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God_of_Infinity · Fantasy

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80 Chs

486-490

Chapter 486: Imperial Jade Sword Acknowledging Its Master

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

"Indeed!"

Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head, "This formation blueprint was left behind by a 5-star formation master back when the branch was first built. Otherwise, as a 4-star branch, even if we were to apply for a grade-5 formation blueprint from the headquarter, we might not necessarily be able to obtain it!"

The formation blueprints in the Formation Master Guild was as strictly regulated as the pill formulae in the Apothecary Guild. One was only allowed to access resources corresponding to one's current level. If one were to come into contact with advanced topics when one's capability hadn't reached the required level, it would only harm oneself.

As such, 4-star branches like the Honghai City Formation Guild was only qualified to collect grade-4 formation blueprints. If one wanted to access higher grade formation blueprints, one had to apply it from the headquarter and pay a certain price.

Besides, this was only limited to the more basic grade-5 formation blueprints. As for the more profound materials, one would only have access to it when visiting a higher tiered branch.

Given how just the formation blueprint was so tightly regulated already, no more needed to be said about formation core and flags.

"Do I really have to head to higher ranked Formation Master Guild?"

What in the world was this?

He spent an entire day here and it turned out that even though there was a grade-5 formation blueprint here, there wasn't formation flags and core to set it up. Was he supposed to build it out of thin air?

The higher the grade of a formation, the higher the demand of the quality of the two items. These were fundamental needs so there was no compromising over them... Was he supposed to head to the Blacksmith Guild to learn how to forge these items just over a Spirit Gathering Formation?

Putting aside how it would take up a lot of time, the Honghai City Blacksmith Guild might, due to its limited rank, be unable to access the corresponding information required, just like the Formation Master Guild. Besides, even if he could find the respective blueprints for the formation flag and core, it wasn't guaranteed whether he could find the required material for it to forge them.

Rubbing his glabella, Zhang Xuan was distressed.

He thought that buying a Spirit Gathering Formation would be an easy and joyful matter, and he would be done in a moment's time. In the end, he spent several hours and the problem still wasn't solved yet.

"Actually... even without formation flags and core, it's not entirely impossible to set up a grade-5 formation!"

By the side, Elder Wang Haoxun seemed to have recalled something and interjected.

"Hm?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Through the books he had read through, he knew that these two items were necessities to setting up a formation. These were the basic materials and there was no way to avoid them. Could it be possible that there was some secret method to go around it?

"You mean that..."

Guild Leader Zheng seemed to have thought of something as well and he quickly shook his head. "Are you joking with me? That's impossible to accomplish!"

"Why?" Seeing that the duo seemed to have an idea in mind, Zhang Xuan asked curiously.

"What he means is... inscribing a formation plate!"

Guild Leader Zheng smiled bitterly, "But inscribing a formation plate is even harder than setting up a formation. It'll be impossible for one to succeed unless one reaches the level of a 5-star formation master!"

"Formation plate?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.

Indeed! Why didn't he think of it?

The formation plate was a unique material that could substitute formation flags and core!

"On top of that, it'll be impossible to inscribe with it without a specialized carving knife. I once bought a blank formation plate from the Appraiser Hall and tried inscribing it myself. However, the surface was incredibly tough and ordinary blades couldn't even leave a mark on it. How is one supposed to inscribe on it like that?"

Guild Leader Zheng shook his head.

The higher the grade of a formation, the greater the requirement on the quality of the formation plate. If the formation plate was too weak, it could crumble even before the formation was triggered.

The carving knives in the guild were only suited for the use of 4-star formation master. Even though they had a 5-star blank formation plate, those knives were simply insufficient to inscribe anything on it, needless to say, draw out a formation.

"Can you bring the grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation and formation plate so that I can take a look? If I really can't think of any solution, I'll drop the matter!"

Even though Zhang Xuan knew that what the other party said was true, he wasn't willing to give up on this chance. Thus, he made the request.

"Alright!"

Seeing the other party's insistence, Guild Leader Zheng nodded. Flicking his wrist, a jade token and a blank formation plate appeared in his hands.

These two objects were the most valuable resources of the entire guild. As such, he carried them with him everywhere he went.

Grabbing hold of the jade token, Zhang Xuan immersed his consciousness into it.

Just like the grade-4 formation blueprint jade token from before, the grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation blueprint was also extremely detailed. All kinds of demands were written clearly on it.

Zhang Xuan hurriedly remembered all of the details.

"It's indeed quite difficult to set up!"

Reorganizing the information in his mind, Zhang Xuan sighed.

Even though there was only a grade of difference between grade-5 and grade-4 formations, their difference was immense. If one's cultivation hadn't reached the required level, even if one had the formation flags and core, it would be very difficult to set it up properly.

It was just like pill forging. Even if a 1-star apothecary possessed the pill formula of higher grade pills, he would still be unable to suppress the violent energy within the cauldron to forge a grade-2 or grade-3 pill.

If the different ranks were so easy to overcome, there would be no need to create such a clear ranking system within the occupations.

"However, if I use the Library of Heaven's Path to find out the various errors and flaws in them, there's still a chance that I might succeed!"

With this cheat code, even though ordinary 4-star formation masters would be hard-pressed to prepare a formation of such a high grade, there was still a chance that Zhang Xuan might succeed.

Taking pill forging for example again, if there were no errors in the sequencing, one could easily guide a 1-star apothecary to forge a grade-2 pinnacle pill.

Similarly, as long as there was no error in his sequencing, with just his cultivation as a Half-Transcension cultivator, there was still a good chance he could set up a grade-5 Spirit Gathering Formation.

But... These were just thoughts. Without the required resources, there was nothing Zhang Xuan could do at all.

"I should take a look at the formation plate!"

Dumping aside those miscellaneous thoughts, Zhang Xuan took hold of the blank formation plate.

The formation plate was black and heavy. It was a little hard to tell what it was crafted from but if one were to only look at one of the surfaces, it resembled a smooth copper mirror.

"This is a carving knife. You can give it a try!"

Seeing that Zhang Xuan was still carrying some hope over the matter, Guild Leader Zheng whipped out a carving knife with a flick of his wrist and passed it over to him.

Grabbing hold of the knife, Zhang Xuan drove the zhenqi in his body and slit it across the smooth surface of the formation plate.

Jiya, jiya!

A screeching sound echoed. Even though the carving knife was sharp, it wasn't able to leave a single mark on the blank formation plate.

Zhang Xuan smiled bitterly.

It seemed like what the other party said was true. Given how the carving knife couldn't leave a mark on it at all, it was impossible to inscribe the formation on it.

"Flaws!"

Frustrated, Zhang Xuan muttered silently while holding the blank formation plate.

Hu!

A book appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path. He slowly opened it.

"Grade-5 blank formation plate. Crafted using Frigid Silver and Nine Inch Gold by 5-star Blacksmith Yang Shu. It is incomparably resilient, and only a Spirit high-tier carving knife or a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon paired with Weapon Intent can leave a mark on it. Flaws: ..."

Several flaws were detailed on the book.

Sweeping through them, Zhang Xuan realized that the flaws were beyond his current ability to exploit. Thus, he was preparing to put it down when he suddenly froze.

"A Spirit intermediate-tier weapon paired with Weapon Intent... can also leave a mark on it?"

A Spirit high-tier carving knife was a tool specially made for 5-star formation masters. As such, it was impossible to obtain it.

