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

49. 1537

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1537 - Lu Chongs Transformation - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1537 - Lu Chongs Transformation Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1537: Lu Chong's Transformation

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Good, good!"

Zhang Xuan watched as the soul oracle before him reverting to the size of an ordinary human, and the appearance of the slightly reclusive young man came clearly into his sight. He could not help but nod in gladness.

The soul oracle before him was none other than the student of his that had headed to the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles previously, Lu Chong!

When he had first taken the young man in as his student, the latter had been quiet and reticent. In fact, he had gone on not speaking a single word for years, fearing that his enemies would find him. Yet, he had become a man who dared mock even the deputy pavilion master of the Master Teacher Pavilion.

That was a sign that he had finally walked out from the trauma resulting from the massacre of his clan.

To be honest, Zhang Xuan was not bothered about the talents or even the strength of his students. With him around, no matter how strong his students currently were, he was confident that he could groom them into powerhouses of the world. As such, what he was the most concerned about was their character.

A person's character would ultimately determine their path and their fate.

Only a person driven to surpass themself would be able to reach the peak and even beyond. To Zhang Xuan, that was really the only criterion that he felt one needed to become an expert.

On the other hand, a person who was unmotivated and indolent, spending precious time thinking only of how they could brag to others instead cultivating, such a person would never become an expert even with the best teacher and best resources. The person whom he was speaking about was, of course, Sun Qiang.

Sun Qiang had followed him for the longest period of time and used the largest bulk of his resources. Yet, in the end, he was still the weakest of them all.

Hearing his teacher's compliment, Lu Chong's eyes lit up in agitation as he clasped his fist. "Teacher, I have successfully awakened the Combat Soul Constitution!"

"I've seen," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

Back then, in order to save him, Lu Chong had charged into harm's way and ended up being severely wounded by the crown prince of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, thus ending in a deep sleep. It was after going through much trouble to wake him from his coma that he had found that Lu Chong's soul was incomparably large. Once it was awakened, there was no doubt that it would surely grant him tremendous strength.

Given how the current Lu Chong was able to fool around with even Ren Qingyuan, it was apparent that he had already successfully awakened his Combat Soul Constitution and gained full control over it.

There was no other way that he could have advanced his cultivation so much within the span of a single year.

"Un!" Seeing his teacher's smile, Lu Chong suddenly felt fulfilled within, as if the hard work that he had put in over the past year had finally come to fruition. Nodding, he quickly passed over the Pavilion Master Seal that he had taken from Ren Qingyuan. "Teacher, I'll leave this with you for now. If that old fogey gets it back, we won't stand a chance against him anymore!"

Understanding the logic behind that, Zhang Xuan reached out to take the Pavilion Master Seal from him.

The reason Lu Chong had been able to snatch the Pavilion Master Seal from Ren Qingyuan was not because he was stronger than him. Rather, when soul oracles intentionally hid their presence, it would be difficult for any cultivator to find them. On top of that, Ren Qingyuan's attention had been completely focused on Wei Ruyan then. It was due to these two factors that Lu Chong had managed to catch Ren Qingyuan off guard and seize his Pavilion Master Seal.

Had Ren Qingyuan been guarded against him from the very start, even if Lu Chong had been two times stronger than he currently was, he still would have been unable to seize it the seal from Ren Qingyuan's grasp.

As soon as Zhang Xuan came into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, he immediately felt a feeling of intimacy to it. It was almost as if the seal was made just for him, and he could tame it for his own use at any moment.

Zhang Xuan was taken aback. What's going on?

He was certain that this was his first time coming into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, and he had thought that it would be difficult for him to control an artifact so much stronger than him. Yet, when he held it in his hand, it felt almost as if it was an artifact that he had personally forged. It was filled with fondness and affection for him.

Should I try assimilating it? Zhang Xuan wondered as he placed his hand over it, wanting to try to fuse his blood into it.

However, just as he was about to do so, he suddenly felt a heavy pressure weighing down from above. Raising his head, he found all of the 9-star master teachers gathering together as one, collaborating with one another to form a formation that manifested in the form of a massive light barrier in the air.

"Teacher, that's the City Defense Formation of the Empire Alliance! It's built with the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion at its very center, and it was constructed to defend against enemies that threatened the security of the Empire Alliance. It seems like the 9-star master teachers have activated it!" Wei Ruyan said grimly.

After learning that her teacher was in Empire Alliance, she had swiftly gathered all of the intelligence available on the Empire Alliance so as to heighten the chances of success for the rescue operation.

"City Defense Formation?"

"Un. The formation isn't really too powerful by itself, but with so many 9-star master teachers augmenting it with their zhenqi, it has formed a powerful force that we can't afford to underestimate," Wei Ruyan explained.

For many years, the Master Teacher Pavilion had succeeded in keeping the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe off the Master Teacher Continent. The strength of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters did play a part to that end, but more than that, the Master Teacher Pavilion had also set up many branches across the continent, and each of those branches had constructed massive formations in the cities that they resided in. Those massive formations had lain dormant for many years, nourished by the spiritual energy in the surroundings, such that when an invasion finally happened, they would be able to call forth devastating might once they were activated.

Such was the case at that moment. In the first place, the Empire Alliance was not a weak power, so its City Defense Formation was of considerable power. With so many 9-star master teachers working together to augment it, once it was activated, it formed a formidable force that even Yang shi would have found hard to deal with.

"Teacher, rest assured. With my Soul Traverse and junior's poison art, no matter how strong their formation may be, they won't be able to keep us in here easily!" Lu Chong replied with a confident smile.

The journey to the Ancient Domain of the Soul Oracles had made him mature considerably as well. He was no longer the helpless young man that he had once been. Just like Wei Ruyan, he had also become a powerhouse on the Master Teacher Continent, and his every word and gesture carried an imposing air to it that commanded respect of others, making others dare not cross him.

"Indeed. Their formation might be powerful such that it would be impossible for me to face it straight on, but if it's just escaping, that won't pose a problem for me at all!" Wei Ruyan replied as the poison aura around her billowed, seemingly ready to sweep into the surroundings and corrode everything in its path.

Seeing how confident his students were, Zhang Xuan replied with a smile, "I have never been worried about escaping. While my cultivation might not be too high at the moment, if I really intend to escape, there's no way they would be able to keep me here!"

His cultivation might have been far beneath his students', but formations, to him, were really not much different from a free gift from the enemies. Ever since he walked out from the Tianxuan Kingdom, he had never seen a formation that could truly trap him before!

"Then..."

Perplexed looks surfaced on Wei Ruyan and Lu Chong's faces.

Since their teacher was able to escape from the encirclement by himself, why was he still idling around the area?

While they were able to hold their ground for the time being, the situation was really not in their favor.

"I can't afford to leave right now. Your Senior Zhao Ya is at a crucial period in her cultivation, and if we leave now, it'll be one thing for her efforts to be rendered futile, but she might even lose her life as a result of that," Zhang Xuan explained.

"Senior Zhao Ya? Cultivating? Where?" Hearing that their senior was here as well, the two of them were taken aback.

Zhang Xuan had wrapped Zhao Ya tightly using his zhenqi, forming something resembling a cocoon around her. Even the two of them could not fathom that the cocoon-like item emanating the killing intent of the Otherworldly Demons would actually be their senior.

"She's in there... Something happened with her meridians, and in order to increase the chances of success, I used the blueprint of a more efficient meridian network to reconstruct the meridians in her body, but a side effect of that is that she emanates such an aura!" Zhang Xuan explained.

"Reconstruct the meridians in her body?"

"Used the blueprint of a more efficient meridian network?"

Wei Ruyan and Lu Chong gasped in astonishment.

They had never even heard of such a thing before. Indeed, only their teacher would have the guts and ability to do something as bold as that.

"Since our senior is here, we'll have to protect her even at the cost of our lives!" Wei Ruyan declared as she straightened her back imposingly.

Since their teacher was willing to face an army of so many master teachers fearlessly for the sake of their senior, as his students, what did they have to fear?

At most, they would just die together!

"I also swear to protect teacher and senior!" Lu Chong declared resolutely.

"I understand your feelings. Don't worry, it won't be easy for them to kill us even with the formation they have over there. For the time being, I need the two of you to protect me while I study this seal over here. I think that I might just be able to use this seal to get us out of our current quandary!" Zhang Xuan instructed before turning his sight back to the Sanctum Head Token.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1538: The Master Teacher Pavilion Ran Away

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Since it was the Pavilion Master Seal, it should have some kind of ability that allowed it to rally or command the master teachers. If he could tame it, he might just be able to find a way out of their difficult situation without causing bloodshed.

Grasping the token tightly, Zhang Xuan willed, Flaws!

Hu!

A book materialized in his head.

"The Pavilion Master Seal of the Master Teacher Pavilion, an artifact forged by an Ancient Sage. It's created by fusing three droplets of Kong shi's divine blood, and it wields formidable offensive prowess against souls... Flaws: Undetectable!"

Zhang Xuan froze on the spot. Undetectable? How could this be?

On his journey, he had seen a diverse range of weapons. Regardless of whether the weapon had been forged by a formidable master or a rookie blacksmith, he would be able to find the flaws in it easily. There were no secrets that they could hide from the Library of Heaven's Path.

Yet, the book compiled on the Pavilion Master Seal actually reflected the flaws as undetectable.

What was going on?

A thought surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind. Could Kong shi be of the Discarnate Constitution of Divination as well?

The seers found those with the Discarnate Constitution of Divination unreadable, and even the Library of Heaven's Path would have difficulties trying to peer into it. Both he and Luo Ruoxin possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, and that would explain why the Library of Heaven's Path did not work on either of them.

Considering that the Pavilion Master Seal was made from three droplets of Kong shi's blood essence, perhaps the reason that the Library of Heaven's Path was unable to find a flaw in the token was because of his Discarnate Constitution of Divination affecting the results.

Zhang Xuan pondered for a while before nodding. That should be the case...

Considering how even the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan possessed such a constitution, surely it should not come as a shock that a man as great as Kong shi would possess such a constitution as well.

That was also probably how he had managed to dominate the land, overcoming the countless traps that the Otherworldly Demons had laid for him, and eventually ushering in an era of prosperity for mankind.

But if I don't know the flaws in the seal, how am I to tame it? Zhang Xuan frowned.

In the past, whenever he tamed a weapon, he would first find a flaw in it before exploiting the flaw in order to tame it. Otherwise, going by normal means, even ordinary Saint artifacts would require a year or two before pledging their servitude. Clearly, he did not have that much time to waste.

Let me try my blood!

Zhang Xuan tapped his finger, and a droplet of blood dripped from the fingertip onto the seal.

Hulala!

As if a smooth lotus leaf, his droplet of blood simply flowed around on the surface of the seal, showing no signs of being taken in. After flowing for a while, the seal fell onto the floor.

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows leaped up.

Ordinary artifacts would absorb swiftly absorb any blood that they came into contact with, thus taking in the will that was infused into the blood as well. However, for some inexplicable reason, the Pavilion Master Seal was not taking in his blood at all. This was the first time that Zhang Xuan had seen such an artifact.

It expresses intimacy toward me, but it refuses to take in my blood. How in the world am I supposed to tame this artifact?

He had thought that given the surprising intimacy between him and the Pavilion Master Token, he should be able to tame it with ease. Yet, who could have known that it would turn out to be even more troublesome than any artifact he had seen before?

Hong long!

While Zhang Xuan was still distressed by the lack of response from the seal, he suddenly heard a resounding explosion, and raising his head, he saw that the City Defense Formation had already fully formed. Ren Qingyuan and the others stood loftily in the air above, and they gazed down on them with such coldness in their eyes that it almost seemed like they were helpless goats waiting to be slaughtered.

Forget it, there's no time to tame it anymore. I'll just have to look into it later...Zhang Xuan thought as he placed the Pavilion Master Seal into his storage ring.

In response to his act of putting it away, the Pavilion Master Seal obediently entered his storage ring, not resisting at all.

This reminded Zhang Xuan of an occurrence in his previous world. An ordinary looking fellow fell in love with a diva, and he could ask her out and chat with her. However, whenever he wanted to further their relationship, he would be heartlessly pushed back. In the end, what he thought was love was actually just a backup plan for the diva!

Such was the case with the Pavilion Master Seal. It was very obedient to his touch, and it did not resist even when he tried to stow it into his storage ring. However, when he tried to tame it, it simply refused to respond at all.

"Zhang Xuan, if you still have the slightest nostalgia for your identity as a master teacher, I ask you to hand the Pavilion Master Seal over. Otherwise, I shall make sure that the Poison Hall and the soul oracles become a thing of the past today!" Ren Qingyuan bellowed coldly.

Previously, he had still been considering the possibility of capturing Zhang Xuan alive and forcefully putting him under control. However, the fact that the other party dared to snatch his Pavilion Master Seal and even stow it into his storage ring... there was no longer any room for reconciliation.

To have the Pavilion Master Seal snatched away in public was a huge disgrace to the Master Teacher Pavilion, and to make the situation worse, his two students were influential figures—one of them controlled the Poison Hall while the other one had inherited the heritage of the soul oracles.

If he did not exact swift punishment upon them, things could really blow up. For one, the enemies of the Master Teacher Pavilion could seek to ally themselves with the Poison Hall after hearing that they had succeeded in snatching the Pavilion Master Seal, thus bolstering their might. At the same time, the failure of the Master Teacher Pavilion in protecting their insignia of authority could result in their allies losing confidence in them, and that had to be avoided at all costs given the impending crisis looming ahead of them.

"Make us a thing of the past? Try it then! Let's see how many people you are willing to offer as tributes for our deaths!" Wei Ruyan harrumphed coldly.

She flicked her wrist once more, and the poisonous aura around her swiftly diffused around the area to form something reminiscent of a barrier around her and the others.

Regardless of whether it was weapons or zhenqi, anything that came into contact with the light barrier would be afflicted by the poisonous aura. Not even 9-star master teachers would be spared from that.

"Fools!" Ren Qingyuan sneered coldly as he raised the sword in his hand. "Master teachers, activate the Kui Xing 1 Formation!"

Hu la!

The 9-star master teachers swiftly got to action, and in the blink of an eye, an unimaginable amount of energy was channeled from the surrounding buildings and the formation into the tip of his sword, imbuing it with the air of a conqueror.

"Break!"

The energy focused on the tip of the sword shot forth as a golden ray of light, tearing a massive rift in space as it crushed downward. When it came into contact with the barrier of poisonous aura, it visibly paused for a brief moment, but the next instant, it pierced right through it as if tearing a sheet of paper in two.

"Humph!" With a furious bellow, Lu Chong expanded his soul to several dozen meters large once more, and he swiftly traversed through space consecutively, using his soul energy as a thread to forcefully stitch up the spatial rift so as to forcefully stop the ray of light.

"Using your soul energy to stitch the spatial rift? As expected of a soul oracle, you do have some unique means. However, I would like to see how long you can last!" Ren Qingyuan jeered as he pushed the sword in his hands downward along the ray of light.

Si la!

The sword descended with overwhelming might.

Pu!

Lu Chong's face turned crimson as the stitches made out of his soul energy creaked under the immense pressure of the sword, visibly reaching the limits of its durability swiftly.

He was not weak by any means, but the formation that consisted of sixteen 9-star master teachers, including Ren Qingyuan, was simply something far beyond his league.

At the same time, the sword was also attempting to forcefully drill a way through the poison barrier that Wei Ruyan had formed, causing her face to turn pale and sweat to flow profusely from her forehead.

"Teacher, we are already reaching our limits!" Wei Ruyan exclaimed anxiously as she shot a swift glance toward Zhang Xuan.

"Un..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

While his two direct disciples were defending against the attack from the formation, he had not been slacking around either. He had made use of the time that they had bought to examine the formation closely, and he had managed to find quite a number of flaws that he could exploit. However, those flaws were some distance away, and given his current circumstances, he was not able to reach them.

"I'll point a direction out to you two, and one of you will have to rush out to strike it hard. Once that's done, the formation will immediately be undone..." Zhang Xuan said.

But halfway through his words, a resounding boom filled the air, as if something had broken. Following which, the imposing Ren Qingyuan from a moment ago suddenly lost all of his momentum, causing him to nearly plummet from the sky. The abrupt dissipation of energy from his sword caused his zhenqi to go into turmoil, and he spurted a mouthful of blood out.

Ren Qingyuan forcefully calmed down his jolted zhenqi before turning around to bellow, "What happened?"

Just a moment ago, the energy that the formation was supplying to him had suddenly halted. If not for his powerful cultivation, he could very well have died from the rebound.

"Reporting to Pavilion Master Ren, we aren't too sure either." A master teacher flew over and exclaimed with trembling lips, "The Master Teacher Pavilion that stands at the center of the formation... suddenly ran away!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1539: Wang Ying Arrives

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"The Master Teacher Pavilion ran away?" Ren Qingyuan's body jolted at that completely unexpected answer. "Can you repeat that?"

The others also could not help but freeze upon hearing those words as well.

How in the world could the Master Teacher Pavilion run away?

Not to mention, at such a crucial juncture!

Even if the master teacher was pulling their legs, pulling like that was a bit much!

"I saw it with my own eyes! The Master Teacher Pavilion ran at a very fast speed, heading toward a specific direction as if it was obeying someone's orders..." Seeing that the complete lack of trust from the surrounding crowd, the master teacher quickly explained himself anxiously. "It even grew legs! If you don't believe me, take a look at it for yourself!"

As he spoke, he pointed into the distance.

Everyone quickly turned around, and the first thing that they saw was a huge sandstorm that seemed to be heading their way. Upon closer examination, they realized the sandstorm was actually caused by countless buildings sprinting in their direction, as if cavalry charging toward an enemy on a battlefield. Even the earth began trembling in fear at their imposing charge!

"The heck... Is that a cluster of houses?"

"Those buildings are actually charging right at us... What in the world is going on?"

"Is this a building stampede?"

"What the heck is a building stampede? I have only heard of beast stampedes before!"

All of the 9-star master teachers felt as if mini explosions had occurred in their minds, threatening to blast apart their rationality. Even Zhang Wuheng, Luo Qingchen, and the others were completely dumbfounded before that scene. They did not even realize that their beards were being blown up by their shocked gasps.

They had seen alarmed beasts running amok, and they had seen schools of fish and flocks of birds escaping frenziedly from their predators. However, this was the first time that they had seen an army of buildings charging in a neat formation.

At this point, they could not help but remember the old adage—as long as you live long enough, there is nothing that you will not see.

"Someone has enchanted those buildings..." Ren Qingyuan was the first one to realize what was going, and he immediately bellowed out to inform the others.

Of course, there was no way non-living things like buildings could possibly stand up and run of their own accord. The very fact that they could prance around and even make catcalls at them like street ruffians meant that someone had enchanted them to life!

"No, wait a moment... Those buildings over there... Aren't those our Master Teacher Pavilions?"

"Now that you mention it, that is indeed the case. That's the City of Glacier Master Teacher Pavilion, the Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion, the Thousand Leaf City Master Teacher Pavilion, and the Violetaroma Quarters Master Teacher Pavilion... I have been to those places before! To think that a day would come when I would see them coming to life."

"Wait! That particularly gigantic thing over there, why does it look so familiar?"

"Isn't that the city wall of the Empire Alliance?"

As the buildings came closer and closer, the crowd managed to get a closer look at the buildings within the sandstorm, and their eyebrows immediately began twitching. As if their lower jaws had dislocated, they could not close their gaping mouth at all.

There were Master Teacher Pavilions from within tens of thousands of li of the Empire Alliance amid the army!

These towering Master Teacher Pavilions were symbols of the highest authority within a region, and they were often viewed with deference. Yet, for those buildings to be making catcalls and even shaking their bottoms provocatively as they charged over...

"It must be the Spirit Awakener Guild! Just what kind of insanity has come over those women?" Ren Qingyuan cursed furiously.

Other than the Spirit Awakener Guild, there was no other power on the Master Teacher Continent that was capable of creating such a huge army of enchanted Master Teacher Pavilions!

But had the Spirit Awakener Guild not always lain low, trying to stay out of sight wherever possible?

Due to the nature of their occupation, their members numbered very few, and they were severely lacking in offensive prowess. In fact, they even had to ally themselves with other powers in order to protect themselves! Given so, they had always tried to stay out of conflict, never daring to offend any of the major powers, let alone the Master Teacher Pavilion. So, why would they suddenly enchant so many Master Teacher Pavilions and wreak havoc here?

"The Master Teacher Pavilions are made out of resilient materials, and each of them is shrouded by a massive formation, giving them a wholesome building structure. As a result, unlike most buildings, which would swiftly collapse soon after they started moving around, the Master Teacher Pavilions are significantly easier to enchant and maneuver around... But why did the Spirit Awakener Guild suddenly choose to do something like this? Aren't they afraid of offending the Master Teacher Pavilion?"

"Indeed. What in the world are those bunch of women up to?"

"I've heard that the Spirit Awakener Guild has just elected a rather young lady as their new guild leader. Could this matter have anything to do with this?"

"I have heard of that matter as well. If I recall correctly, her name seems to be Wang Ying... I have even relayed my congratulations to her over her inauguration. Could it be that their new guild leader intends to oppose the Master Teacher Pavilion? Aren't they thinking too highly of themselves?"

The other master teachers also swiftly understood the situation, and they could not help but fall into a state of confusion.

While spirit awakeners wielded the ability to enchant spirits into all beings, there was really nothing commendable about their fighting prowess.

Spirit enchantment was a very consuming technique, and the long recovery period did not make things any better. Furthermore, the stronger an artifact was, the harder it would be to enchant it. Sometimes, it might even take dozens of enchantments in order to fully enchant an artifact!

To make matters worse, most of the more powerful offensive artifacts of the Spirit Awakener Guild were highly consuming and had to be re-enchanted frequently, or else they might just return to being inanimate in the midst of a battle.

For such reasons, the Spirit Awakener Guild had always been one of the most docile and peaceful groups on the Master Teacher Continent. It was really hard to understand why they would suddenly be so brazen as to make a move on the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Hu la!

In the midst of their hesitation, the Master Teacher Pavilion building charging at the forefront of the army finally arrived before them, and without any hesitation, it banged its roof down upon one of the 9-star master teachers.

"You..."

Facing the attack of the Master Teacher Pavilion building, the complexion of the 9-star master teacher turned rather awful. He raised his palm and thrust it toward the building before him.

Hu la!

His palm strike caused an entire half of the building to collapse to the ground, but even so, the building did not seem to be discouraged by its sudden weight loss. Instead, it rammed its body forward, cloaking the 9-star master teacher in a thick layer of dust.

With the weight of the Master Teacher Pavilion, even Saint 5-dan cultivators would sustain severe injuries under such a ram. Despite that, it was still far from being sufficient to deal with a full-fledged 9-star master teacher!

Looking at how one of the Master Teacher Pavilions had been reduced to rubble just like that, Ren Qingyuan could not help but anxiously bellow, "Don't make a move on those buildings... Otherwise, we might just end up destroying all of the local Master Teacher Pavilions at this rate."

Those buildings were the face of their Master Teacher Pavilion! Even if it was their own master teachers destroying it, it would not reflect well on them at all!

How humiliating would it be if others heard of the matter?

"But those buildings are attacking us! Are we to allow those buildings to do as they please?" a 9-star master teacher protested as he was struck in the face by one of the catcalling Master Teacher Pavilions.

Those enchanted buildings would not stop their attacks just because the master teachers were willing to make peace!

Of course, those buildings could not possibly kill them due to the limits of their offensive prowess, but it would not look good on them to be chased around by a cluster of buildings either, not to mention the collateral damage that it would cause the Empire Alliance!

"I know that! These buildings are bound to be controlled by spirit awakeners, or else they wouldn't charge right at us either. As long as we can find the spirit awakeners behind this, we will be able to force them to stop this farce!" Ren Qingyuan said as he swiftly scanned his surroundings.

Based on his deductions, it was likely for the spirit awakeners responsible for this mess to be in the vicinity as well. As long he could find the spirit awakeners and apprehend them, he would be able to resolve this problem.

While scanning his surroundings, his gaze suddenly halted on a specific location, and a glint flashed through the depths of his eyes. "There they are..."

He raised his palm in preparation to launch an attack against them.

Hu!

But before he could even make his move, a building suddenly rammed right into him, and its massive roof crushed right down on his body, pinning him forcefully onto the ground.

"You..." Ren Qingyuan's rage immediately flurried at being treated in such a manner.

He raised his hands and released the entirety of his strength without reservation.

Si la!

The building exploded, sending countless rock shards shooting out into the surroundings.

Hu hu hu!

Right after that building was destroyed, another eight more buildings rushed right up to Ren Qingyuan.

It was almost as if those buildings were facing their archenemy. Countless tables, chairs, beds, and every type of furniture that one could think of were furiously tossed out of the windows and gates of the buildings, bombarding Ren Qingyuan. Despite Ren Qingyuan's tremendous strength, he still flew into a brief fluster while trying to cope with the furious onslaught of so many buildings at once.

"The Spirit Awakener Guild, are you trying to start a revolt?" Unable to hold back his fury any longer, Ren Qingyuan roared with a deafening voice that reverberated throughout the entire Empire Alliance City.

"The Master Teacher Pavilion has always been preached on the importance of respecting one's roots and lineage. Someone is trying to frame my teacher for a crime that he hasn't committed, and some ignominious organization is even seeking his life without bothering to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident. It's precisely out of respect for Kong shi and the noble values that he has passed down that I have come here to save my teacher! Has Master Teacher Pavilion forgotten the teachings of the great Kong shi to view my actions as a revolt?" the powerful voice of a female responded.

Following which, on the great walls of the Empire Alliance City, a figure stood up. It was a young lady dressed in a long purple robe that flowed along with the wind. The swirling dust around her did not diminish her disposition in the least; on the contrary, the sharp contrast made her seem as if she was the valiant goddess of war descending upon a battlefield.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1540: Zheng Yang Appears

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Is she the newly-appointed guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, Wang Ying?"

"That's definitely her; I've met her before! She might be young, but her talent in spirit enchantment is definitely peerless in this world. It took her only a few months in order to raise her mastery in spirit enchantment to a level where she could clear even the Spirit Awakener Tower."

"She mentioned that she came here to save her teacher. Does that mean that Zhang Xuan is her teacher too?"

"T-this... First, the head of the Poison Hall; then, a soul oracle expert; and now, the new guild leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild..."

All of the master teachers could not help but shudder as they lowered their gazes to look at the young man sitting on the ground beneath. No words could describe the shock in their hearts.

As 9-star master teachers, they knew very well just how difficult it was to groom a student to become an expert. Each of them had countless students all over the world, but hardly any of their students had succeeded in reaching the top echelon of the Master Teacher Continent like them.

This was apparent just by seeing how low the number of individuals who had reached a proficiency of 9-star in any occupation was.

Yet, the young man below, despite being only at Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, actually had multiple powerhouses as his students. Just how in the world was this possible?

More importantly, those students were willing to even defy the powerful and influential Master Teacher Pavilion in order to save him. Just how deep did their feelings for him run?

While the prevalent culture on the Master Teacher Continent prompted one to remain loyal to one's lineage, there were still plenty of cultivators who paid it no regard. Furthermore, given that Zhang Xuan had been condemned by even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, no one would blame them for not coming to the rescue of their teacher.

They could have simply feigned ignorance and steered clear of this mess. After all, the verdict of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters was absolute on the continent.

But for their teacher, those people were willing to disregard all rules and risk the bright futures that they had ahead of them to dive right into this mess. If things went wrong, they could very well lose their lives!

Just what in the world did Zhang Xuan impart to them for them to be so loyal to him?

Gritting his teeth tightly, Ren Qingyuan harrumphed with an utterly cold voice. "Guild Leader Wang, do you understand who you are going against at this very moment?"

"I do, but I am heavily indebted to my teacher. Whoever dares lay a finger on my teacher, no matter who they are, I'll pit my life against them without any hesitation!" the young lady replied calmly.

"So, if I understand your words correctly, you are saying that Zhang Xuan is your teacher. Is that right?" Ren Qingyuan asked.

"Indeed. Zhang Xuan is the name of my teacher, and he's the person who made me the person I am today!" the young lady replied once more.

The person who had just arrived with a huge army of buildings was none other than Wang Ying.

All of the buildings within a thirty thousand li radius from the Glacier Plain Court had been enchanted by the elders of their Spirit Awakener Guild, and together, they formed a massive army that even 9-star master teachers would have trouble dealing with all of a sudden.

"Zhang Xuan has willfully wreaked havoc in the Zhang Clan and injured dozens of their elders, including the First Elder Zhang Wuheng. After which, he went to the Sanctum of Sages and severely wounded its deputy sanctum head, Zhan shi. Following that, he ran over to the Glacier Plain Court, kidnapped their young court chief, and destroyed many of their buildings while doing so," Ren Qingyuan spat coldly. "Even if we put all that aside for the moment, just the fact that he is the teacher of the vicious head of the depraved Poison Hall and a deplorable soul oracle, along with the existence of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe artifact that is placed right in front of him, is more than enough for the Master Teacher Pavilion to deem him an enemy of mankind. He might be your teacher, but his sins are unpardonable!"

"Vicious? Deplorable? Hahaha!" Wang Ying sneered coldly upon hearing those words. "You claimed that my Junior Wei Ruyan is a vicious person. Very well, why don't you tell me what vicious deeds she has done? Has she massacred millions in cold blood?"

"Look at the poisoned master teachers in front of her! Is that not sufficient evidence to prove her vicious character?" Ren Qingyuan sneered.

"They might be poisoned, but aren't they still alive? In fact, if my Junior Wei Ruyan hadn't incapacitated them and used them as a chip to protect her and my teacher, you would have been the ones to murder them in cold blood! You claimed that my junior is vicious, but can you name anyone whom she has killed to date? I reckon that there's probably more blood on your hands than hers!" Wang Ying snapped.

"This..."

Wang Ying's outburst left Ren Qingyuan speechless for a moment.

The head of the Poison Hall had indeed gone around poisoning their master teachers one after another, but she had only knocked them out. Despite the terrible states that they were in, it did not seem like anyone had lost their life yet.

Even though they were on the opposing side, looking at it once more, it did appear that the head of the Poison Hall was not intending to kill any of their master teachers, at least not yet.

"You also mentioned that my Junior Lu Chong is a deplorable individual. Very well, why don't you tell me what deplorable deeds he has committed? Just what great sin has he committed for the 'impartial' Master Teacher Pavilion to denounce him so?" Wang Ying asked imposingly.

Once again, Ren Qingyuan was rendered speechless.

To be honest, he would not even have known that there would still be a living soul oracle in the world if Lu Chong had not appeared there. From the fact that he had never heard of the young man before alone, it showed that the young man had not done anything wrong that was worthy of the Master Teacher Pavilion's attention.

"Why aren't you speaking?" After all the suffering that her teacher and juniors had gone through, Wang Ying was not intending to let Ren Qingyuan off just like that.

With a cold sneer, she continued. "The Master Teacher Pavilion has always prided itself on being just and impartial. Just when did it become so presumptuous as to state its own opinions as facts and pass judgement on others based on its own biases? You claimed that my teacher kidnapped the young court chief of the Glacier Plain Court, but let me ask you one question. Do you know whom the young court chief is?"

"Whom the young court chief is?" Ren Qingyuan frowned. "She's a cultivator who possesses the rare Pure Yin Body. The Glacier Plain Court went to great lengths in order to find her..."

Seeing that Ren Qingyuan really did not know any thing at all, Wang Ying did not have the patience to listen to him speak any longer.

"I don't know what lengths the Glacier Plain Court has gone in order to find her, but there's one thing I do know, and that is..." Placing her hands behind her back, she said, "... she's my senior!"

"Your senior? You mean to say that... the young court chief of the Glacier Plain Court is Zhang Xuan's student as well?" Ren Qingyuan narrowed his eyes in shock. He quickly turned his gaze toward You Ruoxin and asked lividly, "Is this true?"

The Glacier Plain Court had not mentioned this when they reported the matter to them back then.

"Zhang Xuan was indeed Zhao Ya's teacher for a period of time, but it's also a fact that he impersonated Yang shi, took away our young court chief, and wreaked havoc in the Glacier Plain Court! Furthermore... the fact that he's the teacher of a poison master and soul oracle shows that he's a person of questionable character. Pavilion Master Ren, I ask of you not to be blinded by the words of despicable scoundrels..." You Ruoxin quickly spoke up.

"Questionable character? Despicable scoundrels? How dare you use such words on my teacher and senior?"

Hu la!

Before You Ruoxin could finish speaking, a furious bellow suddenly echoed from afar. Following which, a spear burst forth from the distance, and before she knew it, it was already right before her chest.

"Ahhh!" You Ruoxin's face turned pale, and her eyes widened in absolute fright as she desperately retreated.

As powerful as she was, she could tell that the might of that spear had already far surpassed her means to deal with. Even before the spear could reach her, she could already feel the force that it commanded threatening to pierce right through her heart.

Hu hu hu!

While retreating, she anxiously formed over a hundred hand seals in the blink of an eye.

Following which, a transparent barrier reminiscent of crystal materialized right in front of her.

The strongest defensive technique of the Glacier Plain Court, Immaculate Glacial Yin Wall!

Kacha!

The next instant, the flying spear collided head on with the wall, but the wall did not even last for a breath before cracks began appearing throughout it.

You Ruoxin could tell that the barrier that she had created would not be able to withstand the might of the spear, and once the spear penetrated her barrier, even if she survived the ordeal, she would be crippled for good.

Thus, she turned to Ren Qingyuan and shrieked, "Pavilion Master Ren, save me!"

