Soul Quintessence. It's probably left behind by the founder of the Jiang Clan! Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It was no wonder why Jiang Fangyou had brought his daughter here to comprehend the Soul Quintessence. The pressure of the hieroglyph would allow one to temper one's soul, and its conception was important in comprehending the Soul Quintessence. In a sense, it had a similar purpose to the '剑 (Sword)' character on the wall of the Zhang Clan.

I'll just leave her to do whatever she wants here. Meanwhile, I'll head to the upper floors to take a look...

Zhang Xuan had already compiled the books relating to the Soul Quintessence into a Heaven's Path manual. He was just too busy trying to raise his soul cultivation that he didn't have the time to cultivate it earlier... While the pressure coming from the jade wall would be hard for most cultivators to bear, something of this extent wasn't enough to faze him anymore.

Besides, his purpose here was not to cultivate but to find suitable cultivation resources to support his soul cultivation. He didn't have the leisure to be wasting time here.

The layout of the second floor was vastly different from the first floor. Many shelves were placed in neat rows in the room, and countless treasures were placed neatly on them.

It seems like the wealth of the Jiang Clan doesn't pale in comparison to the Luo Clan at all! Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he looked at the treasures laid before him with glowing eyes.

Since he had already gone through the trouble to make his way in here, he wouldn't hold back with the Jiang Clan.

Without any regards to whether they were valuable or not, Zhang Xuan extended his Spiritual Perception across all of the shelves on the second floor.

Keep!

Hula!

All of the treasures on this floor were kept into his storage ring.

With a gleeful smile, Zhang Xuan skipped his way joyfully up to the third floor.

Were it to be any other power, no matter how much the treasures they had moved him, he would have made sure to hold himself back. After all, he was a master teacher. He had his own dignity and pride to uphold!

Well... it was a different story regarding books. What was the use of knowledge if it was just going to be kept in a musky library, not effectively utilized to bring prosperity to the world? Besides, he had only compiled copies of them in the Library of Heaven's Path; it was not as if he had taken the physical copy of the books! So, it couldn't be considered as stealing... Probably...

However, it was a different thing if he were to take their material possession!

That was an act frowned upon by all master teachers worldwide!

However, it would be a different matter if the person he was stealing from was a traitor of mankind. That would be equivalent to depriving the enemies of their resources, and it was considered as a heroic deed.

The treasures on the third floor were clearly much more valuable than those on the second floor. Zhang Xuan swiftly swept them into his storage ring before heading up.

The same happened for the fourth floor, the fifth floor, the sixth floor...

Very soon, he arrived at the highest floor—the ninth floor.

Compared to the floors beneath, the ninth floor appeared particularly empty. There was nothing except for a stone platform roughly half a chi 1 wide, and a seal floating directly above of it.

Zhang Xuan couldn't discern what the seal was, but its very presence exerted tremendous pressure on his Primordial Spirit. He tried to approach the seal, but the incredible pressure halted him in his footsteps.

"What is this seal?" A perplexed frown sat on Zhang Xuan's forehead.

Having advanced his soul cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm, ordinary soul offense shouldn't be able to faze him anymore. Yet, the seal before him was actually able to leave him with a suffocating sensation in his chest... Without a doubt, the seal was no ordinary artifact!

Zhang Xuan circled around the stone platform when something suddenly caught his eye.

Hm? There seem to be some words inscribed here...

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Chapter 1640: Comprehending the Soul Quintessence

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

There were a few words inscribed on a certain side of the stone platform. These words were written with the hieroglyphs of the soul oracles, and they induced an uncanny feeling when viewed from afar.

Grasp the Quintessence and seize the Seal of Souls!

Zhang Xuan was able to decipher the meaning of the hieroglyphs on the stone platform.

Through the soul oracle manuals that he had acquired from Mo Hunsheng, he was able to achieve a decent level of proficiency in the language.

The seal floating on top must be the Seal of Souls. I can't really tell what tier it is, but it seems to be a rather powerful artifact, Zhang Xuan thought.

He could not tell exactly what tier the Seal of Souls was, but just from the fact that it could halt him in his footsteps and prevent him from approaching it, it was likely to be at least at the level of Ancient Sage Zi Yu's inkstone.

I have to take it. Otherwise, many master teachers will likely lose their lives to this artifact.

Judging from the close relations between Jiang Fangyou and the scholarly young man, there was little question to whom the Jiang Clan would side with should a war break out. The stronger the artifacts of the Jiang Clan were, the greater the damage they would cause.

He did not have the ability to deal with the Jiang Clan at the moment, so all he could do was try to weaken them as much as he could.

Let me give it a try!

Taking a deep breath, he attempted to walk over to the seal.

However, barely after taking two steps, his perspiration was already trickling profusely down his body. It felt as if countless needles were piercing relentlessly into his Primordial Spirit, making it hard for him to push on.

This won't do. My soul won't be able to take it if I force my way forward...

Zhang Xuan hurriedly retreated a few steps from the seal in order to alleviate the pressure on his Primordial Spirit.

It seemed like it was indeed beyond his current capabilities to claim the Seal of Souls.

Since that's the case, perhaps I should try doing as the stone platform says... It says that I would be able to take the seal away by comprehending the Soul Quintessence. Let me give it a try...

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment, but no better ideas came to mind. Thus, he decided to go along with the instructions inscribed on the stone platform.

In any case, it was just a matter of time before he would have to cultivate the Soul Quintessence, and it was likely to augment his fighting prowess significantly as well. His initial plan was to take away the treasures of the Jiang Clan first and head to a safe place before cultivating the Soul Quintessence, but it seemed like he needed a change of plans right now.

Standing on the spot, Zhang Xuan immersed himself in the Library of Heaven's Path and retrieved the compiled Heaven's Path manual to comprehending the Soul Quintessence.

Touching the manual, he felt knowledge flowing into his mind. Gradually, his understanding of souls deepened.

The reason he was able to grasp the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing so swiftly was because he had already cultivated the 3-dan Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel. All he had to do was cultivate the fourth dan of the technique, so it did not take him too long.

It was apparent that he had taken significantly more time to comprehend the Time Quintessence, but it still took less than an hour.

As for comprehending the Soul Quintessence, he did have a strong understanding of souls, and his soul was extraordinarily powerful.

In just ten breaths, he had already opened his eyes once more.

Weng!

Vortices suddenly formed within his eyes, dizzying those who dared peer into them.

After cultivating diligently for ten breaths, he had already successfully comprehended the Jiang Clan's Soul Quintessence. If he fought with someone, his soul energy would become a powerful offensive option for him.

...

At the same time...

"Submission of the Predecessors... Someone has managed to comprehend the Soul Quintessence!"

Standing in the midst of the ancestral hall, Jiang Fangyou's face reddened in excitement as he watched the phenomenon occurring around him. "This is wonderful. Wonderful! I never thought that the lass would actually be able to comprehend the Soul Quintessence so quickly!"

It was just a moment ago that he sent his daughter over to comprehend the Time Quintessence when this phenomenon occurred a moment later. Naturally, it stood to reason that the one who had comprehended the Soul Quintessence was his daughter!

"The heavens are truly looking after our Jiang Clan! With this, the fighting prowess of our Jiang Clan will be significantly bolstered! As long as she inherits the heritage of our founder, even when an upheaval happens, our Jiang Clan will still have the strength to protect itself!" Jiang Fangyou tensed body visibly loosened up significantly as he heaved a sigh of relief.

After hearing the news from the scholarly young man, he had been unable to calm himself. However, upon knowing that there would be someone whom he could count on to protect the Jiang Clan, his heart was finally at ease.

The individual who had comprehended the Soul Quintessence would be able to wield the Seal of Souls. Even if they did not mobilize the Ancient Sage of their clan, they would still be able to handle most crises by themselves.

"You can all start preparing for the clan head inauguration ceremony. I'll go take a look at Feifei!" Suppressing the glee in his heart, Jiang Fangyou instructed the elders behind him before heading out.

"Yes, clan head!"

The elders also quickly left the ancestral hall with proud looks on their faces.

The Zhang Clan had Zhang Xuan, and the Luo Clan had Luo Tianya. They had been worrying that their Jiang Clan would be doomed to lag behind the other two Premier Clans, but who could have thought that Feifei would successfully make a breakthrough at this juncture?

As expected, the talents of their Jiang Clan did not lose out to anyone at all!

...

It took around ten breaths for Jiang Fangyou to rush into the treasure vault. The moment that he entered the hall on the first floor, he saw a young lady standing ten meters away from a jade wall. She was still sweating profusely, unable to walk any closer to the jade wall at all.

Taken aback by what he was seeing, Jiang Fangyou hurriedly rushed up to her and asked, "Feifei, what's wrong?"

One who had comprehended the Soul Quintessence should be able to remain unfazed against the pressure of the jade wall... but why did it seem like his daughter was still unable to withstand the pressure?

"Father, you can rest easy. I'll try my best to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible..." Seeing how her father was still worried despite the reassurances she had given him, even going to the extent of checking on her after just a few minutes, Jiang Feifei could not help but feel a little irritated.

"You haven't comprehended the Soul Quintessence yet?" As if struck by lightning, Jiang Fangyou's body stiffened in disbelief. He could not understand what was happening.

"It hasn't even been ten minutes since I came here. How could I have comprehended the Soul Quintessence so quickly?" Jiang Feifei was rendered speechless.

Had her father lost his mind?

If it was that easy to comprehend the Soul Quintessence, she would have already comprehended it long ago! She would not have dragged it out until then.

"But..."

Jiang Fangyou's body trembled weakly. His mind could hardly keep up with the happenings, and he nearly fainted on the spot.

He had thought that the person who had just achieved a breakthrough and comprehended the Soul Quintessence was his own daughter... However, if it was not his daughter, who else could it be?

Noticing the look on her father's face, Jiang Feifei realized that something was amiss. She quickly stepped away from the jade wall before asking her father doubtfully, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"After I parted from you, I went straight to the ancestral hall. Just a minute ago, the 'Submission of the Predecessors' phenomenon occurred, so I thought that... you were the one who had made a breakthrough!" Jiang Fangyou explained.

"It wasn't me..." Coming to understand the reason behind her father's behavior, Jiang Feifei was a little startled as well. "Could it be that a member of the side family has comprehended the Soul Quintessence, similar to Luo Tianya?"

"Side family... How can our side family be that formidable?" Jiang Fangyou did not think it likely to be the case.

With a deep frown on his forehead, he mulled deeply over the matter, but he was still unable to figure out what was going on. Shaking his head helplessly, he turned to his daughter and asked, "Did you notice anything amiss while you were cultivating here?"

Jiang Feifei thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I didn't notice anything at all!"

She had been completely absorbed in trying to comprehend the Soul Quintessence, so she had not noticed any anomaly at all.

"To be able to trigger the 'Submission of the Predecessors', the person who has comprehended the Soul Quintessence has to be our clan member. Otherwise, there's no way he could possibly pull this off... However, is it really possible for anyone to make a breakthrough without the Jade Hieroglyph?" Jiang Fangyou frowned in incomprehension.

Even with the aid of the Jade Hieroglyph, not a single core member of the Jiang Clan had been able to comprehend the Soul Quintessence in the past tens of thousands of years. Just who in the world could be so formidable as to pull it off without the aid of the Jade Hieroglyph?

All of a sudden, a thought came to Jiang Fangyou's mind. His body trembled in horror as he exclaimed, "Could it be... This is bad. Feifei, follow me up!"

He quickly dashed for the stairs after saying those words.

Uncertain of the reason behind her father's sudden outburst, Jiang Feifei hurriedly followed behind him.

In the blink of an eye, they were already on the second floor. With just a glance, Jiang Fangyou's face turned ghastly white.

A room that should have been filled with treasures had been completely emptied. Not even a shred of rat poop could be seen in the room.

"A thief has managed to sneak into our treasure vault! From the looks of it, it seems like the incident happened not too long ago... I have to activate our Clan Seal!" Jiang Fangyou exclaimed anxiously

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Chapter 1641: Who Are You?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hula!

Right after those words were spoken, a jade token flew forth from Jiang Fangyou's palm. It floated out of the window of the treasure vault, and the next moment, the surroundings seemed to suddenly come to life. An overwhelming aura suddenly shrouded the entire area.

With Jiang Fangyou's eye of discernment, he could tell that the treasures had not been taken too long ago. With a swift calculation, he deduced that it was likely that the thief had not managed to escape from the treasure vault yet.

As long as he sealed the area with the formation and combed the entire treasure vault carefully, he would surely be able to weed that darned thief out!

After sealing the area, the two of them moved on to the third floor. Seeing that the third floor had been emptied as well, Jiang Fangyou's eyebrows twitched in trepidation. His chest felt so stifled that it seemed as if it would blow up very soon.

This was the fortune that the Jiang Clan had accumulated with difficulty over the past tens of thousands of years! To dare steal their entire wealth...

Wait till I catch you! I swear that I'll shred you into pieces!

...

Exhaling a mouthful of turbid gas, Zhang Xuan stood up.

It's done!

Wrapping his body with his soul energy, he walked to the stone platform at the center.

As expected, the pressure from before had lowered to a level that he could endure.

He took a few steps forward and grabbed the seal floating atop the stone platform.

Hula!

To his surprise, his hand slipped right past the seal, leaving him to grab at thin air.

"What? Does this mean that... the seal is fake?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Due to the immense pressure emanated by the seal, he thought that it was an artifact that was at least on par with Ancient Sage Zi Yu's inkstone. Yet, he was not able to touch it at all.

Could this be an illusion?

If only he had known that this would happen, he never would have wasted his effort cultivating the Soul Quintessence...

That was ten breaths that he had wasted there!

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to leave the room in disappointment, a thought flashed across his mind. Wait a moment, this artifact is called the Seal of Souls, right? Could it be that... it can only be grasped by a soul?

He was certain that he had felt the pressure from the seal on his soul; there was no way to fake that... Since the pressure was real, it did not make much sense for the artifact to be a mere illusion. Yet, he was still unable to grasp it with his hands.

Since that was the case, could it be that the seal was simply intangible in form, reminiscent of a soul? If that was the case, he would only be able to grasp it with his Primordial Spirit.

Thus, Zhang Xuan took a seat on the floor and drew his Primordial Spirit out from his glabella. With a sweep of his hand, he felt a cooling sensation rippling across his Primordial Spirit as he grabbed something tangible.

He immediately knew that his deduction was right, and his eyes lit up in excitement. He quickly closed his grip on the item and attempted to pull it out.

Huala!

He nearly fell to the ground while trying to do so.

Heavy! Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in surprise.

While the seal might not have looked big, it felt even heavier than an entire mountain. With his Introspective Convalescence realm soul cultivation, he was still unable to pick it up in his unprepared state!

Let me see just how heavy it is! Zhang Xuan thought as he took in a deep breath.

He gathered his strength and attempted to lift the seal once more.

Hong long long!

The seal slowly rose up as innumerable surges of spiritual energy swiftly gathered around the seal. Following which, the treasure vault beneath his feet began shaking non-stop. It was as if the seal served as to contain the fortune within this building, and taking away the seal spelled the collapse of the entire building.

...

"This is bad! Someone is on the top floor!"

On a floor below, Jiang Fangyou felt the shaking of the entire treasure vault, and his face turned incredibly livid. Knowing that there was no time to waste, he hurriedly rushed up the stairs.

...

"Store!"

Knowing that the shaking treasure vault would surely draw people over, Zhang Xuan knew that it was unsafe to remain in the area. Thus, he quickly kept the Seal of Souls into his storage ring.

While the entire treasure vault had shaken intensely as he took away the seal, it did not collapse as he had expected.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Zhang Xuan returned his Primordial Spirit to his body, and just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps sounding below. Someone was rushing over.

"So fast?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in alarm.

With a flick of his hand, he swiftly distorted the space around him, causing his body to vanish from view.

Hula!

The next instant, Jiang Fangyou and Jiang Feifei rushed into the room.

Looking at the empty stone platform, Jiang Fangyou nearly lost his mind. He swiftly diffused his Spiritual Perception into the surroundings, leaving the area feeling heavy as though it had been infused with mercury.

"Father..."

This was the first time that Jiang Feifei had seen such a frightening look on her father's face, and she trembled a little in fear.

"Check the surroundings. It's unlikely that the thief has gotten far!" Jiang Fangyou commanded with a wintry voice.

"Yes!" Jiang Feifei nodded and rushed down the stairs.

Right after the young lady left the area, Jiang Fangyou walked up to the stone platform and stroked its smooth surface lightly, seemingly unable to believe that someone had actually managed to rob the Seal of Souls. With twitching cheeks, he growled in anger, "Just which b*stard could it be..."

Before finishing his words, he abruptly turned around and thrust his finger toward an empty corner of the room.

This wily fox!

Seeing a finger art darting in his direction, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered with concealing himself anymore. He hurriedly leaped away to dodge the attack.

It was one thing for Jiang Fangyou's strength to be on par with Sword Saint Xing and the others, but more importantly, he possessed an extraordinarily powerful soul as well. In truth, he had already noticed Zhang Xuan when he scanned the area with his Spiritual Perception earlier. However, he had chosen to feign ignorance in a bid to make the other party lower his guard.

Sila!

An attack harnessing the burning rage of a Great Sage expert, Jiang Fangyou's finger art tore Zhang Xuan's spatial barrier apart. Realizing that he would not make it in time to dodge the attack, Zhang Xuan's goosebumps rose in astonishment.

Activate!

Knowing that there was no way he would be able to survive if he got into a direct confrontation with Jiang Fangyou, he immediately ignited the Zhang Clan blood essence within his body.

In an instant, time seemed to have slowed down.

The finger that he could hardly see earlier seemed to have frozen in midair, and the other party's infuriated expression appeared in high definition before him.

Sensing the incredible might pulsating around him, Zhang Xuan felt his hairs stand on end. He's too powerful! Even with time acceleration, I won't be able to last too long against him...

The last time he saw Jiang Fangyou, the latter still had a smile on his face... Who could have thought that he would wield such frightening strength!

This was especially so given the powerful soul pressure that he was constantly emanating. Even when tapping into the Zhang Clan's bloodline ability, Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able to last too long. At the same time, his spatial barrier would not be of much use either.

When a soul was too powerful, it would be able to suppress time and space!

In the end, the problem was that his cultivation was simply too low. If the both of them had been at the same cultivation realm, Zhang Xuan would have been able to stroll leisurely before Jiang Fangyou without drawing his attention at all.

Knowing that he was no match for Jiang Fangyou in his current state, Zhang Xuan unhesitatingly dashed out of the room.

Huala!

But before he could even get too far away, Jiang Fangyou's finger art broke Zhang Xuan's time acceleration before shattering the spatial barrier that he had set up.

The shockwave from the collision exploded into the surroundings and struck Zhang Xuan's back. A sweet sensation welled up at the back of his throat, and he nearly spurted blood.

"Are you from the Zhang Clan, or are you from the Luo Clan?" Jiang Fangyou asked with an utterly cold voice.

That scoundrel had been hiding in the midst of a spatial barrier earlier, but upon realizing that his hiding spot had been exposed, he immediately utilized the power of time to flee.

As a result of that, he had failed to even catch the other party's appearance...

To think that there was a person in the world who would have comprehended both the Spatial Quintessence and the Time Quintessence!

Who in the world was the other party?

Hula!

Paying no heed to Jiang Fangyou's questions, Zhang Xuan immediately darted for the windows.

What was he to do after ravaging the other party's treasure vault if not flee? Was he supposed to wait for the other party to serve him tea?

Seeing that the thief was intending to escape from the treasure vault, Jiang Fangyou bellowed furiously, "Where do you think you're going?"

Tss la!

His soul energy rippled outward and shrouded the treasure vault swiftly, forming a massive barrier.

But barely after Jiang Fangyou formed the barrier, the enemy's deep voice echoed in the air.

"Break!"

Following which, the barrier formed of soul energy shattered apart.

"This is... Soul Quintessence? Y-you... Who in the world are you?" Jiang Fangyou was startled.

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Chapter 1642: Mental Breakdown, Jiang Fangyou

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was already inconceivable that the person before him had managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence and the Time Quintessence... but who could have thought that he would have successfully grasped the Soul Quintessence as well!

In the past tens of thousands of years, nearly no one in the Three Premier Clans had managed to comprehend any of these three Quintessences. Even Ancient Sages would view comprehending any one of these Quintessences as their greatest pride, regarding it as their bragging rights toward their fellow Ancient Sages.

But somehow, a single person had actually able to grasp all three of them. How in the world was this possible?

Just what kind of monster was he?

Kacha!

In Jiang Fangyou's moment of shock, the thief had already broken through the windows of the treasure vault, ready to escape at any moment.

"Do you think that I'll allow you to escape after emptying our Jiang Clan's treasure vault? You are really taking me too lightly!"

( Boxno vel. co m ) With a face reddened with rage, Jiang Fangyou pushed his foot forcefully against the ground and leaped out of the window as well. Raising his right hand, he swiped forward ferociously.

Hong long!

A powerful surge of zhenqi burst forth with astounding speed, forming an energy wall which sealed all possible escape routes. At the same time, Jiang Fangyou concentrated his soul energy into his hand to forge a sharp sword and slashed it down on the thief forcefully.

Peng!

Through the sheer congregation of soul energy, Jiang Fangyou's sword overcame the limitations of space and time to sever the thief's neck.

Weng!

However, as the sword of soul energy came into contact with the thief's neck, a faint ripple of luminescence flowed out from the thief's body. It easily deflected the sword, allowing the thief to escape unharmed from this offense.

"Barrier of Soul Ripple? You are... a soul oracle?" Jiang Fangyou's heart jolted once more as he nearly plummeted from the sky.

The shock that he had received that day was far more than what he had encountered in his entire life!

Barrier of Soul Ripple was a battle technique unique to the soul oracles. By wrapping one's body with flowing soul energy, one would be able to deflect most soul offenses.

It was a technique which only the most authentic soul oracles were able to pull off. Even Jiang Fangyou wasn't capable enough to execute it...

On top of comprehending the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, the thief was actually a soul oracle too?

Just when in the world did such a formidable expert appear on the continent?

However, Jiang Fangyou knew that this was not the time for him to remain stunned in shock. With a swift flick of his wrist, a triangular flag materialized on top of his palm and rose into the air.

Great Sage artifact, Darksoul Flag!

This was an artifact that had been forged by an Ancient Sage of the Jiang Clan. It had been a hundred years since Jiang Fangyou gained possession of the flag, and he had been nourishing it with his soul energy every single day. Furthermore, he had not used it since the major fight eighty years ago.

In other words, there was eighty years worth of soul energy stored within the Darksoul Flag!

With the activation of the Darksoul Flag, a profuse amount of soul energy gushed frenziedly into the surroundings, preventing anyone within its sphere of dominion from escaping.

A sinister aura drifted across the air, and it felt as if the temperature around the Jiang Clan had abruptly plummeted. Even though Saint cultivators possessed a certain degree of resistance to heat and cold, the cold vibe seemed to seep right into their souls, leaving them shuddering uncontrollably.

The soul energy emanated by the Darksoul Flag held malevolent intent. Those whose cultivation was weaker could end up turning into retards under the hostile assault of the flag. Even those who were stronger would find themselves light-headed, inhibiting their reaction speed. This would create an opening for others to exploit.

Many years ago, Yang shi had a friendly duel with Jiang Fangyou. He had been caught off guard by the prowess of the Darksoul Flag and nearly suffered a huge setback.

Before the prowess of the Darksoul Flag, the body of the thief was forcefully halted on the spot. As if an ant cast within a block of ice, he was unable to escape no matter how desperately he struggled.

Seeing that he had managed to seal the movement of the thief, Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief. "You might be a true soul oracle, but you are simply too weak at the moment. You are no match for the prowess of the Darksoul Flag!"

Just as he was about to apprehend the thief to see the face of the culprit, he suddenly felt the flag in the air trembling non-stop. To his astonishment, it felt like the Darksoul Flag was running out of control!

Tzzzzzzz!

The eighty years worth of soul energy accumulated within the Darksoul Flag suddenly surged into the seemingly-trapped thief beneath it. Before long, a huge whirlpool had already formed between them.

"H-he... is absorbing the soul energy in the Darksoul Flag? This is bad..." Jiang Fangyou's face turned ghastly pale, and he nearly blacked out.

The Darksoul Flag is one of the strongest artifacts in the Jiang Clan! Yet, not only are you unfazed by its attack, you are even absorbing soul energy from it...

You monster! Show your true form!

With a livid expression, Jiang Fangyou maneuvered the Darksoul Flag to pierce into the body of the thief. "You b*stard, there's no way I'll let you do that! Die!"

The Darksoul Flag was not just capable of soul offense, it wielded formidable physical prowess as well. Under its full might, even a Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm cultivator would be completely destroyed!

Hula!

The Darksoul Flag pierced right toward the thief with astounding speed. Jiang Fangyou thought that he would finally be able to subdue the thief with this move, but to his bewilderment, the thief raised his hand and stroked the flag lightly. Following which...

The Darksoul Flag suddenly twisted and twirled delightfully around the thief, and a moan of delight echoed from its body. It was almost as if it had just been reunited with its long-lost father!

Pu!

Jiang Fangyou's face paled, and he spurted a mouthful of blood. To his horror, he could feel his mental connection with the Darksoul Flag being decisively severed!

"Y-you... You tamed my Darksoul Flag..." Jiang Fangyou was on the verge of bursting into tears.

It is one thing for you to be able to steal my soul energy within the Darksoul Flag, but to be able to tame it in the blink of an eye as well...

What in the world is happening? Who am I? Where am I?

Jiang Fangyou had been traumatized so badly that he was starting to doubt the reason behind his existence.

That was an artifact that he had spent over a hundred years nourishing! Yet, it had actually betrayed him for a new master without any second thoughts...

It was as if all of the tender love that he had showered upon it had gone to naught. This betrayal came like a dagger plunged into the depths of his heart...

Huhu!

After taming the Darksoul Flag, the thief quickly stowed it into his storage ring before continuing his escape.

"Is that the thief who has stolen from our treasure vault? Where do you think you're going?"

"If I allow you to escape today, I shall cast away my Jiang surname!"

The clashes between Jiang Fangyou and the thief had caused a huge commotion and alarmed the members of the Jiang Clan. Dozens of elders from the Jiang Clan flew out and encircled the area, sealing all escape routes of the thief.

Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief. With a wrathful look on his face, he whipped out a jade token and tossed it into the air.

Hong long!

As soon as the jade token appeared, a formation shrouding the entire Jiang Clan suddenly whirred into action, and an immense amount of energy swiftly gathered in the air.

The Guardian Formation of the Jiang Clan had just been activated!

Narrowing his eyes, Jiang Fangyou pointed his finger at the jade token and commanded, "Seal!"

Weng!

Amid blinding radiance, energy swiftly gathered in the area.

This was not any manipulation of space or soul art. Rather, it was the true accumulation of raw, unrefined energy.

There was no weakness to exploit in this massive accumulation of energy. Once trapped within this raw energy, there would be nowhere for the thief to escape to.

Seemingly noticing the frightening prowess of the accumulation of energy, the thief cowered backward fearfully, even stumbling over nothing in the midst of doing so.