However...

Speaking of Spirit intermediate-tier weapons, some of the Transcendent Mortal 4-dan experts possessed them. Thus, it wasn't too difficult to find it in Honghai City. In fact, a lot of treasures that Hall Master Sai gathered were of that level.

As for Weapon Intent, given that Zhang Xuan had even comprehended Sword Heart already, it wasn't a problem at all!

The sharp edge that Weapon Intent provided was sufficient to make up for the deficiency in the quality of the weapon.

The more Zhang Xuan thought about it, the more he felt that it was possible. As such, with glowing eyes, Zhang Xuan raised his head and said, "I know how I can carve it now! Is there anyone of you who have a Spirit intermediate-tier sword? May I borrow it for a moment?"

"Spirit intermediate-tier sword?"

Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "I have one, what do you need it for?"

"I'll explain later, just lend it to me for a moment!" Zhang Xuan said.

"Alright then!"

Knowing that it was impossible for the other party to escape with his item, Guild Leader Zheng flicked his wrist and passed a sword over.

Grabbing over the sword, Zhang Xuan slowly drew it from its sheathe.

A cold gleam immediately reflected on Zhang Xuan's face. Even without infusing zhenqi into it, he could already feel overwhelming spiritual energy weighing down on him from it.

As expected of a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon. It was truly much stronger than the weapons he had used before.

Weng!

However, as soon as the sword was out of the sheathe, a spirit wave began pulsing out from the sword. The sword was trying to struggle free out of his grasp.

A weapon of this tier also possessed its own spirit. It could acknowledge a master, and if someone who wasn't its master tried to wield it, it could possibly go berserk and even injure the wielder.

"I apologize. This sword has been with me for quite a long time so it's a little apprehensive of strangers. Allow me to talk to it for a moment..."

Seeing that the sword was on the verge of escaping at any moment, Guild Leader Zheng immediately walked up with a reddened face and stroked his finger on the blade of the sword, as though cajoling a lover. "Alright, Zhang shi needs your help for a moment so listen to him obediently!"

Weng!

Hearing Guild Leader Zheng speak up for Zhang Xuan's stead, the sword seemed to have suffered a great injustice and its trembling grew even more intense.

"Cough cough, don't worry. I'll try again..."

Embarrassed, Guild Leader Zheng continued to stroke the sword and attempted to placate it.

However, the sword didn't seem to be willing to give in at all. The more Guild Leader Zheng tried to persuade it, the more violent its response.

"Old Zheng, you've owned this Imperial Jade Sword for a very long time already, but you haven't made it submit to you yet?" Hall Master Sai couldn't help but ask.

He was the one who sold the sword to the other party five years ago. He didn't expect that the other party hadn't won the acknowledgement of the sword yet.

Once a weapon acknowledged a master, it would respectfully listen to the commands of its master. In any case, it was impossible for it to react so violently.

"Cough cough, you know that the acknowledgement process is extremely complex. After accompanying it daily throughout the years, even eating and sleeping with it, the situation is already slightly better now. It's beginning to listen to my instructions now. Don't worry, give me an hour to talk to it, I guarantee you that there won't be any problems!"

Guild Leader Zheng smiled awkwardly.

There was no secret to making a Spirit weapon acknowledge one; one had to accompany it daily and temper it with one's zhenqi.

The Imperial Jade Sword had been with him for nearly five years now, and the spirit was on the verge of recognizing him already. Even though he was still a long way off from achieving an acknowledgement, the relationship of the two of them was already intimate. If he were to talk to it, it would still listen to his words.

"An hour is a bit too long. Pass me your sword!"

Hearing that it would take so long to calm down a Spirit intermediate-tier weapon, Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"Pass it to you?" Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. "Do you have an idea in mind?"

Unwilling to waste his time on words, Zhang Xuan created a loop with his thumb and middle finger, and he struck the sword on its tip, blade, and hilt.

Hu! Hu!

It was as though the sword had met something that had terrified it greatly, and it began to tremble violently.

With a darkened complexion, Zhang Xuan berated, "You'd better stay put obediently. If you were to cause any more ruckus, I'll cripple you!"

Weng!

Upon hearing those words, the sword immediately stopped its actions. Then, a sound reminiscent to the chiming of a bell sounded, reverberating straight within one's soul.

"Spirit Euphoria..."

Guild Leader Zheng's body froze and his eyeballs nearly popped out from their sockets. "The Imperial Jade Sword has acknowledged him as its master? Th-this... What in the world happened?"

Chapter 487: Does Anyone Have a Saber?

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

The sword had accompanied him for five whole years, and the time he spent with it was even more than that of his own wife. Even so, he was still unable to fully tame it yet. On the other hand, the young man before him had only bellowed at it and it immediately produced Spirit Euphoria...

Euphoria your head!

Could you be even more shameless than that?

I treated you as though you were my ancestor and not only did you not know gratitude, you even dumped me for someone else, acknowledging someone else as your master...

Guild Leader Zheng felt as though his heart was being torn apart by countless blades. His chest felt so stifled that he could spurt blood at any moment.

His entire face had turned green.

What the heck was this?

Could it be that he had to use forceful measures on this sword to force it into submission?

Seeing the awful complexion on his old friend, Hall Master Sai slapped his forehead.

This was an overpowered appraiser who could even make the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets acknowledge him. Wasn't earning the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword a walk in the park for him?

"Zhang shi is just borrowing your sword, he doesn't intend to take it away..."

Fearful that his old friend might pass out at this rate, he hurriedly sent a telepathic message over.

"Un..."

Only after hearing those words did Guild Leader Zheng finally calm down. He suppressed the urge to spurt blood and turned to look at the young man as a sliver of doubt rose within him.

"Wasn't he going to inscribe on the formation plate? Why is he borrowing a sword?"

The other party had declared that he was going to try inscribing on the formation plate so why in the world did he make the sword acknowledge him?

"It's to inscribe the formation plate!" Grabbing the grade-5 blank formation plate, Zhang Xuan flung his hand.

Peng!

The formation plate lodged itself onto the wall not too far away as though a mirror nailed onto a wall.

After securing the formation plate well, Zhang Xuan's eyebrows shot up and a ferocious might gushed out from him. Flicking his sword, a radiant aura shrouded it.

"Sword Intent... Sword Heart?"

Hearing the crisp buzz of the sword, Guild Leader Zheng narrowed his eyes.

Despite being a Transcendent Mortal 4-dan expert, he hadn't comprehend Sword Heart yet. To think that a fellow who wasn't even twenty yet would have reached such a level. Appraising, formation, and now Sword Heart... What in the world was he incapable of?

"Weapon Intent is incomparably sharp, and the might of a Spirit weapon infused with it can be brought up by a notch... It can't be that you intend to use the sword to inscribe the formation?"

As the thought arose in his mind, Guild Leader Zheng nearly choked on his own saliva.

A grade-5 formation plate could only be inscribed on by a Spirit high-tier inscribing knife. However, a tool of that level couldn't be found in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance... This fellow couldn't possibly be thinking of complementing the sword with Weapon Intent to replace it...!

It was easy to make mistakes during the inscribing process even with something as light and small as the inscribing knife. To use a sword directly...

Are you here to play around?

Using a sword to inscribe a formation... Putting aside whether I've seen it before, I haven't even heard of such a thing before!

You must be pulling my leg!