"Humph!" Ren Qingyuan harrumphed coldly, and as if he had teleported, he appeared instantaneously before the spear with a powerful leap. He immediately swung the sword in his hand toward the tip of the spear, intending to forcefully change its trajectory.

Ding ding ding ding!

However, there was some kind of bizarre vibration to the spear that caused it to continuously strike down on his sword with incredible force, and every single tremor held such tremendous force that it felt as if entire mountains were ramming into his sword one after another.

Deng deng deng deng!

Ren Qingyuan was forced to retreat several steps under the formidable might of the spear, but fortunately, he still succeeded in altering the spear's path.

However, he was in no mood to celebrate at all. Shaking his numbed hand, he stared at the deflected spear with a look of disbelief on his face.

That spear had come from a distance away, but even after piercing through You Ruoxin's Immaculate Glacial Yin Wall, it still wielded enough strength to force him back. Just how powerful was the man who threw the spear?

His doubt did not last for too long. A young man flitted in from the distance, stopping right before the crowd. He stood with a perfectly upright figure in the air, emanating an aura of sharpness that seemed as if it could pierce the heavens.

The young man raised his hand, and the spear that Ren Qingyuan had just deflected flew into his grasp. Following which, he turned his gaze toward Ren Qingyuan and said, "Pavilion Master Ren, I'll be taking my teacher back. I presume that you have no objections."

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1541: Teacher, Allow Me to Vent Your Anger for You!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Progeny of Combat, what do you mean by this?" Recognizing who the other party was, Ren Qingyuan's face twitched uncontrollably. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he said, "You have to remember that everything you have now was given by the Master Teacher Pavilion. As long as we will it so, the Master Teacher Pavilion can take away everything that you have anytime we wish!"

"Take away everything I have?"

Completely unfazed by what Ren Qingyuan had said, Zheng Yang waved his hand nonchalantly and replied, "Do whatever pleases you!"

After which, he descended toward Zhang Xuan.

"Progeny of Combat Zheng Yang, just what kind of attitude do you think you are showing us?" Unable to tolerate the young man's unconcerned reaction, Elder Qu dashed forward and blocked his path.

Even though he had been poisoned by Wei Ruyan earlier, as a 9-star master teacher, he had a deep understanding of medicine, and on top of that, he was also a powerful cultivator himself. After recuperating for a moment, he had already recovered enough to move around without any trouble.

"Don't block my way." Zheng Yang glanced at the elder standing before him with narrowed eyes. "Scram."

"Audacious! Is this how you address a 9-star master teacher?" the infuriated Elder Qu snapped as his face turned crimson.

Every single one of Zhang Xuan's student was more arrogant than the last.

We might not have the influence to interfere in the affairs of the Poison Hall, soul oracles, and Spirit Awakener Guild, but the Combat Master Hall is a subsidiary of the Master Teacher Pavilion! How dare you bite the hand that feeds you?

"Then how do you want me to address you? Shall I kneel to you?" Zheng Yang scoffed.

"You don't have to kneel to me, but you should understand that the strength and influence you possess right now is all due to the credit of the Master Teacher Pavilion. You are indebted to us. Don't bite the hand that feeds you and ruin your own future..."

Halfway through Elder Qu's words, he suddenly felt his goosebumps rising up. The next instant, he saw a spear piercing right in his direction, and the powerful aura that it commanded seemed as if it would tear his Primordial Spirit to shreds.

"You..." Alarmed, Elder Qu quickly whipped out a sword to defend against the spear.

Ding!

As the tip of the spear and the sword collided with a metallic clang, Elder Qu felt overwhelming might surging up his arm, seemingly threatening to jolt his meridians into shreds.

Pu!

The sword flew out of his hands, and he spurted a mouthful of blood as he was forced back a couple of steps. But before he could regain his footing once more, he saw the body of a spear flicking forcefully in his direction.

He instinctively cowered in fear, and he hurriedly raised his palms to defend himself.

Kacha! Kacha!

Under the astounding might of the spear whip, Elder Qu's body slammed right into the ground, creating a huge pit beneath him on impact.

"I am already sparing your pride, but you still want to lecture me?" Zheng Yang scoffed as he clapped the dust off his hands and put his spear back leisurely, as if he had just done something insignificant.

"Elder Qu!"

"Progeny of Combat, just what in the world are you doing?"

Not expecting the other party to knock Elder Qu flying without the slightest hesitation, the surrounding master teachers flew into an uproar. They rushed forward to surround Zheng Yang, seemingly intending to lynch him.

"Are you thinking of making a move on me?" Despite the precarious situation that he was in, Zheng Yang did not show the slightest hint of anxiety. Instead, he lifted his gaze and bellowed, "These people are thinking of killing your Progeny of Combat! If you don't wish to be without a hall master, stop them!"

Huala!

Right after those words were spoken, the master teachers saw the scene before them blurring. The surrounding space distorted for a moment before revealing eight elders. Each of them emanated an aura of bloodshed, reminiscent of valiant warriors who had just walked out of a battlefield.

Weng!

The eight elders drew their swords simultaneously, and a massive spatial rift created a gap between the master teachers and them.

One of the eight elders swept his gaze across the master teachers before saying in a firm voice, "I'll have to ask you all not to advance any further than this. It wasn't easy for the Combat Master Hall to find a Progeny of Combat, and we don't wish for anything to go wrong at this point."

Hearing the words of the elder, Ren Qingyuan felt blood rushing into his head as he roared, "Preposterous... This is utterly preposterous! Are you all starting a mutiny here!"

Ever since the founding of the Master Teacher Pavilion many millenniums ago, it had always taken the role of the leader of mankind, standing in a position that commanded respect and deference from the masses. There had never been a single power who dared oppose it. Yet, in the course of a single day, four powers had raised their arms against them!

"Mutiny? Just like how water can float the boat, it can also devour it whole as well. If the Master Teacher Pavilion is just and impartial, no one will question its judgement. But if it has strayed from the principles that it embraced, it'll find many standing up to oppose it!" Zheng Yang replied coldly before turning his attention away from the master teachers altogether.

He descended to the ground and kneeled on the floor.

"Disciple Zheng Yang pays respect to teacher!"

Zhang Xuan looked at his student from head to toe and nodded with a warm smile. "Get up."

Over the past few months, Zheng Yang had grown far more than he had expected, reaching a level that even he could hardly see through.

"Teacher, I heard that the Master Teacher Pavilion has issued an arrest warrant on you due to the Zhang Clan reporting that you have utilized an artifact of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe..." Zheng Yang stood up and asked respectfully, "May I know if that's true?"

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Xuan nodded. "That seems to be the case."

To be honest, he was not too sure why the Master Teacher Pavilion had chosen to release an arrest warrant on him, but the cause should be tied to the incident that had happened back at the Zhang Clan.

Back then, he had been in a rush to save Zhao Ya, so he had ended up borrowing Vicious' strength to deal with Zhang Wuheng. That could be the reason the Master Teacher Pavilion had ended up taking such a severe stance against him.

After all, the Master Teacher Pavilion had always been wary of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and when the security of mankind was at stake, it was understandable that they would rather be safe than sorry.

"Teacher, you have fought against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe and singlehandedly destroyed an entire Otherworldly Demon Emperor lineage. Yet, due to an inkling of doubt that had to be verified, the Zhang Clan insisted that you are guilty and demanded your punishment. Years of holding onto their title as the number one Sage Clan sure has inflated their guts. They seem to think that they can do as they please without facing the consequences!" Zheng Yang sneered coldly before clasping his fist and bowing grandly to Zhang Xuan. "Teacher, please allow me to vent your anger for you!"

"You want to help me get back at them?" Knowing Zheng Yang's hot temper, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply before nodding. "Don't take anyone's life. It will do just to teach them a lesson!"

"I understand, Teacher!" Nodding, Zheng Yang slammed the spear in his hand onto the ground, causing the ground to tremor.

He turned his gaze upward and scanned the crowd above before saying, "Ruyan and Lu Chong, the Zhang Clan, the Sanctum of Sages, and the Glacier Plain Court have framed our teacher and attempted to take our teacher's life. Are you willing to help me exact vengeance for our teacher and bring honor and dignity back to his name?"

"Of course!" Wei Ruyan took a step forward.

"It's my responsibility to do so!" Lu Chong replied as he walked forward, too.

"Good!" Zheng Yang replied heartily.

He directed a cold and severe glare toward an old man amid the crowd above and bellowed, "Zhang Wuheng, not only have you injured my teacher, you even issued an order to have him surrounded and killed! For the humiliation that you have caused to my teacher, I, Zheng Yang, shall challenge you to a duel in the stead of my teacher! Do you dare accept my duel?"

Hu la!

Zheng Yang flicked his spear to the side, and spatial ripples appeared along the movement of his spear.

"You are challenging me to a fight?" Not expecting a young lad who was not even in his twenties yet to dare challenge him to a duel, Zhang Wuheng sneered in disdain. "Very well, come..."

Boom!

Before Zhan Wuheng could finish his sentence, a piercing shrill like a sharp blast of wind suddenly echoed from above. He quickly raised his head, only to see a massive figure falling from the sky, heading right in his direction.

Kacha!

Before he could even react, a massive bottom had already slammed him down all the way into the ground, causing several of his ribs to fracture. A huge number of his teeth scattered all over the ground as he coughed mouthful after mouthful of blood.

"Seniors and Juniors, how can you leave me out for a gathering like this? It seems like I have arrived late to the party," the owner of the massive bottom said with a bright smile, revealing his gleaming, white teeth.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1542: Unexpected Changes with the Pavilion Master Seal

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing the familiar face on the figure sitting on top of Zhang Wuheng, Zheng Yang replied with a heart chuckle, "You came at the perfect time!"

With his eye of discernment, he could tell that Yuan Tao was far from a match for Zhang Wuheng. However, it seemed like while the rest of them had been protecting their teacher from the master teachers, this junior of his had not been slacking. The latter had flown to the highest altitude possible given the limits of his strength, likely tens of thousands of meters up in the sky, and he had dived all the way down from that height toward them.

By the time Yuan Tao reached them, the speed of his fall had already reached several times the speed of sound. As the attack had come too quickly from an unexpected angle, not to mention that his attention had been captured by Zheng Yang, Zhang Wuheng had been caught off guard by the attack from above.

This brief lapse in attention had been more than enough for the swiftly plummeting Yuan Tao to get him. The impact of the fall from someone who had been accelerating furiously for tens of thousands of meters was not one to be underestimated. While it was not enough to kill Zhang Wuheng, it had inflicted grievous injuries that would incapacitate him in the short run.

Who could have thought that the First Elder of the Zhang Clan, one of the top experts in the world, would actually end up being incapacitated by someone's bottom before he could even use his bloodline ability? This would really be a huge smirch on his reputation.

"That's a relief!" Yuan Tao patted his bottom before getting to his feet. Then, as if suddenly realizing that someone was beneath his bottom, he turned around and exclaimed with an exaggeratedly shocked expression, "Elder Wuheng, what are you doing under me?"

"You... Pu!" Seeing the innocent look on the fellow who had nearly crushed him to death, Zhang Wuheng spurted another mouthful of blood out of indignation.

"Elder Wuheng, our Yuan Clan has always been on close terms with Zhang Clan, and we have never crossed one another before. Why would you appear beneath my ass of all places? Do you know how many days it has been since I last washed my ass? Furthermore, I went to the toilet before this, and I couldn't find any toilet paper... H-how embarrassing it is! Quick, come out, come out! I'll heal you up right now..."

With an anxious look on his face, Yuan Tao stretched his hand forward to grab Zhang Wuheng's head, and as if pulling a radish out from the earth, he plucked the latter out from the hole that he was in.

"Pu!" Feeling as if his neck was on the verge of snapping apart, the First Elder spurted another mouthful of blood.

The sheer embarrassment from the situation made his eyes red in anger, and he was on the verge of erupting at any moment.

He was the most authoritative individual in the Zhang Clan other than the clan head! How could he tolerate being humiliated by such a brat so much younger than him!

In a state of rage, Zhang Wuheng was just about to drive his zhenqi to teach the brat a lesson when the latter suddenly turned to Zhang Xuan and said, "Teacher, it seems like the First Elder's injuries are really quite severe. I remember that you have a Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique. Can I ask you to impart it to me so that I can treat him so as to make up for my previous mistakes?"

"Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique?" Hearing those words, Zhang Wuheng nearly choked on his saliva.

Just that bottom landing on him had nearly knocked him out of shape. If the other party pummeled him on top of that...

Is this how you treat an elder from a clan that is close with your Yuan Clan?

"Junior Yuan Tao, your memory is really failing you! That skill is called Beast Taming Pummeling Technique, not Pummeling Healing Therapy Technique! No matter how formidable a saint beast it was, as long as our teacher gave it a good beating, it would submit to him obediently!" Zheng Yang kindly reminded by the side.

"Ah, yes, you're right. It's Beast Taming Pummeling Technique... Huh, how did I remember it wrongly? My apologies, I guess it might be because he doesn't look too humane to me... But back to the topic at hand, I came out in such a hurry that I forgot to bring any recovery medicine with me." Yuan Tao turned his sight to the young lady not too far away and asked, "Junior Ruyan, do you have any good ointment or the sort that you could lend me? You poison masters often concoct all sort of stuff, so you should have quite a few with you, right?"

"I do have quite a few incredible pills with me. Within ten breaths after consumption, the patient will be permanently relieved from all pain and suffering," Wei Ruyan replied with a sweet smile as she passed a jade bottle over.

"You really are my savior, Junior Ruyan! I can tell that it's an incredible medicine with just a glance. Elder Wuheng, I really didn't do it purposely earlier... Eh, Elder Wuheng? Don't run away, I haven't treated you yet!"

After grabbing the jade bottle, Yuan Tao was intending to feed the pill to the First Elder when he found that the fellow whom he had just plucked out of the ground had already fled far away with a frenzied look on his face.

If not for the fact that he was severely injured, he would have torn Yuan Tao apart right there and then!

"What a pity... You do know this is really good medicine, don't you? You sure don't know how to appreciate good stuff," Yuan Tao grumbled with a look of pity on his face. Shaking his head, he turned to Zheng Yang and asked, "Since I'm not late, whom shall I face?"

"You can just sit by the side and enjoy the show. That woman is mine to deal with!" With an imposing wave of her hand, Wei Ruyan directed a piercing gaze at the First Elder of the Glacier Plain Court and said, "Elder You Ruoxin, you framed my teacher and incited the Master Teacher Pavilion to issue an arrest warrant on him. I'll officially challenge you to a duel right now. Since you have the guts to harm my teacher, I believe that you should have the gut to face me in a battle too, right?"

"You..." You Ruoxin's face paled.

She had already witnessed the young lady's prowess earlier, and her poison art was truly indomitable.

You Ruoxin had confidence in her own strength, but she was not so arrogant as to think that she would be able to match someone who could poison even a 9-star master teacher to death with ease.

"Why? Getting scared now?" Wei Ruyan scoffed in disdain before turning her sights to Zhan shi. "What about you then?"

"I..." Zhan shi's lips twitched, but he did not dare reply to Wei Ruyan's provocation.

He was only at Saint 9-dan primary stage, a long way off from matching up to Elder Qu and the others.

If the young lady really made a move, he would probably be defeated in a heartbeat.

"Very well, I won't take advantage of you all." Wei Ruyan flung her sleeves and declared majestically, "Your Glacier Plain Court and Sanctum of Sages can rally all of your experts together; I'll face them all at once!"

Unable to take the provocations anymore, You Ruoxin bellowed, "Hall Master Wei, don't go too far!"

"Are you saying that I'm going too far? When you brought so many people to encircle my teacher, did you ever think that you were going too far? Whether you like it or not, none of you will be getting away from here unscathed!" Wei Ruyan harrumphed coldly as she dashed right for You Ruoxin.

Before she even arrived, her poison aura had already scattered into the surroundings in the form of a pink mist.

"Don't think that I'll be scared of you! Your poison art might be formidable, but I won't allow you to humiliate me that easily!" Knowing that there was no way out of this, You Ruoxin bellowed furiously as she thrust a finger forth.

The surrounding temperature suddenly plunged along with her movement, and it almost felt as if everything within a radius of tens of li would be frozen.

She knew that Wei Ruyan would be a powerful adversary, so she had no intention of holding back at all. She drove her pure yin energy to its very limits and released it all at once.

"Seems like you can at least put up a fight..." Wei Ruyan scoffed.

Without paying any heed to the chilling energy that You Ruoxin was emanating, she continued dashing forward. When she was only two hundred meters away from the latter, she suddenly raised her hand and clenched it.

Boom!

A light-yellow shockwave burst forth, and when You Ruoxin's chilling energy came into contact with it, it was first forcefully pushed back before abruptly sinking into the ground, as if infused with lead.

"What a formidable poison art that is..."

The surrounding crowd felt a numbing sensation on their scalps.

To be able to render even one's zhenqi immobile, the reputation of the Innate Poison Body truly was not unfounded.

"These children have really grown up..." Zhang Xuan nodded with a heartened smile.

The previous time that his students had helped him exact vengeance was back when they were still in the Tianxuan Kingdom. It had taken every single one of them to collaborate with one another before they had been able to defeat Lu Xun then, but now, they had all grown into powerhouses that could fight toe-to-toe with even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters!

The rate that they had changed at left him feeling a mixture of happiness and nostalgia.

"At least, it seems like the effort that I have devoted toward them wasn't wasted," Zhang Xuan remarked.

As a teacher, there was probably no happier occasion than seeing one's student maturing. In that moment, it would feel as if all of the hard work that one had put in was worthwhile.

All of a sudden, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a seal appeared in the middle of his palm.

At this moment, the seal was trembling excitedly, such that it felt searing to Zhang Xuan.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1543: The Unreliable Kong shi

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully. It didn't take in my blood, and I have unable to delve my consciousness into it either. Why would it suddenly grow so hot?

Previously, he had been thinking of all sorts of ways in order to tame the seal, but no matter what he did, there was no response at all. Why would it suddenly grow so hot after being placed inside his storage ring?

It was the greatest treasure of the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it had been snatched away by Lu Chong so that Ren Qingyuan could not use it to deal with him. No matter how the matter was resolved, he would likely have to return it in the end. If the Master Teacher Seal was ruined in his hands, it might really result in a full-blown war with the Master Teacher Pavilion!

While it might seem that his direct disciples had managed to one up the Master Teacher Pavilion, the unfortunate truth was that they still came nowhere close to matching it. For countless years, the Master Teacher Pavilion had been the de facto leader of the entire Master Teacher Continent, and given its accumulation and influence, the couple of them there would still be far from sufficient to oppose it.

Since placing it in my storage ring, it has been completely silent. It was only when I was thinking of my student's growth that it suddenly grew warm...

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before a thought came to his mind.

Could it be that the Pavilion Master Seal is not tamed through blood but through the virtues of a teacher? If that's the case... it should be easier for me tame it if I use the Celestial Master Teacher aura, right?

The Celestial Master Teacher was an individual who was recognized by the heavens, such that even Yang shi dared not pull his weight before one. If the token was really related to the virtues of a teacher, who would be more qualified than a teacher recognized by even the heavens?

Let me give it a try!

With this thought in mind, he discreetly drove his Celestial Master Teacher aura and infused it into the token.

Due to the increment of his Soul Depth, he commanded a greater control over his aura compared to before. Through careful manipulation, he was able to limit the emanation of his Celestial Master Teacher aura to the area in contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, thus making it nigh impossible for any 9-star master teacher or even Yang shi to detect it.

Tzzzzzzz!

As soon as the aura came into contact with the Pavilion Master Seal, the latter immediately became even hotter. There was an abrupt burst of wind, and Zhang Xuan suddenly felt the weight in his hand disappearing entirely.

He hurriedly lowered his gaze, and it was indeed the worst-case scenario. The Pavilion Master Seal had vanished without a trace, as if it had never been there in the first place.

In an instant, goosebumps rose all over Zhang Xuan's body, and his vision turned dark as he nearly fainted on the spot. He quickly released his Spiritual Perception and searched his surroundings, but it was completely empty. There was no sign of the token anywhere at all.

It's over... Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears.

The Pavilion Master Seal was supposed to be some Ancient Sage artifact forged using Kong shi's blood essence, and even Yang shi would have trouble dealing with it, right? Yet, why would it suddenly disappear after he grasped it for a moment, as if an ice cube?

Just by its name alone, Pavilion Master Seal, even a fool could figure out its deep significance to the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even when Lu Chong took it, while Ren Qingyuan did panic, he could tell that it was out of apprehension that the Master Teacher Pavilion would be humiliated rather than the worry of never getting it back... But now that the Pavilion Master Seal had disappeared into thin air, how was he supposed to give it back to the other party?

While he did cause a huge fuss with the three powers, it was still something that could be resolved eventually. However, if he took away the Pavilion Master Seal as well, he would really be eaten alive.

What the heck was this?

"Hurry up and come out. Stop messing around," Zhang Xuan muttered anxiously as he searched his surroundings frantically.

Soon, his eyes fell on his palm, and he froze.

He found that three conspicuous crimson droplet imprints had unknowingly appeared on his palm, and it felt like they harnessed some kind of mysterious power.

What is this? Zhang Xuan pondered as he tapped on one of the crimson droplets lightly.

Weng!

All of a sudden, with a resounding buzz amid a slight moment of disorientation, Zhang Xuan suddenly found himself being teleported into a void dimension.

In this dimension, the concepts of time and space did not seem to exist. All that could be seen around him was a glaring white background and a smiling elder.

Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment upon seeing the elder's face. There was no way he could not recognize the other party when his sculpture could be found in every single Master Teacher Pavilion across the continent.

"Kong shi?"

At that moment, Kong shi had a gentle and warm look on his face. A hint of agitation could be seen in depths of his eyes as he said, "Finally, after so many years... Pleased to meet you, the new Celestial Master Teacher!"

"Junior Zhang Xuan pays respect to Kong shi!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and greeted the elder before him.

Kong shi stroked his beard and nodded with a kind smile, acknowledging Zhang Xuan's greeting. "The Pavilion Master Seal is an artifact that I forged with three droplets of my blood essence after founding the Master Teacher Pavilion. Only a true Celestial Master Teacher will be able to tame it. The fact that you can activate the seal and summon my will proves that you have met this condition..."

"Kong shi, pardon me for saying this, but would you allow me to speak first? There's something urgent that I have to ask you..." Seeing that Kong shi was about to jump into his usual long speech once more, Zhang Xuan immediately interjected into his words and stopped him anxiously.

From past experience, he had come to learn that despite Kong shi's great achievements, he was actually a particularly unreliable person. Each and every time that he managed to speak to Kong shi, the other party would vanish right before getting to the main point! If he allowed Kong shi to go first this time, chances were that the same would happen.

Having learned his lesson, Zhang Xuan was determined to go first this time around.

"Oh?" Noting Zhang Xuan's anxiety, Kong shi looked at the young man for a moment before raising his hand. "Please, feel free to speak!"

"I am afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, and I heard that you underwent the same experience back then as well. May I know how you managed to resolve it?" Zhang Xuan asked anxiously.

"Innate Fetal Poison?" Kong shi frowned as he examined Zhang Xuan intently. A moment later, he nodded and said, "It's indeed the Innate Fetal Poison! The poison itself isn't too difficult to cure, but..."

"But?"

"The thing that is hidden inside the Innate Fetal Poison might not be that easy to get rid of," Kong shi said with a grim look on his face.

"The thing that is hidden inside the Innate Fetal Poison? What's that?" Zhang Xuan asked in confusion.

He had noticed the Innate Fetal Poison early and used his Heaven's Path zhenqi to have it suppressed in a corner, rendering it immobile. But from Kong shi's tone... it seemed like there was more to the Innate Fetal Poison than met the eye.

"There's no point talking about it now; you will come to know of it yourself once you cure yourself of the Innate Fetal Poison. It's not that I want to conceal this matter from you, but there could be adverse consequences if I tell you in advance, so I can only seek your understanding for that. For the time being, let me tell you the method to resolving the Innate Fetal Poison first," Kong shi said.

"Please enlighten me!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

While he still had some years before the triggering of the Innate Fetal Poison, he still hoped to cure himself of it as soon as possible. Otherwise, he would be unable to shake off the tension coming from the feeling that he was already standing in death's jaws.

"The Innate Fetal Poison is planted into the body of an expecting body in order to strip a fetus' bloodline or to destroy its vitality. As the poison is planted during a fetus' developmental phase, it's viewed to be an inherent condition by the body, so ordinary medicines are ineffective on it. There's only one way to resolve it for good, and that's to become a 9-star master teacher and undergo the Tribulation of Heavenly Flames. If you can draw the flames into your body and use the heat to sear the poison aura, you'll be able to resolve the poison easily. Of course, the heavenly flames are a violent and dangerous power to deal with, and the slightest carelessness could result in one being reduced to ash. I had to pay quite a heavy price in order to resolve the Innate Fetal Poison back then," Kong shi explained.

"The Tribulation of Heavenly Flames... Got it. Thank you, Kong shi!" Zhang Xuan clasped his fists once more.

Given that these words had come from Kong shi himself, the Tribulation of Heavenly Flames should be effective. With this, he would finally have a concrete direction to work toward.

Given his current strength, he still had some way to go before becoming a 9-star master teacher. Nevertheless, with his rate of cultivation, it should not be too difficult for him to get there before thirty.

"The Innate Fetal Poison only triggers after stepping into your thirties, but still, it would be best for you to resolve it as soon as possible. You have just reached your twenties not too long ago, and if you can resolve it before twenty-five, you can avoid having your strength and potential compromised by it!" Kong shi warned grimly.

Zhang Xuan nodded. "I understand!"

Indeed, this matter should be resolved as soon as possible. After wrapping up the current mess that he was in, he should put his attention solely into raising his cultivation and strive for a breakthrough to 9-star master teacher within two months!

Once he succeeded, everything would swiftly fall into place.

"Now that we have resolved your problem, I would like to talk to you about the Pavilion Master Seal. This artifact is forged using three droplets of my blood essence, and once you tame it, it'll assume the form of droplets on your palm. By touching it, you will be able to..."

Hu!

Kong shi's figure suddenly flickered.

"Will be able to?" Zhang Xuan's heart skipped a beat upon seeing this sight, and he hurriedly urged Kong shi to finish his sentence.

"... able to..."

Hula!

Reaching his limit, Kong shi's silhouette dissipated into thin air.

Hong long!

Zhang Xuan's mind jolted, and he found himself still sitting right before Zhao Ya. Up in the sky, Wei Ruyan and You Ruoxin had barely begun their battle, and everyone was still where he remembered them to be. Nothing seemed to have changed at all.

It was as if that conversation had occurred in frozen time.

It was fortunate that was the case, or else it could have ended in a disaster for Zhao Ya.

"That fellow didn't finish his words again! Everyone says that he's the World's Teacher, but who in the world disappears halfway through passing down important information!" Zhang Xuan grumbled furiously beneath his breath.

How many times had this happened to date? To think that the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, a figure respected by so many people, would actually be so unreliable!

"Forget it..." Zhang Xuan glanced at the crimson droplets on his palm and murmured curiously, "He mentioned something about touching it earlier. If I really touch it, what will happen?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1544: A Sudden Intruder

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

When he touched it previously, a Kong shi had popped up. Even if he touched it once more, nothing bad would happen, right?

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the crimson droplet once more.

Hong long!

As soon as his finger came into contact with the crimson droplet, immense power suddenly began surging into his body. Following which, the crimson droplet that he touched began shrinking at a visible rate before vanishing without a trace.

T-this... Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in astonishment at the changes in his body.

His entire body was filled with power, and he felt as if he could command and destroy the world at his will.

What strength is this? Zhang Xuan thought in disbelief.

He was a Saint 8-dan primary stage cultivator, but after taking in the power from the crimson droplet, he found himself far surpassing his limits, reaching a level that was beyond his imagination.

Even though he could not clearly assess how powerful he was at the moment, he could feel that he wielded enough power to crush the space around him with ease.

Could this be what Ren Qingyuan said earlier about a level that is invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage?

Previously, when Ren Qingyuan first took out the Pavilion Master Seal, he had said that those who were able to tame it would be able to command strength invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage. He had thought that the other party was simply exaggerating, but to think that it would be true!

The crimson droplets in his palm seemed to be the blood essence that Kong shi had infused into the Pavilion Master Seal, and by touching one, he would be able to take in the energy in the blood essence and command devastating power.

However... this power ultimately still isn't mine, so there should be a time limit to it,

Zhang Xuan concluded after some thought.

As strong as this power was, it was different from Cultivation Impartation. Rather than saying that it had raised his cultivation, it was more like a cloak of power that he donned temporarily.

For a set amount of time, he would wield tremendous power. However, as time passed, the power would swiftly diminish, and once it had been depleted, he would return to how he originally was.

Three crimson droplets—that should mean that I can use this ability thrice...

Having made sense of the matter, Zhang Xuan finally understood what Kong shi wanted to say before disappearing.

Most likely, Kong shi was going to explain how the Pavilion Master Seal worked, but his unexpected question about the Innate Fetal Poison resulted in him not having enough time to talk about the matter.

No matter how powerful one was, as long as one successfully tamed the Pavilion Master Seal, one would have three opportunities to wield strength invincible beneath Ancient Sage. As expected of the World's Teacher! The artifacts that he created were indeed on a whole new level.

No matter what kind of mystical effects an artifact could have, nothing was safer than raw power.

With this trump card in his possession, his safety would be assured!

With such strength at my disposal, the Zhang Clan, the Glacier Plain Court, and the Sanctum of Sages won't pose a threat to me anymore! Zhang Xuan thought with a soft chuckle.

He had still been wondering how he should resolve the problem before him, but with such strength at his disposal, he had nothing to fear anymore.

In the worst-case scenario, he would just have to force all of them to submit to him!

However, I still need to resolve the problem with Zhao Ya's meridians first...

As excited as Zhang Xuan was, he knew that his priority should be the tightly-wrapped young lady before him.

He continued to forge the pathways for Zhao Ya's meridians, but in the midst of doing so, he realized that due to the rise in his strength, he was able to control his zhenqi more finely, allowing him to hasten the process significantly.

Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. It should have taken at least two more hours, but with this, I should be able to complete it within ten minutes.

While Zhang Xuan was treating Zhao Ya, the battle in the sky came to an end as well. You Ruoxin's face had turned completely black from poison, and her convulsing body plummeted to the ground.

Be it in terms of poison art or even just raw power, she was far from a match for Wei Ruyan. In fact, had it not been for Zhang Xuan instructing his students not to kill anyone, she would have already been dead by now.

Seeing that her junior, Wei Ruyan, had dealt with one of the culprits, Wang Ying turned to Zhan shi and said, "If I recall correctly... Zhan shi, you issued an instruction to have my teacher arrested and killed as well, right?

"I reckon that you wouldn't like it if my other juniors such as Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were to challenge you... So, you won't turn down a fight from a spirit awakener like me, right?"

"I..." Zhan shi's face twitched in fright upon hearing those words.

Considering how Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan were able to stand squarely against Ren Qingyuan, he would indeed stand no chance against those two monsters. However, the young lady in front of him was not a weakling either! She was the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild, and it would be foolish to underestimate the means that she had at her disposal!

"If you are unwilling to fight, there's another way out of this. Apologize to my teacher now and retract your orders!" Wang Ying harrumphed coldly with a fling of her sleeves.

"Apologize? That's impossible!" Zhan shi roared resolutely. "Even if I die, I won't stand for anyone humiliating the Sanctum of Sages!"

"I see. I'll fulfill your wish for a valiant death then!" Seeing that the other party's mind was set, Wang Ying could not be bothered to waste her breath anymore.

She raised her palm, and one of the Master Teacher Pavilions immediately charged toward Zhan shi.

Hu la!

A huge gale roared under the Master Teacher Pavilion's charge. The charge of something as colossal as an entire Master Teacher Pavilion was a rather imposing sight.

Zhan shi stood his ground and gathered his zhenqi to form an eight-meter-large palm print, and he thrust it right into the charging Master Teacher Pavilion.

Kacha!

The palm strike burst right through the Master Teacher Pavilion, causing it to collapse entirely. However, Zhan shi was also forced to retreat under the impact as well.

"Stop it! That's our Empire Alliance Master Teacher Pavilion!" an 8-star master teacher yelled in despair by the side.

If you want to fight, do it somewhere else! Why do you have to use our buildings and property as collateral damage?

"He shi, I can't care that much at this point," Zhan shi replied helplessly as he leaped forward and dashed for Wang Ying.

Kill a cavalry by shooting down its horse; destroy a band of thieves by nabbing its leader!

If the situation continued, it would only be a matter of time before he was worn down by the endless assault of buildings. In order to get out of this quandary, he would have to nab Wang Ying first!

"Do you really think that my strength only comes from my enchantments?" Wang Ying scoffed as she looked at Zhan shi's swiftly approaching figure.

Unlike Zheng Yang and Wei Ruyan, she had not met with any fortuitous encounters nor did she possess a unique constitution, but as the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, she had amassed the strength of her predecessors.

No longer was she that naive and powerless girl of the past.

She raised her hand and thrust her palm forward.

Her movements were not fast, but they carried fearsome might. In the midst of his charge, Zhan shi suddenly felt a shudder run down his spine. Knowing that he would not be able to withstand the attack head on, he quickly leaped upward.

But following his movement, he suddenly found his surroundings turning dark. Turning his gaze upward, he saw a massive puppet towering above him, and it was in the midst of swinging its fist toward him.

"It's the Guardian Artifact of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the Empyrean Puppet!" Ren Qingyuan bellowed in shock.

