351-355
Chapter 351: Chrysanthemum
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
The process of diagnosing wasn't a child's play—one mustn't be negligent in it. All the other party did was to walk over and touch the savage beast. Without even examining the savage beast's fur, physical condition, heartbeat, or breathing rate, he came back... What was this?
Don't tell me that you are already done examining the other party's condition, and you already have a solution for the matter?
Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were perplexed. They couldn't tell what Guild Leader Liu was up to.
After he returned to their side, they thought that he would say something, but to their frustration, he simply stood on the spot... and fell into a daze.
Without examining anything, he touched the other party and fell into a daze. Even Grandmaster Lin Tao, who had seen innumerable diagnoses from different top-notch physicians before, was perplexed.
"Cough cough, Guild Leader Liu, can the Gold-tailed Lion... be saved?"
They waited for a very long time, but the other party's face only brightened and darkened periodically. Unable to stand the anxiety any longer, Mo Tianxue asked.
You should at least tell me whether there is hope or not! Are you trying to kill us with anxiety by standing there?
"Oh. I've a few items that I need, so I'll have to trouble you to prepare them as soon as possible!"
Recovering from his daze, Zhang Xuan instructed with a grim expression.
"Yes!"
Mo Tianxue nodded.
"Boneless Flower, Gold Blood Venom, Three Thousand Worm Blood..."
Zhang Xuan casually listed a few medicinal substance.
"These... are all poison?"
Mo Tianxue thought that the other party would list out nourishing medicinal substances, but contrary to his expectations, all of the items the other party listed possessed lethal poison. Just hearing those names sent shivers down Mo Tianxue's spine.
"Un. I need them!" Zhang Xuan replied.
"Can these poisonous substance really treat the Gold-tailed Lion's illness?" Mo Tianxue was perplexed.
The Gold-tailed Lion was reaching the end of its life, and it even went on a rampage several times to express its frustration. Logically speaking, they should be feeding it nourishing medicinal herbs so that it could regain its spirit and recover.
Why would you look for these poisonous substances instead?
"Father, let's just listen to Guild Leader Liu's words. Since he asked you to obtain these material, he must have a use for them!" Sensing her father's hesitation, Mo Yu immediately urged him telepathically.
Having witnessed Zhang Xuan's treatment of the Great Herb King, she knew that the latter possessed astonishing means. Since he asked for her father to prepare these poisonous substances, he must have a plan in mind.
"Alright!" Agreeing to the matter, Mo Tianxue waved his hand. A split moment later, a gray-robed man appeared, and Mo Tianxue issued several instructions to him.
The Tianwu royal family possessed exceptional efficiency in getting things done. It didn't take them long to gather all of the required medicinal substances.
"Guild Leader Liu, what should we do now?"
Seeing the bunch of poisonous substances placed on top of a huge table, the corners of Mo Tianxue's lip twitched and he hurriedly averted his gaze.
Just any single one of these medicinal substances was sufficient to poison a Zongshi realm expert to death. But at this moment, dozens of them were piled up together. Mo Tianxue truly couldn't imagine a use for these items.
"Do you have any pikes? Prepare 36 of them for me!"
Instead of answering, Zhang Xuan listed another request.
Pikes were a common weapon used by the guards in the royal palace, so it wasn't too difficult to gather them. A few minutes later, a pile of pikes were stacked up in the courtyard.
"Prepare another forty cows and lambs. Slaughter them and fill their blood in buckets...
Zhang Xuan continued instructing.
Even though Mo Tianxue had no idea what was going on, he didn't think that Guild Leader Liu would do pointless things. Thus, he had his men prepare those as well.
Soon, when everything was in place, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. Walking over to the table of medicinal substances that the other party had collected, he smacked on the table.
Hu!
A dozen of medicinal substances immediately flew into the air. Zhang Xuan closed his palms together, and with a burst of zhenqi, he crushed them all into medicinal powder and mixed them together one by one. The final product was a green powder which sent one's goosebumps rising.
Without a doubt, this powder which comprised more than a dozen of lethal poisons was incredibly potent. If a Half-Zhizun were to get a whiff of it, he would at least pass out for half a day.
"This is... the concoction method of a poison master? Could it be that... Guild Leader Liu is a poison master?"
As the poison powder flew around the place, they reacted with one another, causing the substance to change colors continuously. Mo Tianxue and Grandmaster Lin Tao stared at the sight warily.
Poison masters possessed the might to kill those who possessed a cultivation realm beyond them.