"Using a sword to inscribe a formation?" Hall Master Sai and Wang Haoxun's vision also darkened.

This was no longer about being brazen, this was insanity!

One might be able to wield a sword with astounding dexterity, but to use a three chi (ten meters) long sword to inscribe marks that were countless times thinner than a strand of hair... How in the world did such a ridiculous notion even appear in his mind?

Ding ding ding ding!

But before he could recover from the young man's actions, a metallic sound coming from the contact between the sword tip and the formation plate sounded.

Slowly, a thin mark appeared on the surface of the smooth formation plate.

"It's really possible?"

His vision went dark again.

What kind of monster was this?

To be able to draw formation marks with a sword... Exactly how adept was he with a sword?

"To think that I often make mistakes even when using a carving knife...

Wang Haoxun's lips trembled non-stop.

Even as a 4-star formation master, he still often made mistakes while inscribing on a formation plate. Yet, the other party was using a sword, which meant that he had to inscribe from a distance of three chi away...

Must you be so exaggerated?!

"It's workable!"

Contrary to everyone's shock, upon seeing the formation marks appear on the blank formation plate, Zhang Xuan's eyes gradually grew brighter and brighter.

He had only thought of complementing the sword with Sword Intent to do the inscribing on a whim so he didn't really give much of an expectation for it.

Driving his Soul Depth to the limit, his Eye of Insight flickered as he measured the various imperceptible bumps and depressions on the formation plate. Holding the sword tightly, he strictly followed the method detailed in the Heaven's Path Formation Art to inscribe the formation on the plate.

If a master teacher were here, he would definitely realize that Zhang Xuan had reached a unique state at the moment... Vanquishing Facade, Lucid Mind!

Lucid Analytical realm!

After the State of Mind 2-dan Heart of Tranquil Water was this Lucid Analytical realm.

Knowledge was omnipresent, only waiting to be analyzed!

At this realm, one would be able to peer through chaos to see the crux. At the same time, with a clearer mind, one's analytical power would grow substantially stronger.

Paired with the Eye of Insight, Zhang Xuan was able to inscribe the formation marks orderly, unaffected by any disturbances or emotions.

Other formation masters had to use a carving knife to inscribe the thin formation marks but Zhang Xuan could do the same with a sword. While the Heaven's Path Formation Art played a part in that, what played a more significant role was this ability unique to only master teachers.

"To use a sword to inscribe a formation plate... It's no wonder why he can break formations with a single kick. Who in the world is this expert?"

By the side, the senior, juniors, and others were so shocked that their hearts were about to stop beating.

Other people had to use carving knives to complete the delicate actions, but this fellow went on to use a sword instead. What left them even more frenzied was that he was able to do it as exquisitely as others... Even when witnessing it with their own eyes, they still found the entire sight incredulous.

Ding ding ding ding!

After an unknown period of time, Zhang Xuan retracted his sword and came to a halt. Then, he began to pant heavily.

"Sword Intent is an actualization of one's concentration. It's very easy for one to get exhausted by maintaining the state for a long time, not to mention, when doing such a delicate job!"

Upon seeing his state, Guild Leader Zheng tried to persuade him. "There's no need to hurry. A formation plate isn't something that can be inscribed completely within a day. You should take your time!"

Sword Intent represented a cultivator's comprehension toward swordsmanship. Activating it for a short period of time was still manageable, but even with Zhang Xuan's pure Heaven's Path zhenqi, maintaining it for an extended period of time wasn't too possible.

"Un..."

Nodding his head, Zhang Xuan began recuperating for a moment. He stared at the formation plate fixed on the wall with a grim expression.

Even though his comprehension of Sword Intent had already reached the level of Sword Heart, he was still unable to maintain that state for extended periods of time. In just a short moment, he already found himself on the verge of collapsing.

If he were to forcefully continue on, he might possibly wreck his previous efforts due to his unstable condition.

"If Sword Intent is a bottle filled with water, if it were to be poured out, there will come a point at which it will run dry."

Frowning, Zhang Xuan fell into contemplation. "I'm already dried out at the moment but the formation plate isn't even halfway there yet... It'll at least take a day or two of recuperation for my Sword Intent to recover..."

Sword Intent was similar to zhenqi. There was a limit to how much one could use it at a moment, and if one were to use it repeatedly, one would find himself sapped dry.

And that was exactly what Zhang Xuan's current state was. Even so, the formation plate in front of him wasn't even half done yet.

What should he do?

Did he have to slowly complete it over a course of few days, just as the other party said?

If Guild Leader Zheng were to learn of his thoughts, he would surely think that the world had gone mad.

Even 5-star formation masters would require several days to inscribe such a high grade formation plate with a carving knife. With a sword in hand, the other party still expects to finish it swiftly... Wasn't this clearly daydreaming?

Just as Zhang Xuan was conflicted over the next course of action, his eyes suddenly lit up.

On top of Sword Intent, he had comprehended Saber Intent as well.

"Right! Since I can inscribe it with Sword Intent, Saber Intent should work as well! Even though my Sword Intent is sapped dry at the moment, my Saber Intent is still at its capacity..."

Having learned Heaven's Path Saber Art before, his grasp over sabers had reached an incredibly high level of mastery.

Even though he couldn't activate his Sword Intent anymore, he hadn't expended his Saber Intent yet. It was still a full bottle ready to be used at his disposal.

Chuckling lightly, he stood up and surveyed the surroundings. "Does anyone have a Spirit intermediate-tier saber here?"

Even though it was possible to utilize Saber Intent through a sword as well, due to the differing nature of the two swords, the might and accuracy of his movements might take a toll. There was no need for Zhang Xuan to take such a risk.

"Saber?"

Stars appeared above everyone's head.

Aren't you using a sword to inscribe the formation plate? Why do you need a saber?"

"I have one here..."

After a moment of hesitation, Hall Master Sai flicked his wrist and a nine-ringed saber appeared in his palm. It was heavy and ferocious, and one could feel a violent disposition from it.

"Allow me to borrow it for a moment!"

Walking forward, Zhang Xuan grabbed the saber and flicked it lightly. A sound similar to the call of a dragon echoed.

"Good saber!"

From that, it was clear that the saber was a formidable Spirit weapon. It wasn't inferior to the Imperial Jade Sword at all.

"I'll return you the sword first!"

With a saber in hand now, Zhang Xuan tossed the sword that he borrowed back to Guild Leader Zheng.

Even though the weapon had acknowledged him as its master, he had stated clearly before he was just borrowing it. Since that was the case, he had no thoughts of claiming it for himself.

Besides, he didn't have much of an expectation for his weapon. Even though the Imperial Jade Sword was excellent, he didn't possess any greed for it.

And if he really needed one, he could always buy one for himself.

If he had harbored such thoughts, he would have long carried the Harmonious Stream of Flowing Goblets away with him. There would be no need for him to negotiate with the Appraiser Hall and let them off.

"This..."

Catching the sword, Guild Leader Zheng's face turned red in embarrassment.

Spirit artifacts possessed consciousness, and usually, if the spirit chose to acknowledge another master, even if the original owner was reluctant to do so, most would still choose to part with it.

After all, if one were to forcefully attempt to retain control over the weapon, not only would one be unable to earn the acknowledgement of the spirit, one might even incur its hostility.

There was no use keeping a sword that was hostile to one. Since that was the case, one might as well sell the other party a favor. Perhaps, one might even get a good price for it.