Hula!

Unfortunately, his warning came too late. There was no way that Zhan shi could avoid the massive fist of the Empyrean Puppet anymore. Once it struck him, even though he was a Saint 9-dan primary stage expert, he would be inflicted with severe injuries that would leave him incapacitated for months on end.

At that crucial moment, a sharp, cold glint flashed across the sky, deflecting the puppet's fist, accompanied by an imposing voice.

"Stop!"

Chapter 1545: A Duel with the Sword Saint

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

That sword qi was powerful and magnificent, carrying a wholesome intent to it. Even though it had come from afar, it did not seem to be restricted by the concept of time. It seemed to have abruptly materialized right before the puppet's fist, thus saving Zhan shi in the nick of time.

That was a full might attack from the Empyrean Puppet, yet it had easily been deflected by the other party.

"An expert..." Wang Ying narrowed her eyes warily.

She hurriedly turned her gaze in the direction that the sword qi had originated from. At the same time, Zheng Yang also tightened his grasp on his spear, prepared to make a move at any moment.

To be able to deflect Wang Ying's attack from such a long distance away, the person's strength was at least on par with Ren Qingyuan's. In fact, in the field of swordsmanship, that person might even have surpassed Ren Qingyuan!

"It's the Speed Sword Quintessence!" Zhang Xuan, who was still in the midst of reconstructing Zhao Ya's meridians, suddenly spoke up at this point. With a nod, he answered the doubt that was in everyone's mind. "It's probably the head of the Zhang Clan, the father of the young prodigy, Sword Saint Xing!"

He had already learned the essence of the Zhang Clan swordsmanship back in the Zhang Clan, and he knew its capabilities very well. It was capable of allowing one's sword qi to break free from the restraints of time and reach one's opponents in an instant. However, the only one who could pull off such fine control of it even from a long distance away was the legendary head of the Zhang Clan, Sword Saint Xing!

I was intending to challenge him back when I was still at the Zhang Clan, but he was nowhere to be seen. Since he's here, it's a good opportunity to see if he's really as strong as the others make him out to be! Zhang Xuan thought with a smile.

During his trip to the Zhang Clan, he had managed to make an appointment to duel with Sword Saint Xing, but in the end, he did not get to meet the other party. Who could have thought that they would come by one another here?

Since that was the case, he could use the other party as a sparring partner to try out his newfound strength while exacting vengeance for Elder Jian. More importantly, he would make it clear to the other party that if his son wanted to marry Luo Ruoxin, he would have to get past him first!

Hula!

Barely after those thoughts surfaced in his head, the space ahead of him suddenly rippled, and two figures came into appearance—a middle-aged man and a middle-aged lady. They were the couple who had been going around in search of their son, Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng!

Those two had been going in the opposite direction from the Empire Alliance when they received Yang shi's message and rushed over.

"Clan head..." Upon seeing the two of them, Zhang Wuheng immediately rushed up to them in agitation, as if he was looking at his savior.

"First Elder, what happened to you?" Sword Saint Xing's eyebrows twitched in astonishment.

As the number one clan on the Master Teacher Continent, even the Master Teacher Pavilion would have tread carefully around the Zhang Clan. Yet, for its First Elder to be pummeled to such a state, not sparing any heed for the Zhang Clan's dignity at all... Just who could the culprit be?

"It's all because of that darned Zhang Xuan and his students!" Zhang Wuheng spat as he pointed at the young lad below. "Clan head, you must redress my grievances! Otherwise, what will others think of our Zhang Clan? If we don't deal with this promptly, we'll become the laughingstock of the Master Teacher Continent!"

"Zhang Xuan?" Upon hearing Zhang Wuheng's words, Sword Saint Meng immediately followed the First Elder's finger, and soon after, a young man gazing in her direction appeared in her field of vision.

In that instant, her body began shuddering uncontrollably.

"It must be him! Dear, I am certain about it—it must be him!" Sword Saint Meng turned to her husband and exclaimed passionately through zhenqi telepathy.

Even she had no idea why she was so certain that the young man before her was her son. She was aware that her claims were unfounded, but she had always trusted her intuition, and she could feel an inexplicable connection with the young man.

Fearing that his wife might run amok, Sword Saint Xing hurriedly grabbed her hand and squeezed it. "Calm down, dear. As long as he's our son, we'll surely be able to reunite with him today..."

He had no idea what was going on, but given the fact the First Elder could still be pummeled to such a state despite the presence of so many 9-star master teachers, it would appear that Zhang Xuan was no ordinary figure.

It was one thing if the other party was really their son, but if he was not their son and they still rushed over to acknowledge him, that would really make things awkward.

In the first place, it was already a huge embarrassment for the Zhang Clan to be forced to such a position. If they made a mistake at this point, the Zhang Clan's reputation might really be lost for good!

Seeing right through her husband's concerns, Sword Saint Meng bellowed telepathically with gritted teeth, "Are you doubting my words? There's no way I would fail to recognize my own son! Even if he has matured, my blood still flows in his veins!"

"I know what you are feeling. As much as he's your son, he's my son as well! You are anxious to reunite with him, but so am I! However, it's precisely at a time like this that we must remain calm and ensure nothing goes wrong! Isn't there a scarlet birthmark on our child's bottom? I'll find an excuse to ask about it later on, and as long as we can verify that, we'll reunite with him right away, alright?" Sword Saint Xing appeased his wife.

Even though their son was a Connate Saint, that did not change the fact that he had only been an infant when he left their side. Furthermore, the other party seemed to have a slightly different soul aura from their son, which made it more important to verify the matter.

And the easiest and least intrusive method to do so was through his birthmark.

All parts of a person's body could change over time, but one's birthmarks would never disappear.

"Very well!" Knowing that there was some sense in what Sword Saint Xing was saying, Sword Saint Meng nodded and composed herself.

Seeing how the couple had been mumbling between themselves intimately ever since arriving, Zheng Yang's eyebrows shot up, and he walked forward. "Are you the head of the Zhang Clan? You came at the perfect time. I haven't had a chance to make a move yet, so do you want to be my opponent?"

Fearing that Sword Saint Xing would not recognize the young man, Zhang Wuheng quickly reported telepathically, "That young man is Zhang Xuan's student, as well as the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang!"

"So, you are the Progeny of Combat, Zheng Yang! I have long heard your name, but I didn't think that you would be Zhang shi's student..." Sword Saint Xing clasped his fist and greeted the young man.

"Don't bother wasting your breath on cr*p like that; you just have to say whether you wish to fight or not! Your Zhang Clan has humiliated my teacher, but your First Elder still refuses to apologize for his misdeeds. If you don't wish to have a duel with me, I'm willing to drop the matter at an apology from you as well!" Zheng Yang looked at Sword Saint Xing haughtily as he raised his spear imposingly, causing the air to moan under the pressure of his movement.

He knew that Sword Saint Xing was a formidable expert who had made his name ages ago, but as the Progeny of Combat, he had already resolved himself not to back down from any opponent. Courage and tenacity would be his strongest weapons.

Since he had gone there to vent his teacher's anger, he would have to make sure to beat the three powers into submission so that they would not dare utter another word.

"I'm fine with having a duel with you as well, but..." Sword Saint Xing paused for a moment as a smile surfaced on his lips. "... I happen to have an appointment for a duel with your teacher. Since the both of us are here, I would rather settle that matter first before dealing with whatever you have for me!"

"Do you think that any random person on the street is qualified to duel with my esteemed teacher?" Zheng Yang harrumphed. "Of course, if you can get past me, there will be nothing I can say about you challenging my teacher... but if you can't, just know that I won't stop until you finally apologize!"

"Your words do make sense. It's perfectly normal for a student to stand up on his teacher's behalf, and there's nothing I can say about it," Sword Saint Xing said. "However... the perpetrator behind the grudge with the Zhang Clan is your teacher, and only when he resolves it personally can others accept the outcome. As a student, don't you think that it might be too disrespectful of you to meddle in every single one of your teacher's affairs? If word spreads, people will think that the matter was resolved only because Zhang shi took in a good student, and that wouldn't look too good, right?"

"That..." Zheng Yang was put at a loss for words.

His mind had been preoccupied with how he could vent his teacher's anger, so he had not thought too deeply about the possible implications for his teacher as a result of his actions.

He hated to admit it, but Sword Saint Xing was right. Of course, there was no issue with a student stepping forward to protect their teacher, but if they went overboard, it would make the teacher appear incompetent instead.

And incompetence was one word that no master teacher would ever want their name to be associated with.

"Teacher, I..." Realizing all of these, Zheng Yang turned to his teacher in seek of his opinion, only to see the latter chuckling softly.

"It's fine, I can handle this matter. It's true that I had an appointment for a duel with the head of the Zhang Clan, and since he wishes to proceed with it, I'm more than willing to entertain him!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1546: Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Teacher, your current cultivation realm..." Zheng Yang exclaimed anxiously.

His teacher was only at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage whereas the fact that the head of the Zhang Clan was able to execute a burst of sword qi to deflect Wang Ying's puppet from such a long distance away showed that his cultivation was surely above Saint 9-dan!

Considering the huge disparity in their cultivation, how were they supposed to fight with one another?

Making use of the crimson droplets formed from the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuan currently wielded strength far beyond his limits, but due to his high Soul Depth, the nature of the Heaven's Path zhenqi, and the fact that he had not showcased it at all, not even Zheng Yang was aware of the massive change in his teacher's fighting prowess over the past few seconds.

Knowing what Zheng Yang was worried about, Sword Saint Xing added with a smile, "I can lower my cultivation to Zhang shi's level, and it'll only be a simple duel of swordsmanship, so you can rest assured that I won't injure your teacher!

"If I lose, I'll apologize to you on behalf of the Zhang Clan and not pursue everything that happened before. However, if I win, I'll have to ask Zhang shi to abide by the agreement that we made previously!"

When Zhang Xuan challenged Sword Saint Xing to a duel back then, he had promised that he would join the Zhang Clan as an elder if he lost the duel.

"Of course, I won't renege on my promise!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "However, since it's a duel, I won't take advantage of you either. There's no need for you to suppress your cultivation. Just bring forth your strongest move against me!"

"You want me to use my strongest move against you?" Sword Saint Xing was taken aback.

Given his cultivation realm, if he used his strongest move, even Pavilion Master Ren Qingyuan would have trouble dealing with it. Did the Dimension Sundering realm primary stage young man really mean the words that he said?

"Has that fellow gone mad?"

Ren Qingyuan, Zhang Wuheng, and the others were perplexed by Zhang Xuan's words as well.

They had seen the young man's strength earlier, and other than his many means and powerful students, there was really nothing spectacular about him at all. To actually ask Sword Saint Xing to use his strongest move against him without suppressing his cultivation... that was as good as asking to be killed!

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded. "On top of that, I'll sit here and fight you with a single hand. If my body moves in the slightest or my other hand is utilized, I'll admit my defeat!"

"..." Sword Saint Xing's face twitched uncontrollably upon hearing those words.

He had two reasons for challenging Zhang Xuan to a fight. Firstly, he wanted to check if the young man was his son. Secondly, he could better resolve the enmity between the young man and the Zhang Clan through this manner, appeasing the elders of the Zhang Clan while carefully controlling his strength to ensure that the young man did not sustain any grievous wounds.

It was one thing for the young man not to reciprocate his goodwill, but to utter such arrogant words on top of that...

"He sure is like you..."

Just as Sword Saint Xing was just about to explode from rage, he suddenly heard his wife's voice in his ears, and his body twitched in horror. "Am I really that arrogant?"

"You were even more arrogant than him when you were younger!" Sword Saint Meng replied with a smile.

"This..." Sword Saint Xing scratched his head before looking at Zhang Xuan helplessly. "Alright then. Since that's your request, I'll do just that!"

After saying those words, he descended from the sky to the ground.

But the moment that his foot came into contact with the ground, the telepathic voice of his wife echoed in his mind. "If you so much harm a single strand of hair on my son, do not dream of getting into my bed in the future!"

"I..." Sword Saint Xing staggered upon hearing those words, and he nearly burst into tears.

Just what have I done so wrong to warrant such a fate?

Could the young man have expected this outcome when he proposed to face his attack with one hand while sitting on the ground?

"Teacher..."

In contrast to Sword Saint Xing's tearfulness, Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and the others directed worried gazes at Zhang Xuan.

Each of them had a fortuitous encounter of their own that had allowed them to improve swiftly. However, their teacher had not been lucky enough to have such an encounter, so his cultivation had ended up lagging behind them at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage. With his current strength, there was no way that he could stand a chance against the full-powered Sword Saint Xing!

There was absolutely zero chance of victory at all!

"Don't worry. When has our teacher waged a war that he's unconfident of winning? Since our teacher has said such words, he definitely has a plan in mind!" Yuan Tao said with a smile.

"I guess that's true..." Zheng Yang pondered for a moment before nodding.

Wei Ruyan had come under Zhang Xuan's lineage a little late, so she was unaware of many of his past exploits. Nevertheless, she still had a rough grasp of the latter's temperament and character.

If there was one thing that she was certain about, this teacher of hers would never take the short end of a stick!

Those who dared challenge him would only end up tragically defeated!

"Wait a moment! Have any of you realized that our teacher's aura seemed to have... changed." Wang Ying suddenly spoke up. "I could still roughly gauge the depth of his strength earlier, but right now, no matter how I look at him, it's like staring into an endless ocean, unable to see the end of it no matter how one squints."

Those words prompted Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and the others to take a good look at their teacher once more, and indeed, there were some significant changes with the latter. Even though he was still seated on the spot, the energy within his body appeared to have been amplified many times over, reaching a level that even they could not accurately gauge anymore.

"Our teacher might have made a breakthrough again..." Lu Chong suggested uncertainly.

As a soul oracle, his sensitivity to his environment was much higher than the others. Just a moment ago, his teacher had still been at a level that he could defeat easily, but right now... just by standing in the vicinity of his teacher, he felt a powerful pressure pressing down on him, suffocating him.

He had no idea just what could induce such a massive change in his teacher within such a short period of time, but considering that it was his teacher whom they were talking about, even the impossible did not seem too impossible anymore.

Seeing that his teacher was prepared, Zheng Yang was finally able to put down the worries in his heart. With a light chuckle, he ushered the others to the side and said, "Since that's the case, there's no need for us to worry then. Let's just sit back and watch our teacher teach Sword Saint Xing a lesson!"

Remembering dearly his wife's threat, Sword Saint Xing took a deep breath before he flicked his wrist and whipped out his sword. "Make your move!"

"I fear that I might accidentally injure you if I wield my sword. Since it's a friendly duel, I'll pass on using my sword," Zhang Xuan glanced at Sword Saint Xing and spoke composedly.

"You aren't going to wield a sword? How are you intend to fight then?"

In that moment, Sword Saint Xing felt like clawing his hair out.

There was really no way to communicate with such arrogant fools!

Fine, he admitted that he had been pretty egoistical when he was younger, often trying to humblebrag whenever the opportunity arose. However, even he had not reached this level of boastfulness before!

It was almost as if the young man was trying to slap his face with his every sentence!

Anyone else in his shoes would have already turned irrational from rage at this point, but somehow, toward the young man sitting before him... he could not get angry even if he wanted to.

He still was not too sure whether the young man was truly his son or not, but he could grasp what his wife was saying. It was hard to put it into words, but it felt like there was an inseverable connection between him and the young man.

"I'll just fight you like this."

Oblivious to the thoughts running through Sword Saint Xing's mind, Zhang Xuan flicked his finger, and a surge of sword qi exactly three chi long gathered at the tip of his finger, emanating a cold glint.

"Very well then, do whatever pleases you. Just... try to avoid getting hurt, alright?"

It was hard to tell if it was out of rage or frustration, but Sword Saint Xing heaved a deep sigh.

Following which, he flicked his sword and pierced it right toward Zhang Xuan.

He had only used a tenth of his might, but he did not hold back on his Sword Intent at all. The moment that the sword stabbed forth, it transcended through space and appeared right in front of Zhang Xuan's glabella the next moment.

"Not bad, I have to say that your swordsmanship is quite decent!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly.

As expected of the number one expert of the Zhang Clan swordsmanship! As soon as he made his move, it was immediately apparent that his swordsmanship had reached a much higher level than Zhang Xu and the others.

Without bothering to dodge, Zhang Xuan remained seated on the spot. He continued to reconstruct Zhao Ya's meridians with his left hand while raising his right hand and tapping the space in front of him.

A burst of sword qi shot forth from his fingertip, and it transcended the limitations of space in an instant.

Be it the initiation move, the intent, or the release of the technique, the sword art that Zhang Xuan had just executed was completely identical to that of Sword Saint Xing. If the others were not aware of the hostile relationship between Zhang Xuan and the Zhang Clan, they would have thought that they were brothers from the same lineage sparring with one another.

However, even though it was the exact same move, Zhang Xuan's attack managed to reach its target first despite its later release. From the looks of it, Sword Saint Xing's swordsmanship would be undone before it could push even the slightest centimeter further.

"This..." Sword Saint Xing's body recoiled in astonishment at the unexpected turn in events as he gasped in disbelief. "How is this possible?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1547: Zhang Xuan Offers His Pointers (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Sword Saint Xing's understanding of the Zhang Clan's swordsmanship had already reached an inconceivable level. Every subtle movement that he made was in alignment with the essence of the Speed Sword Quintessence, yet the young man was still able to get to him faster despite releasing his sword art later. Not only so, the young man's strength had also far surpassed his!

If he failed to dodge this move, the young man would swiftly nullify any strength that he commanded, such that his sword would not be able to deal any damage even if it fell on the young man's body.

"Humph!" Knowing that he was facing a true expert, Sword Saint Xing decisively gave up on the idea of going easy on the young man.

He took a deep breath before sliding his feet half a step back. After which, his sword curved in a unique and bizarre trajectory, forcefully transforming a pierce into a hack.

"You are going to the extent of executing the Dragon Slaying Sword? You..." Upon seeing the move that her husband had executed, Sword Saint Meng nearly exploded on the spot.

If there was anyone in this world who knew Sword Saint Xing the best, it was indubitably her. The two of them had practiced the Dragon Slaying Sword for quite some time before they had been able to achieve some level of accomplishment in the sword art. While it was not the strongest sword art that they had, the might that it commanded was mind-boggling. Even Ren Qingyuan would fluster in its face!

To execute such a move against him barely after the battle had started... didn't I tell you to go easy on him?

Is that how you take my instructions?

Sword Saint Meng gnashed her teeth furiously. If I allow you to even come close to my bed, I'll write my surname upside down from this day forth!

"You reacted faster than I thought!"

While Zhang Xuan had managed to outdo the head of the Zhang Clan at the first encounter, he had to admit that the other party was a pretty formidable opponent. The other party was actually able to instantaneously determine that his defense would arrive faster than his offense, and he decisively changed his assault and launched a counterattack.

Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan raised his right hand once more and tapped his finger forward.

It was the same move as before; however, this time, the target was not Sword Saint Xing's glabella but his shoulder.

Under normal circumstances, Sword Saint Xing's strike would have struck down on Zhang Xuan's head first due to the longer distance from Zhang Xuan's finger to Sword Saint Xing's shoulder. However... from the trajectory of his hack, if Sword Saint Xing continued with his offense, his wrist would cross paths with Zhang Xuan's burst of sword qi.

With the sharpness of his sword qi, there was no doubt that Sword Saint Xing's wrist would be severed before his sword could manage to strike down on Zhang Xuan's head.

Sword Saint Xing's face twitched upon realizing this fact, and his face turned even more severe than before.

He had thought that given the disparity in their cultivation, he should be able to defeat the young man easily. Who would have thought that even when he utilized his full strength, he would still be unable to outdo the young man?

The young man might have been young, but his eyes seemed to see right through his sword arts and maneuvers. Each and every time, the young man was able to read his movements and seal his offense swiftly.

Not only so, the worst thing was that... the other party was still using the exact same move!

That move was the most basic sword art of the Zhang Clan swordsmanship, and it was known as the Probing Sword.

Just as the name suggested, the purpose of this was to probe the other party's moves and gauge the depth of the other party's strength before launching a decisive counterattack at the critical moment...

Yet, using such a basic move, the young man had actually managed to seal off his offense twice. Just how deep was his mastery in swordsmanship?

"I don't believe this!"

Sword Saint Xing knew that his wrist would be sliced right off if he forcefully pushed on with his current assault, so he took half a step back and flicked his sword once more. In an instant, innumerable cold glints flashed across Zhang Xuan's eyes, reminiscent of the countless stars in the sky, and they darted right for Zhang Xuan's eyes.

Falling Sword of Starry Sky!

This was a sword art that had taken him three years to create. It still was not his strongest move, but it was at least two times stronger than the Dragon Slaying Sword that he had executed previously.

This move consisted of countless pierces from differing directions, which made it extremely difficult to deal with. On top of that, it also had a beguiling effect on one's mind and soul.

The first time that he had executed it, even Sword Saint Meng had suffered a bit under its incredible prowess.

Since his first two moves had been foiled, Sword Saint Xing had no intention of holding back anymore.

As soon as the attack was executed, Zhang Xuan felt as if he was standing amid countless stars. His surroundings seemed to have emptied out, and it felt as if he was standing in the midst of a void devoid of the concepts of time and space. In such a state, it was difficult for him to even perceive his directions clearly, let alone determine where the attacks were coming from.

To make an analogy, it was similar to how a celestial body looked the exact same no matter how fast it was approaching one, making it hard to gauge its exact distance away from one using one's eyes.

This was currently the kind of attack that Zhang Xuan was facing. In the face of the sword art, he found himself unable to accurately perceive how far he was from the sword pierces, and that was something extremely dangerous in battle.

"Teacher..."

Zheng Yang grasped onto his spear tightly as cold sweat trickled down his body.

Even he could not say for sure if he would be able to overcome that sword with his current strength. Would his teacher be in danger then?

Before the many anxious gazes centered on him, Zhang Xuan finally moved. No different from his previous movements, he executed another Probing Sword right toward Sword Saint Xing.

Huala!

The sword qi flew forth, but just when it was some distance from reaching its target, it suddenly seemed to have struck something.

Following which, all of the stars collapsed, and the phenomenon that the sword art had created vanished without a trace.

Deng deng deng deng!

Sword Saint Xing felt his blood churning furiously as he retreated eight steps, and his widened eyes stared intently at Zhang Xuan in disbelief and shock.

"The Probing Sword was actually able to overcome my Falling Sword of Starry Sky... How is this possible?"

While this move was not the strongest sword art that he had cultivated, its might was still not to be underestimated. He could not accept the fact that his Falling Sword of Starry Sky could actually be overcome by such a simple technique—it was no different from a Mortal battle technique overpowering a Saint battle technique!

"Hehe!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. With the voice of a wise elder, he said, "The sword is the extension of one's strength. As long as one is able to bring it to a certain point at a certain moment, it will be able defeat any enemy. Sword arts are auxiliary maneuvers that serve to achieve that aim. The Probing Sword might be the simplest move in the Zhang Clan's swordsmanship, but it's precisely due to its simplicity that it's flexible enough to be used in many unpredictable situations.

"In the hands of an expert, its strength can be truly fearsome. It's similar to a drunkard holding a sword, hacking around randomly. There might not be any order of any sort to it, but it's fearsome precisely because of its unpredictable nature. It's impossible to fathom the intention of the attacker, along with when and where the next attack will land.

"Of course, just the randomness and unpredictability of one's offense isn't enough. The reason why a cultivator is able to curb an armed drunkard easily is due to the lack of purpose in his offense. Only when one could grasp the enemy's intents and attack trajectory would one be able to launch attacks purposefully to curb the enemy's offense!

"I have to admit that your Fallen Sword of Starry Sky is formidable. It locks onto its target's mind, spirit, and psyche, making it difficult to escape from it. However, in order to lock onto the target's mind, spirit, and psyche, there must be some kind of intermediary to establish a connection, and that intermediary is the very opening in your move. My counterattack was simple, but it accurately struck the intermediary.

"Given so, it's inevitable that your sword art would collapse altogether! To make an analogy, this is similar to the concept of bringing down a fortress. It might seem impregnable on the surface, but as long as one strikes it at its crux, one can easily bring an entire fortress to the ground!

"Simplicity in one's swordsmanship might not necessarily be a bad thing. If utilized well in the right manner, it can achieve spectacular results."

At this point, Zhang Xuan turned to Sword Saint Xing and sighed deeply before saying, "Sword Saint Xing, it's not that I want to lecture you, but you are overly obsessed with the form and movement of your sword, to the extent that you've lost sight of what swordsmanship truly is!"

"I..." Sword Saint Xing's face reddened.

As one of the strongest sword practitioners in the world, he had actually ended up being lectured by a young man who could very well be his child. His face immediately burned bright red from embarrassment.

"There's no need to be embarrassed by that. It's already very rare for someone of our age to be able to come up with such a sword art and Sword Intent..." Zhang Xuan consoled with a smile.

"If you are willing to learn, I can offer you some pointers in your swordsmanship so that you can further your skills!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1548: Admits Defeat

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Pfft!"

Hearing Zhang Xuan's words, Sword Saint Meng began trembling uncontrollably, and eventually, she could not hold herself back and burst into hearty laughter.

As expected of her son, he sure was gutsy!

"Well said!" she shouted.

Her husband had grown too arrogant from being in a high position for too long. For some reason, she felt exceptionally refreshed to see him getting pummeled by their son.

"This..." Hearing Sword Saint Meng's words, many of the 9-star master teachers and the experts of the Zhang Clan exchanged glances.

Just whose side was the matriarch of the Zhang Clan on?

Wei Ruyan, Wang Ying, and the others were dumbfounded as well. Despite seeing her husband getting pummeled and lectured, she was still able to cheer the other party on so happily.

Those of the Zhang Clan sure were peculiar!

"..."

Sword Saint Xing looked at his wife, who was laughing so hard that she seemed about to fall from the sky, before turning his sight to the young man, who was staring at him earnestly, and he suddenly felt so frustrated that he could spurt blood. His complexion was as poor as it could be.

Were it not for his cultured upbringing, he would have been hurling vulgarities at this moment.

"It just so happens that my mastery of swordsmanship surpasses yours a little, and I wish to trade some insights with you. There's no need to get too nervous," Zhang Xuan said.

"There's no need for that!" Sword Saint Xing flung his sleeves and harrumphed. "We can trade insights after the duel is over. I still have another move here, and if you can block it, I'll consider it your victory!"

Hu la!

Without waiting for the other party to respond, Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly and thrust his sword straight forward.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tapped his finger over once more.

It was still the same Probing Sword, but this time, his sword qi was much sharper than before. It pierced right through space as soon as it appeared, creating a pitch-black trail along the path of its movement.

"Is that... Dimension Severing Sword Qi?"

"To be able to cleave space with his sword qi... But that's an ability that only the strongest Great Sages possess!"

"Isn't he only in the Dimension Sundering realm? How is he that powerful?"

The expressions of all those present warped in shock.

This was especially so for Zhang Wuheng, You Ruoxin, and the others. Their faces had turned ghastly white in disbelief.

All along, they had attributed the damage that Zhang Xuan had caused due to his ability to command lightning tribulation. His strength should have been nothing of concern to them at all. When in the world did he become so powerful?

Had they known in advance, they would have simply left the matter be instead of causing such a huge fuss only to embarrass themselves!

"T-this..." Ren Qingyuan also widened his eyes in horror.

If he had known that Zhang Xuan was such a powerful master teacher, he never would have issued an arrest warrant on him.

Just the ability to pull off Dimension Severing Sword Qi meant that the strength that Zhang Xuan wielded was already comparable to the grand elders, and even as the deputy pavilion master, he had no right to deal with a master teacher of that caliber.

It's no wonder he was able to groom so many formidable students... Ren Qingyuan swallowed a mouthful of saliva as he turned his gaze to Zheng Yang and the others.

However, he swiftly noticed something peculiar among the group of students. There was completely no sign of surprise on their faces, as if Zhang Xuan's abrupt power growth was perfectly normal.

It was almost as if they felt that it was only a given for Zhang Xuan to be that powerful!

Monsters... Those are really a bunch of monsters... Ren Qingyuan thought as his body shuddered in fear.

Huala!

Before everyone's shocked gaze, Zhang Xuan's sword qi finally arrived before Sword Saint Xing.

Sword Saint Xing did not seem to be intending to go down without a fight either. He flicked his sword, and with a silver streak of light, it flew right for Zhang Xuan's throat.

"Three Swords of the Grim Reaper!" Upon seeing that move, Sword Saint Meng widened her eyes in horror.

The Three Swords of the Grim Reaper was the ultimate technique that she and Sword Saint Xing had cultivated for many years in order to serve as their ultimate trump card, only to free themselves from the direst of situations. So far, they had not been cornered to the point where they had to use it, but to think that its first use would actually be on their son!

Sword Saint Meng immediately whipped out her sword and prepared to dash forward to save her son. However, at that moment, she saw a smile creeping onto the edges of the young man's lips, and he calmly opened his mouth to speak.

"Stop!"

Huala!

Everything in the surroundings seemed to come to a halt along with his word. The incomparably sharp sword that Sword Saint Xing was dragging toward Zhang Xuan's neck abruptly froze in midair, as if a fish frozen within a block of ice.

"Go!"

With another calm word, the sword qi gathered at Zhang Xuan's fingertip shot outward, and the Three Swords of the Grim Reaper immediately unraveled. At the same time, Sword Saint Xing sustained a heavy blow, and he was forced to retreat several steps.

"Y-y-you... Was that Dimension Sealing Diction?" Sword Saint Xing widened his eyes in shock as his body trembled in fear.

Only a demonic tunist who had refined their art to the level of an Ancient Sage should be able to wield the ability to seal space at their word. No one in the Demonic Tunist Guild had achieved it in countless millenniums, yet Zhang Xuan had actually managed to pull it off. How could that be possible?

"That isn't exactly Dimension Sealing Diction. It just happens that your state of mind is a little weak, so I'm able to easily influence you with my words and force you to stop driving your zhenqi!" Zhang Xuan said.

He might have wielded powers invincible beneath Ancient Sage after taming the Pavilion Master Seal, but it was still beyond his means to execute the demonic tunist's Dimension Sealing Diction.

The reason he could get the other party to stop was through his Impartation of Heaven's Will, augmented by his exceptionally high Soul Depth and Heart of Teacher, thus compelling Sword Saint Xing to follow his bidding without any questions asked!

In truth, even if he did not use this move, given his current strength, he would still have been able to defeat Sword Saint Xing with ease. However, this was the method that would bring the most shock to the crowd, and knowing that there was a limit to the duration of the droplet of power, this was what he needed as well.

"Incredible! Incredible!" Sword Saint Xing pondered for a moment before making sense of what had happened.

His eyes glowed in agitation as he turned his gaze to the young man. The fury in his eyes had subsided, and replacing it was pride and delight instead.

A huge commotion had occurred when his son was born, and that was more than enough to tell anyone of the extraordinary fate that had lain ahead of his son. However, several unfortunate events had occurred afterward, and he had thought that his son's talents would forever be buried in the dust, never to shine brightly.

Who would have thought that when they met once more, his son would be stronger and more talented than he had expected?

There's no need to test him out anymore, he's definitely my son! Only my son could wield such capabilities and means...

This thought sent surges of exhilaration through Sword Saint Xing's veins, and he began laughing heartily. When he finally calmed down once more, he looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "Since you were able to overcome even my strongest Three Swords of the Grim Reaper, I'll admit defeat!"

"You're going to admit defeat?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Going by previous scripts, the opponent should have continued provoking him out of concern for their dignity and reputation, all the way till they were severely wounded and incapacitated. He did not think that Sword Saint Xing would give up so easily.

This was a matter that concerned the entire Zhang Clan, but Sword Saint Xing was still able to remain rational and not allow the weight of his responsibility to blind himself. This gave Zhang Xuan a very favorable impression of him.

"I would only embarrass myself further at this point. Since that's the case, I might as well admit defeat!" Sword Saint Xing laughed.

As one of top sword practitioners on the Master Teacher Continent, his pride would not allow him to lose to others. However, if it was his own son, he would be more than delighted to do so.

"But clan head..."

By the side, Zhang Wuheng did not expect such an outcome, and a look of panic surfaced on his face.

Sword Saint Xing's admittance of defeat meant that not only would the Zhang Clan have to drop all charges against the young man, it would even have to apologize to him! As the number one Sage Clan with a heritage that could be traced back many millenniums, it had never suffered such humiliation before!

"I know what you want to say, but my decision is the clan's decision. Nothing you say will change anything!" Sword Saint Xing waved his hand to stop the First Elder from speaking anymore.

After which, he turned his sight back to Zhang Xuan and hesitated for a moment before switching over to zhenqi telepathy. "Zhang shi, there's something that I would like to ask you!"

"Sword Saint Xing, feel free to ask. If it's something I can speak of, I'll answer your doubts!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

To be willing to take the initiative to admit defeat and even shoot down Zhang Wuheng's words... Zhang Xuan's impression of him was getting more and more favorable.

"It's like this..." Sword Saint Xing stared at him with a slightly awkward and nervous look as he asked, "Is there... a scarlet birthmark on your bottom?"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1549: Zhang Xuan Is My Son!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Birthmark? On my bottom?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

After transcending over to this world, he had washed his body innumerable times, and he had spent some time examining and learning his body before. Indeed, there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, but this should have been something that only he would know of. How would this middle-aged man before him know about it?

Zhang Xuan eyed the middle-aged man before him suspiciously.

Could he possess some ability similar to the Library of Heaven's Path that would allow him to look at his opponent's body?

