Chapter 431: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (1) [2in1]
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"You know Little Su and Little Ling?"
Sun Qiang frowned.
"I've... met them once!"
Hearing him address 4-star master teachers in such a manner, the corner of Jin Conghai's lips twitched.
Those two were powerful figures in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, and yet, in this plump man's mouth, they seemed as though insignificant small fries...
His head spun frenziedly.
"Since you know them, then it won't be a problem to tell you then!"
Sun Qiang's expression finally alleviated slightly upon seeing the fear on the other party's face, and he revealed, "The old master, Yang Xuan, is a master teacher. As for his rank... he has never revealed it before, so I don't know either. However, Su shi has once hinted that his capability has definitely reached the level of a... 6-star master teacher!"
"A 6-star... master teacher?"
'Gongzi', Jin Conghai, Gu Mu, and the others leaped in shock.
Even the most formidable master teacher in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Pavilion Master Kang, was only at 4-star pinnacle. He was still a far way off from reaching 5-star, needless to say, 6-star.
In the ranking system of a master teacher, the higher the rank, the greater the difference between each ranking.
Even though there was only a difference of two ranks between 6-star and 4-star pinnacle, there was actually a huge disparity in their cultivation. Even if all of the experts of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance were to band together, they wouldn't be able to match up to an expert of this class.
To think that the old master the other party was speaking about was such a formidable existence...
It was no wonder why this plump man, despite being only at Dingli realm, could act so fearlessly before them.
With such a huge backing, putting aside Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators and Transcendent Mortal experts... Even the powerful Fleeting Cloud Sect wouldn't dare offend him!
On the other hand, Grand Elder Wei Yuqing's body shuddered, and he nearly fainted from shock.
He had never seen the old master that Sun Qiang was speaking of, but he had seen the young master... it was the incomparably talented Beast Tamer Zhang!
To that genius, taming a beast was as though a walk in the park, and even the incredibly difficult Ten Beasts Cage was no more than a slight workout for him!
All along, he had thought that Beast Tamer Zhang might be the direct disciple of some high-ranked beast tamer. He never could have imagined that Beast Tamer Zhang's teacher would be a 6-star master teacher!
It was no wonder why he was so formidable despite his young age.
'I must hurry back to inform the hall master of the matter!' Grand Elder Wei Yuqing thought.
"That's right! However, the one who wishes to meet Hall Master Gu this time is Young Master Zhang Xuan. Make some preparations and bring more poison along. At the very least, you won't panic when the time comes!"
Seeing the fear in everyone's eyes, Sun Qiang nodded his head in satisfaction.
Who was Yang shi?
As the butler of a master teacher whose ranking potentially exceeded 6-star, even if he didn't possess sufficient strength, he mustn't lose out in his disposition. If he were to be frightened by these small fries, how could he still proudly claim to be the old master's butler?
"Yes!"
Upon learning that 'senior granduncle' was a 6-star master teacher, bits and pieces of Gu Mu's interaction with the other party gradually surfaced in his mind.
Solving his affliction, helping him tame the Lava Beast, expelling the Contract Gu from the Great Herb King's body...
All of his feats were anything but ordinary.
At that moment, he realized that... this fellow might not necessarily be bragging.
That senior granduncle 'Yang shi' might truly be a person of such great means.
"Gongzi, is what he said true?"
Jin Conghai communicated telepathically with 'gongzi'.
Gongzi might be young and his cultivation could not compare up to him, but he was extraordinarily sharp when it came to discerning people.
"His tone is confident, and there isn't the slightest hint of a lie in his words. That Yang shi probably isn't an ordinary figure!" Gongzi replied calmly.
"This..."
"Actually, it's not difficult to determine whether his words are true or not. Based on his words, his young master is probably at Xuanyuan Royal City. If I recall correctly, we have to pass by there to reach Tianwu Royal City so we can go over to take a look. If the old master he speaks of is truly a 6-star master teacher, then befriending him would surely be beneficial."
Gongzi continued, "If that's not the case, you can handle the matter as you please!"
"Yes!" Jin Conghai hurriedly nodded.
That plump man had spoken so confidently that even he was unable to gauge whether the other party's words were true or not.
If this plump man was truly the subordinate of a 6-star master teacher, offending him could potentially be calamitous. Getting on bad terms with an expert of that caliber spelled certain doom.
In any case, since they were heading for Xuanyuan Royal City anyway, they could take a look. Through assessing the young master the other party spoke of, they might be able to determine the authenticity of the other party's words.
Upon coming to a decision, the duo decided to speak no more.
As all of Gu Mu's possessions were kept in his storage ring, there was nothing for him to prepare. Soon, he was ready to set off.
Thus, the group left the Poison Hall, headed in the direction of Xuanyuan Royal City.
...
Hu!
In the chamber, Zhang Xuan finally opened his eyes.
"Such a pity..."
Lamentation surfaced on Zhang Xuan's face.
Ever since Sun Qiang left, Zhang Xuan had been immersing himself into his cultivation. Today was already the third day since then.
On the first day, his physical strength reached 30,000 ding.
In the next two days, he expended a total of five droplets of spirit beast blood essence, but his strength had only reached 35,000 ding before reaching a bottleneck.
"There's nothing wrong my cultivation method, it's the spirit beast blood essence that became ineffective!"
Exhaling deeply, Zhang Xuan shook his head.
The Heaven's Path Golden Body 2-dan was a formula to enhance one's physical body through absorbing spirit beast blood essence. As a cultivation technique compiled by the Library of Heaven's Path, it was impossible for there to be any problems with it. At the same time, Zhang Xuan could sense that he hadn't reached the cap of his cultivation yet.
The problem was that... the spirit beast blood essence had lost effectiveness.
All Zhang Xuan could found in Xuanyuan Kingdom's Beast Hall was the blood essence of grade-1 spirit beasts. An item of that rank was useful and powerful when one's cultivation was still weak. However, after reaching the strength comparable to a Zhizun realm advanced stage, the effects of the blood essence had become minimal.
Using an analogy, when there was a huge difference between the height of two connected ponds, the flow of water from the higher pond to the lower pond would be extremely fast. Eventually, when they finally reach the same height, the height of the lower pond would stop rising.
This grade-1 spirit beast blood essence was only sufficient for Zhang Xuan to reach Zhizun realm advanced stage. At this level, the height between both ponds would be already equal. No matter how much more grade-1 spirit beast blood essence Zhang Xuan absorbed, it would be difficult for his strength to progress.
Immersing his consciousness into the state of his body, Zhang Xuan saw that the blood droplets flowing through his body were round and satiated. They were dense as though mercury, and every single droplet had immense strength packed within it. They were in no way inferior to the grade-1 spirit beast blood essence that Zhang Xuan consumed before.
Even though Zhang Xuan's cultivation had not progress by much in the past two days of cultivation, his efforts were not completely futile. He managed to reinforce his cultivation and adapt to his newfound strength. At the very least, he wouldn't lose control of his strength as he did back then in Master Lu Chen's house.
"I still have seven droplets left. I'll give three of them to Yuan Tao and find a way to further awaken his Emperor's Bloodline. As for the last four, I'll give them to the Howling Firmament Beast!"
Since he still had remaining spirit beast blood essence, and there was no point for him to keep them, he might as well just give it away.
Yuan Tao possessed the Emperor's Bloodline, and the spirit beast blood essence was a treasure that could be used to awaken one's unique constitution.
As for the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, as Zhang Xuan had yet to make a breakthrough in his zhenqi cultivation, he was still unable to trigger a Bloodline Evolution in it yet. However, through channeling the energy contained within the spirit beast blood essence properly, raising its cultivation by one or two small realms could still be easily done.
With the knowledge from the books contained within Xuanluo Mountain Range and Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, coupled with the Eye of Insight, even without utilizing the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan was still capable of such a feat.
In fact, putting aside Zhang Xuan's unique abilities as a master teacher, just in terms of the capabilities of a beast tamer, he was superior to typical 3-star beast tamers.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Xuan immediately got to action. Summoning Yuan Tao and the Howling Firmament Beast over, he distributed the remaining seven droplets of spirit beast blood essence and explained the method to using them clearly.
After dealing with that matter, he saw Hall Master Xie Jiuchen walking over with a delighted expression.
"Beast Tamer Zhang, I've managed to gather all of the books that you require!"