Liu Cheng's cultivation could be considered as negligible in comparison to theirs, but the notoriety of poison masters was simply too deeply ingrained in their minds. No one knew what kind of poison he was concocting, and there was a chance that they might end up dead if they were to be negligent at this point.
There were many such precedents, and this was also the reason why this occupation was extremely feared by many.
The fact that Guild Leader Liu was able to fuse so many lethal medicinal substances together so casually showed that he had a comprehensive knowledge over the properties of these medicinal substances, and he had an extremely high control over his concoction skills. Could he really a poison master?
"Formidable physicians dabble in poison for their treatment as well. It isn't surprising for him to know a thing or two about the properties of poisonous medicinal substances!"
Sensing the doubt of the duo, Mo Yu sent a telepathic message to them.
Physicians and poison masters were actually two sides of the same coin. Both of them utilized medicinal herbs, but one used it to save lives while the other one used it to claim lives.
It was said that the very first poison master was initially an extremely proficient physician. After his wife was killed by his enemies, his personality became warped and he started to research lethal poison to exact vengeance. Eventually, he wiped out the entire clan of his enemies, and before his death, he left behind a book—the [Art of Poison].
Of course, as it was too long in the past, no one could verify the authenticity of this legend. Even so, this legend clearly indicated that there were many points of overlap between physicians and poison masters. As such, it wasn't too surprising for formidable physicians to be capable of concocting poison either.
"I'm done..."
Just as the trio was discussing, the young man finally came to a stop. He was done concocting the poison powder, and he casually threw it into the pail by the side. The clear water within the pail immediately turned dark gray.
After doing all of these, Zhang Xuan heaved a sigh of relief. He circled around the Gold-tailed Lion before stopping finally before Grandmaster Lin Tao.
"Is there a way to activate the confinement formation quickly?"
"Activate the confinement formation quickly?" Lin Tao was stunned.
"Un!" Zhang Xuan nodded.
Back then, when he was at the Beast Hall, he had the opportunity to see a formation being activated, and it seemed to be a troublesome process requiring much preparatory work.
"It'll be best if you can do so within half a breath!" After contemplating for a moment, Zhang Xuan added.
"Half a breath?" Lin Tao nearly choked on his own saliva. "How is that possible? Given the size of this grade-3 formation, it would require a minimum eight Zongshi realm pinnacle experts infusing zhenqi into the formation simultaneously at eight different locations to activate. Only when their zhenqi has completely fused with the formation will the formation be triggered... Even with the fastest method, it'll at least take ten minutes!"
"Ten minutes?"
"Un. If one possesses the strength of a Zhizun realm cultivator, one would be able to activate it alone, and the time taken will be significantly reduced as well. Even so, it'll still be impossible to activate it without two to three minutes!"
Lin Tao was completely speechless.
Do you really know formations?
The triggering of a formation may sound simple, but it requires one to infuse zhenqi to drive and stimulate the formation. This process is extremely complex and troublesome to carry out.
Anyone who had the slightest understanding of formation would understand this. As a person capable of pausing a grade-3 formations with a single kick, how could you not know this?
"That is too long..."
Zhang Xuan frowned. "Do you have any better ideas?"
"I do, just that... I can't do it alone!" Lin Tao said hesitantly.
"Oh? Tell me about it!" Zhang Xuan hurriedly turned to look at him.
"Every single formation has a core, and that is where the entire formation is centered around. If one infuses zhenqi directly into that spot, the formation can be activated swiftly... This is also the fundamental principle behind how formation plates works!"
At this point, Lin Tao suddenly looked slightly awkward, "However, you should know that only 3-star formation masters are capable of inscribing on a formation plates. I'm only a 2-star pinnacle formation master... so I'm still a little lacking in that aspect!"
In truth, formation plates were created through using a special method to compress massive formations into a small personal object that one could bring around conveniently. When the need comes, one just has to infuse zhenqi into it. Even if one wasn't a formation master, one could still activate it easily.
While its prowess was significantly lacking as compared to a real formation, its strength lay in its ability to be activated instantaneously. Furthermore, due to its convenience in carrying around, many people use it as a survival mean.
Mo Yu had one on her as well. This was also the main reason why Mo Tianxue was willing to allow her to explore outside on her own.
"You mean that as long as I find the core of the formation... I'll be able to activate the formation quickly?"
Zhang Xuan asked.
"That's right!" Lin Tao nodded. "But while that's the case, it isn't that easy to find the core of the formation. Different from a formation plate, where the core is fixed at a certain point, the formation core of huge formations tend to change depending on the geography and time. Even I am unable to find it, lest to say... activate the formation through it!"
