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

54. 1697

Library of Heaven's Path #Chapter 1697 - Sword Saint Xing Makes a Breakthrough - Read Library of Heaven's Path Chapter 1697 - Sword Saint Xing Makes a Breakthrough Online - All Page - NOVEL NEXT

Chapter 1697: Sword Saint Xing Makes a Breakthrough

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The effect of the golden page was not just limited to smashing his enemies to a pulp. More than that, it would help him assimilate the knowledge that he had stored in the Library of Heaven's Path and raise his Soul Depth.

He had used the golden page to raise his Soul Depth twice, and each time, it had increased by 5.0. If he used the golden page to increase his Soul Depth, would he be able to overcome the 29.9 bottleneck? If it worked out, he would possess a state of mind comparable to Ancient Sages!

He had only faced an Ancient Sage in battle once, and he had smashed the other party to death with his book before the other party could do anything. Nevertheless, from the other party's corpse stored in his storage ring, he was still able to roughly fathom how terrifying Ancient Sages were. If he could advance his Soul Depth further, would he gain the ability to protect himself even when faced with an Ancient Sage?

Even if his fighting prowess was lacking, as long as his state of mind was up to par, he might just be able to fool Ancient Sages with his disguise!

State of mind was of paramount importance when it came to disguise. As long as his Soul Depth was up to par, it would be difficult for anyone to see through his disguise.

Let me give it a try! Zhang Xuan thought excitedly.

Recalling the state that he had been in when he first used the golden page to raise his Soul Depth, he closed his eyes and willed, Increase my Soul Depth!

There was no reaction.

Zhang Xuan closed his eyes once more and willed, Increase my Soul Depth!

There was still no reaction at all.

The golden page continued floating quietly in the Library of Heaven's Path, seemingly mocking him for his futile actions.

Please, help me raise my Soul Depth!

I choose you, golden page! Crush that bottleneck before me!

Push! Puuuushhhhhhh! Just 0.1 more...

...

After wasting a minute on trying to get the golden page to work, Zhang Xuan could only rub his glabella in distress.

From the looks of it, it seemed like he could not rely on the golden page to raise his Soul Depth anymore.

Cultivating one's state of mind was indeed not that easy!

From the looks of it, he had to prepare himself for a long battle. If a day would not work, he would just have to use two. If two did not work, he would have to use three... Or else, half a month should surely do the job, right?

If not, he could try to aim for a sixth acknowledgement of Celestial Master Teacher or something. That might work, too.

Heaving a long sigh, Zhang Xuan was just about to see how Sword Saint Xing was progressing along when he suddenly felt spiritual energy converging toward them.

He turned his head over and saw that shortly after Sword Saint Meng's Soul Depth had reached 29.9, her cultivation, which had stagnated at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation for a very long time, had suddenly surged up, reaching Sempiternal realm!

Sword Saint Meng had always been a highly talented cultivator, and the reason that she had been unable to make the breakthrough before was because of the knot in her heart for having lost her son. Now that she had found her son and her Soul Depth had just made such a massive advancement, using the momentum built up so far, she managed to push through her bottleneck and achieve a breakthrough in her cultivation!

In Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm, the term 'sempiternal' referred to the deathlessness and imperviousness of one's Primordial Spirit. No external force would be able to sway one's emotions, and with a mere thought, one would be able to tear the fabric of space apart.

Such was the power wielded by the strongest experts beneath Ancient Sage.

As spiritual energy surged into her body, Sword Saint Meng's cultivation swiftly rose.

Seeing that it would take a while for Sword Saint Meng to reinforce her cultivation, Zhang Xuan flicked a grade-9 pill into the latter's mouth.

The pill melted as soon as it entered her mouth, and a tremendous burst of spiritual energy immediately surged through her body. The bottlenecks that had been limiting her previously were instantaneously cleared out.

After ensuring that Sword Saint Meng would not face any problem in her breakthrough, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

Many dangers lurked within the Temple of Confucius, be it from fellow explorers or from the traps within. It was of the utmost importance for the Xingmeng Sword Saints to become stronger so that they would be able to protect themselves.

Even though he was only a transcended soul, he had already come to view the Xingmeng Sword Saints as close kin of his. He would not allow any danger to fall upon them.

Turning his gaze toward Sword Saint Xing, who was standing before the crystal ball, Zhang Xuan saw that his Soul Depth was also increasing by 0.1 at fixed intervals, just like Sword Saint Meng. It did not take long for his Soul Depth to reach the bottleneck of 29.9.

"I have reached the limits for my Soul Depth too..." Sword Saint Xing said with eyes glowing in excitement.

"Aren't you going to push for a breakthrough, too?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

"There's no hurry. I just made a breakthrough in my state of mind, so I need to condition my state for a while before I am ready," Sword Saint Xing replied.

"There's no need for that. Quick, let's get it over and done with. I took a look at your condition earlier, and the reason you haven't been able to achieve a breakthrough is due to several blockages in your meridians. I have a pill over here that will help you open up your sealed meridians. With this, you should be able to reach the Sempiternal realm easily," Zhang Xuan said as he flicked a pill toward Sword Saint Xing as well.

Given that your wife has already achieved a breakthrough, do you think you have the leisure to condition your state? You are already henpecked enough as it is! Are you willing to see your position in the family plummet even further than this?

"I..." Sword Saint Xing was slightly stunned by the vehement attitude of his son.

Am I... being looked down by my son for cultivating too slowly?

Oof!

It was a heavy blow, but Sword Saint Xing could not find any rebuttal at all.

One year ago, when his son had barely started out as a Fighter, he had been at the Intuitive Impulse realm.

Half a year ago, his son had successfully reached the Saint realm. He had been at the Intuitive Impulse realm.

A few days ago, his son had made a breakthrough to Great Sage 1-dan Introspective Convalescence realm. He had still been at the Intuitive Impulse realm.

On this very day, his son was already at the Aureate Body realm. But as for him... Yes, he was freaking at the Intuitive Impulse realm!

If he did not start to speed up now, he would really be overtaken by his son!

Without much hesitation, Sword Saint Xing swallowed the pill that Zhang Xuan had flicked to him. As the medicinal energy diffused through his body, he felt a concentrated surge of zhenqi coursing swiftly through his meridians, clearing up the blockages in the blink of an eye.

Following which, a powerful aura burst forth from his body. After facing stagnation in his cultivation for so many years, he had finally achieved a breakthrough!

"This..."

Seeing how he had achieved a breakthrough before he could even sit down to cultivate, Sword Saint Xing could not help but feel a little dazed.

Was this breakthrough not a little too easy!

However, he knew that this was not the time for him to be shocked. He quickly closed his eyes and began reinforcing his cultivation.

Seeing that both his father and mother had reached the Sempiternal realm, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to Luo Ruoxin and Wu Chen and asked, "There's still some time left. Do you want to try as well?"

"Thank you for your offer, but there's no need for it. The Soul Depth of both Milady and I has reached a bottleneck. It would be meaningless for us to continue cultivating our state of mind!" Wu Chen clasped his fist.

"Bottleneck? Are your Soul Depths at 29.9 too?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He knew that Wu Chen and Luo Ruoxin were no ordinary Sempiternal realm cultivators, but he did not think that their Soul Depth would have reached 29.9 as well. It seemed like their background was much more impressive than he had thought.

"I guess we're done then!" Zhang Xuan said. He turned to the middle-aged man by the side and said, "We have only used the crystal ball for less than an hour. Are you going to refund the remaining hour to us?"

"..." The cheeks of the middle-aged man twitched.

While other cultivators used the entire two hours in hopes that they would be able to advance their Soul Depth by 0.1, those three actually took less than an hour to advance their Soul Depth to 29.9. More importantly, they were even asking for a refund after all of that!

He swore that he had never seen anyone as stingy as that before!

"What? Are you unwilling to refund us?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"That's not it. It's the utmost honor of our Heart Pavilion to have you here. Why don't we count the hour you have spent here on me as well?"

Seeing that the other party was earnestly asking for a refund, the middle-aged man flicked his wrist and returned the Saint pinnacle artifact to the other party.

It might have seemed as if he had made a loss, but the fact that three cultivators had advanced their Soul Depth to 29.9 at his Heart Pavilion was an invaluable advertisement for him.

All in all, it was still a win for him.

"That's more like it..." Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he returned the Saint pinnacle artifact to his storage ring.

The middle-aged man nodded in response before his gaze slowly drifted over to the crystal ball. A gleam flickered in his eye as he thought, Since they were able to achieve a breakthrough in their Soul Depth so quickly, is there a chance that I might just be able to do the same?

With such a thought in mind, he quietly shuffled his footsteps over to the crystal ball.

The formation in the crystal ball had to be activated for two hours at the very minimum. Since the current guests were not intending to use it anymore, it would be a waste to leave it be. He might as well use it for himself.

He placed his hand on the crystal ball, and after a very long time... there was still no change to his Soul Depth.

At that moment, he realized that the advancement of their Soul Depth actually had nothing to do with his crystal ball at all...

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Chapter 1698: Luo Ruoxin's Worry

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

By the time Zhang Xuan and his group left the Heart Pavilion, the sun had already started to set.

Instead of wandering around town, Zhang Xuan went into one of the residences belonging to the Zhang Clan to reinforce his cultivation and discern the changes in his body.

Cultivation was an arduous process. It was not possible to reach the peak after just a bit of hard work. Even someone as talented as him had needed to constantly put in hard work in order to reach his current level.

With the recent breakthroughs that he had made, both his zhenqi cultivation and soul cultivation had reached Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm consummation. With his Dragonbone Divine Spear and the Spatial, Time, and Soul Quintessences, he would be able to put up a fight even against Sempiternal realm consummation experts.

He no longer had to rely on external help, such as Kong shi's blood droplet, in order to challenge them.

Over the next few days, he chose to remain in his accommodation, and he did not head out much.

Three days later, the expedition party of the Zhang Clan arrived in Qufu as well and converged together with their group.

After several days of cultivation, the Xingmeng Sword Saints had successfully reinforced their Sempiternal realm cultivation. If they executed their collaborative swordsmanship, they would be able to oppose even Sempiternal realm consummation experts. There were very few beneath Ancient Sage who would be able to threaten them anymore.

Nearly all of the grand elders of the Zhang Clan had joined the expedition party for the Temple of Confucius. Taking a swift glance, there were over twenty of them who had reached Sempiternal realm.

As expected of the number one Sage Clan of the Master Teacher Continent, its roots sure did run deep!

...

On the fifth day, Luo Ruoxin suddenly knocked on his door.

"Zhang Xuan, I heard that there's quite a commotion outside. Are you interested in taking a walk with me?"

"Sure!" Zhang Xuan nodded without any hesitation.

Ever since he arrived in Qufu, he had been spending nearly all of his time cultivating. It was indeed starting to get a little boring and monotonous, so it would be good for him to head out to have a look!

Leaving the residence, he found that the city had become significantly more bustling over the past four days. He spotted not just the master teachers and experts of the Master Teacher Pavilion but the old ancestors and grand elders of the other occupations too.

Before he knew it, nearly all of the top experts of the Master Teacher Continent had already converged in Qufu.

In fact, these 'top experts' weren't just limited to humans. Quite a number of Great Sage beasts had also arrived in Qufu over the past few days.

Despite the massive influx of experts into Qufu, the city still surprisingly remained in order. He did not see any battles or duels happening around. The city remained as peaceful and harmonious as it had always been.

Seeing through Zhang Xuan's doubts, Luo Ruoxin explained with a smile, "This is the sacred land of the master teachers; no one would dare cause any trouble here. Even if a conflict broke out, they would choose to settle it outside."

Qufu was not just the place where the Temple of Confucius was located, it was also the ancestral land of the Master Teacher Pavilion. There was no one who would be so foolish as to cause trouble here and become the public enemy of everyone else.

Strolling down the busy streets, Zhang Xuan could not help but notice how crowded Qufu had become. He glanced at Luo Ruoxin and asked, "Say, do you think that there are any Otherworldly Demons here?"

It was a known fact that Otherworldly Demon Emperors had the ability to disguise themselves as master teachers, and even 9-star master teachers would not be able to distinguish them.

Since both humans and beasts had already made their way to Qufu, the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe would not allow this opportunity to slip through their fingers. They would surely try to hide amid the crowd and sneak into the Temple of Confucius when the time came.

"I suppose so," Luo Ruoxin replied with a nod. She glanced at Zhang Xuan and said, "After the Temple of Confucius opens up, we'll all be teleported to a random location within. This means that we won't be able to remain together... You must remember to keep your guard up at all times."

"Teleported to a random location within?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

"Un. Wu Chen has been gathering intelligence on the Temple of Confucius. According to what he has found so far, as soon as the Temple of Confucius opens, we will be enveloped by a formation that will randomly teleport us into the Temple of Confucius. There's no knowing where you will appear... Without a doubt, there are Otherworldly Demons teleporting along with us as well, so you mustn't let your guard down," Luo Ruoxin said.

"Un, I won't!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

If he was teleported into a dire situation, he would just have to rely on his disguising ability.

Plus, his threat was not just limited to the Otherworldly Demons. It was likely that the Hundred Schools of Philosophers bore some hostility toward him a well, and they might even intend him harm.

He was not as helpless as he was before, but he would still have trouble dealing with a large group of people simultaneously. In the end, one could never be too careful. He did not want to lose his life before he could even make his way into the Temple of Confucius.

Luo Ruoxin hesitated for a moment before taking off the pendant around her neck and passing it over to Zhang Xuan. "This pendant was given to me by my father. It should be able to save you if you meet any danger."

The exterior of the pendant resembled crystal, but its interior was the color of fresh blood. It was an exquisite artifact.

"This..." Zhang Xuan looked at the pendant that Luo Ruoxin was passing to him with a doubtful expression.

He knew that there would be dangers lurking within the Temple of Confucius, but he did possess fighting prowess comparable to Sempiternal realm consummation experts. Even if someone intended him harm, he had the strength to protect himself.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not accepting her pendant, Luo Ruoxin insisted determinedly, "Take it. We don't know what lies within the Temple of Confucius, so the only thing that we can do is take as many precautions as possible. I know that you aren't too worried about your safety, but if an Otherworldly Demon successfully achieves a breakthrough to Ancient Sage inside and your identity is exposed to them by some chance, you will be in great danger..."

The identity that she was referring to was, of course, Celestial Master Teacher.

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan fell silent.

There was some sense to what Luo Ruoxin was saying.

Ancient Sages were forbidden from entering the depths of the Temple of Confucius, and no one had successfully made a breakthrough to Ancient Sage for the past ten thousand years. However, there was a great possibility that there might be an artifact within the Temple of Confucius that would allow one to take the final step forward.

If that artifact fell into the hands of the Otherworldly Demons, it could really end badly. It would still be fine if the Otherworldly Demons were oblivious to Zhang Xuan's identity as a Celestial Master Teacher, but if they somehow learned of the matter, there was no doubt that Zhang Xuan would be their priority target.

With Zhang Xuan's capability, he could still fend off Sempiternal realm cultivators without any trouble, but when faced with an Ancient Sage, the only option that he had was to flee as far as he could.

The disparity in their strength was simply too great to even attempt to fight back.

Knowing that Luo Ruoxin was worried about him, Zhang Xuan took the pendant before asking anxiously, "But if I take your pendant, what about you?"

If the pendant truly had the ability to protect him, was it really fine for him to take it? Would Luo Ruoxin not be in danger if so?

"You don't have to worry about me. Even if I encounter an opponent I can't defeat, I am still able to escape," Luo Ruoxin reassured. Not wanting to linger too long on this topic, Luo Ruoxin remarked, "I saw Luo Qiqi earlier."

"Qiqi?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback. "Is she here too?"

He had not seen Luo Qiqi ever since they separated at the Luo Clan. If Luo Ruoxin had seen her around, could she be there for the Temple of Confucius as well?

Thinking about it, it did make sense. As the owner of the Dimension Silencer, Luo Qiqi boasted strength comparable to Sempiternal realm cultivators. Considering how huge a matter the opening of the Temple of Confucius was, it was reasonable for her to show up in the vicinity.

"Yeah. She's... a good person," Luo Ruoxin said in a daze.

"Ruoxin, are you fine?" Hearing the abrupt remark made by Luo Ruoxin, Zhang Xuan frowned.

"It's nothing. I just can't help thinking that once we separate from one another after the opening of Temple of Confucius, we might never meet one another again," Luo Ruoxin said.

She would usually have a lofty and nonchalant look on her face, but at that moment, a hint of worry and reluctance could be seen on her countenance.

Seeing that Luo Ruoxin was worrying over this matter, Zhang Xuan attempted to console her. "Don't worry. We'll surely survive the dangers in the Temple of Confucius and reunite with one another!"

Ever since he first met her, she seemed to have been able to remain calm no matter what happened. It was as if there was nothing in this world that could faze her, or perhaps, she was simply a little detached from the world. Yet, she seemed to be particularly emotional that day.

It was true that he would face many enemies in the Temple of Confucius, and the random teleportation only introduced further unpredictability to the expedition. There was no doubt that the expedition would be fraught with dangers, but he would not go down without a fight.

As for Luo Ruoxin... even with his current eye of discernment, he was still unable to see through the depths of her strength. From this, it was evident that her strength was far more terrifying than his.

Given so, what did they have to fear?

"I guess so. Let's not talk about this anymore!" Luo Ruoxin replied with a light smile. She stretched out her hand and asked, "Where is the Prime Amulet? Can you let me take a look at it?"

"It's here!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan took out Little Amulet and passed it over.

This was an artifact that they had acquired through their partnership. Putting aside the fact that she only wanted to have a look at it, even if she wanted the Prime Amulet, he would have given it to her without any hesitation.

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Chapter 1699: Entering the Outskirts of Temple of Confucius

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Taking the Prime Amulet, Luo Ruoxin stroked it lightly with her fingers. A moment later, she passed it back. "Here you go!"

"Why don't you just take it? I can wait for you at the entrance of the Temple of Confucius, and the two of us can enter together!" Zhang Xuan suggested with a smile.

He had no intention of leaving Luo Ruoxin behind in the Temple of Confucius, and he trusted Luo Ruoxin as well. Thus, it did not matter to him who was in possession of Little Amulet.

"There's no need for it. It'll be good to leave it with you. I just wanted to take a look at it..." Luo Ruoxin shook her head as she passed the pendant back.

"Alright then... It would be great if we could use the Communication Jade Token after entering the Temple of Confucius, but if we are unable to contact one another, let's meet at the entrance of the Prime Hall. I'll be waiting for you there!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Alright." Luo Ruoxin nodded with a light smile.

Strolling through the bustling crowd while making some idle conversation, Zhang Xuan could not help but remember the day that he confessed at Firesource City. It felt as if the entire world had become insignificant as long as she was by his side. It was a feeling of peace that he had never known to be possible.

He did not know how she felt about him, but she gave him a striking sense of familiarity. He knew that it was irrational to think of it in such a manner, but it felt like their fates were tightly interweaved together. Being beside her felt like the most natural thing to him, such that he could no longer fathom a world without her.

The time spent with loved ones always flew by swiftly. Unknowingly, a day passed.

They swiftly returned to their accommodations.

Zhang Xuan was just about to bid Luo Ruoxin farewell when the ground suddenly started to tremble. Tremendous pressure abruptly descended upon Qufu, and the ancient buildings that made up the city swiftly succumbed to the pressure and collapsed one after another.

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

This was the city that Kong shi had resided in during his lifetime, so it was bound to be a place of great fortune. Even the Sanctum of Sages had never suffered an earthquake before, so why would Qufu suddenly suffer such intense tremors?

Luo Ruoxin turned her gaze upward as she said grimly, "The Temple of Confucius is opening."

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan swiftly looked up into the sky as well. The second sun in the sky began to flicker non-stop, signaling that something was going to happen very soon.

Following which, rays of myriad colors descended upon Qufu, creating passageways that linked the two worlds together. As more and more rays fell upon the world, the pressure on the ground seemed to grow stronger and stronger.

"This is bad..."

Sensing danger from the intensifying pressure, the cultivators who had yet to reach Great Sage hurriedly took out protective artifacts to shield themselves.

Even Zhang Xuan felt goosebumps rising all over his body from the sheer pressure, and he quickly drove his zhenqi to ward off the force crushing down on him.

Kacha! Kacha! Kacha!

Cracks began appearing on the ground. The spiritual energy in the surroundings swiftly formed a massive tornado that swept everything toward the sky.

Amid the roaring hubbub around him, Zhang Xuan felt a warmth sensation on his hand—Luo Ruoxin.

There was a look on her face that Zhang Xuan had never seen before.

"Zhang Xuan, if I have hidden some things from you... will you hate me?"

Unable to comprehend why Luo Ruoxin would suddenly ask such a question at this point in time, Zhang Xuan replied, "I won't. I know that you have your own concerns for keeping secrets from me, and I understand that. I'll wait for the day that you are willing to speak..."

"Then, what if I..."

In the midst of Luo Ruoxin's words, a deafening rumble suddenly echoed from the sky. Following which, the entire Qufu was devoured by a brilliant white light.

"Ruoxin!"

The sight before Zhang Xuan blurred as he felt the warmth in his hand vanishing. He saw the world spinning around him before he blacked out altogether.

...

When Zhang Xuan opened his eyes once more, he was already in the midst of a vast mountain range. He was completely surrounded by tall grass that seemed to stretch all the way to the horizon.

"Ruoxin!"

Zhang Xuan quickly got up and searched his surroundings frantically. However, there was not a single person in sight.

Although Zhang Xuan was stunned for a moment, realization soon struck him.

It seems like the Temple of Confucius has opened, and we have all been randomly teleported in...

It was just a moment ago that he had still been in the Zhang Clan's residence in Qufu, but in the blink of an eye, he was already in the midst of a mountain range. At the time, the young lady whose hand was locked together with his had vanished as well. It was apparent that he had been teleported away by some formidable force.

Without any doubt, it was clearly the doing of the Temple of Confucius.

Everyone that had been in Qufu should have been teleported to a random location in the Temple of Confucius.

Knowing that they had just been teleported to different locations, Zhang Xuan's heart finally calmed down. He released his Spiritual Perception to sense the surroundings around him, and he could not help but nod.

The 'teacher's milieu' in here is much more concentrated than in Qufu...

It was no wonder everyone wanted to come to the Temple of Confucius in search of their 'fortuitous encounter'. Putting everything aside, just the 'teacher's milieu' there was much more concentrated than in Qufu. A master teacher who cultivated there would find their Soul Depth growing at an astounding pace.

The spiritual energy in here is much denser too. I have never seen a blessed land of such quality before!

It was one thing for the 'teacher's milieu' to be much more concentrated in Qufu, but even the spiritual energy was so dense that it almost felt tangible to the touch! Even without utilizing a pinnacle spirit stone, a cultivator would be able to advance their cultivation swiftly there!

Knowing that he was in a different environment, Zhang Xuan quickly checked his physical condition, and after confirming that his fighting prowess was no lower in the Temple of Confucius, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Following which, he flicked his hand and took out his Communication Jade Token.

He attempted to activate it, but to his disappointment, he was not able to contact anyone at all.

Just as he had guessed, it was impossible to use Communication Jade Tokens in the Temple of Confucius. It felt like there was some kind of barrier around the area that prevented remote communication.

Next, he whipped out his Dragonbone Divine Spear and pierced the space before him.

The space wavered a little, but it did not tear open to form a dimension rift.

It seems like I am unable to do spatial leaps in here.

If he could not open a dimension rift, he would be unable to construct spatial passageways and leap from one area to another.

It doesn't seem like I can perform Soul Traverse either... Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.This means that Teleportation Formations won't work in here either!

To his amazement, the space in the Temple of Confucius was actually even more resilient than that of the Master Teacher Continent! Despite the surge in his cultivation, he was still unable to tear the space open.

Let me try flying...

Leaping into the air, Zhang Xuan attempted to head as high as possible in an attempt to get a bird's eye view over the entire place. However, the higher he went, the greater the pressure weighing down on him seemed to become. It was as if someone was strapping more and more weights on him.

Driving his zhenqi furiously, he barely reached the top of a tree before succumbing to the pressure.

Hu!

He fell back down to the ground, producing a massive pit below him.

As Zhang Xuan patted off the dust from his body, the astonishment on his face could not be concealed.

The space in the ancient domain was clearly far more compact than the space in the Master Teacher Continent, thus making flight exceptionally difficult. Even with his prowess, he could only reach the top of a tree before plummeting to the ground. It was likely that most other cultivators would fare worse than him.

He had been planning to quickly scout the area and ascertain the location of the Subordinate Halls and Prime Hall. However, from the looks of it, it seemed like Kong shi had already taken precautions to ensure that his trial would not be that easy.

Unwilling to give up, Zhang Xuan scanned the surroundings with his Eye of Insight.

Since there existed 'teacher's milieu' in the air, it was likely that the Prime Hall was located in the area where the 'teacher's milieu' was the most concentrated!

As such, as long as he followed the concentration gradient of the teacher's milieu, he should be able to reach the center very swiftly.

But very soon, after taking a sweeping gaze across the area, his face turned livid.

It was true that 'teacher's milieu' was omnipresent in the area, but to his astonishment... there was no concentration gradient at all! The concentration of teacher's milieu was equal throughout.

To put it in other words, he could not make use of the concentration gradient to find the Subordinate Halls and Prime Hall!

Humph! Even if Kong shi thinks that he can stop me with just this much... I still have the Library of Heaven's Path to fall back on! Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly as he took out a book.

If it had been any other cultivator, they would have given up at this point and been forced to roam aimlessly around the area until they found a feasible path forward. However, that was not the case for Zhang Xuan. He still had a final trump card that he could use—the Library of Heaven's Path! Back then, when he was in Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's ancient domain, he had been able to use the Library of Heaven's Path to find the location of the Dragonbone Divine Spear without any trouble. He would surely be able to do so this time around too!

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Chapter 1700: Goldface Skywolf

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Whipping out a brush, Zhang Xuan quickly drew out his surroundings in the air and wrote out the words 'This is where the Prime Hall lies' in the eight directions.

Then, he tapped on the painting with his finger.

Weng!

He quickly checked the Library of Heaven's Path, but no book had been compiled.

"..." Zhang Xuan's face darkened.

No book had been compiled. In other words, the Library of Heaven's Path would be ineffective in helping him find the location of the Prime Hall!

This was the first time that he had encountered such a situation.

The Temple of Confucius is hidden in a folded space, and over the past tens of thousands of years, there hasn't been a single seer who has been able to divine its location. Most likely, Kong shi has used some kind of means to conceal it from view!

There were countless experts among mankind and the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe alike. The Great Codex of Spring and Autumn, which Kong shi had left behind, was an artifact desired by countless people, but its whereabouts remained a mystery even after the passing of tens of thousands of years. Clearly, some kind of anti-divination technique had been cast over it to conceal it from the sights of the heavens.

As such, it was inevitable that the Library of Heaven's Path was unable to divine its whereabouts.

The extent of the capabilities of the Library of Heaven's Path was limited by the scope of the heavens. Where the heavens were unable to reach, the Library of Heaven's Path would be rendered powerless, too.

Clearly, the Temple of Confucius was such an existence.

With a tap of his finger, Zhang Xuan took out the Prime Amulet and asked, "Little Amulet, where do I have to go to reach the Prime Hall?"

Since his other idea did not work, he could at least count on the Prime Hall!

The Prime Hall flew into the air and wiggled its body a little before replying, "I can only sense the Prime Hall when we are within twenty li of the Temple of Confucius. From where we are now... I'm not too sure..."

It was able to sense the location of the Temple of Confucius, but there was a limit to its range of detection. If it was too far away from the destination, it would not be able to sense its presence.

"Alright then. If you notice anything, send me a telepathic message right away..." Seeing that even his last idea was not working, Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.

As someone who wielded great powers in the Master Teacher Continent, he did not think that he would end up being so helpless in this folded space.

"Noted! However, if you don't choose your direction wisely in the Temple of Confucius, you could end up straying off path," the Prime Amulet advised.

"Indeed. I have to pay careful attention to where I head to. I can't afford to act recklessly in here..." Zhang Xuan nodded contemplatively. A moment later, his eyes lit up as he exclaimed, "Right!"

"Do you have an idea in mind?" the Prime Amulet asked.

"The Dragonbone Divine Spear!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he whipped out the Dragonbone Divine Spear once more.

"Is it able to discern directions in here?" The Prime Amulet felt like it had just taken a heavy blow. "Are you certain that it'll be able to find the Temple of Confucius when even I am unable to do so?"

It was an artifact created for the sole purpose of finding the Temple of Confucius! If it was unable to find the Temple of Confucius, no one else should be able to! What was the point of taking out the Dragonbone Divine Spear at this point in time?

In the next moment, the Prime Amulet saw Zhang Xuan flicking his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear began spinning furiously in the air.

It took a while before it came to a halt. Pointing in the direction that the Dragonbone Divine Spear was facing, Zhang Xuan nodded. "Un, let's head that way then!"

After which, he began making his way over with a confident look on his face.

"..." The Prime Amulet.

"..." The Dragonbone Divine Spear.

They had both been wondering what kind of ingenious method their master was going to resort to, but who could have expected him to simply bet everything on dumb luck?

You are here to find the Temple of Confucius, not to spin the Wheel of Fortune!

Ignoring the stifled duo, Zhang Xuan returned the Prime Amulet to his storage ring and wrapped the Dragonbone Divine Spear back around his waist before marching forward with widened strides.

Since he had no clue where he should be heading, he might as well just start walking around and explore the area.

The folded space was rich with spiritual energy, so Zhang Xuan did not feel any fatigue advancing forward. Soon enough, he arrived before a stream. Taking a closer look, Zhang Xuan could not help but exclaim in awe.

What was flowing in the stream was not water but spirit essence!

In other words, the spiritual energy in the air was so concentrated that it could easily condense into water and form a stream!

The saint beasts on the Cloudmist Ridge had once gone on a rampage over their disappeared spirit essence! He did not think that it would be so readily available in here.

"Collect!"

Even though spirit essence of such a tier was no longer useful to Zhang Xuan, his spendthrift nature still kicked. He could not bring himself to leave such good stuff lying around, so he collected it all into the Myriad Anthive Nest, making sure not to waste even a single droplet.

Traversing across what used to be a stream, he marched on ahead and found many medicinal herbs. Even the youngest of these herbs was at least at a thousand years old. The oldest one that he found was tens of thousands of years old. Even from afar, he could already smell the deep fragrance of the mature medicinal herbs.

It's truly a world filled with treasures...

Zhang Xuan thought as he excitedly picked a dozen stalks.

The Temple of Confucius sure was an amazing place. It was as if treasures were littered everywhere!

It was no wonder all of the experts of the Master Teacher Continent wanted to enter it. Dense spiritual energy, high concentration of 'teacher's milieu', and the readily available treasures... these were the ingredients required for one's cultivation to advance swiftly. With them, a cultivator would be able to avoid struggling so desperately outside

Ding ding ding!

In the midst of his exploration, Zhang Xuan suddenly heard the clanging of metal in the distance. Without any hesitation, he dashed in that direction.

Before arriving at the source of the metallic clanging, he had already altered his appearance.

As the head of the Three Premier Clans and the Sanctum of Sages, there was probably no one who did not know of him by now. Furthermore, as he had once been a wanted fugitive of the Master Teacher Pavilion, it was not difficult for one to learn of his appearance. Considering how sensitive his identity was, it would be best for him to take caution.

Circling around a hill, Zhang Xuan finally arrived at the source of the metallic clanging. Five men and two women were currently surrounding a beast, battling it.

It was a Goldface Skywolf, blessed with the strength of an Aureate Body realm expert at birth. Once mature, it would gain strength comparable to an Intuitive Impulse realm expert.

Of its seven opponents, three were in the Aureate Body realm whereas the remaining four were in the Intuitive Impulse realm. They were not dressed in master teacher robes, and there was no emblem on their master teacher clothes either. It was hard to tell their allegiance.

Under the combined assault of the seven experts, the Goldface Skywolf was forced to retreat time and time again. It was in a disadvantageous position, being severely outnumbered.

Normally, beasts would wield far greater fighting prowess than cultivators of the same cultivation realm. However, knowing that the Temple of Confucius would be fraught with dangers, the cultivators who had come over had brought many treasures along. They tossed all of their artifacts over as if they did not cost money at all. At the same time, it seemed like the Goldface Skywolf was lacking in battle experience.

As a result, it took only a few instants for the Goldface Skywolf to be severely wounded.

Seeing that the Goldface Skywolf was finally coming to its limits, a young man amid the crowd bellowed, "Follow my command. We'll launch an attack simultaneously!"

"Very well!"

The eyes of the other members of the group lit up. The next moment, all sorts of weapons darted toward the Goldface Skywolf.

Under the relentless assault of the cultivators, the Goldface Skywolf finally succumbed and dropped dead on the ground.

"We have managed to kill it!"

The group collectively heaved a sigh of relief. They were just about to celebrate when they heard footsteps, and they hurriedly raised their weapons once more.

"Who are you?" a member of the group asked warily.

"I'm just passing by the area," Zhang Xuan replied.

"Passing by?"

The members of the group eyed Zhang Xuan suspiciously, seemingly fearing that he would steal the Goldface Skywolf that they had just killed.

Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan swiftly understood what was going on and waved his hand. "I am uninterested in that beast. You don't have to be so wary of me!"

Considering how he had appeared a moment after they slew the Goldface Skywolf, it was no wonder they would be doubtful of his intentions.

"Humph! I doubt you would dare anyway..."

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was only at the Aureate Body realm, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief. The young man who had issued the order earlier turned his gaze back to the carcass of the Goldface Skywolf. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a sharp dagger and began dismantling the carcass.