But having a birthmark was not a flaw, so it would be impossible for the Library of Heaven's Path to detect it! Moreover, he possessed the Discarnate Constitution of Divination, so if by any chance any seers tried to divine his body, they would not be able to find anything at all!

Thinking again, it was not that rare for a person to have a birthmark on the bottom either, right?

"You..." Zhang Xuan could not help but look at Sword Saint Xing doubtfully, uncomprehending of the intention behind his question.

Seeing the implicit admittance from Zhang Xuan, Sword Saint Xing's heartbeat quickened, and with irrepressible agitation, he continued asking, "Is your birthday on the tenth day of the ninth month, Teacher Appreciation Day?"

"Birthday?" Zhang Xuan shook his head in response. "I am an orphan, so I'm afraid I don't really know when my birthday is."

His previous self had been wandering in the world as far as he could remember. Nowhere in his recollections had his father, mother, or any clues to his birthday appeared. As such, the only thing that Zhang Xuan knew was that he was twenty-something this year. Anything other than that was really beyond his knowledge.

"I'll just be perfectly honest with you..." Noticing the confusion on the young man's face deepening, Sword Saint Xing decided not to beat around the bush anymore and got straight to the point. "If I'm not mistaken, you are very likely to be my long-lost son!"

"Your son?" Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment before a miniature explosion happened in his head. "By your son... are you referring to the young prodigy?"

Sword Saint Xing was not only the head of the Zhang Clan but also the father of the young prodigy. As far as he knew, Sword Saint Xing seemed to have only a single son, so the other party's words would mean that... he was the young prodigy.

Zhang Xuan's mind was immediately plunged into chaos.

For the past few months, he had been cursing the young prodigy for being engaged to Luo Ruoxin and yet never being around for her, and if he could, he would have already pummeled him into the ground several times by now. Never had he thought that... the young prodigy would actually be him!

"No, that's not right. I've checked for the presence of the Zhang Clan bloodline in me as well, but it has been shown that there's no relationship between me and the Zhang Clan!" Zhang Xuan swiftly raised his rebuttal.

He had once wondered if he was from the Zhang Clan as well, and for that, he had even 'borrowed' Zhang Jiuxiao's blood essence to conduct a blood test. The result from that test showed that there was absolutely no relationship between him and the Zhang Clan at all!

Taking a step back, even if that blood test was inaccurate, he did enter the Zhang Clan's Blood Reservoir at one point in time, but he did not feel the slightest resonance with it at all. All of the clues went to show that there was no relationship between him and the Zhang Clan. So, how could Sword Saint Xing possible be his father?

"The matter concerning your Zhang Clan bloodline has serious implications, so I'll explain it to you when we are in a more private setting. However, if you still harbor any doubts regarding the matter, you can verify your blood with my wife. Even if you have lost your Zhang Clan bloodline, your mother's blood should still flow through your veins!" Sword Saint Xing said as he gestured for Sword Saint Meng to come over.

Sword Saint Meng could tell that the two men had been communicating telepathically with one another, so she swiftly flew over with an agitated look on her face.

Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before asking, "How do we conduct the test?"

Given Sword Saint Xing's strength and standing, there was no need for him to cook up such a lie. Furthermore, to point out that there was a scarlet birthmark on his bottom, while that might not be conclusive evidence, it might be good to check it. Whether it was real or not, at least there would be some closure for him and the Xingmeng Sword Saints.

Otherwise, this matter would weigh on their minds.

If, by chance, he really happened to be the missing young prodigy, there would no longer be anyone to stop him from marrying Luo Ruoxin. Everything would fall into place, and it would be a happy ending.

Of course, it would be a little awkward for him to suddenly find himself with two parents, but perhaps because he had been an orphan in his previous life as well, he was not too put off by the notion of it. It would not be too difficult for him to accept the matter with time.

Even if that was not the case, it would not make any difference to his plans anyway. After the other party apologized to him, he would have nothing to do with the Zhang Clan anymore. The current him already wielded sufficient power and influence to stand against the Luo Clan and the Zhang Clan.

If they were not willing to budge, he would just have to force them. This was one matter that he simply was not willing to relent on.

"Give me a droplet of your blood!" Sword Saint Meng told Zhang Xuan telepathically.

Zhang Xuan tapped his finger forward, and a droplet of blood flew forth from his fingertip. Taking in a deep breath, Sword Saint Meng took out a jade token and carefully placed the blood droplet on it. After which, she made a small incision on her finger and squeezed out a droplet of blood on the jade token as well.

Weng!

As the two droplets of blood made contact with one another, they swiftly fused together. With a light buzzing sound, the jade token exuded a blinding crimson light.

"T-this..." Sword Saint Meng's eyes immediately reddened, and her body trembled from agitation. "Your name is Zhang Xuan, right? My son, I have finally found you!"

"..." Zhang Xuan was still in a dumbfounded state. He turned his gaze toward the jade token to examine it closely.

He recognized the artifact—it was a tool used to test one's bloodline. Those who had direct blood relations would not only have their blood droplets fusing together, the jade token would also emanate a blinding crimson light.

In other words... he had direct blood relations with Sword Saint Meng!

Could this mean that he was really the son of the Xingmeng Sword Saints?

So, he was the very same young prodigy whom he had hated with a passion.

Could this be the will of heavens? Not only was Yang shi, whom he had mentioned on a whim, a real person, even his fate with Luo Ruoxin was also predestined.

Sword Saint Xing was also stunned by the results before he took in a deep breath and burst into hearty laughter. "Hahaha, we have finally found him!"

He had still been uncertain before this. After all, what were the odds of finding the son whom they had lost many years back amid the massive Master Teacher Continent? However, seeing the two droplets of blood fusing perfectly with one another, even this final sliver of doubt vanished from the bottom of his heart.

After the two men were done fighting with one another, they had begun communicating telepathically with one another. Then, all of a sudden, everyone had become agitated at once. Unable to take the suspense any longer, Ren Qingyuan hurriedly asked, "Sword Saint Xing, what's wrong?"

"Pavilion Master Ren, our Zhang Clan shall drop all enmity with Zhang Xuan! We'll no longer pursue the previous matters... Also, I hope that the Master Teacher Pavilion will sell our Zhang Clan a favor and retract the arrest warrant!" Sword Saint Xing clasped his fist.

"You want us to retract the arrest warrant? This..." Ren Qingyuan could hardly believe what he was hearing.

Previously, it was the Zhang Clan who had stirred the pot the most violently. Why would they suddenly drop the matter and even request him to retract the arrest warrant?

"Once the Master Teacher Pavilion issues an arrest warrant, it cannot be retracted easily, unless... there are some kind of unique circumstances. What has happened?" Ren Qingyuan asked once more.

If the Master Teacher Pavilion issued and retracted its arrest warrant lightly, that would be as good as undermining the authority of its words.

Even if they wanted to retract it, they would have to find a valid reason to do so!

It was not so cheap as to be retracted after the two of them fought a battle and decided to make peace!

"Zhang Xuan is the missing young prodigy of my Zhang Clan! We have just verified it with a blood test, so there's no mistake about it!" Sword Saint Xing said.

"Our teacher is... the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?"

Zheng Yang and the others stared at one another in shock.

They had followed their teacher ever since their time in the Tianxuan Kingdom, and they were painfully aware just how poor their teacher was. He had slowly paved his way forward with his own strength, having no one to rely on at all. How in the world did he become one of the core members of the Zhang Clan within such a short period of time?

Not to mention, the legendary figure who was born as a Connate Saint, the young prodigy!

With an incredulous look on his face, Zhang Wuheng roared in disbelief, "That's impossible! I tested his bloodline, and he definitely has no relationship with the Zhang Clan at all!"

"Zhang Wuheng, are you insinuating that I can't even recognize my own son?" Sword Saint Xing harrumphed coldly. "As the First Elder of the Zhang Clan, you actually tried to assassinate and issued an arrest warrant on your own clan head... Return to the clan right now and await your punishment! Don't force me to make a move!"

"I..." Zhang Wuheng staggered weakly on the spot, and his face became ghastly pale.

If Zhang Xuan was truly the young prodigy, that would mean that he was the real clan head of the Zhang Clan! Even as the First Elder, the crime for attempting to kill the head of the Zhang Clan was more than enough to put him to death multiple times!

"He's your son?" Ren Qingyuan widened his eyes in disbelief as well.

He had run a check on Zhang Xuan's background before issuing the arrest warrant, and it was stated that the young man was an orphan from the Tianxuan Kingdom, having no background at all. Yet, in the blink of an eye, they were actually telling him that he was the head of the Zhang Clan.

If that was true, the Zhang Clan was perfectly justified in requesting for the retracting of the arrest warrant!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1550: Sword Saint Meng's Temper

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Indeed, there's no mistake about this!" Sword Saint Xing roared in laughter, his delight showing clearly on his face.

Ever since his son disappeared, they had traveled far and wide in search of him. The past twenty years had not been easy for them at all; they had lived in trepidation, uncertain of the fate of their child. It was fortunate that the heavens had not abandoned them yet—they had managed to find their child in the end!

Furthermore, not only had their child managed to grow to become an outstanding individual wielding power stronger than them, the students that he had groomed had also become powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. With such a son, what more could they wish more for?

All of a sudden, they felt as if they were the most blissful people in the world.

Ren Qingyuan pondered for a moment before replying. "Since your Zhang Clan has decided to make peace with Zhang Xuan, and he's the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan as well, it would indeed be illogical for the Zhang Clan to continue pursuing this matter... If the other two powers are willing to settle this matter peacefully, I have no qualms with retracting the arrest warrant!"

Were it anyone else, even if both parties had decided to settle the matter peacefully, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely have made him pay a hefty price. However... the five students that Zhang Xuan had raised were the head of the Poison Hall, an expert of the soul oracles, the future hall master of the Combat Master Hall, the young master of the Yuan Clan, and the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild... and now, it had even been revealed that Zhang Xuan himself was the head of the Zhang Clan.

Even the Master Teacher Pavilion would find it difficult to punish such a person!

Before they could even lay a finger on him, more than a dozen 9-star master teachers of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had already been incapacitated. If they insisted on dealing with Zhang Xuan, even if they won the war, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely be in shambles afterward!

By requesting for the arrest warrant to be retracted, Sword Saint Xing had effectively provided a platform for the Master Teacher Pavilion to back out of this mess without suffering a heavy hit to its reputation. Naturally, there was no reason for him not to grab this opportunity.

"Simple!" Chuckling softly, Sword Saint Xing turned to You Ruoxin and said, "Elder Ruo, we were once sparring partners, and I already consider you an old acquaintance of mine. Will you be willing to sell me this favor and let this matter go? I'll surely pay you a visit in the future and compensate the Glacier Plain Court's loss!"

"Sword Saint Xing, this is no longer a matter about compensating our loss anymore but our dignity!" You Ruoxin harrumphed furiously. "So what if he's the young prodigy of the Glacier Plain Court? He has destroyed the many millenniums of heritage of our Glacier Plain Court and kidnapped our young court chief! The grudge between the Glacier Plain Court and him is already irreconcilable!"

With the severe damage that it had suffered this time around, along with the loss of its future court chief, it was only a matter of time before the Glacier Plain Court was reduced to a third tier power.

A power that had enjoyed many millenniums of glory had ended up falling so far in her hands...

The greatest pride in her life was when she had been chosen to become the First Elder of the Glacier Plain Court. She had become a celebrated figure on the Master Teacher Continent, respected wherever she went. However, beneath this glorious exterior, she knew that she had to shoulder the hopes and dreams of everyone in the Glacier Plain Court. Thus, she had vowed solemnly to bring the Glacier Plain Court to a height that it had never seen before, and she viewed it as her purpose in life.

But that day, when everything had been destroyed by lightning, her hopes and dreams had been utterly crushed, and all that was left was raging fury for the culprit behind it.

As such, even though she knew that the winds were no longer in her favor, her anger and indignation still bit tightly into her rational mind, not allowing her to let this matter go.

Seeing the infuriated state that You Ruoxin was in, Sword Saint Xing was just about to placate her when another wrathful voice sounded.

"So what if it's irreconcilable? Are you planning to make a move on my son? Just try touching a strand of his hair, and I'll make sure the entire City of Glacier is dyed crimson. My son might have been kind enough to only destroy your buildings, but I won't be as compassionate as him! If you don't back down here, you can rest assured that there won't be a tomorrow for your Glacier Plain Court!"

The one who had just spoken was Sword Saint Meng.

She had just been rejoicing over the fact that her son was still alive when You Ruoxin suddenly uttered such words. Seeing that there was someone threatening the life of her son, how could she possibly remain calm?

It was only in view of the pathetic state the Glacier Plain Court was in that she chose to let them off despite their attempts to kill her son. Yet, who could have thought that they would still be so unrelenting on this matter?

Why? Do you think that my son is a pushover or that I'm a pushover?

"I know that I'm no match for Sword Saint Meng, and if you wish to massacre our Glacier Plain Court, there's nothing I can do to stop you. But justice is in the hearts of every single one of us here. The Zhang Clan might be powerful, but the world won't turn a blind eye to you abusing your power in such a manner!" You Ruoxin gritted her teeth.

"Sure, let the world look with their eyes wide open as I massacre your Glacier Plain Court!" Seeing how You Ruoxin was still trying to play the role of a victim after what she had done, Sword Saint Meng flew into a state of rage.

In this moment, she was not in any mood to catch up with Zhang Xuan anymore. She raised the sword in her hand up high, ready to make a move on You Ruoxin.

Seeing his wife flying into a fit of anger, Sword Saint Xing was shocked. He hurriedly rushed ahead to stop her. "Dear, calm down! Calm down!"

You Ruoxin might not pose any threat to them at all, but she represented the entire Glacier Plain Court. If she was killed right before Ren Qingyuan and the others, not even the Zhang Clan would be able to resolve this matter easily.

"Are you still a man? Someone is bullying your son! It's one thing for you to not stand up for him, but you are even stopping me too?" Sword Saint Meng's eyebrows shot up in fury.

"I..." Sword Saint Xing's face turned bitter. "Look, aren't I trying to mediate the situation here?"

"If mediation works, why the hell would we still need to cultivate?" Sword Saint Xing flung her sleeves furiously. "If she doesn't agree to it, we just have to beat her into submission! I, Wang Mengya, have dominated the continent for so many years, and I can tell you that my fist and my sword have won others over, not my virtue! If anyone dares oppose me, I'll just have to beat them till they cave in!"

"This..." Sword Saint Xing's eyebrows twitched uncontrollably, not knowing how to respond to that.

He knew his wife's character very well; in fact, her hotheaded temper had thrown the Zhang Clan into disarray on multiple occasions in the past too. If You Ruoxin continued pursuing this matter, there was no doubt that his wife would really wipe out the entire Glacier Plain Court!

"Our teacher's mother sure is formidable..."

Zheng Yang and the others gulped as they watched the sight with widened eyes.

To threaten to even destroy the entire Glacier Plain Court... It was no wonder their teacher was never on the losing end of things! With such domineering genes in his body, it was a given that those who intended him harm would end up paying the price instead!

Zhang Xuan's eyebrows twitched slightly upon hearing those words as well.

To be honest, he had still been a bit skeptical about the sudden appearance of his father and mother. He had never experienced any familial relationships before, be it in his current life or the previous one, so he had no idea how it would be. However, watching at Sword Saint Meng stepping forward domineeringly to protect him, he suddenly felt that it might not be that bad after all.

"Sword Saint Meng, please calm down. Fighting will not resolve anything here..." Ren Qingyuan stepped in to defuse the situation.

"Hah! Ren Qingyuan, you still have the cheek to say those words!" Sword Saint Meng immediately turned her head over and glared daggers at Ren Qingyuan. "Since you know that fighting won't resolve anything, why did you bring so many 9-star master teachers here to encircle my son? Is it because he looks weak to you? Since you want to speak up on You Ruoxin's behalf, why don't you take her place instead then? I haven't settled the score with you for making a move on my son yet!"

"Cough cough... Carry on, carry on. Treat it as if I never said anything..." Ren Qingyuan's hair stood on end upon hearing those words.

Sword Saint Meng was like a bucket of oil, triggering at the slightest spark. Her character had already been so back in her younger years. Back when she was still a student at the Sanctum of Sages, she had caused many uproars among the student populace, and when the elders lectured her for it, she simply told them that she would quit the Sanctum of Sages and stomped out without any hesitation. Many had thought that she would tone down after marrying and having her own child, but who could have thought that not even time or motherhood could calm her temper!

And if it was only Sword Saint Meng, Ren Qingyuan still would not have been that fearful. The problem lay in Sword Saint Xing... If the two of them collaborated together, he really would not stand much of a chance!

As the head of the Zhang Clan, Sword Saint Xing was an intelligent and rational person who knew what to do and what not to do in a situation, but when it came to matters concerning his wife, his rationality would be blown away like a straw hut in the face of a hurricane. There was no one among the upper echelon of the Master Teacher Continent who did not know how doting he was of his wife, and if anyone dared hurt her, he would immediately go berserk!

Back then, while they were roaming the continent, there had been an elder from a minor power who was foolish enough to insult Sword Saint Meng. Without any hesitation, Sword Saint Xing had flown right over to his sect and wiped it out entirely!

In any case, it would be best to avoid provoking this couple as much as possible.

"Sword Saint Meng, I know that you are strong, but our Glacier Plain Court won't back down! Unless you kill every single last one of us, there's no way we'll let this matter go!" You Ruoxin spat as she looked at Sword Saint Meng with deep resolve.

She knew that her deeds would earn the ire of the young court chief, and she would suffer the consequences for her actions once the court chief fully awakened her Pure Yin Body, but as long as the Glacier Plain Court could rise to the top, her sacrifice would have paid off.

However, Zhang Xuan had reduced the Glacier Plain Court to rubble and kidnapped the young court chief, dashing every last hope that she had. Her desire for vengeance had already exceeded her fear for anything.

Even at the cost of her life, she was determined to bring Zhang Xuan down!

"Very well, let me see how deep your resolve runs!" Seeing that You Ruoxin was still obstinately holding on, Sword Saint Meng raised her sword high in the sky.

But in that moment, a cold voice suddenly echoed in the air.

"Sword Saint Meng, please calm down. Allow me to settle this matter instead..."

Hong long!

As soon as those words were spoken, the cocoon-like object in front of Zhang Xuan suddenly emanated an astounding aura that pierced straight through the clouds, seemingly tearing the heavens apart.

Zhao Ya's meridian reconstruction was complete!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1551: The True Sanctum Head (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Y-young court chief!"

Upon hearing that voice, You Ruoxin's eyes narrowed in shock. She quickly turned her gaze over, only to see the cocoon blasting apart layer after layer. At the same time, the Otherworldly Demon aura that was emanated a moment ago swiftly transformed into a pure yin aura, and it felt as if everything within tens of thousands of li would be turned into ice under the aura.

Hu!

A slender figure burst forth from the cocoon and rose into the air. The surrounding spiritual energy swiftly surged toward her, forming a huge vortex with her at its center. At the same time, the water vapor in the air formed into a glistening icy robe around her, emanating a bone-freezing chill.

"That is... the perfect awakening of the Pure Yin Body?" You Ruoxin's body stiffened in astonishment.

While the preceding court chiefs had managed to awaken their Pure Yin Bodies, most of them had still been far from achieving a perfect awakening.

There was a legend in the Glacier Plain Court that if one achieved a perfect awakening of the Pure Yin Body, one would be able bring frost to over ten thousand li with just a wave of one's hand. It would not pale in comparison even against the Innate Poison Body; if anything, its prowess might exceed it even!

Even the founder of the Glacier Plain Court had failed to achieve this level, only barely managing to awaken it through the reconciliation of yin and yang. Who could have thought that Zhao Ya would actually successfully awaken it!

Did her meridians not collapse completely, causing her cultivation to be destroyed?

What in the world happened?

"It's our First Senior!"

Zheng Yang and the others clenched their fists in agitation.

"Not bad..." Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Using the new meridian network to reconstruct Zhao Ya's meridians was a risky move, but it had paid off. Not only had her cultivation been restored, her Pure Yin Body had also been fully awakened. With this, she would be able to push her cultivation up to an unfathomable level.

It was fortunate that his effort had not been in vain.

"It's me!"

As the vortex of spiritual energy vanished, the young lady's figure appeared before everyone's eyes. She wore a robe made purely out of white snow, and the cold air in the surroundings seemed to bend to her will, as if she was the overlord of ice.

You Ruoxin watched the imposing figure in a daze for a moment before hurriedly falling to her knees. "You Ruoxin pays respect to the new court chief of the Glacier Plain Court..."

With the complete awakening of her Pure Yin Body, Zhao Ya would be officially viewed as the court chief of the Glacier Plain Court. This was the rule that had been passed down by the ancestors.

Not to mention, Zhao Ya had even achieved a perfect awakening! With this, there was no longer anyone in the Glacier Plain Court—and this was including the wills of the preceding court chiefs—who would dare oppose her!

"Very well, it seems like you still recognize me as your court chief. Right now, I shall make my decree!" With her hands behind her back, Zhao Ya gazed down coldly on You Ruoxin. "From this day forth, my teacher, Zhang Xuan, will be the greatest benefactor of the Glacier Plain Court. Any disciples of the Glacier Plain Court must accord him with the respect toward a teacher. Should anyone fail to abide by this decree, she shall be expelled from the Glacier Plain Court and executed upon sight!"

"Yes, court chief!" You Ruoxin replied with a forceful yet slightly quivering voice.

"My teacher has devoted his time and effort in order to awaken my unique constitution, but you abused your authority and influence to frame him for sins that he hasn't committed, compelling the Master Teacher Pavilion to issue an arrest warrant on him. I hereby order for You Ruoxin to be imprisoned in the Chanting Serenity Hall, and she's not to leave the compounds without my command!" Zhao Ya spat coldly.

"Also, you are to release my mother and return her freedom!"

Her mother had been imprisoned by the First Elder for willfully escaping from the Glacier Plain Court. Now that she had become the court chief and wielded unparalleled authority, it went without saying that the first thing that she should do was have her released!

"Yes, court chief!" You Ruoxin hurriedly nodded.

"Very well, go on and execute my orders!" Zhao Ya waved her hand authoritatively.

You Ruoxin might have been hostile to her and her mother previously, but her loyalty to the Glacier Plain Court was unquestionable. Zhao Ya had no doubt that You Ruoxin would abide by her commands now that she had become the court chief.

Thus, she turned her sight to Ren Qingyuan and said, "Pavilion Master Ren, I believe that you should have heard my decree as well. Zhang Xuan is my teacher and my benefactor, and the Glacier Plain Court will do everything within its means to protect him, even if it means going against the Master Teacher Pavilion. I ask of you to reconsider your options!"

"This..." Ren Qingyuan's eyebrows shot up.

Who could have thought that the court chief of the Glacier Plain Court would actually become his student too?

The Glacier Plain Court, the Poison Hall, the Zhang Clan, the Spirit Awakener Hall, the Combat Master Hall, the Yuan Clan... Those were behemoths that could send tremors running through the Master Teacher Continent just with a stomp of their feet, and yet, they had all bowed to the command of a single man.

"Zhan shi..." Sighing helplessly, Ren Qingyuan turned his sight to the deputy sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages and asked, "The Glacier Plain Court and the Zhang Clan have already expressed their intentions to reconcile with Zhang shi. May I ask what the stance of your Sanctum of Sages is?"

"I..." Zhan shi lowered his gaze in a dilemma.

This was really a difficult position for him to be in.

The Sanctum of Sages was indubitably weaker than both the Glacier Plain Court and the Zhang Clan, but it still had to uphold its long legacy as the number one academy where countless powerhouses had originated from. Considering the devastation that had occurred to it, if they let the matter go so simply, what right would they have to serve as the teachers of the geniuses of the world?

More importantly, he would not be able to face those injured elders back in the sanctum either!

"If I drop the matter at this, the preceding generations of sanctum heads will never forgive me... So, I can only stake my life in the end. Even if I die from this, at the very least, I won't have let the ancestors down!" Zhan shi said resolutely.

He could chicken out, but the Sanctum of Sages could not!

If others learned that the Sanctum of Sages had bowed down to another person, even if the other party was the head of the Zhang Clan and had many formidable experts, what authority would it have left?

"This..." Knowing Zhan shi's thoughts, Ren Qingyuan also did not know what he could say to dissuade the other party.

Zhang Xuan was a student of the Sanctum of Sages, yet he had refused to abide by its orders and even injured the elders and the deputy sanctum head, not to mention that he had destroyed many buildings. If they let this matter go just like that, the Sanctum of Sages would really lose its dignity!

"Given that even Sword Saint Xing isn't your match, there's no way that I'll be able defeat you either." Zhan shi flew into the air and declared resoundingly, "Zhang shi, I have brought the Deputy Sanctum Head Token here, and as long as you withstand its attack, the Sanctum of Sages will let this matter go!"

"Deputy Sanctum Head Token?"

"That's right," Zhan shi said. "This token represents my identity, and it harnesses the wills of the predecessors. It's one of the Guardian Artifacts of the Sanctum of Sages, which only generations of deputy sanctum heads are qualified to wield. I wouldn't be a match for you given my limited cultivation, but through the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, I will still be able to put up a fight against you. If you are able to withstand my strength even then, it can only mean that you are already beyond the Sanctum of Sages' current means to deal with, and there will be no purpose in it pursuing this matter any longer!"

Zhan shi did not think that it was too likely that he would be able to defeat Zhang Xuan even with the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, but this was something that had to be done in order to make the Sanctum of Sages' stance clear.

If he was still unable to defeat Zhang Xuan with the strength of the Deputy Sanctum Head, that would mean that even the predecessors were unable to defeat him. It would show that while the Sanctum of Sages had no choice but to back down due to its lack of strength, by no means had it grown cowardly or lost its dignity!

"Alright!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He was currently invincible against all beneath Ancient Sage, so no matter how powerful the Deputy Sanctum Head Token was, he was confident that he would be able to withstand it with ease.

"Good."

Zhan shi tapped his finger forward, and a token emanating a faint violet glow appeared before him.

Zhan shi bit his finger, and a droplet of blood fell on it. In an instant, the token turned burningly hot, and a powerful, formidable aura burst forth from it.

Countless experts had risen from the Sanctum of Sages over its many years of history, and it was with their wills that the Deputy Sanctum Head Token was created. While it came nowhere close to matching up to the real Sanctum Head Token, its power was not to be underestimated.

Noticing the hint of the anxiety of Sword Saint Meng's face, Sword Saint Xing grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly. "Rest assured, given that even I am no match for him, he should be fine..."

"Go!"

Boom!

Under Zhan shi's control, the Deputy Sanctum Head Token released a light buzz, and unbelievable burst of energy shot forth from it. Even before reaching its target, the space in its path was already crumbling inch after inch.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1552: The True Sanctum Head (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Not bad!"

In face of the immense pressure exerted by the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, Zhang Xuan did not panic in the least. Instead, with a light smile, he raised his finger in preparation to deal with the attack before him.

In this moment, he had already fully reconstructed Zhao Ya's meridians, so there was no longer any need for him to remain seated on the ground. Straightening his back, he swiftly drove the energy within his body, intending to seal of the space ahead of him to seal the advancement of the Deputy Sanctum Head Token. However, before he could do so, his eyes suddenly narrowed, and his body stiffened in horror.

"Cr*p..." he muttered.

Following that, he felt strength receding from his body like an ebbing tide, vanishing in an instant. At the same time, his spirit also seemed to have been sapped from his body, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

At this crucial moment, the power that he had gained from the Pavilion Master Seal actually vanished!

Could this be what Kong shi wanted to say previously, that the power only lasts ten minutes? Zhang Xuan nearly burst into tears on the spot.

The unreliable Kong shi had vanished without explaining the use of the Pavilion Master Seal, and it was the first time that he had used it as well. He had thought that he would still have enough time in order to overcome the current crisis, but who could have thought that he would only have a short ten minutes!

It would have been perfectly simple for him to deal with this attack when he was infused with the strength from the Pavilion Master Seal, but now that it had disappeared, as a Dimension Sundering realm primary stage cultivator, he might just end up being squashed into meat paste!

Boom!

Such thoughts swiftly flashed across his mind before vanishing. By this point, the token had already arrived right before him.

Geji Geji!

Even under the pressure of the token, he could already feel his bones creaking in protest, and his head was squeezed to the point that it seemed almost as if it would burst at any moment. Any more than that, and he would really be exceeding the limits of his body.

It looks like I can only try to escape...

Knowing that the current him did not wield the strength to overcome the Deputy Sanctum Head Token, Zhang Xuan took a deep breath and prepared to flee.

However, as he was about to do so, a brilliant light suddenly glowed from his body, and following which, the imposing token charging at him in the sky started vibrating intensely.

Padah!

It fell to the floor and lay down on the ground, not daring to raise itself in the slightest, almost as if a servant paying respects to its master.

"This..." Zhang Xuan was struck dumb for a moment before discreetly heaving a sigh of relief.

The close shave with death earlier had already left his back drenched with sweat.

While he was still trying to make sense of the situation that had just happened, in the sky, Zhan shi narrowed his eyes in shock after seeing what had happened, and his face immediately turned utterly pale.

Despite not exerting the slightest strength, he was still able to force the Deputy Sanctum Head Token to bow subserviently to him... There is only one possibility for such an occurrence—the Deputy Sanctum Head Token has viewed Zhang Xuan to be a person more esteemed than me and dares not make a move on him! However, the Deputy Sanctum Head Token harnesses the wills of countless experts, and to make them bow so deferentially... could it be that... But how could that be possible? Isn't it Feng Ziyi? How could it be him?

Zhan shi shook his head vehemently in disbelief.

There was only one thing in the world that could make the Deputy Sanctum Head Token submit completely, and that was the Sanctum Head Token!

While they had learned that Sage Kui had chosen a new sanctum head candidate recently, they had always thought that the person was Feng Ziyi. Yet, contrary to their expectations, it turned out to be Zhang Xuan instead!

After all the mess and damage that you have caused to the Sanctum of Sages... After making an enemy out of the entire Sanctum of Sages... Are you seriously telling me now that you are actually the sanctum head?

This massive shock left him feeling as if he would explode on the spot.

Since you are the sanctum head, the entire Sanctum of Sages is yours... Why did you cause such a huge fuss then?

How is this different from destroying your own home?

In his moment of distress, Zhan shi turned his head and saw Zhang Wuheng, and all of a sudden, he felt much better.

Indeed, no matter how vicious Zhang Xuan had been with the Sanctum of Sages, at the very least, it was not as bad as with the Zhang Clan. The fellow would go to the extent of destroying his real home, let alone the Sanctum of Sages!

The dismal Zhan shi could not take it any longer and sent a telepathic message over. "Zhang shi, you are the sanctum head..."

"Yeah." Zhang Xuan nodded.

After receiving the Sanctum Head Token, Sage Kui had warned him not to tell anyone of his identity until the three seals had been deciphered. However, in this case, it was Zhan shi who had guessed the truth himself, so it could not be considered a breach of the rules.

This was just like how Yang shi had guessed it back then on himself as well.

"As expected..." Hearing the confirmation, Zhan shi's body staggered weakly.

For a deputy sanctum head to actually issue an arrest warrant on the real sanctum head... that was truly a count of insubordination!

It was fortunate that Zhang Xuan had managed to get away then! Otherwise, if he had really killed the sanctum head, he would have become a great sinner!

Seeing that there was a lack of movement from Zhan shi after the Deputy Sanctum Head Token fell to the ground, Ren Qingyuan turned his gaze over and asked, "Zhan shi, are you admitting defeat?"

While the Deputy Sanctum Head Token had been launched with astounding force, it had fallen to the ground before it even reached Zhang Xuan. In the eyes of the outsiders, it appeared as if Zhan shi was intentionally going easy on him.

"I admit defeat!" Zhan shi hurriedly nodded.

"You said earlier that your grudge with him is irreconcilable, and yet, you went easy on him as soon as the battle started. Aren't you taking this matter too lightly? Is that all there is to the dignity of your Sanctum of Sages?" Elder Qu sneered coldly by the side.

The Glacier Plain Court and the Zhang Clan had already submitted so far. He had thought that at least the Sanctum of Sages would push its case to the very end, but who could have thought that it would be the one most lacking in backbone!

"Elder Qu, this is an internal affair of our Sanctum of Sages. An outsider like you should hold your tongue and refrain from interfering in our issues!" Zhan shi replied sharply before pocketing the Deputy Sanctum Head Token and backing away.

Then, he turned around to face the crowd from the Sanctum of Sages and declared, "From today onward, our Sanctum of Sages shall be under Zhang shi's leadership. His words are the very decree of the Sanctum of Sages itself, and if anyone dares oppose him, that person will be banished from the Sanctum of Sages and never to be recruited again!"

His voice resounded across the entire city, carrying a firm resolve behind it.

"This..."

"Zhan shi, even if you choose to let him off, surely our Sanctum of Sages hasn't lowered so much as to have to submit to a person like him!"

"Why? I can't accept this decree!"

The elders who had followed Zhan shi there looked at one another, flabbergasted by what they had just heard.

Even if you can't defeat Zhang shi, surely you didn't have to make the entire Sanctum of Sages bow down to him, right?

This is illogical!

"Do you want to know the reason?" Zhan shi asked.

"Yes, I want to know! Without a convincing reason, there's no way I can follow such an order!"

"Indeed! Even if our Sanctum of Sages isn't a match for him, we still can't bow to another man so easily, let alone someone like him!"

The elders of the Sanctum of Sages protested indignantly.

"Very well, I'll tell you the reason then..." Hearing those words, Zhan shi shook his head. With a resounding voice, he revealed the truth. "Zhang Xuan is our new sanctum head!"