"Oh!"
At this moment, Zhang Xuan froze for a split moment before turning to look at a specific point in space.
Then, without any hesitation, he picked up a pike and walked up to the Gold-tailed Lion.
With a swift jerk, he dipped the pike into the bucket of lethal poison, and a sizzling sound could immediately be heard from the surface of the pike, as though the metal was being corroded.
"Go!"
Raising his eyebrows, Zhang Xuan took out the venom-soaked pike, pulled it back, and threw it with a swift motion.
Sou!
As though a javelin, the pike flew out with astonishing strength and impaled the body of the sleeping Gold-tailed Lion.
"Ah?"
They were just wondering what the other party was going to do when this sight abruptly unfolded before them. Cold sweat immediately gushed down Mo Tianxue, Lin Tao, and Mo Yu's bodies.
That was lethal poison... Putting aside whether the guardian beast would be poisoned to death for the moment, this was a direct provocation to the other party!
This fellow already had a been in an unstable condition recently, going around eating others. If it were to fly into a temper at this moment, wouldn't it slaughter everyone?
Roar!
As expected, before they could recover from their shock, a furious roar reverberated in the air. The sleeping Gold-tailed Lion abruptly opened its eyes, and its large eyes instantaneously turned scarlet.
"We're done for..."
Upon seeing this sight, their hearts turned cold.
Huala!
Lowering his head, the Gold-tailed Lion saw the pike stabbed into its body. In an instant, its fury surged and it bellowed deafeningly, tremoring the heavens. Standing up, its massive figure, reminiscent of a small hill, became even more pronounced. Even without making a move, the immense pressure that it exerted had already made their legs go weak.
"Guild Leader Liu, danger..."
Mo Yu shouted anxiously.
Even a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert like her father couldn't withstand the wrath of the Gold-tailed Lion. The other party was only at Zongshi realm primary stage, so how could he possibly survive an attack from it?
She thought that the young man would retreat immediately after hearing her voice, but contrary to her expectations, the other party simply picked up another pike, soaked it in venom, and tossed it once more.
On top of that... the area which he was aiming for... was the orifice at the end of the Gold-tailed Lion's alimentary canal.
Puhe!
The pike accurately stabbed straight into the opening, and fresh blood immediately gushed frenziedly along the body of the pike.
"Roar!"
This time, it wasn't just the Gold-tailed Lion who went into a frenzy. Mo Tianxue, Lin Tao, Mo Yu found the boundaries of their sanity being forcefully pushed on.
It had just barely opened its eyes to identify the arrogant aggressor who dared to attack it when this fellow grabbed a pike and tossed it into the end of its alimentary canal. Rage immediately clouded its mind.
Huala!
It immediately swept its massive tail straight toward Zhang Xuan. Due to its astounding speed, a sonic boom burst the air.
Seemingly aware that it would react in this manner, Zhang Xuan didn't panic. Instead, with a swift leap, he dashed to the spot around a dozen meter away where he glanced momentarily at just a moment ago and forcefully kicked at it.
Huala!
Along with the sound, the vision before Mo Tianxue, Mo Yu, and the others blurred. The formation had activated once more, concealing the interiors of the courtyard.
"The formation... has been activated?"
Grandmaster Lin Tao widened his eyes.
---
Chrysanthemum, or juhua (pronounced as jee-hwa) in hanyupinyin, is a slang referring to the opening of a human's alimentary canal...
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Chapter 352: Cured
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
To be able to activate the formation instantly, this could only mean one thing... That fellow had found the core of the formation!
During that conversation, Grandmaster Lin Tao could tell that the other party didn't even know what a formation core was. Yet, right after that, the other party immediately found the formation core and even made use of it...
Is this for real?
Grandmaster Lin Tao's body shuddered, and he felt as though he was about to faint.
The location of the formation core would change along with a change in one's surroundings. Even for a 3-star primary stage formation master like the clan head, without a compass and careful observation, it was impossible to find it. Yet, without using any tools at all, this fellow simply pranced about and... with a single kick, the formation immediately activated!
Even though he was seeing it with his own eyes, he couldn't help but doubt if he was dreaming...
He thought that he had a huge leverage as a formation grandmaster against the Tongxuan realm lad... But after seeing this sight, tears threatened to flow down from his eyes.
Guild Master Liu, are you the formation grandmaster, or am I the formation grandmaster?