Kacha!

But all of a sudden, the accumulation of raw energy suddenly exploded. A powerful shockwave swept across the area before everything vanished completely.

"The formation was halted?" Jiang Fangyou was startled.

At that moment, he felt as if ten thousand divine beasts were stampeding through his mind.

Somehow, the thief seemed to wield some mysterious ability to overcome everything that he threw at the other party.

Bro, is there anything in this world that you can't do?

Unfortunately, that was not the end of it.

Before Jiang Fangyou could even recover from his shock, the thief beckoned with his hand, and the jade token floating in the air swiftly flew over.

Hu!

The jade token landed on the thief's hand. With a slight stroke, an excited hum sounded from the jade token...

It had been tamed as well!

Pu!

Another mouthful of fresh blood spurted from Jiang Fangyou's mouth as he saw the world before him turning dark.

He did not know how much trauma his old body could take before breaking down!

Can you please stop stealing my possessions?

Taming the Darksoul Flag and my Clan Head Token... Those are mine, not yours!

How in the world did you even manage to tame them?

Looking at it now, it seems like I'm the outsider instead!

Seeing the bad condition that her father was in, Jiang Feifei quickly rushed forward anxiously. "Father..."

However, Jiang Fangyou quickly stopped her with a bellow. "Don't come over! Be careful and don't get tamed by that fellow..."

Given how the thief had managed to tame the Darksoul Flag, Clan Head Token, and even the Guardian Formation, he felt like the other party would tame his daughter if she rushed over.

In fact... he was thinking that the other party would be able to tame even him if he were to rush over!

"..." Jiang Feifei.

"..." Zhang Xuan.

Chapter 1643: I Am Your Clan Head

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Knowing that it would be dangerous to leave the situation be, Jiang Fangyou swiftly turned to the dozens of elders surrounding them and instructed, "Elders, heed my orders. Take down that thief!"

Hong long!

The dozens of elders charged forward simultaneously, driving their zhenqi and soul energy in unison to launch a devastating attack toward the thief at the center. Their prowess swiftly converged together like a domineering dragon, tearing countless dimension rifts around the area.

"This isn't good..."

Trapped at the very center, Zhang Xuan's face turned livid.

He had thought that as long as he could flee from the encirclement of the Jiang Clan, he would be able to buy enough time to teleport away using the Dragonbone Divine Spear. He did not think that these elders would suddenly make a decisive move on him simultaneously.

Due to violent energies permeating the surroundings, the space around the Jiang Clan had become incredibly unstable. If he forced a teleportation right now, there was a chance that he would fall into spatial turbulence, thus plunging him in more danger than he was in now.

In other words, he could not rely on his spatial arts to get him out of there.

What the heck was this! Had he known earlier, he would not have been so eager to take the Seal of Souls. Perhaps, he might even have been out of the Jiang Clan by now!

Boom!

However, it was clear that the elders around him would not give him the time to lament on his lapse in judgement. Their might was swiftly pushing closer with unstoppable momentum.

Judging from the scale of the attack, even the Sempiternal realm Yang shi would have trouble coping with this.

Knowing that he would be reduced to a heap of meat if he confronted the combined prowess of the elders with his current strength, Zhang Xuan raised his palm and bellowed, "Hold them off!"

Hu!

The Clan Head Token of the Jiang Clan, which he had tamed just moments ago, floated up from his palm. Under the command of the token, the Guardian Formation swiftly formed a transparent barrier around him.

Boom boom boom!

The attacks of the elders fell on the barrier, causing devastating energy to ripple all over it. Fortunately, even their combined strength was unable to breach the barrier.

"It worked..." Zhang Xuan stared at the scene before him in trepidation before heaving a sigh of relief.

He had recalled his experiences with the Guardian Formations of the Zhang Clan and Luo Clan, so he had quickly whipped out the Jiang Clan's Clan Head Token in a bid to control their Guardian Formation. It was truly fortunate that everything had worked out according to plan.

The Clan Head Token was the key to controlling the Guardian Formation. Taming it would mean that he had all of the formations of the Jiang Clan at his disposal. In other words, the greatest trump card of the Jiang Clan that instilled fear in its enemies had already become his safety amulet.

"Y-you..."

Jiang Fangyou knew that the thief had tamed the Clan Head Token, but he did not think that the other party would successfully manipulate their formations on the first try. In fact, the reason he had ordered the elders take down the thief swiftly was so as to retrieve the Clan Head Token before the thief could figure out how to use it.

Yet, at that moment, he felt as if he was going insane.

It was not that he had never seen his fair share of experts before. In fact, the scholarly young man who had paid him a visit earlier likely wielded strength that surpassed even Yang shi... but it did not seem like the scholarly young man would be capable of pulling this off either.

"Continue the attack!" Jiang Fangyou bellowed.

Hearing the commands of the clan head, the elders persisted with their attacks.

Knowing that he was protected by the Guardian Formation, Zhang Xuan was no longer flustered anymore.

"Hold it right there!"

With a light chuckle, he tapped his finger on the space before him.

Huala!

An overwhelming outburst of spiritual energy exploded into the surroundings, sealing the movements of the elders in the area. They could neither attack nor escape.

Taken aback by the happenings, the elders glanced at one another in confusion.

Unable to take it any longer, one of the elders bellowed, "Clan head, what's going on?"

"Why is the Clan Head Token in his hand? Why is he able to control our Guardian Formation?"

"Who in the world is that fellow?"

Questions flooded out from the bewildered elders.

"What's going on? Who is he?" Jiang Fangyou clutched his hair frenziedly.That's something I would like to know as well! I darn well want to know who he is and what in the world is happening, too!

Knowing that the urgent matter at hand was to apprehend the thief, Jiang Fangyou growled coldly, "That scoundrel snuck into our treasure vault and emptied out all of our possessions..."

However, before he could finish his words, the thief shouted out as well, "Elders, heed my words! That man is an Otherworldly Demon Emperor. He has disguised himself as me and stolen all of the treasures of our Jiang Clan. You mustn't let him get away!"

That voice echoed resoundingly in the air, piercing through the heavens.

Taken aback by those words, Jiang Fangyou quickly turned his gaze toward the thief standing at the very center. The other party had already given up on escaping, and he slowly turned his body over to reveal a face identical to his!

The similarity did not just stop at appearances. The other party's posture, demeanor, voice, and even soul aura were completely indistinguishable from his!

It was almost as if he was looking into a mirror!

"You..." Jiang Fangyou's body stiffened, taken aback by what he was seeing.

He had seen others disguising themselves before, and he had done it quite often in the past too... However, no matter how a cultivator disguised themself, the most they could do was alter their appearance and demeanor. It was completely unthinkable for a cultivator to disguise their soul aura and make it completely identical to the person that they was impersonating!

The elders were equally stunned by what they were seeing.

All of a sudden, they found two clan heads standing before them... and they were speaking completely opposing words.

Who should they believe?

Seeing that the elders had started to waver, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "The Clan Head Token only obeys the commands of the clan head. As elders of the Jiang Clan, surely you can't be oblivious to this fact?"

With a wave of his hand, the Clan Head Token released a magnificent glow.

Following which, the elders felt the energy binding their body vanishing into thin air, granting them control over their bodies again.

"The Clan Head Token can only be tamed by the clan head. That person over there must be the real clan head!"

"How can a person who can control our Guardian Formation possibly be a fake?"

...

The ability to control the Guardian Formation was a distinctive ability of the clan head. With such persuasive evidence before them, it did not take long for the elders to be convinced by Zhang Xuan's words. One by one, they directed hostile gazes toward the real Jiang Fangyou.

"..."

Jiang Fangyou did not expect the thief to turn the tables on him like that.

He could still tolerate the thief possessing the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, and he could accept the fact that the other party possessed the abilities of a soul oracle...

But to disguise as him and impersonate the clan head, even convincing all of the Jiang Clan's elders to turn against him... Unforgivable!

"Everyone, don't believe his words. I am the real Jiang Fangyou! Earlier, I used the Guardian Formation to attack him! He's the one who stole the Clan Head Token..." Jiang Fangyou quickly explained himself in the hope of salvaging the situation.

"Audacious! Do you think that the Clan Head Token can be tamed by just anyone? Even if it was stolen and tamed by another person, do you think that our Jiang Clan's Guardian Formation is that easy to control?" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "You should at least try to come up with something more convincing than that!"

After berating Jiang Fangyou, he turned his gaze to the elders around him and asked, "Isn't that right, elders?"

"Our Jiang Clan's Guardian Formation has been refined and reinforced by the hands of countless predecessors, to the point that it has become a unique entity in itself. Without inheriting the heritage of our Jiang Clan, not even the head of the Formation Master Guild headquarters would be able to control our Guardian Formation!"

"Indeed! Given how smoothly he was able to manipulate the Guardian Formation with the Clan Head Token, there's no doubt that he's the real clan head!"

"I heard that the Otherworldly Demon Emperors are able to disguise themselves as humans, such that even 9-star master teachers would find it difficult to discern the differences... Could the fake clan head really be a disguised Otherworldly Demon Emperor?"

"I'm not too sure... To be honest, I'm still rather confused by the situation..."

The crowd fell into deep thought.

Putting aside the impossibility of taming the Clan Head Token within such a short period of time, even if the enemy had succeeded in doing so, there was no way he could control the massive and intricate Guardian Formation so quickly, right?

Without many years of effort, it would be impossible to achieve such a refined level of control over the formation!

"Who are you? Are you an Otherworldly Demon?" one of the elders bellowed at Jiang Fangyou.

"Otherworldly Demon your head! I am Jiang Fangyou! Jiang Fangping, don't tell me that you can't even recognize me? I have known you ever since we were seven! When you were eight years old, you were unable to master the Heart Turmoil Art and looked to me for some guidance. Out of gratitude for my help, you gave me a Jadecrimson Fruit as compensation. However, I didn't know that those with low cultivation mustn't consume the Jadecrimson Fruit, and I nearly died from my energy running amok... Surely you should still remember this matter, right?" Jiang Fangyou bellowed furiously.

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Chapter 1644: The Indiscernible Duo

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

To be honest, the thief had left Jiang Fangyou feeling so traumatized that he was starting to feel that he would never feel well again.

But putting that aside, considering that their appearances, demeanor, and even soul aura were identical to one another, it was pointless to be tussling over who was real and who was fake. The best way for him to prove that he was the real Jiang Fangyou was through memories!

He had grown up in the Jiang Clan since a very young age, so he was extremely familiar with all of the elders there. No matter how good the other party's disguise was, he could not possibly know about the little things that had happened between them!

Thus, he unhesitatingly revealed one of his personal secrets to verify his identity! ( Boxno vel. co m )

"This..."

Those words left Elder Fangping stunned. Doubt surfaced in the depths of his eyes.

Such a thing had indeed happened back when they were still very young, and the only ones who knew of this matter were the both of them. There was no way an outsider would know of this matter.

In other words, if the person without the Clan Head Token was truly an imposter, there was no way he could have known of this matter!

Could the person with the Clan Head Token really be an impostor?

"What's wrong?" another elder beside Jiang Fangping asked.

"What that person said... is true!" Jiang Fangping replied awkwardly.

It was quite embarrassing to have the little mistakes that he had committed back when he was younger dug up before such a huge crowd.

"Really?"

Hearing those words, the elders quickly turned their gazes back to Zhang Xuan with deep frowns.

There was bound to be a fake between the two of them. If the person without the Clan Head Token was real, the person with it had to be a fake!

"There's no need to look at me like that. Even though very few people know of this matter, it's still not too difficult to hear about it from the elders in the clan!"

Zhang Xuan did not expect Jiang Fangyou to react so swiftly, raising the crux of the issue right away. Nevertheless, he maintained a calm smile on his face, not showing the slightest hint of fluster. He turned his gaze over to Jiang Fangping as well and said, "Jiang Fangping, the cultivation technique you practice is the Three Points Soul Tempering Art passed down by Elder Jiang Chao. However, due to several mistakes you made in your cultivation, you experience excruciating pain at your Qimen acupoint whenever a storm comes in. You find yourself unable to control your zhenqi, and sometimes, it might even flow in reverse..."

Previously, when the dozens of elders launched a simultaneous attack against him, he had swiftly compiled a book on all of them in the Library of Heaven's Path. As such, he had a good grasp over the problems that they were suffering from.

Since Jiang Fangyou wanted to play a game of 'who can go deeper', he did not mind playing along too.

"This..." Jiang Fangping was taken aback by the revelation and nodded stiffly. "Yes, that's right... but I have never told anyone about this affliction of mine before. How did you know?"

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched.

Cr*p. I was too focused on outdoing Jiang Fangyou that I accidentally blurted too much...

The Library of Heaven's Path could see through the flaws of an individual. He could still pass off as an unfathomable expert with that knowledge at his disposal, but it was not so easy when it came to impersonating an existent person in the world, especially before those who were close to him.

Often, the information revealed by the Library of Heaven's Path was too much, such that even the individual themself might not even be aware of it.

Despite feeling a little suffocated on the inside, Zhang Xuan put up a compassionate front and sighed in sympathy. "To be honest with you, I saw through it a long time ago! I was afraid to raise your expectations only to disappoint you later, so I decided to keep quiet about the matter. All along, I have been searching for a method to resolve your affliction. Fortunately, just two days ago, I succeeded in finding a cure. Here, take a look at it!"

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger.

Hula!

A cultivation technique manual was imprinted onto Jiang Fangping's mind.

Having browsed through all of the books in the Jiang Clan Repository, he had also collected the manual of the Three Points Soul Tempering Art into the Library of Heaven's Path as well. As such, he knew what mistakes were within the cultivation technique. By compiling it against the Heaven's Path Soul Art, he could easily resolve the problems that Jiang Fangping was facing without much trouble.

"T-this..."

Browsing through the manual that had just been imparted to him, Jiang Fangping suddenly began trembling uncontrollably, as if he had been struck by a bolt of lightning.

With his eye of discernment, he could easily tell just how valuable the cultivation technique was to him. If he cultivated in accordance with it, not only would his affliction be resolved, he would also be able to advance his cultivation considerably too!

Could it really be true that the clan head had already seen through his affliction and had been searching far and wide for a solution for him?

If that was truly the case, he was really indebted to the clan head then.

"Congratulations, Elder Fangping!"

Just by looking at Jiang Fangping's expression, it was apparent that the manual that had been imparted to him was truly effective. The elders beside him quickly clasped their fists and congratulated him.

"Don't be fooled by that fellow!"

Jiang Fangyou had not thought that the thief would actually be able to pinpoint an affliction that Jiang Fangping was suffering from and even have a solution for it. Just by thinking about the monster that he was faced, he felt his hair standing on end. "I am the real Jiang Fangyou! Elder Fangcheng, we have known me for more than a hundred years now, and..."

Before Jiang Fangyou could finish his words, Zhang Xuan cut in. "Elder Fangcheng, we have known one another for more than a hundred years now, and I believe your Soul Appeasement Art must have reached the third level, right? However, this soul art happens to be in conflict with the Lucid Soul Formula that you practiced previously, so I advise you to switch to cultivating this for the time being. I guarantee that you will be able to advance your cultivation much faster than before!"

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and sent a sliver of his will over.

Swiftly browsing through the cultivation technique manual imparted to him, Jiang Fangcheng also froze on the spot, flabbergasted by what he had received.

This cultivation technique was from the same lineage as the Lucid Soul Formula that he had cultivated previously, and it was far stronger than the Soul Appeasement Art that he was currently cultivating!

"Actually, I haven't just been paying attention to Elder Fangping and Elder Fangcheng. In order to bring our Jiang Clan to greater heights, I have been observing all of you closely, and I know the difficulties and problems that you are facing in your cultivation...

"Elder Fangzhen, if I'm not mistaken, are you cultivating the Soul Codex 4-dan at the moment? Your cultivation isn't up to par yet, so I advise you not to do it forcefully. Otherwise, it'll bring about more harm than benefit. Do you feel your breathing often becoming ragged, and your soul and physical body seem to be losing harmony?

"Elder Fanglin, the deficiency in your vitality has been quite severe recently. I advise you stop taking in concubines for the time being, or else you might just have your lifespan shortened...

"Elder Fanghu, I know that you enjoy painting, but you mustn't allow it to hinder your cultivation. Your cultivation has been stagnant for a very long time now..."

...

Zhang Xuan slowly went through the dozens of elders around him one by one. Before long, the entire area was plunged into absolute silence.

His words had struck a chord with them. He had managed to pinpoint the major flaws and problems that they were facing at the moment.

Could he really be their clan head?

Otherwise, how could he possibly know so much about them? It was almost as if he had stripped them bare and peered into all of their secrets!

"..."

Seeing how all of the elders had fallen silent, Jiang Fangyou tore out yet another clump of his hair frenziedly.

Just who in the freaking world are you?

Even I am unclear about the cultivation of the elders in the clan, so how in the world do you know?

Furthermore, to pinpoint them precisely without any margin of error, winning all of the elders over to your side in the blink of an eye...

And those elders too... What am I to do now that all of you have chosen to side with him?

Has my life really been a lie? Am I really not Jiang Fangyou?

Where am I? Who am I? What am I?

Overwhelmed by the happenings around him, Jiang Fangyou felt a splitting migraine. He turned to Jiang Feifei, his last ray of hope. "Feifei, I am your father. You are able to recognize me, right? I am the real one!"

Even if all of the elders could not recognize him, his daughter should at least be able to recognize him, right?

"I..." Jiang Feifei did not expect herself to be faced with two fathers all of a sudden, and she could not react instantly.

What was she supposed to make of this situation?

A moment later, she gathered her thoughts and said, "Before entering the treasure vault, my father told me that I have to comprehend the Soul Quintessence by hook or by crook, or else I will be forced into a political marriage. I will have to marry either Zhang Xuan from the Zhang Clan or Luo Tianya from the Luo Clan... Only my father will know my response to his words. If you are able to quote my response to that, it will prove that you are the real one!"

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Chapter 1645: Fake!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Just from the appearance and soul aura, Jiang Feifei was unable to tell who was real and who was fake. Thus, she could only use her conversation with her father as a gauge.

"You said that..." After pondering for a moment, Jiang Fangyou was just about to answer the question when a voice interjected him.

"You said, 'I don't want to marry that Zhang Xuan! All he does is humblebrag with his strength and crush the confidence of others. Furthermore, he even rejected the little princess of the Luo Clan publicly, not showing any considerations for the other party's dignity at all!'"

"This..." Jiang Feifei was stunned for a moment before nodding slowly. "Indeed, that's what I said..."

"..."

Jiang Fangyou's body jolted once more. At that moment, he felt like the thief had slipped into his mind and taken a peek at his memories.

Those were the words that his daughter had said to him earlier, so how was the other party able to recite them so accurately?

With veins popping on his temples, Jiang Fangyou roared angrily, "No, that's not right... You were hiding by the side earlier, weren't you? Otherwise, how could you have known the conversation between me and Feifei?"

He was supposed to apprehend the thief who had stolen the treasures of the Jiang Clan, but things had swiftly spiraled out of control, to the extent that he was even beginning to doubt his own identity. No words could begin to describe how he was feeling.

"Hah, I can also say that you were snooping around earlier!" Zhang Xuan scoffed disdainfully. "Alright, stop this pointless struggling and reveal your true form! Otherwise, if all of us make a move together, the only fate that will await you is death!"

"I..."

Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyou's body trembled in agitation. He wanted to refute the thief's words, but he was unable to find any convincing argument to back himself.

The tides were truly against him now. The elders did not believe him, and he did not have the Clan Head Token or any insignia to prove his identity. If they made a move against him, he would not stand a chance at all.

In the worst-case scenario, he might even lose his life.

"Alright, why don't I speak some words of fairness?"

Just as Jiang Fangyou was at a loss over what to do, a voice suddenly sounded amid the elders. Following which, an old man walked out from the crowd.

Zhang Xuan shot a glance over and recognized the other party to be Elder Fangyun of the Jiang Clan.

Even though his standing within the clan was not too high, he was a highly respected elder whose words carried much say in the Jiang Clan. Earlier, Zhang Xuan had also offered him guidance.

"Elder Fangyun, please feel free to speak!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

"Un!" Elder Fangyun nodded. With a complicated look in his eyes, he said, "Earlier, you offered us guidance on our cultivation. I was listening closely to it, and your words were directed right at the crux of soul cultivation. In fact, it's no exaggeration to say that there are no flaws in your words at all... I would have been truly delighted to have you as our clan head. Under your lead, it would only be a matter of time before our Jiang Clan surpasses the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan... A pity it is, but you aren't!"

"I am not?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "I truly am Jiang Fangyou..."

Elder Fangyun raised his hand to stop Zhang Xuan. "To be honest with you, I'm not the only one who has noticed it. All of the elders over here have become vaguely aware of it, be it consciously or subconsciously. All of us have known Clan Head Jiang Fangyou for at least a century now, and we are all well aware of the limits of his capabilities. To see through our flaws and resolve them impeccably... he doesn't possess the ability to do so! If he really had that in him, our Jiang Clan wouldn't have been ranked at the bottom of the Three Premier Clans..."

"Elder Fangyun is right. Jiang Fangyou is a decent person, but there's really nothing outstanding about his capabilities!"

"You are way more formidable than our clan head!"

Right after Elder Fangyun said his piece, a few other elders quickly voiced their agreement.

Hearing about his mediocrity, Jiang Fangyou really wanted to find a place to hide.

The hell! Is this how you all view me? Nothing outstanding about my capabilities? Good, I'll remember you! We'll have a good talk later on!

At the very least, can't you all not put me down in front of a stranger?

It was just a moment earlier that he had been desperate to prove his identity to the elders, but now that they had finally recognized him as the real clan head, instead of delight, he felt as if his heart had been pierced by countless arrows.

In this moment of sorrow, he saw his daughter nodding in agreement. "My father's capabilities are indeed a little lacking. There's no way he would be able to point out everything you just said!"

Jiang Fangyou clutched his chest tightly.

I know that you are trying to convince the other elders for me, but surely you don't have to say such hurtful words!

How in the world did I come to have a daughter like you?

It was just a moment ago that Jiang Fangyou had felt guilty about threatening his daughter with a political marriage. However, since his daughter did not seem to have much respect for him, he suddenly felt that it might not be such a bad idea to marry her off to Zhang Xuan...

While Jiang Fangyou's heart was bleeding profusely, Zhang Xuan could not help but be startled by the situation before him.

He had thought that he would be able to win the crowd from the Jiang Clan over by pointing out their flaws and resolving their issues, but it turned out to be the key that gave him away...

It was indeed a difficult life for those who were too outstanding. No matter how he concealed himself, others would still see through him easily.

No matter where he was, he would shine like a firefly in the midst of the night. So conspicuous, so outstanding...

"To be able to offer us guidance on our soul cultivation and not make the slightest mistake in the details at all... If I'm not mistaken, you must have browsed through all of the books in our Jiang Clan Repository, right? Also, just a moment ago, the 'Submission of the Predecessors' phenomenon occurred. You are the one who has comprehended the Soul Quintessence, right?" Jiang Fangyun asked.

Even though he had been exposed, it did not seem like the elder of the Jiang Clan was intending to corner him. Thus, he nodded and admitted to it. "That's right!"

"To be able to comprehend the Soul Quintessence and have such a deep understanding of our Jiang Clan... Could you possibly be a member of the Jiang Clan's side family?" Jiang Fangyun asked doubtfully.

They were aware that a top-notch genius had appeared in the Luo Clan—Luo Tianya!

Despite being from the side family. Luo Tianya had managed to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing. Could the same have happened to them?

Otherwise, how could the other party have such a deep understanding of them and their cultivation techniques?

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan was conflicted. He had no idea how he should answer that question.

"Actually, regardless of whether you are from the side family or not, the fact that you have comprehended the Soul Quintessence means that you are qualified to become our clan head! Furthermore, you have already tamed the Clan Head Token and taken control of our Guardian Formation!"

With eyes glowing in excitement, Jiang Fangyou took a step forward, clasped his fist, and bowed down. "Thus... I hope that you can become our real clan head and lead our Jiang Clan through the crisis that lies ahead of us!"

"..." Zhang Xuan was startled by the sudden turn of events.

It took him a moment before he could respond. He shook his head and said, "To be frank, I am not from the Jiang Clan!"

It would have been one thing if he was a member of the Jiang Clan's side family, but he had absolutely no ties to the Jiang Clan at all!

"You aren't from the Jiang Clan?"

Everyone was taken aback.

"It's fine. It doesn't make a huge difference. The fact that you have comprehended our Jiang Clan's Soul Quintessence means that you have an inseverable relationship with our Jiang Clan... Why don't we marry Feifei to you then? This way, you'll still be qualified to be our clan head!" Elder Fangyun offered.

"No way!" Not expecting the Elder Fangyun to determine her marriage so casually, Jiang Feifei hurriedly shook her head in disapproval.

Putting aside the fact that the person before her had disguised himself as her father, she did not even know who and how old the other party was! How could she possibly be willing to marry a complete stranger?

"Elder Fangyun, you are too courteous. I'm willing to negotiate on the matter of becoming the clan head of the Jiang Clan, but as for marrying her... forget it!"

If the Jiang Clan did not mind an outsider becoming their clan head, he could still consider the matter.

Jiang Fangyou did have some ties with the scholarly young man, but as a clan whose heritage could be traced back to tens of thousands of years ago, it was unlikely that the entire clan had betrayed mankind. Most likely, it would just be a few black sheep here and there.

Otherwise, the Master Teacher Pavilion would have noticed something by now.

More importantly, if the Jiang Clan had truly betrayed mankind, his position as the clan head would help him steer them back to the right path and stop them from doing anything that would harm mankind.

"You said... forget it? What do you mean by that?" Jiang Feifei exploded furiously. I haven't even said my piece yet, and you are already in such a rush to reject me...

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Chapter 1646: Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

No matter what, she was a famed genius of the Master Teacher Continent. Furthermore, she was blessed with great beauty, so she had no lack of suitors in the Sanctum of Sages...

Yet, the other party actually showed such a disdainful look when Elder Fangyun proposed a political marriage with her... What did the other party mean by this?

"You don't need to think too deeply into it; my words mean exactly how they sounded. You are too ugly. I don't like it."

After saying those words, Zhang Xuan paid no heed to the exploding Jiang Feifei and turned his gaze toward Elder Fangyun once more. "I already have someone whom I fancy, so I'm afraid I'll have to turn down your offer of marriage. If you are still willing to have me as your clan head despite that, I won't turn down your offer anymore. I'll try my best to lead the Jiang Clan to greatness without straying down the wrong path!"

Otherworldly Demons had started appearing on the Master Teacher Continent—that was a sign that a war was just around the corner. He already had the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan on his side. If he could rope in the Jiang Clan as well, that would be for the best.

It would also be a good opportunity to find out what was with the scholarly young man.

After all, with the betrayal of the Seer Guild, the Jiang Clan, and the Master Teacher Pavilion... he felt that there was something deeper than what he was seeing.

Perhaps, it might even be a huge misunderstanding.

On the other hand, hearing that Zhang Xuan was unwilling to marry into the Jiang Clan, the elders fell silent.

They had never had an outsider as their clan head before.