In exchange for taming the Nightmare Beast, Zhang Xuan demanded compensation in the form of cultivation technique manuals. After three days of hard work, the Beast Hall finally managed to gather a thousand manuals of Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation techniques each.
Huala!
As Hall Master Xie Jiuchen spoke, he flicked his wrist and two huge bookshelves appeared before Zhang Xuan. An entire collection consisting of two thousand books were placed in them.
Fearing that Zhang Xuan would be unsatisfied, the Beast Hall had used all of its connections and paid a heavy price to gather all of these books from the distinguished clans. As such, most of the cultivation techniques within the pile were actually rather decent.
Even though they were only copies, being able to gather so many valuable manuals within a short span of three days proved testimony to the immense influence the Beast Hall wielded.
"You have my gratitude, Hall Master Xie!"
After a brief glance, Zhang Xuan could instantly tell that the Beast Hall must have paid a heavy price for it. Grateful for the favor, Zhang Xuan asked, "How is the taming of the Nightmare Beast coming along?"
"That fellow's injuries are starting to recover, and it's no longer as resistant to us as it was... It's all thanks to Beast Tamer Zhang's help!"
Hall Master Xie Jiuchen nodded with a bright smile on his face.
Even though the Nightmare Beast was reluctant to submit to the Beast Hall, it had already signed a contract to Zhang Xuan, and Zhang Xuan's words were law to it. Resigning to fate, its attitude toward the Beast Hall improved significantly.
As time passed, even if the Beast Hall was unable to tame it completely, as long as they were able to build a good relationship with it, it shouldn't be a problem for them to rely on its help during times of crisis.
"That's good!"
Seeing that everything was going well, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Beast Tamer Zhang, you should continue on with whatever you're busy with. I'll take my leave now!"
Given that Zhang Xuan had requested for these cultivation techniques, it was likely he was planning to cultivate or research them. Thus, deciding not to be a nuisance, Hall Master Xie Jiuchen left.
As soon as the other party was gone, Zhang Xuan immediately slid his fingers through the secret manuals to duplicate them in the Library of Heaven's Path.
"Compile!"
With a hushed exclamation, two secret manuals appeared in Zhang Xuan's mind.
They were the Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm Heaven's Path Divine Art manuals.
Chuckling softly, Zhang Xuan began browsing through them.
It didn't take him long to complete the two books.
"Time to try cultivating it!"
Choosing not to waste his time, Zhang Xuan sat down cross-legged, and with a flick of his wrist, a spirit stone appeared in his palms and he started cultivating.
He had obtained ten spirit stones from the Lin Ruotian's storage ring, and five from winning the championship of the Beast Taming Competition.
In other words, there was a total of fifteen spirit stones in Zhang Xuan's hands at the moment. Back when Liang Qingming and Lin Long were smashed to meat paste by the Book of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan was unable to find their storage rings.
Even though there weren't many of them, he calculated that it should be sufficient to raise his cultivation considerably.
Kacha! Kacha!
The spirit stones that were sapped dry were reduced to powder. At the same time, an immense amount of spiritual energy surged into Zhang Xuan's meridians, causing his cultivation to steadily grow stronger.
Boom!
Around ten minutes or so later, his body jolted and his cultivation broke through Zongshi realm pinnacle to reach Half-Zhizun.
Jiang Shu, Mo Tianxue, and the others had cultivated their entire lives, only to be kept out of this level. If they were to know that this fellow had only spent a dozen minutes to accomplish his feat, they would probably die from excessive vomiting of blood.
Half-Zhizun meant that that one already had half a foot into Zhizun realm, and one's level of existence was already undergoing a metamorphosis.
Even so, Zhang Xuan didn't stop then. He continued absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stones greedily.
Kacha!
An hour later, Zhang Xuan's body jolted, and he had successfully reached Zhizun realm.
Cultivating from Zongshi realm pinnacle to Zhizun realm didn't even take him an hour.
As expected of the Heaven's Path Divine Art. With sufficient spiritual energy, cultivating was no different from eating or drinking. The concept of bottlenecks didn't exist in Zhang Xuan's training.
Having achieved a breakthrough in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan immersed himself in the sensation of having an immense amount of zhenqi flowing through his body.
At this moment, just his zhenqi strength itself amounted up to 10,000 ding. He had truly stepped into the top ranks of the Fighter realm.
Two hours later.
Coming to a stop in his cultivation, Zhang Xuan sighed.
Along with the rise in his cultivation, the demand for the quality and quantity of spirit stones was rising exponentially.
In the past, five spirit stones were more than sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle. However, at this moment, fifteen spirit stones were only barely enough for him to reach Zhizun realm. It wasn't even sufficient for him to reinforce his cultivation as a Zhizun realm primary stage cultivator.
The main reason why Zhang Xuan's spirit stone expenditure was so exaggerated was due to the absurd purity of his Heaven's Path zhenqi, which in turn resulted in an absurdly high demand in the quality of spiritual energy that he absorbed.
If it was any other Zhizun realm expert, a single low-tier spirit stone would be sufficient to raise their cultivation significantly. However, Zhang Xuan found himself unable to absorb most of the impure spiritual energy contained within the spirit stone.
About eighty to ninety percent of it went to waste.
Even so, the gains were great. Despite still being in Zhizun realm primary stage, his zhenqi strength had risen by another 5000 ding to reach 15,000 ding. With such strength, he could easily crush any Zhizun realm primary stage expert.
"Along with my physical strength of 35,000 ding, I'll be able to defeat even Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. Coupled with the prowess of the Eye of Insight and Library of Heaven's Path, I'll be a match for even a Half-Transcension expert!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes gleamed in confidence.
Adding both his zhenqi strength and physical strength together, his overall might summed up to an astonishing 50,000 ding. This made him significantly stronger than the 40,000 ding of strength that a typical Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator possessed.
Pairing that with his Heaven's Path battle techniques and the various abilities of a master teacher, it would be possible for him to defeat even a Half-Transcension expert.
In the fourth day upon reaching Xuanyuan Kingdom Beast Hall, as well as the seventh day that Lu Chong fell into coma, Zhang Xuan, from a Zongshi realm cultivator, finally gained the strength surpassing a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert!
In other words...
He finally possessed sufficient strength to avenge his student!
"Lu Chong, look at me... I shall avenge you!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed as he muttered hoarsely.
Since he had already achieved sufficient strength, it was time for him to make a move.
But before that, he had to gain some understanding of the overall strength of Xuanyuan Kingdom first.
Thus, walking out of the chamber, Zhang Xuan walked to another room, knocked on the door, and entered.
"How is it?"
Without wasting any words on pleasantries, Zhang Xuan immediately got straight to the point.
Before his seclusion, on top of instructing Sun Qiang to look for Gu Mu and Hall Master Xie Jiuchen to gather the secret manuals, he had also arranged for Mo Yu to head to Xuanyuan Kingdom to look into Ding Mu's affairs.
If Zhang Xuan wanted to kill the Xuanyuan Kingdom's crown prince, he mustn't allow the Beast Hall to hear of it. Otherwise, if word were to leak out and that fellow were to choose to hide in some remote corner in the world, given how large the alliance was, it would be impossible for Zhang Xuan to find him.
Thus, he decided to entrust this job to Mo Yu.
The other party probably had already looked into his affairs, and it wasn't too hard to dig up news of his students. It would be extremely easy for Zhao Ya and the others to be noticed and captured if he were to send them instead.
Besides, Mo Yu was a 1-star master teacher, and given her standing, it would be relatively easier for her to gather intelligence.
"I've gathered some news..."
A slight frown crept onto Mo Yu's forehead as she replied, "As soon as Ding Mu returned to Xuanyuan Kingdom, he immediately chose to hide in the Master Teacher Pavilion. Even now, he hadn't stepped out from it!"
"Master Teacher Pavilion?"
Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up.
Things always seemed to go in the worst direction.
If one wanted to go against the Conferred Kingdom, the greatest obstacle wasn't the country itself but its Master Teacher Pavilion.
The Master Teacher Pavilion had a responsibility to maintain peace and stability in its region, so it rarely allowed anyone to wreak havoc in its territory. Otherwise, given how many experts there were in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance, they could easily travel to a weaker kingdom and proclaim themselves as emperors.
With such instability, the kingdom system would fall apart eventually.