It did not take long for him to retrieve the Skywolf's fangs and claws.

"I played the greatest role in killing this fellow over here, so I believe none of you will have any objections to me taking the fangs and claws, right? Feel free to divide whatever's left among the rest of you!" the young man said.

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Chapter 1701: Crimsonfrons White Tiger

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The toughest parts of a beast were usually their fangs and claws. Everything aside from those two would be relatively inexpensive.

However, knowing the young man's strength, the crowd did not dare utter a word of complaint. They reluctantly nodded before getting to dismantling the carcass as well.

It did not take them long to dissect the massive wolf carcass.

The various body parts of the Goldface Skywolf were invaluable materials, but given Zhang Xuan's current wealth, they were not enough to catch his eye. Besides, those cultivators had gone through a lot in order to kill the beast. As a master teacher, it would be inappropriate for him to steal their loot.

From how they divided the spoils of victory, Zhang Xuan noticed a few subtle details.

He had thought that their group had known one another prior to entering the folded space, but that was not the case.

It was clear that they were guarded against one another, and in the distribution of the spoils of victory, they attempted to claim as much for themselves as possible. Despite having decided to group up together, it seemed like their hearts were not aligned with one another.

The strongest young man, who seemed to serve as the de facto leader of the group, suddenly approached Zhang Xuan. "Friend, it seems like you are wandering around the area alone. Why don't you join our group? The area around the Temple of Confucius is vast, and there are many experts and beasts roaming around. Not only is it dangerous for you to venture about the area alone, it will be difficult for you to acquire anything good given your limited fighting prowess!"

"We can watch each other's back in a group!"

"Putting everything aside, the Goldface Skywolf that we have just defeated has already gone extinct on the Master Teacher Continent, making it an extremely rare and invaluable existence! Without sufficient strength, it would be difficult to acquire even a clump of its hair, let alone its hide and claws!"

The others quickly nodded in agreement.

Venturing around in a group would mean having to split any loot with the group, but the Temple of Confucius was not short of treasures!

Besides, it would be difficult for an individual to fend off the dangers lurking in the area alone and acquire anything substantial. Furthermore, if a stronger expert robbed him, he would be completely helpless against the other party!

Back on the Master Teacher Continent, out of deference for the Master Teacher Pavilion, cultivators would dare not go overboard. However, they were currently in a folded space filled with threats at every corner. Even the arm of the Master Teacher Pavilion was not strong enough to enforce its rules within the folded space!

One could kill a couple of people and dispose of their corpses, and no one would be any the wiser!

This folded space was, in the truest sense, a land of lawlessness. The only thing that could bind one's actions were one's principles and morals.

Master teachers might still feel compelled to uphold their values, but what about the other unaffiliated cultivators? What about the Otherworldly Demons?

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Xuan eventually nodded. "Alright!"

Since he had no direction at the moment, it would not hurt for him to follow this group. At the same time, it would serve to conceal his identity so that he would not draw anyone's suspicion.

Upon hearing Zhang Xuan's agreement, the young man stood up and introduced himself with an air of dignity. "I am Mu Xiao, an offspring of the Mu Clan!"

A hint of astonishment flashed across Zhang Xuan's eyes.

It turned out that the young man was an expert of the Mu Clan!

Considering his strength, it was likely that the young man was a trump card that the Mu Clan had kept hidden all this time.

Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and introduced himself. "I am Xuan Zhang, an unaffiliated cultivator!"

"So, it's Brother Xuan! It's a pleasure to meet you!" Mu Xiao replied out of courtesy.

The remaining members of the group also introduced themselves as well.

Of the group of seven, six of them were disciples of major powers. Only one of them was an unaffiliated cultivator.

"Let's continue ahead!"

After sealing their alliance, Mu Xiao beckoned for the crowd to gather, and they began advancing once more.

Zhang Xuan noted that they were walking in the same direction that he had been intending to head in earlier, and he quietly followed behind them.

This walk lasted four whole hours.

Within this period of time, they encountered another three beasts wielding strength on par with the Goldface Skywolf. Knowing that his exceptional strength would bring doubts to his identity, Zhang Xuan adjusted his fighting prowess to match that of an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator.

The truth was that the crowd had invited Zhang Xuan into their group anticipating that he would possess exceptional means and treasures, considering how he was able to walk around the folded space alone safely. However, when they saw that his fighting prowess was so-so, they swiftly lost their interest in him. Unknowingly, their attitude toward him turned cold as well.

"You hardly did anything at all, so I'm afraid that we can't share anything with you this time. You'll have to try harder to pull your weight next time!" Mu Xiao told Zhang Xuan as they dissected the third beast they encountered.

"Tsk! I thought that he would possess some formidable means! You really can't expect anything of an unaffiliated cultivator!"

"He hardly contributed anything in killing this beast! He has no right to take anything at all!"

...

Such discussions could be heard amid the group.

Their words were particularly jarring, but Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his words on something as trivial as this. Instead, his eyes were fixated in the direction that the beast had appeared from previously, and his eyes slowly lit up in agitation.

He could not help but notice that the three beasts that they had encountered in the midst of their journey had all been traveling in the opposite direction to them. It seemed too much of a coincidence for them to all be heading in the opposite direction. Could it be that they were walking in the right direction and the Temple of Confucius lay right ahead of them?

With such a thought in mind, Zhang Xuan immediately wanted to break free of the group and advance forward individually. However, before he could do so, a rustling sound suddenly echoed from the forest around them.

Following which, a Crimsonfrons White Tiger emerged from the woods ahead of them.

This beast was at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation. As soon as it appeared, it emanated a powerful pressure that caused one's heart to jolt in fright.

"Everyone, raise your arms!" Mu Xiao exclaimed anxiously upon catching sight of the beast.

Huala!

There was no novice in the group of seven. Upon hearing the command, they immediately whipped out their weapons once more and got into their positions, ready to face any enemy that would pounce on them.

Roar!

Seeing that someone dared block its path, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger flew into a rage. With a ferocious roar, it dashed right into the group.

With a single move, the large beast had already demonstrated its superior strength against the group. It tore its claws down, choking a suffocating moan from the surrounding air. Ripples of shockwave burst right for Mu Xiao as though sharp sword qi.

"Greenwood Barrier!"

Mu Xiao narrowed his eyes in astonishment. He quickly flicked his wrist and placed a dome-shaped wooden shield before him.

It was an artifact from the Mu Clan.

Kacha!

As powerful as the Greenwood Barrier was, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger was simply too powerful. With another flick of his claws, cracks had already started forming on the surface of the Greenwood Barrier.

Pu!

Unable to take it any longer, Mu Xiao spurted a mouthful of fresh blood and was sent flying.

Knowing that they would be next victims if they did not make a move, someone amid the group bellowed, "Let's make a move together!"

Upon hearing the order, the remaining members of the group dashed forward simultaneously.

Brandishing their weapons furiously, they sent all sorts of powerful attacks toward the Crimsonfrons White Tiger. However, they were not even able to pierce the other party's skin.

Roar!

With a ferocious roar, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger spun its body abruptly, sending the cultivators around it flying. Their pale faces and the spurts of blood showed that most of the cultivators had already suffered grievous injuries despite the short encounter with the massive beast.

To think that they would be no match for the Crimsonfrons White Tiger even after putting their strength together!

As expected of an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation beast, the strength that it wielded was indeed fearsome!

"Are we going to die here?"

Seeing how they were unable to breach the massive beast's defenses even after exerting their full strength, despair and horror surfaced on the faces of the cultivators. The realization that they could really lose their lives right there suddenly struck them, and this feeling left them feeling deeply terrified.

Had they known earlier, they would never have ventured so deeply into the area.

Just when they thought that death would fall upon them, the weakest fellow of their group suddenly strutted right up to the Crimsonfrons White Tiger.

"I can't fly here, and traveling on foot takes simply too long... It must be fate that has brought us here together. Since our fates have intertwined with one another, I'll bestow you a chance. Become my tamed beast!" the young man named Xuan Zhang said calmly.

"Roar?"

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger was stunned.

Is there something wrong with this fellow's head?

You are going to give me a chance to become your tamed beast, are you? Did your head get jammed in between doors or something?

The other cultivators were also dumbstruck by what they had just heard.

All this while, the young man had not been able to contribute much even in their battles against Aureate Body realm beasts. Yet, at that moment, he actually wanted to take an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation beast as his tamed beast.

Even beast tamers would have to take several years to cultivate their feelings with a beast before they could convince it to seal a contact with them. No one knew how long the Temple of Confucius would remain open for, but it was certain that it would not last several years.

Putting aside the limitations of the young man's strength, it was already an impossible feat on the sole basis of time!

It was precisely for this reason that they had chosen to slay every single beast that came their way. They did not even bother to consider the possibility to taming one of the beasts and taking it back to the Master Teacher Continent.

Given that that fellow was only at the Aureate Body realm, was he not afraid of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger killing him with a single slap?

Before the doubtful gazes of the crowd, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger released a ferocious howl and slashed its claws down upon Zhang Xuan's head.

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Chapter 1702: White Tigers Are Amazing

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Si la!

It sounded as if the fabric of space was being torn apart. The movements of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger were so powerful and swift that they produced sonic booms in the air.

The blatant contempt that Zhang Xuan had shown it had truly enraged it.

This maneuver was clearly much stronger than the moves that it had used to subdue Mu Xiao and the others. Even a Saint pinnacle artifact would be destroyed under its crushing force.

On the receiving end, it seemed as if the young man facing the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had been scared silly. He remained completely stationary, not attempting to dodge the attack at all!

I was still wondering what kind of expert you are, but who would have thought that you are just another coward!

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger sneered coldly as it smacked its claws down upon the young man's head.

Weng!

Contrary to everyone's expectations, a crimson explosion of gray matter did not happen. Instead, a metallic reverberation echoed in the air instead. The Crimsonfrons White Tiger narrowed its eyes as it hurriedly retracted its trembling claws.

It had used its full might to crush the young man's head, but not only was the young man completely fine, its claws had been jolted numb instead!

In an instant, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger realized that even though the young man appeared to only be at the Aureate Body realm on the surface, his strength had already far surpassed it.

"Roar!"

With a low growl, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger turned tail and fled.

What the heck is this...

It had just planned to grab a small snack to fill its empty belly, but who could have known that it would end up encountering such a tough nut!

There must have been a problem with the posture that it had woken up in!

This would not do. It should return to bed and sleep for a while, and perhaps, it would find that it was just a nasty nightmare...

The beasts inside the folded space had not experienced too many battles, and their intelligence was considerably lower than the beasts on the Master Teacher Continent. Nevertheless, that did not mean that they were so foolish as to court death.

If it was unable to crush the young man's head after exerting its full strength, it was apparent that the young man was not an opponent that it could defeat. As the saying goes, 'Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, fleeing is the way to go'!

"Did I permit you to leave?"

How could Zhang Xuan allow the Crimsonfrons White Tiger to leave as it pleased after smacking his head? Without any hesitation, he sent a kick over.

Wuwuwu!

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger skidded over ten meters on the floor before collapsing weakly to the ground. Its head was spinning so much that even maintaining its balance was an arduous task!

"You've had your fun. It's time to submit to me!" Zhang Xuan said as he sent another kick at the Crimsonfrons White Tiger's face.

A minute later...

A droplet of blood essence drifted into Zhang Xuan's glabella. The Crimsonfrons White Tiger had finally submitted!

"That's more like it!" Zhang Xuan nodded contentedly. He hopped onto the back of the tiger before turning his gaze to the bulging-eyed crowd behind him. "I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."

Leaving those words behind, he nudged the tiger's belly with his leg. The latter immediately began galloping ahead, disappearing into the mountain forest in the blink of an eye. It was as if it had never appeared before.

"He... managed to tame a Crimsonfrons White Tiger alone?"

"Did he even take three minutes for that? My gosh! What in the world did I just see?"

...

Mu Xiao and the others gulped down several mouthfuls of saliva each.

They had thought that the other party was just a Bronze, but who could have known that he was a hidden Challenger!

They found themselves unable to keep up with the abrupt turn of events.

"If I had known earlier, I would have tried harder to get on good terms with him. With the backing of such a powerful expert, I would have been able to make bountiful gains here!"

"We were blinded by the paltry gains before us. Of the three beasts that we have slain earlier, we distributed none of it to him at all. Considering how we've offended him, we should already be thankful that he was willing to make a move to save our lives..."

"Hai! We have truly missed an ideal opportunity..."

...

The crowd dearly regretted their earlier actions.

It was true that there were many treasures waiting to be uncovered in the Temple of Confucius, but equally great were the dangers as well.

If they had an expert to cover them, they would definitely have been able to increase their gains. Unfortunately, their greed had foiled an opportunity delivered right to their doorstep, and it was unlikely that such a chance would present itself to them once more.

...

Oblivious to the emotions of the group that he had left behind, Zhang Xuan was advancing swiftly on the back of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger.

"You are a beast residing in this folded space. Do you know where the Temple of Confucius is located?" Zhang Xuan asked.

The many means that he had at his disposal had failed in helping him locate the whereabouts of the Temple of Confucius. Considering how the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had grown up there, he should be familiar with the surroundings. It would be best to have a local guide take him around instead of wandering aimlessly around the area.

"Master... what is the Temple of Confucius?" the Crimsonfrons White Tiger asked uncertainly.

Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing the question. "Do you really not know?"

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger shook its head.

Zhang Xuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know of any restricted grounds in this area that you are forbidden from entering?"

It was likely that the Temple of Confucius would be a restricted area where the beasts were denied entry. While the Crimsonfrons White Tiger might be unfamiliar with the term 'Temple of Confucius', it should at least know of the various restricted grounds.

Hearing Zhang Xuan's question, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger pondered for a moment before replying, "There is one restricted ground in the area—the territory of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. There was one time when I accidentally stepped into his territory and ended up being nearly pummeled to death. Master, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is the Monarch of everything within a radius of ten thousand li from here. It should be able to help you in whatever you are looking for!"

"The Goldspirit Cloudtiger?" Zhang Xuan frowned upon hearing an unfamiliar name.

Having read through the books in the Sanctum of Sages, he had a decent knowledge of the many beasts in the world, and this included those that had gone extinct. However, he had never heard of a Goldspirit Cloudtiger before.

"That's right... It's a tigress. I once tried to court her, but... Cough cough, I didn't succeed..." the Crimsonfrons White Tiger said awkwardly.

Back then, it had prided itself on its silky white fur and dashing appearance, so it had attempted to court the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Yet, shortly after it arrived in the other party's territory, before it could even meet the other party, it had been thrown out with its tail between its legs.

It was extremely embarrassing even when it thought back on it now.

Tigresses were indeed existences not to be trifled with!

It was then that it had made up its mind to never find a tigress for its wife, or else it would not know when it would be killed in its sleep. For the time being, the female wolf next door looked rather demure and gentle.

Unaware that the thoughts of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger had begun wandering around the place, Zhang Xuan asked, "How strong is it?"

Even though the mount that he had just acquired was only at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, its superior defense and astounding strength allowed it to rival even Sempiternal realm intermediate stage beasts in a battle.

Despite that, it had still been crushed by the so-called Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Just how powerful was the other party?

"It's at Sempiternal realm consummation! It's one of the Five Monarchs of this forest!" the Crimsonfrons White Tiger explained.

"Five Monarchs?"

"Un. They are the five strongest existences in this forest, having reached Sempiternal realm consummation. In comparison, I can only be considered to be in the lower middle tier within the forest!" the Crimsonfrons White Tiger replied honestly, not daring to lie to its new master.

"Master, if you wish to seek anything, they will surely know better than me!"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

The higher one's standing was, the more one was bound to know.

"Bring me to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger!" Zhang Xuan commanded.

"Yes, Master!" Not daring to utter another word, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger immediately confirmed the location before galloping ahead furiously.

Ding ding ding!

During their journey, Zhang Xuan heard the sound of metallic clangs sounding ahead. Coming a bit closer, he saw two groups of people coming to blows over a stalk of a medicinal herb.

On the other hand, the two groups of people swiftly halted their actions upon hearing the flurried footsteps. A moment later, they saw a young man seated atop a massive white tiger slowly approaching them.

"Is that an Intuitive Impulse realm consummation Crimsonfrons White Tiger?"

"Who in the world is that fellow? Why is he sitting on the back of the tiger?"

"Wait a moment... could he possibly have tamed the Crimsonfrons White Tiger?"

...

The two groups of people were horrified to see Zhang Xuan and his tiger, such that they even forgot about their conflict. On instinct alone, they opened up a pathway for Zhang Xuan to pass by.

On the other hand, Zhang Xuan waved his hand at the crowd beneath with a smile. As though a superior checking on the work of his subordinates, he said earnestly, "Hello! I see that you have all been working hard. Carry on, carry on! There's no need to be affected by my presence. I am just passing by..."

As he said these words, he knocked the tiger's belly lightly once more with his leg.

Hula!

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger warped into a streak of white light as it flitted through the crowd. With the lighting effect from the sun, the young man on the tiger's back appeared to be towering and powerful, almost as if a deity.

"That must be what a true expert is like..."

The crowd muttered among themselves.

While they were still struggling to survive and adapt to this new environment, the other party had already tamed a powerful saint beast to explore the area.

That was the despairing gap between a true expert and commoners like them.

"... I nearly forgot. Give me that medicinal herb!"

"No! It's mine..."

After recovering from their shock, they resumed their furious shouting and tussling over the medicinal herb.

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Chapter 1703: Encircling the Cloudtiger

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"What has become of the love and compassion of humans?"

Seeing how the two groups had returned to tussling with one another over a medicinal herb, Zhang Xuan clutched his chest with a pained look on his face. "Treasures are indeed the bane of mankind. This folded space is already dangerous as it is, but instead of cooperating with one another to survive this ordeal, they opted for infighting instead. I have never felt so embarrassed to be a human!"

"Roar!" The Crimsonfrons White Tiger expressed its agreement.

"I guess there's no choice then. In order to allow the humans to halt their infighting and unite with one another to overcome this ordeal, I shall go through the trouble of taking away all of the treasures in the area so that they will have nothing else to fight over!" Zhang Xuan said with a benevolent glow on his face.

The Crimsonfrons White Tiger was just about to nod in agreement as well when it suddenly realized that there was something very weird about those words. It tilted its head in bewilderment. "Roar?"

To be able to find such a righteous excuse to plunder the treasures on this land... Its new master sure was shameless!

Did he have no sense of shame?

Unaware of how his image had just crumbled in the mind of the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, Zhang Xuan instructed with an air of righteousness, "You are familiar with the local terrain, and you are able to travel around fairly quick as well. If there are any formidable treasures around the area, bring me to them!"

"Roar!" Knowing that its master had already made up his mind and it would be futile to complain, the Crimsonfrons White Tiger could only nod in agreement before darting forward swiftly.

It had to be said that the Crimsonfrons White Tiger really did know the area well. Under its lead, Zhang Xuan was brought from one rare treasure to another. It would have taken him far longer if he had to scavenge them one by one manually.

In less than four hours, he had already swept away everything good within a radius of several hundred li.

There were ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herbs and rare ores that could not be found on the Master Teacher Continent. Delighted by the returns, he even recruited another five beasts to assist him in the treasure hunt.

With no more treasures remaining the area, the conflicts in the area had visibly reduced.

Seeing that the world had taken a step toward peace, Zhang Xuan smiled in satisfaction. With his noble deed done, he strutted off with his six tamed beasts toward the territory of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger.

Fearing that the intelligence provided by the Crimsonfrons White Tiger was off, he posed the same question to the five beasts that he had just tamed, and their responses were the same. Within this forest, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was the indubitable sovereign.

"Hide in here for the time being. When I beckon you later on, I want you to launch a decisive strike to take down the Goldspirit Cloudtiger together!"

After traveling for another an hour, they were already nearing their destination. Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and stowed the six beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest.

Sempiternal realm consummation beasts were far stronger than master teachers of the same tier. Even with his current fighting prowess, it was likely that he would face trouble dealing with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger.

It was not a coincidence that he had tamed so many beasts. In truth, he was intending to use them as reinforcements!

If he really could not defeat the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he could set the six beasts on it simultaneously. Even as a Sempiternal realm consummation beast, it would be tied down for a moment.

He would use the time bought to launch his strongest technique and defeat it in a single move!

After stowing the tamed beasts, Zhang Xuan crept amid the tall grasses as he swiftly flitted toward the area pointed out to him earlier.

Before he could reach the lair of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he heard footsteps ahead. With a swift maneuver, he climbed onto the top of a tree and observed the situation ahead of him through the leaves.

A short distance in front, a group of eight was advancing warily. Every single one of them was holding their weapon tightly, prepared to engage their enemy at any moment.

"Even the weakest among them is at Intuitive Impulse realm consummation, and there is a Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator among them too... It seems like they have also learned of the existence of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and have come to subdue it..." Zhang Xuan quickly analyzed the situation.

He could not possibly be the only one who would think of seeking the strongest beast in order to ask about the location of the Temple of Confucius.

It was true that the outer perimeter was suitable for cultivation, and there were many treasures lying around. However, there was no one who did not know that the true treasures lay within the Temple of Confucius.

Opportunities often came with risks. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to climb to the top, and many would be willing to brave any danger for it!

"Who is it?"

While Zhang Xuan was still deep in thought, the Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator walking at the forefront of the group suddenly turned his gaze to Zhang Xuan's direction.

The short moment of contemplation earlier had caused a fluctuation in Zhang Xuan's emotions, leading to some imperfections in the concealment of his aura. It was just a slight leak, but with the entire group on guard, it was inevitable that he would be discovered.

Knowing that he had been exposed, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he walked out. "I was just passing by the area..."

The Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator who had spoken earlier was an elder in his sixties. With an authoritative furrow in between his brows, he questioned, "Are you a master teacher?"

Seeing that some members of the group were dressed in master teacher robes, Zhang Xuan replied affirmatively, "That's right!"

"I am a grand elder of the Beast Tamer Hall, Wu Changping. I am determined to tame the beast ahead of us, so I have to ask of you not to interfere in our affairs!" the elder said imposingly.

"I don't intend to interfere in your affairs, but would it be fine for me to remain around the area to take a look?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Since the other party had come before him, it would not be appropriate for him to cut right in and snatch their target.

In any case, his goal was to find out the general direction of the Temple of Confucius from the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. With the Prime Amulet in his hand, he should be able to zone in on the exact location easily as long as he had a direction to work with.

Hearing that the young man intended to loiter around the area, a middle-aged man amid the group harrumphed. "I can't allow that. Please leave right now, or else we'll be forced to evict you!"

"You intend to evict me?"

"We have already set our eyes upon the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Your presence here will only hinder us," Wu Changping replied coldly. "Please seek another beast of your own!"

Seeing that he was not welcome there, Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly and said, "Very well then. I wish you the best of luck."

After which, he turned around and left.

As soon as he was out of the group of eight's sight, he flicked his finger and sealed the space around him before making his way back.

"I say, we should have just killed that fellow from earlier. Why do you all even bother to waste your breath with him? We aren't on the Master Teacher Continent anyway, so there's no need to abide by those troublesome rules!" the middle-aged man who had bellowed at him earlier grumbled in annoyance.

"I have no qualms about killing a master teacher here, but it would be bad if we alarmed the Goldspirit Cloudtiger in the midst of doing so. That fellow is the Monarch of this forest. Having fought many battles, its instincts are particularly sharp. We have to move with the utmost caution around it and subdue it in a sweep!" Wu Changping said.

"You're right. I should have considered the matter more carefully!" The middle-aged man nodded in agreement. After which, a frown emerged on his forehead as he asked, "We placed that item in the lair quite a while ago. That fellow should be knocked out by now, right?"

"It should have fainted by now, but based on the intelligence we have gathered, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is known to possess formidable innate resilience. We mustn't let our guard down around it. Let's wait a little longer..." Wu Changping said.

"Un!"

It was apparent that Wu Changping was the leader of the group. Upon hearing his words, the crowd continued to crouch quietly amid the bushes, suppressing their auras and breathing.

Roughly ten minutes later, Wu Changping raised his hand and said, "Alright, it should be about time. Let's head in and take a look!"

Upon hearing those words, the middle-aged man made his way over to the cavern ahead with silent footsteps. With his movements, Zhang Xuan could tell that he was a Sempiternal realm cultivator too, albeit only at the primary stage.

Nevertheless, his prowess was already enough to make him a powerhouse of the Master Teacher Continent.

Even Sword Saint Xing only had as much strength as him!

Hu!

The middle-aged man entered the cavern.

Hong long!

Shortly after he entered, a deafening explosion sounded. Following which, the middle-aged man flew out of the cavern with an even faster speed, and his back broke several towering trees before he finally skidded to a stop. Blood spewed wildly from his mouth.

"Sh*t! It didn't fall for our trap. We can only push our way through!"

Wu Changping swiftly understood that their initial plan had failed. With a furious bellow, he took the lead and charged forward.

Hualala!

The remaining members of the group also swiftly advanced toward the cavern. Barely after they got into position, the ground suddenly tremored beneath them. A massive beast was slowly making its way out of the cavern.

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Chapter 1704: A Cry of Help

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The massive beast emerging from the cavern was around ten meters long and five meters tall. Similar to the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, it was cloaked in glorious golden fur. Even before making a move, one could already smell the stench of bloodshed drifting in the air.

After entering the folded space, they had encountered quite a number of beasts. Their cultivation realms were frighteningly high, but their fighting experience was sorely lacking. It still had not been easy to deal with them, but the occasional mistakes that they made created exploitable openings.

However, it was completely different with the massive beast before them. From the strong killing intent that seemed to be embedded into its very presence to the extreme wariness in its eyes, it was apparent that it was a veteran in battle. Without a doubt, many powerful beasts had fallen under its claws.

In order to become one of the Monarchs within this forest, one had to possess indomitable strength.

Sweeping its cold gaze across the group of eight, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger uttered wintry, "It has been so long since anyone has had the guts to wreak havoc on my territory."

Astonishingly, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger actually spoke the language of the humans.

There should not have been any humans in the Temple of Confucius for tens of thousands of years. For this reason, the Goldface Skywolf and Crimsonfrons White Tiger could only communicate in the natural language of their own race. It was only after taming the latter that Zhang Xuan could converse with it through their telepathic connection.

Yet, this massive fellow was actually able to speak in the tongue of the humans... Even Zhang Xuan was slightly surprised by this anomaly.

"Don't waste your words on it. Get into formation!" Wu Changping bellowed with a darkened face.

The fact that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was able to speak in the tongue of the humans likely meant that it knew a lot about the human race. The fact that their earlier ploy did not work likely meant that it was already guarded against them from the very start.

Hula!

The group of eight raised their weapons and surrounded the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. An inexplicable link formed among their auras, almost as if there were fine threads connecting them together. With just a glance, it was apparent that on top of forming a formation, they had also utilized some kind of formidable artifact.

It was no wonder they were reluctant to allow Zhang Xuan to watch by the side. They had already made thorough preparations to subdue and tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, so there was no way that they would risk allowing anyone to steal the fruits of their labor.

"How meaningless!"

Unconcerned by the movements of the group, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger released a ferocious roar. With a powerful pounce, it leaped on the middle-aged man closest to it.

It seemed to be intending to barge through the formation through focusing its attack on an individual.

Weng!

Before its claws could land, rich energy gushed into the middle-aged man's body through the narrow threads in the surroundings, filling him with power. His body lit up with a faint glow.

Augmented by the influx of energy, the middle-aged man raised his massive saber and slashed down furiously.

The massive congregation of saber qi manifested in the form of a towering saber afterimage in the air.

Boom!

The claw and the saber afterimage collided with one another, and the Goldspirit Cloudtiger could not help but retreat.

To think that they are able to channel the strength of a group into the body of one...Zhang Xuan nodded.

There was no way that the middle-aged man would have been able to defend against the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's attacks alone. It was through the use of the narrow threads that the group infused their strength into the middle-aged man together, thus overpowering the massive beast.

As a result of their collaboration, even someone as powerful as the Goldspirit Cloudtiger found itself unable to breach their defenses.

"It seems like they have used a Great Sage artifact!"

Considering how the thread was able to withstand the strength of so many people without hindering the middle-aged man's power output, there was no doubt that the artifact was at Great Sage tier at the very least.

While it could not match up to the Dragonbone Divine Spear, it was already on par with Wu Shu's golden saber.

"I see. It's no wonder you dared challenge me. It seems like you have some tricks up your sleeves..."

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger harrumphed coldly upon seeing that it had failed to breach their defense, but it did not show the slightest hint of being flustered. Instead, it whipped its thick tail furiously instead.

It was as if its tail was a weapon; it actually harnessed might greater than that of its claws. Warping into a blur, it darted toward the middle-aged man once more.

Realizing the major threat of the tail, the middle-aged man raised his saber once more to counterattack.

Peng!

The saber and the tail collided with one another. This time, it was the middle-aged man whose face paled, and he was forced to retreat several steps.

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger made use of this opportunity to further its attack. It swiped its claw forward ferociously.

The best way to overcome a collaborative formation when one was unable to analyze its structure and flaws was to focus one's attacks on an individual. It was apparent that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was aware of this fact as well.

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger's movements were swift and powerful. It seemed as if the middle-aged man was unable to cope and would succumb very soon. Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still shook his head.

That attack won't work...

If it was so convenient to overcome the might of a Great Sage artifact, such artifacts would not drive so many cultivators frenzied in search of them.

Just as Zhang Xuan thought, the next moment, Wu Changping swiftly formed a hand seal.

Huala!

The next moment, the string in the air was suddenly pulled taut. An incredible surge of energy was channeled from the group into the narrow string, granting it unbelievable resilience and power.

"Attack!"

Following Wu Changping's order, the other members of the group directed their weapons toward the Goldspirit Cloudtiger via the narrow string.

"Roar!"

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger clearly did not expect the string to possess such astounding prowess. It hurriedly raised its head and roared furiously.

Huala!

Countless surges of golden sword qi flew forth from its mouth to deflect the weapons and the string.

It's able to shoot out sword qi too? The Goldspirit Cloudtiger is truly talented! Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in surprise.

He had thought that the massive beast would have no choice but to submit to the group, but who could have known that it would actually be able to release an outpour of sword qi? Just the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's overwhelming strength and resilience were a pain to deal with. If it could use battle techniques on top of that, Wu Changping and the others would really face great difficulties trying to subdue it.

"The Goldspirit Cloudtiger is known for its proficiency in metal attribute offense. Do you think that we wouldn't have a countermeasure against that? Let me tell you this, that's exactly what we were waiting for!" Wu Changping chuckled triumphantly as he tapped his finger.

Tz la!

The next moment, the color of the string changed. It assumed a color reminiscent of lava, as if flames had been infused into it.

Huala!

The group channeled all of their zhenqi into the string. As if oil had been scattered atop a spark, a burning inferno burst forth.

In an instant, a blazing net appeared in the sky, trapping the Goldspirit Cloudtiger altogether.

They have really prepared themselves well. It seems like the Goldspirit Cloudtiger is going to succumb soon, Zhang Xuan remarked internally with a slight hint of awe in his voice.

As expected of a grand elder from the Beast Tamer Hall! Wu Changping's understanding of his prey, grasp of the situation, and meticulousness in his planning and execution were truly praiseworthy.

Metal was known for its sharpness and resilience. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was of the metal attribute, which made it extremely difficult to trap in a battle

While the string that they had brought was resilient and could be reinforced with their zhenqi, it would only be a matter of time before it snapped.

This was also where the strength of the metal attribute lay.

However, in anticipation of that, Wu Changping had prepared fire.

Of the Five Elements, fire curbed metal!

As soon as the fire burst forth, the metal attribute in the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's body was immediately weakened. In fact, as it had just released a metal attribute offense earlier, the backlash that it suffered was greater than usual.

With this single move, the tables had turned.

I really mustn't underestimate the experts of the world... Zhang Xuan thought in alarm.

Even though the possession of the Library of Heaven's Path granted him an edge in battle, he could not allow himself to get complacent due to it. There were still many ways that others were able to corner and subdue him.

Had he been in the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's position, the only way that he could have resolved it was probably to bring out the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage's corpse.

"Roar!"

Watching as the blazing net swiftly closed in on it, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger also realized that the enemy had come well-prepared. It knew that it was in a critically disadvantageous position.

All of a sudden, it raised his head and roared once more.

But this time, the roar carried no hint of aggression to it. Instead, Zhang Xuan sensed pleading in it, reminiscent of a distress call.

"It's a call for help... Does the Goldspirit Cloudtiger have other companions?" Wu Changping's face warped in horror.

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Chapter 1705: Heavenwood Greenserpent

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Quick! We need to subdue it right now!"

Knowing that they would be in a bad position once the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's companion came over, Wu Changping drove his zhenqi to his limits. The blazing net grew more and more searing as it contracted rapidly.

As a grand elder of the Beast Tamer Hall, he had a deep understanding of beasts. The earlier call was sharp and distinctive, a clear sign that it was beckoning its companion. Just one Goldspirit Cloudtiger was enough a headache for them to deal with; if another one came at this moment, they would surely die!

Realizing the dangerous position that they were in, anxious looks appeared on the faces of the others as well. They hurriedly drove their zhenqi into the blazing net to hasten the process.

"Hahaha! To think that you, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, one of the Five Monarchs of the forest, would actually be caught by a bunch of fellows like this! How embarrassing it would be to be in a position like yours!"

A mocking voice echoed in the air as a slender figure darted out of the cavern.