"Our new sanctum head?"

"W-what does that mean?"

Everyone was stupefied.

"It means exactly what it sounds like. He's the sanctum head that Sage Kui has chosen, and that's why my Deputy Sanctum Head Token submitted to him, not daring to injure him. Naturally, as the real sanctum head, his authority over the Deputy Sanctum Head Token is greater than mine, so it heeded his orders instead!" Zhan shi said.

"Our sanctum head... But..."

All of the elders were not able to process the shocking revelation that they had just heard.

Not only them, Sword Saint Xing, Ren Qingyuan, and the others were also shocked silly as well, and they stared at Zhang Xuan as if they were looking at a monster.

The head of the Zhang Clan, the teacher of Glacier Plain Court's court chief, and now, he had another identity to his name... the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages!

From a man who the three powers had been dying to tear apart, within less than a single hour, he had become a man who commanded all three of them.

Could there be anything more dramatic than this?

"My son has become the head of the Sanctum of Sages?" The Xingmeng Sword Saints stared at one another with eyes widened in shock.

Just finding their son was able to bring them utmost bliss, but who could have thought that their son would be like a pile of mystery boxes, bringing them surprises from unexpected corners one after another!

"H-how is this possible?"

Elder Qu's body twitched, and before that moment, he had never felt so tearful in his life.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1553: Senior!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Elder Qu had never had a good impression of Zhang Xuan. The first time that they met at the conference room of the Glacier Plain Court, the young man had disguised himself as Yang shi and discreetly poisoned him. Everything that the young man had done was at odds with the conventions and formalities of the Master Teacher Pavilion, which only furthered his hostility for the young man.

As such, when he reported the matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he had intentionally exaggerated certain matters and twisted some facts in order to convince Pavilion Master Ren to issue an arrest warrant on the young man.

He had thought that with so many master teachers after him, that young man would never be able to get away. Yet, who could have thought that his students would suddenly appear, and each of them was stronger than the last!

But even if his students were powerful, as long as the three powers stayed united on the same front and insisted on punishing the young man, they would still have been able to get him in the end. Yet, moments later, he had been revealed as the true head of the Zhang Clan and the Sanctum of Sages. Even the court chief of the Glacier Plain Court turned out to be his student too.

At this rate, the Master Teacher Pavilion might really turn out to be young man's before he knew it!

He turned his head to look at the crowd. Every single person in the area had a dazed look on his face, completely shocked by the revelation.

"Hahaha! Well done, my son!" Sword Saint Xing's hearty laughter broke the silence.

"My son is a person bound for great things! Putting aside how you were at his age, even the current you can't match him!" Sword Saint Meng boasted proudly.

Her son had still been an infant when she lost him, and for the years after that, there had been many times that she had woken up frightened after dreaming of her son being put through all kinds of hardship and suffering, living a life worse than death.

But when they met once more, her son had already become the head of the Sanctum of Sages, and his students had all become powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, figures who could stand their own ground in the world without fearing anyone.

In fact, it might not be an exaggeration to say that he was one of the most influential figures on the Master Teacher Continent at this moment!

"I almost forgot! Son, to tell you the truth, we betrothed you to someone else before you were even born," Sword Saint Meng told Zhang Xuan hesitantly.

Then, she decisively turned her head to the First Elder of the Luo Clan, Luo Qingchen, and harrumphed. "Luo Qingchen, what should we do about the engagement then? I heard that your little princess already has someone whom she fancies. This doesn't seem to be what we have agreed on back then!"

"We'll go ahead with the marriage as soon as possible!" Hearing those words, a chuckle escaped from Luo Qingchen's mouth. "As for the person whom our little princess fancies, I suppose there won't be any problem with that anymore. You can ask Zhang shi about that; he should be clearer about that than any one of us here!"

Sword Saint Meng turned her gaze back to her son and asked doubtfully, "Do you know of the matter?"

She had heard rumors that the little princess of the Luo Clan had someone whom she liked, but as the Luo Clan had insisted that they would deal with the matter themselves, she still had no idea whom the little princess' lover was.

"This..." With a slightly awkward look on his face, Zhang Xuan scratched his head and replied, "If I'm not mistaken, her person whom she likes should be me."

"You?" Sword Saint Meng widened her eyes in bafflement.

"That's right!" Zhang Xuan nodded with a helpless smile.

Thinking back, the entire course of events seemed almost like a bad joke that the world was playing on them.

First, the Luo Clan had found out that the little princess had someone whom she liked and dispatched Luo Xuanqing to assassinate him. Afterward, Luo Xuanqing delegated the task to him, wanting him to do the deed on his behalf... And after several incidents, it turned out that he was actually the young prodigy that was supposed to marry the little princess!

In this moment, it felt as if he had been cheated of his emotions. If, in the first place, he was Luo Ruoxin's fiancé, why the heck did he need to undergo all that anxiety, desperation, and hostility over the past few months?

Everything would have simply ended with a happy ending with his identity exposed!

"Oh? When did you manage to seduce her? Quick, share the story with your mother..." Sword Saint Meng immediately cast aside her expert-like aura and put on her gossip face.

"Seduce... Can't you use a better phrase than that?" Zhang Xuan stared at Sword Saint Meng speechlessly before shaking his head. "Let's talk about that later. There's still a few more things that we have to settle first!"

After saying those words, he turned his sights to Luo Qingchen not too far away and said, "Elder Qingchen, since I am the young prodigy and the head of the Zhang Clan, your Luo Clan should be able to accept my relationship with the little princess, right? If that's the case, I believe that there shouldn't be any need for you to put her under house arrest anymore, am I right?"

"Of course!" Luo Qingchen hurriedly nodded.

Previously, he had still been afraid that the relationship that the little princess had outside would foil the Luo Clan's ties with the Zhang Clan. Who could have thought that the person whom she liked would so coincidentally be the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, whom she had an engagement with?

Since that was the case, why would the Luo Clan have to restrict their relationship anymore? Let their love take flight!

They would not bat an eye even if a baby popped out that instant!

Luo Qingchen stroked his beard as he asked Sword Saint Xing, "I'll return right now to ask for her release. When does your Zhang Clan intend to proceed on with the marriage?"

This future son-in-law of the Luo Clan was not only the head of the Zhang Clan but also the sanctum head of the Sanctum of Sages. On top of that, his students governed the Poison Hall, Combat Master Hall, Spirit Awakener Guild, Glacier Plain Court, and the Yuan Clan!

If the Luo Clan could ally together with those powers, its standing would be far stronger than before!

Naturally, they could not let go of such good son-in-law material. If possible, they would prefer the marriage to happen as soon as possible.

Otherwise, once news spread, who knew how many clans would attempt to betroth their daughters to the Zhang Clan?

"I'll first bring him back to the ancestral hall to acknowledge the ancestors before preparing the betrothal gifts to be sent over!" Sword Saint Xing replied.

The matrimony of the Zhang and the Luo Clan was extremely important. Initially, they had still been a little worried about how it would go, especially considering that the young prodigy was missing, and the little princess was reluctant. Such unhappiness could eventually culminate into a tragedy. Since all those problems had been resolved, and both parties were intent on getting together, it would be best to put them together as soon as possible.

"Very well. I'll head back to make preparations as well!" Luo Qingchen chuckled before bidding his farewell and leaving.

"Alright, we should be making a move!" Sword Saint Xing turned to Zhang Xuan with an expectant smile.

"This..." Knowing that his father was inviting him back to the Zhang Clan to acknowledge the ancestors, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment, but eventually, he still nodded in consent.

Since his previous self was really the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, there was no qualms with him acknowledging the ancestors of the Zhang Clan.

Besides, he had a very favorable view of his parents. He was not too certain how the relationship between a parent and a child should be like, but he could feel how protective they were of him. He was also fond of their decisive character, never allowing conventions or formalities to blindly guide their actions.

Just as the group was about to leave, Elder Qu suddenly stepped forward and bellowed, "Hold on a moment! You can't leave yet!"

"What's wrong?" Sword Saint Xing turned around and directed a hostile frown at Elder Qu.

"H-he has only resolved the problem concerning the three powers, but the conflict between him and the Master Teacher Pavilion hasn't been resolved yet!" Elder Qu exclaimed. "Look at the mess that his students have caused! The head of the Poison Hall, Wei Ruyan, has poisoned so many experts of our Master Teacher Pavilion, and the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, Wang Ying, has enchanted all of the Master Teacher Pavilions in the area, resulting in massive losses on our part. How should we settle this problem?"

"Indeed! There's the matter of the Pavilion Master Seal as well. Clan Head Zhang, I have to request you return it to me. This concerns the honor and prestige of our Master Teacher Pavilion!" Ren Qingyuan added.

"This..." Hearing the other party demanding the return of the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuan's face twitched slightly. He turned to Wei Ruyan and the others and said, "Ruyan, release the poison that you have placed on these master teachers! Wang Ying, get your spirit awakeners to place all of the buildings back to where they belong. As for the Pavilion Master Seal... pardon me, but I can't return it to you yet!"

"You can't return it to me? Why?" Ren Qingyuan frowned in displeasure.

"Rest assured! Since no one is able to tame the Pavilion Master Seal, no one will bother to steal it from him either. I really have no idea how you can find the courage in you to talk about honor and prestige after sullying my son's innocence. Come back to ask for it after you have reinstated his master teacher identity and restored his reputation!" Sword Saint Meng interjected impatiently.

"You..." Ren Qingyuan glared at Sword Saint Meng furiously.

"Pavilion Master Ren, we mustn't reinstate his master teacher identity! A master teacher must be virtuous in order to serve as a role model for the rest of the world. Just the fact that he dared pass off as Yang shi's student shows that he has absolutely no regard for the sanctity of lineage at all. We can't let someone who has blatantly crossed the rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion remain as a master teacher..." Elder Qu argued vehemently.

But before he could finish his words, the space ahead suddenly warped, and two figures came into appearance. One of them was an elder—Yang shi!

"Yang shi, you came at the perfect time! Zhang Xuan over here has claimed to be your student, and not only so, he even attempted to pass off as you..."

Seeing that it was Yang Xuan, Elder Qu immediately called out excitedly, only to see Yang shi walking up to Zhang Xuan and bowing with clasped fist. "Senior!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1554: Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (1)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Senior?"

It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Elder Qu, and his body wobbled unstably on the spot.

What the heck was going on?

Yang shi was not only the strongest cultivator in the entire Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he was also considered the most senior of them all as well. Despite being the deputy pavilion master, even Ren Qingyuan would still have to address Yang shi as his Senior Uncle.

One thing that Yang shi was known for was how forbidding he could become when it came to rules and formalities, so Elder Qu had thought that the other party would fly into a rage and teach Zhang Xuan a lesson once he heard of this matter.

But Yang shi simply walked straight up to Zhang Xuan, bowed to him, and addressed him as 'Senior'!

If Zhang Xuan is your senior, doesn't that make me... his junior?

Not only him, Ren Qingyuan nearly keeled over after hearing those words.

Having students as the head of the Combat Master Hall, chief of the Glacier Plain Court, master of the Poison Hall, leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild? Fine, I can accept that. His true identity being the head of the Zhang Clan? Alright, there might really be such a coincidence in the world... But to having Yang shi address him as his senior? What the heck?

When did the most senior member of the Master Teacher Pavilion become your junior?

Going down this road, doesn't this mean that all of the master teachers on the Master Teacher Continent are actually your juniors?

A mouthful of blood welled up at the back of Ren Qingyuan's throat, ready to spurt forth at any moment. He felt so stifled within that he might just explode from the inside.

Having served as the deputy pavilion master for several centuries, he had seen all kinds of geniuses and experts, but this was the first time that he had seen someone like that.

To be honest, he had intended for the Master Teacher Pavilion to be the first one to get to Zhang Xuan so that he could force the young man to spit out his secret to advancing his cultivation so swiftly. As for whether the young man should be punished or not, that was just a secondary concern of inconsequential importance. However, in the end... not only did he suffer trauma after trauma, the other party even became his Senior Uncle in the blink of an eye.

To have a twenty-year-old lad as his Senior Uncle... something felt very off!

Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng traded gazes too, and they could not help but gulp in shock.

They had thought that the greatest shocks were already over, but from the look of it, what they had encountered previously was nothing at all. To actually be Yang shi's senior, that was truly insanity!

If that was the case, would that not put them a generation more senior than Yang shi?

Paying no heed to the astounded crowd, Zhang Xuan shot a glance at the plump man following behind Yang shi, and after confirming that the latter was still fine, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"Young Master, I thought that I would never see you again..." Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, Sun Qiang immediately rushed forward, and tears and snot dribbled down his face.

It might just have been a single day, but not once in his life had he ever felt so frightened and helpless before.

When he heard Yang shi say that the Old Master did not truly exist, he had realized that he had been living in a web of lies all along. All of the confidence that he had built up collapsed in an instant, and his mind had nearly broken down.

He had no idea how he arrived in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, but he had found himself surrounded by many 9-star master teachers. Their words wielded some compelling power, forcing him to cultivate according to his words, and eventually, his cultivation had ended up going berserk. He had thought that he would really meet his end then, but who could have thought that Yang shi would return at that moment?

This time, Yang shi was much more amiable than before. Without the severity in his voice, the other party told him warmly that he had made a mistake and that his Young Master was actually his senior.

In that instant, Sun Qiang felt as if he had been pulled out from the abyss of despair and placed on cloud nine. All those twists had happened one another so quickly that he almost felt as if it was all a dream.

If not for the fact that they were in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, he would have really thought the Yang shi whom he had met there was a fake.

Seeing that the fellow had grown slightly plumper compared to when they last met, Zhang Xuan waved off Sun Qiang's agitation and instructed, "Make sure to cultivate properly in the future, got it?"

"Yes!" Sun Qiang hurriedly nodded.

Turning to his students, Zhang Xuan said, "Zheng Yang, I'll be leaving Sun Qiang in your hands. If he doesn't listen to your instructions, you are free to use the torture tools in the Combat Master Hall to force him to submit. Make sure to train him well!"

"Yes, Teacher!" Zheng Yang clasped his fist. After which, he turned his gaze to Sun Qiang and chuckled softly. "Uncle Sun, this way please!"

Hearing that he would have to cultivate, Sun Qiang's agitation swiftly waned, and it did not take long for him to become completely spiritless.

After dealing with Sun Qiang, Zhang Xuan turned to Yang shi and said, "I have troubled you, Junior!"

"There's no need to stand on ceremony! It's my pleasure to be able to do something for you," Yang shi replied.

Seeing how the number one expert in the world was so courteous to Zhang Xuan, the Xingmeng Sword Saints remained in their stunned state.

"You're too polite!"

Given that he was a Celestial Master Teacher, Zhang Xuan was not too surprised by the incredibly respectful attitude that Yang shi was treating him with. However, he shot a glance toward the latter to gesture for him to be low profile.

The sharp Yang shi swiftly understood the gesture, and his face reddened a little. After which, he turned his gaze to Zhao Ya and nodded in amazement. "Incredible! Senior, your means are indeed formidable. It hasn't been long since I left, but Zhao Ya has already fully recovered, and her cultivation has even advanced a notch..."

He had checked on Zhao Ya's personally, and he knew that all of her meridians had ruptured. Even with his abilities, he would have had no way of treating her at all. Yet, this senior of his had only taken two hours to completely heal her. As expected of a Celestial Master Teacher, his means were indeed unfathomable!

Zhang Xuan was silent for a moment before recalling that he had not resolved the problem concerning the Pavilion Master Seal yet. He turned back to Ren Qingyuan and said, "Pavilion Master Ren, it's not that I don't want to return the Pavilion Master Seal to you, but..."

"I was the one who asked my senior to take possession of the Pavilion Master Seal," Yang shi abruptly interjected. "Ren Qingyuan, you issued an arrest warrant without careful investigation, placing the Master Teacher Pavilion's impartiality and capability under question. With what you have done, if you continue holding onto the Pavilion Master Seal, you'll only diminish the Master Teacher Pavilion's authority and honor!"

"I... I understand..." Knowing that he was at fault for this matter as well, Ren Qingyuan could only shake his head. He beckoned the elders behind him and said, "Let's go!"

After mobilizing such a huge group of 9-star master teachers simultaneously, who would have thought that the matter would end in such a manner?

"Hold it right there!"

The master teachers barely managed to move a few steps before the crowd from the Combat Master Hall abruptly surrounded all of them.

Ren Qingyuan turned to Zheng Yang and asked with a livid expression, "Progeny of Combat, what do you mean by this?"

"You did manage to resolve your issues, but my teacher's matter isn't over yet! You pinned such a grievous crime on my teacher, ordered his arrest, and even attempted to take his life. If we hadn't come in time, you would have already killed him in cold blood! After sullying my teacher's reputation, trampling on his dignity, and trying to assassinate him... don't you think that it's too convenient for you to leave just like that?" Zheng Yang glanced at the master teachers coldly as the spear in his hand trembled with a buzz.

"Just because my teacher is compassionate enough to forgive the Master Teacher Pavilion doesn't mean that the rest of us are magnanimous enough to allow that. If you don't give us a good explanation today, don't dream about taking a single step out of here!" Wei Ruyan stepped forward as her poison aura billowed around her.

The Master Teacher Pavilion might have chosen to drop the arrest warrant on Zhang Xuan after he came to a peaceful agreement with the three powers, but that did not change the fact that the Master Teacher Pavilion had incompetently framed their teacher of crimes that he did not commit, sullying his innocence. There was no way that they could allow them to get away that easily!

Otherwise, their teacher's reputation would forever be stained by this incident!

Since they had gathered together to bring their teacher justice, they should go all the way. Otherwise, what if others attempted it again in the future?

Huala!

After those two spoke up, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Lu Chong, and the others also walked over to encircle the master teachers. Powerful auras burst forth from them, sending a clear message to the Master Teacher Pavilion that they would not be allowed to leave until they gave a satisfactory answer.

"This..." Ren Qingyuan's face twitched upon seeing this side.

When had the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters fallen so far as to be cornered in such a manner?

"Just what do you want?" a 9-star master teacher bellowed furiously.

"Nothing much, we just want you to apologize, and the apology must reach every single Master Teacher Pavilion on the continent. Also, throw in ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones, and we'll let this matter go!" Yuan Tao said.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1555: Apologize, Master Teacher Pavilion! (2)

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones?" The 9-star master teacher from before nearly exploded on the spot. "This is daylight robbery!"

The other 9-star master teachers also glared at Yuan Tao furiously.

Pinnacle spirit stones were an extremely rare commodity, such that not even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters had the ability to take out ten million or so pinnacle spirit stones. In their eyes, Yuan Tao's request was an insult to them!

"Daylight robbery? How could that be? We are all very reasonable people, and there's no way we'd resort to something as despicable as that!" Chuckling softly, Yuan Tao turned around and said, "Comrades, if they aren't able to take out that many pinnacle spirit stones, let's just make do with taking their storage rings. While their master teacher robes are specially tailored by the headquarters and are bound to be very expensive, let's spare their dignity and not strip them clean, alright? After all, we are reasonable people, not common thieves!"

"You..." Hearing those words, the crowd from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters nearly blacked out.

Is this still not considered daylight robbery?

You are worse than a common thief, do you not know that?

Unable to take it any longer, Ren Qingyuan turned to the young man idly watching the scene from afar and bellowed, "Zhang shi, is this your intention as well?"

"Alright, you lot should stop messing around!" Seeing how mischievous his students were, Zhang Xuan waved his hands helplessly and said, "Junior Qingyuan, pardon me. It seems like I have failed to keep my students in line!"

"Junior?" Ren Qingyuan's goosebumps rose upon hearing that term.

"The matter regarding the storage rings is of course a joke. However..." Placing his hands behind his back, Zhang Xuan said, "I stand by what my students have said. I, Zhang Xuan, have always lived by my principles. I wouldn't be so brazen as to say that I have never faulted, but I have always tried my best to uphold the virtues of a teacher.

"Yet, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has issued an arrest warrant on me, making me out to be an immoral villain who willfully caused damage and kidnapped others. If the Master Teacher Pavilion simply walks away after all the mistakes it has committed, I think that would really chill the hearts of the master teachers around the world!"

"You... Very well, I admit that I have done you wrong this time around, and I am willing to accept my punishment. Speak your mind. As long as it's something that the Master Teacher Pavilion can afford, I'll try my best to compensate you."

As furious as Ren Qingyuan was, he knew that what Zhang Xuan had said was right. Thus, he suppressed his anger and lowered his head.

"I don't ask of you to compensate me, but it happens that there's something that the Master Teacher Pavilion has that I am deeply interested in. Having governed the Master Teacher Continent for many years, the Master Teacher Pavilion has amassed countless cultivation technique manuals. To be honest, I have long desired to access your collection so as to further my studies. If the Master Teacher Pavilion could be so kind as to provide me with a copy of all of its cultivation technique manuals from the Dimension Sundering realm to just before the Ancient Sage realm, I would be extremely thankful!" Zhang Xuan said.

To him, there was no compensation that was as practical as cultivation technique manuals.

With those, he would be able to compile corresponding Heaven's Path Divine Art manuals and advance his cultivation swiftly.

"The cultivation technique manuals of the Master Teacher Pavilion are confidential, so I can't show them to an outsider. I will have to ask you to request something else of me," Ren Qingyuan replied.

One of the reasons that the Master Teacher Pavilion was able to remain at the top of the continent for so many years was due to its massive repository of top-notch secret arts. Knowledge would only be powerful in the right hands, so the Master Teacher Pavilion only imparted the cultivation technique manuals to those with exceptional talent and good character.

Furthermore, most of those secret arts were too domineering, such that without the guidance of the predecessors, not only would it be unlikely for one to master it, the chances of one's cultivation going berserk was extremely high as well. Even a 9-star master teacher would have to study the insights of the predecessors before carefully practicing it bit by bit.

Thus, there had never been an occasion when all of the secret arts were copied down and given to someone!

"I won't demand those cultivation techniques that are too profound or confidential. I'll just take those that the Master Teacher Pavilion is willing to impart to others, but I want as many of them as possible!" Zhang Xuan said.

While master teachers did embrace the idea of impartation to all without discrimination, there were limitations to how far they could do so. Most of the confidential secret arts passed down only within the lineages were extreme profound, and they would require special guidance in order to master.

Carelessly passing on their secret arts to others would only encourage others to incorrectly practice the secrets that they had devoted their lives to developing and refining, and that was not something that they wanted to see!

Back then, Kong shi had taught three thousand students and seventy-two direct disciples, and the cultivation techniques that he had imparted to each of them was different from one another.

The same went for Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others. In fact, when he lectured all of them together back when they were still in Hongtian Academy, he had only imparted the most basic knowledge concerning cultivation to them. Beyond that, he had always chosen to tutor each of them individually.

"This..." Hearing that Zhang Xuan did not require the more confidential cultivation techniques, Ren Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Very well then. However, I'd like to inform you beforehand that the Master Teacher Pavilion only has Saint 8-dan and 9-dan cultivation technique manuals... Beyond this realm, every cultivator will have to find their own way to forge a path forward, so there aren't any established cultivation techniques anymore. Furthermore, all of the cultivation technique manuals beyond the Saint realm that our Master Teacher Pavilion has are locked in the Azure Vault. If you wish to browse through it, you will have to enter the premises yourself!"

"This..." Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan shot a glance at Sword Saint Xing, and the latter confirmed Ren Qingyuan's words with a slight nod. Thus, he could only turn his gaze back and sigh helplessly. "Alright then!"

"We have quite a number of Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals on hand, so we can pass them over to you right now. As for the Saint 9-dan manuals, most of them are in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, so you will have to wait patiently for a moment as we copy them for you!" Ren Qingyuan said.

Considering the standing of the Master Teacher Pavilion, they would not stoop so low as to renege on their own words. Thus, Zhang Xuan gave a nod of agreement. "I understand."

So, Ren Qingyuan turned around and instructed, "Everyone, please pass all of the Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals that you have to me!"

"Yes, Pavilion Master Ren!"

The 9-star master teachers hurriedly took out their Saint 8-dan cultivation technique manuals, and they added up to several thousand books.

Ren Qingyuan stowed the books into a storage ring before passing them over to Zhang Xuan.

"Zhang shi, I'll take responsibility for the injustice that you have experienced today. Once I return to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, I'll resign from my position as the deputy pavilion master. I hope that this will be able to resolve the grudge that you have with the Master Teacher Pavilion."

Knee-deep in this mess, the Master Teacher Pavilion could no longer make a clean getaway from this matter. In order to restore the dignity and reputation of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Ren Qingyuan had no choice but to shoulder all of the blame so as to absolve the Master Teacher Pavilion.

But once he did that, there was no way that others would allow him to remain as the deputy pavilion master. Rather than be criticized by the masses afterward, he decisively chose to resign from his position.

After bowing deeply to Zhang Xuan and Yang shi, Ren Qingyuan left with all of the 9-star master teachers.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had not expected Ren Qingyuan to actually resign from his position over this matter, and he shook his head and sighed. At that moment, he suddenly recalled Yang shi's abrupt interjection earlier, so he turned a doubtful gaze over to the latter. "Junior..."

He had not told the other party anything about the Pavilion Master Seal, so why would the other party suddenly speak up on his behalf?

Knowing what he wanted to ask, Yang shi sent a telepathic message over. "As a Celestial Master Teacher, you should be able to easily tame the Pavilion Master Seal. The reason you are unwilling to hand it over is because you have already tamed it, and it has already fused into your palm in the form of three droplets, right?"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

It seemed like Yang shi did know about the Pavilion Master Seal, so there was no need for him to waste his breath explaining the matter to him.

"Through the power of the droplets, you will be able to wield power unmatched by those beneath Ancient Sage. If I'm not mistaken, you were planning to reveal your identity as the Celestial Master Teacher earlier, right?" Yang shi continued.

Zhang Xuan nodded before asking, "Is there anything wrong with that?"

The reason he had not dared to reveal his identity as a Celestial Master Teacher before was because he had been too weak. He had been afraid that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would devote its effort to assassinating him once they learned of the matter, and he did not feel safe entrusting his safety to others.

However, having tamed the Pavilion Master Seal, as long as he activated the power of the droplets, he would be able to wield strength unmatched by all beneath Ancient Sage! Surely, it should be fine for him to reveal his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher with the strength he currently possessed, should it not?

After all, he would be granted access to the massive trove of resources that the Master Teacher Pavilion had once he revealed his identity, thus allowing him to advance his cultivation faster than ever! Was there really a need for him to continue concealing the matter?

"Senior, I know what you are thinking, and I'll be very frank with you. We have recently found that one of the strongest Otherworldly Demonic Emperors is currently on the Master Teacher Continent," Yang shi said grimly. "At this point, we are still unable to confirm the intention behind this course of action. However, if the news concerning you being the Celestial Master Teacher is leaked now, there's no doubt that you will be in grave danger!"

"Grave danger? How powerful is the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor?" Zhang Xuan asked.

He was invincible among those beneath Ancient Sage, and while he was not too sure of the matter, it seemed like it was impossible for any cultivators to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore.

With that, there should be no one on the Master Teacher Continent who was more powerful than him!

"I'm afraid that the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor's cultivation has already reached..." Yang shi looked in the sky with an apprehensive frown on his face.

"Ancient Sage!"

Chapter 1556: The Secrets of the Master Teacher Continent

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Ancient Sage?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock, not daring to believe what he had heard. "Didn't you say that it's impossible for anyone to make a breakthrough beyond Ancient Sage anymore?"

Previously, Yang shi had stated that it was no longer possible for anyone to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage. Even he himself had reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, and the reason he had chosen to roam the world was to search for inspiration that could possibly allow him to make a breakthrough. Since that was the case, how could that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor be so powerful?

"When I said that he has reached Ancient Sage, I fear that's only a conservative estimate on my part." Yang shi shook his head worriedly. "There's a good chance that his cultivation is far higher than that!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was confused by the seeming contradiction in his words, Yang shi paused for a moment before explaining, "It's true that it's nigh impossible for cultivators to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, but the Otherworldly Demons are of a different level of existence from us humans. Given the difference in our constitutions, how they achieve a breakthrough is drastically different to how we break through, so I can't say for sure whether they are still able to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage or not. However, I can tell you for certain that this particular Otherworldly Demonic Emperor did not make a breakthrough in the last ten thousand years!"

"What do you mean by that?" Zhang Xuan was still unable to make sense out of what he was hearing.

If the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor did not make a breakthrough in the recent ten thousand years, did that not mean that the other party had already been an Ancient Sage ten thousand years ago?

But surely that could not be!

As powerful as Ancient Sages were, there was still a limit to their lifespan. Otherwise, Kong shi and his disciples would not have disappeared without a trace either!

"In fact, I suspect that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor could very well be the same one that fought with Kong shi back then!" Yang shi said with deeply narrowed eyes.

"The one that fought with Kong shi back then? T-this..." Zhang Xuan's eyes widened in shock. "But Kong shi departed from the continent tens of thousands of years ago, no?"

Was it really possible for the Otherworldly Demon Emperor who had fought with Kong shi tens of thousands of years ago to still be alive?

"In the first place, the Otherworldly Demons enjoy greater longevity than us humans, and they might have used some sort of secret art that allows them to hibernate for long periods of time. As such, we can't discount the possibility that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor is still alive!" Yang shi explained. "In fact, there are many powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent that have lived through the ages in such a way as well!"

Those words immediately rose a great storm in Zhang Xuan's heart.

It seemed like he had underestimated the Ancient Sages. He had thought that once a person reached the limits of their lifespan, whether they were a human or an Otherworldly Demon, they had no choice but to accept his death. Who would have thought that there would actually be such a secret art to extend their lifespan!

Then again, Vicious was the very embodiment of this. He had fought with Kong shi back then, but even tens of thousands of years later, he had still successfully been brought back to life.

He had no idea how powerful Vicious was in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but considering the high opinion that Yang shi had of that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor, they should be of equal standing at the very least. Given so, it should not come as much of a surprise that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor was still alive.

"My guess is that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor has sneaked into the Master Teacher Continent for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Currently, not even the Master Teacher Pavilion has been able to acquire any information concerning his whereabouts. As such, it would be best to remain prudent! You are only mankind's second Celestial Master Teacher, and if that Otherworldly Demon Emperor catches wind of your existence, I'm afraid that it will be difficult for us to stop him with our current strength!" Yang shi said worriedly.

"I understand..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

Given that he had hidden his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher for so long, he had no qualms with keeping it a secret a little bit longer.

Just that, he really did not expect the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe to still have such a powerful expert among them!

"But if the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor is that powerful, and the Master Teacher Continent no longer has any Ancient Sages, why hasn't the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe conquered it yet? It's their dream, isn't it?"

Considering that mankind was already without Kong shi and his disciples, it should not be too difficult for that Ancient Sage Otherworldly Demonic Emperor to lead his men over to conquer the Master Teacher Continent once more! That should be the rational course of action, should it not?

"They have tried to invade the Master Teacher Continent many times, but it isn't as easy as that. While it's possible for the Otherworldly Demons to slip through the seals in the Subterranean Galleries, they have to pay a heavy price for that. As such, it isn't easy for them to amass their armies in the Master Teacher Continent," Yang shi explained. "Furthermore, while no humans have been able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore, that doesn't mean that we don't have any Ancient Sages among us..."

"What?" Zhang Xuan blinked blankly, not following Yang shi's words.

If it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage, how could there still be any human Ancient Sage cultivators in the world?

"Didn't I say it earlier? There are many powerhouses on the Master Teacher Continent that have used a secret art to survive through the ages. In fact, the reason even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has to tread prudently around the Zhang Clan is because the Zhang Clan also has an Ancient Sage who survived in such a way! However, the Ancient Sages are in a state of hibernation most of the time, and only when the Master Teacher Continent is truly in danger will they be awakened!" Yang shi replied.

"The Zhang Clan... also has an Ancient Sage?" Zhang Xuan was shocked.

He had always thought that the strongest experts in the Zhang Clan were Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng. Who could have thought that they would actually have such a powerful trump card?

"Indeed. This is one of the greatest secrets of the continent, and only 9-star master teachers are qualified to learn of the matter. Senior, I have to ask you not to speak of it lightly to others..." Yang shi clasped his fist.

"Rest assured, I understand!" Zhang Xuan replied.

"The Ancient Sages of mankind are usually in a state of hibernation. They are woken only when there's a battle to be fought, and they return to hibernation right after. For every battle they undergo, their lifespan will be reduced significantly. Eventually, they will run out of time and breathe their last breath.

"Every single Ancient Sage is of the utmost importance to the safety of mankind, so we can't afford to wake any of them up in order to protect you. Since your identity as the Celestial Master Teacher hasn't been leaked yet, it would be best to keep it a secret for as long as we can. Furthermore, we still have no idea what the Otherworldly Demonic Emperor looks like, where he currently is, and in what form the danger from him will manifest. Even if we had an Ancient Sage constantly following you around, it would still be difficult to guarantee your safety!"

Speaking up to this point, Yang shi suddenly paused for a moment as he looked at Zhang Xuan earnestly. "Any of us can die, but Senior, you must continue living. You are the Celestial Master Teacher, an existence on par with Kong shi. You are the hope of mankind. Whether mankind will be able to rise once more and enter another era of prosperity depends on you!"

Zhang Xuan's heart jolted in astonishment. He did not think that Yang shi would have such a high opinion of him.

He was silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand."

At the same time, he felt incredibly relieved that he had never revealed his identity as the Celestial Master Teacher carelessly. Otherwise, if he had really caught the eye of that Otherworldly Demonic Emperor whom Yang shi had mentioned, he would probably have been killed in a heartbeat.