While killing the crown prince might result in chaos, it wasn't as destabilizing as killing an emperor. Given Zhang Xuan's standing as a master teacher, the other party would probably just overlook the matter. However, from the looks of it, he seemed to have been underestimating the severity of the matter.
"It's said that the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong, is indebted to the royal family, and he's a close friend of Ding Mu as well. As such, he intends to stand out to mediate the matter!" Mo Yu revealed the news that she had just heard.
The other party had intentionally put word out, so it wasn't difficult for Mo Yu to hear of it.
"Hmph!"
Zhang Xuan's eyes narrowed and dense killing intent poured out of him, "As long as he hands over Ding Mu, I'll allow him to mediate whatever he likes!"
Mediate?
If he were to accept it, then what about Lu Chong?
You must be dreaming!
"Zhang Xuan, there's more news..."
Seeing the other party's expression, Mo Yu knew that he was determined to kill Ding Mu. A hint of worry flashed across her eyes.
"Hmm?" Zhang Xuan turned around to look at Mo Yu.
"The Xuanyuan Kingdom's emperor, Ding Chong, has announced that he will pass down the throne to Ding Mu!" Mo Yu said.
"Pass down the throne?" Zhang Xuan's forehead furrowed.
If Ding Mu remained as a crown prince, even though killing him might bring some trouble, it wasn't beyond his means to resolve it.
However, once he inherits the throne and becomes the emperor, killing him would rattle the foundation of the kingdom. The other Conferred Kingdoms might strike at this good opportunity.
If so, there would be war, and the population would suffer. Given such, the Master Teacher Pavilion would surely step in to stop Zhang Xuan.
"Seems like he's well-prepared!"
As long as Ding Mu was successfully inaugurated as the new emperor, it would be difficult for Zhang Xuan to strike.
It seemed like that fellow was truly frightened by the sight of Liang Qingming being crushed by the Book of Heaven's Path.
However... So what if he became the emperor?
So what if the Master Teacher Pavilion was going to stop him?
Since the other party injured Lu Chong, he should be ready to face his wrath!
If the kingdom tries to stop him, he will eradicate the kingdom. If the Master Teacher Pavilion tries to stop him, he will eradicate the Master Teacher Pavilion!
At most, he would just have to find some way to form more golden pages. Even if he had to become everyone's enemies, he was determined to avenge his student!
Coming to a decision, Zhang Xuan asked, "When is his inauguration ceremony?"
The inauguration of an emperor was not a minor affair. The royal family, nobles, envoys from the surrounding Conferred Kingdoms... there were many people to be invited. Given the huge amount of preparatory work required, it should take some time.
It had only been seven days since that fellow's escape. Even if the announcement of him inaugurating as the emperor was made as soon as he returned, there should still be some time before the inauguration ceremony.
"It is... today!"
Mo Yu smiled bitterly.
As the princess of a country, as well as a potential emperor candidate groomed by Mo Tianxue, she was well-aware of the various formalities required for an inauguration ceremony.
The other party should have taken two days at minimum to travel from Tianwu Kingdom back to Xuanyuan Kingdom. In other words... in just five days, the other party managed to complete all of the formalities. They sure were efficient.
Before the inauguration was held, Ding Mu would continue to hide in the Master Teacher Pavilion. And when he's finally inaugurated as the new emperor, it will become even harder to kill him...
Even Mo Yu couldn't have expected that Zhang Xuan would force the crown prince of a Conferred Kingdom up the wall.
"Today?"
Flinging his sleeves, Zhang Xuan stood up and walked out.
"What are you going to do? It can't be that... you intend to barge into the inauguration ceremony?"
Mo Yu's face paled.
"Indeed!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
"But your current strength... Didn't you say that you'll only head over after reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle? You're being too reckless like that..." Mo Yu hurriedly persuaded.
"Zhizun realm pinnacle?"
Without turning back, Zhang Xuan's aura suddenly burst out. In an instant, it was like a flood dragon was rising to the heavens, or a tiger stepping out of the forest, leaving one feeling helpless and insignificant.
"... I've already reached it!"
.
.
.
Chapter 432: Wreaking Havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom (2)
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"Going over without reaching Zhizun realm pinnacle is courting death..." Mo Yu anxiously shouted. However, halfway through her words, she finally came to a realization and her lips quivered, "What did you say... You've already reached it?"
Four days ago, when this fellow went into seclusion, he was only at Zongshi realm pinnacle. Yet, he was saying that he had already reached Zhizun realm pinnacle?
That is Zhizun realm! Countless people have been stuck at its gates, unable to surpass the bottleneck their entire lives. Yet, in four short days...
Do you have to be so exaggerated?
What in the world did you eat to become so scary?
Overwhelmed with shock, Mo Yu hurriedly took a closer look. Feeling the powerful aura the other party was exuding, she trembled.
Even though she had finally reached Zongshi realm, before him, she couldn't help but feel as helpless as an ant before a wave.
"You've really reached Zhizun realm pinnacle?"
Mo Yu was stunned.
What kind of monster was this?
Just a few days ago, when the other party told her that he wanted to exact vengeance, she told him that he had to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle to stand a chance.
In truth, she had hoped that he would back down after being told the difficulty of the matter.
In this way, the other party would give up on these dangerous thoughts and focus on the Master Teacher Tournament instead. Yet... the other party simply made breakthroughs as though they were nothing.
In just a few short days, he rose from Zongshi realm pinnacle to Zhizun realm pinnacle. It was as if those so-called cultivation bottlenecks were a concept non-existent to him... Could he still be considered as a human?
If she were to say that he would at least require the strength of a Half-Transcension, would he rise to that level as well?
She had always been proud of her talent, but why did she seem no different from a trash before this person...
Even the incredible genius Mo Hongyi, compared to him, was... nothing at all.
It was no wonder why Zhao Ya and the others thought nothing of it when Zhang Xuan said that he was going to aim for Zhizun realm pinnacle. She'd only realized at this moment that the others weren't just fawning over Zhang Xuan; it was the absolute truth, and perhaps... they might even be underestimating him.
"Wait a moment, I'll go along with you..."
Multiple emotions flashed across Mo Yu's face, and by the time she regained her composure, that fellow was already far away. She hurriedly rushed over to catch up.
"You're still far too weak. It'll be better for you to stay here with Zhao Ya and the others!"
Zhang Xuan stopped and waved her away.
Even though Mo Yu had improved swiftly during this period of time, breaking through the Zongshi realm barrier, her strength was still far from enough to match up to those experts in Xuanyuan Kingdom.
Bloodshed couldn't be avoided in this confrontation. Zhang Xuan was confident of holding his ground, but it would be difficult for him to protect others along with him.
"I am a master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion. On top of that, I am a princess of Tianwu Kingdom as well. As long as I don't make a move, they won't do anything to me!" Mo Yu hurriedly said.
As she spent more time with the young man before her, she gradually found it harder and harder to part with him. For some reason, knowing that he was headed for danger, she wanted to follow him as well so that she could lend her assistance if something were to really happen.
"Alright then. Later on, just remain on the back of the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast. If there's any sign of danger, leave straight away!"
Seeing the worry on the other party's face, Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before eventually nodding his head.
He felt that it was his responsibility to exact vengeance for Lu Chong given that he was his teacher, but this had nothing to do with Mo Yu at all. He didn't want his own affairs to result in any harm to the other party.
"Alright!"
Knowing that this was the other party's bottom line, Mo Yu agreed in gratitude.
Reaching the courtyard, they climbed onto the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, and with a roar, the latter soared into the skies.
After consuming the spirit beast blood essence and driving the spiritual energy using the method Zhang Xuan gave him, this fellow made a breakthrough once more, reaching Zhizun realm intermediate stage.
At its current strength, it was on par with Ding Mu's Gold-scaled Lightning Beast.
Given the short proximity between Beast Hall and the capital, it didn't take long for them to arrive at their destination.
"Today is Crown Prince Ding Mu's inauguration ceremony! With such a genius becoming our emperor, it seems like we can finally hold our head high before other Conferred Kingdoms!"
"Indeed! Despite only being thirty-two this year, he is already a 3-star formation master and a Zhizun realm advanced stage expert!"
"Throughout the entire history of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there have only been a handful of people who managed to reach Zhizun realm before thirty. Given his talents, he will surely be able to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle in less than ten years. With sufficient luck, he might even be able to reach Half-Transcension in his lifetime."