Why do I feel like nothing but a fool before you?
Roar! Roar! Roar!
With the activation of the formation, Mo Tianxue and the others couldn't see the situation inside anymore. However, they could hear the infuriated roaring of the Gold-tailed Lion, as though there was something happening within which sent it into a frenzy.
Dozens of breaths later, all sound from within disappeared.
"Let's go over and take a look!"
Anxious, Mo Tianxue and the others hurried forward.
They weren't too far away from Guild Master Liu and the Gold-tailed Lion, and with Lin Tao leading the way, they were able to walk past the mist without triggering the formation on them. Soon, when they reached their destination, the sight before them left their eyebrows twitching furiously, and for a moment, they thought that they would go insane.
The Gold-tailed Lion, whom the young man was supposed to save, had pierced pikes all over its body, be it its nose, ears, end of the alimentary canal...
Fresh blood flowed furiously down each of the thirty-six pikes, dyeing the entire ground crimson. The imposing Gold-tailed Lion which was roaring non-stop a moment ago was so drained at this moment that it couldn't even open its eyes, and its breathing was nearly imperceptible.
"Guild Leader Liu..."
Mo Tianxue felt his veins popping out, and he nearly vomited a mouthful of blood.
The reason why I invited you over is to treat the guardian beast, not to kill it…
Isn't it just your first meeting with it?
Yet, you threw so many pikes toward it that it looked no different from a feather duster at this point. More importantly, every single one of these pikes was laced with lethal poison... You must be truly adamant to kill it!
What grudge do you have with it for you to kill it so mercilessly?
Rage bubbled in Mo Tianxue's chest, and he clenched his fist tightly in anger. If he didn't give his all to hold himself back, he would have surely rushed forward to crush that fellow with his fist.
Even though the guardian beast didn't have long to live and it had hurt some people when it went on a rampage previously, it had protected Tianwu Kingdom from harm for past several centuries. Mo Tianxue carried deep respect for it.
Treating the guardian beast like that was as good as an insult to him!
With a steeled face, he looked at the young man. The other party's face was slightly pale, and he seemed to be slightly sapped of energy.
Upon seeing the trio, the young man heaved a sigh of relief. He weakly sat onto the floor and said, "Its illness is extremely hard to treat, but fortunately, I managed to accomplish what that was asked of me..."
"Accomplish what that was asked of you?"
Seeing the other party's confident smile, Mo Tianxue was taken aback.
Did he misunderstand him?
Was he really treating the Gold-tailed Lion?
As this thought slowly surfaced in his head, he subconsciously turned to look at the guardian beast. However, with this glance, his rage surged once more.
The Gold-tailed Lion which was still roaring furiously a moment ago had its eyes tightly shut as it laid limply on the floor. Even its breathing seemed to have disappeared altogether.
"The Gold-tailed Lion... is dead?"
Mo Yu and Grandmaster Lin Tao also realized that something was amiss, and turning their heads to take a look, their eyeballs nearly popped out from their sockets.
You were brought here to treat the guardian beast, not to kill it...
Accomplish what that was asked of you... Accomplish your head!
You mean that you came here with the intention to kill it?"
"Guild Leader Liu, what do you mean by this?"
Suppressing his fury forcefully, Mo Tianxue glared fixedly at the fellow before him.
He had sincerely invited the other party over in hopes that the other party could create a miracle and allow the guardian beast to live a little longer. Never in his dreams did he expect that not only did the other party fail to cure it, he even went on to kill it...
If not for the considerations he held for the other party's identity, he would have ordered his men to tear this fellow into innumerable pieces already.
"What do you mean by those words? I have completed my treatment..." Seemingly oblivious to the other party's rage, Zhang Xuan answered calmly. "It's fortunate that my treatment went well!"
"Went well?"
Mo Tianxue's eyebrows twitched.
Killing your patient is a sign that things went well?
You aren't a physician but... a murderer!
"Cough cough! Guild Leader Liu, why isn't the Gold-tailed Lion... breathing? Is it dead?"
Seeing that her father was about to erupt at any moment, Mo Yu hurriedly stepped forward and intervened.
"Dead?" Only at this moment did Zhang Xuan realize why everyone had such a grim expression on their faces. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm here, how can it possibly die so easily..."
Saying so, he walked toward the Gold-tailed Lion and kicked it.
"Stop feigning death. Hurry up and get up..."
Roar!
Being kicked on its face, the seemingly dead Gold-tailed Lion seemed to be shocked into action.
With a furious roar, its golden fur trembled.