This slender figure bore some resemblance to Zhang Xuan's Netherworld Azure Dragon Beast, but it was much larger, and its bloodline was significantly purer. Just like the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, it was a Sempiternal realm consummation expert!

"It's a Heavenwood Greenserpent!" Wu Changping's face paled. Without any hesitation, he ordered, "Retreat!"

Right after those words were said, the blazing net around the Goldspirit Cloudtiger dissipated into nothing. Following which, he turned around and began running into the distance.

As expected of someone who had lived for many centuries, his priorities were very clear. As soon as he noticed that something was off, he was willing to abandon anything, no matter how valuable it was.

Just the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was enough to nearly corner them. With a Heavenwood Greenserpent thrown into the mix, it formed a combo far beyond their means to deal with.

"Ah?"

Wu Changping fled the moment that he noticed that things had gone awry, but the others in the group were not as decisive as him. They were stunned for a moment before hurriedly rushing away.

Just from their reactions, it was apparent that other than Wu Changping, none of them were beast tamers!

With their tamed beasts fighting alongside them, true beast tamers boasted amazing fighting prowess. However, taming beasts was not an easy feat at all. The slightest mistake could very well incur the beast's backlash. For this reason, it was important for beast tamers to be able to assess the situation and know when to flee.

In fact, there was an unofficial adage within the Beast Tamer Hall that went 'The first step to beast taming is learning when to flee'!

Many unexpected situations could happen during the process of beast taming. A beast tamer who did not know when to flee would have already died a hundred times over before they could reach Great Sage!

"Don't you think it's inappropriate for you to leave just like that after trying to drug and kidnap one of us?" a chilling voice echoed from beneath the ground.

Huala!

Before the other members of the group could get far, the ground suddenly rumbled furiously, as if an intense earthquake had struck the area. Following which, a massive beast rose up from the earth. It had the head of a lion, the horns of a deer, the eyes of a tiger, the body of a moose, the scales of a dragon, the tail of an ox...

It was a chimerical Qilin!

Unlike Zhang Xuan's Inferno Qilin, it was of the earth attribute. With a simple flick of its claw, a firm wall of yellow soil rose up from the ground and encircled the fleeing crowd, blocking their path of escape.

The remaining members of the group did not expect another beast to appear. Only at that moment did they understand why Wu Changping had fled so quickly, hesitating not in the slightest to abandon them.

Awful looks could be seen on their faces as they realized that they had been betrayed.

"Break!"

The current strongest member of the group, a Sempiternal realm intermediate stage elder, raised his sword and hacked it down on the wall of yellow soil.

Huala!

The wall of yellow soil crumbled beneath the ferocious might of the sword. However, before the crowd could relish in their momentary victory, the wall of yellow soil had already regenerated at an astounding rate. In the blink of an eye, the crowd was trapped once again.

"If only I knew this would happen, I never would have listened to Wu Changping! Why in the world did I even risk my life for this?"

The crowd felt their hearts sinking into the abyss.

Just like most other existing groups wandering around the folded space, their group had formed spontaneously as well.

Wu Changping had gathered all of them and said that this was the only possible way that they could get to the Temple of Confucius. He had even reassured them that he had a Great Sage artifact and that this matter was already in the bag. After carefully contemplating over the matter, they had felt that Wu Changping's words made sense, so they had joyfully joined the group as well.

Who could have known that they would end up facing three Sempiternal realm consummation beasts simultaneously? More importantly, no one had thought that Wu Changping would actually flee faster than any one of them there!

He won't be able to get away either...

In contrast to the furious looks on the faces around him, Zhang Xuan glanced in the direction that Wu Changping had fled in and shook his head.

He had to admit that the old man had made a wise decision to take flight as soon as he realized that things had gone awry, but unfortunately for him... this was not a situation that he could possibly flee from.

As if fulfilling Zhang Xuan's prophecy, the call of an avian echoed from within the cavern.

Huala!

Following which, a magnificent bird cloaked in a layer of flames dashed out from the cavern. With unimaginable speed, it bolted for Wu Changping in order to apprehend him.

Xiong xiong!

Before the talons of the bird could reach, its flames had already surged forth to construct an inferno barrier ahead, sealing Wu Changping's path of escape.

"The Celestialfire Phoenix?" Wu Changping's face paled as his body trembled nonstop.

He had thought that the only beast within the cavern was the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, and he had prepared accordingly. Who could have known that following the emergence of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, the Heavenwood Greenserpent, the Terra Qilin, and the Celestialfire Phoenix would make an appearance too? Before they knew it, they were already faced with four legendary beasts!

Furthermore, each of them wielded prowess that far surpassed him.

How could he possibly stand a chance against something like this?

Hula!

Without any hesitation, Wu Changping tossed out his weapons furiously, hoping that it would buy him some time. However, that was all meaningless before the agile Celestialfire Phoenix. The vast difference in strength was not something that he could bridge singlehandedly.

Before long, he was already bound by a bundle of flames, forced to grovel on the ground.

With this, the group of eight had been fully apprehended. Despair and fear could be seen in their eyes as they shot frightened glances at the powerful beings before them.

Seeing that its comrade had managed to apprehend the pesky humans who had dared lay their hands on it, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger glared at the guffawing Heavenwood Greenserpent and spat, "Mock me all you want after you get back. Hurry up and release the seal on me!"

"Alright, alright! I'll help you open it!" After using up a lifetime worth of laughter, the Heavenwood Greenserpent turned its head to the cavern and said, "Brother Acheron, I'll be counting on you for that then..."

"Un, give me a moment. I'll be right out..."

Another voice sounded from within the cavern. The crowd turned their gazes over and saw a massive silhouette slowly making its way out of the cavern.

Its movements were extremely slow. It took an entire eight minutes from the moment that its silhouette appeared before it was able to fully make its way out of the cavern

It was a massive tortoise.

"The Goldspirit Cloudtiger, the Heavenwood Greenserpent, the Acheron Blacktortoise, the Celestialfire Phoenix, and the Terra Qilin... These are the Five Elements Divine Beasts?" Wu Changping's face paled as realization struck him. "I should have guessed!"

Legend had it that Kong shi feared that the space in the Temple of Confucius would be unstable, so he had captured five powerful beasts, each representing one of the Five Elements, in order to stabilize the space. They had eventually come to be known as the so-called Five Monarchs to the other beasts in the folded space.

When he heard of the Five Monarchs, he had instinctively assumed that they would be scattered around the area. After all, powerful beasts were extremely territorial, and they could not tolerate other beings, especially those as powerful as them, trespassing on their land. As such, he could not have imagined that they would actually all be within the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's cavern.

The Acheron Blacktortoise crawled up to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger slowly and opened its massive mouth.

Huala!

Water cascaded down on the blazing net, extinguishing it in an instant. The Goldspirit Cloudtiger's body immediately expanded as sword qi burst forth from its acupoints.

Under the barrage of sharp sword qi, the string was severed at every inch before scattering all over the floor.

Despite being a Great Sage artifact, being set on fire before being doused in water shortly after had already ruined the structural integrity of the string. In its fragile state, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's sharp sword qi was able to destroy it easily.

"These fellows are here to kill you. How do you intend to deal with them?" the Heavenwood Greenserpent asked.

"We have to deal with them, but there's still one more fellow hiding in the area. Let's capture him before deciding on what to do!"

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger lowered its head and sniffed twice before bellowing, "Friend hiding over there, I applaud you for your exceptional use of spatial seals. However, it's not enough to hide from me!"

As it said those words, it glanced at where Zhang Xuan was hiding with killing intent rippling in its eyes.

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Chapter 1706: One on One with the Goldspirit White Tiger

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Have I really been discovered?

Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed in astonishment.

Back then, his spatial seal had allowed him to enter the barracks of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe without being noticed. Who could have thought that his trump card would actually fail him here!

Could the other party's nose really be that effective?

With the doubt that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was trying to lure him out, Zhang Xuan continued camping on the spot quietly.

In response to his quietness, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger sneered coldly, "Since you aren't going to come out, I'll just have to force you out myself then!"

With a growl, it swiped its claw and sent a surge of sword qi in Zhang Xuan's direction.

This sword qi was infused with the keen intent of the metal attribute. It tore a vacuum through space as it bolted toward Zhang Xuan.

While Zhang Xuan had sealed the space around him, he had not broken free of the dimension that he was in yet. As long as an attack was sufficiently powerful, it could still tear through his spatial seal and injure him.

As soon as Zhang Xuan saw the trajectory sword qi, he realized that it was not a bluff from the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. It had indeed managed to find him.

With a helpless sigh, he tore free of the spatial seal and moved his feet.

Hu!

In that instant, time seemed to have slowed down for Zhang Xuan. Despite that, he only managed to dodge the sword qi by a hair's breadth. Scratching his head in exasperation, he faced the five divine beasts before him and said, "If I said that I'm only passing by and am not from the same group as them, will you believe me?"

He really was not from the same group as those fellows before... although he was indeed there to capture the Goldspirit Cloudtiger as well.

Of course, he would not be so dumb as to give himself away. What was standing before him were five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts! Even with his current fighting prowess, the best that he could do was flee as far from them as he could!

"Passing by? Don't you think it's rude of you to pass by my lair without coming in to greet me?" the Goldspirit Cloudtiger scoffed.

Huala!

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was still burning with fury at having almost been caught by a bunch of damned humans, so how could it possibly be in the mood to listen to Zhang Xuan's reasons? With a furious bellow, it sent a barrage of sword qi toward Zhang Xuan.

The relentless barrage of sword qi formed a long current reminiscent of a majestic dragon.

"That's a no then. I guess I have no choice..." Seeing that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was unwilling to believe him, Zhang Xuan knew that there was nothing else that he could say to persuade it otherwise.

In such a situation, he would have to allow his strength to do the talking. Taking a deep breath, he flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear materialized in his grasp.

"Break!" Zhang Xuan pushed the spear forward to meet the barrage of sword qi.

Huala!

Putting his strength from his soul energy, zhenqi, and physical body into the Dragonbone Divine Spear, the spear warped into a bolt of light before it collided together with the barrage of sword qi. A devastating shockwave rippled out as a result of the clash, causing cracks to appear in the space around. Countless trees were uprooted, and boulders were shattered into fragments.

This single clash actually produced a hemispherical depression of over several hundred meters wide in the midst of the dense forest!

"What the hell... Is he really only at Aureate Body realm?"

The trapped Wu Changping and the others widened their eyes in shock.

They recognized the young man—he was the fellow who had been following behind them earlier before being driven away by them. They had thought that he was just a simple Aureate Body realm cultivator, an insignificant existence to them. Never in their dreams did they imagine that he would actually be this powerful!

If they had known in advance, they surely would have pulled him into their group. With him, they would have been able to capture the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and escape before the other four beasts even came to realize the anomaly!

"I thought that he was a weakling, but it turned out that he's actually the strongest of us all..." Wu Changping shook his head in bitter regret.

Earlier, they had discussed whether they should kill the young man or not. It was fortunate that they did not try it, or else the young man would have destroyed all of them before they could even encounter the Goldspirit Cloudtiger!

"Oh? It seems like he's not too weak!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent remarked.

It did not think that the Aureate Body realm lad hiding by the side would actually harness such fighting prowess within that small frame of his. It stroked its serpentine beard with its claws as it studied the young man in interest.

"Humph!"

On the other hand, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was less than pleased to have its attack countered by the young man. It was already at the peak of its anger when even a mere Aureate Body realm lad turned out to be able to counter its attack. Its eyes widened in fury as it scrunched its body tightly together, its golden fur trembling nonstop.

"Die!"

Si la!

As if a released from a bowstring, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger dashed forward and made use of its momentum to whip its tail toward Zhang Xuan.

The tail moved with such swiftness that it seemed to disappear completely from sight, making it nigh impossible to discern the trajectory of the attack.

"How fast!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock.

He knew that he would not be able to withstand the attack given his current strength. Thus, he quickly activated the Zhang Clan blood essence within his body.

Huala!

The other party's movements immediately slowed down. With a light leap, he escaped from the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's area of attack.

Boom!

A massive crater was smashed into the ground.

Knowing that he would not stand a chance at this rate, Zhang Xuan wiped off the cold sweat on his forehead and said, "Hold it for a moment..."

"Are you going to beg for mercy now? It's already too late!"

Seeing how the young man had managed to evade its strongest attack with ease and even had the leisure to chat, even though the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was furious, it knew that it was unlikely to be able to subdue the young man in the short run. Thus, it halted its attack, wanting to hear what the young man had to say.

In any case, the five divine beasts were gathered there. The earth and the sky were completely sealed. There was no way that the young man could possibly escape.

"I know there's no chance that I'll be able to escape from here anymore, so at the very least, I would like to have a fair duel with you. Will you at least accede to this request of mine?" Zhang Xuan clasped his fist.

"Fair duel?"

The five divine beasts glanced at one another, not knowing what in the world he was saying.

"Indeed. I am only at the Aureate Body realm at the moment, so I know that I won't stand much of a chance against you all. Nevertheless, I would still like to fight for a chance for survival. I want to challenge the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to a one-on-one duel. If I lose, the only thing that awaits me is death. However, if I win by any chance, I beseech you to let me go!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Hah!"

The five divine beasts immediately understood Zhang Xuan's intentions.

The young man was afraid that they would attack him together.

"Human, you should stop trying to judge us by your standards! You are belittling us far too much! Even if we are of the same cultivation realm, we aren't going to stoop so low as to gang up on you!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent remarked impassively.

As ones who had inherited the bloodlines of ancient divine beasts, as well as monarchs who ruled over countless subjects, they had their own pride to uphold.

Putting aside ganging up on someone weaker than them, they would not do so even for someone in the same cultivation realm as them!

"You can rest assured that I won't allow them to interfere in our battle!" the Goldspirit Cloudtiger spat.

It was just a moment ago that it had nearly been captured by a group of humans, and now, another human actually wanted to challenge it to a one-on-one duel... Given how it had already embarrassed itself earlier, if it was still unable to deal with someone two realms weaker than it, what right would it have to rule over the other beasts in the forest?

"That's a relief..."

To be honest, Zhang Xuan had given the matter a try not expecting the five divine beasts to accede to his request. In fact, he had already been planning his escape route, but it seemed like there was no need for it anymore. Heaving a deep sigh of relief, he raised his head and said, "One more thing. As a cultivator, it's not against the rule for me to use my artifacts in battle, right?"

"Feel free to use whatever artifacts you have!" The Goldspirit Cloudtiger harrumphed coldly, thinking nothing of Zhang Xuan's request.

It would already be the blessing of the heavens that an Aureate Body realm lad like him had such a formidable spear. While the spear was indeed remarkable, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was confident that it could deal with it.

"Also... I happen to be a beast tamer. It won't be against the rules if my tamed beasts assist me, right?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Tamed beasts? Humph! If you have anything decent, just bring them all out!" the Goldspirit Cloudtiger remarked arrogantly.

"I'm reassured then..." Nodding in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan flicked up his Dragonbone Divine Spear. "Let's begin!"

"Humph!" The Goldspirit Cloudtiger let loose a furious roar before charging forward with narrowed eyes.

However, barely a second after it started moving, it suddenly felt a sharp pain assaulting its soul, as if someone was pricking it with countless needles. Following which, a suffocating pressure crushed down on it.

"Soul offense? Sh*t..."

Not expecting the young man to have such a card up his sleeves, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's massive body stiffened on the spot.

The Beast Tribe were known for their superior physical body, which granted them defensive and offensive capabilities far superior to human cultivators. However, they had a fatal weakness, and that was their soul. The other party had executed a soul offense right from the start, and it was stronger than what it had ever faced before. Caught completely off guard, it ended up succumbing to the move.

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Chapter 1707: The Cloudtiger Submits

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Soul offense?"

The Heavenwood Greenserpent was taken aback. It did not expect the Aureate Body realm cultivator to have such a technique at his disposal

"So what if it's a soul offense? Cloudtiger has been training her soul energy in order to prevent her killing intent from clouding her mind," the calm Acheron Blacktortoise said. "She has just been caught off guard at the moment; once she recovers, she will be able to destroy that fellow with a single move! Besides, soul offense is a double-edged sword. At the very most, he will only be able to launch a single effective attack on the soul of a Sempiternal realm cultivator... There's no way he will be able to do it a second time!"

It was not just its movements that were slow—even the pacing of its speech was slow as well.

The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded in agreement to the Acheron Blacktortoise's judgement.

The five of them had inherited the bloodlines of the Ancient Divine Beasts. While their souls might have been their weakness, it was not a weakness that anyone could exploit.

Besides, soul offense was a double-edged sword. As powerful as soul attacks were, it would cause considerable backlash to the practitioner as well. Even if the young man was a skilled soul cultivator, how many times could he launch an attack as powerful as that?

Shortly after the Acheron Blacktortoise said those words, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger also recovered from its disorientated state. With a howl of fury, it charged toward the young man before it.

This time, it was truly enraged.

To think that a Monarch like it would end up falling for the soul offense of a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator. It was fortunate that the other party had not used the opportunity to assault it, or else it would have been in deep trouble. If it really lost to the other party, it would not be able to face its subordinates anymore!

"What? At the very most, I'll just die together with you!"

Seeing how swiftly the Goldspirit Cloudtiger had recovered, Zhang Xuan's eyes paled in horror. In a slight fluster and with desperation in his movements, he pushed his spear furiously to counter the other party's offense.

"You are still thinking of retaliating, are you? Dream on!" the Goldspirit Tiger spat coldly.

It was already bad enough for it to have succumbed to the young man's soul offense once. Was the young man really so naive as to think that his soul offense would work on it once its guard was up?

It gathered all of its concentration on reinforcing its mind in an attempt to defend against the young man's soul offense, but the next moment, it heard a whoosh sound above its head.

It seemed as if something heavy was swiftly approaching it.

"Cr*p, I fell for his trap..." Feeling a crushing pressure overhead, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger immediately realized that it was a feint.

The killing move was actually hidden above it!

Raising its head, it was just about to see what was falling on it when it suddenly felt a powerful will intruding into its mind, causing a bout of light-headedness.

"That fellow's pale face is a trick as well!" The Goldspirit Cloudtiger widened its eyes in realization as its mind swiftly blanked out.

If the young man was truly as weakened as he looked, how could he possibly be able to execute such a powerful soul offense?

It was apparent that the young man was feigning weakness in order to make it lower its guard!

Peng!

Barely after it made sense of the situation, an immense force had already smashed right into its head, causing its body to sway weakly from side to side.

While it was unsure what kind of artifact it was, the fact that it was able to inflict such tremendous damage on it meant that it was a Great Sage artifact at the minimum!

"This is... a Great Sage brick?" the Heavenwood Greenserpent murmured with a hint of disbelief in its voice. It could hardly believe what it was seeing.

"It seems to have been infused with several tons of Golden Origin Spirit Stone!" the Acheron Blacktortoise added with twitching lips. "Golden Origin Spirit Stone is so rare that not much of it can be found in the world. Yet, it was actually used it to forge a mere brick..."

It was so extravagant that they could hardly wrap their minds around the concept!

That was the invaluable Golden Origin Spirit Stone that they were talking about! Just adding a sprinkle of it into the forging process would turn a Saint pinnacle artifact into a Great Sage artifact!

Yet, to use several tons of such a valuable ore to forge a dumb old brick...

Bro, can you tell me which wastrel forged you? I'll pummel some sense into that idiot!

While the two divine beasts were still overwhelmed by how wasteful human cultivators were, they heard the brick exclaiming excitedly, "Hahaha! Hurry up and surrender, stupid tiger! Otherwise, I, the Golden Origin Cauldron, shall burn you into cinders!"

"The Golden Origin Cauldron? Could it be that... this brick is supposed to be a cauldron?" The Heavenwood Greenserpent gritted its teeth so tightly together that its gums were starting to feel a bit numb.

Can anyone tell me how in the world this lump of metal resembles a cauldron?

How in the world did you find the courage to call yourself a cauldron?

Don't you know what you look like? What Golden Origin Cauldron and burn you into cinders? Even if the Goldspirit Cloudtiger allows you to do whatever you please with it, you have no furnace to burn it down at all!

Not only were the divine beasts rendered frenzied by the sight before them, even the trapped Wu Changping and the others were utterly bewildered by the situation.

It sure was hard to understand the world of aristocrats...

While he was risking his life for a single divine beast, the other party was forging the incredibly invaluable Golden Origin Spirit Stone into a useless lump of metal.

Disregarding the mental breakdowns occurring around him, Zhang Xuan bellowed deeply once more, "Go!"

Huala!

The Infernal Blacksaber, Wu Shu's golden saber, Bei Xin's spear, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear all flew forth.

Just like that, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger suddenly found itself coming under the simultaneous assault of five powerful artifacts. As if that was not enough, from time to time, an inkstone would suddenly charge forward and smash itself onto its face.

"The hell... Can this still be called a one-on-one?"

The Heavenwood Greenserpent, Terra Qilin, and the others felt their vision blacking out.

Earlier, that fellow declared righteously that he wanted to have a fair fight with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger in the hope of winning a chance at survival. They had anticipated a solemn duel between the two, but contrary to their expectations, the young man had actually dispatched so many artifacts to fight the Goldspirit Cloudtiger instead!

While other cultivators were praying fervently to acquire just a single Great Sage artifact, this fellow actually had six of them in his possession...

Are you actually the illegitimate son of the head of the Blacksmith Guild headquarters?

No... Not even the illegitimate son of the Blacksmith Guild headquarters would have so many Great Sage artifacts with him!

With those Great Sage artifacts moving alongside him, it was as if the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was facing the assault of six Sempiternal realm experts simultaneously...

Hand on heart, can you really consider this a one-on-one?

Seeing how its good friend was nearly being pummeled into a domestic cat, the Celestialfire Phoenix could hardly bring itself to watch on. "Should we interfere?"

"But that fellow has asked whether he's able to use his artifacts earlier, and we gave him our consent..." the Heavenwood Greenserpent replied awkwardly.

When the fellow asked him the question earlier, they had thought that the other party was just courteously asking for permission to use that spear of his...

But it seemed like they were still lacking in worldly experience.

The heck was that courtesy! That was a trap, and an utterly shameless one at that!

Which Sempiternal realm cultivator could possibly withstand the assault of so many artifacts at once?

"Wait a minute... What is that fellow doing over there?"

While the divine beasts were still raging over Zhang Xuan's shamelessness, they saw the young man raising his hand once more.

Hula!

All of a sudden, six beasts appeared around the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Their cultivation ranged from Intuitive Impulse realm consummation to Sempiternal realm...

As soon as they appeared, they pounced right toward the Goldspirit Cloudtiger.

The remaining four divine beasts glanced at one another, stupefied.

"Those are his tamed beasts?"

"They... seem to be from this region, right?"

"It seems so!"

"So, in the short period of time that the folded space appeared, he managed to tame six beasts?"

The Heavenwood Greenserpent trembled in rage. "When did our beasts become so prideless and cowardly?"

The fact that they were able to speak human tongue meant that they knew a fair bit about human culture. It was not surprising for them to know of the beast tamer occupation as well.

It had only been a couple of hours since the humans had entered the forest, and yet, the other party had already tamed six beasts. Was this not a little too fast?

"We have to make sure to settle this matter later on. We must make it clear to our subordinates that we, the Beast Tribe, mustn't lower our heads to others!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent uttered passionately. "This is especially so for the subordinates of Cloudtiger's region. Given how prideful she is, how can her subordinates be so weak-minded..."

The Goldspirit Cloudtiger was a noble beast who would go to any lengths to protect its pride and reputation. Why were its subordinates so cowardly?

But before the Heavenwood Greenserpent could finish its words, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, who had still been battling furiously a moment ago, suddenly lowered itself on the ground.

A droplet of blood essence seeped out from its glabella and floated over to the young man.

The massive tiger placed its head on the ground subserviently. "Goldspirit Cloudtiger pays respects to master!"

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Chapter 1708: One Word Is All It Takes

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"The heck!"

This sight made the eyes of the Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly fall to the ground. The other three divine beasts also exchanged horrified looks with one another.

They were the ones who had inherited the bloodlines of Ancient Divine Beasts. They were dignified, powerful, lofty, regal... But in such a short period of time, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger had actually chosen to submit to a mere human.

There was something really wrong about this!

"She has really sullied our reputation." The Heavenwood Greenserpent was seething with rage.

It was the head of the Five Monarchs of the forest.

It had thought that it was already shameful for the subordinates of the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to actually have allowed a mere human to tame them, but barely a moment after it thought so, those beasts' leader submitted!

Was this not as good as a crisp slap to its face?

It was true that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was under a lot of pressure, having to deal with six Great Sage artifacts and five beasts simultaneously. In fact, it had already been thinking of reinforcing the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, but it did not expect the latter to surrender so quickly!

Where did all of its self-esteem go to?

"Rise. Swallow this pill!" Zhang Xuan flicked his finger and fed the Goldspirit Cloudtiger a grade-9 pill before heaving a sigh of relief.

In truth, the reason he had proposed to fight a one-on-one with the Goldspirit Cloudtiger was to make use of the opportunity to tame it.

And just as he had planned, through a mixture of scare tactics and a bit of guidance through telepathy, he had managed to convince the Goldspirit Cloudtiger to submit to him.

With the Goldspirit Cloudtiger on his side, even if the remaining four divine beasts turned on him, he would at least have the power to protect himself.

"With this, it should be considered my victory, right?"

With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan collected his tamed beasts and his artifacts back into his storage ring before turning to look at the Heavenwood Greenserpent.

"Lad, what kind of sorcery did you use to make the Goldspirit Cloudtiger bow down to you and acknowledge you as her master?" With an awful look, the Heavenwood Greenserpent questioned Zhang Xuan with killing intent flaring from its eyes.

"Do you want to hear the truth?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Of course!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent replied with gritted teeth.

"The truth is that... I am your master from your previous life. In the midst of her fight with me, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger realized my true identity. That's why she submitted to me without any hesitation!" Zhang Xuan said as he gazed into the blank space with a deep look in his eyes, reminiscent of a true expert.

"You are our master from our previous life? Bullsh*t!" The Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly fainted from the rubbish that the young man was spouting.

Can you come up with a better excuse than that?

What master in our previous life? Why don't you say that you are the reincarnation of Kong shi?

The heck, I can also say that I was your grandfather in my previous life!

"You don't believe me?" Zhang Xuan frowned in discontentment.

"Believe your head!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent retorted angrily. Even if you want to fool us, do you think that we'll accept such an excuse?

Turning his sights away from the raging Heavenwood Greenserpent, Zhang Xuan looked at the other three divine beasts and asked, "What about you? Do you not believe me either?"

"It's no use stalling for time. We won't let you do as you please anymore!" the Acheron Blacktortoise replied slowly.

The Celestialfire Phoenix harrumphed. "Let's not waste our words on him. There's something really weird about this fellow. Let's just kill him first before discussing anything else!"

"Let's do it then. I'll make the first move..." the Terra Qilin said as it took a step forward.

In truth, they also felt a little pressured by the peculiarities that the young man had displayed so far. Putting everything aside, there was something really amiss about how he was able to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger so swiftly.

As Monarchs of the forest, they were extremely prideful creatures. Who would be willing to give up a position of superiority just to become subservient to a man?

"It seems like none of you believe me..." Zhang Xuan shook his head in disappointment before looking at the four divine beasts before him straight in the eye. "Do you dare to make a wager with me?"

"A wager?"

"That's right! I'll wager that I just have to say a single word to express my identity in order to make the Heavenwood Greenserpent bow down to me and acknowledge me as its master!" Zhang Xuan said calmly as he placed his hands behind his back leisurely.

"You think that I'll submit to you with just a single word?" The Heavenwood Greenserpent nearly choked on its flurrying anger. "Are you certain that there isn't anything wrong with your head?"

As a beast who had inherited the noble bloodline of the dragons, it was a powerful and highly-esteemed existence in the Beast Tribe. Even if it was grilled alive, there was no way that it would submit to a mere human!

Putting aside a single word, it was futile even if the other party used up his entire lifetime worth of words.

"Just give the word and say if you are willing to accept my wager!" Zhang Xuan shrugged nonchalantly. "The wager is simple. If I am able to make you submit, you must acknowledge my identity and make the other three divine beasts submit to me. If I am unable to do it, I'll free the Goldspirit Cloudtiger and kill myself on the spot!"

"You want me to make them submit to you too?" The Heavenwood Greenserpent was slightly startled. It did not expect the young man to propose such a wager.

"Indeed. As the head of the Five Monarchs, surely you have some confidence in yourself, right?" Zhang Xuan said with a taunting smile.

"Humph! If our boss is willing to submit to you, we have no qualms about submitting to you. However, can we really trust you to fulfill your end of the bargain if you lose the wager?" the Terra Qilin challenged.

Having known the Heavenwood Greenserpent for so many years, they were already familiar with the latter's temper.

It was incredibly obstinate and unbending, especially when it came to matters that compromised its dignity!

The only one who had made the Heavenwood Greenserpent submit in so many years was Kong shi. Yet, the young man wanted to make it submit to him.

What a joke!

"That's right! If you can make our boss submit to you, we'll acknowledge you as our master!"

"What's there to be frightened of? There's no way our boss will bow to a weak human like you!"

The Celestialfire Phoenix and the Acheron Blacktortoise also voiced their support proudly.

"I'll hold you to your promise then," Zhang Xuan replied calmly.

"Hah! I just hope that you won't renege on your promise when the time comes!" the Terra Qilin spat coldly.

"This..."

But at this point in time, a frown furrowed its way onto the Heavenwood Greenserpent's forehead. The situation was developing so quickly in a direction that it did not expect that it felt like there was a need for it to stop and think things through.

The fearlessness of the young man and his ability to make the Goldspirit Cloudtiger submit to him so quickly left it feeling a little unnerved.

At this lull in the conversation, the Terra Qilin sent a telepathic message to the Heavenwood Greenserpent. "Boss, you have always disliked the scheming humans. We believe in you! Why don't you accept this fellow's request and save Cloudtiger first?"

Considering the Heavenwood Greenserpent's temperament, this was a wager that they were bound to win. There was nothing for them to fear!

"This..." Uncertainty flickered across the Heavenwood Greenserpent's eyes for a moment before it finally gathered its resolve and nodded. "Very well, I'll accept your wager!"

It would not dare make guarantees for other beasts, but it was at least confident in itself.

Even if it died, it would never bow down to another human in its life.

"Let's begin then!" Seeing that he had managed to convince the Heavenwood Greenserpent to accept his wager, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. "Are you ready? I don't wish to leak the matter to others, so I'll be sending you a telepathic message instead. Please listen to me very closely!"

"Feel free to do whatever you want. No matter what you do, there's no way I'll submit to you. I advise you to give up on this meaningless pursuit!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent sneered coldly.

Some things were simply impossible!

No matter what the other party said, there was nothing that would be able to change its mind.

Even if you are Kong shi's reincarnation, as long as I refuse to acknowledge you, what can you do about it?

Having made up its mind, it pricked up its ears to listen closely to what the young man was going to say.

Just as it was making preparations, the Celestialfire Phoenix, Terra Qilin, and Acheron Blacktortoise were discussing the situation telepathically.

"Rest assured, I know our boss very well. No one can make his determination waver!"

"I think that fellow is intentionally stalling for time. There's a chance that he might have some reinforcements on the way. We have to keep a close eye on the surroundings!"

While they were discussing the matter fervently, they suddenly saw the young man taking in a deep breath before shouting a single consonant telepathically.

Padah!

Instantly, the Heavenwood Greenserpent collapsed to the ground, its body trembling nonstop. It glanced frightfully at the young man before lowering its body all the way down.

With agitation in its voice, it exclaimed, "Heavenwood Greenserpent pays respects to master!"

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Chapter 1709: Guarding the Exit

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Our boss... has acknowledged him as its master?"

Utter silence loomed in the area.

The Celestialfire Phoenix, Terra Qilin, and Acheron Blacktortoise were all stunned silly. They remained rooted to the spot, and their minds seemed to have stalled.

They knew just how obstinate the Heavenwood Greenserpent could be... But with just a single consonant from the other party, it actually sprawled right to the ground with no regards for its dignity at all. To make matters worse, there was a look of desire in its eyes.

What in the name of heavens had just happened?

At the same time, Wu Changping was on the verge of insanity as well.

In order to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger, he had made many preparations. He had promised many treasures to convince the other seven members of the group to assist him in his mission. On top of that, he had even expended a Great Sage artifact for this purpose... but in the end, he had failed to acquire anything and even been captured.

On the other hand, this fellow had managed to tame the Goldspirit Cloudtiger within a few short minutes. With another word, he made the Heavenwood Greenserpent grovel on the ground, not daring to appear disrespectful at all.

This was ridiculous!

"Seal the contract!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

Toward beasts who possessed the Dragon Bloodline, there was no weapon stronger than the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon.

No matter how high-tiered the Heavenwood Greenserpent was, it was unable to break free from the restraints of its bloodline. It was precisely due to his awareness of this that Zhang Xuan intentionally made a wager with it. As expected, the others had swiftly been baited by his promise.

It was not that they were fools, but it was simply unthinkable for a mere human to be able to speak the language of the Pureblooded Dragons!

No one would expect an Aureate Body realm cultivator like him to have so many tricks up his sleeve, such that even Sempiternal realm experts like them would end up being caught off guard time and time again.

Even though the Heavenwood Greenserpent was a little reluctant to relinquish its freedom, under the pressure of the Eight Notes of Heavenly Dragon, it had no choice but to offer its blood essence.