"That won't do. We're a clan, not a sect! Our clan members will never accept an outsider as our clan head!"

"But he's tamed the Clan Head Token, read through all of the books in our repository, and even comprehended the Soul Quintessence. If we allow him to leave just like that, it could bring us greater danger in the future!"

"The fact that he has comprehended the Soul Quintessence means that he has forged an inseverable relationship with our Jiang Clan. He might be unwilling to marry into the Jiang Clan for the time being, but as long as he stays in our Jiang Clan long enough, we should be able to convince him into doing so... Feifei might not be too pretty, and her temper is abhorrent, but I believe that they can cultivate their feelings for one another over time..."

"Furthermore, those from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers have also come to the Master Teacher Continent. Based on the news we have just received from them, the Otherworldly Demons have been making some movement in the Subterranean Gallery. The manpower of the Master Teacher Pavilion and the Combat Master Hall is already stretched thin... If an upheaval occurs, our Jiang Clan will surely have to stand in the frontlines! We'll surely require a strong leader to lead us at a time like this!"

"Furthermore, he possesses a deep understanding of soul cultivation. Even some casual pointers from him could bring us great benefits..."

...

The elders discussed vehemently among themselves.

There were some who were for it; there were some who were against it.

After a long, fruitless discussion, Jiang Fangyun suddenly turned his head over and asked, "If I may ask, if you aren't from the Jiang Clan, who are you?"

The others also halted their discussion and directed curious gazes over as well.

Even Jiang Feifei had forgotten about how others were insulting her looks and personality in this moment.

"To be honest, I am actually..." Knowing that the Jiang Clan bore him no ill will, he knew that it was meaningless to maintain his disguise any longer. Thus, he reverted to his original appearance and said, "... Zhang Xuan!"

"Zhang Xuan? You are the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?"

"The head of the Zhang Clan?"

The crowd looked at one another in utter shock.

The head of the Zhang Clan had actually snuck into their Jiang Clan, browsed through all of their books, comprehended the Soul Quintessence, and even tamed their Clan Head Token...

They had thought that even if the fake clan head was not really from the Jiang Clan, he would likely be some honorary elder who had resided in the Jiang Clan for a very long time. How else could he know so much about the Jiang Clan?

Not even in their wildest dreams did they expect the other party to be a twenty-year-old young man!

More importantly... the other party had never been to the Jiang Clan before!

In other words, it was his first encounter with the heritage of the Jiang Clan, and he had already grasped the Soul Quintessence...

"Y-you..."

At the same time, Jiang Feifei's face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, and her eyes nearly popped out.

She suddenly recalled how she had insulted the other party to his face... Did she just make a formidable foe for the Jiang Clan?

But thinking again, the other party was even more overboard. He had actually said that she was ugly!

She had initially been thinking of finding an opportunity to pummel the other party and exact vengeance, but from the looks of it, she would never have the chance to do so...

That fellow was simply too powerful!

Even more than a dozen 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, along with the Pavilion Master Ren, were not able to faze him at all. If she challenged him, it was likely that she would be blasted off in a single strike!

"You are Zhang Xuan... That explains why you were able to utilize the Time Quintessence!"

Jiang Fangyou also found it hard to believe that the thief who had snuck into the Jiang Clan's treasure vault would actually be the famed Zhang Xuan. As if struck by lightning, he had a flabbergasted look on his face.

He had thought that it would be some formidable expert, but who could have thought that it was a young lad whose age was even smaller than that of his own daughter!

"No, something is wrong here. Other than the Time Quintessence, I recall that you had tapped into the power of the spatial sealing as well..." Recalling the fight that he had with the young man, Jiang Fangyou suddenly narrowed his eyes in astonishment. "It can't be that you have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too, can it?"

"Indeed. I have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The situation had been too perilous for him earlier, and he had been left with no choice but to use everything at his disposal. It was too late for him to cover up the matter anymore, so he might as well admit it frankly.

"If you have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, then... the Luo Clan's Luo Tianya..."

Jiang Fangyou thought about how the young man was able to impersonate him, to the point that even the elders and his own daughter were befuddled as to who the real one was... Putting it together with the timing of Luo Tianya's appearance, Jiang Fangyou suddenly widened his eyes in utter horror.

"Luo Tianya is indeed one of my personas, too!" Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.

"This... No wonder!" Jiang Fangyou's mouth remained agape for a long while before it morphed into a bitter smile.

He had been wondering just how coincidental it was for such a formidable genius to appear in the Luo Clan shortly after they suffered a crushing humiliation. In the end, it turned out to be Zhang Xuan in disguise...

Jiang Feifei was also dumbstruck by what she had just heard.

The young man before her was actually the clan head of two of the Three Premier Clans...

Was such a thing even possible?

Putting herself against him, she realized that she could not compete with him in anything at all.

The Time Quintessence, the Spatial Quintessence, and the Soul Quintessence... He had actually accomplished something that no one had ever done in the past tens of thousands of years...

When did Quintessences become so worthless that even a twenty-year-old young man could learn them?

In the Three Premier Clans, other than the founders, there were barely any descendants who had managed to grasp the Quintessences... Honestly, when put against the monster standing before her, it suddenly felt like the so-called geniuses that had been held in high regard in the Three Premier Clans were actually no different from trash!

"Everyone!" Recovering from his shock, Jiang Fangyou did a sweeping gaze across the crowd and said, "I only have one thing to say. I'll leave it up to you to decide what to do after hearing my piece!"

"Clan head, please feel free to speak your mind!" Jiang Fangyun and the others quickly replied.

"The Seal of Souls in the treasure vault has vanished," Jiang Fangyou said. "If I'm not mistaken, it was taken away and tamed by him!"

"I did take the Seal of Souls, but I have not tamed it yet!" Zhang Xuan said with a reddened face.

It was one thing for him to empty their treasure vault, but having it pointed out explicitly like that still made him feel rather embarrassed.

From the looks of it, it seemed like he had no choice but to return those treasures to them...

"He took away the Seal of Souls?"

Hearing Jiang Fangyou's words, the elders widened their eyes in astonishment. Following which, Jiang Fangyou took a step forward and kneeled down, "Jiang Clan's Jiang Fangyou pays respect to the guild leader!"

"The descendants of the Jiang Clan pay respect to the guild leader!"

The other elders also quickly kneeled down as well.

"Guild leader?" Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion.

Was he not supposed to be their clan head?

Why were they addressing him as their guild leader now?

Noticing the confused look on Zhang Xuan's face, Jiang Fangyou sent a telepathic message over. "Since you have browsed through the cultivation techniques of our Jiang Clan, you should know that most of our soul manuals stem from the soul oracles' heritage!"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

This was something that he had been wondering about ever since going through the Jiang Clan Repository.

Had the heritage of the soul oracles not been destroyed by the Master Teacher Pavilion? Why did the Jiang Clan still have books containing the heritage of the soul oracles? Furthermore, why were they allowed to exist so openly on the Master Teacher Continent despite the nature of their heritage?

"The Seal of Souls is the insignia of authority that was passed down within the Soul Oracle Guild back then. The person who wields the Seal of Souls is the chosen leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, as well the master that our Jiang Clan serves!" Jiang Fangyou explained.

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Chapter 1647: Unknown Secrets of the Soul Oracles (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"The Seal of Souls is the insignia of authority of the Soul Oracle Guild?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

No wonder it was so heavy! Without comprehending the Soul Quintessence, he was not even able to lift it with his Primordial Spirit. It turned out that there was actually such a history behind the seal!

"What's going on? How did the Jiang Clan obtain the heritage of the soul oracle? Why would it serve the master of the Seal of Souls? Weren't the soul oracles eradicated by the Master Teacher Pavilion for betraying mankind?" Zhang Xuan was bewildered.

He simply could not make sense of the situation.

As one of the Three Premier Clans, the Master Teacher Pavilion was bound to keep a close eye on the Jiang Clan. They should be able to discern that the Jiang Clan had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles. After all, being skillful at soul arts and being a soul oracle were two different things. So, why would the Master Teacher Pavilion still allow the existence of the Jiang Clan?

Jiang Fangyou hesitated for a moment before saying, "This matter concerns the most crucial secret of the Jiang Clan. It isn't convenient for us to speak of it here, so I'd like to invite Zhang shi to follow us into the main hall to follow up on the conversation!"

Even though the Guardian Formation did prevent outsiders from eavesdropping on their conversation, this matter had great implications and required the utmost confidentiality, so it was best to take as many precautions as possible.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"This way, please!" Jiang Fangyou heaved a sigh of relief.

Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Since he still had control over the Jiang Clan's Guardian Formation, he was not worried that they would pull anything on him.

Following behind Jiang Fangyou, they soon arrived in a grand hall.

After Zhang Xuan sat down on the main seat, Jiang Fangyou and the other elders swiftly took their seats by the side.

They swiftly activated the barrier in the hall to isolate it completely from the world. After which, Jiang Fangyou turned his gaze over and said, "Zhang shi, I heard that you once taught a direct disciple named Lu Chong. He has made great advancements as a soul oracle, reaching the level of Great Sage... May I ask if that's true?"

"There's indeed such a matter!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

In order to save him back then, Lu Chong had gotten into a huge fight against the 9-star master teachers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Even though the matter had eventually been resolved, news had still spread far and wide. Thus, it was not surprising for Jiang Fangyou to be aware of the matter.

"If that's the case... would it be right to say that you are a soul oracle as well, Zhang shi?" Jiang Fangyou asked.

"You can say so!" Zhang Xuan replied candidly.

"Then there's no mistake..."

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had admitted to it, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. With an agitated look in his eyes, Jiang Fangyou continued his questioning. "May I know where you acquired the soul oracle heritage from? Could you have, by any chance, met other soul oracles?"

"My heritage originates from a soul who has coincidentally survived through the years. I'm afraid that I haven't met any soul oracles before!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

In truth, Mo Hunsheng could not be considered as a true soul oracle anymore. In precise terms, he was simply a fragmented soul possessing a consciousness.

And other than Mo Hunsheng and Lu Chong, he had not met any other soul oracles before.

"You have never met any soul oracles before?" Jiang Fangyou asked with a hint of dejection in his voice.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan replied with a doubtful edge in his voice. "Aren't soul oracles existences shunned by the world? I believe that their heritage should have already been eradicated from the Master Teacher Continent, right?"

"Shunned?" Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyou fell silent. A moment later, he shook his head bitterly and said, "It seems like you are unaware of the truth!"

"The truth?"

"I know that it might be hard for you to believe it, but the truth is that the soul oracles never betrayed mankind!" Jiang Fangyou said earnestly.

"They didn't betray mankind?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed to hear those words.

This betrayal of the soul oracles was an incident that had been recorded in detail by the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no one on the Master Teacher Continent who was unaware of their treachery... Yet, Jiang Fangyou was actually denying it?

Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply before beginning on his story. "The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was simply too strong. Back then, even under the leadership of Kong shi and his seventy-two direct disciples, the forces of mankind were still hardly a match for the Otherworldly Demons... In fact, there was a point in time when an Otherworldly Demon Emperor successfully trapped Kong shi in Chen Cai 1 . Having lost Kong shi, mankind found itself driven into a corner..."

Zhang Xuan nodded in response to those words. He recalled hearing this matter from Vicious before.

"The war was simply too disadvantageous toward mankind. The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe knew us like the back of their hand, but our knowledge of them was terribly limited. For one, we were completely helpless against their Zhenqi of Slaughter... Even if a human cultivator was equally powerful to an Otherworldly Demon, the human cultivator would swiftly lose their rationality upon coming into contact with the overwhelming killing intent from the Zhenqi of Slaughter, thus making them easy prey for the Otherworldly Demon!" Jiang Fangyou continued.

Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

This was something that he could relate to. When he first encountered an Otherworldly Demon during the Master Teacher Tournament in Myriad Kingdom City, the same had almost happened to him. If not for his Heaven's Path zhenqi, he might have succumbed there and then.

The Zhenqi of Slaughter affected one's soul directly. Even master teachers would find themselves unable to stand properly in its face, let alone ordinary cultivators.

"In order to salvage the situation, Kong shi made the decision to have cultivators specializing in soul cultivation infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and uncover the secrets behind their soul..."

At this point, Jiang Fangyou's face suddenly darkened a little. "Despite the dangers, the soul oracles took up the mission. However, in order to win the trust of the Otherworldly Demons, the soul oracles had to make a complete breakaway from the Master Teacher Pavilion. The result of that is what you see in the records of the Master Teacher Pavilion. Deemed to be evil as a result of their malevolent practices and treachery, the soul oracles were massacred by the Master Teacher Pavilion, and their heritage was completely destroyed..."

"This..." Zhang Xuan's body jolted upon hearing those words.

If what Jiang Fangyou had said was true, the soul oracles had really made a huge sacrifice for mankind!

They should have been the heroes of mankind, but they had been scorned by the very people that they had saved for tens of thousands of years...

As if having read Zhang Xuan's mind, Jiang Fangyou continued. "Back in that era, mankind had suffered a life worse than livestock under the tyranny of the Otherworldly Demon. They didn't even have control over their life and death. There was not a single man whose hopes and dreams weren't to drive them away and grasp control over his life back. The soul oracles viewed their sacrifice as necessary for the greater good, and they had no qualms doing so!

"In order to put up a convincing act before the Otherworldly Demons, the Master Teacher Pavilion mobilized a huge number of master teachers to encircle the soul oracles. In a single night, the entire occupation fell into ruin. The leader of the Soul Oracle Guild was then captured by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and he committed suicide shortly after."

"The leader of the Soul Oracle Guild committed suicide?" Zhang Xuan questioned in bewilderment.

If the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild had committed suicide, how did the soul oracles manage to infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?

"The suicide was just a front. It looked as if he had committed suicide, but his soul had actually survived the ordeal. He entrusted his heritage to our founder before seeking refuge with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply.

"Having witnessed the complete destruction of the entire lineage of soul oracles, the powerful Otherworldly Demon expert who had sealed Kong shi didn't doubt the intentions of the guild leader at all. Over time, the guild leader successfully uncovered the secret behind the Zhenqi of Slaughter and found a way to deliver the intelligence back to the Master Teacher Pavilion. He also designed a scheme to assassinate that powerful Otherworldly Demon expert!

"On top of that, he even designed inherently flawed soul cultivation techniques in accordance to the unique traits of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. His ambition wasn't just to weaken an Otherworldly Demon or two but the entire Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! However, in order to do so, he knew that he had to convince as many Otherworldly Demons as possible to practice his soul cultivation technique, and it went without saying that the Otherworldly Demons wouldn't be willing to practice a flawed soul cultivation technique!

"As such, he designed the soul cultivation technique in a manner such that the flaws wouldn't be apparent to the practitioners. In the short run, practicing his soul cultivation technique wouldn't cause any trouble, and it would strengthen one's soul. However, if one continued practicing it, one's Zhenqi of Slaughter would gradually weaken, eventually resulting in an overall diminishment of one's fighting prowess!"

"Flawed soul cultivation technique?" Zhang Xuan's body jolted as realization dawned upon him.

Back then, when he entered the Subterranean Gallery beneath the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, he had managed to kill the Goldenleaf King and the Greenleaf King and acquired their possessions. There had been plenty of soul cultivation technique manuals in their storage rings, but to his astonishment, he had found that those techniques were riddled with flaws!

Back then, he had thought that it was weird how the soul cultivation techniques cultivated by the Otherworldly Demons were so mediocre, especially since they had the soul oracles on their side. However, if Jiang Fangyou's account on the soul oracles was true, everything made perfect sense!

The mediocre soul cultivation techniques of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe were an intentional action by the guild leader, and the aim was to weaken their forte!

To willingly sacrifice themselves and bear a vile reputation just so that mankind had a shot at victory... the soul oracles were indeed the true unsung heroes of mankind!

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly in agitation.

At this moment, he suddenly recalled a matter. "You mentioned a certain powerful expert of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe who had sealed Kong shi earlier. Do you know... what his name is?"

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Chapter 1648: Descendants of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

That Otherworldly Demon expert had been able to corner Kong shi to the point where the latter had no choice but to sacrifice an entire occupation in order to infiltrate the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as a spy... Given so, just how powerful could that Otherworldly Demon expert be?

Would his prowess not have already exceeded that of an average Otherworldly Demon?

Jiang Fangyou did not think that Zhang Xuan would ask such a question. He pondered for a long while before replying slowly. "The name of that Otherworldly Demon expert has already been lost in history. All we know is that he wielded indomitable strength and viewed life as nothing more than dirt. He was callous and capricious, and when he was in a bad mood, he had no qualms killing his own brethren...

"As such, both the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and mankind chose to address him as... Vicious!"

"Vicious?" Zhang Xuan's body jolted.

As expected!

When he heard that Kong shi had been trapped in Chen Cai, he had already guessed as to who the culprit could be. Nevertheless, he was still shocked when he heard the answer.

To think that the little Vicious whom he had sealed in his Book of Heaven's Path would really be a formidable figure who had once cornered Kong shi!

The soul oracles even had to bear a vile reputation that remained with them to this date in order to kill him...

It was no wonder Vicious had been so haughty the first time they met. It turned out that he did have the power to match his ego during his prime!

"Indeed. According to the news that the founder of our Jiang Clan received from the leader of the Soul Oracle Guild, Kong shi concocted a scheme in advance after learning of Vicious' movements and prepared an ambush for him. That fight was truly of epic proportions; even the sky and the earth cracked before their incredible prowess! In the end, Vicious was completely destroyed by Kong shi, such that not even his corpse remained in the world!" Jiang Fangyou said.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent.

It was indeed true that Vicious' body had been torn into innumerable fragments. Having collected so many of Vicious' scattered parts, he knew that better than anyone else. However, he had not thought that there would be such a heavy story behind it.

There were simply too many sacrifices made in order to defeat Vicious once and for all.

"Regarding your account of the soul oracles, I think it's questionable whether even the Master Teacher Pavilion has any records of the matter or not. How can you be certain that the information on your hand hasn't been distorted over time?" Zhang Xuan asked.

This matter would definitely have to be kept with the highest level of confidentiality, such that even the current Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would not necessarily be aware of it. In other words, the Jiang Clan would be the only ones in possession of this piece of information.

In order to ensure that the success of the operation, the Jiang Clan could not possibly have been so foolish as to create a physical copy to detail this piece of information. That would be as good as leaving a tip-off to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe! That was also probably the reason Zhang Xuan had remained oblivious to this matter despite having gone through all of the books in the Jiang Clan Repository.

So, the chances were that the story was passed down through the Jiang Clan verbally. However, could verbal information that had been passed over for tens of thousands of years really be trusted? There was bound to be some distortion over the years, resulting in certain aspects of the story being warped to suit their convenience.

"It's recorded in the Seal of Souls by Kong shi personally!" Jiang Fangyou replied. "As long as the head of the Jiang Clan places the Clan Head Token against the Seal of Souls, he will receive a message through soul telepathy informing him of the history of the soul oracles. It's through this system of inheritance that the members of our Jiang Clan have been able to remember the sacrifices our predecessors made even after the passing of tens of thousands of years!"

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It seemed like Kong shi had thought the matter through in advance and prepared a countermeasure so that the soul oracles would not have to go down in history ignominiously.

The soul oracles had sacrificed themselves for mankind and the greater good. If their descendants had to live in shame of their ancestors, unaware of the truth, how tragic would the soul oracles be?

However, if they recorded it on paper, there would be an inevitable risk of information getting out. If the Otherworldly Demons obtained the piece of information by some chance, the soul oracles who had successfully infiltrated the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would have all hell to pay for!

This was indeed a huge dilemma. The sacrifice of the soul oracle could not be left unknown, but recording it could very well render their efforts futile. It was likely that Kong shi had been placed in a quandary as well, so he could only choose to seal the information within the Seal of Souls and pass it down to the successors of the soul oracle.

Hopefully, if there were to be a day where the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was completely eliminated, the soul oracles would finally be able to be cleansed of their disrepute!

"The Jiang Clan is the descendant of the guild leader, and his blood flows through our veins. Thus, if anyone gains control of the Seal of Souls, they will be deemed to be our new guild leader, and all members of the Jiang Clan will have to heed his commands unconditionally!" Jiang Fangyou explained.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

At the same time, the many elders of the Jiang Clan also lowered their heads contemplatively.

They knew that the lineage of the Jiang Clan had its roots from the soul oracles, but they were not too certain about the details. However, hearing Jiang Fangyou revealing everything in detail, the questions that they had harbored for many years were finally answered.

"To think that our ancestors were actually the soul oracles..." Jiang Feifei was also astounded by what she had just heard.

All along, she had prided herself as a master teacher, and she had carried deep abhorrence for the soul oracles. She had viewed them as a bunch of despicable people who carried no regard for the sanctity of life.

However, after hearing the sacrifices that the soul oracles had made for mankind, she realized that her view of them might have been twisted all along.

Without them, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe might have still been the dominant power on the Master Teacher Continent, and mankind would still have been living a life worse than death.

"Zhang shi has comprehended the Soul Quintessence and successfully retrieved the Seal of Souls. Be it from the perspective of a soul oracle or from the view of the Jiang Clan, I believe that there's no doubt that no one is more qualified than him to become our clan head!" Jiang Fangyou looked at the elders and declared his stance.

"Indeed. The fact that Zhang shi was able to comprehend the Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences and achieve deeds that astounded even the Master Teacher Pavilion, he might just be able to cleanse the reputation of the soul oracles and allow them to stand beneath the light once more without facing the criticism of others!"

"As the descendants of the soul oracles, this is what we have been waiting for all our life!"

"Zhang shi, please lead us to a brighter future!"

...

The elders rose up and clasped their fists respectfully.

The Jiang Clan was a blood lineage, but the Soul Oracle Guild was not.

The fact that Zhang Xuan had been able to grasp the Seal of Souls meant that he had been recognized as the rightful successor as the head of the Soul Oracle Guild. He had also been the only person to successfully do so in the past tens of thousands of years.

The soul oracles had been wronged for far too long. As their descendants, the members of the Jiang Clan were unwilling to allow such a situation to continue any further. Even if their ancestors could not be praised for their heroic sacrifice, they did not deserve to suffer the condemnation of the entire world!

"This..." Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before nodding slowly. "I'm willing to become the head of the Jiang Clan... But prior to that, Clan Head Jiang Fangyou, there's a doubt in my mind that I hope that you can answer."

"Please feel free to speak," Jiang Fangyou said.

"When I arrived in the Jiang Clan just earlier today, I unintentionally saw you coming into contact with a scholarly young man... To be frank with you, I have met that scholarly young man before, and we have even fought on two occasions. If I'm not mistaken, he's very likely an Otherworldly Demon!" Zhang Xuan said before directing a piercing gaze at Jiang Fangyou.

If everything that Jiang Fangyou had said was true—that the soul oracles had truly made such a huge sacrifice for mankind—it would not make sense for their descendants to betray mankind and undo everything the efforts of their ancestors.

But... no matter how Zhang Xuan looked at it, there was no way he could rationalize the apparent close relations between Jiang Fangyou and the scholarly young man.

"Scholarly young man?" Jiang Fangyou was taken aback by the question. He pondered for a moment before asking, "Are you referring to Yan Xue?"

"Yan Xue?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

"Yes, that's the name of the young man who has visited me earlier on. He isn't an Otherworldly Demon but a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan from the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. He has already reached the level of Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation for his cultivation, making him a renowned figure even in the Great Phrontistery of Confucianism. In fact, it was said that his name is on the Heaven Board," Jiang Fangyou explained.

"Ancient Sage Zi Yuan... You are referring to Kong shi's first direct disciple, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan?" Zhang Xuan's body jolted in astonishment. "How could that be possible? I saw him colluding with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe with my own eyes!"

He was completely flabbergasted by what he was hearing.

The first time that he had encountered the scholarly young man was at the White Creek Mountain. While they were fighting over the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, a person among the group of four revealed his true form as an Otherworldly Demon.

The second time they met was at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild. At that time, not only were there a handful of Great Sage cultivators, he even found himself facing an Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demon!

If the scholarly young man was truly a descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, why was he together with so many Otherworldly Demons? Furthermore, he had even aided the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in claiming the Celestial Amulet of Legacy!

"This... He came to me requesting to establish connections with the soul oracles in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. I am only a messenger, so I'm not too sure about his true intentions. After all, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers has never been accountable to anyone for their actions," Jiang Fangyou said.

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Chapter 1649: Taking Jiang Feifei in as a Student

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"He's trying to connect with the soul oracles in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?" Zhang Xuan was getting a little confused.

If that person was truly the descendant of Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, the Seer Guild's betrayal might not necessarily be a true betrayal. The same went for the Master Teacher Pavilion as well. But still, it didn't make much sense for an expert of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers to have close ties with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

After all, the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were the direct descendants of Kong shi's 72 direct disciples, so it was unthinkable for them to betray mankind. Taking a step back, even if they were to betray mankind, would the Otherworldly Demon be willing to trust them?

Yet, at the Harvest Valley City Seer Guild, they were residing peacefully with the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages! This was truly inconceivable.

No matter how Zhang Xuan thought about the matter, he was unable to make sense out of it. After questioning a little longer, he found that Jiang Fangyou truly knew nothing about the scholarly young man at all. His responsibility simply stopped at forming connections between the soul oracles and the Hundred Schools of Philosophers.

"Our ancestors have made such great sacrifices for mankind! As their descendants, how could we sully their heroism? Furthermore, our Jiang Clan is established upon the deaths of countless predecessors in the Subterranean Gallery over the past tens of thousands of years! We wouldn't be worthy of being called humans if we were to trample over their sacrifices and collude with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!" Upon realizing that Zhang Xuan was suspecting them of treachery, Jiang Fangyou stood up, clasped his fist, and declared indignantly.

"I apologize for my reckless behavior. I shouldn't have come to such a quick conclusion!" Zhang Xuan quickly rose to his feet and said.

The soul oracles had done so much for mankind, yet he still doubted the loyalty of their descendants. It was not to say that he regretted his decision. He would still do it again if he had to—when the fate of mankind was at stake, it was always better to be safe than sorry. Nevertheless, since it was proven that he had made a mistake, it was only right for him to offer an earnest apology.

"Considering the reputation of the soul oracles in the world, it's no surprise that you would come to this conclusion..." At this point, Jiang Fangyou suddenly widened his eyes in realization and asked, "Is that the reason why you emptied our treasure vault? You thought that we were in cahoots with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe?"

"I'm afraid that's the case..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened in shame.

Hearing those words, Jiang Fangyou sighed deeply and said, "Well, I can at least understand why you did what you did. If we were truly in collusion with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it would be foolish to uphold propriety with us..."

Propriety only came in when the world was at peace. If extinction was on the line, it would be foolish to remain polite and courteous with one's enemies.

If there was truly a major human power in the world who had betrayed mankind for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, robbing it of its resources would indeed be a fair move.

"I'll return your treasures back to your treasure vault later on..." Zhang Xuan replied hurriedly.

Having learned that the Jiang Clan hadn't truly betrayed mankind and had even sacrificed a lot in order to protect it, no matter how thick-skinned Zhang Xuan was, there was no way he could continue to brazenly claim their treasures for his own.