"Junior, you said earlier that this Otherworldly Demonic Emperor has come for the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Can you explain more about that matter?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The Great Codex of Spring Autumn was known to be the strongest artifact that Kong shi had created, and it wielded unimaginable capabilities. Previously, he had come across the Qingtian Emperor, who had been searching for the Celestial Amulet of Legacy for this very purpose.

"As you might have heard, the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is an unparalleled artifact that Kong shi left behind. It has the ability to affect the weather and control time. Before Kong shi left the continent, he placed the artifact in the Temple of Confucius in Qufu 1 ... Unfortunately, no one knows the exact location of where the Temple of Confucius is. Countless master teachers have attempted to find it, but none of them succeeded.

"Legend has it that only by gathering all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy together will the road leading to the Temple of Confucius finally appear. However, a year ago, we detected some spatial distortions in Qufu, and someone reportedly witnessed a mirage of the Temple of Confucius. As soon as the news came out, it caused a huge commotion among the upper echelons of the Master Teacher Continent. The Master Teacher Pavilion moved quickly to seal the news completely, but unfortunately, it seems like the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe still managed to catch wind of it.

"The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is an unparalleled treasure, and if we successfully obtain it, we'll have a powerful weapon in our hands to protect ourselves. However, if the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe obtains it instead, there's a good chance that they could use it to tear down the seals in the Subterranean Galleries and march back into the continent. If that happens, it would be a catastrophe!" Yang shi said grimly.

"If it's an artifact that Kong shi forged, why did he choose to seal it in the Temple of Confucius instead of entrusting it to the Master Teacher Pavilion?" Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown.

Since it was a creation from Kong shi, it went without saying that he intended to pass it down to future generations so as to benefit mankind. Yet, instead of handing this artifact over to the Master Teacher Pavilion to use it, he chose to seal it up instead. This did not seem to make sense.

"I don't know the exact reason either. Most probably, we'll only know after entering the Temple of Confucius!" Yang shi said.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1557: Returning to the Zhang Clan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

A matter concerning the Temple of Confucius was already way beyond what Yang shi could access. The matter had happened tens of thousands of years ago, and no matter how carefully the Master Teacher Pavilion passed down its heritage from one generation to the next, there was still bound to be some information that was withheld or lost in the process. With the limited information he knew, all he could do was speculate.

And since it was just mere speculation, it would be better for him to hold his tongue than to spread uncertain information.

On the other hand, seeing that Yang shi was uncertain of the matter, Zhang Xuan decided to ask no more as well.

The two of them chatted a while longer before Sword Saint Xing suddenly walked over and said, "Yang shi, we are very thankful to you for helping us reunite with Xuan-er 1 . We wish to bring him back home now to acknowledge the ancestors. Would you be interested in following us along so as to witness the process?"

Yang shi nodded. "I happen to have something that I have to do back at the Zhang Clan. Let's head over together."

"Great. Let's set off then!" Seeing that Yang shi was coming along as well, Sword Saint Xing inwardly heaved a sigh of relief before turning to Zhang Xuan. "We'll first be heading to the Glacier Plain Court to teleport to the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters before teleporting to the Zhang Clan."

"There's no need to go through that much trouble. I can just set up a Teleportation Formation straight back to the Zhang Clan here," Zhang Xuan replied with a smile.

While the power from the droplet had already faded, with his current Dimension Sundering realm primary stage cultivation and the assistance from Yang shi and the Xingmeng Sword Saints, it would not be too difficult for him to construct another Teleportation Formation.

In any case, he had been to the Zhang Clan once before, so he knew its coordinates very well. As long as he calculated carefully, he should be able to arrive at the destination with pinpoint accuracy.

"That would be great!"

It was only after hearing those words that the crowd suddenly remembered the young man's ability to set up Teleportation Formations with a wave of his hand, and they quickly nodded in agreement.

"Before that, allow me to talk to my students a while first!" Since Zhang Xuan had already decided to head to the Zhang Clan, there was no longer any need for him to hesitate.

He quickly headed to where Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and the others had gathered.

"Teacher..."

With the crisis resolved, they were no longer able to suppress the longing that they felt, and they quickly gathered around Zhang Xuan in agitation.

If not for their teacher, they would still have been living their lives groggily in the remote Tianxuan Kingdom. They would never have grown to become the formidable powerhouses that they were that day.

They would never forget what their teacher had done for them.

"Not bad!" Looking at the faces before him, Zhang Xuan could not help but smile hearteningly.

Those immature children that had waddled behind him in the past had become figures who could stand their own ground. There was indeed nothing constant in the world except for the passing of time.

After chatting for a bit, Zhang Xuan turned to the spear-wielding young man and asked, "Zheng Yang, how did you manage to grow so quickly?"

Wei Ruyan had been able to advance her cultivation swiftly due to her Innate Poison Constitution, and the same applied to Zhao Ya, Lu Chong, and Yuan Tao as well. While Wang Ying did improve considerably, her strength was mainly derived from her spirit enchantment art and the puppet that she commanded.

Yet, it was Zheng Yang, who only had hard work to count on, who had improved the quickest among them, such that even Ren Qingyuan would hesitate to face him.

"Teacher, I only managed to improve so quickly due to the Master Teacher Pavilion's Hall of Spring and Autumn!" Zheng Yang replied honestly.

"Hall of Spring and Autumn?" Zhang Xuan muttered.

"It's a unique artifact of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and it's said to have been left behind by Kong shi as well. It's somewhat similar to the Blood Reservoir of the Zhang Clan, but it's more advanced than that. A year inside the Hall of Spring and Autumn translates to only the passing of a month outside... I spent a total of three months inside, which is equivalent to the passing of three years, with the Combat Master Hall generously supplying whatever I needed for my cultivation!" Zheng Yang said.

"I see..." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It was no wonder the other party had grown so much within just a couple of months, such that even Zhao Ya and the others were not able to catch up to him. It turned out that the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters still had such a formidable artifact with them.

With the slowing of time, Zheng Yang's diligence, the heritage of the Combat Master Hall, and the vast resources devoted to him, it was understandable that he had grown so quickly within such a short period of time.

The Zhang Clan's Blood Reservoir only allowed one to cultivate mentally, but the effects of the Hall of Spring and Autumn applied to the cultivator as a whole. Naturally, there was a vast difference in the effects as well.

As they chatted and chatted, before they knew it, the sky had already begun to dim. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Xuan said, "All of you are already leaders of your respective organizations, so you can't follow me as you did in the past anymore. Your people need you, so return to them. I'm not in any danger anymore, so there's no need to be worried about me!"

He knew that his students missed him, and he missed them as well. However, their circumstances were different from before, and they could not afford to act willfully. They had each found their own way forward, so it was inevitable that their paths would have to diverge.

"We understand, but it's just that we can't bear to..."

The thought of separation after barely reuniting with one another made Zhao Ya's eyes redden slightly.

She had thought that she would be able to remain with her teacher a little longer, but to think that they would have to separate so soon again.

"Zhao Ya, even though I have helped you reconstruct your meridians, your foundations are still a little weak at the moment. Here is a cultivation technique manual that I have just written. Cultivate according to it, and it'll do you much good for your future cultivation.

"Zheng Yang, the heritage of the Combat Master Hall isn't too bad, but due to the swift advancement in your cultivation, you ended up incurring some traumas. I have a prescription over here. Get a skilled apothecary to forge the pills for you according to my prescription. Consume one a day for a week straight, and it should resolve the traumas that you have sustained and advance your cultivation further.

"Wang Ying, your talent is lacking in comparison to Zhao Ya and the others, and you haven't been blessed with the same fortuitous encounter as Zheng Yang. Here are the cultivation technique manuals that I have compiled for you recently, as well as the insights I have regarding spirit enchantment. I'll entrust all of them to you, and as long as you practice them diligently, you should be able to improve quickly as well!

"Lu Chong..."

"Wei Ruyan..."

"Yuan Tao..."

Zhang Xuan carefully went through the problems with each of his students' cultivation, but even after doing so, he still felt a little worried. Thus, he left several surges of Heaven's Path zhenqi in each of them before finally heaving a sigh of relief.

They might have matured and grown even stronger than him, but somehow, he could not help but see them as children that needed taking care of.

"Teacher, since you are intending to head to the Luo Clan very soon to seal your engagement, let's meet again in the Luo Clan!" Zheng Yang said with a smile. "I'll bring a huge present then to celebrate the occasion!"

"Indeed! How can we be absent for our teacher's marriage?" Wei Ruyan chuckled softly.

"We'll definitely be there!"

Zhao Ya and the others nodded in agreement.

Seeing the earnest faces all around him, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright, feel free to come if you want to. Right, there's a matter that I need to entrust you all with. Liu Yang disappeared after leaving Qingyuan City, so I would like you to help me keep a lookout for him. If you find him, make sure that no danger befalls him!" Recalling that disciple of his who had left to venture into the world, Zhang Xuan could not help but feel a little worried.

"Alright!"

The others nodded in agreement.

While they had been chatting, the elders of the Spirit Awakener Guild had already moved the enchanted buildings back to where they belonged, and the experts of the Poison Hall had also cured the poisoned master teachers and released them.

By the time that Zhang Xuan parted with his students, night had fallen.

"Let's go!"

Knowing that Zhang Xuan was not in a mood to chat, Sword Saint Meng did not bother him too much. She took out a bunch of grade-9 formation flags and passed them over.

Taking the formation flags, Zhang Xuan quickly calculated the coordinates of the Zhang Clan and began constructing the Teleportation Formation.

Due to his lacking cultivation, he still needed Yang shi's assistance before he finally activated the Teleportation Formation successfully.

Hu!

The group vanished on the spot, and the next instant, they were standing right before the Zhang Clan's entrance formation.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1558: News Reaches the Luo Clan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In the Luo Clan, before a massive seal, a young lady pleaded with a desperate look on her face, "Elder Brother, please let me go. I'll come right back after saving him..."

With her black, silky hair and a delicate complexion that looked as if it would tear with a gust of wind, she was indescribably beautiful, almost as though a goddess that had descended to the mortal world. Words could not even begin to describe her ravishing looks.

Standing before her was a young man in his early thirties—Luo Xuanqing!

"You should abandon that thought, Yuxin. The only reason I was allowed to return using the Teleportation Formation was to stop you from messing around..."

Looking into his younger sister's pleading eyes, Luo Xuanqing's heart ached a little. However, he still toughened his resolve and shook his head adamantly. "He brought this upon himself. If he's able to survive the ordeal, I'll believe that he truly has the ability to marry you. However, there's no need for you to be too worried about him. Since the Master Teacher Pavilion has gotten involved, I don't think that they will go too far. At the very most, they will only punish him harshly. There shouldn't be any threat to his life!"

"Is that so?" Hearing her elder brother's words, the young lady heaved a sigh of relief. "As long as there's no danger to his life, I believe that he will be able to overcome the crisis eventually!"

"You... Jeez! I really don't know what kind of sorcery that lad used to charm you so!" Staring at the infatuated look on his younger sister's face, Luo Xuanqing could not help but shake his head.

He had interacted with Zhang Xuan on many occasions, so he had a clear idea about the means that the young man possessed. While he was formidable, faced against a behemoth like the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, it was unlikely that he would stand much of a chance.

Even if there was no danger to the young man's life, chances were that he would be put through great suffering!

He really could not understand why his younger sister had so much confidence in him.

"It's not sorcery. I simply trust him," the young lady replied.

"It doesn't matter whether you trust him or not. It's not as if you don't know our clan's resolve on this matter, and you should understand the severe implications that could arise from this matter. They won't allow you to marry anyone other than the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan. There's no future between you and him!" Luo Xuanqing sighed as he lowered his gaze to the ground, not wanting to see his younger sister's disappointed face.

The deeper the feelings his younger sister had for that fellow, the greater the disappointment she would eventually face. The marriage between the Zhang and the Luo Clan would affect the Master Teacher Pavilion, the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, and the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. They would not allow any problems to occur just because of her personal feelings.

"I know... I know that there's no future between me and him. As long as he's safe, I'll be content," the young lady replied quietly as she hugged her knees to her body.

"You... Jeez!" Luo Xuanqing wanted to knock some sense into his younger sister, but seeing the forlorn look on her face, he really could not bring himself to put her down any more than that.

She had always been lonely despite the crowds of people that swarmed around her. It had not been easy for her to find someone whom she truly liked. Even if there was nothing but tragedy in the end, perhaps it might be good to allow her to live in the moment.

In that moment of heavy silence between the two of them, flurried footsteps sounded from the distance, and soon, a figure could be seen rushing over.

"Young Master, Little Princess..."

Upon catching a clearer sight of the figure, Luo Xuanqing anxiously asked, "Elder Chengxin, what's wrong?"

He was none other than the Luo Clan expert who had threatened Zhang Xuan back in Qingyuan City—Luo Chengxin!

At this moment, his face was flushed red in agitation, as if he had heard some news that even he had difficulty believing.

"Young Master, I have been keeping a close eye on the situation over in the Empire Alliance, and I have just received some news from my men there. After Zhang shi was cornered by the experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, there should have been no way that he could have escaped. However, at the crucial moment... his students appeared!" Luo Chengxin reported.

"His students? Are you referring to Wang Ying and the others?" the young lady asked anxiously.

"That's right! The first one to arrive was the head of the Poison Hall, followed by a soul oracle, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild..." As he reported the news that he had just received, Luo Chengxin could not help but gulp unconsciously.

He had verified the matter again and again, but still, he could not help but find it too incredible to be true.

"You are telling me that the students that fellow took in have become the head of the Poison Hall, the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild, the master of the Combat Master Hall, the head of the Yuan Clan..." Luo Xuanqing widened his eyes in disbelief.

Those were major powers that did not pale much in comparison to the Luo Clan... and yet, they were all headed by his students!

Was Zhang Xuan not only a Phantasmal Space realm cultivator himself?

How could his students be so formidable?

"That isn't all! Sword Saint Xing and Sword Saint Meng from the Zhang Clan also arrived shortly afterward..." Luo Chengxin continued. "After fighting an intense battle with Zhang shi, Sword Saint Xing admitted his defeat and said that... that..."

Seeing how Luo Chengxin was stuttering to no end, Luo Xuanqing frowned in displeasure. "What did he say?"

"He said that... Zhang shi was actually... his son! In other words, he's the young prodigy who hasn't appeared all this time!" Luo Chengxin exclaimed with eyes widened in disbelief.

When he first saw this piece of news, he had thought that his eyes were playing tricks on him. He had needed to carefully read it eight times and verify it again and again before he was able to confirm that there was no mistake. Nevertheless, he still could not help but feel as if he was in a dream when speaking of it. It was simply too unbelievable!

It had not been easy for the little princess to find someone whom she fancied, but the heavy responsibility that she shouldered had made it impossible for them to come together. Yet, who would have thought that her fiancé would turn out be the person whom she fancied!

"What did you say?" Luo Xuanqing fell into a daze.

The little princess' body also stiffened upon hearing those words. Her voice quivered in disbelief as she asked, "Did you say that... Zhang shi is the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?"

"Yes! I have verified the information many times, so there can't be any mistake with it. I've heard that our First Elder is rushing back to the clan because of the matter, and I believe it won't be long before news spreads all around our clan!" Luo Chengxin nodded in agitation.

He was the old butler of the little princess, and he had been taking care of her ever since she was young. Due to that, he had a clear idea of what her temperament was like.

It was precisely out of worry for her that he secretly went to look for Zhang Xuan in order to warn him. He had thought that since it was impossible for them to get together, it would be better to sever their relationship as quickly as possible so as to lessen the pain.

However, when he found out that the little princess could really be together with the person whom she liked, the excitement and delight that he felt was no less than what the two people in question felt.

"T-this... That fellow is actually the young prodigy!" Unable to contain his agitation, Luo Xuanqing punched the air excitedly.

In his head, the image of the young prodigy whom he had hated with a passion slowly overlapped together with Zhang Xuan's figure, and soon, an indescribable sense of joy rippled through his body, washing away all of his fatigue.

The reason he hated the young prodigy previously was because he knew that his younger sister was likely to suffer in this political marriage. Marrying someone whom she did not love, she could come to regret it for life.

However, if Zhang Xuan was the young prodigy, that would no longer be the case. They had mutual feelings for one another, and as an elder brother, it went without saying that his younger sister finding her own happiness was something that was worth celebrating.

"Zhang shi..." Upon learning that the person whom she was engaged with was actually the person whom she fancied, the worries and hesitation that had plagued the young lady in recent days were suddenly swept clean.

Before she knew it, her vision blurred. Tears were already streaming down her face.

With this engagement between them, she would finally be able to be with him openly. There was no need for her to be afraid of anything anymore.

All of a sudden, she remembered something and hurriedly wiped away her tears. She turned to Luo Chengxin and asked nervously, "How... did he react after learning that he's the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan?"

"It goes without saying that he's overjoyed! It seems like he has even made a promise with our First Elder that after acknowledging the ancestors of the Zhang Clan, he will immediately head over to ask for your hand in marriage!" Luo Chengxin said.

"He's heading over to ask for my hand in marriage?" The young lady's face instantaneously turned bright red, but her brilliant eyes reflected deep expectations for the future ahead.

"I'll be waiting..."

Chapter 1559: The Whole World in Uproar

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

As a newly-promoted empire, the Xuanyuan Empire did not stand out among the many empires. However, it was one of the few empires that were extremely successful at attracting talents all over the world, allowing it to develop at an incredible pace.

In just half a year, it had already become one of the more outstanding Tier-2 Empires, well beyond the league of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance.

At this very moment, Empress Mo Yu was seated on her royal throne, assessing the crowd beneath her regally.

"Don't you all have a lot of opinions usually? Why aren't any of you speaking today?"

One of the officials stepped forward and exclaimed, "Your Majesty, we can't afford to interfere recklessly in this matter! If we help Zhang shi, that would be equivalent to opposing the Master Teacher Pavilion! That could very well revert our newly-promoted empire back into a mere kingdom!"

"I disagree with Minister Chen's viewpoint. Were it not for Zhang shi, our Xuanyuan Kingdom never would have been successfully promoted into an empire. If we remain silent while our benefactor is being insulted by others, how will our people view us?" said another official as he stepped forward.

"I am of the same opinion as Censor Li's opinion. If it had been another master teacher, we might still have been able to turn a blind eye to the matter, but it's Zhang shi that we are talking about over here! Back then, he went to great lengths in order to develop our Xuanyuan Kingdom into an empire, so we can't simply leave him in the lurch now that he's in need of help! That would chill the hearts of our people!"

"Given our strength, what can we possibly do for Zhang shi? Do you think that our Xuanyuan Empire has the power to oppose a decision made by the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? We'll only be destroyed!"

"Even if we can't do anything much, I don't want others to view our Xuanyuan Empire as an ungrateful country that forgets its benefactors..."

"Even if you wish to repay the debt, you can't just drag our entire Xuanyuan Empire into the flames like that!

...

"Enough!"

Looking at the chaos below, Empress Mo Yu abruptly rose to her feet and bellowed, "Zhang shi must be saved; this is my decision. Censor Li, I want you to start a petition using my name and rally everyone in the empire who is indebted to Zhang shi! So what if the other party is the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters? If they have made a mistake, we ought to speak up against them!"

"Yes..." Hearing that the empress had already made her decision, the arguing officials lowered their heads subserviently, not daring to argue anymore.

"Your Majesty!"

Just as Censor Li was about to begin drafting a petition, a fully-armored general rushed into the palace and anxiously reported, "I have just received news that Zhang shi... Zhang shi has managed to resolve the crisis and is fine!"

"You said that Zhang shi is fine?"

Mo Yu hurriedly took the letter that the other party was passing over and opened it. Slowly, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Zhang shi is actually... the head of one of the Premier Sage Clans, the Zhang Clan?

"And Zhao Ya is the court chief of the Glacier Plain Court, wielding strength that even Pavilion Master Ren had trouble dealing with? That lass, Wang Ying, has become the leader of the Spirit Awakener Guild? Zheng Yang is the new Progeny of Combat of the Combat Master Hall, and that fatty, Yuan Tao, had actually become the head of the Yuan Clan... Even Lu Chong has grown into a master soul oracle, capable of standing his ground against 9-star master teachers!"

Mo Yu could not help but wonder in her heart, If I had relinquished my royalty and followed him back then... would I have already become a top-notch expert of the continent, too?

Back then, Zhao Ya, Wang Ying, Zheng Yang, and the others had been far weaker than her, not even coming close to being a match for her. Yet, in the short span of a single year, they had become figures whom she could only look up to.

She had known all along that it was only a matter of time before someone of Zhang shi's caliber rose to the top, but who could have thought that even his students would become experts standing at the zenith of the continent as well?

It's a pity, but it seems like I have already missed my opportunity to do so... Mo Yu lowered her head with a hint of sorrow in the depths of her eyes.

She had viewed being the empress of the Xuanyuan Empire as a great honor, but it was becoming apparent that even this honor might not come close to being a humble student behind Zhang Xuan.

Mo Yu shook her head and muttered, "It looks the Master Teacher Continent will be Zhang shi's in the future."

...

White clouds drifted amid the mountain range.

By a mountain stream, a young lady was seated atop a small boulder with a worried look in her eyes.

Yu Fei-er.

Shortly after leaving Qingyuan City, Yu Fei-er stumbled by 9-star Master Teacher Ji Ruochen and became her student.

"Junior, our teacher told me to bring this letter to you!"

A young man suddenly flew over from the distance and placed an envelope in her hand.

Yu Fei-er anxiously tore it open, and upon swiftly browsing through it, her body stiffened in shock.

"If he's the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, doesn't that mean that..."

"Indeed, Junior! Zhang Xuan is indeed a person of great talent. Not only does he possess extraordinary abilities, all of his students are outstanding. Even our teacher is filled with respect and praise for him!" the young man exclaimed in agitation. "It won't be long before his name is known throughout the entire continent!"

"Y-yes, you're right..." Yu Fei-er replied with a dazed look on her face, seemingly contemplating something deeply.

...

In the Jiang Clan, a middle-aged man turned around with a flabbergasted look on his face after hearing an elder's report.

"You said that Zhang Xuan singlehandedly fended off the pursuers from the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, and in the blink of an eye, he became the head of the Zhang Clan. Furthermore, his students are also powerhouses of the continent, possessing great power, too?"

"That's right, clan head!"

"Prepare some gifts and send them over to the Zhang Clan to congratulate them for finding their son... Wait, they are intending to head to the Luo Clan to ask for the little princess' hand in marriage, right? Deliver the presents straight to the Luo Clan and relay my blessings to them... No, that won't do either." The middle-aged man waved his hand grandly. "I shall make a trip personally!"

...

In the Mu Clan, Mu Yuan had been kneeling outside the manor, not moving in the slightest.

In order to be accepted back into his clan, he had been kneeling on the spot for ten days straight, but not a single person had bothered to pay him any heed.

Even when he tried to beg with the butler, the latter had simply disregarded him.

He had never faced such treatment back when he was still a genius from the Mu Clan.

However, he could not complain about it. He knew that he was the one who had done wrong back then. As long as the Mu Clan was willing to take him back, putting aside ten days, he would wait for as long as he needed.

Enduring the fatigue in his body, Mu Yuan gritted his teeth tightly.

Jiya!

Just as he was about to reach his limit, the massive doors of the Mu Clan suddenly creaked open, and the head of the Mu Clan rushed out.

"Quick, get up..."

The clan head quickly walked over to Mu Yuan to support him up before feeding him a recovery pill.

As soon as he swallowed the pill, Mu Yuan immediately felt incredible energy coursing through his body. In an instant, the fatigue that he had accumulated over the past few days vanished without a trace.

"This is... a grade-9 pill?" Mu Yuan jolted in alarm.

Even when he was still a genius of the Mu Clan, he had not been qualified to consume such pills. Yet, after his heinous deeds, the head of the Mu Clan had still fed such a pill to him.

"Mu Yuan, I have looked through your experiences over those years, and I noticed that you were under Zhang shi's care for some time... Alright, I'll allow you to return to the Mu Clan and grant you a suitable position within the clan! Zhang shi will be heading to the Luo Clan to ask for the little princess' hand in marriage, so I want you to head over in representation of our Mu Clan and present him with our congratulatory gifts!" the clan head said with a smile.

"Zhang shi? Which Zhang shi?" Mu Yuan was a little overwhelmed by the situation.

"Who else could I be referring to other than Zhang Xuan? You probably haven't heard yet. He's actually the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, as well as its clan head!" the clan head replied.

"Z-Zhang shi has become the head of the Zhang Clan, and he's actually the young prodigy at that?" Mu Yuan was stunned.

All of a sudden, he understood the reason behind the clan head's abrupt change in attitude. It turned out that the turning point of the matter was his link with Zhang shi!

It was Zhang shi who had changed the course of his destiny.

...

The same scene was playing out among most powers in the top echelons of the Master Teacher Continent.

On that day, there was a name that was imprinted in the minds of those all across the Master Teacher Continent.

Everyone had come to know of the master teacher named Zhang Xuan.

Some were delighted to learn of the matter, some despaired after hearing about it, and some were simply nonchalant, but without a doubt, his name would continue to resound on the Master Teacher Continent for many years to come!

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1560: I Didn't Hear Clearly

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing the newly repaired buildings and halls before him, Sword Saint Xing exclaimed with a smile, "We're home!"

It should have been the same Zhang Clan as before, but it did not seem that way to Zhang Xuan anymore.

A few days ago, when he came over, the only thought on his mind had been to teach the young prodigy a lesson and give the Zhang Clan a piece of his mind. However, when he learned that the young prodigy was actually him and the Zhang Clan that he had hated all along was actually his clan... Honestly, he still was not too sure how he should feel about the matter.

"If only I'd found you earlier, this mess wouldn't have occurred..." Recalling the tragedy that he had witnessed when he returned to the Zhang Clan back then, Sword Saint Xing could not help but shake his head.

With Zhang Xuan's current standing, no member of the Zhang Clan would dare oppose him anymore. However, due to the events before, it was inevitable that most members of the Zhang Clan would have some reservations or even bear hostility toward him.

"Isn't this fine, too?" Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly. "Your Zhang Clan has grown arrogant over the years, acting all high and mighty just because of that number one Sage Clan title. I have always despised that of the Zhang Clan! I'd say that our Xuan-er did well stirring them up a little; that will make them learn that the bloodline that they are so proud of is not even worth mentioning!"

Sword Saint Xing knew better than to argue with his hot-tempered wife at this moment, so he could only shake his head helplessly and concede defeat. "Yes, my dear. You are always right..."

With Sword Saint Xing at the lead, the group managed to proceed ahead without any impediment, and very soon, they arrived at the Zhang Clan's Conference Hall.

This was where Zhang Xuan had clashed with the First Elder several days ago. The buildings that had been destroyed in that encounter had already been repaired, and they looked exactly the same as before, betraying no signs of the devastation that had occurred just a few days ago.

Noticing the doubtful look on Zhang Xuan's face, Sword Saint Xing discreetly explained through zhenqi telepathy. "Your mother has rampaged in the Zhang Clan a few times in the past, destroying quite a number of buildings each time. For that, the Zhang Clan has specially employed a group of landscapers to conduct emergency repairs whenever required."

Hearing that his mother was actually a harbinger of destruction as well, Zhang Xuan's face twitched slightly.

To be honest, the destruction that he caused was always circumstantial. Unlike his mother's intentional actions, it was always due to a series of coincidences coming together in an unfortunate manner that resulted in tragedy for him.

"Welcoming the return of our deputy clan head and the young prodigy!"

As soon as they stepped into the hall, Zhang Xuan heard a voice echoing from within. Lifting his head, he saw the elders of the Zhang Clan standing within, waiting patiently for their arrival.

Sword Saint Xing nodded to acknowledge the greeting before walking straight to the main seat.

Under normal circumstances, with Yang shi's standing, he should have been accorded the highest seat in the room. However, due to him acknowledging Zhang Xuan as his senior, that put the Xingmeng Sword Saints a generation above him, so he could only make do with the seat at the very back.

Sword Saint Xing looked at the elders before him and said, "I believe that all of you should have heard by now that Zhang Xuan is the young prodigy of our Zhang Clan, who went missing twenty years ago. Since he has finally returned to our Zhang Clan, I'll have to trouble you all to prepare the tributes and make arrangements for the acknowledgement ritual. Tomorrow morning, we'll first pay respects to the ancestors before holding the inauguration ceremony!"

"Inauguration ceremony?"

"Clan head, do you mean to say that you intend to pass down the clan head position to the young prodigy tomorrow?"

"Isn't that a little too fast?"

The elders were caught off guard by the sudden announcement.

With the return of the young prodigy, it was only a matter of time before Sword Saint Xing passed down his position to him. However... this was a little too rushed!

Zhang Xuan had only just returned to the Zhang Clan, so he was unlikely to know anything about the current state of affairs surrounding it. Was he really in a good position to be making the final calls in the Zhang Clan? If anything, it seemed like he would only lead the Zhang Clan into a spiral of decline!

Someone from the crowd suddenly bellowed, "I oppose it!"

The gazes in the room swiftly turned toward the source of the objection, and following that, the First Elder Zhang Wuheng stepped out from the crowd.

Upon seeing that it was him, Sword Saint Xing frowned.

He had ordered Zhang Wuheng to return to the Zhang Clan to accept his punishment, but who could have thought that he would actually attend this Elder Conference?

"Speak! What's the reason behind your objection?" Sword Saint Xing asked with narrowed eyes.

It had not been easy for him to get his son back, and he was planning on making up the twenty years of absence to his son. Yet, who could have thought that someone would oppose his decision at this point in time? This made him extremely displeased.

"Clan head, I don't mean to be rude, but the position of clan head has always been inherited by the offspring with the purest bloodline. Zhang Xuan might be your son and the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, but his Zhang Clan bloodline is already undetectable. Under such circumstances, I believe that he's unqualified to inherit the position of clan head," Zhang Wuheng said calmly.

"His Zhang Clan bloodline is undetectable?"

"Does that mean that the blood of the Zhang Clan doesn't run in his veins? First Elder, what does that mean?"

The other elders were taken aback by the news.

Back then, Zhang Wuchen had moved discreetly under Zhang Wuheng's orders to test Zhang Xuan's bloodline in the Blood Reservoir, so other than the two of them and the Xingmeng Sword Saints, no one else was aware of the matter.

"Elder Wuchen, why don't you report the results of your investigation to everyone here?" Zhang Wuheng gestured grandly.

"Yes, First Elder!" Zhang Wuchen walked to the front of the crowd before continuing. "When Zhang Xuan was in our Zhang Clan a few days ago, I had a hunch that he could be the young prodigy, so I secretly took him into the Blood Reservoir to test his bloodline. However..."

Very soon, Zhang Wuchen went through the details of what he had seen in the Blood Reservoir.

"This..."

"Without the Zhang Clan bloodline, he can't even be considered a member of the Zhang Clan! How can such a person be our clan head?"

...

A huge uproar broke out amid the crowd after hearing the ins and outs of the matter.

They had tested the bloodline of the young prodigy when he was born, and the sheer purity of his bloodline shocked the entire clan. It was in view of this that they had unanimously nominated him to be their clan head despite his young age. However, when he returned twenty years later, there was not the slightest drop of the Zhang Clan bloodline in his veins. How could they still accept him as their clan head?

"The Zhang Clan bloodline is the very symbol of authority in our Zhang Clan. Since our clan head has already verified the matter, I don't doubt that Zhang Xuan is indeed an offspring of our Zhang Clan... However, if he has lost his Zhang Clan bloodline, I'm afraid that it would be contrary to the teachings of our ancestors to make him our clan head!"

Zhang Wuheng clasped his fist and bowed deeply. "I am opposing this for the sake of our Zhang Clan! Clan head, I beseech you to reconsider your decision!"

"You..." Sword Saint Xing's complexion turned incomparably awful after hearing Zhang Wuheng's words.

After all the trouble that he had gone through to find his son, he had thought that everything would swiftly fall back into place. Yet, who could have thought that Zhang Wuheng would be able to stop him so easily?

The reason that Zhang Wuheng had given was simple but powerful. There was indeed a rule in the Zhang Clan's teachings stating that only offspring who had achieved a certain level of purity in their bloodline would be qualified to become the clan head.

Considering how his son did not have the slightest bit of the Zhang Clan bloodline running through his veins, there was no legitimacy to him becoming the clan head.

"What do you propose then?" Sword Saint Xing spat coldly as he stared piercingly at Zhang Wuheng.

"What I propose is very simple. We'll nominate the offspring whose bloodline has reached the mark to become our next clan head!" Zhang Wuheng replied with a grand wave of his hand.

"Even my bloodline hasn't reached the level of purity required to become the clan head! Who else in the clan could possibly have met the mark?" Sword Saint Xing narrowed his eyes coldly.

It was apparent that Zhang Wuheng was intentionally making things difficult for them.

He currently possessed the purest bloodline in the Zhang Clan, with the exception of his son twenty years ago, but still, he had not reached the level of purity required to be inaugurated as a true clan head. Given so, who else could possibly meet the mark?

Clearly, Zhang Wuheng was cooking up this fuss just to stop Zhang Xuan from becoming the next clan head!

"Clan head, just because your bloodline hasn't reached the required level of purity doesn't mean that no one else's has! I have already found someone in the clan whose bloodline purity reaches the mark and, perhaps, far exceeds it even!" Zhang Wuheng burst into hearty laughter as he raised his hand and gestured. "Come in!"

Hu!

Following which, a figure slowly walked into the hall.