After sealing the contract, Zhang Xuan turned to the three remaining beasts and said, "It's your turn. Since I was able to make the Heavenwood Greenserpent submit with a single word, it's my victory. Of course, it's just an ordinary wager. No vows were made, and there's nothing to bind you to your words. If you don't intend to follow the wager..."

"Ridiculous! The blood of the Ancient Divine Beasts runs through our veins. How can we possibly renege on our promise?"

"A loss is a loss. Since our boss has chosen to submit to you, I have no problem acknowledging you as my master..."

"I just hope that you won't force us into doing anything that violates our principles..."

...

The Terra Qilin, Celestialfire Phoenix, and Acheron Blacktortoise were not too happy about the situation, but they were too proud to renege on their promise. They nodded and offered their blood essence to Zhang Xuan.

In any case, since the other party had been able to make their boss submit, it was not too embarrassing for them to acknowledge the other party as their master. It was at least something that they could live with.

"That saves me a lot of trouble..." Seeing that the other three beasts had decided to abide by their promise, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

The main reason Zhang Xuan had made the wager was to make those three divine beasts submit to him as well. Of course, with the Heavenwood Greenserpent and Goldspirit Cloudtiger on his side, he would have been able to eventually beat them into submission. Nevertheless, this would spare him a great deal of trouble.

"Since you have chosen to submit to me, as your master, I should at least reciprocate your loyalty!"

After taming all five divine beasts, Zhang Xuan looked at every one of them before speaking again.

"Goldspirit Cloudtiger, as a metal attribute beast, you possess superior offensive capability, but your defense is considerably lacking. More importantly, despite the immense strength you wield, you lack precision in control. That left you with a lot of openings that I could exploit. I'll point out a couple of your major flaws now, and as long as you make corrections accordingly, you should be able to raise your fighting prowess significantly!"

He went on to elaborate on several flaws that the Goldspirit Cloudtiger suffered from, as well the ways to correct them.

When he fought with the latter earlier, the Library of Heaven's Path had already uncovered the flaws that it was suffering from. Combining that with his knowledge as a beast tamer, it was extremely easy for him to find the solutions to those flaws.

Cultivating in accordance to Zhang Xuan's impartation, the Goldspirit Cloudtiger did enjoy a significant rise in its fighting prowess. A brilliant gleam surfaced in its eyes as it kneeled onto the floor once more, this time out of earnest respect for Zhang Xuan.

If it had only submitted due to the threats and benefits that Zhang Xuan had promised, this time around, it was out of earnest respect for him.

Following which, he offered some pointers to the cultivation of the remaining divine beasts as well, inducing a significant leap in their fighting prowess. Excited over their newfound strength, they hurriedly bowed in gratitude to Zhang Xuan.

Having reached Sempiternal realm consummation, they had thought that it would be difficult for them to advance their fighting prowess unless there was a major evolution in their bloodline. They had never thought that there was still room for them to improve further.

If they continued cultivating in accordance to Zhang Xuan's words, they might even be able to push for a breakthrough to Ancient Sage in the future!

To them, this was much more attractive than being the Monarchs of this forest and ruling over a bunch of beasts.

"Master, what do we do about these fellows?" The Heavenwood Greenserpent pointed to Wu Changping and the others.

"Their actions lacked consideration, and they were disrespectful to the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Nevertheless, their actions don't warrant the death sentence. Make them compensate for their actions and set them free!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand.

To be honest, he was kind of glad that the group of eight was in front of him. If he had charged right into the lair, he would have been the one who was encircled by the five divine beasts. Perhaps, he might not have even gotten a chance to fight one on one, and things might not have ended as smoothly as they did.

However, it was a fact that the group of eight bore malicious intentions toward him, and they had made a move on the Goldspirit Cloudtiger. Considering how the latter was now his tamed beast, he could not let the group of eight go without making them pay a hefty price.

"Yes, master!"

Seeing that his master was not the type of honest to a fault human, the divine beasts heaved a sigh of relief.

It seemed like they would not be taken advantage of by others serving him.

Under the menace of the five divine beasts, Wu Changping and the others had no choice but to submit. They obediently handed over the treasures that they had amassed over this period of time along with grade-9 pills, artifacts, and the like before they were finally set free.

"Take them! I'll leave it to you to decide how you want to split these items among yourselves. Also, I want to make it clear that your loyalty will not go unrewarded. If you perform well, I have no qualms granting you my Great Sage artifacts!" Zhang Xuan said.

The artifacts that Wu Changping and the others had handed over could not even catch his eye, so he left it to the five divine beasts to deal with them internally. At the same time, he also dropped them expectations for the future.

Managing one's tamed beast was actually not much different from managing one's subordinates. On top of the carrot and the stick, what was more important was to give them positive expectations for the foreseeable future.

Resolving the flaws in their cultivation and promises of invaluable treasures... With the offer of such alluring benefits, the five divine beasts would be more inclined to submit to him both physically and mentally.

As expected, after hearing his words, looks of agitation appeared on the five divine beasts. From the looks of it, it seemed like Zhang Xuan had won their loyalty for the time being.

After Wu Changping and the others left, Zhang Xuan finally posed the doubt lingering in his heart. "Shouldn't you all be scattered around the area? Why are you gathered inside the Goldspirit Cloudtiger's lair?"

Based on what he had heard from the Crimsonfrons White Tiger, the Five Monarchs each had their own territory in the forest and rarely interacted with one another. Why would they gather together in a lair?

"As soon as we noticed that the dimension has been opened and humans have made their way in, we immediately gathered together here. Firstly, we intended to come up with a countermeasure to curb the threat of the humans. Secondly, we also wanted to guard the exit and prevent anyone from passing through it!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent explained.

"Exit?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up upon hearing that word. "Could it be that... the exit to the Temple of Confucius lies within the cavern?"

Given that the five divine beasts had come out of the cavern... could it be that the supposed 'exit' was located in there?

"That's right!" The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded. "Back then, Kong shi brought us here and delegated the responsibility of guarding the exit and preventing anyone from finding it to us. I suppose that's the trial he has entrusted to us!"

Hearing those words, Zhang Xuan frowned in confusion. "You said that Kong shi captured you? In other words, you have met Kong shi?"

It had been tens of thousands of years since Kong shi had vanished from the Master Teacher Continent.

While those of the Beast Tribe tended to enjoy greater longevity than human cultivators, none of them were able to live that long. Otherwise, just by accumulating a bunch of old monsters across many generations, they would be able to claim the Master Teacher Continent and take on a dominant position in the world!

It was impossible for the five divine beasts to have lived for tens of thousands of years, so what could they mean by saying that Kong shi had captured them?

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Chapter 1710: Desert Dimension

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Of course, we've seen him before! It hasn't been too long since Kong shi left this dimension after all!" The Heavenwood Greenserpent nodded affirmatively as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"It hasn't been long since Kong shi left this dimension?" A deduction surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind, and he hurriedly asked, "How long has it been since Kong shi left this dimension?"

The Heavenwood Greenserpent pondered for a moment before replying, "Roughly four hundred years, I suppose!"

"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan's body shuddered at having his hypothesis verified.

He had thought that it was odd when the Heavenwood Greenserpent said that Kong shi had brought them here, but he did not think that they were lying to him. There was no reason for them to lie to him.

Instead, he thought that this anomaly could be attributed to a difference in the flow of time instead. Most likely, the flow of time within the folded space was slower than the flow of time on the Master Teacher Continent, or else the divine beasts would have already been reduced to a pile of bones by now.

The words that the Heavenwood Greenserpent had just said effectively verified his deduction.

Doing a rough calculation, it had been around forty thousand years since Kong shi left the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, in the eyes of the Heavenwood Greenserpent, it had only been four hundred years since he had left. Did this not mean that the flow of time within the folded space was a hundredth of the world outside?

In other words, the passing of a day in this folded space equated to the passing of a hundred days in the Master Teacher Continent!

If such time deceleration could be used on an Ancient Sage, the latter would be able to extend their lifespan significantly without resorting to hibernation.

No, this doesn't work either... With my mastery of temporal arts, I should be able to notice it if there's any difference in the flow of time. Yet, why do I not sense anything at all? Zhang Xuan wondered with a frown.

Having comprehended the Time Quintessence, he was no longer as ignorant of time as he had been before. If there was a difference in the flow of time, he surely would have noticed it. Yet, that was not the case. Why was it so?

Forget it, there's no point thinking about it now... I'll probably find my answer once I get to the Temple of Confucius!

Unable to figure out the reason after some thought, Zhang Xuan shook his head and tossed the matter to the back of his mind.

He turned to the five divine beasts and said, "Bring me to the exit!"

The Heavenwood Greenserpent led the way forward.

The cavern was spacious, and there was a huge hole in the middle where a pool of lava flurried. It felt like anything in the world would melt within the pool of lava.

"This is... the exit?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

No matter how he looked at it, all he could see was the crater of a volcano. It was hard to imagine that the Temple of Confucius was located within the crater.

"I'm not too sure about the details either. Back then, Kong shi instructed the five of us to guard this area, so we guessed that it's the passageway leading to the Temple of Confucius!" the Heavenwood Greenserpent explained.

Kong shi's wisdom was expansive and transcendental. It was not something that beasts like them could fathom.

Perplexed, Zhang Xuan activated the Eye of Insight and scanned his surroundings, but he was unable to find any indicative signs at all. In the end, he could only shake his head.

"For the time being, you should enter my folded space. Whether the passageway lies within the crater or not, I'll just have to check to find out!"

Knowing that he would not find anything dawdling in the area, Zhang Xuan stowed the beasts into the Myriad Anthive Nest with a wave of his hand. After that, he leaped right into the pool of lava.

Given how even the Empyrean Heavenly Flame was unable to burn his physical body, there was no way that he would fear mere lava. As searing as it was, such heat could not bother him anymore.

He continued to swim downward for a while longer. Soon, a spatial seal reminiscent of that in the Subterranean Gallery appeared before him. Without any hesitation, he dived through the spatial seal.

Hula!

The world warped around Zhang Xuan, placing him in a short state of disorientation. By the time that he recovered from his light-headedness, he was already standing in a completely different world.

The area that the five divine beasts lorded over was a forest with lush greenery, but the land that he was currently standing on was a desert. Intolerable heat waves swept across the surface of the sand, and the entire world seemed to be covered with an endless shade of beige. There was no end in sight.

"Is this the exit you spoke of?" Zhang Xuan sighed helplessly.

From the looks of it, it felt like he had leaped from one folded space to another. However, this folded space did not seem to have anything to do with the Temple of Confucius at all!

Could he have gone the wrong way?

"This..."

The Heavenwood Greenserpent was also baffled by the change in scenery. They did not think that such a world would exist behind the seal that they had guarded for four hundred years.

It was clear that they had never been there before.

The Heavenwood Greenserpent pondered for a moment before suggesting an idea. "Master! I have scouted the entire forest, and this is the only way out of it. Could this be another trial set up by Kong shi? Perhaps, you have to continue searching for the next exit in order to get to the Temple of Confucius!"

"I guess that's the only possibility..." Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.

He could not think of another rational explanation other than this.

Perhaps, it might be more accurate to think of the entire folded space as a layered dungeon. Only by finding the exit would he be able to proceed to the next floor. He would have to overcome several floors before he would finally arrive at the Temple of Confucius.

Of course, he had known from the very start that it would be no simple feat to get to the Temple of Confucius. He swiftly decided on another direction with a twist of the Dragonbone Divine Spear, and riding on the back of the Heavenwood Greenserpent, he charged ahead.

There was not a single person to be found within the arid desert. In less than two hours of flight, both Zhang Xuan and the Heavenwood Greenserpent were already feeling a little light-headed. Their lips were starting to crack from dryness.

Something is amiss here... Zhang Xuan thought with a tight knit between his brows.

Given their cultivation, putting aside a desert, their bodies would not have any abnormalities even if they were to sleep on top of lava. It was unthinkable for them to become dehydrated after a short two-hour journey.

Zhang Xuan studied the folded space closely and swiftly noticed that it was constructed in a manner very different from other spaces. It was ingeniously designed to form a formation that would continuously sap one's water and stamina. He turned to the Heavenwood Greenserpent and said, "It seems like this is really no ordinary desert. We have to quickly find the exit, or else we might lose our lives here!"

As he spoke, he took out the spirit essence that he had kept in his storage ring and drank it. It quenched his thirst and rejuvenated the sapped vitality in his body. He passed it over to the Heavenwood Greenserpent to have a drink as well before proceeding ahead.

After another hour of journeying, he suddenly noticed some footprints on the ground.

"It's the footprints of a human. Could it be that another human has entered this folded space through the exit?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

He had needed to deal with the Five Monarchs before he was able to find his way here. Furthermore, the location of the exit was extremely discreet, hidden in the midst of the lava. Typically speaking, it should have taken quite a bit of time for others to find this location. It was bizarre to find fresh footprints in the midst of the desert.

Could it be that someone had entered the area ahead of him?

"Let's head over to take a look!"

Intrigued, he activated his Eye of Insight and followed the trail of footprints.

Soon, he discovered a group of men ahead of him. There were powerful emanations of zhenqi all around, which seemed to suggest that they were battling with some other entity.

Taking a closer look, there were eighteen men in total. They were all dressed in different clothes, and the strongest of them was at the Intuitive Impulse realm.

Their faces were ghastly pale, and their lips were cracked. They looked like they were in a much more terrible state than he was.

The entity that they were battling against was a giant made out of sand. It had no distinctive features, but the powerful aura that it released showed that it wielded strength comparable to a Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivator.

It was precisely due to this that, despite their numerical advantage, the group of eighteen was still facing trouble taking it down.

"Break!"

Knowing that he could acquire important intelligence from the group ahead of him, he whipped out his Dragonbone Divine Spear and tossed it toward the sand giant.

Huala!

As if a javelin, the Dragonbone Divine Spear pierced right through the sand giant, and its aura immediately dissipated.

Huala!

It crumbled into a pile of yellow sand on the ground.

"Thank you for saving our lives!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had defeated the sand giant that they had been struggling with, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief before bowing respectfully to Zhang Xuan.

Seeing their haggard faces before him, it was apparent that they had been in there for at least several hours.

Perplexed, he asked, "How did you all get here?"

"We passed out after the brilliant light emanated from the Temple of Confucius enveloped us, and when we woke up once more, we were already here... Elder, why did you ask us that question?" an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator in the group replied.

He seemed to be a little surprised by Zhang Xuan's bizarre question.

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Chapter 1711: Sand Giants

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"You were already here when you woke up?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had woken up in the forest ruled by the Five Monarchs, but these people actually woke up here. Could it be that the crowd was not just teleported to a random location, they were teleported to random folded spaces as well?

It's no wonder I couldn't feel Luo Ruoxin or any familiar auras around!

He had encountered quite a few cultivators in the forest earlier, but he did not find any familiar faces. He had not thought much of it back then, but at this moment, it was already more than apparent that something was wrong.

It seemed like the Temple of Confucius was far more complex than he had predicted.

"What was the sand giant earlier? Since you have been here for several hours already, did you notice anything striking?" Zhang Xuan continued asking.

The forest was filled with treasures and the 'teacher's milieu', which could raise a cultivator's Soul Depth. On the other hand, this desert seemed to be challenging a cultivator's limits. Parched and sweltering, they were completely two different worlds!

But since everyone was teleported to a different folded space, there should be some kind of exit that would take him to another folded space.

"The sand giant is a lifeform that exists in this desert. We encountered it after traveling for roughly four hours, and it attacked us upon noticing our presence... If not for your help, we might have already succumbed by now!" the Intuitive Impulse cultivator revealed without hiding anything from Zhang Xuan.

"As for anything striking... I'm afraid I didn't see anything of that sort. However, we did encounter a few other groups during our journey, and they seemed to be looking for an oasis. I'm not too sure whether they have managed to find it or not, but we didn't see anything of that sort on our journey..."

"Oasis?"

Those words made Zhang Xuan's eyes light up.

Indeed! Since there was a desert, there was bound to be an oasis somewhere.

It was highly likely that the exit would be located in the oasis!

Zhang Xuan nodded in delight upon finding a clue as to what he should be looking for. After which, he turned his sight back to the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator. "How did you encounter the sand giant earlier?"

"We were simply resting to alleviate our exhaustion and quench our thirst when that fellow suddenly appeared and attacked us!" the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator replied.

"You were trying to quench your thirst?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

If that was the triggering factor, he did drink a bit of spirit essence earlier too, but the sand giant did not appear.

"That's right. However, it feels like there's something really weird about this place. No matter how much water we drink, it doesn't seem to quench our thirst. Instead, the more we drink, the feebler we become," the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator said bitterly.

"Drinking water doesn't work?" Bewildered, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and took out a gourd of water. With a sip, he realized that his mouth was getting more and more parched. It was as if he was pouring flames into his body, causing it to wither bit by bit.

He threw the gourd back into his storage ring and took out the spirit essence that he had collected from the forest earlier. Taking a sip of it, he felt his acupoints loosening in relaxation. The parched sensation on his tongue alleviated, reinvigorating him.

"I see..." Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

From the looks of it, it seemed like water was useless there. The only replenishment one could drink was spirit essence!

"Elder, you have spirit essence with you? Can you... share some with us?"

While none of those in the group were as strong as Zhang Xuan, they were still top-notch experts of the Master Teacher Continent. With their sharp eyes, they saw his lips cracking after drinking a sip of water, but drinking a sip of spirit essence brought him back to normal condition.

It was apparent to them that only drinking spirit essence would alleviate their thirst and soothe their exhaustion!

"You want some spirit essence? I am..."

Since Zhang Xuan had collected plenty of spirit essence earlier, he was very willing to give it out to the other members of the group. However, a thought came in his mind, and he asked, "Give me a moment first. You mentioned earlier that the sand giant attacked you while you were drinking water, right?"

The crowd nodded.

"May I trouble you to copy what you did when you drank water earlier? Make sure not to leave out any details. If we could attract another sand giant, it could possibly provide us with the key to escaping from this desert!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

He did not expect the sand giant to be so weak as to die with a single toss of his spear. Considering how large the desert was, it would be foolish to think that he would be able to find the oasis just by wandering around aimlessly. The wiser decision would be to rely on the native race living in this desert!

However, the problem was that he would have to first attract a sand giant.

The fact that he had wandered around for more than two hours but encountered no sand giants likely meant that there was some kind of trigger to draw it in.

"This..." No one in the crowd was a fool. Upon hearing his words, they widened their eyes in realization and nodded. "Very well!"

Zhang Xuan put his Dragonbone Divine Spear aside and reverted his aura back to normal, making it appear as if he was an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator on the surface.

Hula!

After accomplishing all this, he turned his gaze to the crowd and gestured for them to do it. One of the cultivators swiftly flicked his wrist and took out a gourd.

At their cultivation realm, there was no one who did not have a storage ring. They would usually keep a long-term supply of food and water in their storage ring in case of emergencies.

The cultivator gulped down several mouthfuls of water, but the more he drank, the more withered he seemed to become. Frustrated, he tossed the gourd into the sand.

Gulu gulu!

When the water from the gourd flowed into the sand, it was as if water had been poured upon burning oil. A sizzling sound echoed across the desert as white smoke drifted into the air.

Boom boom boom!

As the white smoke drifted higher and higher, the crowd suddenly heard the sound of flurried footsteps sounding from afar. Two massive sand giants were bolting in their direction!

"They are both at Sempiternal realm primary stage... Elder, you must protect us!"

The faces of the crowd warped in horror.

It was at the behest of this elder that they had lured the other party over. While they had the numerical advantage, they knew that they did not stand a chance against two sand giants given their current fighting prowess.

"Rest assured!" Zhang Xuan said confidently.

Instead of whipping out his Dragonbone Divine Spear, he pushed his feet against the burning sand and dashed toward one of the sand giants.

He opened his palm wide and pressed down heavily on it.

Hula!

A powerful rush of zhenqi swiftly enveloped the saint giant.

Roar!

It seemed like the sand giant also possessed sentience. It appeared to be aware of the disadvantageous position that it was in and raised its fist in a fluster to break open the zhenqi around it.

A furious storm swept across the area, and clouds of sand rose into the air.

Without a doubt, the sand giant was a powerful adversary. It was no wonder the group of eighteen had their hands tied dealing with it. However, it was still insufficient as an opponent for Zhang Xuan.

The sand giant hurled punch after punch, but it was unable to breach the zhenqi barrier around it.

On the other hand, the second sand giant seemed to have realized that Zhang Xuan was a formidable foe as well, and it charged forward in a hurry to aid its companion.

"Don't worry, I don't plan on leaving you alone!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he flicked his other palm at the second sand giant.

Padah!

The second sand giant was immediately forced to the ground, unable to move at all.

Gazing coldly at the two helpless sand giants before him, Zhang Xuan harrumphed coldly. "Submit to me, and I can spare you from death!"

"Roar!"

It was hard to tell whether the two sand giants had truly understood his words, but they released ferocious howls and continued clawing at the zhenqi pressing them down.

"It seems like you aren't going to submit to me until I show you a bit of force... Very well, I shall let you try my hand then!" Seeing that he had been disregarded by the two sand giants, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes coldly.

He flicked his finger and sent a surge of sword qi toward the two sand giants.

Before taming a beast, one had to first exert one's dominance over the beast to show the beast that resistance was futile. Only a beast who had given up on resistance could be tamed.

This was the method commonly used by most beast tamers, pummeling the beast first before dropping them incentives... While the sand giants did look a little silly, it was likely that they obeyed this convention as well.

Weng!

Zhang Xuan was intending to use his sword qi to teach the sand giants a lesson, but as soon as the sword qi sliced through the two of them, they began crumbling apart.

Huala!

In the blink of an eye, they had been reduced to a pile of yellow sand.

"The hell..." Zhang Xuan's lips twitched.

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Chapter 1712: The Appearance of the Oasis

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Zhang Xuan had been planning to emulate his success back at the forest—tame a sand giant and have it lead him to the oasis. He did not think that the sand giant would be so brittle that even a casual shot of his sword qi would actually make it crumble into sand.

Not even he had the ability to revert the sand back into sand giants!

"Isn't its spirit a little too weak?" Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella speechlessly.

He had thought that those two fellows would at least be as tough as normal Sempiternal realm cultivators, but who could have known that they would fall so easily!

In terms of spirit, they were really much feebler than the artifacts that he had enchanted.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but can you help me lure a few more sand giants over?" Zhang Xuan turned to look at the cultivators with an embarrassed look on his face.

It had not been easy for them to lure two over, but he had ended up slaughtering them before acquiring any useful information... He really had to take note of this matter so as to not make the same mistake again.

"Alright!"

The crowd nodded.

Another cultivator from the crowd took out a gourd, but this time, he tossed it out without bothering to drink it.

As water flowed into the desert, white smoke began drifted out from the sizzling sand. However, this time around, no sand giants appeared even after the crowd waited for quite a while.

"I think it would only work if you drink the water," Zhang Xuan said.

"Un!" Shaking his head helplessly, the cultivator took out another gourd of water and sipped a few mouthfuls.

He was still fine before he drank the water, but as soon as water entered his mouth, his face immediately turned so red that it seemed as if smoke would billow out of his face. Enduring the light-headedness, he tossed the gourd out once more.

Gugugugu!

Water flowed into the desert, and just like before, two sand giants were drawn over.

These two sand giants were also at Sempiternal realm primary stage, and they did not seem to possess too much intelligence.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Xuan engaged the two sand giants once more. This time around, he did not dare to exert too much strength. He focused mainly on trapping the two of them on the spot.

The two sand giants continued pummeling the seals trapping them in place, but they were unable to break free.

"Soul Search!"

This time, instead of attempting to tame the sand giants, he chose to utilize his soul art.

Having read all of the books in the Jiang Clan and comprehended the Soul Quintessence, he had become highly-skilled in the techniques of the soul oracles such as Soul Search.

It was just that it disrupted the harmony of the world, so he avoided using the technique as much as he could.

The sand giants before him did not seem to be natural lifeforms, so he did not have much hesitation using Soul Search on them.

Hula!

His consciousness dived within the body of sand, and the next moment, he found himself surrounded by darkness. Vaguely, he could see a seed of light shining in the very depths of the darkness.

"That is... spirit enchantment art?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

He had thought that the sand giants were a little too dull for Sempiternal realm beings, but who could have known that they were the products of spirit enchantment!

That explained their surprising weakness despite their cultivation. It was inevitable that the intelligence of enchanted beings would be lower compared to ordinary cultivators, so their fighting prowess would be highly lacking as well.

During the confrontation with the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters in the Empire Alliance City, Wang Ying had enchanted all of the Master Teacher Pavilions, but the overall prowess of the army had still been severely limited.

"Wait a minute... these sand giants are made out of ordinary sand! To be able to grant ordinary sand prowess comparable to Sempiternal realm primary stage cultivators..." Zhang Xuan suddenly froze in place.

These sand giants might have been a little dull, but there was no questioning the strength that they wielded. Otherwise, the group of eighteen would not have faced so much trouble dealing with one.

He had slain three of them so far, and after their spirit disintegrated, they had immediately dissolved back into ordinary sand. In other words, there was something within this desert that could enchant ordinary sand and bestow it strength comparable to Sempiternal realm cultivators!

That was an extremely scary notion in itself!

As one who had cultivated the Heaven's Path Spirit Enchantment Art, Zhang Xuan was confident that his enchantment abilities were unrivaled in the world, even when compared to Wang Ying, the head of the Spirit Awakener Guild headquarters! But even so, he knew that the limits of his ability lay in bestowing spirit upon items that had form. Toward formless entities, his enchantment was unlikely to work at all, let alone bestowing them the strength of a Great Sage!

Peng!

Deep in thought, Zhang Xuan lost control of his soul energy for a moment, and the flicker of life in the two sand giants immediately extinguished. Their bodies swiftly crumbled back into a pile of sand.

Zhang Xuan stepped forward to take a closer look at the heap of remaining sand. They were indeed only ordinary sand. There was nothing else mixed within it.

Following which, he scanned his surroundings and narrowed his eyes.

It was just as he had expected.

If these sand giants were products of enchantment, it was likely that the spirit awakener who had enchanted them knew where the exit was!

In other words, the key to escaping this folded space lay in whether he was able to find the spirit awakener or not.

Just that... how was he supposed to find this spirit awakener?

Zhang Xuan fell into deep contemplation, and a moment later, realization dawned upon him.

"If I recall correctly... the sand giants seem to have emerged from that direction. It's likely that the spirit awakener is in that direction too!"

He had to be in direct contact with an item if he wanted to enchant it. While he did not know whether the spirit awakener in the desert was bound by the same restrictions as him, the direction that the sand giants had appeared from likely held a clue of some kind.

"Everyone, follow me!"

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan led them in the direction that the sand giants had appeared from.

After traveling for roughly ten minutes, he came to a halt.

There was still no difference in his surroundings yet. All that was within sight was yellow sand.

Zhang Xuan looked around him, but he was unable to find a clue whatsoever. Thus, he turned to the group of eighteen and instructed, "I'll need you to attract a sand giant here once more..."

Upon hearing the request, bitter looks appeared on the faces all around.

Not only are you depriving us of spirit essence, you are even forcing us to drink water to dehydrate ourselves...

Do you know that we'll die of thirst at this rate?

As stifled as the crowd was, they knew that the young man was their only hope of getting out of this darned place. Without any hesitation, another cultivator repeated the previous ritual.

Not too long later, two sand giants raced over from another direction.

These two sand giants were clearly much stronger than before. While their cultivation was still at Sempiternal realm primary stage, their fighting prowess was significantly higher. At the same time, they seemed to possess greater intelligence.

Knowing that it was impossible to tame the sand giants, Zhang Xuan killed them without any hesitation. After which, he continued walking in the direction that the sand giants had appeared from.

After traveling for another ten minutes, he had the group of eighteen repeat the ritual once more.

Two more sand giants appeared, but this time, the fighting prowess of the sand giants had risen to Sempiternal realm intermediate stage.

"It seems like the fighting prowess of the sand giants increases the closer we get to the spirit awakener..." Seeing that there were finally some changes in their circumstances, Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up in excitement.

Just like that, they continued ahead. Whenever Zhang Xuan felt uncertain of the direction, he would have the crowd conduct the ritual of drinking water and pouring it away.

Repeating the process another ten times, the fighting prowess of the sand giants had increased to Sempiternal realm advanced stage.

However, it seemed like the fighting prowess of the sand giants had reached a cap and was unable to grow any further.

"This was the strength of the sand giants ten minutes ago, and the strength is still equal at the moment. If I form a straight line between the two points that we summoned the sand giants... it's likely that the spirit awakener is located on another perpendicular line along the very center of this straight line!"

Spirit awakeners used their souls as a medium to control their enchanted artifacts, and the strength of their control would depend on the distance between the spirit awakener and the enchanted artifact. Considering that the two sand giants were of equal strength, it meant that the extent of the spirit awakener's control over his enchanted artifact was identical at both points.

In other words, it was likely that the spirit awakener was equidistant from the two points.

The possible regions that were equidistant to the two points where they had summoned the sand giants were along the perpendicular line formed at the center of the straight line connecting the two points.

To put it in simpler terms, they only had to head to the center in between the two points where they had summoned the sand giants and travel either up or down, and they would be able to find the spirit awakener!

"Let's go!"

Having confirmed a direction, Zhang Xuan headed to the center point and began heading upward.

Some time later, just as the crowd was swiftly approaching their limit, they heard an exclamation.

"Look! There's an oasis just ahead!"

Zhang Xuan quickly turned his gaze ahead. Just as the voice had said, there was a conspicuous hint of lush greenery amid the dull yellow sand of the vast desert right ahead of them.

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Chapter 1713: The Bizarre Lakewater

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Covering only several dozen mu, the oasis was not too big. There was a crystal-clear lake sitting quietly at the center of the greenery. Like a beautiful gemstone embedded at the tip of a tiara, it was extremely eye-catching. A massive tree towered by the side of the lake, and its lush leaves provided coolness for the cultivators standing beneath.

"There's indeed an oasis!"

"Water! I want to drink water!"

Unable to take it any longer, the cultivator dashed forward in desperation.

Upon seeing the oasis, Zhang Xuan fell into a moment of contemplation. He quickly scanned his surroundings before his eyebrows shot up in horror.

"Wait a moment! Don't drink the water!" he shouted as he rushed forward to stop them.

However, too overwhelmed by thirst, the reddened-eyed crowd had already charged straight toward the lake in desperation. In the time he had spent contemplating, some of them had already scooped up a handful of water and sipped on it.

Noticing Zhang Xuan's intense reaction, one of the calmer cultivators turned his gaze over and asked, "Elder, what's wrong?"

Even though the young man had been depriving them of spirit essence in order to lure the sand giants, it was a fact that he had brought them to the oasis. On top of that, he had shown sharp judgement far surpassing any of them. Perhaps, he might have noticed something that led him to stop them.

"There's something really weird about this situation!" Zhang Xuan remarked as he hurriedly held back the other cultivators who had not sipped on the water yet. "Given how long it has been since you teleported in here, some groups should have discovered the secret behind the desert and rushed over to the oasis. In fact, the footsteps around show that some people have definitely been here before us. Yet, where did those people go?"

He had been delayed in the forest for several hours before coming to the desert. While the secret behind the desert was rather obscure, there were bound to be some who were able to find their way over.

After all, most of those who had entered the Temple of Confucius could be considered as powerhouses of the Master Teacher Continent. Their intelligence and sharpness far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators.

However... where did those people head to?

"You're right! There are indeed footsteps leading into the oasis..." Taken aback, the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator hurriedly looked around him and noticed some shallow footprints around the perimeter of the oasis. Unfortunately, they had become indistinct after being cloaked by a layer of sand.

"Amazing, this water really works! Finally, I won't have to suffer anymore..."

The few who had dashed into the oasis and tested the water cried in excitement.

The water that they had brought could not quench their thirst at all. In fact, it only seemed to further dehydrate them. At this point, they felt like they were on the verge of bursting into flames.

"Let me give it a try too..."

Upon hearing those words, the other cultivators whom Zhang Xuan had stopped immediately dashed forward, wanting to get a taste of the water as well. However, just as they were about to drink the water, the middle-aged man who had first drunk the water suddenly began convulsing wildly, and white smoke rose from his body.

"Ah..." A hoarse cry of agony escaped from his throat.

It was as if something was strangling his neck, causing him to roll frantically on the ground with his eyes bulging in desperation.

But the more he rolled, the more smoke seemed to rise from his body. It felt as if he would combust into flames at any moment.

"I..."

The middle-aged man was not the only victim. Another three cultivators who had rushed ahead of the pack to drink the water had fallen to the ground as well. White smoke began drifting from their bodies, and it looked like they were being put through inhuman pain.

"This is really bad!"

Alarmed, Zhang Xuan hurriedly flicked a surge of Heaven's Path zhenqi toward the middle-aged man, intending to alleviate his conditions. However, before his Heaven's Path zhenqi could reach him, the rolling figure suddenly cracked in the middle.

Huala!

He was reduced to a heap of yellow sand.

"This..."

Horrified by the sight before them, the crowd hurriedly backed away from the water with pale faces.

If the cultivators before them had been burned into cinders or reduced into skeleton, they could still have accepted the conclusion.

When they chose to enter the Temple of Confucius, they had already resolved themselves that they might not come back alive. However, these men had been reduced to yellow sand! What on earth was going on?

To be reduced to sand upon death... It could not be that the vast desert around them was the remains of countless corpses, could it?

Just the thought left goosebumps rising all over their bodies, and terror seeped into the very depths of their soul.

"Elder, save me..."

With the middle-aged man being reduced to a heap of yellow sand, the other three cultivators pleaded with horror imprinted in their eyes.