"Crown Prince Ding Mu has always been my idol, as well as my goal! I heard that today's inauguration ceremony will be held at the Heaven's Altar. I must go over to have a look!"
"Wait for me, I want to go as well..."
Walking along the wide streets of Xuanyuan Royal City, such discussions could be heard all around.
Before Crown Prince Ding Mu's inauguration had even started, everyone was already thrilled.
"He sure knows how to make his move!"
Zhang Xuan's complexion darkened further.
Perhaps, the other party couldn't stand the idea of a threat looming the shadows. Thus, he decided to make a huge fuss of this celebration to bait him out.
Without a doubt, an impeccable trap must have already been set up at the Heaven's Altar, just waiting for him to walk into it. If Zhang Xuan were to really make a move, the other party would surely mobilize the entire army of the kingdom to crush him.
However...
So what if he had set up an impeccable trap?
Since the other party dared to lay his hands on his student, then he should be prepared for the most brutal vengeance.
With a grim expression, Zhang Xuan stepped onto the back of the Howling Firmament Beast and flew toward the Heaven's Altar.
...
Xuanyuan Kingdom, Green Leaf Pavilion.
This was the information hub of Xuanyuan Kingdom. There were countless information dealers and clients walking in and out of here daily; it was even more bustling than some of the massive markets in the city.
In here, one could buy all kinds of information, as well as sell exclusive news.
The Green Leaf Pavilion would compile all of this news based on their value and create a ranking on them.
The rumors that 'The scrolls of the Green Leaves resound across the capital' didn't come from thin air.
In the past, Hall Master Feng had mentioned the ranking of items that savage beasts were fond of. Even though it was an unofficial ranking made by beast tamers, it had the shadows of the Green Leaf Pavilion in it.
If not for this massive information network pulling its connections, such private news wouldn't have spread so far.
Not only so, it had also created a ranking of the experts in the kingdom in the form of the Green Leaf Board and Young Leaf Board.
Only the most powerful experts in the kingdom were on the Green Leaf Board.
Even the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Half-Transcension Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong, was only in third place on the Green Leaf Board.
As for the Young Leaf Board, recorded on it were the most powerful young geniuses.
And of the Young Leaf Board, Crown Prince Ding Mu was listed on the very top.
"Pavilion Head, why is the Crown Prince listed on the top of the board? His strength is only at Zhizun realm advanced stage while the second placed Ling Luoye was clearly already at Zhizun realm pinnacle!"
In one of the executive room in the Green Leaf Pavilion, two figures were seated face-to-face.
The one speaking was a gray-robed elder. He was staring at the ranking board on the table in incomprehension.
Elder Liao Qingxun.
Opposite to him was a white-robed elder. He had eyebrows that were slightly arched upward, snowy hair, and eyes that were sharp as though lightning. With a single look, one could tell that he was an extraordinarily intelligent person.
Pavilion Head Dai Feng.
"The Young Leaf Board ranks the young geniuses based on their strength. Even though Ling Luoye's cultivation was above that of the crown prince, if a battle were to break out between the two of them, it was more likely that the crown prince would emerge victorious!"
Pavilion Head Dai Feng chuckled.
"Oh?" Elder Liao Qingxun was clearly doubtful of the latter's words.
"You don't believe me? I'll explain it to you then!"
Seeing the doubt in the other party's eyes, Pavilion Head Dai Feng calmly picked up the teacup on the table, scraped the floating tea leaves on top and said, "Ling Luoye's indeed talented to have reached Zhizun realm pinnacle at thirty-four. However... if a person's cultivation rises too quickly, all kinds of problems will occur. Firstly, his cultivation technique, [Profound Ripple Art], is a water element cultivation technique. As such, it lacks offensive power. On top of that, his strongest battle technique, [Frigid Water Dance] was also relatively lacking in power. As such, he could only be considered as average among those of the same cultivation realm.
"On the other hand, Crown Prince Ding Mu...
"Firstly, I believe you should have heard of the royal family hunting down a wounded spirit beast! Back then, they procured quite a substantial amount of spirit beast blood essence. The royal family possesses an extremely powerful physical body cultivation technique known as [Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula]. Anybody that was tempered by it would become incredibly resilient and powerful!
"Other than that, the cultivation technique he cultivates, [Might of the Celestial Bear], grants him extraordinary strength. On top of that, he also learned the [Heaven Shattering Fist] which was known for its aggressiveness. Putting aside how none of those in the same cultivation realm would be able to match him, it wouldn't be hard to face those of higher cultivation realm than him as well.
"But of course, most importantly of all, as a 3-star formation master, he had at least seven to eight grade-3 formation plates on him. If he were to throw all of them out, it would be difficult for even a Transcendent Mortal expert to kill him, needless to say, a Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivator!
"Thus, without doubt, he was worthy of being the first place!"
At which, Pavilion Head Dai Feng turned to look at the other elder with a wide grin, "How is it? Do you still think that Ling Luoye can defeat him?"
After a moment of contemplation, Elder Liao Qingxun shook his head.
"... Impossible!"
Given the Crown Prince Ding Mu's powerful cultivation technique, extraordinary talents, and numerous aces, even despite his cultivation realm being only that of Zhizun realm advanced stage, probably not even Zhizun realm pinnacle experts would be willing to offend him.
"It's due to all of this that he was ranked at first place of the Young Leaf Board. He's deserving of his position on the Young Leaf Board. Putting aside Ling Luoye for the moment, there hasn't been anyone who could match him in the past five hundred years, and I believe there won't be anyone like him in the next five hundred years either!"
Pavilion Head Dai Feng chuckled.
"Indeed. Crown Prince Ding Mu is truly a talented person..."
Elder Liao Qingxun felt awed by the explanation and insight.
"It's about time for you to change your method of address. It's going to be Emperor Ding Mu from today onward!" Pavilion Head Dai Feng reprimanded with a smile.
"You're right, it's Emperor Ding Mu. No wonder everyone is thrilled about this inauguration. With such a genius leading Xuanyuan Kingdom, its national strength would only continue to grow further. Soon, among Conferred Kingdoms, no one would dare offend us!"
Recalling the sight outside, Liao Qingxun commented.
A nation being weak wasn't just a problem of its weak military; more importantly, it was related to the character and attitude of its leader.
If its leader was a talented and headstrong person, the nation would surely grow strong.
"Indeed. He'll become a much better sovereign than old Emperor Ding Chong. At the very least, his reputation should strike fear in the surrounding kingdoms, and those ambitious kingdoms would be hesitant to make their move. Seems like Xuanyuan Kingdom is about to usher in a new era of unparalleled growth!"
Pavilion Head Dai Feng was filled with anticipation for the future.
Elder Liao Qingxun nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to say something, the ground suddenly shook and a deafening sound resounded across the entire capital.
"Ding Mu, I, Zhang Xuan, am here. Get out here to face your death!"
"Face your death?"
"Someone has barged into the Heaven's Altar during the inauguration ceremony... to kill Emperor Ding Mu?"
Pavilion Head Dai Feng and Elder Liao Qingxun were dumbstruck.
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Chapter 433: Bai Chen
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
The duo had just said that with Ding Mu's inauguration, no one would dare to wreak havoc in Xuanyuan Kingdom anymore when they heard this stark provocation. They felt a stinging sensation on their cheeks, as though someone had just struck them.
What was going on?
They hurriedly stood up and looked out of the windows.
The Green Leaf Pavilion was a tall infrastructure, and from the executive room, they could see the vast field around the Heaven's Altar.
The field was filled with a massive crowd, and in the air, a young man stood on the head of a massive Howling Firmament Beast. The young man was currently staring coldly down upon the inauguration ceremony below.
"From the looks of it... he isn't even twenty yet. However, given how deep his aura is, his cultivation has probably already reached Zhizun realm pinnacle... When did such an expert appear in the city?"
The mouths of the duo twitched.
They had just said that Crown Prince Ding Mu's feat was unsurpassed in the past five hundred years, and would remain to be so in the next five hundred... and at the next moment, this fellow appeared. Wasn't this too coincidental?!
"Zhang Xuan... If I recall correctly, a few days ago, a beast tamer going by this name won the Beast Taming Competition. However, that person's cultivation should only be at Zongshi realm pinnacle? Why is his cultivation suddenly at Zhizun realm pinnacle?"