On the other hand, seeing the look on Zhang Xuan's face, Jiang Fangyou couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Even though Zhang Xuan's actions might have seemed a little unprincipled here, he had to admit that it was indeed an effective move. If the Jiang Clan had truly betrayed mankind, this single move would have set them back by a great deal

After having cleared things up, the remaining issues weren't too much trouble.

Zhang Xuan agreed to be the stand-in head of the Jiang Clan for the time being. Until the matter with the soul oracles had been reviewed and resolved, they mustn't be shown to have any ties with the Jiang Clan. Otherwise, he would have surely recommended Lu Chong to the position instead.

Considering that his student had found the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles and obtained their heritage, he was bound to become a leading figure of the occupation in the future.

And speaking of the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles, the truth was that Zhang Xuan had been harboring some doubts about its existence for a long time now.

Considering that the Master Teacher Pavilion had gone all out to eradicate the soul oracles, how could they possibly spare the latter's ancient domain? From the looks of it now, it seemed like Kong shi helped to conceal its existence so as to preserve the lineage and heritage of the soul oracles.

Otherwise, with the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it would have surely rooted it out and destroyed it a long time ago.

By the time the inauguration ceremony concluded, it was already late at night.

Zhang Xuan quickly returned all of the treasures back to the treasure vault except for a couple of items which harnessed concentrated spiritual energy. After which, he called Jiang Feifei over and handed a book over to her.

"Recorded in here is my comprehension of the Soul Quintessence. As long as you cultivate in accordance with it, you should be able to comprehend it very quickly. You don't need to waste your time and effort at the Jiang Clan's Jade Hieroglyph anymore," he said.

"Your comprehension of the Soul Quintessence?" Jiang Feifei flipped the manual open uncertainly and swiftly flipped through it.

By the time her hand flipped over the final page, her eyes were already widened in disbelief.

Formless and intangible, it was much more difficult to cultivate the soul as compared to the physical body. Despite her aptitude toward soul arts, she still had no confidence that she would be able to comprehend the Soul Quintessence. In fact, she felt that even if she were to devote her entire life to it, the chances were that his efforts would be futile.

However, the manual which the newly inaugurated clan head had just given her harnessed the very crux of soul cultivation. It wasn't needlessly complex, and it was structured in a logical manner which first reinforced her fundamental understanding of what a soul was before moving on to the more complex aspects... With such a manual, she was confident that she would be able to comprehend the Soul Quintessence with a month of hard work!

One must know that this was a feat which countless predecessors had tried but failed at!

"T-this... It's too valuable!" Jiang Feifei exclaimed with trembling hands. She bit her lips tightly, seemingly resolving herself to some important decision, before raising her gaze to look at Zhang Xuan, "How can I ever repay you for this valuable manual... If you really wish to, I'll agree to an engagement with you..."

She still didn't like the young man before her, but she knew how important he was to the Jiang Clan. It would be a blessing if the young man were to be bound to the Jiang Clan, even if through a political marriage.

At the very most, she would just have to sacrifice herself for this cause.

Even though the young man said that there was someone whom he liked, in the worst-case scenario, she would just have to become his concubine.

With her looks and standing, she believed that there was no reason for the young man to turn her down.

"Engagement? You are thinking too much. Even though the manual I have just imparted to you may seem easy to cultivate, there's a high chance your cultivation might go berserk if you were to practice it without my guidance!" Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head said. "Alright, I'll take you in as my student and guide you on your cultivation of the Soul Quintessence!"

"Student?" Jiang Feifei was taken aback.

She thought that the reason why Zhang Xuan was willing to hand such a precious manual to her was to force her to promise herself to him... Who could have thought that he was intending to take her as his student instead!

The abrupt change in the train of thoughts left her a little dumbstruck.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry up and pay your respects! Even if you are just an ordinary student of the clan head, it would soon become your greatest pride!" Jiang Fangyou exclaimed in agitation, jolting his daughter out of her daze.

On top of being the head of the Zhang Clan, the Luo Clan, and the Sanctum of Sages, Zhang Xuan's students were also the Progeny of Combat, the chief of the Glacier Plain Court, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the head of the Yuan Clan... All in all, there was no mediocre student under his tutelage.

If his daughter could become his student, even if just in name, it would be highly beneficial for her future. Perhaps, she might even exceed him in time to time!

Hearing her father's words, Jiang Feifei was stunned for a moment before nodding hurriedly, "Yes, I understand!"

She was still holding onto the notion that Zhang Xuan was the same young genius who had challenged her back at the Sanctum of Sages. She had failed to realize that over the span of less than a month, the young man had already reached the top of the Master Teacher Continent. Their standing was no longer the same as before.

Putting aside all of his other identities, just on the account that he was Yang shi's senior, it wouldn't be overboard even if Jiang Feifei were to call him great grandfather!

"Jiang Feifei pays respect to teacher!" Jiang Feifei knelt to the ground and greeted.

"Good! Come, get up!" Zhang Xuan said with a smile.

Earlier, when the young lady knelt down earlier, another golden page was formed within the Library of Heaven's Path. Zhang Xuan couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

The opponents he had to face was no longer limited to just Saint cultivators. There was no doubt that he would be forced to battle against Great Sages and even Ancient Sages in the near future.

With a golden page in his inventory, his safety would at least be assured for the time being. Even if an Ancient Sage were to come after him now, he had the confidence that he would be able to subdue the other party with the golden page.

Should I try to take in more students to gather more golden pages? Junior Yang's direct disciple, Feng Ziyi, isn't too bad either. Hmm... Should I negotiate with Junior Yang to let him to me? Zhang Xuan stroked his lower jaw as he pondered seriously over this issue.

Given his current standing, just the title of 'Zhang Xuan's student' was enough to put one on a high pedestal. Thus, he had to take absolute care in choosing the students he took in. However, it was easier said than done to find good students.

After all, not everyone was as outstanding, compassionate, righteous, and noble as him...

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Chapter 1650: Heavenly Flame Tribulation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

In the end, Zhang Xuan gave up on the idea.

The sanctity of lineages had to be upheld. Since Feng Ziyi was Yang shi's direct disciple, it would be inappropriate for him to take the young man in as his student.

It seemed like he would have to search carefully for suitable individuals to take in as his student in the future.

Considering how powerful the golden page was, it would be best for him to collect as many of it as possible.

If he were to have a few hundred golden pages in the Library of Heaven's Path, he just might be able to defeat all of the Ancient Sages of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe single-handedly!

Wait a moment... Kong shi had three thousand students, right? Could his reason for taking so many students be for this as well? Such a thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan's mind.

Kong shi only had 72 direct disciples, but he had over three thousand normal students. Could it be possible that Kong shi had the Library of Heaven's Path as well, and the reason why he took in so many students was to form as many golden pages as possible?

Perhaps, he might have even defeated Vicious by tossing golden pages at him as if they were nothing, forcefully smashing him into meat paste!

It was one thing to be defeated by a powerful expert, but to be defeated under a barrage of books... Well, Vicious would have really suffered the most tragic defeat in history!

I should look more into Kong shi's affairs in the future and see if he has a history of using books as his weapon. That should give me a clue as to whether he possesses the Library of Heaven's Path as well...

In the end, this was only Zhang Xuan's hypothesis at the moment. He needed to look further into it to know for sure.

Putting those miscellaneous thoughts at the back of his mind, Zhang Xuan focused his attention on deciphering the crux of the manual to Jiang Feifei and clarifying her doubts. By the time she had fully grasped the manual, it was already late at night.

There's still some time before sunrise. Let me see if I can advance my soul cultivation so the Aureate Body realm! Knowing that it was still rather early, Zhang Xuan exhaled deeply before standing up.

The main reason why he came to the Jiang Clan was to temper his soul so that he could enter the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse. Since he had already gathered the Introspective Convalescence realm and the Aureate Body realm Heaven's Path Soul Art, and he had the required cultivation resources on hand too, it would be good for him to make a breakthrough as soon as possible.

Zhang Xuan had Jiang Fangyou prepare a silent residence for him. He entered the cultivation chamber of the residence and sat down. After which, he drew his Primordial Spirit out from his body and began conditioning himself.

Alright, I should start!

Once he felt that his condition had reached its peak, he flicked his hand, and the spiritual energy-rich cultivation resources he had taken with permission from the Jiang Clan's treasure vault earlier fell all over the ground, emanating an invigorating aura.

Gugugu!

Spiritual energy began surging into Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit furiously.

His aura was growing stronger at a visible pace, and within a tea's time, he had already reached the very peak of Introspective Convalescence realm, seemingly ready to make the final step forward at any moment.

Thus, he attempted to make a breakthrough. However, after a few attempts, he found that the bottleneck limiting him was a little too resilient.

Zhang Xuan analyzed with a frown, It might be because I have just achieved a breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm and have yet to fully reinforce my soul cultivation yet, so my soul energy hasn't been fully condensed together yet...

It had been less than half a day since he had reached Introspective Convalescence realm, so his soul energy hadn't fully settled down yet. He could attempt to force a breakthrough right now, but even if he were to succeed, this weaker foundation would surely come to haunt him in the future.

The difficulty in advancing his cultivation had already gotten much harder ever since he reached Great Sage. He had no wish to further up the difficulty for himself.

But still, will I really have to spend two to three days just to reinforce my soul cultivation? Zhang Xuan rubbed his temple in distress.

Two to three days just to reinforce a cultivation realm... That was too slow, too slow!

With the perilous circumstances around him, he had to raise his cultivation as soon as possible.

Otherwise, even with a weapon as powerful as the Dragonbone Divine Spear, he would still be unable to exert his full strength.

"If there's something I could use to compress my soul energy together, I would be able to do it much faster..." At this point in time, a spark flashed across Zhang Xuan's mind as his eyes lit up in excitement. "Right, the Seal of Souls!"

Without using the Soul Quintessence, the pressure the Seal of Souls could exert on his Primordial Spirit was immense, unbearable even.

If he had to reinforce his soul cultivation alone, the rate which he would improve at was extremely slow. Without at least three days of effort, it would be difficult for him to fully reinforce the foundations for Introspective Convalescence realm. However, through using the pressure of the Seal of Souls, the process could be sped up significantly. Perhaps, he might even be able to finish the task by tonight!

"Go!"

With a flick of his hand, a seal materialized at the center of the room.

As soon as it appeared, Zhang Xuan immediately felt intense pressure crushing down on him. It felt as if his Primordial Spirit would be compressed infinitesimally under the pressure.

Without driving the Soul Quintessence, he slowly approached the Seal of Souls with his Primordial Spirit.

Tzzzzzzz!

As if approaching a scorching inferno, his Primordial Spirit began corroding under the immense pressure, seemingly on the verge of dissipation.

Heaven's Path Soul Art!

Harrumphing coldly, he began driving the Heaven's Path Soul Art, and his dissipating Primordial Spirit slowly began to stabilize.

This was similar to how he had used the pressure from the Dragonbone Divine Spear back then to temper his Primordial Spirit.

The theory behind Introspective Convalescence realm for soul cultivation was similar to that for zhenqi cultivation. It focused on altering the basic underlying structure of a soul so as to make it more resilient and powerful.

With the pressure, his soul energy swiftly condensed together, making his Primordial Spirit more and more compact and powerful. A vague golden glow was beginning to emanate from the surface of his Primordial Spirit, a sign that he was steadily advancing toward a breakthrough to the Aureate Body realm.

Is this the Aureate Body realm?

Noticing the golden glow from his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan quickly inspected on the changes and found that the parts of his soul shrouded in golden glow was much more resilient as compared to the others.

Resilient was a word rarely used to describe intangible and formless souls. However, after being suffused with the golden glow, the resilience of his soul had astonishingly surpassed the level of Saint pinnacle artifacts.

"Incredible!"

Zhang Xuan remarked with an excited gleam in his eyes as he continued to temper his Primordial Spirit using the pressure from the Seal of Souls.

Four hours later, he finally came to a halt

After a tough session of cultivation, his Primordial Spirit, which had become a little bloated after reaching Introspective Convalescence realm, had been fully compacted once more. At the same time, his disposition had undergone yet another change. From afar, he gave off a fleeting presence, similar to that of an unworldly deity.

There was a fine line between Great Sage and Sainthood. Traversing beyond this fine line meant a metamorphosis in one's level of existence.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit was streaked with golden lines. If he were to drive his prowess to its maximum potential, a brilliant burst of golden light would shine from him, giving him an appearance reminiscent to that of a Buddha.

"Continue!"

Knowing that he had already reinforced his soul cultivation to its limits, he kept the Seal of Souls and began furiously absorbing spiritual energy into his Primordial Spirit once more. Similarly, his soul cultivation also began advancing for greater heights too.

Hong long!

There was a resounding buzz as the bottleneck limiting him and shredded apart. The golden lines streaking across his Primordial Spirit melted and shrouded his entire soul, giving off a golden glow that filled the entire room.

Aureate Body realm, reached!

"This is truly formidable..." Sensing the changes in his Primordial Spirit, Zhang Xuan trembled in excitement.

At his current level, he could execute Soul Traverse freely without fear that his Primordial Spirit would be harmed as a result of squeezing through space.

It seems like Lu Chong has reached Aureate Body realm as well... Zhang Xuan thought awkwardly.

It had always bothered him how his students were able to advance their cultivation faster than him. While it could be partially credited to their unique constitutions and the resources they had at their disposal, it still left him feeling deeply frustrated.

Hong long long!

Just as Zhang Xuan's mind was wandering, thunderous rumbling suddenly echoed outside the room. Heading outside, he saw storm clouds congregating above the Jiang Clan. Overwhelming energy was swiftly gathering in the vicinity.

"Lightning tribulation? Achieving a breakthrough in one's soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm would induce a lightning tribulation too?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

However, in the next moment, the Dragonbone Divine Spear wrapped around his waist suddenly exclaimed, "It isn't a lightning tribulation but a heavenly flame tribulation! Lightning tribulation served to temper one's Primordial Spirit whereas heavenly flame tempers the Aureate Body!"

"Heavenly flame tribulation?"

Zhang Xuan was startled for an instant before his face flushed in excitement, "Wait a moment... Doesn't that mean that I would be able to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison in advance?"

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Chapter 1651: Empyrean Heavenly Flame

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Kong shi had once said that in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, it would have to be seared with heavenly flames. He thought that this would require him to advance his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage, but who could have thought that he would end up drawing it in with his soul cultivation?

If he could make use of it to temper his physical body, wouldn't he be able to resolve the threat which had been worrying him over the past year once and for all?

"Will the heavenly flame tribulation sear my Primordial Spirit directly?" Zhang Xuan asked the Dragonbone Divine Spear anxiously.

The Saint Ascension Ordeal was divided into the Soul Ordeal, Body Ordeal, and Heart Ordeal. Given that the heavenly flame tribulation was also the retribution that the heavens brought upon the cultivators, would it come in the same order as well?

Hearing the question, the Dragonbone Divine Spear pondered for a moment before replying, "There are three phases to the heavenly flame tribulation, namely Scorching Soul Tribulation, Scorching Spirit Tribulation, and Scorching Heart Tribulation. With your prowess, you should be able to survive the Scorching Soul Tribulation. However, I'm afraid that the same cannot be said about the Scorching Spirit Tribulation and Scorching Heart Tribulation. Even the slightest carelessness can easily result in the dissipation of your existence!

"This is especially so for the final Scorching Heart Tribulation. Inner demons will attempt to break down your wil, and once the will extinguishes, everything else goes to rest as well. If your physical body had reached Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm, together with the formidable prowess of your Primordial Spirit, you might still be able to withstand the inner demons. However, in your current state, I'm afraid that it'll be difficult for you to oppose the inner demons with your Primordial Spirit itself! Countless soul oracles in the ancient era had died as a result of the heavenly flame tribulation. It was only those who were blessed with great luck and the utmost talent who managed to survive this ordeal..." ( .c om )

The Dragonbone Divine Spear had witnessed Zhang Xuan refining his Primordial Spirit using the pressure exerted, so he was aware of the fact that the young man cultivated his soul as well.

"You mean to say that... it would have been safer for me to challenge the heavenly flame tribulation if my zhenqi cultivation were to reach Aureate Body realm as well?" Hearing the words of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, Zhang Xuan asked.

"That's right. The body is much more formidable at fending off inner demons as compared to the soul. With the physical body bearing the brunt of the impact and the soul assisting by the side, the chances of overcoming the heavenly flame tribulation would be much higher. If you were to challenge it with just your Primordial Spirit itself... Honestly speaking, I don't personally know of anyone who has succeeded in doing so yet!" the Dragonbone Divine Spear flew out from Zhang Xuan's waist and remarked worriedly.

As a member of the Dragon Tribe, there was no way it could allow its master, which it had found with great difficulty, to be burned to cinders. Otherwise, if others were to learn of the matter, how embarrassing it would be for him!

Even though it was just a pile of bones now, it didn't mean that it didn't have any pride!

"My physical body is indeed rather lacking at the moment..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shook his head grimly.

He hadn't acquired Kong shi's superior breakthrough method to advance his zhenqi cultivation Introspective Convalescence realm, so he couldn't afford to force a breakthrough right now.

Besides, even if he were to make a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation right now, he would still be an entire realm away from reaching Aureate Body realm. He hadn't compiled the Aureaute Body realm Heaven's Path Divine Art yet, so it wouldn't solve the quandary he was in.

( .c om ) "Let it come then! I would like to see how formidable this heavenly flame tribulation is!"

The Dragonbone Divine Spear had once conquered the world by Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's side. Even though it had lost much of its powers and memories after being sealed, its eye of discernment and worldly knowledge were still far superior to most cultivators in the world.

Since it had said that the heavenly flame tribulation would be a difficult foe to deal with, it was likely that would indeed be the case.

However, as a practitioner of the Heaven's Path Soul Art, he was an invincible existence amongst soul oracles of his level. The heavenly flame tribulation might have been powerful, but he was confident that he would be able to overcome it.

If there were soul oracles who could survive the heavenly flame tribulation, surely I would be able to do so too!

Hong long long!

In the midst of his conversation, the ominous clouds in the sky had finally finished congregating together.

Similar to the storm clouds of the lightning tribulation, the clouds of the heavenly flame tribulation were also pitch black in color. However, if one were to take a closer look, one would notice that the clouds were dancing around, reminiscent of flames. Even from a distance away, one could already feeling scorching heat blistering one's skin, and the air was gradually becoming intolerably arid.

Tzla!

A bundle of flames descended from the sky, aiming right for Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit.

Unlike the conventional crimson color, the bundle of flames were pitch-black in color, almost similar to ink.

If not for the suffocating heat it was emanating, one could have mistaken it as a botch of ink floating in the air.

"This is the heavenly flame?"

Even before the flame even arrived, dimension rifts were beginning to surface around the area. A powerful aura burst forth from the flame, imposing tremendous pressure on those standing beneath it. Zhang Xuan felt his hairs standing on end.

He had encountered many flames over the past year, facing even the most formidable earth flames... However, he had never met such an eerie and oppressive flame before!

Black as if ink, it was devoid of the slightest radiance. Yet, the heat it exerted was so great that even space was unable to tolerate its existence. This was the heavenly flame?

Was this really something that a soul oracle could withstand?

Putting aside his Primordial Spirit, even his physical body, whichy had already exceeded the resilience of an average Saint pinnacle artifact, would melt upon contact with it!

"T-this... This isn't an ordinary heavenly flame but the Empyrean Heavenly Flame!"

While Zhang Xuan was overwhelmed by the frightening might commanded by the heavenly flame before him, the Dragonbone Divine Spear was also trembling in disbelief. ( .c om )

"Empyrean Heavenly Flame? What is that?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Heavenly flame could be divided into various tiers too. The Tier-3 Heavenly Flame has a fiery crimson color, and it would be summoned by most cultivators during their Aureate Body Ordeal. This is also the weakest heavenly flame of all.

"The Tier-2 Heavenly Flame takes on an ashen white color, and it's summoned only by the more formidable combat masters and master teachers.

"As for the Tier-1 Heavenly Flame, it's azure in color, and only cultivators who have cultivated the best cultivation technique and possess the purest zhenqi would be able to summon it. So far, the only ones I have seen who were able to do that were Ancient Sage Ran Qiu and the other direct disciples of Kong shi. Naturally, it goes without saying that the higher the heavenly flame's tier is, the more resilient the cultivator's Aureate Body would be after overcoming it...

"However, legend has it that there's an Empyrean Heavenly Flame which far surpasses the Tier-1 Heavenly Flame. It's also known as the Flame of Heaven's Path, and it's distinguished by its color of utmost darkness... As far as I know, Kong shi is the only one who has summoned the Flame of Heaven's Path and survived it. Furthermore, it was said to have only appeared when his zhenqi cultivation reached Aureate Body realm... How in the world did you manage to summon it here?" Floating in the air in agitation, the eyes on the tip of the Dragonbone Divine Spear flickered in horror.

The Empyrean Heavenly Flame was a force of nature that destroyed all beings that stood in its path. Putting aside Primordial Spirits, even Sempiternal realm cultivators would be burned to cinders in the face of its prowess!

The young man had only achieved a breakthrough in his soul cultivation, so how did he end up summoning this fearsome heavenly flame here?

It was difficult enough to overcome an ordinary heavenly flame, but the tribulation he had to face was actually that of the Empyrean Heavenly Flame... This was practically an impossible feat!

Without a doubt, this was truly the worst card to draw at this moment!

"How would I know?" Not expecting such an epic background to the heavenly flames he had summoned, Zhang Xuan cried in aghast.

It should have just been an ordinary heavenly flame tribulation! Was there really a need for the world to give him such a 'special treat'?

Zhang Xuan felt deeply stifled inside, but he knew this wasn't the time to be fussing over it. Barely after gathering his strength, the black flame had already arrived before his Primordial Spirit and wrapped itself around it.

Xiong xiong!

As soon as the black flame came into contact with his Primordial Spirit, his Primordial Spirit immediately began burning up. Intense pain caused his face to distort awfully as his body began shuddering uncontrollably.

He thought that it would be reminiscent to the lightning tribulation, where he would just have to endure it. However, the black flame was far more formidable than what he had expected. Even the slightest lapse in his concentration could cause his Primordial Spirit to be reduced to cinders, leaving nothing behind at all.

"Heaven's Path Soul Art!"

Knowing that he had to make a move quickly, he gritted his teeth and gathered all of the energy he had to fend against the black flame.

Weng weng!

A brilliant golden light gushed out and enveloped his Primordial Spirit.

His transparent Primordial Spirit was suddenly cased in a golden afterglow, contrasting him to be a massive Buddha idol.

Tzzzzzz!

The prowess of the golden light was formidable, but the black flame was even more potent. Even before coming into contact with the golden light, it had already torn the surrounding space into shreds, seemingly ready to drag Zhang Xuan into the midst of spatial turbulence.

"Seal!"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger ahead and executed the prowess of his Spatial Quintessence.

Weng!

The ripped space swiftly settled down once more.

However, the might of the black flame was still as formidable as before. It swiftly corroded the golden light around Zhang Xuan, dyeing it the color of black.

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Chapter 1652: Tempering the Aureate Body

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

At this rate, I'll really lose my life...

Knowing that nothing would be left of him by the time the flames finished burning, Zhang Xuan swiftly drove the Soul Quintessence.

Gathering his power, he sent a burst of soul energy right into the ball of black flame around him.

As the burst of soul energy collided with the black flame, it swiftly scattered into countless seeds of fire. However, before Zhang Xuan could react, they had already gathered back together around him once more, continue their relentless assault on his Primordial Spirit.

"I'm able to forcefully split it apart, but the rate of regeneration of the black flame is simply too fast..." Zhang Xuan analyzed grimly.

The attack with his Soul Quintessence was a trial attack to see if soul energy would work on the black flame, and to be honest, he didn't think that it would be effective. Unfortunately, the black flame reconverged together too quickly for the attack to make much of a difference.

Right! I can use the Time Quintessence... A thought came to Zhang Xuan's mind.

No matter how quickly the black flame gathered together, it would require some time. As long as there was a lapse in time, he would be able to use the Time Quintessence against it!

Break!

Thus, he gathered his soul energy together to launch a powerful attack against the black flame. At the same time, he raised his finger and tapped the space in front of him lightly.

Weng!

Everything around him suddenly grew incredibly slow. The black flame slowly split into countless seeds of fire, and when they finally reached a certain distance away from him, they began to reconverged together in the middle.

Scatter apart!

Pushing his mind to its limits, Zhang Xuan scattered his soul energy into each of the smaller seeds of fire and pushed them further away from one another.

Barely after that was done, the time acceleration came to an end. As expected, the searing sensation he felt on his Primordial Spirit alleviated considerably.

The power of the black flame does indeed reduce accordingly to scale... Zhang Xuan thought as he heaved a sigh of relief.

Even if they were of the same temperature, a blazing inferno was surely much more menacing force as compared to just a couple sparks of fire.

After continue the process several times, the black flame was finally split into a hundredth of its original size. Finally, the searing sensation had been reduced to a level which Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit could tolerate.

"Time, Space, and Soul, these are the three Quintessences that are the hardest to grasp... He's probably the only one in the world who has managed to master the three of them..." Not expecting to see such a maneuver, the Dragonbone Divine Spear muttered in a daze beneath its breath.

When it first saw the Empyrean Heavenly Flame descending from the heavens, it had no doubt that the young man would be reduced to cinders. Who could have thought that the young man would actually be able to find a feasible way to cope with the Empyrean Heavenly Flame through the skillful manipulation of those three powerful Quintessences?

"However, this isn't the end of the Aureate Body Ordeal yet. Even if he's able to withstand the Scorching Soul Tribulation, it would still be hard for him to overcome the Scorching Spirit Tribulation and Scorching Heart Tribulation..."

The Dragonbone Divine Spear shook its head, clearly unconfident in the young man's ability to withstand this trial.

...

This is much better!

Oblivious to the Dragonbone Divine Spear's worries, Zhang Xuan's pounding heart finally calmed down after he found that the searing sensation on his Primordial Spirit had reduced to a level where he could cope with. He couldn't help but be thankful that he had mastered the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences. Otherwise, he would really have been helpless before his current situation.

Weng!

A golden light shone brilliantly on the surface of his Primordial Spirit, keeping the many seeds of fire scattered equally on the outside. It had reduced the intensity of the flame, and the excruciating pain on his Primordial Spirit had diminished significantly too.

As he continued driving his soul energy, the golden light grew brighter and brighter. Whenever the black seeds of fire began gathering once more, he would use his Soul Quintessence to tear them apart once more. Of course, it was an extremely tiring process, but fortunately, he was still able to cope with his powerful Primordial Spirit.

Let me try using the heat of the heavenly flames to drive away the Innate Fetal Poison... Seeing that he was finally out of danger for the time being, Zhang Xuan knew that his chance had come.

This was a rare opportunity for him to try driving out the Innate Fetal Poison within him.

As long as the Innate Fetal Poison remained unresolved, the countdown on his lifespan wouldn't stop. Since he had finally found a chance to take a breather, it was a good timing for him to give it a try.

Gathering his consciousness together, he threw out yet another burst of soul energy and divided a bean-sized seed of fire into sesame seed-sized ones. With his will, he slowly nudged the divided seed of fire toward the area where the Innate Fetal Poison was.