"I have already tested his bloodline, and I am certain that it meets the mark required to become the clan head. In fact, in terms of sheer purity, he's on par with even the young prodigy back then. If he isn't qualified to become the clan head, no one else is!"

Zhang Wuheng raised his hand and shrouded the figure with his energy. Following which, a brilliant burst of light shone from the figure.

"What formidable purity this is..."

Everyone in the hall narrowed their eyes in astonishment.

Even amid the blinding light, they could feel that the energy harnessed in the other party's bloodline far exceeded theirs, almost as if the searing sun.

Even Sword Saint Xing could not help but frown upon seeing this.

He could sense that the other party's bloodline was far stronger than his, such that they were not even on the same level as one another.

"His bloodline has exceeded every single one of us here, and I believe none of you should have any doubt that he has already met the mark required to become the clan head. I presume that none of you will have any objections to him becoming the clan head, right?" Zhang Wuheng gazed at the astounded crowd and laughed triumphantly.

But at this moment, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke up. "Come here."

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan interjecting at this critical moment, Zhang Wuheng lashed out furiously. "Zhang Xuan, you might be the young prodigy, but without the slightest droplet of our Zhang Clan bloodline in your veins, I'm afraid that you don't have a say here. Our Zhang Clan is currently in the midst of nominating our next clan head, so I'll have to ask an outsider like you to hold your tongue..."

But before he could finish his words, the figure who had just walked in hurriedly strode over to Zhang Xuan and kneeled to the floor.

"Zhang Jiuxiao pays respect to teacher!"

The figure who had just entered the hall was none other than Zhang Jiuxiao!

"Un, rise!"

Zhang Xuan reached out to fondle Zhang Jiuxiao's head lightly before turning an amused gaze toward Zhang Wuheng. With an impassive voice, he asked, "First Elder, can you repeat what you said earlier? I'm afraid that I didn't catch your words clearly."

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1561: Zhang Xuan's Birth Name

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Pu!

Zhang Wuheng shook his head in disbelief as he staggered backward. He felt as if thunder was rumbling ceaselessly in his mind, threatening to blow his head up.

He knew that Zhang Jiuxiao was on friendly terms with Zhang Xuan, but he did not think that the latter would actually be Zhang Xuan's student!

The Combat Master Hall had finally found a talented genius worthy of becoming its next hall master—Zhang Xuan's student.

The Poison Hall had finally found a person who possessed the Innate Poison Body—Zhang Xuan's student.

The Spirit Awakener Guild had finally discovered a genius who managed to clear the Spirit Awakener Tower—Zhang Xuan's student.

The Glacier Plain Court had finally stumbled upon a prodigy blessed with the Pure Yin Body—Zhang Xuan's student.

The Yuan Clan had located an offspring who possessed exceptionally pure Emperor's Bloodline—Zhang Xuan's student.

And as if all of that was not enough...

How many years did it take the Zhang Clan to birth an offspring with a bloodline of such purity, and that offspring was freaking Zhang Xuan's student as well?

Was everyone talented in the Master Teacher Continent Zhang Xuan's student?

Could things get any more ridiculous than that?

"This..." Zhang Wuheng was not the only one whose mind was on the verge of exploding at that moment. Sword Saint Xing nearly fell from his chair after seeing Zhang Jiuxiao's actions as well. "Xuan-er, he... is your student, too?"

"Hahahahaha!"

Before Zhang Xuan could reply, Sword Saint Meng had already burst into frenzied laughter.

It was apparent that Zhang Wuheng wanted to exact vengeance for the humiliation that he had suffered, but that narrow mind of his would probably never have been able to fathom that the trump card that he had prepared would actually turn out to be her son's student!

With his knees still on the ground, Zhang Jiuxiao glanced at the elders and declared solemnly, "I was just an offspring of the side family who possessed a humble bloodline purity. If not for my teacher refining my bloodline, I wouldn't even be qualified to practice the cultivation techniques of the Zhang Clan!"

"Refining your bloodline?"

"So, it's all because of the young prodigy refining your bloodline that your bloodline became this pure?"

Once again, a huge commotion broke out amid the elders.

In truth, due to the tournament back then, most of them had been aware that Zhang Jiuxiao possessed extraordinarily pure bloodline. However, they had not expected his bloodline to not be innate but refined postnatally.

"That's right!" Zhang Jiuxiao nodded.

"Is it really possible to refine the purity of one's bloodline?"

"How in the world was it done?"

"I heard that not only is the young prodigy a powerful expert himself, his students are also formidable figures. The head of the Combat Master Hall, the chief of the Glacier Plain Court... In fact, even Yang shi is his junior! I suppose it shouldn't be too difficult for a person like him to be able to refine our bloodline."

"That does make some sense."

Zhang Jiuxiao's words caused the eyes around to light up in excitement.

The hierarchy within Sage Clans was centered around the purity of one's bloodline—it was both a symbol of status and power. If the young prodigy really possessed a way to refine their bloodline, the prowess of the Zhang Clan would grow by leaps and bounds, possibly reaching a level unthinkable to them in the past.

Ignoring the discussion among the crowd, Zhang Xuan turned to Sword Saint Xing and replied, "He's the last student I've accepted..."

His intention for accepting Zhang Jiuxiao as his student back then was to deal with the young prodigy, but who could have thought that he would turn out to be the young prodigy himself?

"This..." Hearing the confirmation from his son and seeing the deep respect and admiration in Zhang Jiuxiao's eyes, Sword Saint Xing burst into laughter. "Zhang Wuheng, you said that my son doesn't have a droplet of the Zhang Clan bloodline in his veins and is unqualified to be the head of the Zhang Clan, right?"

"I..." Zhang Wuheng's face flushed crimson.

"Clan head, Zhang Wuheng has disregarded the interests for the Zhang Clan over his private grudge. I suggest we strip him of his position as the First Elder and lock him up!"

"Indeed! How dare he cast doubt over the legitimacy of the young prodigy just to fulfill his personal interests? This is unacceptable!"

"I propose that we send him down to the Subterranean Gallery to have him reflect on his own mistakes!"

...

In the blink of an eye, all those who had supported Zhang Wuheng a moment ago turned their backs on him.

The ability to refine the Zhang Clan bloodline effectively meant that the young prodigy was able to dictate the distribution of power within the Zhang Clan. No one in the Zhang Clan would be foolish enough to oppose him.

As such, even if Zhang Xuan's bloodline had not met the required level of purity to become the clan head, just his ability to refine the bloodline of others was enough to win him a unanimous vote from the elders to become the next clan head!

"Men, take Zhang Wuheng away!" Sword Saint Xing waved his hand before turning his gaze back to the crowd. "Does anyone else have any objections to my son becoming the next clan head?"

"The young prodigy was the head of our Zhang Clan from the very start! It's only a matter of affirming his title and announcing it to the world!"

"I concur!"

Soon, all of the elders had clasped their fists and bowed down as a symbol of submission.

Seeing that there was no more opposition, Sword Saint Xing nodded in satisfaction before instructing, "Very well! I need all of you to coordinate together to prepare for the ritual and inauguration ceremony tomorrow. Also, make sure not to speak of anything that has happened here to others. I won't hesitate to brand anyone who tattles a traitor, and all of you should be aware of the eventual fate of traitors!"

If news was leaked that his son possessed the ability to refine bloodlines, it would surely cause a massive uproar in the Master Teacher Continent. Naturally, he did not wish for any unnecessary trouble to come to his son.

"We understand!" the elders replied resoundingly before leaving the hall.

"Jiuxiao, you can leave as well. I want you to make full use of your bloodline to advance your cultivation over the next few days. Once your cultivation surpasses that of the First Elder, you'll be able to take over as the clan head!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

Even though he would prefer to pass the position on to Zhang Jiuxiao right away, the latter was still a little too weak at the moment. It would be difficult for him to bear the reputation of the Zhang Clan and establish his dominance over other powers.

"Yes, Teacher!" Zhang Jiuxiao nodded before backing out of the hall.

Hearing that his son was intending to pass the position of clan head down to Zhang Jiuxiao, a hint of panic surfaced in Sword Saint Xing's eyes. "Xuan-er, you..."

"It's just a clan head position, I don't have any desire for it. The only reason I would want this identity is to ask for the little princess' hand in marriage from a better position. Beyond that, anyone who wants the position can become the clan head for all I care..." Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly.

To be honest, he really did not think much about being the head of the Zhang Clan.

In fact, he felt that it would be more trouble than it was worth. Since that was the case, he might as well toss it down to Zhang Jiuxiao.

"But..."

Sword Saint Xing was just about to protest when Sword Saint Meng abruptly interjected. "My son is someone who will achieve great things in the future! What does the clan head position count as? Only a person as inept as you would think so highly of it..."

"Cough cough!" Seeing that his mother had begun putting down his father again, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and interjected with a cough.

With most of the problems ahead of them resolved, Zhang Xuan suddenly recalled the various doubts that he had regarding his identity, so he asked, "Since I am your son and the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, why would I end up in the Tianxuan Kingdom? Also, why isn't there any of the Zhang Clan bloodline flowing through my veins?"

This was the matter that had left him baffled for a very long time.

There was no doubt that the Zhang Clan was powerful, and as the top genius of the Zhang Clan, a Connate Saint at that, how did he end up in a place as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom, where there was not even a Master Teacher Pavilion?

Not to mention, it did not make sense for him to be Sword Saint Xing's son when he did not have the Zhang Clan bloodline in him!

Also, if he was a Connate Saint at birth, how could his cultivation only have been at Fighter 3-dan Zhenqi realm when he first transcended over to this body?

"It's a long story... Back then, when you were born, a brilliant aurora filled the sky. A lofty aura descended from the heavens, and the tablets of the predecessors swiftly bowed in submission. Even Kong shi's sculpture rose into the air as a gesture of recognition. It was due to these phenomena that the entire world came to know of you as the young prodigy who possessed the purest Zhang Clan bloodline..." Sword Saint Xing sighed deeply as he spoke of the past.

"Even Kong shi's sculpture rose into the air? Is that why I'm called Zhang Xuan1 ?" Zhang Xuan asked excitedly.

"Ah? No, of course not. Your birth name isn't Zhang Xuan," Sword Saint Xing said. "If you had retained the name that we gave you, we would have found you ages ago..."

"What's my birth name then?"

"This..." Sword Saint Xing's face reddened. "It might be better for you not to hear it..."

"Is there something inappropriate about my birth name?" Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered by Sword Saint Xing's reaction.

"It was with the agitation from witnessing Kong shi's sculpture rising into the air that inspired your father to name you so. However, it doesn't even come close to sounding as nice as Zhang Xuan," Sword Saint Meng grumbled furiously by the side

"Your name is... Zhang Diaofei 2 !"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1562: Sword Saint Xing's Name

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Pu!"

Zhang Xuan spat out a mouthful of saliva, and he nearly cried on the spot.

Zhang Diaofei... Diaofei, like in the sense of hanging on a noose 1 ?

Is this a name that a human should have?

As a father, is it really alright to name your son so carelessly?

"Appalling, right? Back then, I ignored him for days on end over the name that he gave you!" Sword Saint Meng harrumphed indignantly.

"It's not as if you didn't know the circumstances surrounding him! There's a superstition that the more down-to-earth one's name is, the more resilient one will be. I was also praying for an auspicious omen here! Besides, it's just a birth name. We could always give him a more decent official name later on!" Sword Saint Xing retorted with an awkward smile.

Often, children who were born with poor health or natural defects would be given awful sounding names such as Gou Dan 2 , Gou Sheng 3 , Mao Dan 4 , orEr Pi 5 . It was believed that the more awful sounding a child's name was, the more tenacious they would be.

Outsiders might have believed that his son had a bright future ahead of him, but Sword Saint Xing knew very well that was not the case. The least he could do for his son was give him an awful sounding name in hopes of bringing him luck to get through that difficult phase.

Besides, it was only a birth name. Once they had gotten past the difficult phase, they could simply give him a more decent official name, and the others would slowly forget his birth name with time.

"You still dare speak about official names! Why don't you tell our son what the official name that you have chosen for him is?" Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly.

"This..." Sword Saint Xing scratched his head embarrassedly, seemingly finding it difficult to speak of the matter.

Staring at Sword Saint Xing intently, Zhang Xuan asked, "What is it?"

"Your official name is... Anbang!" Sword Saint Xing eventually caved in under the piercing gaze of his wife and his son. "Zhang Anbang 6 !"

"Pu!"

Zhang Xuan spat out another mouthful of saliva, nearly choking himself to death in the process.

This name did not sound as awful as Diaofei, but still, it was too old-fashioned!

"It really doesn't sound awful at all! I am Zhenxing 7 while you are Anbang 8 , how fitting!"

"Zhenxing? Your name is Zhang Zhenxing?" Zhang Xuan's face twitched upon hearing those words.

He knew that the title 'Xingmeng Sword Saints' was derived from taking a character each from their names. All along, he had thought that his father had some kind of domineering name, but who would have thought it was... Zhang Zhenxing?

It was even more old-fashioned than Anbang!

Zhang Xuan clutched his forehead in despair.

It was fortunate that he had gone missing while he was still young. Otherwise, just the thought of having to introduce himself to Zhang Anbang to friends and foes alike... he would not have been able to live with the shame!

"I'll just stick with Zhang Xuan. I think it sounds alright..." Zhang Xuan shook his head, firmly refusing the notion of using the names that Sword Saint Xing had decided for him.

Getting back to the topic at hand, Zhang Xuan asked, "Given that I was born with an exceptionally powerful bloodline, not to mention the fact that I'm a Connate Saint, it would make sense that the Zhang Clan would protect me carefully. Why would I..."

Hearing Zhang Xuan's question, Sword Saint Xing fell into a moment of silence, unsure of how he should explain the matter to his son. A moment later, he stood up and said, "Dear, Yang shi, I think it would be better for me to talk to Xuan-er privately about this matter."

"Alright then..."

Yang shi and Sword Saint Meng nodded in agreement.

"Alright, follow me!" Sword Saint Xing told Zhang Xuan before leading the way forward.

Soon, the two of them arrived in a massive hall.

The hall was a dark and gloomy, devoid of any light. There was a unique seal shrouding the area.

Sword Saint Xing walked right up to the seal and placed his palm lightly on it.

Hu la!

The torches within the hall abruptly burst into flames, lighting up the interior.

Zhang Xuan quickly looked ahead, but instead of a vast hall, what had appeared before him was a narrow passageway with innumerable relief carvings.

Walking into the passageway, Sword Saint Xing stopped before one of the relief carvings.

It depicted a white-beard elder battling ferociously against hordes of Otherworldly Demons. It was an intense battle with incredible surges of energy bursting forth from here and there, and it seemed almost as if the world would be burned down.

Behind the elder was a group of powerless civilians. If the elder fell, there was little doubt that the Otherworldly Demons would move on to slaughter them all.

"This elder over here is the first-generation ancestor of our Zhang Clan, and he's also our very first clan head. He's one of the few cultivators who managed to advance his cultivation to the level of Ancient Sage in his time, and he fought tenaciously in a total of thirty-seven deadly wars for mankind. In each war, he drove himself to the very limits, never hesitating to risk his life to strike a heavy blow on the Otherworldly Demons. If not for him, the Zhang Clan wouldn't have survived the tragic war back then, and at least half of mankind wouldn't have made it through the war. There's no doubt that he's a hero among us!" Sword Saint Xing explained with deep respect in his eyes.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

If not for the rise of countless hot-blooded heroes during that dark era, mankind never would have enjoyed the peace and prosperity that it had in the current age.

He had heard of the affairs of the founder of the Zhang Clan as well. While his radiance was diminished by the presence of Kong shi back in that era, there was no doubt that he was a highly talented man whose very presence brought his comrades courage back in that era of turmoil.

With just a sword in hand, he had barged into the camps of the Otherworldly Demons and slaughtered many of their emperors. All in all, the 9-star master teachers that he had rescued from the jaws of death numbered at least twenty!

There was even on occasion when the Otherworldly Demons launched a sudden assault, catching everyone off guard. He had fought desperately for three days straight, single-handedly keeping them at bay until reinforcements arrived, thus saving the lives of millions of people.

"This valiant middle-aged man over here is the second clan head of our Zhang Clan. He also managed to reach Ancient Sage, and all in all, he fought in more than a hundred battles with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Due to the severe injuries that he sustained over the years, he ended up dying a premature death. It was said that even at his time of death, there was a finger of the Otherworldly Demon buried deep in his chest, symbolizing the courage and tenacity that he had displayed in protecting mankind..."

"This is the third clan head of our Zhang Clan. In his early years, he ventured deep into the Subterranean Gallery, only to have his hand severed in the midst of a battle. He decisively used the talons of a saint beast in place of his hand in order to continue the fight, and eventually, he created a unique battle technique based on that..."

"This is the fourth clan head of our Zhang Clan..."

...

"This is the ninth clan head of our Zhang Clan..."

Every single carving along the passageway was a monument of a hero in their era.

"In the tens of thousands of years since Kong shi departed from the Master Teacher Continent, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has launched many attacks, only to be forced back each time. This isn't just the credit of the Master Teacher Pavilion and Combat Master Hall; our Zhang Clan has played a vital role as well! In fact, it can be said that our title as the number one Sage Clan was forged through our flesh and blood!" Sword Saint Xing said.

Zhang Xuan clenched his fists tightly.

Looking at the relief carvings as he listened to the stories of the past, he could imagine just how precarious a situation mankind had been in back in those eras.

The predecessors had unhesitatingly sacrificed everything that they had in order to forge an era of prosperity for mankind.

All along, he had thought that the Zhang Clan had abused its position as the number one Sage Clan to force others to do its bidding, leaving him a little skeptical about its title. However, upon seeing these relief carvings, he realized that the Zhang Clan's position on the Master Teacher Continent was derived not just from their strength but the massive contribution that they had made as well.

"But around ten thousand years ago, the world underwent a massive change, and all of a sudden, no one was able to make a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore. It didn't take long for people to realize that mankind might have reached the end of the line."

With a grim look on his face, Sword Saint Xing explained, "In order to fend off the Otherworldly Demons so as to preserve the heritage of mankind, the Ancient Sages of that generation made an agreement to use a special temporal method to hibernate. They would only be awoken when a battle broke out, and after defeating their enemies, they would return to their hibernation. This was probably a life worse than death, but for the sake of mankind, they willingly chose it!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan widened his mouth in astonishment.

He had heard from Yang shi that there were human Ancient Sage cultivators who had survived the ages through using some sort of temporal secret art, but he still could not help but respect them for the sacrifices that they had made for mankind.

As Ancient Sages, they stood at the very peak of the Master Teacher Continent, enjoying unparalleled honor and prestige. As long as they willed it, they could have dominated that era with their strength and obtained everything that they wanted. Yet, for the future generations, they chose to hibernate so that they could protect mankind as long as they could.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1563: Origin of the Innate Fetal Poison

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Such a decision condemned them to an endless cycle of battle, slaughter, and pain... But in exchange for a spark of hope for mankind, they were willing to make such a sacrifice!" Sword Saint Xing's eyes reddened a little as he spoke.

"It is thanks to their protection that mankind has been able to develop stably over the past ten thousand years. Humans are still able to live in peace in huge cities instead of being enslaved by others!

"Based on what I know, there's an Ancient Sage who was only five hundred years old when he went into hibernation. He still had at least a good thousand year ahead of him, and more importantly, he had just wedded another Ancient Sage during that period of time... However, when he came to learn that it was impossible to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage anymore, he decisively used the temporal secret art on himself and fell into a deep sleep.

"Over the thousands of years, the only occasions that he got to see his wife from afar was when war broke out, but even so, they never found a chance to say a single word to one another. What was even more tragic was that during a major battle five thousand years ago, his wife was cornered by three Otherworldly Demonic Emperors... In order to save her, he set his life force aflame, and eventually, he departed from the world with his loved one in hand.

"Had he not chosen such a life, he and his wife would have had a good thousand years ahead of them. They would have been able to roam the world freely, enjoying a carefree and blissful life. Perhaps, they would also have had many students and children. Yet, in order to defend mankind, he gave up all of that!

"There's also an Ancient Sage whose daughter had just been born when she made the decision to go into hibernation. Her daughter wasn't too talented, such that she didn't even managed to reach Saint realm. On one occasion, she sustained grievous wounds in a battle with an enemy, causing her to die before she could even reach a hundred years old... There was no war during that period of time, so the Ancient Sage remained asleep. To the day that her daughter had died, she had not been able to see her!

"When she was finally woken, she learned that her daughter had already been dead for dozens of years, and she was silent for a very long while before charging solemnly into the battlefield... Eventually, she met her end in that very battlefield..."

Sword Saint Xing could not help but tremble a little as he recounted the sacrifices that the predecessors had made in order to protect mankind.

There was a long moment of silence before Zhang Xuan asked, "Does the temporal secret art of the Ancient Sages halt their time, or do they continue ageing?"

This secret art reminded Zhang Xuan of the cryonics technology in his previous world. The concept of cryonics technology was centered around freezing a human body to seal its current condition, thus allowing the possibility of resuscitation in the future.

But no matter how well a person's body was sealed using cryonics technology, there would still be gradual wear and tear over time. Even if someone was successfully resuscitated in the future, there was no way that their body could function as well as it did before.

"The secret art of the Ancient Sages allows one's lifespan to be extended significantly, but even in the state of hibernation, their vitality will still slowly seep away. In other words, they will continue to age even while they are in hibernation, just that the ageing process is slowed considerably! While it sounds complicated, the concept behind it is actually rather simple. To put it in other words, they are sleeping in a dimension where the flow of time is slower than the real world!

"One year within the dimension is equivalent to ten years outside!" Sword Saint Xing said grimly. "However, even with a one to ten ratio, they still age. The passing of ten thousand years means that they have already aged a thousand years.

"Even the younger Ancient Sages during the time of the hibernation are already reaching the end of their lives, not to mention that the frequent battles with the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe have caused destructive killing intent to seep into their body, thus hastening the ageing process!

"The Ancient Sages who chose to go into hibernation then are already approaching their final years... The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe has yet to successfully overcome the seals and launch a mass invasion, but once we lose the strength of the Ancient Sages, it will only be a matter of time before we are annihilated!"

Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation.

To make an analogy, Ancient Sages were somewhat equivalent to the atomic bombs in his previous life. Even without using one, the very possession of such a weapon deterred enemies from running amok.

The Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had been eyeing the Master Teacher Continent for many years, lying patiently in wait for the humans to expose an opening for them to strike.

In this matter, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe held the definitive advantage due to their longer lifespan. Even if they did not go into hibernation, they would still be able to easily outlive the hibernating human cultivators.

This was the fundamental difference in their constitution. There was nothing that could make up for it.

"Twenty years ago, a spatial disturbance was detected in Qufu, and a mirage of the Temple of Confucius surfaced, which provoked the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. They began amassing their armies in the Subterranean Galleries, heralding an impending war. But mankind already didn't have many Ancient Sages left, so the final Ancient Sage of our Zhang Clan had no choice but to awaken and join the fray!" Sword Saint Xing shook his head grimly.

"The final Ancient Sage? How many Ancient Sages of the Zhang Clan went into hibernation back then?" Zhang Xuan couldn't help but ask.

"There was a total of nine of them, but... the many years of war caused them to either pass away or go into eternal sleep. As a result, we only have one living Ancient Sage to date, and he's the 27th Clan Head, Zhang Hongtian!"

"There's only one Ancient Sage remaining out of nine?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.

Nine Ancient Sages—that had probably been the entirety of the Zhang Clan's top-tier fighting prowess then. It seemed that the glory the Zhang Clan enjoyed was cemented by many sacrifices.

"Indeed. The war twenty years ago was indescribably treacherous. Ancestor Zhang Hongtian sustained grievous wounds from battle, putting him on the verge of death. There was only one way to save him, and that was to infuse even purer Zhang Clan bloodline into him!"

Talking up to this point, Sword Saint Xing's face visibly stiffened a little as his eyes started taking on a tint of red. "Back then, there was no one in the clan whose bloodline reached the mark to save Ancestor Zhang Hongtian... Only you, who were still in your mother's womb back then, reached the mark!"

"Me?" Zhang Xuan's body jolted.

He could finally see why his father had brought him here.

"There were only two options back then. Firstly, if we chose not to use your bloodline, Ancestor Zhang Hongtian would have passed away, and mankind would have lost one of its few remaining guardians against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. Secondly, we could use your bloodline to save him... but that would mean putting your life at risk..."

At this moment, Sword Saint Xing looked deeply at Zhang Xuan before sighing. "Your mother vehemently opposed it, but I eventually went against her will and chose the second option!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan fell silent.

This was not an easy decision to make, especially for Sword Saint Xing, who had just had his first child.

If he chose the first option, while his child would be saved, mankind would lose one of the few precious Ancient Sages that it had remaining, placing it in an even more treacherous position than before. Such a decision would be equivalent to placing the cart before the horse.

If mankind was destroyed, what would the Zhang Clan count as? Even if his child survived, he would have a difficult life ahead of him.

But choosing the second option was no different from strangling his unborn child to death with his own hands. There was no father in the world who could possibly make such a decision easily!

Sometimes, having to make a choice was worse than being forced into a situation.

Zhang Xuan could not say that he knew Sword Saint Xing well, but he could tell that the latter was not a heartless person. He could feel that the latter cared deeply for him, so making his decision back then must have really broken his heart.

It was apparent to any rational mind which the correct decision to make was, but it was never easy to sever one's emotions and make the correct decision.

"There is only one fate left for those who have been stripped of their bloodline—death. But I was indignant. I couldn't accept such an outcome! I approached Yang shi and begged for his help. He told me about the existence of a unique poison in the world that could emulate the effects of a bloodline... He had a poison master plant the poison in your mother's womb, thus granting you a hope of survival even after your bloodline was torn away from you.

"After you were born, Yang shi personally grafted your bloodline to Ancestor Zhang Hongtian and successfully saved him. Shortly after, Ancestor Zhang Hongtian went back into hibernation. However, the operation left you severely wounded, placing you on the verge of death.

"In order to save you, we had to swiftly teleport you to one of the ancient domains, hoping that your bloodline would slowly heal with time. However, despite all of the protective measures that we placed on you in order to fend off the spatial turbulence from teleportation, you were simply in too weak a state to take the stress of teleportation. It didn't seem like you would have survived to the end of the teleportation, so I made the decision to forcefully eject you from the Teleportation Formation. That decision might have saved your life, but it made us lose sight of you as well.

"It seems like everything has worked out well in the end, but still..."

At this point, Sword Saint Xing lowered his head apologetically and bowed down.

"Xuan-er, please forgive your incapable father who has caused you so much suffering!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1564: Surge in Prowess

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"I see!"

All of Zhang Xuan's doubts were finally resolved.

It was no wonder his previous self would end up in somewhere as remote as the Tianxuan Kingdom, living a pitiful life as an orphan. Even when he finally breathed his last, he was still a nobody, devoid of anyone's care and concern.

Even though he was not too sure how his bloodline had been torn out of his body, it was bound to be at least as deadly as back when all of Zhao Ya's meridians ruptured. If not for his previous self's superior physical resilience as a Connate Saint, as well as the Zhang Clan's vast resources, he could very well have died back then.

Wait a moment... Something is wrong! If the Innate Fetal Poison was an intentional doing by the Zhang Clan, why would Kong shi be afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison, too? Zhang Xuan frowned.

Kong shi's body had been afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison; this was something that he had just verified earlier. However, in Kong shi's era, it was still possible for cultivators to become Ancient Sages. Surely there was no need for anyone to go to the extent of tearing his bloodline out of his body?

With such thoughts in mind, Zhang Xuan hurriedly asked, "May I know what form the poison that you mentioned comes in? Also, what kind of effect does it have on one's body?"

"The Innate Fetal Poison can be used to substitute one's bloodline, thus allowing one's bodily functions to continue as per usual in the short term. However, the poison places an immense strain on the body, such that a person afflicted with it will usually die before stepping into their twenties if they haven't found a way to cure or suppress it by then!"

Speaking up to this point, Sword Saint Xing looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "You are already in your early twenties, and you have successfully raised your cultivation beyond the Saint realm. From the looks of it, you should have already resolved the Innate Fetal Poison, right?"

One of his son's students happened to be the master of the Poison Hall, so he was bound to have a deep understanding of poison as well. Furthermore, his son did not look sickly or debilitated in the least, so he assumed that his son had already cured himself.

"This... Yes, I have already resolved it!" Not wanting his father to overthink this matter, Zhang Xuan nodded.

Earlier, his father had said that the Innate Fetal Poison would kill its host within twenty years, so it was very likely that his previous self had died from the Innate Fetal Poison. But now, he was starting to wonder if the poison that he was afflicted with was the same Innate Fetal Poison that his previous self had died from.

From the sound of it, the Innate Fetal Poison that had been planted into him back then was not too formidable, given how unworried his father was about the matter. However, when he spoke to Kong shi a while ago, the latter had said that the true problem would come after the Innate Fetal Poison was cured.

Could it be that the appearance of the Library of Heaven's Path had caused some kind of unpredictable change to the Innate Fetal Poison?

However, that was no longer important. What was most important was for him to raise his cultivation swiftly and become a 9-star master teacher as soon as possible.

Noticing the dazed look on Zhang Xuan's face, he thought that the latter was just a little overwhelmed by the news that he had just heard and needed some time to digest all that shocking information.

Thus, Sword Saint Xing said with a smile, "Alright! You should be exhausted from all the information that you have just received, so let's stop here for tonight. Rest well. Tomorrow, we'll be bringing you to the Ancestral Hall to pay respects to your ancestors and hold the inauguration ceremony to officialize your position as the clan head. After that, we'll be heading over to the Luo Clan to ask for your little lover's hand in marriage!"

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had not even realized it himself earlier, but he was indeed feeling a little drained at the moment.

He had already been feeling a little sapped back when the power from the Pavilion Master Seal's droplet receded from him, but due to the many matters that he had to deal with, he had been left with no choice but to hold on till now.

Thus, the two of them walked out of the passageway, and right before they parted, Zhang Xuan suddenly turned to Sword Saint Xing and asked, "Sword Saint Xing, do you have any pinnacle spirit stones or items rich in spiritual energy on hand? I want to reinforce my cultivation and try pushing for a breakthrough if possible!"

While he had already recognized the middle-aged man before him as his father, he still found it a little difficult for him to address the other party as 'father'.

On the other hand, Sword Saint Xing knew that he had been absent for most of his son's life, so it was understandable that it would be hard for his son to accept him all of a sudden. He was a little disappointed by the matter, but he knew that this was a problem that could only be slowly resolved with time.

Thus, he smiled and said, "You wish to reinforce your cultivation? I don't have too many pinnacle spirit stones with me at the moment, only around two thousand of them. You can use them for now... I do have quite a few items that are rich in spiritual energy, too. These ten jade bottles here each have a grade-9 pill in them, and they are fantastic for replenishing depleted energy... Right, I also have two gourds of Earth Vein Marrow Essence over here, and they are fairly great too. Oh, I also have two Whitescar Spirit Stones here. I obtained them during a mission a while ago. They can aid you in the advancement of your cultivation..."

As Sword Saint Xing spoke, he took out object after object from his storage ring.

"This..." Zhang Xuan's lips twitched.

All along, he had thought that he could be considered fairly rich, but compared to Sword Saint Xing, he was really as good as a beggar!

Two thousand pinnacle spirit stones, ten grade-9 pills, two gourds of Earth Vein Marrow Essence... Any single one of those items was worth more than his entire fortune!

It was no wonder everyone admired those who were born in large clans. Just the amount of resources that they had access to was something that unaffiliated cultivators would never be able to compare to.

If he had possessed these resources back when he was still in the Tianxuan Kingdom, he might already have become an Ancient Sage by now!

Noticing that his son was standing quietly on the spot, Sword Saint Xing thought that his son was snubbing him for the meager wealth that he possessed, so he quickly clarified with an awkward look on his face, "This is just my private stash. If it isn't enough, you can ask for more from your mother. She has many more good items than me..."

"No no no, this is more than enough!" Zhang Xuan shook his head in horror.

In the end, this was only his private stash...

It seemed like having parents was not too bad after all. At the very least, he did not have to worry about a lack of resources in his future cultivation anymore!

"That's a relief! We have always kept your residence empty in case you ever returned. Come, let me show you there..." After Zhang Xuan stowed the items into his storage ring, Sword Saint Xing quickly led the way forward.

Before his son was even born, he had specially ordered that a residence be constructed for him. Things did not go as planned, but Sword Saint Xing never allowed anyone to move into the residence. Perhaps with the hope that their son would return one day, they had the servants clean the residence every day, but they never allowed anyone to stay there.

Since his son had finally returned, it went without saying that he should stay in that residence.

Before long, the two men arrived in a relatively large residence.

As soon as Zhang Xuan walked in, he immediately felt rich spiritual energy shrouding him, revitalizing him. He scanned the residence with his gaze, and he had to admit that he was rather satisfied with the accommodation.

Thus, he clasped his fist and said, "Alright, I'll be taking my rest then..."

Knowing that his son was bound to be exhausted after his long day, Sword Saint Xing patted his shoulder before walking out.

Zhang Xuan walked Sword Saint Xing out before walking around the residence to find the spot with the highest concentration of spiritual energy. After which, he took out his pinnacle spirit stones and began recovering his depleted energy.

After recuperating for roughly four hours, he finally recovered to his peak condition, and he felt reinvigorated once more.

It's about time to push for a breakthrough... Zhang Xuan thought excitedly.

The Master Teacher Pavilion had not sent over the Saint 9-dan cultivation technique manuals yet, but from the thousands of books that he had collected from the 9-star master teachers, he had managed to successfully compile the Saint 8-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art.