Thus, he thought that after Zhang shi had induced Spirit Euphoria in the Imperial Jade Sword, he would have to bid the sword goodbye. Yet... the other party simply returned it back to him, showing no signs of wanting to claim it for his own.

"Zhang shi, you seem to be fated with this Imperial Jade Sword given how easily you induced Spirit Euphoria in it! Such compatibility between a weapon and a human is extremely rare, and these encounters usually end up going on to become legends.

"I've owned this sword for nearly five years now but still, I'm unable to get its spirit to submit to me. Since that's the case, I might as well just gift it to you and fulfill the both of you..."

Gritting his teeth, Guild Leader Zheng presented the sword back to Zhang Xuan.

No one could easily part with a companion who had accompanied one over a span of five years. However, this sword had already chosen its master, and there was no use keeping it to himself. Thus, he might as well extend his generosity to the other party.

After finishing his piece, he thought the other party would immediately take the sword away. However, contrary to his expectations, there was no movement at all. Lifting his head, it seemed like that Zhang shi hadn't been listening to his words. Rather, he was tapping his fingers on several points on the nine-ringed saber that he just grabbed.

Weng!

A crisp call echoed from the saber.

Guild Leader Zheng's lips turned white and his hands trembled. He nearly threw his sword aside out of agitation.

"Spirit Euphoria... This saber... has acknowledged him as its master as well?"

Chapter 488: Self-Activating Sentient Formation Plate

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

He had just said that Spirit Euphoria was extremely rare, and encounters like the one a moment ago would tend to go on and become a legend. Yet, at the very next moment, this saber came and did the same as well. Were they so eager to find a master for themselves?

You all are Spirit weapons! You're supposed to have your own consciousness and pride, and not submit to anyone easily... When did you all become so easy to deal with?

If you are so easy to deal with, then what do the five years that I spent wiping the Imperial Jade Sword and nourishing it with my zhenqi count as?

Guild Leader Zheng felt faint-headed. He was just about to continue speaking when in front of him, Zhang shi flicked his wrist and a burst of aura shot forth from the saber. Then, grabbing the saber tightly, he hacked it straight toward the formation plate.

"Be careful!"

Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback. However, before he could finish his words, his words abruptly stopped.

Unlike what he imagined, the powerful saber qi didn't tear apart the formation plate. Rather, it left strokes and strokes of formation marks on it.

The other party was actually using a saber... to inscribe formation marks!

While most Transcendent Mortal experts hadn't even comprehended a single Weapon Intent, he had actually comprehended two already...

Just this sight in itself was enough to send him into a frenzy.

Your swordsmanship is light and adept, allowing you to use it in replacement of a carving knife to inscribe the formation marks. Fine, I admit that you possess incredible mastery so I'll accept it...

But sabers are heavy and bulky, especially nine-ringed sabers. That one in your hand definitely weighs at least several dozen kilograms. Ordinary men would find it tiring just to lift it, but to use it to inscribe formation marks...

How in the world are you doing it?

Can formation marks be inscribed like that?

Guild Leader Zheng's vision turned dark and his body trembled in agitation.

He had studied formations for more than eighty years now and he had always thought that his aptitude was above average, especially when it came to inscribing formation plates. However, after seeing the other party's actions, he realized that he was sorely mistaken.

Since his talent was great, could he use swords to inscribe formation marks?

Could he use the bulky sabers to inscribe formation marks?

Clearly, not!

That was a thought he dared not harbor at all.

Ding ding ding ding!

As the saber came into contact with the formation plate, the number of marks on the originally mirror-like surface increased swiftly.

Just as Guild Leader Zheng thought that the other party would complete the inscription process in a single breath, the other party tossed aside the saber in his hand, wiped the sweat off his forehead and looked over expectantly, "Does anyone have a spear?"

"..." The crowd.

A moment later, holding onto a spear, the young man stood at a distance four meters away as he brushed the tip of the spear on the formation plate on the wall.

Peng peng peng!

The spear moved swiftly, and just like with the sword and saber previously, formation marks swiftly appeared on the formation plate...

Grabbing onto their chests, Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun stared at one another.

Even when using carving knives, the both of them had to inscribe the marks slowly for fear of making an error. Yet, this fellow used a sword, saber, and now he was going to the extent of even using a spear... If he couldn't complete it with this spear, would he use a hammer next?

All of the formation masters that they knew of inscribed every stroke on a formation plate carefully as though a piece of art, fearful that it might break if with they were to use excessive strength. Yet, the other party went to the extent of using weapons on it...

Even though they were witnessing the sight for themselves, they still felt as though they were going mad.

Some of the crowd clutched onto their chests while some covered their mouths as they witnessed the astonishing sight.

In the meantime, Zhang Xuan was still currently immersed in his work. Having consecutively used the Weapon Intent of three different weapons, even though he was left on the verge spewing blood, what was fortunate was that the formation plate he was working on was about to be completed.

"The final stroke..."

With glowing eyes, he flicked his spear and drew out an elegant arc at the very center of the formation plate.

Hong long!

Carrying immense strength, the spear struck the surface of the formation plate and a deafening rumbling sound echoed.

The wall behind the formation plate was no longer able to withstand the immense pressure anymore and collapsed, leaving behind a gaping hole in its wake.

Zhang Xuan had fixed the formation plate on the wall to etch the inscription. Even though the formation plate wouldn't be damaged due to its toughness, the same didn't apply for the wall. Even though the Formation Master Guild had used the best Green Steel Boulder as the foundation for the building, it was still insufficient to withstand the relentless rampaging might of the sword, saber, and spear.

The corridor which the guild used to conduct the formation master examination collapsed and dust rose up from the surface, choking the surrounding crowd.

"Cough cough..."

Looking at the ruins before him, the ashen-faced Guild Leader Zheng's mouth twitched.

Are you here to take the formation master examination or are you here to demolish the place?

You first stopped the main formation of our guild before going ahead to destroy the walls...

What the heck was this? What kind of grudge does our Formation Master Guild have with you?

"Is the formation plate still intact?"

Hall Master Sai hurried forward.

Hearing those words, everyone suddenly recalled the matter and turned their gazes over.

Given how even the infrastructure had collapsed, would the formation plate still be fine?

"I have no idea!"

Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Hurrying forward, he quickly retrieved the round plate that was crushed under a thick layer of wreckage.

He wasn't being humble by saying those words, he really had no idea whether the formation plate was still fine or not.

Under normal circumstances, when he finished the final stroke on the formation plate, the formation should have been completed... However, he couldn't have expected the wall to crumble.

As such, it was hard to tell whether there was any deviation in his final stroke or not. There was a possibility that the might of the formation might be significantly reduced with this error.

He lowered his head to examine the formation plate.

On the smooth surface of the formation plate, innumerable strokes of differing depths could be seen. It looked like an eight trigrams formation, yet at the same time, it seemed to harness the laws of the world within it. With just a single look, one couldn't help but feel faint-headed.

"How is it?" Guild Leader Zheng asked anxiously.

If a formation plate wasn't activated, it was hard to tell just by the formation marks itself whether it was a successful work or not.

"Let me give it a try!" Zhang Xuan replied.

Knowing this logic, he placed his palm on it and infused his zhenqi in.

Hu hu!

Nothing.

"A failure?"

Everyone's face paled.