After which, he channeled the searing energy in from the seed of flame through the golden light and into his Primordial Spirit.

Szzzzzzzz!

A heart-wrenching pain immediately assaulted Zhang Xuan, but he gritted his teeth and bore with it. If this was the pain he had to go through in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison, he would just have to pull through it.

However, a moment later, a deep frown appeared on his forehead, "Why isn't it working?"

Kong shi had once said that the heavenly flames could destroy the Innate Fetal Poison, but to his astonishment, the searing energy from the seed of flame didn't seem to faze the Innate Fetal Poison in the slightest. It was almost as if the Innate Fetal Poison was impervious to it!

Or... could it be that I'll have to pull the entire seed of flame right into my Primordial Spirit? Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror.

He had only channeled the searing energy from the black flame into his body previously; the black flame itself still remained guarded by the golden light. In a sense, it was similar to scratching one's leg through one's shoes. Could this be the reason why the Innate Fetal Poison wasn't affected by it?

But even if that was truly the case...

It was true that his Primordial Spirit wasn't vulnerable to heat, unlike ordinary soul oracles. However, the black flame was no ordinary flame either. It was the Empyrean Heavenly Flame, the strongest heavenly flame of all!

If he were to draw something that could even destroy a Sempiternal realm expert into his Primordial Spirit, the chances would be that he would die before he could even eliminate the Innate Fetal Poison!

Forget it! At this rate, I'm bound for death anyway... Knowing that he wouldn't be able to rest easy as long as the Innate Fetal Poison remained in his body, Zhang Xuan didn't hesitate for long before making up his mind.

Driving the Heaven's Path Soul Art furiously, he continued to uphold the barrier of golden light around his Primordial Spirit to fend off the black flame. But at the same time, he opened a small gap to take in a seed of flame into his Primordial Spirit.

Tzzzzzzz!

As if fresh meat being pressed on top of burning charcoals, a deafening sizzling sound echoed in the air. This was a pain which Zhang Xuan had never experienced before. It felt as if something was consuming him from within, leaving him scrunching around uncontrollably. Gradually, he could feel his consciousness seeping away from him.

He hurriedly lowered his head and saw the areas which had come into direct contact with the seed of flame had already been reduced to a hole. At the same time, the parts of his Primordial Spirit around the hole was visibly much more sparse than before. At this rate, it was a matter of time before his Primordial Spirit dissipated for good.

This... How am I supposed to do this? Zhang Xuan's complexion warped in despair.

He had only taken in a sesame seed-sized flame, and it had already inflicted grievous wounds upon his Primordial Spirit. If he were to absorb any more than that, he would really be reduced into a wisp of smoke!

What should I do?

He was still thinking that he would be able to overcome the heavenly flame easily and resolve the Innate Fetal Poison while he was at it. However, it was as if the difficulty of the game had suddenly switched from easy mode to hell mode.

I have no choice now. If a sesame-sized seed of flame wouldn't work out, I'll just have further divide till it's the size of the tip of a needle! Zhang Xuan clenched his fists determinedly.

The division of the black flame would reduce the intensity of the heat significantly. Since that was the case, he would just have to continue dividing it till it was at a level where his Primordial Spirit could endure.

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan continued using his soul energy to further divide a seed of black flame.

With his level of cultivation, even for a speck of dirt, he could still easily see the bumps on it through his Spiritual Perception. With his sharp control over his soul energy, he was able to accomplish this fine maneuver with ease.

After three more divisions, the sesame-sized seed of flame was finally reduced to roughly the size of a needle tip. Even with such a small size, its imposing presence still gave one no room for doubt that it was capable of melting everything in the world.

"Absorb!"

Zhang Xuan carefully guided one of these needle tip-sized seed of flame toward his Primordial Spirit and swiftly absorbed it in.

Tzzzzzzz!

Upon seeing the seed of fire, the Innate Fetal Poison hurriedly retreated out of fear.

However, it was unfortunate that the seed of fire was too small. Even though the Innate Fetal Poison was frightful of it, it was incapable of dealing any substantial damage to the Innate Fetal Poison.

It's effective! I need to press on!

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan absorbed another needle tip-sized seed of flame into his Primordial Spirit, thus forcing the Innate Fetal Poison to retreat in terror once again. However, it didn't take long for the small seed of flame to extinguish too.

Hmmm? My Primordial Spirit seems to have grown stronger?

He realized that after absorbing two seeds of flame, the parts of his Primordial Spirit where the seeds of flame had passed through had grown much more resilient, as if they had been tempered a thousand times over. At the same time, the golden glow emanating from those areas became much more brilliant too.

The heavenly flame is indeed able to temper the Aureate Body! Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

Let me put aside the Innate Fetal Poison for now. By the time I have tempered my entire Primordial Spirit, that fellow wouldn't be able to run even if he wanted to!

Trembling in agitation, Zhang Xuan was just about to crush the other seeds of flame into smaller portions in order to temper his entire Primordial Spirit when the storage ring on his physical body suddenly shook. Following which, a figure materialized before him.

He was Zhang Xuan's clone!

For some reason, this fellow had come out of the Myriad Anthive Nest of his own accord.

"You can't even handle a heavenly flame properly? I can't bring myself to look on anymore..." Shooting a disdainful look at Zhang Xuan, the clone dashed right into the ominous clouds above.

Hong long long!

As if in retaliation to the clone's aggressive actions, a bundle of heavenly flame descended from the heavens. However, the clone simply opened his mouth wide and swallowed it into his body.

"..."

Zhang Xuan's cheeks twitched.

Chapter 1653: Flight of the Innate Fetal Poison

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

At this moment, Zhang Xuan really felt like crying. If there was a hole he could dive into right now, he would do so without the slightest hesitation.

He had to execute his Time, Spatial, and Soul Quintessences, and even so, he only managed to absorb two needle tip-sized seed of flames so far. Furthermore, he even felt accomplished for being able to do so...

But in the next moment, his clone appeared and swallowed an entire bundle of it whole...

Furthermore, what the heck was with that fellow's expression? Was that fellow putting up an attitude with him? Was that fellow looking down on him?

Screw you! You are only a clone! You get it? A clone!

Which part of being a clone do you not understand?

Can you open your eyes and realize that I'm the main body? There's an unbreachable gap in the standing between the main body and the clone... Realize that!

Thinking of standing, Zhang Xuan's complexion turned even more awful...

He had challenged that fellow ever since he appeared, but it seemed like every fight had ended with a tragic loss on his part... In terms of standing, it did really seem like he had none of that before his clone...

In the midst of wallowing in his sorrow, Zhang Xuan suddenly raised his head and looked at his clone with unreadable eyes. For the first time, he felt that it wouldn't be so bad to see his clone being torched to death by those black flames.

But contrary to his wish, what he saw was the other party burping leisurely, "Delicious!"

Hula!

After which, he dived right into the clouds and vanished.

"What?"

Watching the entire sight from start to end, the Dragonbone Divine Spear rattled in stupefaction. It was almost as if it had used up its entire lifetime worth of surprise today.

The fact that its master had a clone wasn't really a big deal. Many experts had forged a clone out of themselves, and even Kong shi had one as well... However, this was the first time he had seen one which was even cockier than its master!

More importantly... that was the Empyrean Heavenly Flame which even it was afraid of! Yet, not only was that fellow unfrightened by it, he even charged right into its midst... Was he not afraid of being burned down to cinders?

In his moment of shock, he saw a pair of thighs poking out from the clouds, and a hand was scrubbing it leisurely.

Pilipala!

A huge bundle of black flame was being spread equally over a body by a hand, and the sound of deafening explosions could be from above heard now and then. However, it didn't seem like the owner of the body was terrified at all. On the contrary, he was releasing pleasured moans instead, clearly enjoying the entire process...

"T-this... Is he still a human?" the Dragonbone Divine Spear cowered in fear.

To be honest, it was still a little apprehensive as to whether it had made the right choice submitting to Zhang Xuan or not. After all, it was the personal weapon of the renowned Ancient Sage Ran Qiu, a legendary existence in history! However, after seeing the prowess Zhang Xuan's clone, it suddenly felt its pride being utterly crushed.

If even the clone wasn't being choosy with his master, what rights did it have to be choosy?

With such a thought in mind, the Dragonbone Divine Spear turned its gaze toward Zhang Xuan and saw the latter trembling with a livid look on his face.

"Who's afraid of who? Hmph!"

Sou!

Before the Dragonbone Divine Spear could process what was going on, it saw the Primordial Spirit of its master dashing right into the clouds, vanishing from sight within the blink of an eye.

"..."

The Dragonbone Divine Spear was utterly frenzied.

The reason why the clone of its master dared to charge into the clouds could be attributed to the superior material used to make it, but as for its master... What in the world was he planning to do charging in with just his Primordial Spirit?

Was he tired of living?

If he were to die... Should I acknowledge his clone as my master instead? the Dragonbone Divine Spear pondered seriously as it began planning out its contingency plans.

...

How could Zhang Xuan possibly tolerate being looked at so contemptuously by his clone?

Without any hesitation, he dashed right into the clouds.

Boom!

Before he knew it, countless bundles of flames were already gushing in his direction.

My clone does have a much stronger body than mine, especially since he's made out of the Nine Hearts Lotus. However, in terms of souls, he's on the same footing as me. Since he's able to endure the black flame, I should be able to do it too...

It might have been a spontaneous decision on his part to charge into the tribulation clouds, but it definitely wasn't a reckless one.

He had already calculated the risks and decided that it was feasible before heading in.

After obtaining the subsequent levels of the Heaven's Path Soul Art, it was automatically shared with his clone when he entered the Myriad Anthive Nest. While he had been cultivating his soul, his clone had been doing the same as well. In other words, his clone had also achieved a breakthrough to Aureate Body realm as well, just like him.

Since his clone was able to withstand the black flame, why couldn't he do it too?

He must have missed out some crucial information.

Thus, he began to observe his clone not too far away. His clone was shrouded in the midst of black flames, doing backstroke at one moment, front crawl in the other, dog paddle in the next, and lying leisurely in the '太' shape after... It was as if he was out for a holiday, enjoying himself.

The black flame continued to burn around him. Soon, his body began to emanate golden light, and his Primordial Spirit also grew significantly more resilient than before.

I get it! Zhang Xuan's eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.

The Dragonbone Divine Spear said that the Aureate Body Ordeal is divided into the Scorching Soul Tribulation, Scorching Spirit Tribulation, and Scorching Heart Tribulation... I always thought that the Scorching Soul Tribulation is the very first phase, and the others will appear subsequently. That could have been true for ordinary heavenly flame tribulations, but for the Empyrean Heavenly Flame, all three appear at once!

The heat of the black flame is indeed formidable to the point that it's nearly unbearable, but it hasn't reached the level where it's completely intolerable to me yet. After all, I have cultivated my soul with the Heaven's Path Soul Art, and my Primordial Spirit has been tempered by many lightning tribulations. In terms of resilience, my Primordial Spirit already on par with most Great Sage artifacts...

However, I was fearful of the black flame. I used all kinds of ways to avoid absorbing it... This must have been a test of my determination!

My clone was able to charge unhesitantly in because he had absolute confidence in his physical body, and without fear in his heart, the prowess of the black flame is significantly reduced!

This is similar to how walking in the dark could be a frightful experience to those who hold fear in their hearts. They would constantly check on their surroundings, fearing that someone would do them harm. However, if one were to tread forward with an open mind, the night would no longer be as terrifying of an entity to one anymore...

As these thoughts flashed across Zhang Xuan's mind, he opened his Primordial Spirit wide in the face of the incoming bundles of black flame. At the same time, he also dissipated the golden light around his Primordial Spirit, leaving himself completely vulnerable to the black flames. It was as if he had already given up on himself.

Tzzzzz!

The flames began to sear his Primordial Spirit. Yet, due to his calmer state of mind, the black flame wasn't as excruciating as before. Instead, under the tempering of the flames, his Primordial Spirit was swiftly being tempered.

It's indeed as I have expected! Seeing that it was effective, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

The heavenly flame was a mystical force of nature. It didn't just sear one's body but one's spirit and state of mind as well.

The more afraid he was of the black flame, the greater its prowess would be. That was because its target wasn't just his Primordial Spirit but his mind and consciousness.

Fear made one's mind vulnerable, making it easy to plant thoughts and delusions into one. And for cultivators of their level, thoughts were no longer mere thoughts anymore.

Thus, when he abandoned his fear and embraced the black flame, the prowess of the black flame diminished instead.

Nevertheless, despite the diminished prowess of the black flame, he still felt stabbing pain assault his Primordial Spirit, leaving him feeling as if it would be torn apart at any moment.

I should focus on tempering my Primordial Spirit for the time being...

Despite the pain, Zhang Xuan opened his Primordial Spirit wide and frenziedly absorbed the flames from the surroundings.

Boom!

The flames entering his Primordial Spirit swam around it relentlessly, tempering it with the amazing heat it was emanating. His Primordial Spirit gradually turned completely golden in color, and the light it emanated was growing brighter and brighter. It was almost as if he was turning into a living Buddha.

Let me see if I can eradicate the Innate Fetal Poison now!

Upon feeling that his Primordial Spirit had gotten used to the temperature of the black flame, Zhang Xuan began concentrating the black flame toward the Innate Fetal Poison.

Gugugu!

As if having encountered something terrifying, the Innate Fetal Poison retreated fearfully.

Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in response and continued driving the black flame toward the Innate Fetal Poison, cornering it.

Jijiji!

With an alarmed shriek, the Innate Fetal Poison finally reached its limits and dashed out of his Primordial Spirit. It escaped in the form of black smoke before vanishing completely from sight.

The Innate Fetal Poison had already gained its own consciousness, or else there was no way it could possibly escape from the onslaught of the Heaven's Path zhenqi.

"Finally!!" Seeing that the Innate Fetal Poison had finally escaped, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

The Innate Fetal Poison had been a time bomb to him ever since he discovered its existence. He had lived his life in fear that he would die at any moment, and it had been his greatest motivation to continue cultivating as well.

But today, he was finally free of this burden!

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Chapter 1654: The Arrogant Innate Fetal Poison

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

After the Innate Fetal Poison escaped, Zhang Xuan made use of the black flames to temper his Primordial Spirit for a while longer before the dark clouds gradually dispersed.

With this, he had successfully survived the heavenly flame tribulation!

After overcoming the widely-feared Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body Ordeal, Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit had turned completely golden. Even a snap of his fingers created a metallic reverberation.

If one did not know that it was a Primordial Spirit in advance, one would surely have thought that it was another normal body.

After tempering my physical body with the heavenly flame, my Primordial Spirit is starting to take a form reminiscent of a physical body. It's no wonder Lu Chong is able to stand his ground even against those 9-star master teachers! Zhang Xuan thought in agitation.

Primordial Spirits could change their forms according to the individual's will. If one did not want to be seen, even with a shiny golden exterior, a Primordial Spirit could still become invisible to the naked eye. If one wanted to be noticed, a Primordial Spirit could become as tough as a weapon, such that even experts of the same caliber would not be able to tell that it was actually a soul.

It was no wonder soul oracles were viewed in deference in the ancient era. Even if just a small handful of them were able to clear the Aureate Body Ordeal, those that succeeded indubitably wielded far greater prowess compared to ordinary cultivators.

More importantly, the lifespan of soul oracles far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators!

Even if a cultivator nourished their flesh with their zhenqi and altered their cells after reaching the Introspective Convalescence realm, they would still only be able to live for 1,500 years before finally meeting their end.

However, soul oracles were different. They could easily live up to three thousand years and even more!

However, there's a fatal flaw to soul oracles too, and that's the Five Soul Declines...

There were many advantages to being a soul oracle, but equally great were the disadvantages. The greatest hurdle for the soul oracles was the Five Soul Declines. Fortunately, the Heaven's Path Soul Art that Zhang Xuan cultivated had made him impervious to this problem, so he did not have to worry about it.

While he was still in awe over his improvements, he turned to look at his clone and saw that his body was golden. At the same time, his soul was also fully tempered. A powerful aura drifted off from his body, hinting at the frightening prowess he possessed.

"Aureate Body realm consummation?" Zhang Xuan's lips twitched.

He had ignited Kong shi's blood droplet and utilized the prowess of a Sempiternal realm consummation expert before. As such, even though he had never cultivated the realms himself, he still had a rough idea as to what the indicators for the various realms were.

His clone was golden all over, such that even his pupils had taken on a golden color. Without a doubt, he had already cultivated the Aureate Body to perfection!

To think that he would actually be able to advance his cultivation so quickly...

Zhang Xuan clutched his aching heart tightly.

His clone sure knew how to traumatize him!

He had thought that he had been improving fairly quickly, but this fellow turned out to be even faster than him!

"You should return to the Myriad Anthive Nest for the time being..." Zhang Xuan instructed his clone to return and reinforce his cultivation.

On the other hand, he descended from the sky and returned to the ground.

"Y-y-you... actually overcame the tribulation of the Empyrean Heavenly Flame?" The Dragonbone Divine Spear shuddered uncontrollably as it spoke.

It had thought that its master would surely be reduced to ash facing such a powerful heavenly flame tribulation, but who would have thought that he would actually be able to overcome it so quickly?

Was this still a feat a human was capable of?

"Yeah..." Paying no heed to the Dragonbone Divine Spear's astonishment, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in response. He was just about to return to his body when he narrowed his eyes in astonishment. "What's going on?"

His physical body sitting on the ground had its face turned dark, and black smoke was rising from its head. It was trembling non-stop, as if being put through some kind of excruciating pain.

"Some kind of black smoke escaped from the dark clouds earlier and dived into your body. I thought that it was the remnants of your Primordial Spirit, so I didn't stop it..." the Dragonbone Divine Spear said awkwardly.

On the other hand, black lines streaked across Zhang Xuan's face.

Do I look dead to you? Just because you are a skeleton doesn't mean that you should judge everyone by your standards!

Besides, how in the world does a dissipated Primordial Spirit return to its body?

Knowing that it was pointless to waste his breath with this sack of bones, Zhang Xuan quickly dived his Primordial Spirit back into his body. Shortly after he opened his eyes once more, his face twitched in horror.

He nearly exploded on the spot.

The Innate Fetal Poison that he had just driven out of his Primordial Spirit was currently resting lazily within his physical body. When he swept his Primordial Spirit across it, it even greeted him leisurely, as if meeting an old friend.

He had thought that he had managed to clear the Innate Fetal Poison for good, but who would have thought that it would slip out from his Primordial Spirit just to return to his physical body!

Did it think that it was simply moving homes?

To slip from his body into his soul, and now from his soul back into his body...

Do I look like someone to be trifled with?

With an awful look on his face, Zhang Xuan channeled his Heaven's Path zhenqi right toward the Innate Fetal Poison.

"Die!"

It was out of fear for the Heaven's Path zhenqi that it had been forced to slip into his soul from his physical body. Since it dared to return to his body, he would just have to crush it!

Hong long long!

In a short instant, the Heaven's Path zhenqi collided with the Innate Fetal Poison, forcefully pushing it back.

However, the next instant, the Innate Fetal Poison dived right into the surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi.

Huhuhu!

It began swimming leisurely within the Heaven's Path zhenqi, just like his clone did in the midst of the black flames earlier.

"You..." Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

The Innate Fetal Poison should have been extremely fearful of the Heaven's Path zhenqi. Its arrival should have scared it into hiding, so how could it be swimming within it?

Zhang Xuan's heartbeat skipped a beat. Could it be that... it has upgraded after experiencing the heavenly flame tribulation, such that it's no longer afraid of the Heaven's Path zhenqi anymore?

The Innate Fetal Poison had fled in the face of the black flames, but it had still been seared for quite a while before it managed to get away. It could not be that the short moment of searing had put it through a metamorphosis, such that it did not fear even the Heaven's Path zhenqi anymore.

As a poison master, he knew that there were quite a few poisons in the world that could be upgraded with time.

If that was truly the case, he would be in great trouble.

It was due to the suppression of his Heaven's Path zhenqi that it did not dare wreak havoc in the past. Without anything to suppress it now, if it started wreaking havoc right now or even blew up entirely, he would be doomed!

Zhang Xuan quickly tried a few more times, but it seemed like his zhenqi was really no longer effective against the Innate Fetal Poison.

Let me see if I can suppress it using my Primordial Spirit!

He began driving his Primordial Spirit toward the Innate Fetal Poison in the hope that it would be able to subdue it. In face of the approaching soul, the Innate Fetal Poison swiftly retreated in fear.

Oh? It must be because my Primordial Spirit has been tempered by the heavenly flames and thus still contains remnants of it, so the Innate Fetal Poison is still rather fearful of my soul...

Earlier, the Empyrean Heavenly Flame had tempered his Primordial Spirit. Similar to how absorbing the energy in lightning tribulations would suffuse his Primordial Spirit with lightning, his Primordial Spirit was now infused with the might of the Empyrean Heavenly Flame as well. Due to that, his soul was able to induce fear in the Innate Fetal Poison.

Just that...

He needed to harmonize his soul together with his physical body. He could not possibly constantly use his soul to suppress the Innate Fetal Poison!

Let me see if I can drive it out of my body... Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and began to corner the Innate Fetal Poison.

A moment later, a look of consternation surfaced. Cr*p, it's stuck...

It was true that he was able to alter the size of his Primordial Spirit after comprehending the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but there was still a limit to the extent that he could do so. In face of the pursuit of his Primordial Spirit, the Innate Fetal Poison swiftly slipped into the thinnest meridian within his body, such that even his Primordial Spirit was unable to squeeze in.

If he squeezed in, his meridians could explode, and there would be severe consequences.

As soon as his Primordial Spirit retreated, the Innate Fetal Poison slipped out of the tiny meridian and danced gleefully in triumph. Unable to stand the Innate Fetal Poison's arrogance, Zhang Xuan immediately sent his Primordial Spirit back in, but the Innate Fetal Poison simply slipped back into the meridian to hide.

The process repeated itself several times. It was as if the Innate Fetal Poison was provoking him. "I am out. I am in. I am out again. I am in again... Hahaha, try to catch me if you can!"

"You'd better not mess around. Otherwise, even at the risk of destroying my physical body, I'll crush you to death!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he fused his Primordial Spirit back with his physical body.

He used his Heaven's Path zhenqi to seal the meridian in order to prevent that fellow from messing around before rubbing his glabella in frustration.

This is really the worst...

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Chapter 1655: Pummeled by the Clone

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It looks like I'll have to raise my zhenqi cultivation as soon as possible...

Judging from how arrogant the Innate Fetal Poison was, there was no saying when it would act up. He had thought that he would be able to kill it through the heavenly flame tribulation summoned by his soul, but who could have thought that he would only end up deepening the trouble he was in?

He really had to raise his zhenqi cultivation as soon as possible so as to draw in a heavenly flame tribulation for his body as well. This way, with the combined prowess of both his soul and his body, the Innate Fetal Poison would surely be eradicated once and for all!

Alright, the matter with the Jiang Clan has been resolved, so I should head back and resolve the conflict between the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan soon. Afterward, I should head to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!

He would have to pay the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters a visit and find Kong shi's superior breakthrough method in order to advance his zhenqi cultivation. Otherwise, who knew how long it would take for him to make a breakthrough?

But before I return to the Zhang Clan, I should get to forging the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage corpse first!

With his Primordial Spirit reaching the Aureate Body realm, his prowess had been enhanced manyfold. With his current strength, he should be able to forge the corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid and put it to use.

With such a thought in mind, he excitedly dived into the Myriad Anthive Nest, and after finding an empty clearing, he flicked his wrist.

Peng!

The corpse fell onto the ground, creating a huge depression around it.

Zhang Xuan drew his Primordial Spirit out from his glabella and approached the corpse.

Tzzzzzz!

The overwhelming pressure emanated by the corpse assaulted his Primordial Spirit, making it difficult for him to even advance a single step.

Weng!

His Primordial Spirit emanated a brilliant golden glow, and the pressure immediately alleviated considerably. He began making his way toward the corpse.

Hu!

He successfully dived into the corpse.

"Huge!"

As soon as Zhang Xuan entered the corpse, he found himself within a vast room that there was no end to. His enormous Primordial Spirit seemed to be nothing more than a toy there, not even worth a mention.

In comparison to this, his physical body seemed like a straw cottage before a royal palace.

He took a seat and began using the method to forge Soulless Metal Humanoids to slowly refine the body, harmonizing it together with his Primordial Spirit.

...

Some time later, he stood up once more.

I have already successfully forged a Soulless Metal Humanoid! Alright, let's see if I can fight with it... Zhang Xuan thought with gleaming eyes.

Typically speaking, Soulless Metal Humanoid should have been made out of living beings so as to ensure greater compatibility with one's soul. However, through the alterations that he had made with the Library of Heaven's Path, he was still barely able to forge one out of the Ancient Sage corpse as well. Nevertheless, the Soulless Metal Humanoid's compatibility with souls would still be slightly lower, resulting in a lower precision in control.

Geji! Geji!

Using his full strength, Zhang Xuan slowly controlled the Ancient Sage corpse to rise to its feet, raise its legs, and slowly take a few steps forward.

After conducting a few simple basic movements, Zhang Xuan's face twitched speechlessly.

The Soulless Metal Humanoid was simply too demanding on his soul energy! Despite taking only three steps, a great half of the soul energy of his Aureate Body realm Primordial Spirit was already depleted!

At this rate, putting aside battling, it was questionable whether he could even launch a fist or not!

I guess I'll have to give it a try to know...

Gritting his teeth, he gathered his remaining soul energy, and the massive Ancient Sage corpse clenched its fist and thrust it forward.

Huala!

The space in the Myriad Anthive Nest immediately shook intensely, causing a deafening ripping sound to echo in the air. It was as if someone had torn the fabric of the world, revealing pitch black cracks beneath.

"Incredible..."

Seeing how the folded space that he had reinforced time and time again had nearly been destroyed by a single punch, Zhang Xuan could not help but fall into a daze.

While maneuvering the Ancient Sage corpse was extremely taxing on his soul energy, there was no doubt that the prowess that it wielded was tremendous!

After all the effort that Zhang Xuan had put into reinforcing the Myriad Anthive Nest, even with the ignition of Kong shi's blood droplet and the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, it would be difficult for him to tear this folded space apart. Yet, a simple punch from the Ancient Sage had nearly undone all of his hard work...

This effectively meant that no matter how powerful a cultivator was, as long as he had not traversed the boundary to become an Ancient Sage yet, he would still be reduced to dust under a single punch from an Ancient Sage!

There was truly a huge leap in prowess between Great Sage and Ancient Sage!

With this Soulless Metal Humanoid, his safety would be guaranteed as long as he did not encounter any Ancient Sages. Even if he did encounter an Ancient Sage, he still had another golden page with him... Following which, he would have yet another Ancient Sage corpse for him to forge a Soulless Metal Humanoid out of!

"Hehehe! With this, what do I have to fear?" Zhang Xuan burst into hearty laughter.

He drew his Primordial Spirit out of the Soulless Metal Humanoid and absorbed several herbs to replenish his soul energy. After that, he re-entered the Ancient Sage corpse, placed his arms on his hips, and bellowed provocatively, "Clone, get your ass out here!"