A beast tamer was bellowing for the inaugurating crown prince to face his death...
What was going on?
The two heads of the largest information network in Xuanyuan Kingdom stared at one another in frenzy.
...
In the house on the back of a flying massive savage beast, a few people stood by the window.
Standing at the very front was a white-robed young man. With his hands behind his back, he carried an ethereal aura.
Gu Mu stepped forward and announced, "Gongzi, Xuanyuan Royal City is right ahead of us!"
Not too far away, a massive city came into sight. It extended for several hundred kilometers, and its thick city walls were connected to the meandering mountains. It resembled a sleeping behemoth.
"The layout of this city is indeed interesting. To think that it would be a formation!"
Opening his fan, the gongzi chuckled.
Those within might not realize anything, but from above, it was clear that the city that was connected with the mountains appeared to be aligned with some formation theories. There seemed to be a slight gathering of spiritual energy in the region.
"The Xuanyuan royal family is a clan of formation masters, and the generations of emperors had been skilled formation masters themselves. In this field, Crown Prince Ding Mu seemed to be an exceptional genius..." Gu Mu explained.
"Pui, genius my head!"
Before Gu Mu could finish his words, a disdainful voice sounded. Turning to take a look, they saw Sun Qiang with a contemptuous expression on his face.
"You disagree with my words?"
Knowing that there was a high chance that the other party was a butler of a 6-star master teacher, Gu Mu dared not get angry. Rather, he gazed at the other party with a look of bewilderment.
"This Ding Mu, having offended the young master, probably won't live for long. In terms of talent, who could match up to the young master?"
Sun Qiang's lips curled up in pride.
Sun Qiang had witnessed how Ding Mu's subordinates severely wounded Lu Chong, and he knew that the other party's actions had piqued the young master's killing intent.
While the young master was a headstrong person, he had the capability to match it. Even without the assistance of the old master, the young master's wrath wasn't something that the mere Xuanyuan Kingdom could withstand.
In Sun Qiang's eyes, there was no genius in the world who could even compare to the pinky of the young master.
Genius? Stop bringing shame to the word.
"Is this... senior uncle very talented?" Gu Mu asked.
"Of course. The young master isn't twenty yet, but he's already a 3-star painter, 2-star master teacher, 2-star beast tamer... and on top of that, he was recruited as an elder of Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild. Do you think that a fellow like Ding Mu could match up to the young master's talents?"
Sun Qiang was filled with pride.
The reticent 'gongzi' standing by the window suddenly turned around and asked, "Isn't your young master from Tianwu Kingdom? How did he become an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?"
How could a small figure from Tianwu Kingdom become an elder of the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild?
"Who do you think the young master is? He solved all of the problems written on the Physician Guild's Wall of Dilemma in a single taking. Among those questions, there are even problems that the physicians from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance Physician Guild are unable to solve. As such, in awe of the young master's capability, they decided to recruit him as an elder..."
Sun Qiang harrumphed.
He liked speaking of the young master's accomplishments. He was just about to brag more about the various feats the young master had done when the calm gongzi's face paled and his body trembled.
"Isn't your young master... called Zhang Xuan? If I recall correctly, isn't the one who solved the questions on the Wall of Dilemma called Liu Cheng?"
"Oh, Liu Cheng is an alias that the young master used during the 2-star master teacher examination!" Sun Qiang said.
"Zhang Xuan is Liu Cheng? Your young master?"
'Gongzi' and Jin Conghai glanced at one another in shock.
"Indeed!" Sun Qiang nodded.
"Since he's a physician, why is he involved with the matters of poison masters as well? These two occupations are contradictory to one another..." A moment later, gongzi asked once more.
A master teacher could take on many occupations at once. Initially, upon hearing that Yang Xuan was a skilled poison master, as well as Gu Mu's senior granduncle, they thought that Zhang Xuan would be a skilled poison master as well... But if that was the case, how could the other party be a skilled physician too?"
"The young master is a talented individual. What is bizarre about him mastering two occupations at once?"
"The responsibility of a physician is to bring salvation to the world, and only those with benevolence in their hearts are suited for the occupation. On the other hand, the poison masters concoct poison for malicious means, and those who take on this occupation tend to be callous... Given how the two occupations are at the opposite end of the spectrum, could it be that your young master has dissociative identity disorder?" 'Gongzi' was still baffled by this matter.
Given how physicians and poison masters stood at the opposite ends of the spectrum, he couldn't understand how one could take on these two occupations simultaneously.
"What's so bizarre about that? Our young master is normally a gentle person, and he rarely argues with others. Even though he's capable of utilizing poison, unlike other poison masters, he doesn't kill everyone that he gets into a dispute with. On the contrary, he tends to resolve problems through reason and seeks to win over others via morals..."
Upon learning of the other party's doubts, Sun Qiang glanced at the other party contemptuously.
Expert? If you're truly an expert, how could you not know this? How embarrassing.
Just as Sun Qiang was about to continue introducing the various strengths of Zhang Xuan, a deafening voice suddenly sounded from the city.
"Ding Mu, I, Zhang Xuan, am here. Get out here to face your death!"
"Zhang Xuan?"
Upon hearing these words, the group on the back of the savage beast fell silent. Everyone's gazes hurriedly turned to Sun Qiang.
This is the man that you said is gentle, rarely argues with others, and uses morals to win others over?
It seemed like the other party had already slaughtered his way to the other party's doorstep!
"What is he up to?"
Wei Yuqing was stunned.
He was just gone for a few days. Why was Beast Tamer Zhang wreaking havoc in the royal palace, even threatening to kill the crown prince?
"Grand Elder Wei, let's go over to take a look!"
Of the crowd, only Sun Qiang understood the abrupt situation. Knowing that there was no time to be wasted, he hurriedly instructed.
It seemed like the young master couldn't wait any longer, so he decided to make his move today.
"Alright!"
Knowing how urgent the matter was, Wei Yuqing tapped his feet and the savage beast dashed straight toward the direction of the voice.
...
Standing at the very center of the Heaven's Altar, Ding Mu was just about to undergo the final rituals to be officially inaugurated as the emperor when he heard those words. For a moment, he was dumbstruck.
He thought about the various forms that the other party may exact vengeance on him; assassination, life-and-death duel, poisoning...
But one thing he never expected was for the other party to do it so openly.
Before the innumerable civilians, master teachers, officials, and nobles of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, the other party fearlessly rushed here and declared brazenly that he would kill him... Was this fellow insane?
This was Xuanyuan Kingdom, his home ground! Putting aside the troops, there were many formations laid out all over as well... To dash right here fearlessly, was the other party really a genius 2-star master teacher?
"This is the master teacher who wishes to kill you?"
A middle-aged man walked over.
The head of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong.
In the past few days, Ding Mu had been staying in the Master Teacher Pavilion. He had told him about the recent events, and it seemed that a master teacher desired for his death. Initially, he thought that Ding Mu was just overthinking it, but to think that the other party really came knocking.
"Un!"
Ding Mu nodded. Clasping his fist, he said, "It's a misunderstanding. I hope that Brother Luo can mediate the situation for me!"
"The other party is just a mere 2-star master teacher. He won't dare to defy my words!"
Luo Qianhong waved his hands.
There was strict ranking hierarchy to master teachers. 2-star master teachers possessed incredible standing in the kingdom, but to a 3-star intermediate master teacher like him, the other party's standing didn't mean much.
In fact, the other party had to pay respect to him in the position of a student, otherwise, he could report the matter to the Master Teacher Pavilion and have the other party's master teacher license revoked.
"I'll thank you in advance then..."
Seeing that the head of the Master Teacher Pavilion was going to stand up for him, Ding Mu heaved a sigh of relief.
"Bai Chen, go over and issue a stern warning to that young man. Don't allow him to delay His Highness's inauguration ceremony. If he doesn't know what's good for him, I permit the use of violence to deal with him!"
Luo Qianhong instructed one of his subordinates.
"Yes!"
A master teacher dressed in a long robe walked out of the crowd.
This master teacher seemed to be in his forties, and his eyes were gleaming with spirit. On the emblem pinned on his chest, there were three bright stars.
He was a 3-star primary master teacher.
His cultivation was also at Zhizun realm pinnacle.