A completed formation plate should be instantaneously activated as soon as zhenqi was infused into it. Given that nothing happened at all, it could only mean that... the formation plate was a failure!

There was only this grade-5 blank formation plate in the guild. After going through so much trouble, going to the extent of using sword, saber, and spear intent, he still ended up in failure...

Everyone looked at Zhang Xuan in sympathy.

"In the end, the might of those weapons was still way too great. Even though you curbed their strength, it's still unsuitable to use them to inscribe a formation plate..." Wang Haoxun shook his head.

It wasn't without reason why everyone chose to use carving knife to inscribe a formation plate. No matter how well one's control over his spear, sword, or saber was, it was still a weapon crafted for destruction. It was inevitable that it would damage the formation plate so Zhang Xuan's failure wasn't too unexpected.

At that moment, Guild Leader Zheng suddenly shook his head.

"No, that's not it. If it's a failure, the formation plate should crumble. However, it is still intact and the spiritual energy within it is still flowing smoothly. Clearly, it isn't damaged at all!"

"Ah?"

Wang Haoxun was taken aback.

What the other party said was true.

A formation plate was, in essence, the miniaturization of a massive formation into a palm-sized round plate. As such massive energy was being condensed into such a small area, the slightest mistake would result in the plate breaking into innumerable fragments upon activation.

But, even though the formation plate in front of them wasn't activated, the marks were still glowing as zhenqi flowed through it. There weren't any signs of the energy within going berserk as well. What was going on?

If it was a success, why couldn't it be activated?

But if it was a failure, how could it still be intact?

"Could the formation have been inscribed incorrectly? The spiritual energy gathering nature of the formation isn't working and that's why it is still intact?" Wang Haoxun asked.

"Inscribed wrongly? That's impossible!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

He had followed the blueprint strictly and even used the inscribing method within the Heaven's Path Formation Art for it. Even if he had made an error in his final stroke, it shouldn't have deviated too much from its original intention.

Just as Zhang Xuan was about to use the Library of Heaven's Path to get to the bottom of the matter, Hall Master Sai's lips suddenly trembled as he walked forward.

"Can you allow me... to take a look?"

"Feel free!"

Seeing the other party's reaction, Zhang Xuan was slightly bewildered. Even so, he passed the formation plate over.

The reason why Zhang Xuan managed to become a 5-star appraiser was mainly due to the help of the Library of Heaven's Path. In terms of understanding of artifacts, he was most probably still inferior to the other party.

Hall Master Sai had immersed himself in the world of appraising for more than several decades by now. Even though he might not know much about formations, his intuition and eye of discernment still made his judgement a valuable one.

The other party placed the formation plate on his palm.

Hu!

Before Hall Master Sai could take a closer look, the weight on his palm suddenly disappeared. The formation plate released a light buzz before flying back into Zhang Xuan's embrace.

"As I expected... As I expected!"

With a reddened face, Hall Master Sai's body trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing the other party's response, as though having realized something, Guild Leader Zheng couldn't rein in his curiosity any longer and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?"

"Is this formation plate a failure?" Wang Haoxun asked as well.

"Failure?" Taking a deep breath, Hall Master Sai calmed himself down and shook his head. "How could that be possible?!"

"Then..." Everyone blinked in bewilderment. Even Zhang Xuan was unable to comprehend the situation before him.

If it was a success, why was he unable to activate it with zhenqi?

"Didn't you all see the formation plate leaving my hand on its own accord? Do you all still not understand it?"

Hall Master Sai spoke in agitation, "This... is clearly the reaction of a sentient tool. It has assessed me to be unsuitable, that's why it chose to leave..."

"Sentient? You mean... [Self-Activating Sentient Formation Plate]? This, this, this..."

Guild Leader Zheng had to say 'this' consecutively three times before he could bring himself back to reality. His eyes were widened and his body had stiffened. It was as though he had seen a ghost! "That is the ability that only a grade-6 formation plate should have! How can a grade-5 formation plate achieve such a feat?"

"Sentient formation plate?" Wang Haoxun also trembled in shock. He hurriedly turned his gaze to the formation plate in Zhang Xuan's hand.

The more he looked at it, the paler his face became. It seemed as though he would turn insane at any moment out of immense disbelief.

"What... is going on?"

Seeing the frenzied look on everyone's faces, Zhang Xuan was baffled.

Even though he had collected all of the books in the library of the Formation Master Guild, and he had studied the Heaven's Path Formation Art as well, he hadn't assimilated them yet. Thus, he was still unaware of much of the jargon that formation masters used.

"This... it means that the formation plate has gained spirit!" Guild Leader Zheng said with a quivering voice.

"Spirit? That does seem to be the case, but does it make a difference?" Zhang Xuan asked.

Only when the other party spoke about it did he realize that it was indeed the case.

Just like the Imperial Jade Sword, saber, and spear from before, this formation plate seemed to have sprouted its own spirit. However, as Zhang Xuan had only just crafted it, he'd failed to notice the matter.

"Due to the size limitation and inability to harmonize entirely with the environment, ordinary formation plates could only display half of the strength of a normal formation. If the formation master inscribing it is lacking in proficiency, the ratio might go even lower."

Noticing Zhang Xuan's doubt, Guild Leader Zheng began to explain.

Zhang Xuan nodded his head, indicating that he knew about it.

When he was reading through the books previously, he had learned about the unique nature of formation plates so he wasn't too surprised over it.

"However... this nature only applies to ordinary formation plates. Sentient formation plates don't obey that law!"

With a flushed face, Guild Leader Zheng continued, "Not only can sentient formation plates bring out ninety percent of the strength of the formation, it could even grow stronger over time!

"In fact... even without infusing zhenqi into it, it can activate by itself!"

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

A formation plate that possessed spirit wasn't only strong, it was also capable of absorbing spiritual energy to grow. More importantly, even without the zhenqi of a cultivator, it could activate by itself.

Even though self-activation didn't sound like a big deal, it could prove to be useful in desperate situations.

For example, if a person was under immense danger and wasn't in the condition to come into contact with the formation plate, a Spirit tool like this could potentially save one's life.

Thus, a sentient formation plate was one of the most sought after protective measures of cultivators.

However, only 6-star formation masters had the ability to create them. Furthermore, luck played a huge role as to whether an inscription would create a sentient formation plate or not.

Given the rarity of the object, he had only heard of it from rumors. As such, he didn't consider this possibility right from the start.

In fact, even after Hall Master Sai confirmed it, he still found it hard to believe that the young man before him could inscribe a sentient formation plate.

And more importantly, it was with a saber, a sword, and a spear! Who could have thought that those weapons could be used to inscribe formation plates as well?

Recovering from the shock, Guild Master Zheng turned to look at Zhang shi and sighed.

To think that he had thought that his capability was at least on par with the other party previously...

At this moment, he realized that there were unfair existences in this world known as 'geniuses'. As soon as they made a move, one would only find themselves being left in the dust.

To overcome five formations in just a few minutes, and stop the main formation maintaining the guild on top of that.

To create a sentient formation plate using sword, saber, and spear...

If it wasn't clear that his cultivation hadn't reached Transcendent Mortal yet, he would have thought that a 6-star formation master was going through all this trouble just to prank him.

Disregarding the other party's shock, Zhang Xuan asked, "You mean that this object can activate on its own accord?"