His clone was in the midst of reinforcing his cultivation when he heard the bellow and flew out.

"Come, let me test this on you!"

Without any regards to his clone's response, Zhang Xuan snickered sinisterly and threw a punch right over.

On the other hand, his clone did not expect that the main body would have already gained control over this Ancient Sage corpse and shuddered in fright. He realized that it would be too late for him to dodge, so he quickly protected himself with a punch of his own.

Peng!

Sou!

The clone was sent flying into the distance before vanishing completely from sight.

"Hahahaha!" Zhang Xuan laughed heartily.

All along, he had suffered greatly during the duels with his clone. This was his long-awaited comeback, and it left him feeling deeply exhilarated.

Hah! The next time my clone dares brag before me, I'll feed him a punch from my Soulless Metal Humanoid!

As exhilarating teaching his clone a lesson was, he nearly depleted all of his soul energy after executing a single punch.

Thus, he quickly drew his Primordial Spirit out of the Ancient Sage corpse and back into his body. Just as he was about to retrieve some items to replenish his soul energy, he saw his clone dashing back with an infuriated look on his face.

"How dare you punch me? Are you tired of living?"

On the verge of exploding from rage, the clone threw a fist at Zhang Xuan without the slightest hesitation.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuan's face warped in horror. "What? It's not me! The Ancient Sage corpse is the one who hit you... Alright fine, I admit that it's me! But at least wait till I recover and return back to the corpse first..."

"Corpse your head!"

How could the clone possibly wait for Zhang Xuan to recover and return to the corpse?

Peng peng peng peng!

Ten minutes later, a swollen-faced Zhang Xuan lay on the floor with tears streaming down his face. He had a desolate look on his face, reminiscent of someone who had been ravaged all over.

What the heck was this?

It was already a horrible day for him, with the Innate Fetal Poison sneaking back into his physical body and acting all gleefully before him... On top of that, he still had to be pummeled by his clone!

All of a sudden, he felt like his life was extremely bleak. He felt like a candle in the midst of a furious gale, constantly on the verge of being extinguished.

Anyway, he left the Myriad Anthive Nest and returned to the room with his back slumped miserably. Driving his Heaven's Path zhenqi, he swiftly recovered from his injuries before walking out of the room.

It was not as if this was the first day knowing that his clone was an abusive subordinate, prone to resorting to violence at any moment. At the very most, he would just have to stay out of the other party's way in the future.

It was already afternoon outside. After settling some administrative matters with Jiang Fangyou, Zhang Xuan took out the Dragonbone Divine Spear, opened a dimension rift, and left the Jiang Clan.

...

Before long, he was already back at the Zhang Clan.

It had been an entire day since he left the Zhang Clan. As soon as he returned back to his personal residence, he quickly called Sun Qiang over and asked, "What's the current situation?"

Before leaving, he had instructed Sun Qiang to pay close attention to the movement of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan. A day might not have been long, but it was not a short amount of time either. Surely the two clans would not suddenly come to blows with one another in his absence, would they?

"The situation between the two clans is still relatively calm. As the head of the Luo Clan isn't back yet, those from the Luo Clan are still lying low for the time being!" Sun Qiang quickly explained.

The motive behind the Luo Clan's grand march to the Zhang Clan was so as to return the humiliation that they had suffered. However, they could not do it alone given the limits of their abilities. Thus, they could only bank on their powerful clan head to redress their grievances.

As such, till their clan head finally returned, they would not dare make a move recklessly.

"That's a relief!" Seeing that nothing major had happened yet, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

He had Sun Qiang head off, and after a moment of contemplation, he began warping his appearance once more.

He really had to say that the disguise amulet that Luo Ruoxin had given him was truly a handy tool. He could activate it whenever he wanted to, and that was how he had managed to disguise himself as Jiang Fangyou and fooled all of the elders.

Under the effects of the disguise amulet, his appearance, soul aura, bloodline, and even cultivation realm would appear to be identical in the eyes of the outsiders.

Of course, if a battle broke out, the difference would immediately have become apparent. After all, the disguise amulet was only a disguising tool in the end.

Since the Luo Clan had been waiting for the arrival of their clan head, it would not be polite to keep them waiting for too long.

However, as for the fashion which their clan head would arrive in, that was something worth pondering about. In any case, he was ready to give the Luo Clan a huge surprise!

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Chapter 1656: Luo Tianya VS Zhang Xuan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

An air of vexation floated in the guest rooms of the Zhang Clan.

"Say, where did our clan head go? Why isn't he back yet?" First Elder Luo Qingchen broke the heavy silence in the room.

"Who knows? Our clan head seems to be a really carefree person, going wherever he wants as he pleases... Hai! We are supposed to be challenging the Zhang Clan to re-establish the honor of our Luo Clan, but somehow, it looks as if we are sponging off the Zhang Clan instead... How frustrating!"

"It's the same for me too! Whenever I walk around the area, I would see the members of the Zhang Clan directing skeptical looks at me! Honestly, I don't even know I should deal with that anymore!"

Two elders of the Luo Clan spoke up in exasperation.

"Have you not heard of the recent news? Nangong Yuanfeng and Tantai Zhenqing of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers came to challenge the Zhang Clan, but they ended up being defeated by a student whom Zhang Xuan simply offered some pointers on the spot... Could our clan head have fled in fear after hearing that news?" Luo Ganzhen rubbed his glabella.

They had marched here with an imposing momentum built up from the defeat of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. They felt that victory was already in their pockets, so they intentionally made a huge fuss out of this matter.

Yet, as soon as they arrived, they heard that Nangong Yuanfeng and the others had visited the Zhang Clan too and were forced to retreat in defeat. To make things worse, the one who had made a move wasn't Zhang Xuan. It was Zhang Xuan's student from the side family whom he had barely offered a couple of pointers too...

Upon learning of the news, those of the Luo Clan couldn't help but feel a little unsettled.

If even a student taught by Zhang Xuan was so powerful, they couldn't begin to imagine just how powerful the person in question was!

At this point, they couldn't help but recall the huge commotion that had happened in the Empire Alliance. Back then, even Sword Saint Xing had fallen in defeat to Zhang Xuan... Would their clan head really be able to defeat that monster of a person?

As such thoughts weighed down their minds, the atmosphere grew even gloomier.

"Actually, I'm feeling really conflicted right now. On one hand, I really wish our clan head would appear as soon as possible. On the other hand, I don't know if it's a good idea for our clan head to come. The moment he's here, the duel would definitely have to go on. It's one thing if he wins, but if he were to lose, the Luo Clan's dignity would be utterly crushed..." an elder said.

They had marched imposingly to the Zhang Clan, effectively letting the entire world know that they would be challenging the Zhang Clan to a duel. If they were to be forced in defeat, the Luo Clan would really become a laughingstock for the world!

"Actually, I'm thinking the same too..."

A couple of elders voiced their agreement.

"But it would be even more embarrassing to us if he doesn't appear at all!" another voice exclaimed anxiously.

The crowd fell in silence once more.

Indeed. It was embarrassing to be defeated, but it would be even more so if their challenger didn't appear from the start to the end.

They had come here to find trouble with the Zhang Clan, but they ended up finding themselves being cornered instead. With the current state of affairs, they didn't know what they should do anymore.

Luo Ganzhen knew that the concerns raised by the elders were legitimate, but he didn't have any solutions for them either. Thus, he could only shake his head helplessly and turn to Luo Qingchen, "Forget it, let's not think too much into it! Shall we send a message to our clan head to urge him to return?"

"I have been sending messages to him all this while, but he hasn't been replying..." First Elder Luo Qingchen shook his head bitterly.

"It might be because he's in seclusion. It hasn't been too long since he has become our clan head, so he might not be too accustomed to the role yet. In any case, I don't think that he's the type to flee in the face of danger. Otherwise, he wouldn't have stepped up against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers for us back then!" Luo Ganzhen reassured the elders around.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, an old man suddenly barged into the room.

"Deputy clan head!"

"What's wrong?" Recognizing the old man who had just entered, Luo Ganzhen frowned.

The other party was the Sixteenth Elder of the Luo Clan, Luo Qingyuan.

For an elder to be running around so anxiously in another clan, something major must have happened.

"Our clan head... He has arrived!" Elder Qingyuan reported anxiously.

"Our clan head is here? Where is he?" Startled, Luo Ganzhen asked as he hurriedly got to his feet.

At the same time, delighted looks also surfaced on the faces of the other elders. They quickly turned their gazes toward the doorway, but there wasn't a figure in sight.

"As soon as he returned to the Zhang Clan, he headed straight to Zhang Xuan's residence... I think he's intending on challenging the head of the Zhang Clan privately!" Elder Qingyuan explained in a fluster.

"He has already gone to challenge Zhang Xuan? Why didn't you inform us?"

Everyone was stunned by the revelation.

The reason why they had come here was to battle it out with the head of the Zhang Clan. Yet, they were actually unaware that their clan head had gone ahead to challenge the other party privately?

"Our clan head went to confront for the head of the Zhang Clan secretly! We only found out about the matter a while ago too!" Elder Qingyuan explained.

"Quick, bring us over!" Hearing that the clan head had already gone to challenge Zhang Xuan, Luo Ganzhen and the others couldn't bring themselves to remain seated anymore.

With Luo Qingyuan taking the lead, it didn't take long for the crowd to arrive before a vast residence.

This residence had a powerful formation erected around it, preventing any energies within from leaking out. In a sense, it could be said to be an isolated world in itself.

At the very center of the residence, there was a dueling ring with two figures standing on opposite ends of one another. Fearsome auras were emanating from the two parties.

They were the head of the Luo Clan and the head of the Zhang Clan respectively, Luo Tianya and Zhang Xuan!

"Our clan head must have his own reason for not informing us about this, so let's just observe silently by the side. Make sure that you don't give yourself away, alright?" Luo Ganzhen sent a telepathic message to the crowd, and they swiftly hid by a remote corner.

Regardless of the underlying motive their clan head had for not informing them about the duel, it was apparent that he didn't want them to know the outcome of the duel. However, this worked out fine as well. At the very least, it wouldn't become an embarrassment for the Luo Clan if it were to end in a loss on their part.

Hu!

The two figures on the dueling platform finally moved.

Luo Tianya flicked his palm, and the surrounding space was immediately sealed up.

Si la!

Everything within the sealed space came to an absolute halt. As if trapped within a still painting, the young man on the opposite end was unable to move at all.

Seeing how their clan head had used the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing right from the start, the faces of the crowd flushed crimson in agitation.

It seemed like their clan head also knew that his opponent would be formidable, so he had decided to go all out from the start.

However, their agitation didn't last for too long. A light chuckle sounded from the other end of the field, and the young man who should have been sealed in place nudged forward a little.

Hu la!

The surrounding space abruptly reverted back to normal. At the same time, Zhang Xuan stepped forward lightly, and as thought teleportation, he appeared right before Luo Tianya in the next instant and threw a punch over.

Seeing the means that Zhang Xuan had executed, Luo Ganzhen's body stiffened as horror surfaced in his eyes, "This is... the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing too?"

He might not have comprehended the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but he could tell that the nature of Zhang Xuan's means was similar to that of their clan head. In other words, they were both Spatial Quintessence of Sealing!

A member of the Zhang Clan actually executed the Luo Clan's Spatial Quintessence of Sealing?

What in the world was going on here?

Of course, none of the Luo Clan's elders had an answer to Luo Ganzhen's question.

Meanwhile, on the dueling ring, Luo Tianya seemed to realize that he was in a precarious position, so he swiftly struggled free of the sealed space around him and retaliated with a fist of his own,

Peng!

The two punches collided with one another, but it was Luo Tianya whose face paled and was sent flying into the seal erected around the dueling ring. Clearly, he had been overpowered by Zhang Xuan.

"He's actually this powerful?"

The crowd from the Luo Clan was rendered speechless.

They thought that they would be able to see their clan head destroying Zhang Xuan, but who could have thought that their clan head would actually lose in a direct encounter...

Sou sou sou!

Reluctant to admit his defeat, Luo Tianya got to his feet and charged forward. Thus, the two fighters collided with one another once more.

However, it was as if Zhang Xuan was able to read his moves in advance. After trading a few blows, Luo Tianya was suppressed to the point where he could hardly catch his breath.

Under the incredible outpour of power, the dueling ring flickered with brilliant lights.

The relentless shockwaves that rippled out from the collisions of the two fighters rattled the surrounding seal to the point that it seemed as if it would collapse at any moment.

"They are truly formidable!"

The faces of the crowd from the Luo Clan gradually turned pale as they watched the intense fight before them.

There were a couple of them who had reached Great Sage, but they knew that it was likely that they would be defeated in a single blow if they were to face any of the two figures on the dueling ring.

To be honest, the maneuvers executed by the two clan heads weren't complex at all, and their battle techniques were also relatively simple too. However, every move that they made was purposeful, or to use a more exact word, ingenious! Every action that they carried out had a deeper significance in the later stage of the battle, leaving the onlookers awestruck by their foresight.

It was as if their eyes were able to peer into the future, allowing them to manipulate the flow of the battle to their advantage.

"This is a duel between top-notch geniuses?"

"It's indeed not at a level where ordinary mortals like us can fathom..."

"Who could have thought that the Yellow Dust of the Descending Swallow could be used in such a manner? It seems like I have been too focused on the form of the technique to see through its crux..."

"Is it just me or that Zhang shi seems to be really familiar with the battle techniques of our Luo Clan?"

"Wait a moment... You're right! How could this be?"

...

The more that they watched, the more shocked that they became. At this point, the initial excitement had already settled down, leaving nothing but a deep heaviness in their hearts.

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Chapter 1657: Tianya's Request

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Our clan head... isn't a match for Zhang Xuan!" Luo Ganzhen remarked with a helpless look on his face.

"You're right. It's obvious that Zhang Xuan is giving some leeway to our clan head. Otherwise, he could have defeated our clan head within twenty moves!" Luo Qingchen nodded.

Shortly after Luo Qingchen said those words, the panting Luo Tianya suddenly declared with a bitter look on his face, "I admit defeat!"

It seemed like he found it hard to accept this outcome too.

"Brother Luo, you need not take this matter to heart. In truth, there isn't a great disparity in our fighting prowess at all..." Zhang Xuan walked up to Luo Tianya without the slightest glee from his victory. Instead, with an earnest look on his face, he said, "Why don't we consider it a draw instead?"

"A loss is a loss! If I can't even admit that much, I might as well change my surname to Zhang!" Luo Tianya replied with a dignified tone. "That being said, I have to say that the reason behind my loss is due to my personal reasons. It doesn't show that our Luo Clan's Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is inferior to your Zhang Clan's Time Quintessence of Acceleration at all, but simply because I'm too weak to bring out its true prowess!"

"Of course, Brother Luo!" Zhang Xuan replied earnestly. "Space and time have always been considered as equal powers; it would be meaningless to rank one of them over the other. It's not my intention to put down the Luo Clan either. To be honest, I'm extremely in awe of the Luo Clan. In fact, the main reason why I was barely able to win against you is because my understanding of the Luo Clan's Spatial Quintessence of Sealing surpasses yours!"

"What do you mean?" Luo Tianya frowned doubtfully.

"I believe that Brother Luo can tell that I have used the Spatial Quintessence earlier too!" Zhang Xuan said.

"This..." Luo Tianya was stunned for a moment before realization dawned on him. "Indeed. Why are you able to utilize the strength of the Luo Clan's Spatial Quintessence of Sealing?"

"The founder of the Luo Clan did comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, but the lineage of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing could be further traced up to Ancient Sage Qiu Wu! I happened to obtain Ancient Sage Qiu Wu's heritage by a stroke of luck, which is why I wield the power of the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing as well!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Ancient Sage Qiu Wu?" Luo Tianya widened his eyes in disbelief.

"This is the ancient domain left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu!" With a flick of his wrist, a crystal ball materialized before Zhang Xuan. It emanated a fleeting aura reminiscent of folded spaces.

Placing his palm on the crystal ball, Luo Tianya's body trembled in agitation and envy surfaced in the depths of his eyes,"It's indeed an artifact left behind by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu... I must say that I'm truly in awe of Brother Zhang's luck!"

"Haha, it's out of coincidence that I managed to acquire it too. The reason why very few in your Luo Clan are able to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing isn't due to lack of talent but that the heritage passed down through the generations isn't complete," Zhang Xuan explained with a light chuckle. "From this Qiu Wu Palace, I found the complete Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel created by Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. I'll entrust it into the hands of Brother Luo today. I believe that only in your hands will its true worth shine!"

Looking at the crystal ball in his hand, Luo Tianya quickly shook his head in astonishment, "How I can accept such a valuable artifact from you?"

There was no one in the Master Teacher Continent who didn't desire to obtain the heritage of the Ancient Sages.

Yet, the young man actually handed it to him just like that... This gift was simply too heavy for him to accept!

At the same time, the hidden Luo Ganzhen and the elders of the Luo Clan glanced at one another in bewilderment.

It was true that the heritage of the Luo Clan originated from Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Thus, if they could acquire the completed version of the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel, they would be able to deepen their comprehension of spatial laws significantly. Even if they weren't able to comprehend the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing, their overall fighting prowess would soar by leaps and bounds.

Just that... there was supposed to be a grudge between the two of their clans. In fact, the purpose behind their visit was to trample on the Zhang Clan. Yet, not only did the other party pay no heed to their pettiness, he even gifted them such a valuable gift...

In an instant, the crowd suddenly felt deeply ashamed of themselves.

"Please don't be in a rush to turn me down, Brother Luo. Allow me to finish my piece first!"

Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan's expression suddenly turned grim. "I believe Brother Luo should have also received reports regarding the observation of the mirages of the Temple of Confucius at Qufu. Based on that in itself, there's little doubt that the real Temple of Confucius would surface very soon!"

"Un!" Luo Tianya nodded.

"The Hundred Schools of Philosophers has already approached and challenged both of our clans. Their motive is very clear—they wish to obtain our Celestial Amulet of Legacy. They might have failed this time around, but considering that Kong shi's heritage is at stake, there's no way they would give up just like that. They would surely try something in the near future. Furthermore, our Zhang Clan has found evidence that experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have managed to sneak into the Master Teacher Continent. In fact, I have received intelligence from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters that the legendary Otherworldly Demon Emperor is amongst us right now!" Zhang Xuan said grimly.

"Mankind is in a very vulnerable position at the moment. Our survival is at stake. If we were to engage in infighting during such precarious times, it would be a calamity not just for both of our clans but the entire human race! At a time like this, we can't be engaging in meaningless faction rivalry. We have to unite together as one and cooperate with one another to overcome this ordeal! Otherwise, the one who would have the last laugh would only be the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe!"

Hearing those words, Luo Tianya fell silent.

"The reason why the Three Premier Clans are able to stand strong even after tens of thousands of years is because of how we hesitate not to band together in times of need to fend against the greater enemy! I know that I have done your Luo Clan wrong on the engagement ceremony, but it was definitely not my intention for things to turn out like this. Feelings simply can't be forced!

"Ruoxin and I have already sworn our futures together. If I were to marry Yuxin when my heart isn't with her, it's only a matter of time before the marriage descends into misfortune. In the end, I would only be letting both her and the Luo Clan down. I know that I have failed to settle the issue appropriately, and I do feel extremely guilt-ridden for the pain and suffering I have inflicted on Yuxin and the Luo Clan... So, please consider the Heavenly Art of Dimension Unravel and the Qiu Wu Palace as tokens of my apology. I'll have to ask Brother Luo not to turn me down, or else this matter might continue to haunt me for life..." Zhang Xuan said.

"Brother Zhang is truly magnanimous. Since that's the case, I won't hold back either then!" After a slight moment of hesitation, Luo Tianya took the crystal ball and kept it in his storage ring.

...

"Thinking about it, even though it's indeed that fellow's fault, he didn't do it intentionally either..."

"If he had truly chosen to marry the little princess back then, I would have really doubted his character! If he could bring himself to abandon his lover, there's no reason why he couldn't abandon the little princess later on!"

"Have we been overreacting to the matter?"

"While our minds were still fixated on our own pride and reputation, he's already looking at the fate of the whole mankind from a much higher position than ours. He's truly a noble individual!"

The hidden crowd from the Luo Clan fell silent as their faces reddened in shame.

They had been too focused on the Luo Clan that they weren't able to look at things from another perspective. If Zhang Xuan were to be a heartless person, would he be able to bring the little princess happiness even if he were to marry her?

Unlikely!

"Thank you, Brother Luo!" Zhang Xuan bowed deeply in gratitude.

"I'll surely relay your intentions to the Luo Clan and speak up on your behalf!" Luo Tianya said. At this moment, he lowered his head contemplatively for a moment, seemingly making up an important decision, before he clasped his fist and said, "Brother Zhang, there's something which I would like to request of you!"

"Brother Luo, please feel free to speak!" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "As long as it's something within my means, I'll surely try my best to help you!"

"There's something which has been bothering me for a long time now, and I think it's about time for me to put an end to it. Regardless of whether I succeed or not, it's unlikely that I'll be able to return to the Luo Clan afterward. Even though I have only become the head of the Luo Clan a few days ago, I don't wish to see the Luo Clan falling into decline in my absence..." Luo Tianya said with a darkened look.

"It's unlikely that you'll be able to return to the Luo Clan? Brother Luo, are you going to enter an ancient domain, or are you intending to exact vengeance? If you require my help, just give me the word and..." Startled by those words, Zhang Xuan hurriedly said.

"Brother Zhang. I appreciate your kind intentions, but this is my personal affair. I wish to settle it with my own hands. Even if death lies at the end of the path I seek, I'll still willingly tread down that path!" Luo Tianya shook his head and replied determinedly. "The matter which I would like to entrust Brother Zhang with isn't that."

Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Tianya flicked his wrist and took out a token. It was the Luo Clan's Clan Head Token.

"Brother Zhang, I hope that you can take my position as the head of the Luo Clan!"

"You want me to be the head of the Luo Clan?" Zhang Xuan's body trembled in astonishment. He hurriedly waved his hands in a fluster and exclaimed, "How can I do that?"

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Chapter 1658: Head of the Three Clans

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

"Our clan head wants to make Zhang Xuan our next clan head? Is our clan head out of his mind?"

"That won't do! I can't accept that!"

Luo Ganzhen and the others were shocked by Luo Tianya's words as well.

They were impressed by Zhang Xuan's magnanimity and were willing to forgive him for the affairs at the engagement ceremony, but that didn't mean that they could accept having him as their clan head!

"Brother Zhang, your prowess with the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing is even more adept than mine, and more importantly, you have inherited the heritage of Ancient Sage Qiu Wu. Given that even Ancient Sage Qiu Wu has acknowledged and imparted his lineage to you, you can be considered as a peer to our founder. Naturally, you are more than qualified to become the head of our Luo Clan!" Luo Tianya said.

"But..." Zhang Xuan continued waving his hands frantically, seemingly very resistant to the notion.

"Brother Zhang, correct me if I am wrong. You have just become the head of the Jiang Clan, am I right?" Luo Tianya suddenly interjected sharply.

"This... Yes, that's indeed the case!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He flicked his wrist, and a token materialized before him. It was the Jiang Clan's Clan Head Token.

"He's the head of the Jiang Clan? Is this for real?"

"This is ridiculous! Why would the Jiang Clan allow an outsider like him to become their clan head?"

Luo Ganzhen and the others couldn't believe what they were seeing.

It was as if this matter had come right out of a fantasy novel. They could hardly wrap their minds around what was going on.

"Since the Jiang Clan is willing to accept you as their clan head, I believe that our Luo Clan will be open enough to do the same as well! Furthermore, given the perilous times we are in, it's of utmost importance for the Three Premier Clans to work closely with one another. I can't think of any better way to do so other than this!" Luo Tianya said.

He clasped his fist before continuing on, "Brother Zhang, I'll have to implore you not to turn me down! I have heard how your lectures in the Jiang Clan and the Zhang Clan have helped many to achieve breakthroughs in their cultivation. If you were to become the head of the Luo Clan, I'll have to ask you not to discriminate against our Luo Clan and share your knowledge with our members generously too, so that our Luo Clan will be able to better itself!"

Zhang Xuan fell silent.

The crowd from the Luo Clan also fell silent as well.

While they didn't have a good impression of Zhang Xuan, there was no denying his ability in imparting knowledge to others. His aptitude as a teacher was far beyond their imagination. The only person they could think of who could possibly compete with him was only Kong shi.

This fact couldn't be more apparent just by looking at his direct disciples. None of his direct disciples had reached their twenties yet, but every single one of them had already become powerhouses on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the Luo Clan would have to think twice before crossing any of them!

If they could have such a formidable individual as their clan head, the fighting prowess of their clan members would surely improve tremendously!

On the other hand, if they were to continue rejecting Zhang Xuan, it would only be a matter of time before the Zhang Clan and the Jiang Clan pulled their distance away from the Luo Clan. Before they knew it, the Luo Clan would have been completely overshadowed by the other two powers.

"If Brother Zhang could accede to this request of mine, I would be able to leave with my mind at ease. Otherwise, I'll never rest easy not knowing what would become of the Luo Clan in my absence!" Luo Tianya bowed earnestly.

He flicked his wrist, and the Luo Clan's Clan Head Token flew over to Zhang Xuan.

"This... Alright then, I'll help you look after the Luo Clan in your absence. I'll lead the Luo Clan in your stead until someone worthy emerges!" After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Xuan took the token and reassured Luo Tianya.

"Thank you, Brother Zhang. With this, my heart can finally rest easy... Farewell!"

Hu!

After bidding his farewell, Luo Tianya turned around and left without any hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he had already vanished from everyone's sight.

"Hai! It's not that I'm greedy for power, but only with the Three Premier Clans united will we have the strength to stand against the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... Without sufficient strength to tide through this calamity, mankind would be completely eradicated, becoming nothing more than the dust of history!"

Watching as Luo Tianya left, Zhang Xuan shook his head and sighed deeply. With a complicated look on his face, he waved his hand and strolled back into his residence.

Seeing that both Luo Tianya and Zhang Xuan had left the vicinity, Luo Ganzhen and the others finally emerged from their hiding spot.

"Deputy clan head..."

Aside from Luo Tianya, Luo Ganzhen wielded the greatest say in the Luo Clan. As such, the crowd instinctively turned their gazes to him to seek his view on the matter.

"Tianya is right. To survive this adversity, our Luo Clan will require Zhang Xuan's help..." Luo Ganzhen said with a helpless sigh.

"But he's only a Saint 9-dan cultivator..." an elder protested.

"I don't deny that he's still weak at the moment, but he's the senior of the most respected grand elder of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, Yang shi! Not only that, he's also the head of the Sanctum of Sages, the teacher of the Progeny of Combat, the head of the Poison Hall headquarters, the chief of the Glacier Plain Court, the head of the Yuan Clan, and the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters... All of those powers would rally together on his command! If we were to factor in the Zhang Clan and the Jiang Clan as well, it's no exaggeration to say that he's the most powerful man on the Master Teacher Continent at the moment! If we were to let this opportunity slip by our fingers, we might really fall into a spiral of decline!" Luo Ganzhen said.