They had entered the Temple of Confucius with the intention of overcoming their bottlenecks and progressing to higher ranks. Who could have known that it would actually bring them so close to the jaws of death?

Zhang Xuan was also startled by the happenings, but he knew that it was not the time for him to fall into a daze. He quickly rushed to the three of them and placed his fingers on them. His Heaven's Path zhenqi swiftly surged into the bodies of the trio.

Huala!

As soon as his zhenqi entered their bodies, he immediately sensed a bundle of flames devastating each of their bodies, threatening to burn them into cinders.

"Humph!"

With a harrumph, Zhang Xuan channeled his Heaven's Path zhenqi to quell those bundles of flames.

Tzzzz!

As soon as his Heaven's Path zhenqi collided with the bundles of flames, he immediately felt a powerful force corroding his Heaven's Path zhenqi, seemingly attempting to combust his zhenqi into flames.

"Break!"

Furiously infusing more and more Heaven's Path zhenqi into the three of their bodies, Zhang Xuan's body began to take on a golden sheen, as if turning into a moving golden sculpture.

His zhenqi, physical body, and Primordial Spirit were able to endure even the might of the Empyrean Heavenly Flame. While the bundles of flames in the trio's bodies were a little queer, they still were not sufficient to hurt him.

Hu!

Under the furious onslaught of his zhenqi, the bundles of flames were finally quelled. Feeling that they were finally out of death's jaws, the pale-faced trio crumbled to the ground with a mixture of relief and trepidation. They quickly kneeled onto the ground and kowtowed to Zhang Xuan. "Elder, thank you for saving our lives!"

"There's no need to stand on ceremony!" Zhang Xuan said with a wave of his hand. Turning to the crowd, he said, "There's something really queer about this place, so let's not stay around the lake. For the time being, let's back out of the oasis!"

Even if Zhang Xuan had not said such words, the crowd would have been too frightened to remain around the lake anymore.

Death was not that frightening of a concept to them anymore, but to be burned down into yellow sand, such that every last trace of their existence would vanish... this was an extremely sinister way of dying that they could not even bear the thought of.

Unlike the rest of the crowd, Zhang Xuan did not back out of the oasis. Instead, he walked up to the heap of sand remaining of the middle-aged man and pinched a handful of it up. Leaning in, he examined it closely.

The middle-aged man had been burned so cleanly that not even his clothes were left. Had he not seen it with his own eyes, he would have never believed that a person could simply vanish just like that.

"Elder, what do we do now?"

An Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator stepped forward to examine the heap of sand as well, but he was unable to deduce anything from it. Thus, he could only turn his gaze to Zhang Xuan.

"Take this spirit essence and let the crowd drink it!" Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and tossed several gourds over.

This was the spirit essence that he had gathered from the forest, and it could alleviate the thirst of the crowd for the time being.

It was not that he had intentionally kept it away from the crowd, but it appeared that one who had drunk the spirit essence would not be able to attract the sand giants anymore. As such, he had been left with no choice but to keep it away from them so that they could reach the oasis. However, since they had already reached their destination, there was no reason for him to keep it from them anymore.

"Thank you, elder!"

Taking the spirit essence, the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator hurriedly passed it around the crowd, and after gulping down large mouthfuls of it, their thirst was finally quenched. They could not help but turn to Zhang Xuan with looks of gratitude.

Paying no heed to the crowd, after Zhang Xuan had finished examining the sand grains, he began walking around the perimeter of the lake.

A cold air was emanating from the lake before him. Standing beside it, he could not feel the slightest hint of heat despite being in the midst of a sweltering desert. At the same time, the lake was also extraordinarily clear. It looked so innocent that it did not seem to have anything to do with the flames that had killed the middle-aged man earlier.

Despite scanning the perimeter of the lake, Zhang Xuan was unable to find anything peculiar about it. There were also no animals or the like within the oasis, so the matter could not really be attributed to anything else. Seeing that he had reached an impasse, Zhang Xuan walked up to the lake and scooped up the water, just like what the middle-aged man and the trio had done earlier.

"Elder, be careful!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan had scooped up the water, everyone leaped in fright.

"It's fine!" Zhang Xuan reassured them with a smile.

Even the Empyrean Heavenly Flame was unable to hurt his body in the least, so there was no way that bundle of flames could pose any threat to him.

Looking at the clear water that he had scooped up in his both hands, he scanned it using both his Eye of Insight and Spiritual Perception, but he was still unable to find anything wrong with it. Perplexed, he leaned in and sipped a mouthful of the water.

"Elder!"

"Be careful!"

The faces of the crowd turned pale in horror upon seeing the unbelievable sight before them.

The middle-aged man had died shortly after drinking the water. What were they supposed to do if something happened to the elder before them as well?

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Chapter 1714: The Manmurdering Tree

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Swallowing the water did alleviate his thirst. Squatting quietly on the spot, Zhang Xuan focused his attention intently on the internal state of his body. As soon as the slightest spark of flame appeared in his body, he would quell it right away.

But even after waiting for a while, nothing happened at all. It was as if the water was completely ineffective on him.

When he stood up once more, there was a deep frown on his forehead.

If the flame had appeared in his body, he might have been able to trace down its origins. However, with nothing appearing at all, he had no idea how he should proceed on from here.

Could this be something similar to the Yellow Water of the Netherworld, which he had encountered in Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's ancient domain? Was the water poisonous to others but harmless to him?

"Elder, are you fine?" the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator asked carefully.

Seeing there was no white smoke puffing out of the young man's head, and there was no cry of agony either, the crowd heaved a sigh of relief.

"I'm fine!" Zhang Xuan replied with a nod.

"That's a relief. It was really a horrifying sight to see a living person being reduced to yellow sand... If not for the fact that I have traveled here together with him, I would have thought that he was a sand giant in disguise!" the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator remarked fearfully.

"Sand giant in disguise? Being reduced into yellow sand..."

A flash sparked through Zhang Xuan's mind as a thought surfaced in his head. He quickly turned to the Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator and asked, "You said earlier that you only found a sand giant after traveling for four hours. In other words, you didn't encounter any sand giants in the first four hours at all, did you?"

"Hmm? Yeah, that's right!" The Intuitive Impulse cultivator was slightly taken aback by Zhang Xuan's question, but he swiftly nodded affirmatively in response.

From the moment they woke up after being teleported out of Qufu, they had been in the midst of this desert. There was no danger at all initially, but on the fourth hour, they suddenly encountered a sand giant. They had mentioned this right from the moment they met, so it was not a secret at all.

"To only meet a sand giant on the fourth hour... Could it be that the sand giants are actually the remains of the dead cultivators?" Zhang Xuan murmured with a grim look in his eyes.

It was weird that the sand giants only appeared four hours after the opening of the folded space. Could it be that the first batch of cultivators had only found the oasis four hours after the opening and became the first group of sand giants?

"Remains of dead cultivators?"

The crowd was stunned.

Thinking about it, everything seemed to fit together. As horrifying as the idea was, it was actually plausible!

The middle-aged man had been reduced to sand after his death, which was the very reason that they had thought about sand giants in the first place!

"We'll know the truth with a quick test!" Zhang Xuan said with narrowed eyes.

He walked back to the heap of sand that the middle-aged man turned into and placed his finger on it.

In the next moment, his consciousness was plunged into a world of darkness.

"As expected!" Zhang Xuan frowned grimly.

The fact that that he was brought into this dark space while using his spirit enchantment art meant that it was possible to enchant life into the heap of sand!

Focusing his attention, he enchanted a spark of flame into the heap of sand, breaking the darkness within this dark space.

Huala!

The heap of yellow sand slowly rose to its feet, becoming a massive sand giant. However, it only wielded the prowess of an Aureate Body realm cultivator.

"It's no wonder enchanted sand could wield the strength of Sempiternal realm cultivators!" Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in realization.

Previously, he had been perplexed by how enchanted sand could wield such great fighting prowess. From the looks of it, it seemed like the sand that had made up the sand giants was not ordinary sand but the corpses of cultivators!

In other words, the sand giants that they had been fighting with all that while were actually the experts who had been reduced to sand by the oasis!

In other words... they had been fighting the dead!

"Wait a moment... if that's the case, where in the world is the spirit awakener?" A doubt surfaced in Zhang Xuan's mind as he quickly scanned his surroundings.

If his deduction held through, the spirit awakener had to be in the oasis. However, other than the lake, a field of grass, and a towering tree, there was nothing in sight.

"Even I have to come into direct contact with the heap of sand in order to enchant it... There's no way the spirit awakener was able to enchant spirits into heaps of sand from a distance away!" Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella in frustration.

He felt like he had already gathered the clues required to solve the puzzle, but everything still remained an enigma to him. Somehow, he was unable to form a complete picture with the clue to see through the veil of mystery.

And the very crux of that was the spirit awakener. Until he found the spirit awakener, this matter would remain a mystery to him, and he would not be able to find the exit out of this desert world.

He had also observed the lake very closely earlier. Crystal clear, he was able to see to the very bottom of the lake with ease, but there was no exit in sight.

As such, it was very likely that the exit was not located in the oasis.

"Earlier, the middle-aged man was reduced to yellow sand after drinking the water, but nothing happened to me when I consumed it. Also, it's only possible to enchant the corpses after they have been reduced to heaps of sand. If there's nothing wrong with the water, it has to be something above the water then!" Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment as he turned his gaze to the surface of the water once more.

Only those who drank the water from the oasis would be reduced to sand and become enchanted into sand giants. He felt that as long as he could understand how those cultivators were turned into yellow sand, he would be able to find out where the spirit awakener was hiding!

Thus, he scooped up another mouthful of water and examined it closely, but he still found nothing worth noting. It was just simple water with nothing inside. Just as he was about to give up, a slight breeze suddenly blew through the oasis. The tree towering by the lake swayed along with the breeze, its leaves rustling noisily.

Hu!

The cotton blooming all over the towering tree fell into the lake with a light tug of the breeze, and they floated quietly on the surface of the water. A moment later, they dissolved apart and vanished in the water.

"Could that be the culprit?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

He hurriedly walked up to the towering tree and pinched a handful of cotton out.

Tzzzz!

To his astonishment, it felt as if a bundle of flames was burning on his palm. This bundle of flames bore a striking similarity to the flames that he had found in the bodies of the trio!

"Just as I thought!" Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It was no wonder those before them had ended up bursting into flames after drinking the water whereas he remained completely fine.

It seemed like the key lay in these cotton buds.

Only when one drank water laced with cotton would they be reduced to yellow sand and transform into sand giants!

When he checked the water, the cotton had already dissolved into the lake, so it was no wonder he had been unable to find anything at all.

He had finally found the cause behind the mysterious flames... but where was the spirit awakener?

Zhang Xuan walked up to the tree and examined it closely. However, there was nothing peculiar in sight.

He raised his hand and placed it lightly on the tree trunk. A moment later, a smile crept onto his lips.

He leaned in to the tree and whispered, "You are the culprit, aren't you?"

Hualala!

Another breeze brushed across the oasis, gently shaking the tree. It was as if the tree was feigning ignorance to Zhang Xuan's words.

"You know, it doesn't really matter to me whether you feign ignorance or not," Zhang Xuan remarked leisurely.

With a flick of his wrist, the Infernal Blacksaber materialized in his grasp, and with flash of cold light, it slashed right for the massive tree.

Let's see how you are going to feign ignorance after I chop you down!

Hula!

But before the Infernal Blacksaber could come into contact with the tree, a hurried sharp gale of wind burst through the air. Glancing upward, Zhang Xuan saw a tree branch darting right for his head like a piercing spear.

The movement of the tree branch was extremely swift and forceful. In terms of prowess, it was actually on par with an attack from a Sempiternal realm consummation expert.

Nevertheless, Zhang Xuan still dodged the attack easily with a side step.

Sou sou sou!

However, it did not seem like the tree was willing to let him get away scot-free. Dozens of other tree branches suddenly shot forward and pierced right in Zhang Xuan's direction, as if the charge of innumerable ferocious dragons. The force of their movements left behind lingering black streaks in the air.

"Impressive!" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as the earlier smile vanished from his face.

With a flick of his finger, he sealed the space around him to temporarily fend off the tree branches. Following which, he raised the Infernal Blacksaber and executed hundreds of slashes in the blink of an eye.

It was apparent that the tree wielded strength on par with Sempiternal realm consummation experts. He had to make sure to tread carefully, or else he might end up losing his life.

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Chapter 1715: Submission of the Massive Tree

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The sharpness of the Infernal Blacksaber was not to be underestimated. It easily tore through the assaulting branches, thus undoing their offense. However, the incredible force behind their movements still left Zhang Xuan's arms feeling terribly numb, and he was forced to retreat a step due to the impact.

The reason Zhang Xuan was able to oppose Sempiternal realm consummation experts despite the current limitations of his cultivation was mostly due to the powerful artifacts in his possession. In terms of sheer strength, he was still far beneath most experts.

Sou sou sou sou!

The severing of its branches did not seem to inflict the slightest pain or damage on the massive tree. Instead, it swiftly sent even more branches to assault Zhang Xuan, each of them carrying strength rivaling Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation experts. With the tremendous pressure from the movements of the branches, even the surrounding space moaned under the strain, seemingly ready to collapse at any moment.

"Elder..."

Not expecting the elder to actually start fighting with the tree in the midst of his observation, the crowd was alarmed. They swiftly realized that the tree was likely the culprit behind the death of the middle-aged man, and they quickly rushed in to offer their aid as well.

"Don't come over!"

However, Zhang Xuan's voice halted them.

Given how even he was having trouble dealing with the tree, they would only be courting death by joining the fray.

Hula!

But the next moment, countless roots suddenly rose from beneath the sand to assault the crowd.

"Roots? Ah, I get it now. You have spread your roots throughout the entire desert, and it's through your roots that you were able to enchant those sand giants!" Zhang Xuan remarked in realization.

While the tree was considerably tall in comparison to humans, it could not be said to be towering compared to other trees in the Master Teacher Continent. Yet, it wielded strength comparable to Great Sage 4-dan Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators. For it to gain such much power, its roots were bound to stretch far and wide. It was probably through its roots that it was able to enchant cultivators who had died dozens or even hundreds of li away.

It went without saying that Zhang Xuan did not believe that the tree would be capable of remote spirit enchantment when even he was incapable of it.

"You might have plenty of roots, but I do have ways to deal with you too..." Having uncovered the trump card of the tree, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his breath anymore.

He flicked his wrist.

Hula!

The Five Monarchs immediately materialized right before him, exuding the powerful auras of superior beings. At Zhang Xuan's command, they charged toward the massive tree simultaneously.

"This..."

"That elder actually has so many beasts with him?"

"Is it just me or is every single one of them actually at Sempiternal realm consummation?"

"Any one of those beasts would be more than enough to wipe out our whole party..."

...

Seeing the young elder releasing so many powerful tamed beasts at once, the crowd watching the battle could not help but gulp down a mouthful of saliva as their lips trembled in fear.

It already would be a huge blessing if an average Great Sage cultivator had successfully tamed a Great Sage beast, but this young man actually had so many tamed beasts, and every single one of them was incredibly powerful at that. They had thought that they already thought very highly of the young elder before them, but it seemed like they had been underestimating him!

This visual shock left them stunned for a very long time.

As soon as the Five Monarchs joined the battle, the massive tree immediately showed signs of being suppressed on all fronts.

A short moment into the battle, the Celestialfire Phoenix declared confidently, "Master, don't worry. Allow me to deal with him!"

Hula!

A blazing inferno poured forth from its mouth, dyeing half the sky scarlet. As soon as the massive tree encountered the flames, it immediately recoiled in fear. The imposing disposition that it had commanded a moment ago vanished altogether.

While the massive tree was able to release cotton buds that would burn even Great Sage cultivators down into yellow sand, it was ultimately still a tree. It was inevitable that it was fearful of direct flames.

Xiong xiong xiong!

Fully aware of the massive tree's weakness, the Celestialfire Phoenix continued pouring flames down. Before long, the massive tree began to dry up, and its lush leaves withered yellow. Its strength was swiftly wilting away.

"I know that you are a sentient being capable of thought. Submit to me, and I can spare you from death. Otherwise, you will meet your end today!" Zhang Xuan placed his hands behind his back and remarked coldly, as if he had little regard for the tree's life.

Having tamed the Five Monarchs, he was practically invincible against cultivators beneath Ancient Sage. Unless an Ancient Sage made an appearance, no one would be able to stop him anymore.

Given that the tree had intentionally harmed so many cultivators and enchanted them into sand giants, it was apparent that it was an intelligent lifeform.

Since that was the case, it would be best for him to collect it for his own use. After all, he could never have too many trump cards.

Barely a moment after Zhang Xuan said those words, a thought surfaced in his mind. "You want me to submit to you? Dream on!"

"Very well. I hope that you enjoy being burned into cinders like the cultivators you have harmed!" Zhang Xuan replied coolly with a grand wave of his hand.

Xiong xiong!

The Celestialfire Phoenix turned into the scarlet color of flames as it darted toward the massive tree while pouring flames down on it.

The incredible outpour of flames caused the surroundings to turn incomparably scorching. The massive tree swiftly withered under the searing heat, and it did not take long for it to become charred dead.

"Hmm?"

Seeing how the massive tree had refused to submit even when it was on the verge of death, Zhang Xuan frowned. He glanced at the floor, and his lips crept up. "Terra Qilin, sweep up all of the roots underground for the Celestialfire Phoenix to burn. I don't believe that the tree will be able to survive this!"

Hearing Zhang Xuan's command, the Terra Qilin swiftly dived into the desert. A moment later, amid intense quakes, a massive web of roots was rooted out from the ground.

Without any hesitation, the Celestialfire Phoenix burned the roots as well.

The inferno swiftly spread to create a sea of flames.

While the flames breathed out by the Celestialfire Phoenix could not compete with heavenly flames, its prowess was far superior to earth flames.

If it ignited its bloodline to further enhance its flames, it might be able to melt down even Great Sage artifacts!

"There's no way I'll submit to mere humans. Give up on this futility!"

Despite having its roots burned to ashes, the massive tree still refused to give up. A weak will was transmitted over to Zhang Xuan, carrying a persevering spirit.

"It still isn't going to submit to me even with this?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

It was just a mere tree. Did it really need to have so much backbone?

Even without the tree trunk, as long as the roots remained intact, the massive tree might still be able to resuscitate itself. However, if it lost its roots as well, the only fate that awaited it was death!

"No, that's not right. If it's able to remain unfazed even with this, it's likely that destroying the roots will not kill that tree..." Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

Unlike master teachers, most spirits were unbounded by principles and rules. When survival was at stake, there was no reason for them to clutch onto their dignity and refuse to submit.

There was no reason for a mere tree to be so obstinate, refusing to submit even with its life on the line!

This meant that it probably had something that would ensure its survival. At the very least, the massive tree was confident that burning its trunk and roots would not be enough to kill it...

"The lake!" A spark flashed across Zhang Xuan's mind as he lowered his gaze to the lake not too far away.

He had not noticed it earlier, but despite the searing heat from the Celestialfire Phoenix's flames, it did not seem like the water in the lake had reduced at all.

"Acheron Blacktortoise, you possess the water attribute. I want you to sap away all of the water in this lake. I would like to see how long that tree can last!" Zhang Xuan instructed.

"Yes, Master!"

The Acheron Blacktortoise slowly made its way over to the lake and opened its massive mouth.

Hula!

The water in the lake immediately began gushing into its mouth at a frightening speed. It was almost as if there was a vortex in its mouth!

It did not take long for it to finish devouring all of the water in the lake. At the very bottom of the lake, there was a tiny, white root. It had a texture that reminded one of warm jade.

Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan tore the root out from the ground and held it in his palm. The next instant, the tree trunk and roots that the Celestialfire Phoenix was torching suddenly withered into yellow sand, as if they had lost the foundation supporting them.

"Indeed, this is the main body..."

Upon seeing such a sight, how could Zhang Xuan still not understand what was going on?

The massive tree and its roots were all just extensions of the main body, reminiscent of puppets that the root had taken under its control. It was no wonder the massive tree had refused to submit to them. As long as they failed to find its main body, there was no way they could have killed it!

"Celestialfire Phoenix, burn this root for me! Golden Origin Cauldron, if we aren't able to burn it, I'll need you to help me sear it into cinders!" Zhang Xuan instructed as he tossed the root out.

The next moment, the Golden Origin Cauldron, the Celestialfire Phoenix, and the other beasts and artifacts swiftly converged on the tiny root.

"Pl-please don't kill me!"

Seeing so many experts eyeing it with hostility, the root trembled in fear. It cried out in despair, "I'm willing to submit! I'm willing to submit!"

If it had never been rooted out, as long as its main body remained, it could regrow the massive tree and its long web of roots anytime it wanted. However, given the current circumstances, it did not seem like it had any other way out of this than to submit!

"That's more like it!" Seeing how the root had cast aside its bravado after being caught, Zhang Xuan nodded in contentment.

He quickly sealed a contract with the root.

With this, the culprit who had left all of the cultivators in the desert trembling in fear had become his tamed beast.

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Chapter 1716: The Ice Dimension

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

In truth, it was not accurate to call the root his tamed beast.

After taking in a sliver of the other party's soul, Zhang Xuan swiftly realized that the root was indeed a tree and not a beast.

It was a lifeform named Berserk Yellowsand Wood, which Kong shi had found. He took it and planted it in his folded space to serve as the guardian of this world. As long as one infused sufficient power into it, it would be able to reduce anything into sand and enchant it for its own use.

This was not just limited to humans but weapons and saint beasts as well.

It sounded like a formidable ability, but due to the limitations of its soul energy, it was only able to control a handful of sand giants simultaneously.

With its current strength, controlling two Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously was already the limit of its ability.

As the new master of the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, Zhang Xuan was able to tap into its abilities. Nevertheless, even he was only able to control three Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously.

In other words, if he worked hand-in-hand with the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, they would only be able to control five Sempiternal realm advanced stage sand giants simultaneously. That was not enough to form an army.

Nevertheless, as his cultivation rose, his ability to control sand giants would only grow stronger and stronger. It might become a powerful weapon to deal against the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe in the future!

As for the Berserk Yellowsand Wood itself, it was no exaggeration to say that it could be more powerful than the Five Monarchs if he used it well. After all, its ability allowed it to turn anyone whose cultivation did not exceed it into yellow sand as long as certain conditions were met.

There was no doubt that this was an extremely frightening ability that would strike horror into the heart of any cultivator!

At the same time, while the prowess of sand giants was severely discounted due to their low intelligence, they were unafraid of sustaining injuries or death. As long as one could keep it constantly enchanted, it would never die. It would definitely be a headache for anyone to deal with.

I could give the Berserk Yellowsand Wood to Wang Ying...

He did not have much of a need for the artifact, especially since he already had plenty of trump cards in his possession. However, if he gave it to Wang Ying, the latter's fighting prowess would surely rise significantly. In fact, if she could use it well, she might even be able to overpower Zheng Yang!

Thinking of it, it was likely that Zheng Yang and Wang Ying, as the respective heads of the Combat Master Hall and Spirit Awakener Guild, had entered the Temple of Confucius as well. It was just that he did not know which dimension they had been teleported to.

Suppressing these miscellaneous thoughts in his mind, he glanced at the Berserk Yellowsand Wood and asked, "There should be an exit out of this dimension. Where is it located?"

Zhang Xuan had only realized it after taming the Berserk Yellowsand Wood, but the latter actually did not kill too many cultivators. In fact, most of the sand giants that went after them earlier were simply corpses that it had reanimated.

If the Berserk Yellowsand Wood had truly wanted to go on a massacre, many would have been dead by now.

Thinking about it, if the Berserk Yellowsand Wood was truly an uncontrollable force that craved the lives of others, Kong shi would not have allowed it to continue living on this world.

"The exit is located at the bottom of the massive tree..."

As it spoke, the Berserk Yellowsand Wood moved a little.

Hong long!

The earth quaked intensely as all of the sand suddenly seemed to fall back into the earth, as if devoured by some powerful force. Following which, where the massive tree had existed previously, a seal reminiscent of a door appeared.

"The entire desert was indeed under your control. It's no wonder your roots were able to reach everywhere in the desert," Zhang Xuan remarked.

He stowed his beasts and artifacts back into his storage ring before turning to face the crowd behind him. "I'm intending to enter the next dimension. If you wish to follow me, come along with me. Otherwise, you can simply cultivate here. Without the yellow sand, you should be able to advance your cultivation much faster here than anywhere else!"

With the vanishing of the yellow sand, the environment was no longer as arid as before. Spiritual energy swiftly gushed into the dimension, reaching a level of concentration similar to the forest dimension before. At the same time, 'teacher's milieu' began suffusing the area as well.

If the crowd was unwilling to brave any more danger, they would be able to make massive advancements in their cultivation just by cultivating there. Just from this alone, their expedition would not have been wasted.

"Elder, I wish to follow you!"

"I think I'll stay behind here. It's simply too dangerous. Even with plenty of treasures lying around, I won't be able to enjoy them if I lose my life..."

It did not take long before the group of eighteen was divided into two teams, the remain and the leave factions.

"I'll leave it to you to decide what you want to do. Think it through carefully. In any case, the exit is right here, and you can make your decision anytime you want. I'll be going on ahead..."

Without saying too much, Zhang Xuan walked right into the spatial seal and vanished.

These cultivators that he had just met could only be considered acquaintances. There was no reason for him to get too deeply involved with them. He might have saved them once, but he could not continue taking care of them along the way, and he did not have the ability to guarantee their safety. If they wanted to acquire as much as they could from this ancient domain, they could only depend on themselves.

Besides, he had to look for Luo Ruoxin. Furthermore, he was certain that Zhao Ya, Yuan Tao, and Wei Ruyan, who had been captured a while back, would definitely be here. As such, he did not have the time or inclination to be merrymaking with a group of adventurers and enjoy the expedition.

A short moment after Zhang Xuan's departure, an Intuitive Impulse realm cultivator suddenly shook his head and remarked, "If we were a bit more decisive in choosing to follow behind that elder, we might have been able to reap great gains. It's unfortunate, but it seems like the window of opportunity has already slipped by."

The man earlier might have been young, but he was discerning and rational. Even with the great dangers that lay throughout the ancient domain, it felt like the young man would be able to overcome them with ease. If they could follow such a leader, it was likely that they would be able to meet with their own fortuitous encounter as well.

Of course, the young man had no reason to share the treasures that he had collected with them, but even the scraps and morsels that he left behind would allow their cultivation to surge swiftly. At the very least, they would be faring way better than they were at the moment.

However, they had already missed this opportunity.

...

Oblivious to the regrets lingering in the group that he had just departed from, the space around Zhang Xuan distorted once more. Before he knew it, he was standing on an icy plain.

With two prior experiences, he did not panic in the least. Instead, he flew as high as he could to survey the surroundings.

Just like in the forest, the higher he flew, the greater the pressure on him. With his current cultivation realm, thirty meters was already the limit.

"The environment here is even colder than the Glacier Plain Court..."

The entire world seemed to be cloaked with a thick layer of snow, and the gale that blew through the snowfield from time to time brought bone-chilling shivers to anyone brave enough to stand in the open in such weather. Even Aureate Body realm cultivators would feel an urge to cover themselves beneath multiple thick layers.

"It still isn't the Temple of Confucius yet... I guess I'll have to find another exit in this snowfield!" Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.

He had thought that he would be able to find the Temple of Confucius swiftly after the ancient domain opened, but it seemed like he had underestimated the trials that Kong shi had put in place.

This was already the third dimension that he had entered, and who knew how many more awaited for him?

"There are the Five Monarchs in the forest, the Berserk Yellowsand Wood in the desert... There should be something that forms the crux of this snowfield too. As long as I can find out what it is, I should be able to find the exit easily..."

He spun the Dragonbone Divine Spear to decide on a direction before advancing forward.

The first thing that he had to do was find other lifeforms, be it the indigenous beings that lived in the snowfield or the experts from the Master Teacher Continent who had entered this world. Through them, he would be able to acquire critical intelligence and successfully identify the location of the exit.

After flying for an hour, Zhang Xuan caught sight of a group of people trudging through the snow.

Zhang Xuan was just about to approach them to seek out more information when his eyes suddenly widened, and he halted his footsteps.

"Otherworldly Demons!"

There were around twenty people in the group, but the person who led the group at the forefront and the other two who followed at the very back were extraordinarily tall. Coupled with the intense killing intent they were emanating, it was apparent that they were Otherworldly Demons!

Judging from the intensity of their auras, it seemed like they had reached the Sempiternal realm. Even though they were no Wu Shu or Bei Xin, they could certainly be considered experts among the cultivators who had entered the ancient domain.

As for the remaining members of the group sandwiched between them, they were all humans. However, it seemed like they had been curbed by the Otherworldly Demons through certain means. With deadpan looks on their faces, they trudged through the snow lifelessly under the Otherworldly Demon's lead.

"Hurry up!" the Otherworldly Demon at the forefront bellowed impatiently.

It seems like an artifact that controls their souls, Zhang Xuan thought with a frown.

Through his Eye of Insight, he could see that the captured humans were led by a very thin thread, and there was not the slightest hint of emotion on their faces.

There was only one possibility for a situation like this. The souls of the humans were being controlled by the Otherworldly Demons through some means. Otherwise, there was no way that they would have followed them so obediently.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan took a closer look at the crowd, and he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

Wait a moment... Hu Yaoyao?

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Chapter 1717: Encountering the Altar Again

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Of the twenty cultivators controlled by the Otherworldly Demons, there was a young lady who boasted a seductive figure. Even though she was in a slightly unkempt state, she still commanded a charm that made it difficult for one to tear away one's eyes from her. She was a student that Zhang Xuan had taken in back at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, the head of the Bewitching Devil Faction, Hu Yaoyao!

Back then, Hu Yaoyao had been taken to the headquarters of the Terpsichore Guild and inherited the highest heritage of the predecessors. Within a short span of a few months, she had astonishingly managed to raise her cultivation up to Saint 9-dan pinnacle, just a step away from reaching the Introspective Convalescence realm.

Of course, part of it could be credited to Zhang Xuan's guidance back then, but more than that, her diligence and talent had definitely played a huge role as well. At the same time, it seemed like the Terpsichore Guild headquarters had held back no resources at all in grooming her.

Her current strength was already more than enough to make her an authoritative figure within a major power, but in this ancient domain, which was filled with the top-notch experts, her strength was rather lacking. As the cold wind blew from the horizon, she trembled under the frost. Her face had turned rather flushed under the effects of the coldness, but it seemed like she was still coping for the time being.

There were no visible injuries on her, but her spirit seemed to be a little withered.

The cultivation of those around her was not too high either. Over ten of them were only at Saint 9-dan, and the rest were at the Introspective Convalescence realm. Given so, it was no wonder that they were helpless before the prowess of three Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons.

Even though Zhang Xuan had seen a familiar face, he did not rush into making a move. Instead, he sealed the space around him and discreetly followed behind the group.

Three Sempiternal realm primary stage Otherworldly Demons did not pose a threat to him at all. He could easily kill them whenever he wanted to. However, he felt that it was more important for him to uncover the intentions of the Otherworldly Demons.

After traveling for around ten minutes, a glistening frosted layer of ice came into sight.

"Hurry up!"

Following which, he saw several other groups of humans being led over as well. All in all, there were around a hundred humans gathered in the area, and they were all from different occupations.

At the very center of the icefield was a circular altar with all sorts of formation flags erected around it.

An Otherworldly Demon dressed in black armor stood by the altar as he ordered three Otherworldly Demons to inscribe formation marks on the ground.

"Bring the hostages here!" he commanded with a grand wave of his hand.

The Otherworldly Demons hurriedly positioned the human hostages in a circle around the altar. At the same time, Zhang Xuan noticed a thin thread wrapped around the wrists of the human hostages, completely sealing their cultivation.

Are they intending to tribute these human hostages to that god of theirs?

Zhang Xuan thought as his face darkened.

He had seen this altar many times in the past. The Kings of the Qingtian Lineage had used it several times to offer tribute to the Spirit God in exchange for power. However, treasures had been used as tributes back then. For them to kidnap these humans... were they planning to use these live humans as sacrifices?

However, what did they hope to obtain by sacrificing these humans to that god of theirs?

Were they intending to use these tributes to find the exit in this snow dimension?

But if it's just to find the exit, there's no need for them to go to such lengths! Zhang Xuan swiftly refuted that hypothesis with a deep frown.

Having cleared the forest dimension and desert dimension, he already had some experience with looking for the exits. As long as one traveled to the crux of the dimension, it was not too difficult to find the exit.

There was no reason for them to tribute the lives of so many people in order to find the exit!

The main purpose of the Otherworldly Demons entering the ancient domain was to acquire the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn. Considering how they had not even confirmed the location of the Temple of Confucius yet, it did not seem wise for them to conduct such slaughter at this point in time. It could very well draw the hostility of all parties within the ancient domain onto them prematurely.

No matter what the purpose of the Otherworldly Demons is, saving that group should be my first move...

Since Zhang Xuan had witnessed such a sight, he could not possibly allow them to die before his eyes. Furthermore, his student, Hu Yaoyao, was among the crowd.

Scanning the fighting prowess of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe gathered in the area swiftly, there were thirteen of them in the Sempiternal realm, twenty at the Intuitive Impulse realm, and the rest were in the Aureate Body and Introspective Convalescence realms. All in all, they numbered less than fifty people.

Such a force posed no threat to Zhang Xuan at all. He could easily slaughter all of them with ease. Even the strongest individual among them, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon, was only at Sempiternal realm advanced stage, a long way off from matching him.