Immersing his consciousness into the Library of Heaven's Path, he placed his finger on the compiled Heaven's Path Divine Art manual, and the content of the book swiftly flowed into his mind, becoming his knowledge.

Upon reaching Saint 8-dan Dimension Sundering realm, a cultivator would be able to create isolated spaces from the rest of the world through their Dominion.

Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi according to the circulation pathway in the Heaven's Path Divine Art, and his cultivation and strength slowly rose.

Within two hours, he had already reached Dimension Sundering realm pinnacle, on the verge of making a breakthrough to the Macrocosm Ascendancy realm.

Knowing that pushing for a breakthrough would draw in the Macrocosm Ascendancy Ordeal, and that would potentially cause devastating damage to the Zhang Clan, he suppressed the sensation and turned his attention to his soul cultivation instead.

Previously, through Vicious' memories, he had managed to obtain soul cultivation techniques up to Saint 9-dan, but he had not been able to find suitable soul-related books to compile together with it to form Heaven's Path Soul Art manuals. However, when he met Lu Chong earlier, he had managed to obtain the soul cultivation techniques of the soul oracles from him, and that had allowed him to compile Heaven's Path Soul Art manuals all the way up to Saint 9-dan.

Since he had ample spirit stones in hand, it was a good opportunity for him to raise his soul cultivation all the way up to Saint 9-dan.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1565: Great Sage Realm

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He first placed the pinnacle spirit stones that Sword Saint Xing had given him into a Spirit Gathering Formation before drawing his soul out of his body. Focusing his attention, he began to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy as he drove his soul energy in accordance to the Heaven's Path Soul Art manuals.

Geji! Geji!

His soul cultivation advanced at an incredible rate.

With his Soul Depth rising to a level comparable to a 9-star pinnacle master teacher, he was able to exert extraordinary focus in his cultivation, thus significantly increasing his rate of cultivation. It might have taken him two hours in order to raise his cultivation by a single stage in the past, but now, he could do it within just an hour.

Some time later, he finally opened up his eyes.

With a light wave of his hand, a pitch-black rift appeared right before him. Not even space could withstand the powerful might wielded by his soul!

It's a pity that Soul Traverse hasn't been perfected yet, so it isn't convenient for me to practice it! Zhang Xuan shook his head in pity.

Naturally, when Lu Chong imparted the heritage of the soul oracles to him, the secret art, Soul Traverse, had been among the heritage. However, it was a pity that it had far too many flaws for him to swallow, and his cultivation was also a little too low at the moment to cultivate it.

Otherwise, if his soul could freely leap through space just like his student, his fighting prowess would be raised another notch.

Of course, while the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters seemed to have reluctantly accepted the fact that he practiced the arts of the soul oracles, most cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent were still a little apprehensive about soul oracles, so it would be best for him to avoid using such means in public.

If not for Yang shi's appearing at a timely moment and addressing him as 'Senior', putting aside compensating him, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would still have been hounding him over his dabbling in poison and soul arts.

Hu!

Zhang Xuan returned his soul to his body.

Standing up once more, he lightly flicked his arm, and he could feel a furious torrent of power racing through his body, granting him much more strength than before.

He flicked his finger lightly.

Si la!

A huge rift was torn open in the room, and any object that fell into the rift would be utterly eradicated.

Zhang Xuan nodded contentedly. It's still nowhere close to the power that I wielded after activating the Pavilion Master Seal, but ordinary Saint 9-dan cultivators should no longer be a match for me. In fact, I should be able to put up a decent fight against the First Elder of the Glacier Plain Court, You Ruoxin!

This time, he had managed to advance his zhenqi and soul cultivation considerably, and with the combined prowess of the two, even Half-Great Sages would have trouble dealing with him. With this, he could already be considered one of the top cultivators on the Master Teacher Continent.

"Alright, I should try to raise the cultivation of the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast and the Inferno Qilin now..."

Those two saint beasts had been put through great suffering while trying to protect him, and this was especially so for the latter. In the earlier battle, the Inferno Qilin had been captured by Zhang Wuheng, and if not for the sudden change in his identity to the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan, it might very well have lost its life.

Given that the First Elder had been imprisoned, it went without saying that the Inferno Qilin had been returned to him.

Zhang Xuan released the two of them and bestowed them with a couple of grade-9 pills.

Under the nourishment of the medicinal energy within the pills, the Inferno Qilin recovered swiftly from its injuries. It was not able to push for a breakthrough, but it did manage to reinforce its cultivation further, and from the looks of it, it would not be long before it overcame its Saint 9-dan bottleneck and pushed for higher realms!

On the other hand, with the nourishment of the grade-9 pills and Zhang Xuan's guidance, the Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast managed to advance its cultivation from Saint 9-dan primary stage to Saint 9-dan pinnacle within just a single night.

In terms of strength, it would not pale too far in comparison to the Inferno Qilin!

By the time Zhang Xuan was done with this, the sun had already risen in the east. Stretching his back lazily, he pushed open his door to walk out of his room, only to see that Sword Saint Xing was already waiting in the courtyard.

"It's about time for us to pay respects to the ancestors... Let's head over!" Sword Saint Xing said. Suddenly, his eyebrows shot up as he took a closer look at his son, and a moment later, he exclaimed excitedly, "Your cultivation..."

The last time that he had seen his son, his son's cultivation had only been at Dimension Sundering realm primary stage. Yet, in the span of a night, his cultivation had grown so powerful that even Saint 9-dan cultivators would have trouble fighting against him!

"I managed to achieve a breakthrough last night, but it was just a fluke," Zhang Xuan explained.

"Fluke?" Sword Saint Xing's lips twitched upon hearing that word.

When he fought against his son the day before, the latter had exerted strength surpassing even that of his own. Initially, he had thought that his son was really that strong, but very soon, he had realized that the latter had used some kind of secret art to artificially inflate his strength. He had been worried that there might be some side effects as a result of using the secret art, but from the looks of it, he had been worrying needlessly!

Not only had his son's cultivation not declined, it had improved by leaps and bounds instead!

It was really a wonder how his son cultivated to improve so quickly.

"Try hitting me. I want to see how powerful you are without relying on your secret art!" Sword Saint Xing said.

"Very well!" Knowing that his strength would be insufficient to faze his father without relying on the Pavilion Master Seal, Zhang Xuan had no intention of holding back.

Taking a deep breath, he sent a punch out with his full might.

Boom!

The space in front of him collapsed as a formidable shockwave rippled into the surroundings.

Sword Saint Xing's eyebrows shot upward in astonishment as he raised his palm to halt Zhang Xuan's punch.

Hu!

He managed to dissipate the force of Zhang Xuan's punch, but at the same time, he was forced to retreat a step in order to ward off the impact of the punch.

Impressed, he could not help but remark, "Your strength doesn't pale in comparison even to Introspective Convalescence realm experts..."

"Introspective Convalescence realm?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

"Having reached Saint 9-dan, you should have become acutely aware that Saint 9-dan isn't the endpoint to cultivation. Above Saint, there's Great Sage!" Sword Saint Xing explained.

"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

He had heard Yang shi speak of this matter in the past, but he was not too aware of the details.

"There are nine dans to Fighter, Transcendent Mortal, and Saint. However, there are only four dans to Great Sage!" Sword Saint Xing explained.

"The very first realm to Great Sage is the Introspective Convalescence realm!

"In the Saint realm, a cultivator develops their Primordial Spirit and physical body to the very limits, but this development often comes with some degree of imperfection. In the Introspective Convalescence realm, a cultivator separates their Primordial Spirit from their physical body and trims both of them carefully, achieving invulnerability to indisposition and infirmity. Those who have successfully reached this realm have their lifespan extended by five hundred years, thus allowing them to live up to 1,500 years old."

Ordinary Saint experts would only have a thousand years to their lifespan. While some might be able to live a little longer than that, it would not stray too far from that. However, if a cultivator was able to reach the Introspective Convalescence realm, they would be able to alleviate the ageing process of their body, thus extending their lifespan to 1,500 years.

Five hundred years might not seem too long, but with sufficient luck, a cultivator could potentially reach higher realms with this additional time.

"The realms in Great Sage are far more complex than those in Saint, so while there are only four cultivation stages in Saint realms, there are six cultivation stages in Great Sage realms!

"They are namely primary stage, intermediate stage, advanced stage, pinnacle, perfection, and consummation!

"Each of these six stages is harder to scale than the last. In fact, there are some cultivators who require over a hundred years to raise their cultivation a single stage. At the same time, a tremendous amount of spiritual energy is required as well. For this reason, Great Sage is a huge hurdle for one to overcome, and in history, very few cultivators have eventually made it to Ancient Sage!

"The punch that you executed earlier wields strength that is roughly on par with Introspective Convalescence realm primary stage cultivators. While it can't be said to be impressive among the powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent, without a doubt, none in the younger generation will be able to match your strength!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response. Curious about the realms of Great Sage, he could help but ask, "The first realm of Great Sage is the Introspective Convalescence realm, but what about the second realm?"

"The second realm is the Aureate Body realm!" Sword Saint Xing said. "Introspective Convalescence grants one self-awareness through introspection, and the undefilable Aureate Body grants one everlasting divinity. Flames and ice will no longer be able to injure one, and ordinary wounds will recover swiftly without the use of pills. Through fully awakening his Emperor's Bloodline, your student, Yuan Tao, has reached such a realm!"

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1566: Engagement!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Of course, the term 'Aureate Body' is just figurative language," Sword Saint Xing explained. "One's body and physical body will grow far more resilient than before, almost as if diamond, impermeable to water or flames. Even if one travels through a Teleportation Formation without protection, one still won't be harmed by the spatial turbulence. Even when falling into spatial rifts, one will be able to walk out alive!

"On top of the frightening growth in strength and resilience, one will gain considerable resistance against soul arts as well. Demonic tunes and even the Impartation of Heaven's Will won't be able to sway one easily anymore!

"The third realm of Great Sage is the Intuitive Impulse realm! To put it in simpler terms, it refers to an enigmatic sense toward danger or the unknown. It's rather similar to the ability that seers wield, but it's far more feasible to experts, especially in battle. Without using tortoise shells or copper coins, one will be able to intuitively sense impending calamities or fortune and select the most suitable course of action to take. Your mother and I have reached this realm. Last year, your soul lantern extinguished, but your mother and I could sense that you are still alive, and that's what that drove us to continue searching for you..."

"My soul lantern extinguished?" Zhang Xuan's lips twitched. "The Zhang Clan has my soul lantern? When did it extinguish?"

He had learned of soul lanterns from the books in the Sanctum of Sages. It was an artifact forged by weaving a sliver of an individual's soul in a unique manner.

Usually, it would be located in a discreet location, placed under the care of special caretakers. The moment that the flame in the soul lantern was extinguished signified that the individual's soul had dissipated as well. It was typically used in most major powers so as to take note of the statuses of those who had left the clan.

As such, it was not too surprising that he had a soul lantern, but the fact that it had extinguished...

This was a matter worth looking into.

"Your mother and I feared that something would happen to you, so I created a soul lantern out of your soul right after you were born. As for when it extinguished... it was at the start of the ninth month last year," Sword Saint Xing said.

"..." Zhang Xuan's eyelids twitched a little upon hearing the date.

The start of the ninth month last year... That happened to be around the time that he transcended to this world, the start of a new semester in the Tianxuan Kingdom's Hongtian Academy.

Did his soul dissipate before I transcended over or when I possessed his body? Zhang Xuan could not help but wonder a little.

However, there was no point speculating about the past anymore, so he simply shook his head and dropped that thought.

"What's the fourth realm?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"The fourth realm is the pinnacle of Great Sage, as well as the level that Yang shi has reached. It's known as the Sempiternal realm. Sempiternal encompasses the idea of deathlessness, but it's with reference not to the flesh but to the Primordial Spirit. No external force will be able to sway one's mental state, and with a mere thought, one is not only able to kill but tear space apart as well! Only one who has reached this realm can be considered invincible beneath Ancient Sage!" Sword Saint Xing remarked.

"Your mother and I have been searching for an impetus to achieve a breakthrough to that realm, but it's a pity that we haven't been able to succeed..."

"Introspective Convalescence, Aureate Body, Intuitive Impulse, and Sempiternal..." Zhang Xuan committed the names of those four realms to memory.

He was not too sure about the latter three, but he had definitely felt the power of the Sempiternal realm back when he activated the droplet of blood from the Pavilion Master Seal. He had felt absolute power in his grasp, and with just a flick of his hand, he could easily have torn the world into pieces. There was nothing in this world that could possibly have endured his might.

If even the Sempiternal realm was that powerful, it was hard to imagine just how formidable Ancient Sage would be!

"Alright, let's quickly leave!" After explaining the four realms of Great Sage, Sword Saint Xing beckoned for them to set off before leading the way forward.

The ancestor acknowledgement ritual was not too complicated. All of the elders of the Zhang Clan, including those retired and in seclusion, had come to witness the ceremony. In the ancestral hall, an esteemed elder of the Zhang Clan announced Zhang Xuan's identity and history to the ancestors.

Zhang Xuan stood obediently in his allocated position, and the entire ceremony proceeded smoothly without any hiccups.

It concluded right before noon, and Zhang Xuan's name was inscribed onto the Zhang Clan's genealogy book.

Following that was the clan head inauguration ceremony.

There were all kinds of formalities and conventions to be respected for this solemn event, making it both bothersome and frustrating.

However, he also knew that it was of the utmost importance to respect these traditions. This was in line with the virtue of propriety that Kong shi had preached. It would be impossible to establish order and legitimacy without propriety, which made it ever so important in large powers like the Zhang Clan.

The ceremony lasted all the way till sunset before it finally concluded.

With this, Zhang Xuan had officially succeeded as the clan head, becoming the most authoritative figure in the Zhang Clan.

"Phew, the ceremony is finally over! Son, we'll be heading to the Luo Clan tomorrow to ask for the little princess' hand in marriage!" Looking at the excellent man that his son had become, Sword Saint Xing could not help but feel satisfied within.

Zhang Xuan did not think that his parents would be so impatient as well, and he nodded helplessly. "Alright!"

The truth was that he was also feeling a little apprehensive inside. Everything seemed to be proceeding so smoothly that he was starting to fear that it was all a dream.

Sword Saint Xing walked up to Yang shi and clasped his fist with a smile. "Yang shi, I hope that you can follow us to the Luo Clan as well and bear witness to this joyous event!"

"My Senior is going to be wedded—it goes without saying that I have to tag along!" Yang shi stroked his beard.

The second Celestial Master Teacher in the world was going to marry the little princess of the Luo Clan—this was a historic event that he could not afford to miss!

The night passed in surprising silence.

This time, Zhang Xuan chose to have a good sleep to reinvigorate himself instead of cultivating.

As soon as dawn settled in, a huge crowd had already gathered around the Conference Hall of the Zhang Clan. All sorts of items and artifacts were loaded upon forty massive saint beasts, producing a sight of majesty and extravagance.

"Isn't this... a little too grand?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

"How can it not be grand? This is the wedding ceremony of the clan head of our Zhang Clan! If there isn't at least this much, it would poorly reflect on us as the number one Sage Clan!" Sword Saint Xing replied haughtily.

Beside him, Sword Saint Meng nodded with a ravishing smile on her face, reminiscent of a blooming flower. She was surprisingly quiet despite the matter at hand.

Looking at the heavily loaded saint beasts, Zhang Xuan asked with a doubtful frown, "How far away is the Luo Clan?"

The Master Teacher Continent was vast, such that even when one was riding on saint beasts, a journey could easily take several days or even months. If the destination was too far away, it might be better for him to construct a Teleportation Formation so that they could head there right away.

"Why? Just a few days of absence, and you are already in a rush to meet your little girlfriend?" Sword Saint Xing teased playfully.

"That's not it..." Zhang Xuan's face reddened in embarrassment.

"The Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan aren't located too far away from one another. We specially prepared these aerial spirit beasts beforehand, and they are all at Saint 9-dan. If they fly at their full might, we should be able to reach our destination within three days, so there's no need to get anxious!"

Seemingly seeing through Zhang Xuan's thoughts, Sword Saint Meng added with a smile, "While a Teleportation Formation will allow us to get to the Luo Clan much faster, we'll have to pay an astronomical price in order to teleport this many resources and saint beasts over. On top of that, the journey there is also a symbol of sincerity on our part, and it serves to inform the world of the matrimony between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan. It's a formality that we have to respect so as to not sully the reputation of both the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan!"

"I understand..." Zhang Xuan nodded.

In any case, it was only a three-day journey, so there was no real need to use the Teleportation Formation.

He was not so impatient as to be unable to wait three days.

"Alright, let's set off then!"

Since everyone was already present, Sword Saint Xing gave a command, and the saint beasts rose into the air. Zhang Xuan and his parents got onto the saint beast at the very front of the formation, and just like that, the magnificent marriage convoy began making its way toward the Luo Clan.

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1567: The Secret Behind the Marriage of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Chilling wind battered ceaselessly on the convoy of the Zhang Clan.

It was already in the midst of winter. While it was not as chilling as the usual weather at the Glacier Plain Court, most of the mountains were already cloaked with a thick layer of snow. Placed along with the white clouds in the air, it formed a mystical scenery of beauty.

Zhang Xuan stood in the room at the back of the aerial saint beast, frowning. Unable to hold back his curiosity anymore, he turned to the Xingmeng Sword Saints and asked, "What's the reason behind the engagement between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan? Since I'm the clan head now, I should know of it as well, right?"

Initially, Zhang Xuan had thought that his parents' impatience had stemmed from wanting to see him settle down, but after flying for some time, he could not help but feel that something was amiss.

Of the items carried by the forty aerial saint beasts, there were pills, artifacts, secret manuals, beast skin, inner cores... There was basically everything that a cultivator would ever need. Even with the Zhang Clan's fortune, it was not something that could be prepared on the spur of a moment.

The only possibility was that they had already prepared it in advance!

Of course, that was to be expected. After all, they even held the tournament back at the Zhang Clan to find someone to marry the little princess in his place. However, this served to remind him of how adamant the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan were in pushing this marriage forward.

Putting this together with what he had heard from Luo Xuanqing a while back, about how determined the elders of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan were in realizing the marriage... He would have to be fool not to realize that something was amiss!

Furthermore, he had barely reunited with his parents. Surely his parents would not want to send him away so quickly.

"This..." Hearing his son's question, a hesitant look surfaced on Sword Saint Xing's face.

It was clear that his son had already guessed something, and it would be impossible to hide it from him any longer.

"I told you that we shouldn't hide it from our son, but you just wouldn't listen! Given how smart my Xuan-er is, how could he possibly not figure it out?" Sword Saint Meng harrumphed coldly.

Turning to Zhang Xuan, she scoffed impatiently. "The Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan's arrangement is for mankind or whatever nonsense!"

"For mankind? What does the marriage with the Luo Clan have to do with mankind?" Zhang Xuan was even more confused.

It was just a marriage between him and Luo Ruoxin! Surely it would be exaggerating to say that the whole of mankind would be affected by their marriage.

"Let me tell him instead!"

The previously-silent Yang shi suddenly sighed deeply and spoke up.

"Un."

Seeing that Yang shi was going to speak, the Xingmeng Sword Saints nodded before falling silent.

"The bloodline ability of the Zhang Clan is time whereas the bloodline ability of the Luo Clan is space," Yang shi said. "Senior, I believe you should be very familiar with this, right?"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

He had been surprised by it at the start, but after witnessing it so many times, he had already gotten used to it.

"Those two abilities come together to form the power of spacetime, and this power is the key to unlocking the seal of the Temple of Confucius!" Yang shi revealed.

"The seal of the Temple of Confucius?"

"According to legend, in order to access the area where the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn is sealed, on top of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy required, one must also wield the power of spacetime! However, this is an ability that only the strongest of Ancient Sages wield!" Yang shi explained.

"However, it's a pity that no one has been able to achieve a breakthrough to Ancient Sage over the past ten thousand years. The few living Ancient Sages are also reaching the limits of their lifespan, such that while they are still capable of fighting short battles, it would be difficult for them to decipher the flow of spacetime in order to break the seal. More importantly, it seems that Ancient Sage experts might not be able to enter the depths of the Temple of Confucius!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan was bewildered. "If Ancient Sages are banned from entering the depths of the Temple of Confucius, why did Kong shi create a seal that requires one to wield the power of spacetime to decipher it?"

What in the world was Kong shi intending to do?

It was one thing for Kong shi to place the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn in the Temple of Confucius instead of handing it over to mankind, but he had even created an insurmountable obstacle for challengers to overcome. Was he really intending for mankind to obtain the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn?

Alas, Kong shi had already long passed on, so it was impossible for them to fathom his thoughts anymore. Yang shi shook his head and said, "I don't know the details either. Due to the seal placed in the Temple of Confucius, even if we gather all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, we still won't be able to access the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. However, if we fuse the bloodlines of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan together, it might just be possible to pull it off!"

"Fuse the bloodlines of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan?"

"If both bloodlines can be perfectly fused together, one will be able to harness the power of spacetime that usually only the most pinnacle Ancient Sage could wield!" Yang shi explained. "It's for this reason that you were engaged to the little princess of the Luo Clan even before the both of you were born. No matter what happens, the marriage has to go through!"

"But... I have already lost my Zhang Clan bloodline. Even if I marry the little princess now, it would be futile..." Not expecting to hear such a story before the engagement, Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in alarm.

As mankind slowly lost its Ancient Sages, the tables would gradually turn in favor of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. As such, this made obtaining the Great Codex of Spring of Autumn of utmost importance to mankind. This matter could determine the very survival of mankind. As such, even the Master Teacher Pavilion was pushing this matter forward.

But considering that he had already lost his Zhang Clan's bloodline and his grasp over the law of time was still rather elementary, even if he were to marry Luo Ruoxin, it would not help at all!

"You might have already lost your Zhang Clan bloodline, but the fact that you once possessed it means that your body carries the aptitude for it. As long as the Zhang Clan bloodline is infused back into your veins once more, you should be able to wield its power easily, so there's no need to worry about that. Besides, the mutual feelings between you and the little princess will allow for greater synergy in your collaboration, making it easier for the two of you to produce the power of spacetime!

"Without a doubt, the two of you are the ideal candidates for this matter!" Yang shi affirmed with a smile.

There was still one more thing that he had neglected to mention, and that was the fact that Zhang Xuan was a Celestial Master Teacher.

Kong shi had been a Celestial Master Teacher as well, so while others might have difficulties obtaining the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, Zhang Xuan might just be able to pull it off.

For this reason, even though the Zhang Clan had already found an individual who possessed even purer Zhang Clan bloodline than Zhang Xuan, he was still more supportive of having Zhang Xuan marry the little princess.

"I'll be able to use the abilities of the Zhang Clan bloodline just by having it infused back into me?" Zhang Xuan asked in bewilderment.

He could understand how the chemistry between him and Luo Ruoxin would allow for a more harmonious collaboration between the two of them, but the notion of being able to use the abilities of the Zhang Clan just by having their bloodline infused into him sounded a little ridiculous.

"It's true that your Zhang Clan bloodline has been torn away from your body, but this can also be said to be a blessing in disguise. You won't be limited by your bloodline, thus granting you the potential to exceed the founder of the Zhang Clan!" Yang shi explained.

"Inheriting a unique bloodline is similar to inheriting the lineage of the predecessors. It grants one an incomparable advantage when it comes to intrinsic talent, but there is also a fatal flaw to it—one will be limited by one's bloodline. It will be far more difficult for one to surpass the level of one's predecessor as compared to an ordinary cultivator. Furthermore, the purer one's bloodline is, the greater the bottleneck will be!"

"This..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

To make an analogy, a unique bloodline would be equivalent to walking down a safe pathway that one's predecessors had already paved in advance. However, the downside of walking down an established pathway was that one would not know where one could safely advance toward once one reached the end of the pathway. Perhaps, the pathway might not even be suitable!

Under such circumstances, it would be nigh impossible to go any further than one's predecessor!

A thought suddenly came to Zhang Xuan's mind. Could this be why Kong shi was afflicted with the Innate Fetal Poison? The purpose was not to heal an Ancient Sage but to... surpass the predecessors?

The reason the Innate Fetal Poison was so little known on the Master Teacher Continent was likely due to how inefficient it was as a poison. After all, there were far more convenient and certain poisons to kill an infant as opposed to the Innate Fetal Poison, so it was more likely that Kong shi had planted it for its other purpose—substitution of bloodline.

Previously, he had been wondering what reasons there were to tear away Kong shi's bloodline and afflict him with the Innate Fetal Poison, and this could very well be the case.

After all, Kong shi did manage to achieve what others failed in, surpassing all that came before him.

"Back then," Sword Saint Meng suddenly interjected with reddened eyes, "the reason I agreed to having your bloodline torn out was because they promised me that nothing would happen to you and that you might even get an opportunity to strive for greater heights..."

Report chapter Comments

Chapter 1568: Hundred Schools of Philosophers

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Sword Saint Meng had little care about the greater good of mankind or anything of the sort. What really mattered to her was just those whom she cared about, and if anyone dared to hurt her precious child, she would pit her life against that person.

The reason she had eventually relented was due to those words reassuring her.

As a mother, it was inevitable that she would bear great ambitions for her child's future. With Yang shi volunteering to assist in the process and her husband reassuring all of her fears, she had eventually caved in.

Otherwise, given her strength, no matter how powerful Hu Yiwei was, there was no way he could possibly have planted the Innate Fetal Poison in her successfully.

Knowing how difficult it would have been for his mother to make such a decision back then, Zhang Xuan sighed deeply within. Shaking his head, he turned his gaze back to Yang shi and said, "I still don't really get how infusing the Zhang Clan bloodline back into my body would allow me to use its abilities easily."

"Pardon me, it seems like I have accidentally strayed off topic. As you used to possess the purest Zhang Clan bloodline, you still wield the innate ability to activate the Zhang Clan bloodline. As long as you have sufficient blood essence of the Zhang Clan bloodline, you will be able to use its bloodline ability without burning your own bloodline. Naturally, that means that there won't be the one-month downtime for you after activating the bloodline ability!" Yang shi explained.

While activating the unique bloodline would grant one a temporary surge of power, it would also severely deplete one's vitality and zhenqi afterward, resulting in a month's downtime afterward.

However, those who had once had their bloodline torn out would not face such a limitation as they would be using the bloodline of others. As long as they had sufficient blood essence on hand, they could raise their cultivation freely!

"This..." Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in agitation.

If that was really true, this could become another major trump card of his!

"It's too early for you to get happy. Your bloodline previously was simply too pure, such that there's hardly anyone in the clan who has bloodline that can match yours. After gathering all the blood essence that we could within the clan and refining it again and again in order to raise its purity, we only managed to squeeze out three droplets. Even if there isn't any downtime afterward, you must make sure to use them sparingly!" Sword Saint Xing said as he flicked his hand, and a jade bottle flew over.

"I understand!" Holding the jade bottle tightly in his hand, Zhang Xuan could feel the rich power harnessed within the three blood droplets inside.

Without a doubt, Zhang Clan must have paid a heavy price in order to refine these three droplets. He was about to thank Sword Saint Xing when a thought suddenly struck him.

The Pavilion Master Seal had also been created through three droplets of Kong shi's blood, and by assimilating them into his body, he would be able to temporarily wield power invincible against those beneath Ancient Sage. Was this not identical to the situation with the blood droplets from the Zhang Clan?

Could it be that Kong shi had some kind of unique bloodline, and the prerequisite to activating the bloodline was... being a Celestial Master Teacher?

Zhang Xuan nodded. That does seem likely to be the case...

It was no wonder no one had been able to truly tame the Pavilion Master Seal in the tens of thousands of years since Kong shi had left the Master Teacher Continent. Limited by their constitution, it was already formidable that they could wield a tenth of its power.

"It's said that one must collate all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy in order to enter the Temple of Confucius. May I know how many of them we have at the moment?" Zhang Xuan suddenly asked.

Back then, the Qingtian Emperor had paid a heavy price to sneak onto the Master Teacher Continent in order to find one of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy, but even after searching for countless years, his efforts had still been rendered futile.

Zhang Xuan could not help wondering how many of them the Master Teacher Pavilion had found to date.

"Of the six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters has one, the Zhang Clan has one, and the Luo Clan has one. As for the remaining three, some say that Kong shi sealed them beneath some mountain in the world, and others say that they were taken away by the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. In any case, even with the influence of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters, I'm afraid that their whereabouts still remain a mystery to date!" Yang shi shook his head.

"Hundred Schools of Philosophers?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

He had heard of the Three Premier Clans and the Five Elements Sage Clans... but what was the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?"

"Kong shi took in three thousand students and seventy-two direct disciples, and these seventy-two direct disciples were all Ancient Sage experts!" Yang shi said.

"They were all Ancient Sages?" Zhang Xuan's breathing hastened in agitation.

For all seventy-two direct disciples of his to be Ancient Sages... Just how powerful was mankind back then?

It was no wonder that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was so frightened of Kong shi, apprehensive of the rise of another Celestial Master Teacher among mankind even after so many years! If another seventy-two Ancient Sages emerged among mankind, the tables could very well be turned!

The reputation of the World's Teacher was indeed not baseless!

"They have been conferred with the title of 'Philosophers', and their descendants are collectively known as the Hundred Schools of Philosophers! They disappeared soon after Kong shi disappeared from the world, which led to the rise of the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan shortly after. Otherwise, if the Hundred Schools of Philosophers were still around, even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters would have to defer to them!" Yang shi swiftly explained one of the ancient secrets of the history of mankind.

Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment. "Are the Hundred Schools of Philosophers actually that powerful?"

While the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters did suffer a setback due to him this time around, he knew full well that the waters ran far deeper in the Master Teacher Pavilion than what he was seeing. If their conflict had worsened, even with Zheng Yang, Wei Ruyan, and even the Zhang Clan on his side, he still would not have stood a chance against the Master Teacher Pavilion!

Without such strength, how could the Master Teacher Pavilion go unchallenged for the past tens of thousands of years? It was precisely out of deference for their strength that even the top experts of the continent were apprehensive of provoking them!

For one, no one knew exactly how many hibernating Ancient Sages there were in the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters...

And despite the Master Teacher Pavilion's prowess, it was still afraid of the Hundred Schools of Philosophers?

"They are the descendants of Kong shi's direct disciples. Other than their powerful bloodline, they also have the complete heritage of their predecessors. Given so, it might be difficult for the Master Teacher Pavilion to match them!" Yang shi shook his head. "However, they disappeared from the Master Teacher Continent many years ago, so it's unlikely for them to appear once more. Thus, there's no need to worry about them!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

Since they had disappeared just like Kong shi, there should be no need to worry about them. He pondered for a moment before asking once more, "If the three remaining Celestial Amulets of Legacy are missing, how do we enter the Temple of Confucius?"

Given that they had not even gathered all of the Celestial Amulets of Legacy yet, were they not jumping ahead of themselves to push forward a marriage between the Zhang Clan and the Luo Clan at this point in time?

"Typically speaking, it's indeed true that it would be impossible for one to enter the Temple of Confucius without gathering all six Celestial Amulets of Legacy. However, through years of research, the Master Teacher Pavilion has managed to find a way to circumvent that requirement. Back then, Kong shi acquired the blood essences of six unique bloodlines in order to forge the six Celestial Amulets of Legacy, so even if we fail to find the three remaining amulets, we can substitute them with the three fully awakened unique constitutions!" Yang shi said while stroking his beard.

"Unique constitutions? Could the Pure Yin Body be one of those unique constitutions?" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

"Indeed, the Pure Yin Body is one of the unique constitutions. Other than that, there's also the Poison Hall's Innate Poison Body, the Yuan Clan's Emperor's Bloodline, the Shui Clan's Truewater Constitution... As long as these unique constitutions are fully awakened, they can be used to substitute the amulets!" Yang shi replied with a nod.

"That's also the reason You Ruoxin was in such a rush to awaken Zhao Ya's unique constitution. As long as she succeeded, the Glacier Plain Court would have been able to enter the Temple of Confucius. The Temple of Confucius houses Kong shi's heritage, and the treasures and secret manuals found there will be unmatched by anything currently on the Master Teacher Continent! Without a doubt, the exploration of the Temple of Confucius will change the power dynamics on the Master Teacher Continent, and the powers who fail to enter the Temple of Confucius will find themselves swiftly falling behind those who do. And if, by any chance, the heritage falls into the hands of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, it could very well spell the end of mankind!"

There was a good chance that the solution to achieving a breakthrough to Ancient Sage would be found in the Temple of Confucius as well, and that would be a turning point for many powers in the world.

Who would be willing to give up on this opportunity?

"Do you still have any doubts in mind?" Yang shi asked.

"None at the moment," Zhang Xuan replied with a shake of his head.

For the time being, that was all he was perplexed about, and after Yang shi's explanation, he had gained a good grasp of the situation.

It was no wonder the Luo Clan was so adamant about marrying Luo Ruoxin to the young prodigy of the Zhang Clan. Considering that the Temple of Confucius was involved in this matter as well, her will alone would not be enough to change their mind.

"Alright then. I'll be taking a rest for a moment."

Seeing that Zhang Xuan did not have any more doubts, Yang shi sat down and closed his eyes, and Zhang Xuan got to reinforcing his cultivation as well.

...

Three days passed in a flash.

When morning came, as soon as the brilliant sun rose from the horizon, a massive city came into sight beneath the group.

Sword Saint Xing walked over to the windows and exclaimed, "That's the Luo Clan's Shrouding Ethereal City! We have finally arrived at our destination!"

Report chapter Comments