"That's right. After one earns its acknowledgement, one will be able to communicate with it telepathically to activate the formation. There's no zhenqi required in the process at all!" Guild Leader Zheng nodded.

"That's great!"

Hearing that it wasn't a failure in the inscribing process, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Touching the formation plate lightly, he could somehow feel an overjoyed feeling being transmitted to him.

Given that the formation plate was carved using the inscribing method detailed in the Heaven's Path Formation Plate, and he had utilized Sword Intent, Saber Intent, and Spear Intent just for it, he would find it hard to believe if the formation plate was ordinary.

"Acknowledge!"

Dripping a droplet of fresh blood on it, he found a communication bridge being slowly formed between him and the spirit of the formation plate.

"Activate!"

With a casual throw, the formation plate immediately activated in midair. The spiritual energy within the range of several thousand meter came gushing in as though a whirlpool was pulling them in. Due to the intensity of the attraction, a slight moaning sound reminiscent of frenzied wind being blown past a cave could be heard.

"Strong..."

Seeing the rate at which spiritual energy in the surroundings was being pulled in, everyone was taken aback.

As expected of a grade-5 formation. Its might was indeed fearsome.

Even though they weren't in the formation, they could still sense the overwhelming concentration of the spiritual energy within. It was at least three times that of the external surroundings!

If one were to cultivate within it, one's rate of cultivation would definitely be increased by several folds.

Furthermore, a sentient formation plate possessed the ability to repair its own damages. As long as one didn't use it too frequently or cause irreparable damage to it, there wasn't any limits on its usage.

"Not bad!"

Sensing that the might of the formation was similar to that described in the blueprint, Zhang Xuan nodded his head in satisfaction. Grabbing forward, he put away the formation plate and turned to the elder not too far away.

"Guild Leader Zheng, may I know the price of this blank formation plate?"

The sword, saber, and spear that Zhang Xuan used for the inscribing process were borrowed so he just had to return it. However, this blank formation plate was bought by the other party but he was now claiming it for his own. Naturally, it was only right for him to ask for the price to compensate the other party.

"Zhang shi, there's no need to worry about it. The formation plate is useless with me anyway so just consider it as a gift from my part..."

Guild Leader Zheng hurriedly turned down the matter.

The young man before him was a person who was capable of inscribing a sentient formation plate. Given his young age, it was likely the other party would go on and accomplish great things in the future. Thus, Guild Leader Zheng wanted to make use of this opportunity to strike up an amiable relationship with the other party.

"A gift?"

Frowning, Zhang Xuan shook his head, "It's not right for me to accept a gift when I haven't done anything deserving of it. How about this, since you haven't earned the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword yet, I'll give you a hand in it. This can count as compensation for the formation plate!"

Accepting the favor of another meant to be tied in a karmic relationship with the other party. This burden was a little heavy to bear.

"You'll give me a hand in earning the acknowledgement of the Imperial Jade Sword? It's possible... to help other people earn the acknowledgement of Spirit equipment?"

Guild Leader Zheng was taken aback.

Earning the acknowledgement of a sword concerns one's intimacy with one's weapon. To succeed, one had to spend time with it so as to tighten their bonds... Cough cough, it's possible to help one in that?

Why does it sound as though you are helping someone consummate their marriage?

"Of course!" With a faint smile, Zhang Xuan stretched his hand forward, grabbed the Imperial Jade Sword form his hand, and stroked it gently.

"The Imperial Jade Sword has already acknowledged you as its master so how can it possibly accept me?"

Thinking that it was impossible, Guild Leader Zheng shook his head.

"Don't worry, Zhang shi is a 5-star appraiser. Since he says that he can make the Imperial Jade Sword acknowledge you, he must have an idea in mind!" Seeing the disbelief in his old friend's mind, Hall Master Sai stroked his beard and said.

His trust in the Zhang shi's capability was nearly unconditional at this point.

In his view, as long as the other party said that it was possible, it had to be possible. It was almost at the level of blind admiration already.

"An idea in mind..."

Seeing the confident expression of his old friend and recalling the various astounding deeds that the other party had done, Guild Leader Zheng was suddenly filled with hope.

Just as he was curious to see what kind of astounding means would this legendary figure use, the other party's cold, harsh voice sounded.

"You'd better acknowledge Guild Leader Zheng as your master and listen to him obediently. Otherwise, you know that I can cripple you within seconds, right?"

"Cough cough!"

Guild Leader Zheng and Hall Master Sai choked on their saliva. Their faces turned green and they nearly burst into tears on the spot.

They were curious to know what means the other party would use but to think that it would be a threat!

Do you not know that all Spirit equipment are incomparably arrogant, and the one thing they do not fear are threats?

To cripple the equipment within seconds... If it operated the same as a human, he wouldn't have been put into such a difficult situation in the first place.

Why did this young man feel unfathomable as though an incredible expert in one moment and a naive amateur in the next...

"Zhang shi..."

Suppressing his dismal, Guild Leader Zheng shook his head. He was just about to advise the other party to not waste his effort when he heard a 'wuuu' sound. The Imperial Jade Sword suddenly flew toward him.

Hurriedly catching it, he immediately felt the Spirit Euphoria within it. Clearly... the sword was acknowledging him as its master.

"..."

Guild Leader Zheng went into a frenzy.

What was with this?

If the other party's 'I'll cripple you within seconds' actually worked, then what did his five years count for...

If it was under normal circumstances, he would surely dance in joy upon seeing that the sword which he had been keeping beside him for numerous years was acknowledging him. But somehow, in the current situation, he didn't feel the slightest delight. Instead, he felt so stifled that he could spurt blood.

"It looks like I shouldn't be so gentle when trying to win the acknowledgement of Spirit weapons in the future. Seems like callousness is the way to go..."

Dripping his blood on the Imperial Jade Sword to seal the relationship, Guild Leader Zheng reflected on his own mistakes.

"I still have something to attend to so I'll be taking my leave now!"

Having repaid the debt of the blank formation plate, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and bade farewell.

His purpose at the Formation Master Guild was to find a Spirit Gathering Formation. Since he had already succeeded, it was time for him to return to raise his cultivation.

"Farewell!"

Guild Leader Zheng nodded his head.

Watching the young man and Hall Master Sai leaving without any hesitation, Wang Haoxun stepped forward and asked Guild Leader Zheng, "What kind of person... is this Zhang shi?"

"I've no idea as well. However… this matter has to be reported to the headquarters. The other party isn't even a Transcendent Mortal yet, but he was able to use a sword, saber, and spear to inscribe a sentient formation plate..."

Recalling the other party's actions, Guild Leader Zheng's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

"That's right, we have to report it immediately!" Wang Haoxun nodded in agreement.

Since the other party had taken the formation master examination in their branch, he could be considered as one of their members. If they were to report this, the headquarters would surely reward them handsomely. The resources obtained from the reward would prove to be useful to them in breaking through their bottlenecks and getting their own 5-star formation master would just be a matter of time.

"But before that, we have to look into Zhang shi's background, where he came from and where he is heading to for the report. I'll be depending on you for this!" Guild Leader Zheng instructed.

"Yes!" Wang Haoxun nodded his head and hurriedly left.

Not too long later, he returned with a piece of paper in hand. The paper detailed various information concerning Zhang Xuan.

As one of the greatest power on the continent, it wasn't difficult for the Formation Master Guild to look into the affairs of an individual.