The thin thread that is used to seal the crowd's cultivation is likely a Great Sage artifact. If I launch an attack recklessly, the Otherworldly Demons might trigger the Great Sage artifact out of rage and kill Hu Yaoyao and the others on the spot! Zhang Xuan thought, furrowing his brows.

Even without relying on the prowess of the Five Monarchs, he would still be able to defeat them with ease given his current fighting prowess. However, if he pushed the Otherworldly Demons too far, there was a chance that the Otherworldly Demons might choose to kill all of the hostages out of desperation.

In order to prevent such a tragedy from happening, he had to first devise a flawless plan.

"Breaking the spatial barrier demands a heavy price, so we can't afford to make the slightest mistake. Ensure that every artifact is placed in their exact location!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon continued to issue commands.

The Otherworldly Demons swiftly moved artifacts one after another onto the altar.

Taking a swift look, there were rare spirit stones, the blood essence of Great Sage beasts, unique formation scripts, all sorts of miraculous medicine... In any case, the sheer number of treasures that were being heaped onto the altar was so great that it could nearly match a tenth of his entire wealth!

Breaking the spatial barrier? Could it be that they are intending to teleport straight into the Temple of Confucius?

The black-armored Otherworldly Demon had spoken in the native tongue of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, but Zhang Xuan was able to understand it.

Even for the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, this pile of resources was not something that they could afford to squander away. Instead of finding the exit, they were setting up an altar. It was apparent that their motive was not as simple as just moving onto the next world!

Regardless of what they are trying to do, I should focus on saving the hostages first!

If he wanted to stop the Otherworldly Demons, a battle was inevitable. However, in order to do so, he had to ensure the safety of the hostages.

After a moment of hesitation, he altered his appearance and headed behind a block of ice before undoing the spatial seal concealing his figure. With a flick of his wrist, he equipped himself with a Saint pinnacle sword.

If he dashed right in, there was no way that he would be able to save anyone. At the same time, he would not be able to uncover the secrets behind the altar and deduce the motives of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

As such, the best move that he could make at the moment was actually to be captured like Hu Yaoyao and the others. He could make use of this opportunity to undo the seal placed upon the crowd. Once the safety of the hostages was confirmed, he would finally be able to let loose.

"Let's do it then!"

The black-armored Otherworldly Demon was facing away from Zhang Xuan as he supervised the setting up of the altar. Knowing that this was an ideal moment for him to strike, he dashed forward furiously.

Warping into a streak of lightning, he formed a straight line together with his sword as he pierced straight for the heart of the black-armored Otherworldly Demon.

At the same time, he drove his prowess as an Aureate Body realm cultivator, invoking a golden sheen to envelop his body. At this moment, it felt as if he was the incarnation of a Buddha.

This assault might have seemed flawless, but the truth was that Zhang Xuan had suppressed his strength to the level of an ordinary Aureate Body realm cultivator. At the same time, he did not utilize his Spatial Quintessence and Time Quintessence. As a result, despite the swift speed that he was moving at, it was hardly enough to faze a Sempiternal realm expert!

"It seems like a fish has escaped from our net! Aureate Body realm consummation? No wonder..."

Sensing the assault of an enemy, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. Without turning around, he bent his finger backward and flicked it powerfully.

Ding!

A formidable aura collided with the tip of Zhang Xuan's sword. Despite being enveloped in a thick layer of sword qi, his sword still produced a metallic clang upon contact with the aura. It was as if it had struck a thick metal wall; no matter how he pushed his sword forward, it simply would not move at all.

"Break!"

With a desperate look on his face, Zhang Xuan released a deafening roar as he brought his sword upward and hacked it down.

Tzzzzz!

Dozens of surges of sword qi converged together, forming a single line as it descended upon the aura barrier impeding his advancement.

Huala!

The aura was swiftly sliced into two, and Zhang Xuan continued his furious charge.

"Hmm? It seems like you do have some ability!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon was slightly startled to see that the young man was actually able to overcome his casual finger flick.

He turned around to face the young man, and with a swift maneuver, he grabbed the sword pointed right at him between his fingers.

"To be able to avoid our lines of sight and make a decent assassination attempt on me, I must admit that you are quite an outstanding individual. You would have grown into a formidable expert with sufficient time if you had chosen to escape. However, since you have chosen to make me your enemy, I'm afraid that you won't have a future!" With a derisive chuckle, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon crushed his palm down upon Zhang Xuan.

Hula!

That palm felt as if it had come from the heavens themselves. Even the surrounding space trembled a little in the face of its might.

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Chapter 1718: Zhang Xuan Has Been Captured

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"How can you be so powerful?" Zhang Xuan's face warped in horror as he cast aside his sword and retreated in a fluster.

His current fighting prowess was only that of an Aureate Body realm consummation cultivator. As long as the enemy did not feel threatened by his existence, they would not make a move on the hostages.

Seeing how the young man had decisively chosen to escape as soon as his assassination failed, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. "Do you honestly think that you still stand a chance at escaping?"

The next moment, the force of his palm strike intensified. Immense pressure gushed over in waves, leaving Zhang Xuan feeling as if he was standing before a giant.

"Break!" Zhang Xuan roared with a hint of panic in his voice.

Hong long!

The Saint pinnacle sword, which the black-armored Otherworldly Demon was still holding onto, shattered in the air, producing a shockwave comparable to the force of a Saint 9-dan cultivator imploding their dantian. The immense force caused the black-armored Otherworldly Demon's attack to waver, thus buying time for Zhang Xuan to escape.

Using this precious time that he had bought by sacrificing his beloved weapon, he immediately flitted away as quickly as he could.

"Hold it right there!"

Hualala!

Seeing that the assassin was going to get away, the surrounding Otherworldly Demons immediately drew their weapons as they prepared to make a move.

"Lay down your arms. That fellow interests me. Leave him to me!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon chuckled softly as he took a step forward and thrust his palm downward.

The explosion of a Saint pinnacle weapon was plenty formidable, but it was simply too weak to faze a Sempiternal realm cultivator.

Hula!

Another massive palm appeared in the air above Zhang Xuan. At the same time, the space around him seemed to have frozen, rendering him unable to move at all.

"Damn it!" Zhang Xuan cursed with a savage look on his face.

The next moment, blood spurted from his mouth. As if he had ignited his bloodline ability, his aura suddenly surged by twofold. With his newfound strength, he attempted to break free of the frozen space around him.

"You are powerful for an Aureate Body realm cultivator, but the gap between the Aureate Body realm and Sempiternal realm is not something that one can bridge with just talent and wits... Get down here!"

Huala!

The black-armored Otherworldly Demon placed his hands together, and sonic booms suddenly echoed relentlessly in the air. Zhang Xuan was still unable to break free of the spatial restraints around him. As if a tightly-bound crab, no matter how he struggled, he was unable to get away at all.

"Come here!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon beckoned with his hand, and Zhang Xuan floated helplessly toward him.

At this moment, Zhang Xuan's face was completely pale. It seemed as if he had been drained of all his strength due to the ignition of his bloodline.

Knowing that his fate was sealed, Zhang Xuan spat a mouthful of saliva at the black-armored Otherworldly Demon as he bellowed furiously, "Kill me if you will, but I, Xuan Zhang, will never submit to you!"

"Kill you? Hahaha! Rest assured, I'll allow you to live a little longer. The more formidable a master teacher is, the purer their zhenqi would be. You are the perfect tribute to our god... I was still worried that we might not have enough tributes here, but now that you are here, my worries are allayed..."

With a light chuckle, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon tossed Zhang Xuan over to Hu Yaoyao and the others. "Shackle him! He shall be used as one of our tributes!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Two Otherworldly Demons rushed up to Zhang Xuan, and with a light grasp of their hands, a narrow thread wrapped itself around his wrist, sealing his cultivation. In such a state, he would not be able to exert his zhenqi at all.

After that was done, the Otherworldly Demons swiftly returned to preparing the altar.

With everything working out as he had planned, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Just as he was able to study the narrow thread wrapped around his pulse, he suddenly heard a sigh in his ears.

"You shouldn't have come here. You are sacrificing yourself for nothing!"

The one who had spoken was an Introspective Convalescence realm elder not too far away from him.

"Elder, do you know why they have prepared this altar?" Zhang Xuan asked.

He was slightly surprised to see that the other party was completely awake, unlike the lifeless looks on the other cultivators around him. However, he swiftly attributed the matter to the elder's higher cultivation. Perhaps the Great Sage artifact did not work as well on him.

"They are intending to tribute us to break open space to construct a bridge that leads straight into the Temple of Confucius!" the elder said with a suppressed voice.

As his cultivation had been sealed, he was unable to use zhenqi telepathy.

"Break open space? Construct a bridge that leads straight into the Temple of Confucius?" Zhang Xuan was slightly taken aback. "Isn't there an exit in this snow dimension? As long as they find the exit, they should be able to reach the Temple of Confucius. Is there a need for them to go through so much trouble for this?"

"Exit?" Hearing that, a bitter smile appeared on the elder's face. "There's indeed an exit here, but it's impossible to enter the Temple of Confucius through these exits!"

"Impossible?" Zhang Xuan frowned doubtfully.

Having traveled from one dimension to another, he had deduced that the ancient domain had a structure similar to a dungeon. As long as he went deep enough, he would eventually reach the Temple of Confucius.

"The Temple of Confucius has six Subordinate Halls and one Prime Hall. The Subordinate Halls should correspond to each of the dimensions. The exits and entrances of these dimensions are connected to one another, so if we progressed from one exit to the other, we would only be traveling among the six dimensions. It's impossible to reach the Temple of Confucius in such a manner!" the elder said.

"Take this snow dimension for example, if we continued moving from one exit to another, after passing through five dimensions, we would only return here!"

"Ah... Is that the case?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

He had thought that as long as he traveled through all of the dimensions, he would eventually arrive at the Temple of Confucius. Who could have thought that the dimensions actually formed a closed-loop?

Did that not mean that he was traveling in circles?

"But this is a secret that even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters isn't aware of. How do you know about it?" Zhang Xuan asked doubtfully.

Despite all of the positions that he had, he was unaware of such critical intelligence. If Pavilion Master Ren of the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters knew of this matter, he would have told him... It did not make sense for the elder before him to know of this matter!

"I happen to be fairly proficient in the tongue of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe, and I heard them discussing the matter earlier. It seems like the only way to enter the Temple of Confucius is to break open the space of one of the dimensions and enter its corresponding Subordinate Hall!" the elder said.

"Enter the corresponding Subordinate Hall? If I'm not mistaken, only those who possess the Celestial Amulet of Legacy are able to enter the Subordinate Halls, right?"

If everyone could enter the Subordinate Halls just by breaking open the space in the ancient domain, what would be the point of distributing the Celestial Amulets of Legacy in the first place?

Similarly, there would be no need for the world to vie over them.

"It's indeed impossible to enter the Subordinate Hall without the Celestial Amulet of Legacy, but they will still be able to reach the exterior of the Subordinate Hall. That's the true outer perimeter of the Temple of Confucius, and the spiritual energy is much more concentrated there. Those who cultivate there will be able to raise their cultivation swiftly. Furthermore, even if one is unable to enter the Subordinate Hall, one will still be able to camp at the exterior and snatch the loot of those who managed to get in! As such, most experts have chosen to camp at the exteriors, and it's said that... there are Ancient Sages among them!" the elder explained.

"Ancient Sages? They are camping at the exteriors, too?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in horror.

"Indeed. Due to the restrictions placed on the Temple of Confucius, they won't be able to enter the Subordinate Halls or the Prime Hall. Nevertheless, they will still be able to camp in the area and snatch the possessions of those leaving the area. After all, those who enter the Temple of Confucius will eventually have to leave the area. In fact, that's probably where the true danger lies. Ordinary cultivators like us can only be content with roaming around the dimensions. If we really reach the exterior, we will probably lose our lives before we know it!" the elder said bitterly.

"Forget it, there's no point talking about it now. We'll become tributes very soon anyway, so it's not as if those things have anything to do with us!"

"I guess so," Zhang Xuan replied perfunctorily while he processed the massive load of information that he had just received.

He had thought that Ancient Sages would not be able to enter even the dimensions that they were in, but they were actually able to reach the very exterior of the Temple of Confucius...

A thought emerged in Zhang Xuan's mind.

If the Otherworldly Demons are aware of such information, does it mean that they have already finished scouting all six dimensions, or could it be that one of their experts have already reached the exterior of a Subordinate Hall?

He had already traveled through three dimensions so far, but Zhao Ya, Wei Ruyan, and the others were nowhere to be seen. At the same time, he did not see the Hundred Schools of Philosophers, and even Luo Ruoxin and the others were nowhere to be found.

Was there a chance that they had already reached the exteriors of the Subordinate Halls?

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Chapter 1719: Activating the Altar

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

From the looks of it, it seems like I'm lagging behind the others. I'll have to hurry up...

He had already wasted almost ten hours traveling through the three worlds. If someone managed to make their way into the Subordinate Hall during this period of time, the treasures inside would likely have been emptied out already.

He really had to make haste. He could not continue wasting time on searching for exits.

Turning his gaze to the Otherworldly Demons, he noted that they were almost done arranging their artifacts on the altar in a specific manner. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, he placed his finger on the thread sealing his pulse.

Weng!

With a jolt, a book materialized in the Library of Heaven's Path.

Placing his finger on it, the content within the book swiftly flowed into his head.

"Soultheft Shackle, a Great Sage artifact capable of sealing an individual's soul and zhenqi. It's forged out of the tendons of the Sempiternal realm consummation beast, Primorigin Acheron Fish. Even Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators have trouble escaping from it. Flaws: ..."

Reading through the content, Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

Just as he had guessed, the artifact that had trapped the crowd was a Great Sage artifact. If he had chosen to really assassinate the black-armored Otherworldly Demon instead of letting himself be captured, Hu Yaoyao and the others would have been killed with just a thought from the latter!

I have to deal with this thing first... Zhang Xuan took a deep breath before activating his Eye of Insight.

Knowing the flaws of the thread, he swiftly devised a feasible way to discreetly snap the thread.

Huala!

With a thought, his Primordial Spirit flicked the thread lightly. His zhenqi immediately broke free of the Great Sage artifact and flowed smoothly through his body once more.

However, he did not let it show. Instead, he turned to the elder and sent him a telepathic message. "Elder, do you want to kill these Otherworldly Demons?"

The elder was taken aback.

The fact that the other party was able to send a telepathic message to him meant that his cultivation had not been sealed.

Fearing that the elder would speak and alert the Otherworldly Demons, Zhang Xuan hurriedly continued. "Don't talk and just follow my orders. I have a surge of zhenqi here. I want you to follow my orders and channel it toward the thread wrapped around your wrist!"

Knowing that it was of paramount importance not to alarm the Otherworldly Demons, the elder nodded discreetly.

"In order to break free of the thread binding us, we'll need ten people to cooperate with us. So, I need you to help pass the zhenqi on over to the next person!" Zhang Xuan added, and he infused several surges of zhenqi into the elder's body.

The best way to deal with this Great Sage artifact was for him to tame it and use it for himself. The way to tame it was to strike ten of its flaws simultaneously. However, the crowd was trapped at the moment, and he did not dare to move too much for fear of alarming the Otherworldly Demons. Thus, he could only borrow their hands to exert his own zhenqi.

The elder nodded silently as he mouthed, Alright.

Using his body as a bridge, he passed the zhenqi onto the person ahead of him.

The person who had received the zhenqi was first stunned for a moment, but he swiftly received Zhang Xuan's telepathic message. The cycle continued on and on.

Knowing that this was their only shot at survival, all of them followed the instructions strictly without saying a word. The surge of zhenqi swiftly went half a circle before reaching Hu Yaoyao.

It's you...

Upon hearing the zhenqi telepathy and sensing the zhenqi flowing into her body, the image of a certain young man immediately surfaced in Hu Yaoyao's mind.

Her body jolted, and she quickly turned her gaze over.

Xuan Zhang... Zhang Xuan! It's indeed that fellow!

She could not help but smile a little when she heard the name reported by the other party.

If that fellow was truly there, they were in safe hands.

Even though she had gone to the Terpsichore Guild headquarters shortly after leaving the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, news about him had continued echoing in her ears.

In just a few short months, he had gained great prestige and standing on the Master Teacher Continent. With him making a move, there was no way that anything would happen to them.

Oblivious to the fact that someone had already seen through his disguise, Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message to everyone. "Alright. Let's make a move on my command. Make sure to exert the zhenqi at the coordinates that I have given you. There mustn't be any mistake!"

The next moment, all of those who had received his zhenqi placed their fingers on the thread wrapped around their wrists.

"Begin!"

Weng!

The thread shuddered a little. Following which, Zhang Xuan felt a consciousness seeping into his mind.

The Great Sage artifact had submitted to him!

"Protect the crowd. If any of the Otherworldly Demons intend them harm, stop them at any cost!" Zhang Xuan relayed his orders to the thread before turning his gaze toward the Otherworldly Demons once more.

They continued setting up the altar, and roughly ten minutes later, they finally came to a halt.

Even though they looked extremely exhausted, there was an excited gleam that could be seen in their eyes.

One of the Otherworldly Demons clasped his fist and reported, "Commander, we have finished setting up the altar. It's ready to be activated at any moment!"

"Very well! Tell the men to prepare themselves!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon nodded in approval.

Flicking his wrist, an icy-cold crystal surfaced in his grasp. He placed it at the very center of the altar.

Weng!

A faint light slowly enveloped the entire altar, and an imposing surge of energy seemed to slowly diffuse into the surroundings.

Is that crystal... the core artifact that guards the snow dimension? Zhang Xuan wondered.

The guardian of the forest dimension was the Five Monarchs, and for the desert dimension, it was the Berserk Yellowsand Wood.

The icy-cold crystal was in perfect harmony with the snowy environment, such that it seemed as if it would be able to tap into the power of the dimension itself. From that alone, it was likely a similar existence to the Five Monarchs or the Berserk Yellowsand Wood.

Since it was possible for the guardian to be beasts or a plant, there was no reason that it could not be an ore.

Weng weng weng!

As the altar activated, the energy from the icy-cold ore seemed to grow stronger and stronger. A brilliant pillar of light burst into the sky, threatening to tear a dimension rift in the space above.

It seemed like the dimensions had a spatial seal limiting the movements of those within it to thirty meters and below. As a result, the pillar of light halted upon reaching thirty meters. It struggled frantically, but it was unable to overcome this limitation at all.

"Ignite!"

With a grim look on his face, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon tapped the altar, and the altar began to revolve. As if ice cubes placed in a burning cauldron, the artifacts placed on the altar began to melt, bestowing the pillar of light with greater power.

Under the augmentation from the ignition of the artifacts, the pillar of light finally broke through the restriction, and with a deafening roar, it surged up into the sky.

With the assault of the pillar of light, countless glaring dark lacerations appeared in the space around. The snow dimension trembled nonstop, as if someone was trying to tear it apart.

Are they trying to forcefully destroy a spatial law of this dimension? Zhang Xuan jolted in astonishment.

He had been thinking about how one could break open the space in the dimension to reach the Temple of Confucius. He never would have thought that the trick was actually this.

It turned out that the greater stabilization of space in the ancient domain was actually the result of a higher-order spatial law at work. As long as one ripped apart this higher-order spatial law, it would be possible to rip open a dimension rift and arrive at the Temple of Confucius.

Huala!

As more artifacts on the altar were consumed, the pillar of light rose higher and higher. Soon, it had already reached over fifty meters high.

Sixty meters!

Seventy meters!

Eighty meters!

...

Ninety-nine meters!

It seemed like this was the very limit of the sky. As the pillar of light struck this point, a faint seal came into sight. Ripples diffused on it with a brilliant shimmer of light.

No matter how the pillar of light knocked on the seal, it was unable to break through it.

A massive temple could vaguely be seen beyond. It seemed to be hiding on the other side of the seal.

"It's the Temple of Confucius!" Zhang Xuan exclaimed as he turned his gaze back to the altar.

At this moment, all of the artifacts had already been depleted. The might of the pillar of light was starting to diminish.

As if having expected such a situation to arise, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon harrumphed coldly. "Prepare yourselves! We'll be releasing the zhenqi of those tributes to pay respects to the Spirit God!"

Hualala!

A tall Otherworldly Demon walked to the back of the crowd before and whipped out a bizarre artifact, which floated quietly in the air.

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Chapter 1720: The Reappearance of the Spirit God

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

This artifact resembled a jade compass, yet it could have been a jade tortoiseshell. As soon as it came into contact with the narrow thread that connected everyone, the crowd felt a numbing sensation coursing through their body. The next moment, their zhenqi began gushing out through the thread uncontrollably.

"They don't intend to kill the hostages?"

Zhang Xuan's initial intention was to use the Soultheft Shackle to counterattack and kill the Otherworldly Demons. Contrary to his expectations, however, instead of killing the hundred human hostages that they had to tribute them to their god, the Otherworldly Demon had only sapped their zhenqi.

Since that was the case, he did not think that he needed to make a move right now. To be honest, he wanted to see what the Otherworldly Demons had to do in order to get into the Temple of Confucius.

Given that there was no danger for the time being, he acted as if he had been controlled as well and allowed his zhenqi to flow through the Soultheft Shackle as well, just like the other human hostages.

Soon, the flow of their zhenqi formed a circular loop.

Weng!

A striking light shone from the Soultheft Shackle and harmonized with the inscriptions on the ground.

Hong long!

The pillar of light above the altar immediately expanded severalfold. Augmented by the energy of the crowd, it gushed toward the heavens with far greater might than before.

Hualala!

Under the intense assault of the pillar of light, the sound of flowing water echoed from the seal above. However, it still refused to break open.

Seeing such a sight, the black-armored Otherworldly Demon narrowed his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he took out a saber and slit his palm softly.

Fresh blood gushed out from his hand and dribbled onto the altar.

In an instant, the pillar of light grew even brighter than before.

"This descendant of the Spirit Tribe, Bei Hong, offers his blood as a tribute to the Spirit God. I humbly beseech the Spirit God to bestow upon us the strength to break the spatial seal!" The black-armored Otherworldly Demon spoke in a tribal voice reminiscent of a curse.

The light above the altar grew even more blinding. Following which, a massive door appeared before everyone's sight.

This door emanated an astoundingly oppressive aura. It felt as if even someone of Zhang Xuan's ability was nothing more than an ant before this aura.

He's summoning the Spirit God? Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed.

The Skyleaf King had used this ability before. His cultivation had still been low back then, but he did not think that he would still be utterly helpless even against the will that lay on the other side of the door in his current state.

Hu!

The door slowly appeared, and a vague silhouette came into sight.

Along with the presence of the silhouette came a crushing pressure on his soul. Even with his Soul Depth of 29.9, he could not help but feel his state of mind falling into an unstable state.

Given how even its silhouette was powerful enough to cause such a sensation within him, if the figure turned around, it was likely that everyone's will would collapse and die on the spot before any tribute could be offered.

Formidable... Zhang Xuan's body stiffened as his face paled.

He had encountered an Ancient Sage in the past, but it was apparent that the Spirit God was way stronger than the Ancient Sages. In fact, it was doubtful whether Vicious would have been able to compete with her at his peak!

In fact, it felt like if the Spirit God simply walked through the door, the entire Master Teacher Continent would disintegrate under the sheer pressure that she exerted upon the world.

But why does the Spirit God's silhouette look a little familiar to me?

While being astonished by the might wielded by the Spirit God, a sensation similar to what he had felt previously struck him.

Back when he was still in the Qiu Wu Palace, when he caught sight of the Spirit God summoned by the Skyleaf King, he had also felt this sensation of familiarity as well. If he had to describe this feeling, it would be something akin to déjà vu, as if he had seen the other party somewhere before.

At this moment, such a feeling arose in his heart as well. Not only was he unable to shake off such a feeling, it also seemed to be growing stronger by the moment.

Yet, when he attempted to grasp at the feeling, he found his memories blurring and his consciousness blanking out, preventing his thoughts from running. It was as if some compelling force was intentionally keeping him from thinking deeper into this matter.

If it was something that was beyond what Zhang Xuan could do at the moment, he would not waste his time on it. Thus, he shook off the miscellaneous thoughts in his mind and focused his attention on the silhouette above.

With the appearance of the Spirit God, the depletion of zhenqi grew even faster. In just a short instant, everyone's face had already turned pale.

"I beseech the Spirit God to bestow upon us a passageway into the Temple of Confucius..." the black-armored Otherworldly Demon named Bei Hong uttered with a deep voice as he allowed his blood to continue flowing into the altar.

Due to the profuse loss of blood, his body had already begun trembling uncontrollably. It seemed as if he would reach his limit very soon.

Hula!

Shortly after those words were spoken, a ray of light burst through the door, and the spatial seal that the altar was unable to destroy began to slowly melt like the winter frost encountering the spring sun.

Soon enough, a passageway appeared above.

The Spirit God had answered Bei Hong's prayers and made a move!

"Thank you, Spirit God!" Bei Hong kneeled onto the ground and bowed earnestly.

Hu!

Following which, the silhouette vanished, and the door slowly dissipated. Bei Hong struggled to his feet and turned to the Otherworldly Demons around him, saying, "This passageway will only last thirty breaths. Hurry up and make a move!"

"Commander, these humans have seen us paying tribute to the Spirit God. Should we..."

One of the Otherworldly Demons gestured to kill the human hostages.

"Sovereign Chen Yong has ordered us not to harm the master teachers for the time being. Their zhenqi has been depleted, so they won't be able to pull off anything anyway. Let's not cause any unnecessary complications and quickly leave the area!" Bei Hong harrumphed as he darted toward the opened spatial seal.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Seeing that Bei Hong was going to leave the area, how could Zhang Xuan allow him to do as he pleased? Without hiding his cultivation any longer, he reached out, grabbed Bei Hong, and pulled him down.

Huala!

The two of them were nearly a hundred meters apart, but Zhang Xuan's movement was not bound by the limitations of space. His fingers wrapped themselves around Bei Hong's ankles, and the latter's movement swiftly slowed to a halt.

"You... hid your true cultivation?" Bei Hong widened his eyes in horror as he felt his body plummeting to the ground.

The strength that was being exerted through the hand wrapped around his ankle was actually even stronger than his! Alarmed, he quickly whipped out his saber to sever the hand on his ankle.

Hula!

Despite Bei Hong's aggression, he did not utilize his full strength as he expected the young man to retract his hand. Contrary to his expectations, the young man's hand continued to grip his leg firmly. A grim look appeared on his face as he drove his strength further.

Ding!

The saber struck the young man's sword, causing sparks to fly around the place. Yet, the saber failed to leave even the slightest print on the young man's hand!

"How is this possible?" Bei Hong narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

His saber was a Half-Great Sage artifact. Putting aside Aureate Body realm cultivators, a slash from his blade would lop off even the heads of the Sempiternal realm cultivators! But such a saber actually failed to leave any mark on the young man at all. Just how powerful was the young man?

"Kill him!"

In that instant, Bei Hong realized that he was severely overpowered. He knew that it would be impossible for him to defeat the young man with his saber, so he immediately turned his gaze to the Soultheft Shackle instead.

He had not tamed the Soultheft Shackle yet, but he was still able to command it to do his bidding. With this artifact in his possession, he would not fear the young man no matter how powerful the other party's defense was!

He commanded the Soultheft Shackle through his mind, but even after waiting for a while, there was still no response. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the Soultheft Shackle, only to see that it was swaying leisurely in the young man's hand.

"You... tamed my artifact?"

At that instant, Bei Hong felt as if his head was exploding apart.

In order to enter the Temple of Confucius, Sovereign Chen Yong had lent him this artifact to use. Even he had been unable to tame the Soultheft Shackle, so why would it end up submitting to the young man all of a sudden?

"Heh!"

With a cold sneer, the young man tapped on the Soultheft Shackle lightly.

Hula!

The Soultheft Shackle immediately darted upward and bound Bei Hong as if he was a rice dumpling.

Given how the young man had even successfully tamed the Soultheft Shackle, Bei Hong immediately realized that there was no way that they would stand a chance against the young man even if they put their might together. Thus, he quickly turned to his subordinates and bellowed anxiously, "Everyone, run away!"

But barely after the shout escaped from his mouth, he realized that five powerful Sempiternal realm consummation beasts had appeared on the icefield and slaughtered all of his tribesmen. There was not a single survivor.

"You... Pu!"

There was no doubt that this was the doing of the young man. Unable to take it any longer, Bei Hong spurted a mouthful of blood.

"Seal!"

Knowing that he would still be able to wangle more information from Bei Hong, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and threw the latter into the Myriad Anthive Nest. After this was done, he swiftly stowed the altar and the icy crystal on top of it into his storage ring.

Following that, he turned to the crowd and said, "The exterior around the Temple of Confucius is too dangerous. It'll be much safer for you to remain here!"

After saying those words, he leaped up and headed right into the spatial passageway.

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Chapter 1721: Xuan-er, Hurry Over

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Wait for me!"

Before Zhang Xuan could reach the passageway, he suddenly heard a shout below. Following which, a figure darted in his direction and grabbed onto his robe.

"Hu Yaoyao?" Zhang Xuan wondered speechlessly.

The person who had grabbed him was none other than the familiar face among the crowd, Hu Yaoyao!

"This friend over here, it's extremely dangerous to proceed any further than this. It would be best for you to remain behind!" Zhang Xuan said as he raised his palm, intending to send the young lady back to the ground.

Through his communication with the elder earlier, he had heard that there were not just Sempiternal realm Otherworldly Demons in the exteriors of the Temple of Confucius—it was very likely that there were Ancient Sages as well! It was an extremely treacherous place where he could not even guarantee his own safety. Considering how Hu Yaoyao was only a Saint 9-dan cultivator at the moment, it was practically suicide for her to enter as well!

In any case, he had disguised himself as someone else, so it was not as if Hu Yaoyao knew that it was him.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to make the move, he heard a voice speaking telepathically in his mind, "Zhang Xuan, if you dare throw me down, I'll run straight to your Zhang Clan and claim that you molested me and demand that you take responsibility for me!"

"Pu!" Zhang Xuan nearly fainted upon hearing those words. "How did you know it's me?"

He dared not claim that his disguise was flawless, but he was confident that even Ancient Sages would have difficulties trying to see through his disguise. Considering how Hu Yaoyao was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, how did she recognize him?

More importantly... she even threatened to wreak havoc at the Zhang Clan!

A similar conflict had happened back when they were still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, just that he was the one who claimed that he had been violated back then. This lass sure was vindictive, even remembering this matter after so long!

But considering Hu Yaoyao's personality... she was really capable of something like that!

Of course, it was not as if anyone would believe it, but just thinking of how embarrassing it would be for the head of the Three Premier Clans and the Sanctum of Sages, as well as a 9-star master teacher, to have a young lady running to his home and claiming that he had molested her... Even if no one would take it for real, his dignified reputation would be ripped apart!

More importantly, what if Luo Ruoxin heard of the matter?

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head and replied telepathically, "It's dangerous on the other side. Think it over carefully..."

"I want to go!" Hu Yaoyao insisted resolutely.

"Very well then!" Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was adamant, Zhang Xuan knew that he would not be able to shake her off.

Thus, he grabbed her and dashed into the spatial passageway.

Huala!

The two of them warped into two streaks of light as they dashed right through the spatial passageway. Barely an instant after they disappeared from sight, the spatial passageway dissipated, and the spatial restriction swiftly reformed itself.

Watching as everything reverted back to normal, the crowd of ex-captives stood back up.

They had thought that they were doomed, but before they knew it, the Otherworldly Demons had already been killed, and their benefactor had left through the spatial passageway, leaving them dazed on the spot.

"Elder, what should we do?"

The crowd turned to the elder whom Zhang Xuan had communicated with earlier.

He was the strongest cultivator among them, so it was inevitable that the crowd would think highly of his input.

The elder pondered for a moment before replying. "Since the Otherworldly Demons have been killed, we should be out of danger for the time being. Why don't we focus our attention on cultivating? Once the Temple of Confucius closes, we won't have such a chance anymore."

To be honest, even if someone inflated his guts tenfold, he would not dare to head to the exteriors of the Temple of Confucius. He valued his life far too much to put himself at such risk. Since that was the case, he might as well cultivate where he was and try to push for a breakthrough as soon as possible.

"You're right!"

The crowd nodded in agreement.

Having just come to close to death's jaws, their appetite for risk was at an all-time low. Knowing that being too ambitious would only come back to bite them, they did not think that it was wise to test the limits of their capabilities.

"Xuan Zhang..." Looking at the sky where the duo had vanished into, the elder remarked deeply, "Who could have thought that there would be such a formidable young man in the Master Teacher Continent? His capabilities can be said to nearly be on par with the great Zhang Xuan..."

However, before he could finish his words, his body suddenly froze on the spot. "Xuan Zhang, Zhang Xuan... Could it be..."

As such a realization struck him, a bitter smile surfaced on his lips.

It seemed like it was true that real experts paid no heed to petty details.

Could he have been any more perfunctory with the name that he made up for himself?

Anyone would have been able to connect the dots once they had some time to think over it after the matter.

Are you sure you are trying to hide your identity from the world and not proclaiming yourself to everyone you come by?

Well, I guess this means that I'm indebted to him. I'll have to make sure to repay this debt to the Zhang Clan in the future...

A debt of a life was not something that he could shrug off. Since he knew the other party's identity, he would have to find some way to return the favor to the Zhang Clan in the future.

...

Hu!

Traveling across the spatial seal, Zhang Xuan and Hu Yaoyao fell to the ground at the same time.

In the foreground, one could vaguely see a massive structure floating in the air.