Upon receiving the orders, Master Teacher Bai Chen turned to look at Zhang Xuan above and frowned, "Today is Crown Prince Ding Mu's inauguration ceremony, so I ask of you not to cause trouble and leave immediately. If so, we will not pursue this matter. Otherwise, don't blame me for getting nasty!"
"I'll leave after killing Ding Mu!"
Couldn't be bothered to waste his words, Zhang Xuan leaped down the back of the Howling Firmament Beast.
Even though he didn't possess any technique capable of breaking his fall, given his Zhizun realm cultivation and powerful physical body, an altitude of a dozen meters didn't mean much to him.
Hu!
Landing on the stairs of the Heaven's Altar, the ground below cracked. After which, without any hesitation, he began walking up.
"I am 3-star Master Teacher Bai Chen. As a master teacher, you should be well aware of the rules. A lower-ranked master teacher has to unconditionally obey the commands of higher-ranked master teacher. It can't be that you are intending to defy my words?"
Upon seeing the young man disregarding him, Bai Chen's complexion turned awful. He immediately stepped forward to block Zhang Xuan's path.
He heard the conversation between the pavilion master and Ding Mu, and he knew that the other party was a master teacher as well.
A mere 2-star primary master teacher should bow respectfully upon seeing a 3-star primary master teacher like him... Yet, to dare to disregard him altogether, how brazen!
"Scram!"
Seeing the men from Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion blocking his path, Zhang Xuan bellowed coldly.
"You... You're courting death!"
He thought that after revealing his identity, the other party would retreat out of fear. Yet, the other party dared to ask him to 'scram'. The arrogance of the other party caused Bai Chen's face to turn livid, and he nearly erupted from rage.
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Chapter 434: Bai Chen's Breakdown
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Ever since clearing the 3-star master teacher examination seven years ago and becoming an elder of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Bai Chen had been well-respected no matter where he went. Even the Xuanyuan Kingdom royal family had to welcome him with the grandest of formalities.
If a 2-star master teacher were to show the slightest disrespect to him, he would immediately bellow at the other party, and the other party wouldn't even breathe loudly out of fear.
Yet, this fellow actually told him to... scram!
Bai Chen's eyes narrowed.
Is there something wrong with your head? How dare you ask me to scram! Unforgivable!
Boom!
His aura abruptly burst out.
Master teachers, due to their State of Insight and their deep understanding of cultivation techniques and battle techniques, tended to be the strongest among all of the other occupations.
Even among Zhizun realm pinnacle cultivators, Bai Chen definitely ranked among the top. Even though his name wasn't listed in the Green Leaf Board, he was, without a doubt, one of the top figures within this kingdom.
Yet, such an expert was insulted by a mere 2-star master teacher. How could he tolerate such humiliation? With a livid expression, the might of a Zhizun realm pinnacle came gushing out as though a massive torrent.
Kacha! Kacha!
Unable to take the pressure, cracks appeared on the stairs beneath his feet.
"You were scared into hiding in the Master Teacher Pavilion because of this fellow?"
Taking this sight in, Luo Qianhong shook his head.
He thought that the master teacher who struck so much fear in the crown prince, who was ranked first in the Young Leaf Board, that he was sent into hiding would be an incredible fellow, but from the looks of it, the other party seemed to be a fool.
Putting aside how he walked in so openly to wreak havoc on such a major affair, he even dared to spout such rude words to a 3-star master teacher. Even the word 'fool' was insufficient to describe him.
This wasn't Tianwu Kingdom, where a 2-star master teacher could reign mighty. Here, even a 3-star primary master teacher would have to lie low!
Given the innumerable rules of the Master Teacher Pavilion, just by picking a few, one could condemn a lower-ranked master teacher to the pits of hell.
"I must be blind as well..." Ding Mu uttered awkwardly.
Back then, Zhang Xuan had used a mystical treasure to crush Liang Qingming and Lin Long, and the sight of it was a huge shock to him. That was why he escaped immediately then. After which, fearing that the other party would mobilize the help of his teacher, the unfathomable Yang shi, he decisively chose to go into hiding. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the other party came alone...
If Yang shi was here, Ding Mu might still be frightened. But a 2-star master teacher, honestly speaking, meant nothing to him at all.
It wasn't because master teachers meant nothing at all. Rather, even though a 2-star master teacher was a huge asset to a Tier 1 Kingdom, to a Conferred Kingdom... it just wasn't that important.
"To charge here instead of resolving the issue at the Master Teacher Pavilion, that's a lack of rationality. On top of that, despite being a junior, he dares to talk back to a 3-star master teacher. That's a lack of respect. Furthermore, despite being the civilian of a vassal state, he dares disregards the emperor. That's a lack of patriotism. Lack of rationality, respect, and patriotism; just with these three, we can revoke his master teacher license!"
Luo Qianhong shook his head as the disdain in his eyes deepened.
"Even so, given how he dared to provoke Bai shi, there's probably no need to revoke his license anymore!"
Nodding his head, Ding Mu's lips slowly curled up.
"Of course!"
Putting his hands behind his back, Luo Qianhong exuded an authoritative disposition as he said, "Not only do we need to teach him a good lesson, it's also about time to reorganize the Master Teacher Pavilions of those vassal Tier 1 Kingdoms. Otherwise, if even trash like him can become a master teacher, how can the prestige of master teachers be upheld?"
"You're right. It's about time for some reorganization!"
Nodding his head, Ding Mu was just about to speak when his eyes lit up. "Look, Bai shi is making a move..."
Not too far away, Bai Chen spread open his fingers, and leaving a huge gale of wind behind him, he dashed forward to claw at Zhang Xuan.
An expert pulls his weight as soon as he makes a move. With the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle, a towering pressure came crashing down on Zhang Xuan. Even before his blow could reach, the stairs beneath him were already cracking from the immense shock wave.
"Bai Chen's [Great Reversal Hands] is a Phantom battle technique, and it possesses immense strength. Back then, when he was still at Zhizun realm advanced stage, he managed to subdue the Zhizun realm pinnacle Zhou Tian with a single palm. This fellow is probably in for misfortune!" Luo Qianhong commented.
The intruding master teacher had a frightening aura shrouding around him, and he seemed to possess the strength of a Zhizun realm pinnacle. However, through his acute discerning ability as a 3-star intermediate master teacher, Luo Qianhong could tell that the other party was only at Zhizun realm primary stage.
Even if he utilized some physical body cultivation technique to boost his physical strength... what about it?
In the end, a strong physical body amounts to mere brute strength. One couldn't execute the full might of battle techniques through mere brute strength. When faced with an expert, the other party would surely crumble quickly.
Just as the duo was giving their comments on the battle, Bai Chen's palm was already right before Zhang Xuan.
Hmph!
Not expecting that a master teacher would attack him straight without even trying to understand the situation, Zhang Xuan's complexion darkened. Harrumphing coldly, lines of insight surfaced in his eyes.
In that instant, it was as though the other party's movements had slowed. The gaps and flaws in his movements suddenly seemed to magnify, becoming clear to Zhang Xuan's eyes.
Thus, Zhang Xuan slightly tilted his body to the side before sending a kick right at the other party's ankle.
"What?"
Bai Chen had wanted to cripple this arrogant 2-star master teacher to serve as a warning to the rest against disrespecting him, but upon seeing the other party's kick, his face paled.
His Great Reversal Hands was powerful, and it would be difficult for even those of the same cultivation realm to withstand his blow. However... no matter how powerful it was, there were still flaws to it. Zhang Xuan's kick was aimed right at the center of where his zhenqi was gathered. Once struck, no matter how weak the other party's kick was, he would immediately suffer a rebound and sustain severe internal injuries.
Having the flaw of his ultimate technique seen through in an instant, Bai Chen felt so stifled that blood was threatening to spurt from his mouth.
At this moment, he could no longer be bothered with offense anymore. After all, once the other party's kick lands, not only would his attack be rendered ineffective, he would also be crippled. Thus, he hurriedly exerted all of his force on his feet and leaped backward.
Even so, forcefully retracting his strength in the midst of an attack and leaping backward had caused the zhenqi flowing through his body to go into chaos. A sweet sensation welled in his throat and a mouthful of blood spurted out from his mouth.
"Damn it!"
Even before crossing blows with the other party, Bai Chen was already injured. He couldn't help but feel frenzied.