As an individual, the Saint 9-dan Zhang Xuan was not of much significance to the Luo Clan. However, it would be a different matter if one were to factor in his many identities as well.

Even the Master Teacher Pavilion might not possess as much rallying power as Zhang Xuan did. In fact, if one were to take Yang shi into account too, Zhang Xuan's sphere of influence would encompass even the Master Teacher Pavilion as well!

Having such a powerful man as their clan head would be crucial to ensuring the Luo Clan's survival in the impending crisis!

"Are we really going to... acknowledge him as our clan head?" another elder asked with a bitter look on his face.

What the heck was this...

They had come to humiliate the Zhang Clan, but not only did they fail in their aim, they were even on the verge of acknowledging their sworn enemy as their clan head... It was not as if they couldn't understand the rationale behind it, but this pill was simply too difficult for them to swallow!

The more they thought about it, the more stifled they felt.

"Everything is for the sake of the clan!" Knowing their thoughts, Luo Ganzhen heaved another helpless sigh and said. "Alright, let's return. Tianya is probably waiting for us back at our accommodations..."

Thus, the crowd quickly rushed back to the guest rooms. There, they saw Luo Tianya sitting within a room with a hesitant look on his face.

Upon seeing that the crowd had returned, Luo Tianya hesitated for a moment before speaking up, "Elders..."

"Clan head, you need not say anything. I think it's a wise move on your part to have Zhang Xuan unite the Three Premier Clans together. We are willing to heed your command!" Luo Ganzhen clasped his fist and said.

Luo Tianya's eyebrows raised up in astonishment upon hearing Luo Ganzhen's words. A moment later, he shook his and said, "Since you are already aware of the matter, I won't speak of it anymore. This is the Qiu Wu Palace which Zhang Xuan has given me. Take care of it well!"

It's very likely that I'll never return after I leave this time around. You must heed Zhang shi's orders and make the Luo Clan far stronger than what it ever was!"

After saying his piece, Luo Tianya didn't wait for the response from the crowd before opening a dimension rift and leaping into it, vanishing without a trace.

Facing the departure of their clan head, the crowd from the Luo Clan remained silent for a very long while.

...

"Has our son returned yet?"

In the main hall of the Zhang Clan, Sword Saint Meng was pacing around a room restlessly with a tight frown on her forehead.

"The clan head has already returned. However, he went out again shortly afterward, and I'm afraid I'm not too sure where he went this time around!" an elder replied.

"That lad! He should know that the Luo Clan is here to trample over the Zhang Clan's pride, but he still has the mood to be wandering around the place..." Sword Saint Meng remarked with a frown.

The Luo Clan had created a huge fuss with their arrival. It was extremely clear to anyone watching the spectacle that the Luo Clan had come with the intentions of humiliating the Zhang Clan. Yet, as the head of the Zhang Clan, Zhang Xuan still had to mood to be roaming around at a crucial period like this... This was really unacceptable!

"Xuan-er is a sharp-witted child. I believe that he has his motive for doing so. There's no doubt that we are at fault for this matter, so it's only right for Xuan-er to avoid them. His presence would only remind them of the humiliation they had suffered and stoke the hostility between the two clans..." Sword Saint Xing shook his head.

"It's one thing for him to avoid the members of the Luo Clan, but it won't do for him to continue dragging this matter out like this! If I had a say in this matter, I would have Xuan-er marry Luo Ruoxin and Luo Qiqi together, and there wouldn't be so much trouble now!" Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly.

At this moment, an elder suddenly rushed into the main hall anxiously.

"Old clan head..." Upon stepping into the room, the elder first did a bow before proceeding ahead with his report, "The matter concerning the Luo Clan has been resolved..."

Both Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng were stunned by what they had just heard. Sword Saint Xing hurriedly turned his gaze over and asked, "How was it resolved?"

In their view, this was an extremely prickly matter to deal with. Until Zhang Xuan had a duel with that Luo Tianya, it was unlikely that the Luo Clan would back down on this matter. Yet, before anything could happen, the matter had already been resolved?

With an incredulous look on his face, the elder reported, "That... The members of the Luo Clan... acknowledged Zhang Xuan as their clan head!"

"They acknowledged Xuan-er as their clan head?"

Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng glanced at one another before falling into a daze.

—

Starve's Discord: https/discord.gg/ATHVehx

Chapter 1659: Let's Go to the Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The Luo Clan had arrived imposingly with the burning resolve to humiliate Zhang Xuan and the Zhang Clan, but before anything could happen, they had already acknowledged him as the clan head... Was there a pit in the heads of those from the Luo Clan?

Otherwise, why would they do something as foolish as this?

"I don't know the details either, but I heard that..." The elder suddenly halted at this point. He was not sure if the rumors were true, so he was not certain whether he should report the matter or not.

"Speak. What is it?" Sword Saint Xing asked authoritatively.

"There are rumors that our clan head went to the Jiang Clan yesterday... and shortly afterward, the Jiang Clan conducted an inauguration ceremony and established him as their clan head!"

"..." Sword Saint Xing.

"..." Sword Saint Meng.

Can anyone tell me what in the world is going on here?

The Jiang Clan and the Luo Clan has actually acknowledged someone from the Zhang Clan as their clan head...

Is there a pit in heads of those from the Jiang Clan too?

Could this be some kind of infectious disease among the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent? Maybe we should keep a lookout for it.

The Xingmeng Sword Saints fell into a state of confusion. They could understand the words individually, but when those words were put together, it formed sentences that they simply could not comprehend.

And the fact was that the Xingmeng Sword Saints were not the only ones in state of confusion. Everyone in the Zhang Clan was flabbergasted upon hearing the news.

Startled expressions could be seen on the faces of the members of the Zhang Clan as the news swiftly made its way around.

Our clan head... sure is awesome!

To actually become the head of the Three Premier Clans... This was something completely unprecedented in history!

It also did not take long for the news to make its way to the Luo Clan, and everyone was dumbstruck to hear of the matter.

Luo Xuanqing was in the midst of cultivating the Spatial Quintessence of Sealing when he heard the news.

Putong!

He collapsed to the ground, and his eyes rolled up as he blacked out.

Can anyone tell me what in the freaking world just happened?

Didn't the clan head and the elders head over there to exact vengeance?

Is this what they meant by exacting vengeance?

...

"It's finally resolved!"

Oblivious to the uproar that he had just caused, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief and returned back to his room.

As long as the matter concerning the Luo Clan was not resolved, it would have remained a thorn by his side. Left with no choice, he could only summon his clone and put on an entire skit for the Luo Clan. This gave rise to the show that Luo Ganzhen and the others saw.

His actions could not be said to be honorable, but given the current circumstances of the world, he did not have the luxury to be picky with his means. As long as he could resolve the conflict with the Luo Clan and have them willingly collaborate with the Zhang Clan and the Jiang Clan for the crisis ahead, everything would be worth it.

He had only gone out for an entire day, but he had managed to make massive gains.

He cultivated the Soul Quintessence, advanced his soul cultivation to the Aureate Body realm, forged the Ancient Sage corpse into a Soulless Metal Humanoid, collected another golden page, and most importantly of all, become the head of the other two Premier Clans...

It had truly been a fruitful day!

"Since I'm free at the moment, I should advance my Primordial Spirit to Aureate Body realm consummation!"

Taking a deep breath, he activated the formation around the room to keep away any prying eyes before releasing his Primordial Spirit once more.

After being tempered by the heavenly flame tribulation, his soul cultivation had successfully advanced to the Aureate Body realm. However, it was still some distance away from reaching consummation.

Since he had some time, it would be good for him to quickly do so. Otherwise, the massive gap between him and his clone would only slowly drown him in depression.

After all, how could the main body be weaker than the clone?

How undignified was it for the master to be outdone by the clone?

After taking out a couple of cultivation resources, Zhang Xuan's Primordial Spirit began devouring spiritual energy furiously.

...

Four hours later...

His entire Primordial Spirit was gleaming with a golden sheen, as if it was made out of pure gold.

"I have finally reached consummation stage..." Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

It was a little exhausting, but he had finally done it after four hours of hard work.

"With my soul cultivation and my zhenqi cultivation, even if I encounter an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator, I will be able to triumph over him with ease. With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, I would stand a chance even against a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator!"

Feeling the great power coursing through his body, Zhang Xuan smiled in delight.

Even though his Primordial Spirit was only at Aureate Body realm consummation, it had been tempered by the Saint Ascension Ordeal, lightning tribulations, and the Empyrean Heavenly Flame. In terms of fighting prowess, it was already on par with Intuitive Impulse realm cultivators!

With the Dragonbone Divine Spear in hand, he would be able to subdue even Sword Saint Xing in a direct confrontation!

"I'll be able to protect myself with such strength!"

As powerful as the golden page was, it was ultimately a consumable tool. It would disappear after it was used. The Soulless Metal Humanoid that he had forged from the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage was formidable as well, but it was highly demanding on his soul energy, and his control over it was not as sharp as compared to moving his own body.

In the end, there was nothing more reliable than his own strength.

"Zhang Xuan!"

Just as Zhang Xuan returned his Primordial Spirit to his body, he suddenly heard a voice outside.

He quickly tore down the barrier and walked out of his room.

Luo Ruoxin was seated on one of the benches by the courtyard. Upon seeing him, her eyebrows shot up in astonishment.

"You have made a breakthrough in your cultivation?"

It was just a day of absence, but there was a visible difference in Zhang Xuan's aura. It felt much deeper than before, making it difficult for one to gauge the depth of his strength in a single glance.

"I guess so!" Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.

"It's good that you have made a breakthrough. I have to make a trip to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to settle some matters, and I can bring you to the area where Kong shi left behind his superior breakthrough method," Luo Ruoxin said.

"You are going to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?" Zhang Xuan asked in surprise.

"Un. I can see great energy coursing from your body, and it's on the verge of running amok. Without a doubt, it's about time for you to raise your cultivation. This way, even if something happens, you will have the strength to cope, and I'll..." Luo Ruoxin paused for a brief moment before saying, "... also be able to rest assured..."

"Un. It's indeed about time for me to push for a breakthrough!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The Innate Fetal Poison was simply too smug. He had to achieve a breakthrough as soon as possible and burn that fellow completely with the heavenly flame.

Otherwise, if that fellow suddenly lost its rationality and attempted something, he would really be a goner.

On top of that, if he achieved a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation to Great Sage, there would surely be a surge in his fighting prowess once more. Paired together with his Aureate Body realm Primordial Spirit, even without Kong shi's blood droplet, he would be able to defeat any cultivator beneath Ancient Sage!

In other words, even if he encountered the scholarly young man once more, he would be able to apprehend him and force him to spit out the whereabouts of Zhao Ya and the others.

The only consolation for him right now was that Zhao Ya and the others were not in any major danger. As the heads of major powers, they were bound to have soul lanterns. If something had truly happened to them, the Glacier Plain Court, the Poison Hall, and the Yuan Clan surely would have sent word over.

Nevertheless, the close ties between the Hundred Schools of Philosophers and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe left him feeling rather unnerved. He had to find out the reason behind this uncanny partnership as soon as possible so as to determine whether the Hundred Schools of Philosophers was an ally or an enemy.

"Let's head off then!" Luo Ruoxin said with a chuckle.

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He quickly called Sun Qiang over and delegated some matters to him before the both of them departed from the Zhang Clan.

Shortly after leaving the perimeter of the Zhang Clan, he suddenly recalled that adolescent boy and asked, "Oh right, will Wu Chen be coming along?"

Wu Chen had followed them to the Zhang Clan, but it did not seem like he had seen him around over the past day. Of course, he had also been busy during this period of time, so he was not one to speak.

"He had some matters to attend to, so he left earlier. We are heading to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters to find Kong shi's superior breakthrough method, not to pick a fight with anyone. There won't be any danger, so it won't matter whether he's around or not," Luo Ruoxin replied.

"You're right." Zhang Xuan nodded before falling silent.

He quickly went through a map that he had collected into the Library of Heaven's Path and located the whereabouts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. Following which, he flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear flew into his hand.

"Break!"

With a thrust of his spear, a dimension rift was torn open, and a passageway appeared before them.

Zhang Xuan took the lead, and Luo Ruoxin followed closely behind him.

The next moment, the duo found themselves standing before a cluster of towering buildings that was reminiscent of the scale of a royal palace.

The Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!

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Chapter 1660: Master Teacher Pavilion Headquarters

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Despite the massive scale of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, its appearance could not be said to be extravagant. In fact, it might not even be on par with the royal palaces of some Conferred Empires.

Nevertheless, through the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan could still see righteous aura suffusing the area, creating a dignified and solemn atmosphere. Even the most impetuous individual would feel compelled to hold himself prim and proper under such an atmosphere.

"It is called academic aura," Luo Ruoxin said. "The Master Teacher Pavilion has been spreading its teachings across the Master Teacher Continent for tens of thousands of years, bringing wisdom to the masses. The academic aura of the world could be said to have congregated in this area. Due to that, it's much easier to achieve a breakthrough cultivating here."

"I see." Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had been a little perplexed to hear that Luo Ruoxin was able to 'see' the academic aura just like him, but he chose not to fuss over it. Instead, he proceeded into the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters together with her.

The area right before the entrance was a clearing. There was a towering monument standing at a height of over a hundred meters tall erected in the midst of the clearing, and the tip of the tablet seemed to pierce right into the clouds.

"Is this... the Master Teacher Pavilion's Monument of Valiance?" Zhang Xuan's expression suddenly turned solemn.

While he had never been before, he had read many books relating to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. He knew that there was a Monument of Valiance erected in the empty clearing just outside of its entrance. It was used to record the names of the heroes who had sacrificed themselves in the midst of liberating mankind from oppression.

There were no ornaments on the monument, but on the ground, there were a couple of flower baskets and incense sticks that left trails of smoke drifting into the boundless sky.

There were several massive words written on the monument that induced a heavy feeling in one even before approaching it. This was a feeling that came from the depths of one's soul, compelling even Great Sage cultivators to lower their heads deferentially.

"These names were all written by Kong shi personally. They are the names of the heroes who fought against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe back then." Luo Ruoxin explained as she gazed upon the monument with an unreadable look in her eyes. "So many lives were lost in the conflict."

"Indeed..." Zhang Xuan nodded solemnly. "Zhang Lingyuan, Chen Qiquan, Wu Lingzhi..."

They were just names—there were no labels to indicate their accomplishments or their standing. Yet, these names seemed to contain a soul of their own. They signified the burning spirits of those who had fought valiantly for freedom back in that tumultuous era. Their resolve was passed down from generation to generation, and even to this day, it still continued to motivate others to stand up bravely for themselves and their brethren.

"If not for their valiance, we wouldn't have the peace that we enjoy right now. Perhaps, we might still be under the oppression of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe..." Zhang Xuan nodded. "They are worthy of being deemed as heroes!"

The value of the monument lay not in Kong shi's writing but the spirit of those who had died struggling against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

After a short moment of silence, the two of them walked through the entrance and entered the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters.

Surprisingly, unlike other Master Teacher Pavilions or occupation guilds, there was no one on guard to stop them.

Seeing through Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Luo Ruoxin explained with a slight smile, "This is the headquarters of the greatest power on the Master Teacher Continent. Unless one's tired of living, who'll dare wreak havoc here?"

The reason the other Master Teacher Pavilion branches and occupation guilds needed guards was because they feared troublemakers. However, even the most willful of troublemakers wouldn't dare to pick a fight with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!

Since that was the case, there was no point in wasting manpower to put up guards.

"You're right!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

The academic aura grew significantly stronger upon entering the premises. It seemed to rid one of the feelings of worry, frustration, and such, thus bringing about greater clarity of mind. Luo Ruoxin was right. Not only would it be much more effective cultivating here, the chances of breeding inner demons would be significantly lower as well.

With knowledge comes the wisdom to overcome inner demons!

"Esteemed guests, welcome to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters. If you have any contacts you are looking for, I can help you relay the news of your arrival to them!" a young man said after walking over.

Taking a look at the emblem pinned on his chest, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Even though the young man appeared to be in his early twenties, he was actually a 7-star master teacher!

To think that a 7-star master teacher would be serving as a receptionist... This was an extravagance that he would have never dared think of!

As expected of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!

"I'm looking for Ren shi, Ren Qingyuan!" Zhang Xuan replied.

Since he was there to look for Kong shi's heritage, it would be much more convenient if he could seek the assistance of the deputy pavilion master.

"You are looking for Ren shi?" the young man asked.

Zhang Xuan could vaguely see from the depths of the young man's eyes that he was slightly startled by the request, but those emotions did not surface on his face. Instead, the young man continued asking politely, "May I know how I should address you? Ah, please don't misunderstand. It's in order to inform our deputy pavilion master the identity of his guest!"

"I am Zhang Xuan," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Zhang Xuan? You are Zhang Xuan?" Despite being calm all this while, the young man jolted in shock upon hearing that name. His voice abruptly grew sharper, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard.

His voice had been a little loud, causing the crowd in the surroundings to overhear their conversation. Curious gazes began gathering on them.

"He's Zhang Xuan?"

"After hearing of his deeds, I thought that he would have three heads and six arms, but he looks more ordinary than I thought!"

"Ordinary is an understatement. Even his appearance is nothing outstanding. His looks don't even come close to matching mine!"

"I sure pity you. To think that you would become blind at such a young age..."

...

Such discussions could be heard in the surroundings.

Zhang Xuan did not expect to enjoy such great fame in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and his face twitched slightly upon hearing the chatter around him. Taking a deep breath, he focused his attention of the young man before him and clasped his fist. "I'll be troubling you then!"

"Oh... Oh! This way please, Zhang shi!"

The young man quickly shook out of his daze and led the way forward. As he made his way over toward Ren shi's office, he could not help but wonder... I heard that this fellow is a vicious figure. Would he pummel me due to my momentary discourtesy?

But I'm only a 7-star master teacher. There's no way I could be a match for him!

If he really wishes to make a move on me, should I lie down and let him do as he pleases, or should I at least try to put up a fight before being pummeled?

Ahh, what a dilemma!

Just what can I do in order to minimize my embarrassment while appearing awe-inspiring?

In a sense, it's an amazing feat to survive the beating of the legendary Zhang Xuan, right? Perhaps, I might just be able to win the heart of the woman I love once she hears of this deed!

Just like that, the young man's thoughts drifted further and further.

If Zhang Xuan knew of the thoughts of the fellow before him, he would have surely sent him flying with a single kick.

I am a peace-loving, amiable, respectful, self-loving, magnanimous, low-profile person, alright? Just how in the world did you come to the conclusion that I'm a violent man who kicks up a fuss over nothing?

...

Putting aside their miscellaneous thoughts, it did not take long for them to arrive before a massive door.

"Our deputy pavilion master is inside. I'll see you off here then..." Seeing that Zhang Xuan did not make a move on him, a hint of disappointment surfaced in the depths of the eyes of the young man. Nevertheless, his actions still remained incredibly polite.

"Don't you have to report my arrival?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"Zhang shi, you are the head of the Zhang Clan and the Sanctum of Sages. There's no need for you to report your arrival in order to meet the deputy pavilion master!" the young man replied courteously.

In terms of standing, Zhang Xuan could be considered an equal to Ren shi. Naturally, there was no need for him to go to the trouble of seeking an audience.

"Thank you for your help!" Zhang Xuan told the young man before pushing open the door and walking in.

The moment he stepped into the room, he immediately noticed that something was amiss.

There were many familiar faces within the room. Many of the 9-star master teachers that he had met back in the Empire Alliance City were there, and there was quite a number of renowned experts as well.

At the same time, the crowd also turned their heads over to the door and were taken aback by whom they saw.

"Zhang shi, you came at a timely moment. I was just about to look for you!" The first one to recover was Ren shi, and he quickly cleared up the air with a light chuckle. "You have comprehended the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences, and your cultivation has reached Saint 9-dan pinnacle as well. Even though you haven't met the formal requirements required to be a 9-star master teacher, you are already qualified to apply for a 9-star master teacher emblem. Since everyone is around today, why don't we carry out your 9-star master teacher examination right now?"

"You are asking me to take the 9-star master teacher examination right now?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. He did not expect Ren shi to raise such a matter all of a sudden. "I'm afraid that I'm not prepared for it yet. I didn't even brush my teeth after waking up earlier today, so it might not really be a good idea for me to take the examination right now..."

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Chapter 1661: 9-star Master Teacher

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

It was not that Zhang Xuan was reluctant to become a 9-star master teacher, but he really was not prepared for it yet.

The reason why he had come here was to find Kong shi's superior breakthrough method and advance his cultivation to Great Sage 1-dan. He did not think that Ren shi would ask him to undergo the 9-star master teacher examination as soon as they met...

Anyone in his position would be dazed.

"I have checked your supporting occupations, and your proficiencies have already reached levels comparable to the Inceptive Sages. With your capabilities and talents, I don't think that you'll face any trouble in the examination. It's just a matter of when you want to do it!" Ren shi remarked with a smile.

He had witnessed the prowess of the young man with his own eyes. Be it in the impartation of knowledge, his cultivation, or his capabilities in other fields, they could be said to be impeccable. It was inevitable that he would become a 9-star master teacher! In his view, there was no reason to put off the inevitable.

Furthermore, this invitation could also be viewed as a symbol of goodwill and a desire for reconciliation from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters.

"This... Alright then. May I know how the 9-star master teacher examination goes?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Since Ren shi had already put it out like that, there was no need for Zhang Xuan to hesitate too much.

He would eventually take the 9-star master teacher examination anyway, so there was no reason for him to put it off.

Given that Ren shi had already given him such an offer, he might as well get it over and done with.

Just that... the process seemed a little too informal for something as important as the 9-star master teacher examination. It was almost as if it was no big deal at all!

"Typically speaking, the 9-star master teacher examination requires the examinee to declare his philosophy of pedagogy and find a way to ascertain its effectiveness... However, just the fact that you are able to raise disciples like Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, Zhao Ya, and the others is more than enough to prove the feasibility of your philosophy of pedagogy. As such, there's no need to go through the trouble of examining that!" Ren shi explained.

9-star master teachers had to have their own set of values and principles that they believed in when it came to teaching their students. While he was uncertain what Zhang Xuan's values and principles were, the fact that he had been able to raise so many outstanding students was more than enough to show that his philosophy was effective.

"Aside from that, your Soul Depth must also reach 27, and you must be nominated by at least three 9-star master teachers. You have met the requirements for those two as well, so the only segment remaining is the trial of strength!

"In the interest of time, let's not make things too complicated. Wang shi, lower your cultivation down to Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage and exchange blows with Zhang shi!" Ren shi instructed.

"Alright!"

An elder known as Wang shi walked out from the crowd. He took in a deep breath, and the next moment, his aura swiftly weakened. In the blink of an eye, his cultivation had already been suppressed down to Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage.

His true cultivation was only at Introspective Convalescence realm advanced stage, so it was not too difficult for him to suppress his cultivation. With a smile, he turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Zhang shi, be wary. Since it's an examination, I won't be able to go easy on you!"

"I expect nothing less!" Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Seeing that Wang shi was already prepared, Zhang Xuan swiftly sent a fist over.

With a loud roar, Wang shi also retaliated with a fist of his own.

Peng!

Sou!

Ahhhhh!

Wang shi vanished into thin air.

"This..."

The master teachers in the room froze on the spot.

Was this really the prowess coming from a Saint 9-dan cultivator?

Even if they were the ones facing the attack, they did not have any confidence that they would be able to fare any better than Wang shi!

"Even though your cultivation hasn't reached Great Sage yet, the fact that you were able to defeat Wang shi shows that your fighting prowess is already up to par... Liu shi, prepare the 9-star master teacher emblem. From today, Zhang shi is a 9-star master teacher too!" Ren shi nodded with a smile.

"That's it?" Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

Everything had happened so quickly that he could hardly believe that this was real.

Were it not the fact that he knew that he was in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters and that the person standing before him was the deputy pavilion master, he would have thought that he was being scammed by a fraudster.

Within half an hour of entering the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he had sent a person flying, and all of a sudden, he was being congratulated for becoming a 9-star master teacher...

Even the 1-star master teacher examination that he had taken back then had not been this easy!

If this was going to be the case, why did he even go through the trouble of advancing through the ranks? He could have just taken the 9-star master teacher examination right away and cleared everything in one go!

"Since you have officially become a 9-star master teacher, you are qualified to attend this meeting..." Paying no heed to the speechless expression on Zhang Xuan's face, Ren shi carried on with a grim look on his face.

Knowing that the matters that they were going to confer about were confidential, Luo Ruoxin turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "I'll wait for you outside."

After which, she departed from the room.

Knowing that Ren shi and the others would not allow an outsider to listen in on the meeting, Zhang Xuan did not stop her.

Instead, he directed a questioning gaze at Ren Qingyuan and asked, "What is the purpose of this meeting for you to be in such a hurry?"

By this point, he had also realized that the reason Ren shi and the others were so eager to have him promoted to 9-star master teacher was so that he would have the clearance to attend this meeting.

"It's the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe... They have just launched a mass invasion on the Master Teacher Continent!" Ren Qingyuan said with a deep frown.

"The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has just launched a mass invasion?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

A 9-star master teacher whom Zhang Xuan had met before walked to the wall and pointed to a map pinned on it.

It was a full map of the Master Teacher Continent, and there were many red dots marked on the map.

"There is a total of 108 major Subterranean Galleries linked to the otherworldly battlefields across the Master Teacher Continent, and just a moment ago, we spotted movements in all of them concurrently. The attack has come so abruptly that the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Hall's personnel stationed there are having trouble holding the fort," the 9-star master teacher said.

"108 Subterranean Galleries?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He knew that there would be quite a number of Subterranean Galleries across the Master Teacher Continent, but he did not think that there would be so many of them.

If the Otherworldly Demons spilled out from all of them simultaneously, even with the prowess of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would have trouble curbing them.

"What in the world is going on?" Zhang Xuan questioned anxiously.

"I'm unsure of the details either. Everything happened too quickly for us to process what's going on. It started from a minor invasion in some of the Subterranean Galleries a day ago. It was still within a scale that we could cope with, so we were intending to handle it internally within the Master Teacher Pavilion. However, the scale of the invasion swiftly grew larger, and before we knew it, some of the seals are starting to be worn down. Many master teachers have already been injured!" Ren shi said.

"Has an invasion of such a scale ever happened before?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"It has happened before but never concurrently in all 108 major Subterranean Galleries!" Ren shi shook his head. "The Master Teacher Pavilion has already dispatched nearly all of the available 9-star master teachers we have, but it still isn't sufficient to ward off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. At this rate, it's likely that all of the seals will be breached within ten days, thus giving rise to a large-scale invasion on the Master Teacher Continent!"

"Ten days?" Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

He did not expect time to be so tight.

It was true that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was in an advantageous position at the moment, but a forceful, frontal assault like this would cause calamitous losses for them too! Time was currently on the side of the Otherworldly Demons. The longer they bided their time, the fewer Ancient Sages mankind would have to deal with them.

Given that they had already waited for tens of thousands of years, surely they would be willing to wait a little longer to minimize their losses.

It was irrational for the Otherworldly Demons to go on a rampage at this point in time!

Or could it be...