"Have we arrived?" Hu Yaoyao shook her head in an attempt to expel the dizziness as she got to her feet.

"It seems so!" Zhang Xuan replied.

The spatial laws in the dimension that he had just entered were far stricter than the forest dimension, the desert dimension, and the snow dimension. Even with his prowess, he could not even fly at all.

In the previous locations, he could at least still fly at a low altitude. In this dimension, he could only obediently travel on foot, just like an ordinary mortal.

Hu Yaoyao pointed at the massive structure in the distance and asked as she tidied her clothes, "Is that the Temple of Confucius?"

Zhang Xuan nodded in response.

It seemed like the elder was right. Traveling through the spatial seal would bring him to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius. However, it might not be a good decision to rush right over. Considering the dangers that could be lurking around the area, it was best for him to clarify the situation before heading over.

This was even more so given that it was a passageway opened by the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. If there was an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage lying ahead, they would really die indignantly!

Hula!

With a flick of his wrist, the bound Bei Hong appeared before him.

"Soul Search!"

Knowing that Bei Hong would not speak no matter how he interrogated him, Zhang Xuan could not be bothered to waste his effort questioning to the other party. Without any hesitation, he executed Soul Search on the other party right away.

Hu!

Information swiftly surged into Zhang Xuan's head.

Just as he had heard from the elder earlier, the outer perimeter of the Temple of Confucius was made up of six dimensions. The exits and entrances were linked to one another, so if one traveled from one exit to another, one would only be moving around in circles.

This was intelligence that Bei Hong had received from Sovereign Chen Yong.

As for how Bei Hong was able to receive the information from Sovereign Chen Yong when he was unable to use his Communication Jade Token, the secret lay in the altar.

The Spirit God that the Otherworldly Demon Tribe revered was simply so powerful that even though the Temple of Confucius was created by Kong shi himself, it did not wield sufficient strength to stop that powerful figure beyond those doors.

If Sovereign Chen Yong was able to send information in here, it's likely that he has entered the Temple of Confucius as well! Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in worry.

Previously, he had heard that the most powerful Otherworldly Demon Emperor had discreetly entered the Master Teacher Continent. From the looks of it, it was likely that the person was Sovereign Chen Yong!

No one in the Master Teacher Pavilion had met Sovereign Chen Yong before, but it was definite that he was an Ancient Sage expert. It left Zhang Xuan feeling a little unnerved to know that there was such a powerful expert lying around him.

However, why would Sovereign Chen Yong command Bei Hong not to kill master teachers?

There was another peculiar command that Bei Hong had received that left Zhang Xuan feeling a little perplexed.

During the trip that he had made to the Subterranean Gallery, he had learned that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe was divided into three factions.

Based on the information that he had gathered so far, Sovereign Chen Yong was a conservative leader who opposed a full-blown war against the humans.

On the other hand, Sovereign Chen Ling was more belligerent, supporting aggression against mankind in order to bring as many benefits to the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe as possible.

As for Sovereign Chen Xing, he seemed to be sitting on the fence. There was a period of time when he had allied himself with Sovereign Chen Yong, but currently, it seemed like he had switched sides to support Sovereign Chen Ling instead.

Since Sovereign Chen Yong was a conservative leader, he probably had his concerns for passing a non-aggression order against the master teachers. Perhaps, he was unwilling to further sour the relations with mankind.

Very soon, Zhang Xuan finished browsing through all of the useful information that he had acquired from Bei Hong.

All in all, Bei Hong had only received orders to lead the other Otherworldly Demons to open up a passageway using the altar to enter the Temple of Confucius. There were no other orders aside from that.

As for further intelligence regarding the Temple of Confucius, it was hard to tell whether Sovereign Chen Yong was withholding information from his subordinate or that he had not scouted that far yet, but there was nothing at all.

After conducting the Soul Search, Zhang Xuan placed his palm lightly on Bei Hong's head and killed him.

In the end, he still could not bring himself to believe in the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe.

Whether Sovereign Chen Yong was expressing goodwill to them or not, it was too much of a luxury for mankind to simply believe in the goodwill of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe. That would be no different from betting the fate of mankind on the enemy's kindness, and that was utter foolishness!

Furthermore, it was just a few days ago that the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe had attempted to launch a major invasion on mankind!

In the end, it was still better to be safe than sorry.

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan raised his head to scan his surroundings for danger when his eyebrows suddenly shot up. He flicked his wrist, and a jade token appeared on his palm. A line of words surfaced on it.

"Xuan-er, when you see this message, hurry over to where we are. We have just caught sight of Zhao Ya..."

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Chapter 1722: Hu Yaoyao's Advancement

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"They have caught sight of Zhao Ya?"

The one who had sent him the message was none other than his father, Sword Saint Xing!

"Did they... manage to get here as well?" Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up.

From his experience in the previous three dimensions, he had found that he was unable to send messages to everyone else. Could the reason that his Communication Jade Token had suddenly begun trembling be due to the fact that his parents, the Xingmeng Sword Saints, were in the same dimension as him, or was the restriction to send messages lifted in this dimension?

Zhang Xuan tapped his finger on the Communication Jade Token and swiftly crafted a message before sending it over. "Where are you all?"

A moment later, the Communication Jade Token lit up, and a line of words appeared. "Hall of Great Accomplishment, Pavilion of Warm Spring!"

"Pavilion of Warm Spring?" Zhang Xuan frowned.

Putting aside whatever pavilion his parents were in, he did not even know where the Hall of Great Accomplishment was!

"Let's take a look around!" Zhang Xuan sighed deeply.

In any case, the Temple of Confucius was right ahead of him. Since his father was able to send him the exact name of their location, he should be able to find it with some looking around.

Hu Yaoyao looked at Zhang Xuan intently and asked, "Are we heading over as well?"

"Un. Given that we are already approaching the vicinity of the Temple of Confucius, it's likely that we'll encounter many powerful experts. If we encounter any danger later on, I want you to turn around and flee right away. There's no need to worry about me, understand?" Zhang Xuan instructed sternly.

"Humph! You're thinking that I'm a burden, aren't you? While my cultivation hasn't reached Great Sage yet, my fighting prowess is still decent. The reason I was captured back at the snow dimension is because they caught me by surprise with a soul attack!" Hu Yaoyao knew that Zhang Xuan was worried about her, but she still could not help but retort in displeasure.

Half a year ago, this fellow had still been a junior whom she could bully as she liked, but at that moment... she found that she could not keep up with him no matter how far she pushed herself, and this realization filled her with frustration.

"Of course not, there's no way I would think of you as a burden. As long as you can flee quick enough in the face of trouble, there's no way you would be a burden to me!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

It was such a nostalgic feeling to Hu Yaoyao, being stifled by that fellow's words to the point that she felt like spurting blood.

The reason that she had said that her fighting prowess was decent was to tell him that she would be able to lend her a hand in times of danger; there was no way she was going to pull him back. Yet... all he could think of was having her escape so that she would not drag him down in battle!

Am I that useless in your eyes?

Hu Yaoyao gritted her teeth in fury. The next moment, however, she suddenly put on a provocative smile as she strutted toward Zhang Xuan in a manner that showed off her curvaceous body. With a seductive voice that would make any man's heart pound, she purred, "Are you doubting my abilities? Shall we make a bet then?"

"A bet?"

"That's right. I'll perform a dance, and if your state of mind is affected by my dance, I want you to apologize to me. You'll never say words like asking me to run whenever we encounter danger again. On the other hand, if you can remain unfazed by my dance, I'll do whatever you tell me to do from now onward. I'll not cause any trouble for you!" Hu Yaoyao eyed Zhang Xuan intently with her crescent eyes.

"Fine by me!" Seeing that Hu Yaoyao was insistent on the matter, Zhang Xuan nodded.

In truth, he was also interested to see what a pinnacle terpsichore was capable of. While Hu Yaoyao's cultivation was lacking, she did inherit the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, so it would indeed be foolish to simply disregard her capabilities.

"I'll be starting then!"

With a simple step forward, Hu Yaoyao began her dance. In the blink of an eye, she seemed to have transformed into a lithe fairy from the heavens. Her graceful movements and ethereal disposition harmonized with one another to produce a charm that seemed to draw one's soul in. One look was all it took for a man to fall under her spell, captured by her charisma.

Zhang Xuan had to admit that Hu Yaoyao's figure was truly perfect, even among all the ladies that he had met so far. It was a balance so perfect that even the slightest bit more meat would make her appear plump, and the slightest bit less meat would make her appear thin. This was a symmetry that seemed to have come from the hands of the heavens themselves. While she could not switch into more beautiful clothes due to the environment, her slightest movement and subtle gestures seemed to electrify one's soul over and over again.

"Not bad!" Zhang Xuan nodded in approval.

Hu Yaoyao's confidence in her fighting prowess was not unfounded. Even though her cultivation was only at Saint 9-dan pinnacle, her dance could easily cause even Great Sage 2-dan Aureate Body realm cultivators to lose control of themselves.

While it did work for cultivators of both genders, it was particularly effective on male cultivators. Even Sempiternal realm male cultivators might fall for her terpsichorean art if they were caught off guard.

As the saying went, even the mightiest of heroes would find it hard to resist the charms of a beauty. In the very first place, Hu Yaoyao was an incredibly beautiful and charismatic individual as she was. Without resorting to terpsichorean arts, her disposition and demeanor carried the ability to draw others to her. Coupled with her dance, even with the limitations of her cultivation, she was still able to exude a charm that others would find hard to resist.

Of course, there was still a distinction between making her opponents succumb to her terpsichorean art and killing them.

Due to the limitations of her cultivation, she would have difficulties trying to leave even a mark on the body of Aureate Body realm cultivators even with a weapon in hand.

"You... are unaffected by my dance?"

As the dance came to an end, Hu Yaoyao's movements slowly trailed to a beautiful stop. Looking at the clear, innocent eyes of the young man standing opposite of her, her posture could not help but slump in disappointment.

Due to her godsent appearance and figure, she had swiftly been chosen as an Inceptive Sage candidate shortly after entering the Terpsichore Guild headquarters. The reason that she had been given permission to enter the Temple of Confucius was because she had already mastered the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, which granted her the ability to protect herself even when faced with Great Sage cultivators.

Given the abilities that she wielded, when she met Zhang Xuan once more, the thought of competing with him to determine who was superior immediately surfaced in her mind.

Back when she was still at the Hongyuan Master Teacher Academy, she could not even begin to count how many men had fallen before her skirt. There were no male master teachers who would not view her in deference, fearing to cross her path.

The fellow standing before her, Zhang Xuan, was the only thick-headed oaf who was blind to her charms, viewing her as no different from anyone else.

She had thought that she would finally be able to faze this thick-headed oaf after inheriting the highest heritage of the Terpsichore Guild headquarters, but to her astonishment, the eyes of the thick-headed oaf were actually clearer than she remembered them being.

Bro, are you sure that your eyes are fine?

At that instant, Hu Yaoyao felt an urge to find a physician to check on his eyes.

Right when she was feeling utterly defeated, Zhang Xuan suddenly spoke. "Well, I have to admit that I was a little affected by it."

"Really?" Hu Yaoyao's eyes lit up, but the next moment, as if suspecting that Zhang Xuan was just trying to console her, she eyed him in skepticism. "I don't see any traces of you being affected by my dance though..."

"Your Aerial Dance of Linglong was well-performed. You managed to capture the demeanor of a fairy soaring into the heavens perfectly, leaving the spectators with the feeling that they were in a dream.

"However, the flaws in your dance are very apparent as well. Firstly, your movements were too intentional. The charm of a fairy is accentuated not by flaunting her figure but through the transcendental air in her gestures and movements. What you should be focusing on is the ethereal and not the worldly!

"Secondly, the intent of your dance is too blatant. This causes cultivators to put up their defenses, making it harder than ever to breach their mental resilience..."

Without stopping to catch his breath, Zhang Xuan pointed out seventeen flaws. After which, he paused for a moment before carrying on. "How should I put this? The dance that you have performed earlier has simply too many flaws, such that I can't watch on anymore. It leaves me feeling a little nauseated. Well, you also know that I'm a perfectionist, so..."

"You..."

Once again, Hu Yaoyao found herself on the verge of spurting blood.

Perfectionist? Perfectionist your damned head!

It's one thing for you not to be mesmerized by my alluring dance, but you actually felt nauseated watching it...

Hu Yaoyao felt tears brimming in her eyes. All of a sudden, all she could see was hopeless despair ahead of her career as a terpsichore.

While others pleasure themselves by watching my dance, all you can see in my performance are flaws. If you continue being like this, I don't think that we can hang out anymore!

"There's no need to be disheartened," Zhang Xuan said with a face so earnest that no one could fault him on his words. "These are the corrections I have made for the dance that you have just performed. As long as you study it, you should be able to further your terpsichorean art. This way... I guess your dance won't be as nauseating to me anymore!"

"..." Hu Yaoyao rubbed her glabella in distress.

Why do I suddenly feel so tired?

It's fortunate that I'm only friends with him. Honestly, I don't think I could stand having a person with emotional intelligence as low as him as my significant other. Otherwise, with all the traumas and frustration that I would receive from interacting with him, it would just be a matter of time before I resorted to self-harm!

As stifled as Hu Yaoyao was feeling, she still quickly memorized the flaws and corrections that Zhang Xuan had stated.

Following which, she began to study his words closely. The more she pondered over his words, the more convinced she felt that he was right. His words were deep, but at the same time, they were simple and direct. Her body began to move along with his words, and once again, she performed the Aerial Dance of Linglong.

Her movements became faster and faster, and her gestures became more and more ethereal.

Hong long!

Some time later, a rush of zhenqi surged into her body. To her surprise, her Saint 9-dan bottleneck suddenly loosened at this moment, allowing her cultivation to surge right up to the Introspective Convalescence realm.

"I... actually made a breakthrough?" Hu Yaoyao's body froze in astonishment.

Her eyes instinctively turned toward the young man with conflicting emotions rippling within them.

The young man was able to see through the flaws in her dance so easily, and just by following his directions, she could correct those flaws and advance her cultivation and terpsichorean art.

From the looks of it, it seemed like being useless to him... did not sound that bad anymore!

At the very least, she was able to receive his guidance.

Whatever! If he thinks I'm useless, so be it! I'll just follow him and fish for a couple of pointers here and there. I'll be spared from so much hard work just by leeching off him...

Just like that, Hu Yaoyao's fighting spirit was ignited once more.

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Chapter 1723: The Encounters of the Xingmeng Sword Saints

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Alright, let's hurry up and head over!"

Hu Yaoyao's breakthrough was completely within Zhang Xuan's expectations. As long as the other party was able to receive his guidance humbly, he would be able to make the other party achieve a breakthrough so easily that the other party would begin doubting themself!

This was the ability that he wielded, humble and low profile, just like him.

"Un!"

Knowing that Zhang Xuan had urgent matters to attend to, Hu Yaoyao did not dare to delay him any longer. She followed quietly behind him while reinforcing her cultivation.

They began making their way toward the Temple of Confucius that they saw in the distance.

The magnificent structure floated in the distant sky, appearing vaguely in sight. With incredible speed, the duo flitted over.

Zhang Xuan had expected the journey to be fraught with dangers, but it turned to be so peaceful that it scared him!

Putting aside Otherworldly Demons, he did not even see a single beast along the way.

Ten minutes later, they were finally standing before the magnificent structure. There was a plaque hanging at the entrance with four majestic words calligraphed on them—Hall of Great Accomplishment!

This must be one of the six Subordinate Halls of the Temple of Confucius!

He had learned from Luo Ruoxin that there were six Subordinate Halls to the Temple of Confucius, and each of them corresponded to a Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Without a doubt, the Hall of Great Accomplishment should be one of the six Subordinate Halls.

Mist drifted across the entrance of the Hall of Great Accomplishment, obscuring it from view. Nevertheless, from the tightly shut gates, it seemed like no one had entered yet.

Looking around, Zhang Xuan found four mini pavilions in the area, named 'Warm Spring', 'Irate Summer', 'Cooling Autumn', and 'Frozen Winter'.

Is that the Pavilion of Warm Spring?

Zhang Xuan thought as he made his way over to the pavilion marked with the words 'Warm Spring' together with Hu Yaoyao.

This pavilion was not too big. As soon as he entered the area, he saw a huge number of people standing in the vicinity. Some of them were dressed in master teacher robes whereas others wore the robes of their clan or casual wear.

All in all, there were roughly thirty people. Even the weakest of them was at Saint 9-dan.

"Clan head!"

Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, a couple of figures walked forward to greet him.

Zhang Xuan also recognized them. They were the grand elders of the Zhang Clan.

They had been in seclusion all this while, and they had only arrived in Qufu two days prior.

The current Zhang Xuan had already stripped off his disguise and reverted to his original appearance.

"Xuan-er, you are here!"

Zhang Xuan was just about to ask where his parents were when he heard a voice coming from the distance. Following which, the Xingmeng Sword Saints walked over with hastened footsteps.

Upon seeing that they were not injured, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, he could not help but notice something that stunned them. "How did you... raise your cultivation so quickly?"

Prior to entering the Temple of Confucius, they had only been at Sempiternal realm primary stage. However, in just a few short hours, they had actually managed to advance their cultivation to Sempiternal realm consummation, thus putting them at the very pinnacle of the Master Teacher Continent!

"We stumbled upon a fortuitous encounter..."

Following which, Sword Saint Xing began explaining with a smile.

Upon hearing his explanation, Zhang Xuan was rendered speechless.

His parents were far more fortunate than him. Instead of the six dimensions, they were teleported straight to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius.

The spiritual energy and teacher's milieu in there were much more concentrated than the six dimensions. Furthermore, it was filled with treasures when they had just arrived. With the aid of those treasures and their Soul Depth of 29.9, it was inevitable that their cultivation would surge by leaps and bounds.

Seeing the incredulous look on his son's face, Sword Saint Meng added with a smile, "Furthermore, we haven't been cultivating for just a couple of hours... Rather, we have already been here for three months!"

"Three months?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

It had only been twelve hours since the Temple of Confucius opened, so how in the world could they have cultivated there for three months?

"Your father and I happened to stumble upon a blessed land where the flow of time is accelerated. As such, even though a couple of hours have only passed for the rest of you, we have already cultivated for a very long time here!" Sword Saint Meng explained.

"This..." Zhang Xuan widened his eyes in shock.

Their luck was too overpowered!

It was one thing for them to be teleported right to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius, but they had actually stumbled upon a blessed land with accelerated time on top of that. He could not help but think of the suffering that he had gone through moving from one world to another, battling enemies one after another.

"Do you know where the blessed land is? Could you find it again?" Zhang Xuan asked.

If they could find it, he would head in there and cultivate for a while to raise his fighting prowess before moving on to do anything else.

"I don't think we'll be able to find it anymore. The blessed land activated when we came into contact with its mechanism, and when we were finally done cultivating, it vanished on its own. We tried looking for it afterward, but it was nowhere to be seen... Actually, even without relying on the blessed land, your cultivation speed is already fast enough as it is..." Sword Saint Meng consoled.

"Alright then!" Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.

Even though he was gladdened by the advancement in his parents' cultivation, he could not help feeling a little frustrated as well. He had always taken pride in the speed of his cultivation, but after such a long period of time, he was still stuck at Aureate Body realm consummation, yet to take a single step forward at all...

Sighing deeply, Zhang Xuan looked at his parents and asked, "How did you all get straight to the exterior of the Temple of Confucius? I was teleported to the dimensions outside instead. Furthermore... how did the two of you remain together?"

He had been teleported to the forest dimension outside, and he had been unable to find any familiar faces at all. On the other hand, not only did his parents teleport straight to the exterior, from what he had heard from them, it seemed like they had never separated from one another at all.

"This probably has something to do with the Celestial Amulet of Legacy!" Sword Saint Xing replied. "When the Temple of Confucius first opened, your mother, I, and a few other grand elders were in the midst of studying the Celestial Amulet of Legacy. Before we knew it, we had already been teleported here... Furthermore, I can vaguely feel an inseverable relationship between the Celestial Amulet of Legacy and the Hall of Great Accomplishment before us."

"The Celestial Amulet of Legacy?" Zhang Xuan lowered his head to look at the glowing amulet that Sword Saint Xing was holding onto.

It was emanating an aura that seemed to meld perfectly with the aura of the Hall of Great Accomplishment. It felt like they were actually a single entity that had been split in two, and there was a unique resonance between the two of them.

If that Celestial Amulet of Legacy teleported my parents to the Hall of Great Accomplishment, why didn't the one in my hand do anything of that sort? Zhang Xuan wondered in bewilderment.

The Celestial Amulet of Legacy in his grasp was the Prime Amulet, so going by normal circumstances, should he not have teleported straight to the Prime Hall?

So far, he had not even seen the shadow of the Prime Hall. Instead, he was forced to travel through the forest dimension, desert dimension, and snow dimension... He knew that he would face many dangers in the Temple of Confucius, but the least Little Amulet could do was point out a direction for him!

Had he known that Little Amulet was actually so useless, he would have thrown it away back then!

"Since your Celestial Amulet of Legacy resonates with the Hall of Great Accomplishment, why didn't you all enter the Subordinate Hall?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Since they had already reached the destination and had the required Celestial Amulet of Legacy as well, why were they still idling outside the premises?

"We tried, but we were unable to open its massive doors. It's likely that the time hasn't come for it to be opened yet..." Sword Saint Xing replied. "However, based on my observation, it will likely open within four hours or so!"

Through the windows, Zhang Xuan gazed at the nearby Hall of Great Accomplishment and noticed that the massive doors at its entrance were firmly shut, emanating a forbidding air.

Despite the resonance between the Celestial Amulet of Legacy with the Hall of Great Accomplishment, it seemed like they had not fully harmonized with one another yet.

"In the Jade Communication Token, you mentioned that you spotted Zhao Ya's trail. Where is she?" Zhang Xuan asked.

He had been worrying about his students ever since they were kidnapped. While he had reassured himself time and time again that they would be fine, he still could not help but worry about their plight.

"She's..." Sword Saint Xing was just about to answer the question when a resounding explosion sounded in the air. Following which, the pavilion that they were in suddenly began quaking nonstop.

"They are here again..." Sword Saint Xing stood up and narrowed his eyes.

"Who's here?" Zhang Xuan asked with a frown.

"Otherworldly Demons. They know that your father has a Celestial Amulet of Legacy, so they come over every now and then to challenge us!" Sword Saint Meng explained.

Lowering his gaze, Zhang Xuan saw an Otherworldly Demon standing right in front of the pavilion. The Otherworldly Demon was gripping onto a sword in his hand, and he emanated an air of concentrated killing intent.

"Sword Saint Xing, I am Bei Yuan. Do you dare face me in a duel?" the Otherworldly Demon bellowed with a voice reminiscent of a deafening bell.

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Chapter 1724: Zhang Xuan Accepts the Battle

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Battle?" Zhang Xuan frowned in incomprehension. "The Otherworldly Demons actually dared to appear in the open... not to mention, they are even adhering to the rules?"

Based on what he knew, etiquette and such meant nothing to the Otherworldly Demons. Driven by their bloodlust, they were mostly interested only in slaughter. Thus, it was extremely bizarre for an Otherworldly Demon to actually issue a formal challenge.

More importantly, there were many powerful master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring... Given that the deep-seated conflict between the master teachers and the Otherworldly Demons had gone on for tens of thousands of years, it was inevitable that both sides would have some loved ones who had been killed by the other party. Was the Otherworldly Demon not afraid of being killed running over here like that?

"It's not that they want to adhere to the rules. They have no choice but to do so!" Sword Saint Xing explained with a bitter smile.

"They have no choice but to do so?" Zhang Xuan was perplexed by those words. A moment later, he widened his eyes in realization. "Could it be that... there are Ancient Sages here?"

It was only in the presence of the Ancient Sages would even Sempiternal realm consummation experts be forced to obediently abide by the rules.

"Indeed, there are Ancient Sages around the area. The Ancient Sage of our Zhang Clan is here too... As the Ancient Sages of both sides are a little apprehensive about facing the other, they have come to an agreement to resolve any conflict by a fair duel. Willful murder is prohibited... Otherwise, there's no way that it would have been so peaceful around here!" Sword Saint Xing explained.

Zhang Xuan nodded in realization.

It was no wonder he did not encounter any danger along the way. It must have been due to the pact between the two factions.

Otherwise, it was likely that a war would have broken out before the Subordinate Hall even opened. Perhaps, they might even have ended up whittling each other down, only to have the treasures end up in the hands of another.

To use an analogy from his previous life, the Ancient Sages on both sides were like nuclear weapons keeping each other in check. The reason that neither side was willing to mobilize their Ancient Sages was because they knew that the scales would immediately tilt if they lost their Ancient Sages. Considering how they had not even seen the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn yet, there was no reason for them to go all out and take on such a risk.

"The reason they are challenging me is because they wish to acquire the Celestial Amulet of Legacy in my hands... or possibly enter the Temple of Confucius right behind us!" Sword Saint Xing whipped out his sword and sneered coldly. "However, how could I allow them to do as they please?"

"Father, please wait a moment!" Seeing that Sword Saint Xing was about to head down, Zhang Xuan stood up and halted him. "Allow me to face him instead!"

"You?" Sword Saint Xing was taken aback.

"Indeed. While my cultivation is only at the Aureate Body realm, I do have the strength to fend off Sempiternal realm cultivators. Furthermore, I did stumble upon some minor fortuitous encounters on my way here, and I think this would be a good opportunity for me to test myself," Zhang Xuan replied confidently.

While Sword Saint Xing had already reached Sempiternal realm consummation, the enemy was no weakling. It was not that he did not have any confidence in Sword Saint Xing's fighting prowess, but he was simply unwilling to see any harm coming to the other party.

Sword Saint Xing assessed Zhang Xuan deeply for a moment before nodding. "Alright then... Take care! If you find yourself forced into a corner, run right back here."

His son might only have been in his early twenties, but he possessed many means that made even the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarters apprehensive of him. To be honest, he was not confident of defeating Bei Yuan by himself, but his son very likely had the capability to pull it off!

"I will!" Zhang Xuan nodded. After that, he leaped out of the pavilion and appeared right before the Otherworldly Demon. "I am Zhang Xuan. If you wish to challenge my father, you'll have to bypass me first!"

"Are you able to make decisions here?" It seemed like Bei Yuan did not recognize Zhang Xuan. Seeing how young the fellow standing before him was, Bei Yuan eyed him skeptically. "If you lose, I expect you to hand over the Celestial Amulet of Legacy!"

"Of course I can!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly in response. "If I lose, we'll hand the Celestial Amulet of Legacy to you. However, what if I win?"

Bei Yuan flicked his wrist and took out a metallic armor that boasted astonishing flexibility. Patting the metallic armor forcefully, Bei Yuan harrumphed. "If you win, I'll give this Great Sage armor to you as compensation!"

"You are intending to trade the Celestial Amulet of Legacy with just a Great Sage artifact? Do you take me for a fool?" Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up in disdain.

Even the Hundred Schools of Philosophers offered an Ancient Sage artifact to match the Celestial Amulet of Legacy! To offer a mere Great Sage artifact for the wager... the other party was really taking him too lightly!

"What do you want then?" Bei Yuan frowned.

They had also conducted similar duels earlier, and even though their tribesmen had lost, Sword Saint Xing did not raise any requests. Why would this wager suddenly become unfair when it came to this young man?

"Three Great Sage artifacts!" Zhang Xuan demanded firmly.

"Three Great Sage artifacts?" Bei Yuan narrowed his eyes upon hearing the other party's demand. "You're dreaming!"

"So be it then! I can't be wasting my time on you either. You should know that the Celestial Amulet of Legacy is necessary to enter the Temple of Confucius. While it's only the Subordinate Hall, so the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn wouldn't be there, regardless, the heritage of Kong shi is bound to be extraordinary. You'd better think it through. Don't say that I didn't give you a chance when that time comes... If you aren't going to accept the deal, you should hurry up and say so. I am exhausted from exploring the area, and I want to take a rest!" Zhang Xuan stretched his back lazily as he walked back to the Pavilion of Warm Spring.

"This..." Bei Yuan fell silent.

Three Great Sage artifacts was a hefty price to pay, but it came nowhere close in comparison to an opportunity to enter the Temple of Confucius and obtain Kong shi's heritage.

"Give me a moment. I'll return and discuss the matter with the others!"

Leaving these words behind, Bei Yuan turned around and headed to a pavilion not too far away with the words 'Irate Summer' written on it.

Not too long later, he returned and said, "I'll agree to your request!"

After saying those words, he flicked his wrist, and three Great Sage artifacts materialized before him.

In reciprocation, Sword Saint Xing stepped forward and placed the Celestial Amulet of Legacy floating in the air as well.

"Let's begin! I don't believe that a young brat in his twenties could possibly be a match for me!" Bei Yuan spat.

With both sides offering up their stakes, Bei Yuan wasted no time in drawing his sword, prepared to leap right into the duel.

"Hold it a moment. Before we begin, I believe that there's a need for us to clarify the rules!" Zhang Xuan raised his hand.

"Rules?"

"Indeed. The battle between us should be regarded as a fair duel, right?"

"Of course!" Bei Yuan nodded in agreement.

"Since it's a fair duel, I should be able to make use of any skills at my disposal, right? To put it in more straightforward terms, a formation master would be able to make use of his formations, and a beast tamer would be able to bring his tamed beasts into the battle. Does that sound fair to you?" Zhang Xuan asked.

"Of course! Whatever occupation you have, feel free to use those techniques in the battle!" Bei Yuan shrugged nonchalantly.

A formation master's strength indubitably lay in setting in formations, and a beast tamer's strength included his tamed beasts. They had devoted their time to furthering those arts in order to be able to use them in battle, so there was no denying that it was part of their capabilities as well.

"I see... That makes things really easy then!" Hearing Bei Yuan's agreement, Zhang Xuan flicked his wrist and commanded, "Tamed beasts, give that fellow a beating of his life!"

Huala!

As soon as those words sounded, the Five Monarchs immediately materialized before Zhang Xuan and surrounded Bei Yuan. The sheer intensity of their auras combined seemed almost strong enough to tear space apart.

"These are your tamed beasts?" Bei Yuan staggered in utter shock upon seeing those five tamed beasts.

At the same time, the Xingmeng Sword Saints and the many master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring also widened their eyes to the brim, rendered speechless by the sight before them.

Those are five Sempiternal realm consummation tamed beasts...

Are these the 'minor fortuitous encounters' that you mentioned earlier?

If these are considered as minor fortuitous encounters, is there anything in the world that could be considered as a major fortuitous encounter?

"Indeed," Zhang Xuan said. "I am a beast tamer, and we agreed that it's fair for me to use my tamed beasts in battle earlier, right? Hurry up and make your move then!"

"..." Bei Yuan spurted blood.

Fair your head!

How am I supposed to fight against five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts simultaneously?

"If you aren't going to take the first move, I'll be going first!" Zhang Xuan remarked impatiently. Raising his hand, he passed down the order to attack. "Get him!"

Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar! Roar!

The five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts charged at Bei Yuan.

Putting aside their cultivation realm, each of them carried the bloodline of the Ancient Divine Beasts, and as the Five Monarchs of the forest dimension, they had survived many battles. Even though Bei Yuan was not weak, he would not be a match for even a single one of them, let alone five of them at once.

All it took was a few breaths for his body to be bruised, fractured, and bleeding all over.

Knowing that he would die if he obstinately held on, Bei Yuan desperately screamed, "I'll admit defeat..."

"Heh, that's more like it..." Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction as he stowed the three Great Sage artifacts into his storage ring.

Glancing at the Pavilion of Irate Summer, he said, "Is there anyone who wants to challenge me? I, Zhang Xuan, am more than willing to play along. Otherwise, I'll challenge all of the Otherworldly Demons in the Pavilion of Irate Summer. Is there anyone who dares to take up my challenge?"

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Chapter 1725: The Prowess of the Root

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Audacious!"

"Yet another conceited fool who overestimates himself just because he has accomplished something!"

"Naive! Do you think that you are invincible just because you have tamed a couple of beasts?"

While Zhang Xuan was dueling Bei Yuan, quite a number of Otherworldly Demons had already headed out of the Pavilion of Irate Summer. Upon hearing the arrogant words spouting from Zhang Xuan's mouth, their faces turned livid with anger, and infuriated bellows escaped their lips.

There were around thirty Otherworldly Demons in sight at the moment, and over six of them possessed similar strength to Bei Yuan. Even though Zhang Xuan had tamed five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts, he still would not stand a chance against all of them combined.

"What's the use of arguing over there? If you have the guts to accept my challenge, take out your treasures and stake them as wagers," Zhang Xuan replied boredly. "Similarly, I'll also put the Celestial Amulet of Legacy on the line. Those who possess true strength speak through actions, not through words!"

The faces of the Otherworldly Demons turned livid in fury.

The young man was right. Nothing that they said would be meaningful; strength was something that had to be displayed!

"I'll give you ten minutes to think about it. I'll take a short nap for the time being. If you wish to take me up on my challenge, I don't mind playing with you all!" Zhang Xuan tossed those words to the Otherworldly Demon before returning to the Pavilion of Warm Spring while lazily stretching his back.

"Our clan head sure is formidable..."

"He's actually able to render so many Otherworldly Demons speechless at once. This is the kind of imposing air that a true powerhouse should have!"

The cultivators in the Pavilion of Spring Autumn nodded in respect.

It was true that neither side dared go too far due to the involvement of the Ancient Sages, but the Otherworldly Demons were clearly in a more advantageous position than the humans due to their superior strength. As a result, it had been the humans who were in a passive position so far.