Not to mention, Zhang Xuan and the others didn't try to conceal their trail either.

"He came from Tianxuan Kingdom? In less than three months, he became a 2-star master teacher, 3-star apothecary, 3-star physician, 3-star painter, 2-star beast tamer, 5-star appraiser, quasi 4-star formation master..."

Browsing through the contents, Guild Leader Zheng's lips went dry.

The other party's capability had far exceeded his expectations.

In less than three months, the other party had walked from a remote location like Tianxuan Kingdom all the way to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance. Despite his young age, he was already a member of seven occupations, and some of those were even higher than his...

How in the world did he do it?

"I was also very shocked when I first saw it..." Wang Haoxun smiled bitterly.

After gathering the news, he nearly died from shock.

"Actually, I wasn't the one who gathered this information. Zhang shi had eradicated a small clan known as the Lin Clan in Tianwu Kingdom, and that Lin Clan had extremely close ties with the local Formation Master Guild. Most of the information on the paper was retrieved from there."

Wang Haoxun continued, "However, even though we have so much information on his background, we still have no clue as to what he's going to do next. Should we ask him about it before reporting it to the headquarters?"

Guild Leader Zheng shook his hands as he said, "There's no need for it. Given his talents, there's little doubt that he's going to participate in the Myriad Kingdom Alliance's Master Teacher Tournament!"

"Master Teacher Tournament?" Wang Haoxun was taken aback. "The Master Teacher Tournament which involves twenty-seven other powers of influence rivaling the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?"

"That's right. This is a tournament conducted by [Huanyu Empire]'s Master Teacher Pavilion in collaboration with the twenty-seven subordinate Master Teacher Pavilions under them. It's a grand gathering that happens once every decade. Given the extent of the other party's capability, he will surely participate in it. Even if that isn't the case, he would surely at least spectate the tournament!" Guild Leader Zheng said.

"Indeed. As an event initiated by the Tier 2 Huanyu Empire, it boasts of handsome reward. There is no genius who could resist its allure." Wang Haoxun nodded in agreement. "Given Zhang shi's capability, he will definitely participate in it."

"Alright, you should hurry up and report it. Even though we can't rival the Master Teacher Pavilion, we should at least make formation master his secondary occupation. We mustn't allow his talents to be buried in the dust!"

Saying so, Guild Leader Zheng and Wang Haoxun began walking toward the Communication Wall.

Chapter 490: Transcendent Mortal!

Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97

Returning to the Appraiser Hall, Zhang Xuan immediately headed to his living quarters, secluded himself within a chamber, and immediately activated the Spirit Gathering Formation.

Having collected innumerable books, learned two dans of Heaven's Path Formation Art, sapped dry his Sword Intent, Saber Intent, and Spear Intent, Zhang Xuan was already terribly exhausted. If not for an adamant will driving him, he would have long collapsed.

Sitting at the center of the Spirit Gathering Formation, he flicked his hands and a pile of spirit stones appeared around him.

Tzzzzzzzzzz!

As soon as the spirit stones were placed in the formation, the spiritual energy harnessed within was immediately extracted. As though vegetables being placed within an oiled wok, a sizzling sound could be heard. After which, the concentration of spiritual energy in the surrounding started rising swiftly.

Threefold!

Fourfold!

Fivefold!

...

In the blink of an eye, the concentration in the area had already reached sixfold of the surroundings.

Pili pala!

As spiritual energy was being drawn rapidly, some of the spirit stones started crumbling. Paying it no heed, Zhang Xuan continued adding in more spirit stones to fuel the formation.

Eventually, when the concentration finally reached tenfold, Zhang Xuan stopped.

At this concentration, it was already no different from the rate of absorbing spiritual energy from the spirit stones straight already.

"Begin!"

Since all preparations were done, Zhang Xuan immediately widened the pores across his entire body to absorb the thick spiritual energy in the surroundings rapidly. Then, converting them into Heaven's Path zhenqi, he refilled the energy expenditure he had incurred before.

Two hours later, his fatigue disappeared without a trace and he felt revitalized. He had finally reached his peak condition.

"Breakthrough!"

Muttering softly, the overflowing Heaven's Path zhenqi in his body began to strike at the barriers restraining his further progress.

Kacha!

After a seemingly long period of time, a crisp sound reminiscent of a small chick breaking out of its shell sounded. As though having knocked down a ceiling capping him, Zhang Xuan's body underwent an astonishing metamorphosis.

Nourished, every single cell on his body and his soul were undergoing a rapid qualitative evolution.

His lifespan which was capped at 100 began rising at a speed visible to the eye.

110!

120!

130!

...

His muscles and skin seemed to have been reborn, and they became even more supple and powerful.

Of one's entire life, the growth stage at which one had the best skin was infancy. During that period time, one's body would be overflowing with vitality, allowing all injuries to heal swiftly.

But along with the rise in one's age, as one consumed material food and the impurities in one's body started to increase, one's body would start to decline. As one's regenerative function lost out to the decline, one's bodily functions would gradually fail.

The Transcendent Mortal realm served to overcome this limit.

One who succeeded in the breakthrough would be brought back to their prime. Even a person who had a single foot in the grave would be overflowing with vitality.

Even though the Heaven's Path zhenqi that Zhang Xuan cultivated was incomparably pure and was highly beneficial to both his body and his soul, it still wasn't sufficient to grant him the strength and lifespan of a Transcendent Mortal. Thus, before this breakthrough, he was still constrained by the limits of a mortal.

This was the difference in the level of existence. Take an ant and an elephant for example, even the strongest ant could never defeat the weakest elephant.

Thus, having this step into new realms, his body seemed to have been nourished by the most concentrated energy of the world, making him feel incredibly energized and revitalized.

"Continue!"

After reaching the Prolonged Longevity realm, Zhang Xuan threw out another bunch of spirit stones and continued driving the Transcendent Mortal 1-dan Heaven's Path Divine Art. Just like that, he gradually broke through the various bottlenecks in his cultivation.

Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage!

Prolonged Longevity realm intermediate stage!

Prolonged Longevity realm advanced stage!

...

Two hours later, Zhang Xuan finally reached Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle.

And at that moment, his lifespan had been increased from 100 to 200 years!

At Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle, one's lifespan would be doubled.

When he exhaled deeply, unlike the usual turbid gas filled with impurities that were clogging up his meridians, it carried the light fragrance of nature.

Having reached the level of a Transcendent Mortal, one's physical body would possess the quality similar to a newborn infant, untarnished by impurities or pollutants.

Due to the overwhelming vitality within a child, it was extremely rare for them to suffer from bad breath. The current Zhang Xuan was also the same.

"Hearing, sight, smell... My five senses have been significantly enhanced as well!"

Opening his eyes and looking at the distance, he could see the ants several dozen meters away clearly. In fact, even the singing of the canaries several hundred meters away were crystal clear to his ears.

The rise in his cultivation realm had enhanced his five senses significantly. His reaction speed had increased by twofold.

The enhanced senses made it easier for him to harmonize with the nature, thus facilitating the absorption of spiritual energy and increasing his rate of cultivation.

No wonder there was the saying 'Beneath the Transcendent Mortals are all ants'! Only upon reaching this realm could one understand how fearsome it was.

"It seems like Ding Hong is one of the weaker cultivators at Prolonged Longevity realm. Otherwise, it would definitely be impossible for me to subdue him so easily!"