As a master teacher, his discernment and knowledge far exceeded that of ordinary cultivators. When had he suffered such a humiliation?
"Damn you!"
Bellowing furiously, Bai Chen shot out two fists simultaneously. His fists felt as fleeting as the wind, but undeniably, if it were to land on one, one would be crippled if not dead.
Phantom battle technique, Consecutive Breezy Fist!
In terms of burst strength, this technique was not a match for the Great Reversal Hands. However, the execution of this technique was much faster, and its reach was significantly greater as well. There weren't many obvious flaws to it, so the other party shouldn't be able to do the same as he did before.
With a savage expression, Bai Chen howled furiously.
However, just as before, before his fists could reach the young man before him, the other party's foot appeared in his sight once more.
Upon seeing the area that the kick was aimed at, Bai Chen coughed another mouthful of blood again. He was already on the verge of tears by now. Helpless, he could only hurriedly retract his offense.
The Consecutive Breezy Fist was a well-known battle technique in the Master Teacher Pavilion, and it was said to be the creation of a 4-star master teacher. Its swift movement left very few flaws for one's opponent to exploit, and even Pavilion Master Luo Qianhong would have to take on this battle technique squarely. Yet, this fellow sent a leg straight at the opening of the battle technique without any hesitation...
If the kick were to really land on him, even if he survived this blow, he would surely be lying on the bed for months.
For two consecutive kicks to land on the flaw of his battle techniques... Was this fellow's eye for discernment really that incredible, or was it just a coincidence?
"I don't believe it!"
Howling furiously yet again, he flicked his wrist and a long saber appeared in his hands. He slashed the saber art furiously, and in the blink of an eye, afterimages appeared.
Phantom battle technique, Saber of Sorrowful Departure!
The Saber of Sorrowful Departure consisted of sixty-four moves, and the movements connected with one another, allowing one to launch a continued offense against one's enemy to push the other party into a corner. Unless one possessed an even more powerful weapon and battle technique, it would be impossible to withstand this swift saber art.
Hu hu hu!
With the saber flying all around the place, Bai Chen didn't think that the other party would be able to find the weakness in this move. However, just as this thought appeared in his mind, the other party's foot appeared in a momentary gap in the movements of the saber art yet again, headed straight for his mingmen.
"I... Pu!"
Bai Chen hurriedly retracted his saber and backed away. Once again, the sudden withdrawal of force caused his face to reddened and fresh blood spurted out of his mouth.
Three consecutive Phantom battle techniques consisting of palm, fist, and saber, and Bai Chen only ended up injuring himself. He was about to go insane.
Wasn't this fellow only a 2-star master teacher?
To see through the flaws in the battle techniques of a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert with a single look...
When did 2-star master teachers become so formidable?
If even 2-star master teachers were that formidable, then what did he, a 3-star master teacher, count as?
Bai Chen felt more and more stifled as he fought on, and he was on the verge of going insane. The crowd watching the commotion by the sides stared at one another frenziedly.
The two were both Zhizun realm experts, and on top of that, they were both master teachers. As such, their movements were extremely fast. On top of that, with their eye of discernment, more often than not, they could tell the other party's attacking trajectory and deduce the outcome before the attack even lands, and through that, determine their next movement.
In other words... the Bai shi who had just furiously declared that he would teach his foreigner a lesson, in the eyes of the crowd, leaped backward as soon as the other party lifted his legs on the three occasions, and on top of that, he even spurted a mouthful of blood each time...
The heck! Do you think that you're a clown in the circus?
Why does it feel that Bai shi is even more unreliable than the person who came to wreak Crown Prince Ding Mu's inauguration ceremony?
"Is Bai shi... dancing?"
"It does... look like it!"
Some spectators amidst the crowd commented.
As soon as the young man raised his leg, Bai shi would jump backward. It was as though a human was toying with his own dog, and at the same time, it resembled a dancing couple as well. You advance while I retreat... and an occasional spurting of blood for a touch of intimacy...
Didn't you furiously declare that you would kill the other party?
To be jumping around the area... Are you sure you aren't flirting with the other party instead?
No one does it the way you do...
Pu! Pu! Pu!
Bai Chen was already severely injured before, but after hearing those words and seeing the bizarre gazes in the crowd's eyes, he nearly failed to catch his breath and fainted on the spot.
Dancing... Dance your head!
You're the one who is dancing, your whole family is dancing!
It only appears that way due to my battle techniques being completely suppressed by the other party's movements...
The more he thought about it, the more furious Bai Chen became. As a 3-star master teacher, a prestigious and respected figure in Xuanyuan Kingdom, even if he were to win against the other party now, he would surely become a laughingstock.
"Today, it'll be either you die or I die..."
Roaring furiously, he whipped the saber around once more. His saber gleamed, as though creating a spherical light force field around him.
With such a swift saber art, even if a pail of water were to be splashed over one, one would be able to completely deflect it.
Just as he thought that the other party would be completely helpless before this technique, he lowered his head, only to see a foot leisurely being stretched over toward him. Just as the several times before, it shot straight through the gaps in the saber art.
"The heck!"
What the heck is this?
How in the world can you know the flaws of every single battle technique I display...
Did you study all of my battle techniques before coming?
Is there a point to this?
Can't we have a hot-blooded and valiant fight?
To strike so mercilessly at my flaws, don't you know what love and concern for one's elders is?
Bai Chen cried.
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Chapter 435: The Night Rain Drenches Every Traveling Downstream!
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
"No, that's not it. This fellow seems rather skilled!" Luo Qianhong said with a grim expression.
The inexperienced spectates the commotion while the veteran analyzes the technicalities.
Bai Chen's jumping around and occasional spurting of blood may look ridiculous in the eyes of others, but Luo Qianhong was still able to discern something about the situation.
Clearly, the young man's kick had posed a huge threat to his old friend, impelling him to back away even despite the threat of a rebound occurring.
In other words... That fellow had seen through the flaws of Bai Chen's movements and struck directly at its openings. That was why he was able to neutralize his attacks so easily, putting Bai Chen in such a difficult position.
"It can't be that... he knew that Bai shi would make a move, so he decided to study his battle techniques and cultivation techniques in advance?"
Ding Mu could also roughly tell what was happening, so he couldn't help but comment in astonishment.
"Study in advance? That's impossible! There is no cultivator who would reveal all of his cultivation techniques and battle techniques to others, even to his closest kin in case his enemies found out about it through certain means."
Luo Qianhong shook his head.
"I know of Bai Chen's Great Reversal Hands, but he has never utilized the Consecutive Breezy Fists and Saber of Sorrowful Departure before anyone, so even I am unaware of it. How could a foreigner find out about such confidential secrets beforehand?"
"That..." Ding Mu's face paled.
He suddenly recalled the various legends of that young master teacher.
Back then, he didn't think much of it. He attributed it all to the other party having a good teacher. However, from the looks of it, he was vastly underestimating the other party.
"Most probably, he might have cultivated or studied these battle techniques before, thus granting him some knowledge of its flaws..." Luo Qianhong deduced. Then, he turned to look at the crown prince and said, "Are you hiding something from me? Is that person really just an ordinary 2-star primary master teacher?"
The other party had only told him that he offended a master teacher of a Tier 1 Kingdom.
Since the other party was just a 2-star master teacher of a vassal kingdom, he didn't think much of it so he didn't investigate the matter.
To think that this negligence would result in such a huge problem.
When that fellow bellowed on top of the savage beast, Luo Qianhong thought that the other party was an ignorant, reckless fellow. Even if he was talented, given his young age, he should not pose a threat at all. However, after seeing all that had happened... he couldn't say the same about it now.
An ordinary 2-star master teacher seeing through the flaws in the battle techniques of a 3-star master teacher in an instant?
Without a doubt, Ding Mu must have misled him!
"He..."
Under the other party's interrogation, Ding Mu clenched his fists tightly and said, "I don't know much about him either, just that... it has only been ten days since he became a 2-star master teacher!"
"Ten days?"
Luo Qianhong frowned.
Logically speaking, a 2-star master teacher who had just passed the examination shouldn't be so formidable?
Peng!
Luo Qianhong was baffled. However, before he could make sense of the situation, the sound of a foot sinking into flesh sounded. He hurriedly turned around, only to see Bai Chen, unable to dodge any longer, being kicked in the face and flying forty to fifty meters back. His head smashed into the wall of a building, and the immense force caused him to pass out.