They did not think that the head of the Zhang Clan would actually be able to turn the tables on the Otherworldly Demons as soon as he appeared!

"You're Zhang Xuan, aren't you? I am Bei Feng, and I'm willing to accept your challenge!"

Before Zhang Xuan could return to the Pavilion of Warm Spring, a towering Otherworldly Demon suddenly walked out from the crowd. He was one of the remaining six Sempiternal realm consummation cultivators.

Seeing that someone had taken the bait, Zhang Xuan asked with a smile, "What's your wager?"

"I only have a Great Sage artifact. I can give it to you if I lose the duel. In exchange, I won't ask for you to give me the Celestial Amulet of Legacy if I win. All I want is to claim three slots to enter the Hall of Great Accomplishment!" Bei Feng said.

"Three slots?" Zhang Xuan frowned in bewilderment.

"Based on the inscriptions that we have found in the area, it seems that our Celestial Amulet of Legacy allows us to bring ten people into the Hall of Great Accomplishment," Sword Saint Xing said.

"I see!" Zhang Xuan nodded contemplatively. "Sure, I have no problem with that. I'll accept your wager!"

Even if Bei Feng won the duel and obtained three slots to enter the Hall of Great Accomplishment, it would still be a highly disadvantageous situation for them. In a battle of seven against three, the Zhang Clan should be able to easily overpower and kill those three unfortunate Otherworldly Demons tagging along with them.

In any case, Ancient Sages were not able to enter the Temple of Confucius, and they did not have the power to interfere with the happenings inside.

"I know that those five beasts are your tamed beasts, but they aren't a clear indication of your individual prowess. The one I am challenging is you, not your beasts. As a master teacher, won't you cast aside your beasts and face me in a proper duel?" Bei Feng asked.

"In other words, you don't want to use my tamed beasts?" Zhang Xuan asked as an unreadable smile crept onto his lips.

"That's right! I admit that your five beasts are formidable, but do you dare pit your true ability against me and fight me with your own strength? Don't you think that it's dishonorable for a master teacher like you to be so reliant on your tamed beasts?" Bei Feng taunted.

"I can face you without my tamed beasts... but since it's a handicap on my side, I want you to wager another Great Sage artifact!" Zhang Xuan said.

"You want me to wager another Great Sage artifact?" Bei Feng frowned as he lowered his gaze in hesitation. After a moment of contemplation, he flicked his wrist, and a crimson spirit stone materialized on his palm. "I don't have any more Great Sage artifacts, but this Sacred Blood Crystal is fueled using the blood essence of Sempiternal realm consummation beasts. It harnesses the full energy of an expert of that caliber. It'll be a convenient source of spiritual energy for your cultivation. While it can't compete with a true Great Sage artifact, its value should almost be on par with one. Will you take this as a replacement?"

Zhang Xuan took a look at the crimson spirit stone, and he immediately sensed the concentrated spiritual energy that was emanating from the rock. It was so concentrated that it almost felt tangible.

If he cultivated using it, he would indeed be able to advance his cultivation swiftly. Without a doubt, it was something that would be useful to him.

"Very well, I'll accept your deal!" Zhang Xuan nodded in agreement.

To be honest, he felt like he was hoarding a little too many Great Sage artifacts at this point. He did not need any more of them. In terms of utility, the Sacred Blood Crystal was definitely far more useful to him.

Perhaps still a little worried about the matter, Bei Feng declared loudly, "The Ancient Sage of you humans and the Ancient Sage of my tribe will bear witness that the use of tamed beasts is forbidden in this duel!"

Zhang Xuan did not know where the Ancient Sages were hidden, but this declaration effectively meant that the rule had been officialized. Anyone who dared turn their back on this rule would be severely punished.

This was because the ceasefire was of the utmost importance for both sides to preserve their fighting prowess for the fight over the Great Codex of Spring and Autumn later on. While it was true that every single Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator was an invaluable addition to the team, the Ancient Sages would not compromise the bigger picture just to protect a single one of them.

"Rest assured! Since I have already agreed to your terms, you can expect me to honor my promise!" Zhang Xuan replied confidently as he moved his tamed beasts into his Myriad Anthive Nest.

"I'll believe in your honor as a master teacher!" Bei Feng nodded.

Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and whipped out his weapon.

It was a Great Sage tier moon glaive. This was also the artifact that he was wagering on the duel.

"Clan head, be careful!" one of the grand elders exclaimed worriedly.

Without his tamed beasts, their clan head would only be an Aureate Body realm cultivator. It did not seem impossible for him to match an enemy two realms stronger than him.

Was it really possible for one to breach such a huge disparity in strength?"

"Heh!" Zhang Xuan chuckled softly as he stepped forward. With a flick of his wrist, a jade-like root appeared on his palm.

"I did say that I wouldn't use a tamed beast, and I'll honor the end of my promise... However, I don't have any formidable Great Sage artifacts, and this root is something that I have acquired out of coincidence. It's still decently resilient and hard to be used as a weapon. You shouldn't have any qualms with me using it in battle, right?"

"A root?" Bei Feng took a look at the item that the young man was holding in his hand, and only after confirming that it was indeed a root did he finally nod in agreement. "Feel free to use it as your weapon!"

As long as the young man did not use his tamed beasts, it would not matter much to him whether the young man used a Great Sage artifact or not. Besides, he had taken a closer look at the root and had not noticed anything peculiar about it.

"That's good... Little Root, I'll leave the rest to you!" Zhang Xuan nodded as he lazily tossed the root up into the air.

"Leave it to me!" the root replied through the diffusion of its thoughts.

After that, it flew into the aerial space right above Bei Feng.

"Mere cheap street tricks!" Bei Feng spat coldly as he flung the moon glaive in his grasp toward the root.

Si la!

The space tremored under Bei Feng's movements. A Sempiternal realm consummation cultivator paired with a Great Sage artifact produced a might that would leave anyone trembling in fear.

Hu!

But before the moon glaive could strike the root, the space around them suddenly jolted. The next instant, Bei Feng found himself standing in the midst of a desert. A towering tree stood quietly in front of him. With a tug of a light breeze, buds of cotton slowly descended upon the ground as if snow.

Alarmed by the changes around him, Bei Feng narrowed his eyes and shouted, "What's this?"

Unbeknownst to him, wisps of nearly indiscernible cotton had fallen into his mouth as he spoke.

"What's going on?"

"What kind of artifact is that?"

Not expecting a mere root to produce such a massive desert, everyone was stunned. For a moment, they were not able to react at all.

"Bei Feng, it's just an illusion. You just have to find a way to break it..." one of the experts of the Otherworldly Demonic Tribe shouted in agitation.

"Alright..." Bei Feng said.

However, before he could finish speaking, his body suddenly started convulsing wildly.

Hualala!

The next instant, Bei Feng was reduced to a pile of yellow sand. Not a trace of him remained.

Silence immediately devoured the entire area.

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Chapter 1726: The Appearance of the Ancient Sage

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Hu!

With a light sway of the towering tree, the desert suddenly vanished from sight. Everything reverted to normal, as if what they had witnessed earlier was nothing more than a figment of their imagination.

The only difference was that the Otherworldly Demon known as Bei Feng had vanished completely from the face of the world.

"Bei Feng has died?"

"His soul aura has completely vanished without a trace. Has his body really been reduced to yellow sand? How is this possible?"

"What just happened?"

The Otherworldly Demons were utterly horrified by what they had just witnessed. It was so inconceivable that they could not help but doubt the integrity of their eyes.

In terms of fighting prowess, Bei Feng could be said to have been the strongest among them all. Yet, despite his strength, he had been reduced to yellow sand barely after the duel started. Just what in the world was that root?

How could it wield such frightening prowess?

The Otherworldly Demons were not the only ones who were appalled by this turn of events. The Xingmeng Sword Saints and the other master teachers watching the duel were dumbstruck as well.

They had thought that Zhang Xuan would have a tough battle against Bei Feng, especially since he had been forbidden from using his tamed beasts. Who could have thought that he would end the battle with even greater ease than before?

To end the battle in less than two breaths... Furthermore, it was not a simple death. Every single trace of Bei Feng's existence had been completely erased!

"Xuan-er, this..." Sword Saint Meng murmured worriedly.

"Don't worry, it's nothing much. It's one of the minor fortuitous encounters that I told you about earlier. I happened to tame this root by chance," Zhang Xuan replied with a reassuring smile.

As fearsome as the root appeared to be, it was actually extremely easy to defend against it. As long as one sealed one's acupoints and prevent its cotton from getting into one's body, the root would be rendered completely helpless against one. In terms of true fighting prowess, it was actually nowhere near the level of the Five Monarchs.

Sword Saint Meng felt an ache in her chest.

Minor fortuitous encounter?

Five Sempiternal realm consummation beasts and a seedling that could easily eradicate a Sempiternal realm consummation expert from the face of the world... if they are considered as minor fortuitous encounters, what do we count as then?

Aren't we nothing at all?

"Return!" With a flick of his wrist, Zhang Xuan placed the root back into the Myriad Anthive Nest. Following which, he beckoned with his hand, and the Sacred Blood Crystal and the moon glaive flew right into his grasp.

"Since I have won the duel, I won't stand on ceremony," Zhang Xuan remarked.

Without paying any heed to the response from the Otherworldly Demons, he threw those two artifacts right into his storage ring.

Hong long long!

Barely after he collected those items, a fearsome aura suddenly crept across the land as if a tornado had descended upon the world. Cracks appeared all over the floor, and the Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter Pavilions began trembling nonstop. It felt as if they would succumb to the immense pressure at any moment.

"This is... the strength of an Ancient Sage?" Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes as he hurriedly raised his head to take a look.

However, the pressure seemed to be omnipresent, so he was unable to discern where it was coming from.

"While that root isn't a beast, it does have its own life and consciousness. That should be enough for it to be deemed as a tamed beast. Yet, you speak of a fair duel?"

The domineering voice reverberated across the land.

Following which, Zhang Xuan felt his body tensing on the spot. It felt like some formidable force had locked onto him, and it was threatening to crush him to death.

Jiya! Jiya!

His bones creaked resoundingly as cold sweat poured down his head.

It was apparent that the Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage had deemed his actions to be an infringement of the rules and had decided to make a move.

"Old Geezer Yu, didn't you hear my descendant asking if he could use the root earlier? Your subordinate clearly agreed to his terms. Are you intending to cause trouble just because your subordinate lost the duel? If a fight is what you want, a fight is what you'll get!"

Just as Zhang Xuan was about the reach his limits, a voice suddenly reverberated in the air as well. Following which, an energy reminiscent of a warm breeze in spring embraced his body, causing the pressure crushing him to vanish.

It was just a simple clash between the two Ancient Sage experts, but the shockwave produced a crisp sound reminiscent of a river battering a boulder. It felt as if even the reinforced space in the Temple of Confucius would shatter from their strength.

"The Ancient Sage of the Zhang Clan?" Knowing that the newly arrived Ancient Sage was on his side, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

From the looks of it, the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan had decided to make a move as well.

"Your descendant mentioned that the root is hard and resilient, but he never revealed that it possesses such an enigmatic ability..." The voice of the person named Old Geezer Yu echoed in the air.

"Since it's a duel, your subordinate should have known that there was a possibility that he would be killed. How naive must your subordinate have been to expect his enemy to come clean about his trump card?" The old ancestor of the Zhang Clan harrumphed coldly. "Besides, while the root does possess enigmatic abilities, the same could be said about your subordinate's moon glaive!

"A loss is a loss. If you don't have the courage to face a loss, you should have stopped your subordinate from accepting the duel in the place! If you really want to exact vengeance for your subordinate, why don't you stop hiding like a darned tortoise and come out to face me? Even if I suffer some injuries while doing so, I swear that I'll bust your nuts!"

"You..." Old Geezer Yu was so furious that his voice was quivering with rage. However, it seemed like he did fear the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan quite a bit. Instead of fussing over that matter, he harrumphed. "Humph! I'll overlook your provocations for today, but I don't believe that you'll be able to constantly guard this fellow! His name is Zhang Xuan, isn't it? I'll remember it. I'll have plenty of opportunities to end his life once we're out of the Temple of Confucius...

"You useless bunch of fools, stop staring with your mouths wide open. Return to the Pavilion of Irate Summer and wait patiently for the Hall of Great Accomplishment to open!"

"Yes!" Hearing the order from their old ancestor, the Otherworldly Demons hurriedly turned around and returned to the pavilion.

"Hold it a moment!"

Barely after the Otherworldly Demons started retreating toward the Pavilion of Irate Summer, they suddenly heard a loud bellow—it was from Zhang Xuan.

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was not willing to let this matter rest, the faces of the Otherworldly Demons turned livid. "Do you still intend to duel with us?"

"That's right, I still want to continue challenging you all. Rest assured, I won't use my tamed beasts or the root now. Is there still anyone brave enough to face me in a battle?" Zhang Xuan had never been so good-tempered as to let someone who exerted pressure and threatened him get away without paying a hefty price.

It was not as if he had never killed an Ancient Sage before!

You want to kill me? Very well... Watch helplessly as I do your subordinates in!

If you dare make an appearance, I'll throw the Book of Heaven's Path right at you and make my second Ancient Sage kill!

An Otherworldly Demon could not help but ask skeptically, "Are you certain?"

"If none of you have the guts to accept my duel even after I have given you so many concessions, I suggest you return to the otherworldly battlefield and never appear on the Master Teacher Continent ever again. With how cowardly you lot are, there's no way you can ever become a threat to mankind!" Zhang Xuan harrumphed arrogantly.

"You..." The Otherworldly Demons clenched their fists tightly together upon hearing those words.

"Are you really not going to use your tamed beasts and root?" Old Geezer Yu's voice echoed in the air.

"I'll swear in my capacity as a master teacher that I'll rely only on my own strength and my weapon. Surely you won't be so frightened as to deprive a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator of his weapon, right?" Zhang Xuan raised his head proudly, devoid of the slightest fear toward Old Geezer Yu. "If you aren't going to allow me to use my weapon, just treat it as if I did not say anything!"

"Humph! Use your weapon then!" Old Geezer Yu harrumphed coldly.

His subordinate had also used his weapon earlier. Even if Zhang Xuan had a truly powerful weapon in his grasp, due to the limitations of his cultivation, there was only so much that he would be able to do.

"Is there anyone who dares fight me?" Zhang Xuan pointed his finger forward and challenged imposingly. "If your subordinates are frightened, I don't mind having all of them coming at me. In other words, they can fight me one after another or fight me all at once. If I, Zhang Xuan, show even the slightest frown in response, I'll renounce myself as an offspring of the Zhang Clan!"

"Well said! You are indeed a man of our Zhang Clan!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan complimented with a heartened tone. Following that, he harrumphed coldly at the Otherworldly Demons. "Old Geezer Yu, my descendant has already made so many compromises. Surely you can't still be scared of him, can you?"

"You..." Not expecting to be humiliated by a mere Aureate Body realm cultivator, Old Geezer Yu was on the verge of exploding from rage. "Very well, I'll give you what you want. However, it won't just be a simple duel but a life-and-death duel! In other words, the duel won't end until either this young brat dies or my subordinates die! Do you still dare accept the challenge?"

He had really lost his temper.

Ever since he became an Ancient Sage, no one had dared talk down to him in such a manner. Yet, a young brat actually dared to taunt him again and again. This was not something that his pride would allow.

That young brat had powerful tamed beasts and a formidable root, but his cultivation was sorely lacking. The young brat might possess methods to deal with Sempiternal realm cultivators, considering how he dared to make such a challenge in the first place. However, Old Geezer Yu refused to believe that none of his subordinates would be able to stop the young brat!

Knowing that the other party was determined to use this opportunity to kill this descendant of his, the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan harrumphed coldly. "Old Geezer Yu, you sure have the cheek to talk..."

Just as he was about to reject the request, another voice interrupted him.

"Fine, I'll accept your challenge!"

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Chapter 1727: I'll Humbly Accept Them

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Seeing how rashly Zhang Xuan had agreed to Old Geezer Yu's challenge, the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan was horrified.

"Have you thought this matter through?" he asked Zhang Xuan worriedly. "You won't be allowed to use your tamed beasts or the seedling; you'll only be able to use your own weapon! It's not too late to back down now."

"I don't intend to back down, and I hope that the other party won't back down either!" Zhang Xuan replied with an indomitable air. With a straightened back, he said, "Suppressing the Otherworldly Demons is part of my responsibility as a master teacher. Even if I'm no match for them and all of this is nothing more than a futile sacrifice, I won't back down!"

"Well said!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan roared with a hearty laughter.

"Put your mind at ease and focus your attention on eradicating those Otherworldly Demons. Since we have already agreed on the rules, that Old Geezer Yu wouldn't dare to renege on his promise and interfere in the duel. If he were to so make a move, he can be certain that he will have to face the rage of my sword!"

"Hah! I'll be glad as long as you don't renege on your promise!" Old Geezer Yu sneered eerily in response. "As you have all heard, that young brat wants to challenge all of you, and you have the option of swarming him together if you want to... We of the Spirit Tribe have inherited the bloodline of the Gods. We are unparalleled, and we can't allow ourselves to be defeated by mere humans! If you lose in this battle, I don't think that there's any need for you to exist in this world anymore. On the other hand, if you successfully defeat him, I'll bestow upon each of you a droplet of my blood!"

"A droplet of our lord's blood?"

"Lord, please rest assured. We won't let you down!"

Upon hearing the reward, the faces of the Otherworldly Demons flushed in agitation as a brilliant light shone from their eyes.

"Let's begin then!"

Hula!

Shortly after those words were said, dozens of Otherworldly Demons immediately encircled Zhang Xuan, sealing all of his escape routes.

"You..."

Not expecting the Otherworldly Demons to be so shameless as to really gang up on Zhang Xuan, the faces of the master teachers in the Pavilion of Warm Spring turned livid in fury.

"It's fine, I can handle them. There's no need to breach the rules over something as minor as this..." Seeing that the master teachers were intending to head forward to aid him, Zhang Xuan waved his hand and chuckled softly. After which, he turned to the Otherworldly Demons and asked coldly, "We agreed earlier that I'm allowed to use my weapons, right?"

"Of course!" Old Geezer Yu's voice echoed loudly in the air.

"Very well then! Allow me to draw my weapon first before proceeding with the duel!" Zhang Xuan nodded. He flicked his wrist, and the Dragonbone Divine Spear immediately materialized in his grasp. With a simple swing, it warped into a massive ancient dragon that soared across the air.

"This is... Ancient Sage Ran Qiu's Dragonbone Divine Spear, a real Ancient Sage artifact? No, that's not it. Its powers have been sealed, so it can only exert the strength of a Great Sage artifact at the moment... This won't be sufficient to pose a threat to them..." Seeing the weapon that Zhang Xuan had taken out, Old Geezer Yu widened his eyes in astonishment before falling into deep contemplation.

There was no doubt that the Dragonbone Divine Spear had been a formidable weapon at its peak, and even he would have had to run as far as possible if he encountered it. However, it was a different matter now that its power had been sealed.

Most of his subordinates had reached the Sempiternal realm, and nearly all of them had a Great Sage artifact in their possession. They should at least be a match against the severely weakened Dragonbone Divine Spear.

Old Geezer Yu was confident that his subordinates would be able to stand their ground, but the next moment, the young man flicked his wrist and took out a gigantic slab of metal.

It was also a Great Sage artifact.

"A Great Sage brick artifact? Furthermore, it seems to be forged out of Golden Origin Spirit Stone... Who in the world is so extravagant as to use the Golden Origin Spirit Stone in such a wasteful manner?" Old Geezer Yu frowned.

However, that was not the end of it yet.

Hu hu hu hu hu!

In the blink of an eye, more weapons materialized in the surroundings, forming a defensive circle around Zhang Xuan.

The Infernal Blacksaber, Bei Xin's spear, the Soultheft Shackle, Ancient Sage Zi Rong's inkstone...

These six artifacts emanated a fearsome pressure reminiscent of six separate Sempiternal realm consummation experts.

"You... How do you possess so many powerful artifacts?"

Everyone had thought that the young man would only bring out a single Great Sage artifact to aid him in his battle—after all, each Great Sage artifact was an invaluable treasure. Yet, who could have known that he would bring out so many of them in the blink of an eye?

Such extravagance had stunned everyone watching the scene.

Putting aside the rarity and value of Great Sage artifacts, just taming a single Great Sage artifact could easily take several decades or even centuries of one's life.

Yet, a twenty-year-old man had actually managed to tame so many of them. This was too unbelievable!

"Attack!"

Seeing as the number of Great Sage artifacts was growing by the second, the Otherworldly Demons realized that they could really lose against the young man at this rate. Thus, one of them immediately shouted the order for the group to launch their attack.

"Hold it a moment. I haven't taken out all of my artifacts yet..." Zhang Xuan grumbled as he continued flicking his wrist.

Hu hu hu!

Another four Great Sage artifacts appeared. It was the moon glaive and the other artifacts that he had won in the two earlier duels.

As soon as those four artifacts earlier, Zhang Xuan's fingers danced agilely among them, tapping them accurately on certain points.

Weng weng weng weng!

The four Great Sage artifacts echoed in unison, indicating their submission to Zhang Xuan. They had all acknowledged him as their master.

Huala!

Following that, the four Great Sage artifacts rose into the air as well, directing their edges toward the Otherworldly Demons.

"Ten Great Sage artifacts? This... How is this a fair duel?"

"Is this what he means by 'Even if I'm no match for them and all of this is a futile sacrifice, I won't back down'?"

Seeing the legion of Great Sage artifacts floating around Zhang Xuan, the Otherworldly Demons felt goosebumps rising on their skin, and they nearly spurted blood in frustration.

They could overlook a single artifact, but ten of them... That was equivalent to facing ten Sempiternal realm cultivators at once! Did they even stand a chance against such a powerful force?

Thinking about the impassioned words of the young man earlier, as if a lone hero fighting off hordes of enemies, they felt their hearts stifling up.

No match your head!

Futile sacrifice my ass!

The one who is in a disadvantageous position is clearly us!

"What are you all waiting for? Are you waiting for your deaths?" Old Geezer Yu roared in frenzy.

As an Ancient Sage, he had lived for many years. Yet, he had never seen something as eerie as this.

"Y-yes!"

The longer they waited to strike, the more time Zhang Xuan would have to coordinate his artifacts together. If those artifacts were really able to coordinate with one another impeccably, they would stand no chance. Thus, he charged forward furiously.

The Otherworldly Demon who had roared the command to attack earlier was the first one to charge forward and reach Zhang Xuan. The weapon that he wielded was a Great Sage crescent blade.

He was one of the initial six Sempiternal realm consummation experts, and in terms of strength, he was nearly on par with Bei Yuan. The tremendous strength that he boasted was brought out perfectly through his forceful weapon. With a simple hack, a deafening sonic boom echoed in the air, and even the surrounding space distorted slightly as a result of the force exerted.

Hula!

Zhang Xuan felt a tremendous might descending right upon his head.

Just when it seemed like he would be split in half, his time suddenly accelerated. He easily turned around to face the crescent blade before adeptly tapping his fingers on it.

Weng!

An excited buzz sounded from the crescent blade. Following which, its massive body jolted ferociously, and it escaped from the Otherworldly Demon's grip. It turned its blade against the Otherworldly Demon and swung itself down furiously.

"The heck..."

The eyes of the Otherworldly Demon widened in horror at this abrupt change.

The next moment, his head plopped to the ground. Even before he died, he still had no idea what was going on.

"This... Did he just tame that crescent blade?"

The master teachers were dumbstruck by what they were seeing.

And Old Geezer Yu looked utterly frenzied as well.

To be able to tame their weapons and turn them against their masters in the midst of battle... How were they supposed to face an enemy like this?

Before the crowd could recover from their shock, the young man had already charged into the crowd. Every weapon that came into contact with his finger would immediately turn on its master. At the same time, the brick, Dragonbone Divine Spear, and the other weapons were also collaborating closely with one another to destroy the Otherworldly Demons.

"Initially, I thought that the Otherworldly Demons were going too far by ganging up on Zhang shi, but why does it seem as if it's Zhang shi who is the one bullying them?"

"To actually snatch the enemies' weapons and turn them against their masters... I wonder how traumatized these Otherworldly Demons are!"

"There's no need to wonder about it, it's definitely worse than what you can ever imagine! It's no wonder Zhang shi dared challenge all of them at once... It seems like he was prepared for this. Right from the start, he was already planning to slaughter all of the Otherworldly Demons!"

...

Amid the discussions, Zhang Xuan had quietly backed out from the crowd. With his hands behind his back, he leisurely watched the massive battle between the Otherworldly Demons and the weapons.

He could not help but remark, "I am deeply grateful for the gifts that you have offered me. I'll humbly accept them!"

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Chapter 1728: The Blood of an Ancient Sage

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Pu!"

"Humbly accept your head!"

The Otherworldly Demons who found themselves coming under the furious offense of their ex-weapons were utterly frenzied. The pitiful plight that they were in made tears stream down their faces.

You know full well that we never intended to give our weapons away to you! What you are doing isn't 'humbly accepting' our weapons but stealing them, alright?

A fair duel should mean all of us using zhenqi to fight with one another, but look at what you are doing!

Fair your head!

At this rate, it would almost be better if you had brought your tamed beasts out to bite us to death! At the very least, we wouldn't have to face such humiliation...

Under the onslaught of weapons under Zhang Xuan's control, the Otherworldly Demons fell one after another. In the blink of an eye, over thirty of them had already been slain. Witnessing such a sight before him, the Ancient Sage named Old Geezer Yu finally came to the limits of his tolerance.

"You... you're courting death!"

His motive for having his subordinates challenge the human cultivators was to obtain the opportunity to enter the Hall of Great Accomplishment. However, with nearly all of his subordinates dead, what use did he have for the slots?

It was not as if he could enter the Hall of Great Accomplishment himself!

Hong long!

A massive hand suddenly materialized in the air, sealing the space surrounding the Hall of Great Accomplishment. An astounding might that seemed as if it could seal even the heavens rushed down from the sky, threatening to crush Zhang Xuan into minced meat.

"Powerful!"

Realizing the danger heading his way, Zhang Xuan drove his zhenqi desperately, hoping to flee as far as he could. However, he found his body completely bound in place. No matter how he struggled, he was unable to get away.

Ancient Sages were the most powerful existences on the Master Teacher Continent. Even the most resilient material in the world would be crushed under their imposing might. Given Zhang Xuan's cultivation, he stood no chance against such a force.

Hula!

Just as Zhang Xuan was nearing his limits, the cold glint of a sword suddenly flashed through the air.

However, this sword glint was not aimed at the palm descending from the sky, and it did nothing to alleviate the tremendous pressure that Zhang Xuan was under. Instead, it was aimed at a void in space.

Puhe!

The sound of a sword plunging right into flesh ripped through the air. Following which, fresh blood dripped from the void in space.

It seemed like the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan had been biding his time to determine Old Geezer Yu's location before making his move!

"You..." Old Geezer Yu shrieked in anger.

At the same time, the palm in the sky flickered a little before vanishing into thin air.

Huhu!

Ripples diffused from a void in space. Old Geezer Yu knew that he was in a disadvantageous position at the moment, so he fled without any hesitation.

"Haha, this sure is exhilarating!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan roared in hearty laughter.

It was extremely difficult to kill a cultivator who had already reached Ancient Sage. In truth, the two of them had fought with one another for many years, but there had been no conclusion to their battle. This time around, the old ancestor had managed to land a direct strike on Old Geezer Yu's vitals. While it was insufficient to take down Old Geezer Yu once and for all, the latter would have to recuperate for quite a period of time.

The reason that he was able to do it was because his descendant had managed to provoke Old Geezer Yu into losing his temper, thus leading him into making a reckless move.

Lowering his head to look at the battlefield once more, he saw that all thirty of the powerful Otherworldly Demons had already collapsed to the ground as corpses.

A huge array of weapons had fallen into Zhang Xuan's possession. They danced joyfully around him, as if concubines seeking imperial favor.

"You might be young, but your capabilities and wisdom are remarkable. Not bad!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan complimented.

Following which, a force slowly swept across the battlefield, gathering the blood droplets scattered over the ground. These crimson droplets converged together in the sky before being filled into a jade bottle.

"It's due to you that I had the opportunity to severely wound Old Geezer Yu. As a senior of the Zhang Clan, I can't allow your contributions to go unnoticed. I'll bestow these five droplets of Ancient Sage blood to you!"

"Thank you, old ancestor!" Zhang Xuan accepted the jade bottle respectfully.

To be honest, he had no idea what the blood of an Ancient Sage could be used for. However, the fact that it could drive the Otherworldly Demons into a frenzy, going to the extent of accepting his challenge despite the risks that they would face, there was no doubt that it was an invaluable treasure.

"The blood of Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sages harnesses concentrated killing intent, so it might not be as useful to your cultivation. Besides, this is only your spoils of war and not my reward. As a senior, I can't be too stingy with my reward. So, I'll bestow this jade bottle to you as well. It contains five droplets of my blood. Use it well and strive to advance your cultivation to higher realms as soon as possible. I believe that you'll be able to bring the Zhang Clan to greater heights!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan said.

Hula!

Right after those words were spoken, a jade bottle materialized in the air. Even before it approached Zhang Xuan, he could already feel tremendous power pulsating within the blood droplets within the jade bottle, as if they would combust into flames at any moment.

Even though Zhang Xuan's bloodline had already been stripped from him, considering that it was the blood of an Ancient Sage from the same clan within the jade bottle, it was likely to be of far greater use to him than the blood of an Otherworldly Demon Ancient Sage.

"Xuan-er, hurry up and thank our old ancestor!" Sword Saint Xing reminded Zhang Xuan anxiously through telepathy.

"Thank you, old ancestor!" Zhang Xuan bowed deeply.

"There's no need to stand on ceremony. This is what you deserve!" the old ancestor of the Zhang Clan said.

As the voice trailed to a halt, the imposing aura lingering in the air disappeared, as if it had never been there in the first place.

Knowing that the old ancestor had returned to hiding, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

There was no doubt that many Ancient Sages would have made their way into the Temple of Confucius in hopes of acquiring Kong shi's ultimate treasure. Given so, it would be best not to parade their strength around.

After all, it was always the tree that stood out from the others that would fall in the face of a furious gale.

If they unintentionally drew the ire of the other Ancient Sages, and the other Ancient Sages chose to gang up on them, they would be dead before they knew it.

Zhang Xuan sent a telepathic message over to Sword Saint Xing. "What is the use of the blood of an Ancient Sage?"

"Every droplet of Ancient Sage blood possesses an incredible amount of energy," Sword Saint Xing explained with an excited gleam in his eyes. "Furthermore, it contains their comprehension of cultivation as an Ancient Sage as well. As such, if one could assimilate the blood of an Ancient Sage into one's body, one's cultivation will be able to improve by leaps and bounds, possibly reaching an unthinkable level!"

"Assimilate?"

"That's right. For example, if a mortal came into contact with a droplet of Ancient Sage blood and successfully assimilated it without exploding from all the power raging within his body, they would be able to advance from Fighter all the way to Great Sage at once!" Sword Saint Xing explained.

"This..." Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes in shock.

It had taken him so much time, effort, and resources in order to advance from Fighter to Great Sage... and yet, a mere droplet of Ancient Sage blood was more than enough to do the same.

This was way too fearsome!

Of course, he also understood that it was just an example. Putting aside the fact that it was impossible for a mortal to assimilate the overwhelming power harnessed within the blood of an Ancient Sage, even if they somehow found a way to pull it off, their zhenqi would be extremely bloated from achieving breakthroughs in such a forceful manner.

As a result of that, their fighting prowess would be beneath that of an ordinary Great Sage, and it would be hard for them to push their cultivation further, considering their weak foundation.

"However, the true appeal of Ancient Sage blood lies not in the tremendous energy nor the comprehension of cultivation infused in it. What truly drives others frenzied over it is the power of the Ancient Sage's Blood Reincarnation that the blood harnesses. If a cultivator sustains severe damage, as long as their soul didn't dissipate on the spot, a single droplet of Ancient Sage blood will allow them to make a complete recovery. Its effects are so powerful that even a head lopped off could be reattached once more as long as the cultivator hasn't breathed their last breath yet!" Sword Saint Xing explained.

"This..." Zhang Xuan's body froze on the spot.

He could not even begin to describe his shock anymore.

Due to his Heaven's Path zhenqi, he possessed miraculous recovery abilities that allowed him to swiftly heal from most injuries. Nevertheless, if someone lopped his head off, there was no way that he would have been able to recover from that kind of severe injury.

Yet, the blood of an Ancient Sage was able to heal such severe, near-death injuries. To put it in other words, every droplet of Ancient Sage blood was no different from an additional life!

It was no wonder the Otherworldly Demons had gotten so agitated over it. It was truly a priceless treasure!

"Father, Mother, I'll give you one droplet each. It's unlikely that I will use all five droplets here..." Recovering from his shock, Zhang Xuan uncorked the cap of the jade bottle and flicked his finger.

Two droplets of blood pulsating richly with power flew toward the Xingmeng Sword Saints.

It would be much better for him to give a droplet to each of his parents so that they would at least be able to protect themselves from harm. In any case, it was unlikely that he would use all five blood droplets there, so there was no harm in doing so.

There were unpredictable dangers lurking in the Temple of Confucius, and it would set his mind at ease if his parents had such a life preserving treasure with them.

"This..."

Not expecting their son to give them such an invaluable treasure without any hesitation, the Xingmeng Sword Saints exchanged glances with one another before clenching their fists tightly in agitation.

With such a son, what more could they wish for in the world?

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