Upon reaching this level, Zhang Xuan realized how fortunate he was in his fight with Ding Hong back then.

Without proper guidance, that fellow had fumbled his way through the realms. Even though he had successfully made the breakthrough, he was one of the weakest ones of the tier. If Zhang Xuan had met with a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivator from the Myriad Kingdom Alliance back then instead, he would definitely have been in for a hard fight.

"After reaching Transcendent Mortal 1-dan pinnacle, my strength, when totaled up, adds up to more than two hundred thousand ding!"

Clenching his fists tightly, Zhang Xuan chuckled in joy.

At Prolonged Longevity realm, only one's lifespan would be enhanced. As such, before reaching Transcendent Mortal 2-dan, one's strength would be capped at a hundred thousand. On the other hand, Zhang Xuan had already achieved that might at Half-Transcension realm.

At this moment, along with the rise in his cultivation realm, his strength had increased by two times, thus reaching two hundred thousand!

In terms of just strength, he was already comparable to a Transcendent Mortal 2-dan Origin Energy realm intermediate stage expert.

At Origin Energy realm primary stage, one would possess the strength of 150,000 ding, 200,000 ding at intermediate stage, 250,000 ding at advanced stage, and 300,000 ding at pinnacle.

And this was only in terms of zhenqi. If one were to factor in one's comprehension of the nature, the strength at one's disposal would be much greater.

"I can achieve breakthroughs swiftly via Heaven's Path Divine Art, but... the expense is truly too great!"

Having gathered more than a thousand cultivation technique manuals, Zhang Xuan understood the rate of cultivation of ordinary Transcendent Mortal 1-dan cultivators. Even the most talented person would require several years of hard work to climb from primary stage to pinnacle. However, Zhang Xuan had done the same in just two hours...

Anyone who had witnessed the speed of his cultivation could definitely die of shock.

But while the speed was astounding, the expense was fearsome as well.

After the breakthrough, his Heaven's Path zhenqi had undergone a qualitative change, becoming even purer and less viscous.

If the Heaven's Path zhenqi were sand grains that could easily pass through small spaces previously, then at this moment... it was no different from flowing water. It could even slip through gaps that were indiscernible to the eye.

With the increase in the purity of his zhenqi, naturally, the requirements for Zhang Xuan's spiritual energy rose proportionately as well. Even though he had earned several ten thousand spirit stones through various means, there wasn't much of it that was sufficiently pure for him to absorb. Almost ninety percent of the spiritual energy contained within each spirit stone went to waste along with his cultivation.

He thought that the amount of spirit stones he had earned should be sufficient for him to reach Transcendent Mortal 3-dan or 4-dan but from the looks of it, he was being too naive.

The spirit stones that he had earned from the Appraiser Hall, the wager, guidance, and sale of the Soulless Metal Humanoid... had nearly dried out!

In other words... he used up nearly fifty thousand spirit stones just to advance from Prolonged Longevity realm primary stage to Prolonged Longevity realm pinnacle!

If it was anyone else, this amount of spirit stones would be more than sufficient for them to reach Transcendent Mortal 4-dan.

"I'm back to becoming a poor bloke again..."

Smiling bitterly, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.

Three days ago, he had to go through so much trouble just to make fifty thousand spirit stones. He thought that he had earned a huge wealth capable of rivaling several kingdoms already. Yet, to think that he would be back to square one after a cultivation session...

It was no wonder by people say cultivating was a money-burning business. From the looks of it, the description couldn't be any more apt.

Without sufficient spirit stones, it would be difficult for him to raise his cultivation realm.

"This kind of low-tier spirit stone is no longer sufficient to fuel my cultivation..."

Smiling bitterly, Zhang Xuan contemplated over his future course of action.

Several ten thousand spirit stones were only sufficient to raise his cultivation by one realm. If he were to attempt to advance through Origin Energy or even higher realms, it was unimaginable, how many spirit stones would be required?

It felt as though even if he were to earn several hundred thousand or even a million spirit stones, it would still be far from sufficient to support his cultivation.

Furthermore, there would come a point that the quality he required for his cultivation would exceed the purity of the spirit stone. At that point, all of the spirit stones would lose their worth.

If Zhang Xuan wanted to raise his cultivation swiftly, he would have to find some way to obtain a middle-tier spirit stone.

This kind of spirit stone possessed spiritual energy of extremely high purity which was much easier and more convenient to absorb.

"Three days is up, Luo Zhu should be done by now. I should hurry over to the soul oracle tomb to find a way to save Lu Chong!"

Standing up, Zhang Xuan walked out of the chamber.

It was already the second day when Zhang Xuan went to the Formation Master Guild. After the hassle there and the four hours spent on cultivation after returning, it was already around the promised time they agreed on.

This trip to the soul oracle tomb would determine whether Lu Chong could be awoken from his coma or not. Zhang Xuan would not allow any hiccups to occur.

Heading to the lounge, he realized that Luo Zhu had already arrived.

Zhao Ya and the others were also done with their cultivation, and they were standing by the side of the room.

His students didn't let down his expectations. In three days' time, they had all reached Zhizun realm. This was especially so for Zhao Ya, who had reached Zhizun realm intermediate stage. From her aura, one could vaguely feel overwhelming power.

Sun Qiang hadn't been slacking off the past three days as well. He had completely reinforced his cultivation as a Transcendent Mortal 1-dan. Even though he was still a far way off from matching up to Zhang Xuan, as compared to his cultivation of Zhenqi realm a few months ago, he had come quite a long way in this limited period of time.

"Zhang shi!"

Upon noticing his arrival, everyone turned their gazes over.

"Are you done with the preparations? If so, let's set off," Zhang Xuan said.

"I'm done with the preparations!" Luo Zhu nodded his head.

The items he needed for the trip to the soul oracle tomb were all ready.

"Do you all intend to accompany us to the soul oracle tomb or are you all returning to the Myriad Kingdom Alliance?"

Zhang Xuan turned to Zhao Feiwu and the others.

"The soul oracle tomb is dangerous so we'll pass on the offer..."

Jin Conghai was just about to reject the request when Zhao Feiwu interrupted, "Of course we'll be following as well. I've only read about the soul oracles from ancient texts. If their inheritance can really be found in the tomb, then it'll be worth going through the danger!"

"Gong... Gongzi, your body..."

Alarmed, Jin Conghai hurriedly persuaded.

He wasn't weak, and he was confident of protecting the gongzi under most circumstances... However, the soul oracle tomb was simply uncharted territories. It was a treacherous location even for him. Gongzi's cultivation was as good as null, and if they were to head there like that, he wasn't confident of ensuring the latter's safety.

As the other party's subordinate, he didn't dare to take such risks.

"Don't worry. Even though my fighting prowess is lacking, I am more than capable of protecting myself!" Zhao Feiwu chuckled lightly. "Besides, isn't Zhang shi here? I am eagerly waiting to see how he will wreak havoc in the soul oracle tomb!"

"But..."

Hearing the other party's resolute voice, Jin Conghai was conflicted. However, he still gave in eventually.

"Alright then, let's set off!"

Since everyone had already made up their minds, they climbed onto the back of the spirit beast without any hesitation.

This mount was Zhao Feiwu's spirit beast, and it had a wide back. Even though more than a dozen people were riding on it, it wasn't cramped at all.

Spreading its wings, it soared into the vast skies.

Soul oracle tomb, here we come!