After being forced to withdraw his battle techniques halfway through executing them, he had already suffered significant damage via the rebound of his strength. Unable to withstand this humiliation, the thought of dying with the other party flashed through his head and he decided to go all out. Yet... it ended up being a one-sided event.
"Bai shi was sent flying with a single kick?"
"How is that young lad so strong?"
"Didn't they say that the crown prince is the greatest genius in Xuanyuan Kingdom? The other party defeated Bai shi despite being... under twenty, doesn't this mean that he's even more talented?"
Not one person in the crowd was able to make sense of the 'dancing' previously, and now, Bai Chen had been kicked unconscious. No matter how foolish they were, it couldn't be more apparent now that the other party's strength surpassed even that of the 3-star primary Bai shi.
The crowd stared at one another blankly.
Hualala!
While everyone was overwhelmed with shock, the young man continued walking up the stairs, closing the distance to the crown prince. Upon seeing this sight, the soldiers in the surroundings immediately advanced forward to protect their liege.
"Wait a moment!"
Seeing that Ding Mu intended to have his guards make a move, Luo Qianhong shook his hands to wave them away.
"Pavilion Master Luo..." Thinking that the other party was going to betray him, Ding Mu looked at him worriedly.
"I'll help you reconcile with him. It'll be best to end this matter peacefully."
Luo Qianhong was angry that Ding Mu didn't tell him the truth, but he was indebted to the Xuanyuan royal family and this was a debt he had to repay. Besides, it was already too late to back out of it. Thus, he could only face it straight on.
"I'll be depending on Pavilion Master Luo then!"
Ding Mu nodded.
"Un, continue on with your ceremony and make haste. As long as you become the emperor and the royal seal is in your hands, things will become easier to settle. I'll also be in a better position to speak up for you!" Luo Qianhong said.
"Yes!"
Ding Mu nodded as he hurriedly walked toward the throne in the center.
Upon seeing him being bestowed the crown and undergoing the final rites, Luo Qianhong heaved a sigh of relief. Then, he turned around to face Zhang Xuan. Looking at the guards by the side who already had their weapon drawn, he commanded, "Clear away!"
"Pavilion Master Luo!"
Knowing the other party's identity, the soldiers hurriedly opened up a pathway and bowed.
"You must be Zhang Xuan, Zhang shi. I am the head of the Xuanyuan Kingdom Master Teacher Pavilion, Luo Qianhong!"
Walking forward, Luo Qianhong clasped his fist, "Even though I am not aware of the grudge between you and Ding Mu, it's always better to make comrades than enemies. Since we're both master teachers, allow me to play the role of a mediator to resolve the conflict between the both of you. No matter what you request, I'll have Ding Mu prepare it!"
"The only thing I want is Ding Mu's life. As soon as I get that, I'll leave!" Zhang Xuan spoke impassively.
What compensation could match the life of his student!
"Not only is Ding Mu the crown prince, he's also about to become the emperor of Xuanyuan Kingdom. If he were to be killed, it'll surely cause chaos in the country. The population will suffer. There's no Master Teacher Pavilion that could watch idly as all of these unfold. If this matter blows up, you might even end up losing your identity as a master teacher..."
Luo Qianhong frowned.
"Scram!"
While Luo Qianhong spoke, the ceremony was still going on. It was clear that he was trying to stall for time. Zhang Xuan's complexion immediately darkened.
"The only reason I am hesitating to make a move on you is due to your immense talent. Don't you try to overstep your boundaries!"
Luo Qianhong harrumphed.
I am already trying to spare your pride. So what if you are a genius? Do you think that I, as a 3-star intermediate master teacher and a Half-Transcension expert, would fear you?
"If you don't scram, I'll leave you in the same state as that fellow!"
Seeing that Luo Qianhong was still stalling for time, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up. Without any hesitation, his figure immediately blurred.
Hu!
He disappeared from the spot, and in the blink of an eye, he leaped several dozen meters forward, appearing right before the other party.
Heaven's Path Movement Art.
When Zhang Xuan was fighting with Bai Chen, he didn't utilize any of the Heaven's Path battle technique. It was just to add in the element of surprise when he was facing a stronger enemy. Otherwise, once his ultimate techniques were revealed, the enemy could take precautions against them. If so, the effectiveness of the techniques would be minimized.
Reaching Zhizun realm, the Heaven's Path zhenqi became purer and more concentrated. As such, the speed and distance of the Heaven's Path Movement Art had increased significantly.
Even Luo Qianhong, as a Half-Transcension expert, was incapable of moving at such speed. Before he could even react, Zhang Xuan was already right before him.
"You..."
Luo Qianhong's eyes narrowed and he hurriedly tried to retreat.
However, before he could even take a single step back, a fist slowly magnified right before him.
Heaven's Path Fist Art!
The speed of the fist was in no way slower than the movement art, and in fact, it might even have exceeded the latter. A sonic boom resounded deafeningly on top of the Heaven's Altar. Knowing that it was impossible for him dodge already, Luo Qianhong propelled the zhenqi in his body and sent a fist of his own to face the other party's blow.
Boom!
Both fists collided, and Luo Qianhong felt his palm turning numb. His face paled, and he had to take eight steps backward consecutively before he managed to steady his figure.
In order to ward off the rampaging might of the other party, his feet sank three inches into the ground. Even a layer of granite on the incomparably resilient ground of the Heaven's Altar was reduced to dust under the powerful shock wave
"What a powerful fist art!"
A sharp pain came striking Luo Qianhong's shaking arm.
In that clash, he could tell that even though the other party possessed massive strength, he was still a way off from matching up to a Half-Transcension like him. What a truly fearsome fist art that was!
It was aligned with the world, and to Luo Qianhong's shock, he realized that... there were absolutely no flaws he could exploit!
Under this abrupt encounter, even a 3-star intermediate master teacher like him ended up suffering a setback.
Taking a deep breath, Luo Qianhong suppressed his chaotic breathing, and raising his palms, he charged ahead.
The fact that the other party had forced him back had embarrassed him. He mustn't allow the other party to take the initiative once more.
Boom!
The zhenqi of a Half-Transcension expert gushed out, creating a river on the Heaven's Altar. In an instant, it felt as though the air had turned viscous.
Fighters cultivate their own bodies to bring out the full strength of their physical bodies and zhenqi.
The cultivation of a Mortal Transcendent expert was very different from that.
True Mortal Transcendent experts were capable of utilizing Origin Energy from their surroundings to display a battle prowess several folds of their own strength
Using the words from Zhang Xuan's previous world, if Fighters fought with their own fists and flesh, Mortal Transcendents would be equivalent to using robots and external equipment.
There was no basis for comparison for the two.
How could a bare-handed martial artist defeat tanks and cannons?
At Half-Transcension, one wasn't able to fully utilize the strength of nature yet, but still, one was still able to unleash a might far exceeding that of the 40,000 ding limit of Zhizun realm pinnacle experts!
In fact, even Zhang Xuan's 50,000 ding was insignificant compared to the other party.
With the full might of a Half-Transcension expert unleashed, Luo Qianhong gained control of the surroundings. Then, harrumphing softly, he dashed forward and struck Zhang Xuan with his palm.
Phantom pinnacle battle technique, Whisking Sleeves!
The warm breeze whisks willow tugging one's sleeves, the night rain drenches every traveling downstream!
This gentle palm seemed to hold no weight to it, but having gathered an immense amount of the surrounding Origin Energy, it was capable of breaking through even steel and Phantom equipment.
A Half-Transcension expert coupled with a Phantom pinnacle battle technique was a frightening force. Even an expert of the same level would find it hard to withstand the immense might.
With this move, Luo Qianhong had taken out nearly all of his aces.
Sou!
The palm flew straight toward the young man with frightening speed, threatening to land at any moment. However, not only did the other party not dodge or evade, he even dashed straight toward the palm.
"This is bad!"
The Whisking Sleeves was a very flexible battle technique, making it hard for someone to withstand its might... but even so, there was still one major flaw to it—the 'stream'.
And this fellow happened to be standing right at the location of the 'stream'!
To determine its flaws and find the location precisely in that short moment...
How was that possible!
In that instant...
Luo Qianhong's shock was indescribable.