A thought came to Zhang Xuan's mind, and he hurriedly asked, "Does this matter have anything to do with the imminent appearance of the Temple of Confucius?"

Other than this, he could not think of any other reason for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe launching such a reckless assault on mankind all of a sudden.

"The disturbances in the space around the Temple of Confucius are growing stronger and stronger. It's likely that the Temple of Confucius will surface very soon. We've had to station most of our 9-star master teachers there in order to prevent any Otherworldly Demons from slipping in, so we don't really have sufficient manpower to deal with the invasion at the 108 Subterranean Galleries at the moment... I believe that the Zhang Clan and the other powers should have received word regarding the invasion by now, and we would like to formally request your help in quelling the Otherworldly Demons!"

With an expectant look in his eyes, Ren shi looked at Zhang Xuan solemnly and said, "The circumstances are really not in our favor at the moment. Mankind has to unite as one in order to survive this crisis!"

"This..."

Zhang Xuan finally understood why Ren shi and the others were in such a hurry to promote him to a 9-star master teacher.

As a 9-star master teacher, one of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent, he had an indisputable responsibility to protect mankind in times of adversity! Clearly, Ren shi and the others had already heard of the news that he had become the head of the Three Premier Clans and wanted to rope him onto this warship.

After all, the Three Premier Clans, the Glacier Plain Court, the Poison Hall... Those powers combined together formed a force sufficient to dictate the fate of the entire Master Teacher Continent!

Not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would dare underestimate the might of this force.

Otherwise, they would not have deferred to those powers back then at Empire Alliance City either.

Without much hesitation, Zhang Xuan nodded gravely in response. "For mankind, there's nothing I can't do!"

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Chapter 1662: Shrine of Kong shi

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan could not be said to be a noble and selfless individual. He was selfish from time to time, and the initial reason that he became a master teacher was not to save mankind but to make use of that identity to access more books... However, there were times when one simply could not back down.

If mankind was massacred, what use would his strength be?

He was no longer the same individual as when he first transcended over to this world. He had his family and his students. The Luo Clan and the Jiang clan were looking to him for directions. There were many people in this world whom he wanted to protect.

In fact, the reason he was so determined to mend the relations between the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan was for this purpose.

Since the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was already on their doorstep, there was no way he would back down at this point in time.

"It's truly reassuring to have you as our ally!"

Hearing Zhang Xuan's agreement, relief broke out on Ren Qingyuan and the other 9-star master teachers' faces.

They had been wondering how they could talk Zhang Xuan into the matter, but who would have thought that he would accept it so decisively?

"I'll send out an order to have the Three Premier Clans heed the Master Teacher Pavilion's directive right now!" Zhang Xuan replied.

Watching as Zhang Xuan relayed his instructions to the Three Premier Clans without stalling for time, Ren Qingyuan quickly turned his attention back to the 9-star master teachers and issued several strategic commands before dispersing the group.

Having acquired the assistance of the Three Premier Clans, Ren Qingyuan knew that they would be able to curb the threat of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe for the time being. Heaving a sigh of relief, he finally turned his gaze back to Zhang Xuan and asked, "Zhang shi, sorry to keep you waiting. May I know the reason behind your visit to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?"

When he first heard the name of the young man, he had been nothing more than an insignificant figure who had chosen to pass himself off as Yang shi's student. But before he knew it, the young man had already become a powerhouse whose influence rivaled or even exceeded his.

So many things had happened over the past month, and nearly everything was centered around him. As long as the young man did not suffer a premature death, it was likely that he would surpass Yang shi in the future.

"To be honest, I have a favor to ask of you." Zhang Xuan clasped his fist. "I would like to pay a visit to the Shrine of Kong shi!"

On their way there, Luo Ruoxin had told him that it was likely that Kong shi's superior breakthrough method would be placed in the Shrine of Kong shi.

The Shrine of Kong shi was a heritage site constructed after the departure of Kong shi in order to celebrate his achievements. It contained his personal writing, clothes, and personal possessions.

"I was still wondering what you were going to ask for. All newly promoted 9-star master teachers have to pay a visit to the Shrine of Kong shi as a part of the formalities, so it goes without saying that you are allowed to enter the Shrine of Kong shi! Allow me to bring you over right now!" Upon hearing the request, Ren Qingyuan chuckled softly and said.

"It's fine. At a time like this, you probably have a lot of urgent matters to attend to, so I shan't impose on you. However, if I may boldly request, I would like to bring Ruoxin with me into the Shrine of Kong shi," Zhang Xuan said.

The superior breakthrough method was bound to be hidden in an inconspicuous location, so he might require Luo Ruoxin's help on that. On top of that, if Ren Qingyuan followed along, it could hinder his search efforts.

"This..." Ren Qingyuan frowned upon hearing the request. He pondered for a moment before saying, "By convention, only 9-star master teachers are allowed to enter the Shrine of Kong shi, and newly promoted 9-star master teachers have to be accompanied by a more senior master teacher in... But on account of your contributions to mankind, I'll make an exception for you. However, I'll still have to ask you not to stay in the Shrine of Kong shi for too long, roughly a day at maximum!"

"Thank you!" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up upon hearing those words, and he quickly clasped his fist in gratitude.

As the Shrine of Kong shi contained Kong shi's personal writings and possessions, just being in the vicinity of the shrine was highly beneficial to one's cultivation. Those who had entered the premises were likely to leave with new insights or considerable advancements in their cultivation. As such, it was not rare for 9-star master teachers to frequent the place...

However, it was unsaid of for a non-master teacher individual to enter the premises and even stay an entire day there.

It truly was not easy for Ren Qingyuan to give such leeway to him.

"I'll head over right now!" Zhang Xuan said.

After receiving Ren Qingyuan's approval, Zhang Xuan clarified the location of the Shrine of Kong shi before walking out of the room. He quickly found Luo Ruoxin, and the two of them began making their way over to their destination.

The Shrine of Kong shi was founded by Kong shi's direct disciple, Ancient Sage Zi Yuan, after his departure. Many of his handwritten drafts, clothes, weapons, and the sort could be found in the shrine. The main purpose for creating the shrine was to allow later generations to feel the spirit of the World's Teacher and experience his greatness.

Many of the artifacts within the Shrine of Kong shi were not offensive in nature, wielding very little prowess. However, they were able to inspire deeper contemplation to cultivators, bringing them epiphanies.

Walking along the shrine, they saw the bloodied robe that Kong shi had left behind while fending off the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, the letter that he had sent out after being trapped at Chen Cai... Zhang Xuan found himself at a loss for words for a very long time.

Even someone as powerful as Kong shi had to go through so much in order to quell the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

After taking a walk around the room, Luo Ruoxin finally stopped before a certain artifact and pointed to it.

"This is the Sage Ascension Platform that Kong shi left behind after his breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm back then. If he has left a cultivation technique behind, it's likely to be hidden in there."

Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze over and saw a round stone platform placed among the artifacts. Its surface was cloaked with a layer of beautiful light, reminiscent of jadeite.

"This is... a product from the heavenly flame tribulation?" Zhang Xuan remarked in astonishment.

There was no doubt that the material of the stone platform was the common blue jadestone. However, for some reason, it felt extraordinarily wholesome, as if it was one complete entity by itself. Furthermore, it emanated a radiant sheen far beyond that of ordinary blue jadestones, comparable to impeccable jadestones.

The only force in the world that could turn an ordinary blue jadestone into an impeccable jadestone would be the heavenly flame.

More importantly, his Primordial Spirit felt a feeling of intimacy from the blue jadestone, which further confirmed his doubts.

"It's indeed the doing of the heavenly flame!" Luo Ruoxin nodded.

After confirming the matter, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight and began examining the stone platform carefully. A moment later, a deep frown formed on his forehead.

He had already figured out how the heavenly flame had converted an ordinary blue jadestone into its current state, but he was still completely bewildered as to how Kong shi managed to summon the heavenly flame tribulation for his breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan.

There was nothing that he could consider a clue on the stone platform.

Zhang Xuan turned to Luo Ruoxin and asked doubtfully, "If the superior breakthrough method is truly hidden in here, considering how many formidable 9-star master teachers have looked at this stone platform, its secrets should have already been uncovered by now, right?"

Master teachers were known for their sharp eye of discernment. While his Eye of Insight was particularly formidable in this field, there were still over a dozen experts before him who possessed the same ability as well, namely the preceding sanctum heads of the Sanctum of Sages.

If even they could not find anything wrong with the stone platform, was there really a cultivation technique hidden in it?

"Did you bring the Saint Ascension Platform Kong shi has left behind with you?" Instead of explaining the matter, Luo Ruoxin asked about a completely different matter instead.

"... I did!"

Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist, and another stone platform materialized before him.

Before passing the orb containing the Qiu Wu Palace to Luo Ganzhen, he had already placed the Saint Ascension Platform into his storage ring.

"Try using the cultivation technique of the Saint Ascension Decipher to infuse your zhenqi into the Saint Ascension Platform," Luo Ruoxin instructed.

Zhang Xuan was not sure where this was going, but he nodded in agreement. Taking a deep breath, he swiftly infused his zhenqi into the Saint Ascension Platform.

Tzzzzzzz!

As his zhenqi coursed through the Saint Ascension Platform, it began emanating energies of a myriad different colors and slowly floated into the air. At the same time, as if attracted by the energies of the Saint Ascension Platform, the Sage Ascension Platform was drawn over.

The two stone platforms began fusing with one another, and before long, they were already a single entity.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was startled.

He did not think that the two stone platforms would actually be able to fuse with one another.

Weng!

Just as he was about to ask Luo Ruoxin what was going on, a brilliant burst of light exploded from the stone platform. An illusory black silhouette appeared in the midst of the radiant surroundings, sitting on the stone platform with cross legs, his eyes tightly shut.

"This is the recording Kong shi left behind when he made a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. The breakthrough method is found in here!" Luo Ruoxin's voice sounded anxious.

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Chapter 1663: Kong shi's Cultivation Technique

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Recording?"

Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan noticed that the silhouette was cultivating. Surges of spiritual energy were gushing into his body, circulating in a certain pathway.

"This is... Kong shi?" Zhang Xuan's face twitched.

Rather than a human, the silhouette looked more like a burnt sweet potato instead. If not for Luo Ruoxin's reminder, he would not have thought that it was a human... Was this blurred black thing really Kong shi?

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was distracted by such small details, Luo Ruoxin sighed helplessly. "The recording will only appear once. It's only triggered due to your successful breakthrough as a Celestial Saint. This opportunity won't come again if you don't pay close attention."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan hurriedly focused his attention on watching the movements of the black shadow.

Since it would only appear once, he would have to pay close attention to it. Otherwise, if he missed any crucial aspects, it would be too late for regrets.

Flaws! Zhang Xuan willed.

Hula!

The Library of Heaven's Path jolted, but no book was compiled.

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

It had failed him at the crucial moment once more...

Of course, it could be because Kong shi possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well, so the silhouette that he left behind could not be compiled by the Library of Heaven's Path.

Forget it, I'll just have to remember as many things as possible by myself!

Seeing that the Library of Heaven's Path was not working, Zhang Xuan could only observe the movements of the silhouette before him seriously.

Sitting on the stone platform, spiritual energy continuously surged into the silhouette, and its aura was growing stronger and stronger.

After a moment of examination, Zhang Xuan frowned.

There is something bizarre about how spiritual energy is entering the body of the silhouette...

When pushing for a breakthrough, cultivators would usually open all of their acupoints to take in spiritual energy equally throughout their body so as to better channel it toward the dantian, thus advancing their cultivation.

However, this was not the case for the silhouette. He was taking in spiritual energy fastest from his head, followed by his innards, and finally his limbs. Furthermore, the attributes of the spiritual energy that he was taking in were different too.

The spiritual energy that he was channeling into his head was overflowing with vitality, seemingly encompassing all attributes. On the other hand, the spiritual energy that he was channeling into his innards was of the fire attribute, the wood attribute for his upper limbs, and the cold attribute for his lower limbs.

Noticing Zhang Xuan's confused frown, Luo Ruoxin explained, "It's the four seasons."

"Four seasons?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

"The world can be divided into four seasons. People often say that the natural world is devoid of consciousness, but it does instinctively obey a certain law in order to rid the impurities it has accumulated. For example, a poison master can concoct a poisonous substance and scatter it around the lands, creating a blight. But with sufficient time, the world will still be able to neutralize the poison through the power of the changing seasons, thus healing the damage it has sustained," Luo Ruoxin elaborated.

"So, this is similar to removing the damaged cells in the Introspective Convalescence realm?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

The natural world wielded the amazing power to heal any damage it had sustained with time, no matter how severe it was. It could take hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of years, but eventually, any damage would be undone, leaving nary a trace at all.

So, in terms of regeneration, there was nothing that could outdo the natural forces of the world. Not even Ancient Sages could come close to competing with it.

Zhang Xuan nodded in wonderment. What Kong shi did was comprehend the ingenuity behind the four seasons and incorporate it into his body in order to achieve a breakthrough to the Introspective Convalescence realm...

As expected of the World's Teacher, he was truly extraordinary!

It was no wonder he was able to summon the heavenly flame tribulation as soon as he achieved a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan. Using a cultivation technique that was in such close alignment with the world, it was inevitable that he would incur the envy of the heavens.

The body as the four seasons, the innards as the five cardinal directions 1 , the spirit as the heavens, the body as the earth, the creations and Yin-Yang as the soul...

The more Zhang Xuan looked, the more surprised he was. He slowly sat down and began to cultivate. The bottleneck that had limited his cultivation tightly in the past began to loosen, and it seemed as if he would take the final step forward at any moment.

Just as Zhang Xuan was just about to push for a breakthrough, a thought suddenly came to his mind. No, that's not right... Kong shi has his own method of pushing for a breakthrough to Great Sage, but I don't share the same constitution as him. I can use his wisdom as a guiding direction for me, but I can't blindly imitate everything that he does...

Kong shi had spent his life fighting against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and he had his own persistence and righteousness. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had his own encounters and experiences that were very different from Kong shi's. With such divergence in their pathways, their cultivation method could not be identical to one another. If Zhang Xuan forcefully attempted to walk down the pathway of another, it was likely that his cultivation would go berserk instead.

Possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, the techniques I have cultivated have always been perfect. In terms of comprehension of the heavens, there's no one who can compete with me... Zhang Xuan thought with a brilliant light gleaming from his eyes.

Ever since he started cultivating, he had never taken a single wrong step. Other cultivators could devote their lives to desperately scouring the world, but all they would discover eventually was just a superficial understanding of the world. On the other hand, what he had in his mind was the very embodiment of the heavens!

Was there any being in this world who boasted a greater understanding of the world than him?

Fighter cultivation techniques, Transcendent Mortal cultivation techniques, Saint cultivation techniques...

As his comprehension of each cultivation level flowed through his brain, they swiftly strung together to form a magnificent collage.

This is what I want! Zhang Xuan thought as his consciousness delved right into the collage.

The next moment, he found himself standing in uncharted territories, a world that he had never known before.

Boom!

The bottleneck that had his cultivation sealed at Saint 9-dan pinnacle was forcefully torn apart, and his zhenqi began undergoing a qualitative metamorphosis. At the same time, his aura also grew stronger at a furious pace.

I have made a breakthrough! So, this is the power of a true Great Sage...

Feeling the incredible energy coursing through his meridians, Zhang Xuan's heart pounded in excitement.

It was fortunate that Luo Ruoxin had stopped him from making a breakthrough previously. If he had used the inferior breakthrough method instead, he would have been much weaker than how he was now.

Huhuhu!

Shortly after his breakthrough, dark clouds began collapsing inward. An astounding amount of energy was gathering in the area, shrouding the entire Shrine of Kong shi.

"What's happening?"

"That fellow couldn't have made a breakthrough there, could he?"

"Sh*t! That's the Shrine of Kong shi!"

...

Upon seeing the dark clouds gathering in the area, the faces of those in the Master Teacher Pavilion paled in fright. They nearly spurted blood on the spot.

Bro, surely you could have a chosen a much better place to achieve a breakthrough, right?

That's the Shrine of Kong shi! Do you know that destroying it is no different from making enemies out of all the master teachers across the Master Teacher Continent? That's a sin you'll never be able to absolve yourself from!

"Quick, stop him!" Ren Qingyuan cried out in despair.

Had he known that this would happen, he never would have allowed that dastardly troublemaker in!

Other 9-star master teachers entering the Shrine of Kong shi would have their souls cleansed, becoming powerful experts who were willing to lay down their lives for mankind. Yet, that fellow actually went in and called a cultivation tribulation upon that sacred place...

It was already bad enough for him to use his cultivation tribulation to tear apart the Zhang Clan and the Glacier Plain Court... but to think that he was not satisfied with just that!

He actually wanted to tear down the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters' Shrine of Kong shi too!

Didn't I treat you courteously earlier? Why do you still want to harm me? Haven't I apologized enough for what I did to you back then?

While cursing Zhang Xuan on the inside, Ren Qingyuan rushed to the Shrine of Kong shi with the other elders. Just as he was about to rush in, he felt a furious wave of intense heat gushing out from the shrine, keeping everyone out.

Ren Qingyuan grabbed one of the 9-star master teachers and asked, "What's going on right now?"

"The Shrine of Kong shi is surrounded by a unique power that prevents us from inspecting inside with our Spiritual Perception, so we have no idea..." the 9-star master teacher hurriedly explained.

"A unique power? It's able to keep out the Spiritual Perception of 9-star master teachers too?" Ren Qingyuan was taken aback.

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Chapter 1664: Eradicating the Innate Fetal Poison (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric

Even the weakest 9-star master teacher who remained in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was at least at Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage. On the other hand, the strongest ones were around Sword Saint Xing's caliber.

Yet, with their strength, they were neither able to enter the Shrine of Kong shi or inspect the interiors with their Spiritual Perception... Just what in the world was going on inside?

My ancestor, will you only be appeased after you tear down the Shrine of Kong shi too?

Boom!

In his moment of exasperation, he saw ominous clouds overflowing with power gathering swiftly in the area. Ferocious flames could be seen crackling amidst the clouds, on the verge of descending onto the world at any moment.

"Is this... the heavenly flame tribulation?"

"But why would the flames be black in color?"

"Isn't he only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle? How did he summon such a powerful cultivation ordeal?"

"I don't know either! Maybe... it's because he's a genius?"

...

The crowd was stunned to see the nature of the clouds gathering in the area.

They had verified Zhang Xuan's cultivation when they tested him during the '9-star master teacher examination' earlier. There was no doubt about it, he was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle. Even if he managed to achieve a breakthrough, he should have only been at Introspective Convalescence realm too...

But for some inconceivable reason, the cultivation ordeal he had summoned was the heavenly flame tribulation, not to mention an extraordinarily powerful one at that...

How the heck did you do it? Did you just absorb all of the treasures in the Shrine of Kong shi?

A thought suddenly flashed across Ren Qingyuan's mind, and his body began trembling uncontrollably. He exclaimed in horror, "Wait a moment... That's the Empyrean Heavenly Flame! It's the strongest heavenly flame tribulation!"

Black heavenly flames—this was a phenomenon which even the knowledgeable 9-star master teachers gathered here had never heard of. Even Ren Qingyuan only knew of its existence through vague information detailing its existence in the Pavilion Master Seal.

The Empyrean Heavenly Flame existed in the color of dusk, and there was nothing in the world that it couldn't set ablaze. If left to free rein, there was little doubt that it would scorch down everything in the world. It was the most fearsome heavenly flame tribulation, and the only cultivator that was known to have summoned it was Kong shi.

Was the young man undergoing an encounter similar to that of Kong shi?

Did he manage to find some kind of obscure heritage hidden in the Shrine of Kong shi which they have missed out on?

But even if there was some hidden heritage, it didn't make sense for the young man to find it so quickly!

"Seal the news for the time being. Make sure that not a single word about this matter leaks out!" Ren Qingyuan turned to the elders around him and ordered sternly.

Regardless of whether Zhang Xuan was able to survive the heavenly flame tribulation or not, it wasn't good news for the Master Teacher Pavilion.

If he were to survive the heavenly flame tribulation, it would mean that an expert comparable to Kong shi had appeared on the world. With the Zhang Clan and many major powers under his leadership, the authority of the Master Teacher Pavilion would be swiftly diminished in the near future.

On the other hand, if he were to die in the tribulation... How were they to explain to the Zhang Clan, the Luo Clan, and the Jiang Clan that their head had died in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters?

For the time being, the only thing they could do was to conceal the news as long as they could. The Three Premier Clans had barely united together under Zhang Xuan, and it was through tapping into the young man's influence that the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to mobilize the Three Premier Clans. If a mishap were to happen to the young man at this point in time, everything could swiftly unravel.

Faced with internal disharmony and external crisis, even the powerful Master Teacher Pavilion would collapse in the face of such pressure!

"We understand..."

Understanding the implications of this matter, the 9-star master teachers quickly created all sorts of formations around the area to conceal the phenomenon.

...

Unaware of the panic occurring outside, Zhang Xuan's consciousness was immersed in the internal state of his body. He was carefully discerning the changes occurring in his body.

Slowly, he reconstructed the foundation of his body to a form that was in greater alignment with nature, thus allowing his energies to flow without any impediment. This resulted in a significant enhancement in his burst power.

There are some changes to my meridian network as well. It's starting to bear some resemblance to the meridian network I have reconstructed for Zhao Ya back then...

The breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation had introduced several changes to the mapping of his meridians too. His meridians had been shifted to assume a form reminiscent of Zhao Ya's meridian network.

It seemed like the meridian network he had reconstructed for Zhao Ya was indeed ideal for cultivators.

To put it in other words, this proved that the reason why the Otherworldly Demons were stronger than humans was because they were of a higher level of existence. Otherwise, their meridian network wouldn't have been so closely aligned to the ideal state.

It was possible to raise one's level of existence through cultivation, but the difference in the starting point was still a gap that was hard to bridge. Take the Dragon Tribe for example, no one in the Master Teacher Continent had ever seen a true Pureblooded Dragon before, but there was no one who would deny that they were superior existences who wielded devastating strength,

Even the Dragonbone Divine Spear would have to bow in the face of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon. Honestly, Zhang Xuan couldn't even begin to fathom just how powerful Pureblooded Dragons would be. Most likely, they wielded strength far surpassing the Ancient Sages from birth.

This was the gap stemming from the different level of existences between two beings.

It was due to the fact that the Otherworldly Demons were blessed with a more logical constitution than humans that they were of a higher level of existence. This superior constitution allowed them to be born as Transcendent Mortals, and it bestowed upon them longevity far exceeding that of humans.

The fact that his constitution had changed slightly upon reaching Great sage meant that he had undergone a qualitative evolution in his level of existence.

If he were to bear any offspring in his current state, even if his offspring failed to inherit his bloodline ability, they would still command talents above ordinary cultivators due to their superior constitution.

In fact, most of the founders of Tier-3 Sage Clans were actually Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm experts who failed to reach Ancient Sage in their lifetime.

It seems like there are some advancements in my Spiritual Perception and physical strength too!

The changes weren't limited to just Zhang Xuan's meridian network. His Spiritual Perception had grown much stronger than before too. In the past, it would have been impossible for him to scrutinize the internal structure of each individual cell, but with his enhanced Spiritual Perception, he could see even the slightest crease within each cell.

At the same time, the range of his Spiritual Perception had increased to twenty li 1 as well.

In other words, if he were to just activate his Spiritual Perception, nothing within a perimeter of twenty li would be able to escape his notice. just by activating his Spiritual Perception, there would be no one within a perimeter of twenty li who would be able to escape his notice.

As for his physical body, the improvements weren't significant yet, considering how he had barely achieved a breakthrough and hadn't gotten a chance to temper his body yet. Nevertheless, through the nourishment of the zhenqi coursing through his meridians, the resilience of his physical body had already surpassed that of Saint pinnacle artifacts. It was beginning to advance toward the level of Great Sage artifacts.

Of course, the greatest change he had experienced was still his zhenqi.

It had become much purer and denser than before. An unimaginable amount of zhenqi had congregated in his dantian to form a seemingly endless ocean.

I should focus on overcoming the heavenly flame tribulation first!

All of this information gushed into his mind with a simple sweep of his Spiritual Perception. However, he knew that this wasn't a good time to be analyzing his own current condition. Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze to the sky.

Huala!

In the moment that he turned his gaze to the sky, a bundle of black flame descended from the ominous clouds above.

Absorb!

With the previous experience of dealing with the Empyrean Heavenly Flame, there was no longer any fear in Zhang Xuan's heart. Without any hesitation, he absorbed the black flame into his body.

But in the next moment, excruciating pain assaulted his entire existence. An intense heat raged within his body, threatening to melt him down into a puddle of goo.

I have to drive my zhenqi and use the heat to temper my body!

Zhang Xuan knew that he was undergoing the Scorching Body Tribulation, Scorching Spirit Tribulation, and Scorching Heart Tribulation simultaneously. Whatever pain he felt was, in truth, a trial for him as well. three ordeals simultaneously, which included trials on his spirit and heart as well.

He couldn't afford to give up now. The moment that he surrendered himself to fear would be the moment that he would be reduced to ashes. Knowing this fact ver well, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth and forced himself to bear with the pain as he hurriedly drove his zhenqi to disperse the heat.

Tzzzzzzz!

Under the relentless ramming of his Heaven's Path zhenqi, the huge bundle of flame was swiftly reduced to many seeds of fire. Nevertheless, they continued to burn with the same fervor as before.

Before Zhang Xuan knew it, the pain had further intensified. It felt as though it was stabbing deeply into him, rendering him light-headed.

No, this isn't right... How can this be even more painful than the heavenly flame tribulation my Primordial Spirit faced? Zhang Xuan thought in alarm as cold sweat gushed down his body.

With the experience of overcoming the Empyrean Heavenly Flame once, he thought that he had nothing to fear this time around. Yet, he realized that his previous experience wasn't any use at all.

Could it be that what I have encountered earlier was the heavenly flame tribulation whereas this one is the... Sage Ascension Ordeal? They aren't of the same level as one another?

What his Primordial Spirit had faced previously was indeed the Empyrean Heavenly Flame, but it was summoned by the breakthrough of his soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm. On the other hand, the Empyrean Heavenly Flame he was facing at the moment was a cultivation ordeal summoned by the unique circumstances of his breakthrough to Introspective Convalescence realm.

This was an unconventional tribulation which was summoned only by Kong shi in the past tens of thousands of years. There was a good chance that it was no ordinary heavenly flame tribulation.

Zhang Xuan could understand that this cultivation ordeal was unconventional, but wasn't this... way too strong?

Even his Aureate Body realm consummation Primordial Spirit was having trouble coping with the intense heat of the Empyrean Heavenly Flame! It was to the point that it seemed as if his consciousness would simply fade away at any moment...

He could hardly bring himself to think what would have become of him if he had he not advanced his soul cultivation to Aureate Body realm in advance!

Perhaps, he would have lost his consciousness in the moment he absorbed the heavenly flame in his body, thus allowing the heavenly flame to ravage his body as it pleased!

If it was already so difficult for him, how did Kong shi, who didn't possess the Library of Heaven's Path, survive this nigh impossible ordeal?

Zhang Xuan couldn't help but wonder in incredulity.

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