Sou sou sou sou!
All of the pikes stabbed into its body flew out, dropping onto the ground.
"Drink these pails of blood..."
Zhang Xuan casually pointed.
He had asked for Mo Tianxue to prepare the fresh blood of cows and goats beforehand, and they were stored in the wooden pails placed not too far away. The Gold-tailed Lion hurried forward and gulped them down.
Soon, after consuming the blood in those pails, the Gold-tailed Lion seemed to have recovered considerably. Compared to its withered look from before, it looked extremely spirited at the moment.
"This..."
Seeing this sight, Mo Tianxue and the others felt as though they were dreaming. For a moment, they were completely dumbfounded.
Despite having thirty-six pikes laced with lethal poison impaling it, not only did the Gold-tailed Lion manage to survive, it was even revitalized...
What in the world was going on?
Furthermore, didn't its breathing clearly stop just now?
Why did it suddenly come to life after a kick?
This Guild Leader Liu had dashed a total of three kicks. The first one, he stopped the formation. The second one, he activated the formation. And the third one... the Gold-tailed Lion came to life...
It felt as though every single one of his kicks possessed mystical powers, astonishing everyone with its fearsome might every single time.
"Guild Leader Liu..."
Seeing that the vitality of the Gold-tailed Lion had recovered significantly, Mo Tianxue couldn't help but utter with a doubtful tone.
"Are you curious about what is going on?"
Zhang Xuan chuckled, "Actually... The Gold-tailed Lion wasn't afflicted with any illness... it was poisoned!"
"Poisoned?"
Mo Tianxue was taken aback while Grandmaster Lin Tao's face distorted in terror.
Someone actually dared to poison the guardian beast of Tianwu Kingdom? Who is it?
And how did the person do it?
"Under normal circumstances, the tail of the Gold-tailed Lion should be golden. However, there are slight traces of white at the tip previously. This shows that it isn't just an ordinary illness!"
Zhang Xuan explained.
Hearing these words, Mo Tianxue and the others suddenly recalled seeing traces of white at the end of the Gold-tailed Lion's tiger.
"You said that it went on a rampage... But if it truly went on a rampage, how could it possibly stop right after eating a few eunuchs and maids? This contradicts the very idea of a rampage. Clearly, it still possesses rationality!"
Zhang Xuan continued, "Given these two factors, I deduced that it must have fallen prey to some lethal poison, and in an attempt to cope with it, it forced the poison to the tip of its tail, thus inducing the traces of white!"
"This..."
The crowd was taken aback.
That's right.
If it had truly gone on a complete rampage, it would surely attack everyone it saw. It was illogical for it to stop at just a few insignificant eunuchs and maids.
"Could it be that these maids and eunuchs were the ones who poisoned it, that's why it killed them out of anger..." A thought suddenly appeared in Mo Yu's mind.
Given the guardian beast's Half-Zhizun realm cultivation, there was no one in Tianwu Kingdom who could force poison on it. The only viable method was to spike its food.
And the most plausible culprits for it were the eunuchs and maids who served it.
"That's right!"
Zhang Xuan nodded. "Without any contractee, it is unable to express its thoughts. As such, it killed these eunuchs and maids to exact vengeance, as well as to tell you that these people are suspicious... Yet, you thought that it had gone insane and even used a formation to confine it..."
Mo Tianxue's face flushed.
When the guardian beast ate those eunuchs and maids, he was horrified, thinking that the latter had gone insane. It happened that Guild Leader Lin was beside him then, so he immediately requested for the latter to set up a formation to confine it without giving it much thought.
He didn't expect that... the other party was actually trying to express such intent.
"Even though the poison it was afflicted with was potent, it is still a powerful Half-Zhizun realm savage beast possessing centuries of lifespan. This was what that allowed it to hold on all this while. However, just like what Physician Mu Hong and the others had said, it wouldn't survive past three months at this rate!"
"It wouldn't be difficult to treat this poison in its earlier stages, but in the Gold-tailed Lion's case, the poison had already permeated through the meridians across its entire body, making treatment difficult!"
"After hesitating for a moment, I decided to counteract the poison with another poison!"
"That's why I got you to prepare all of those poisonous substances and used a pike to insert the venom into the locations where the poison was gathered.
"It is fortunate that I managed to accomplish what you asked of me and saved it..."
Zhang Xuan smiled.
After placing his hand on the other party's body, he immediately found out what poison the Gold-tailed Lion was suffering from.
He had seen this poison in the books of the Poison Hall before, and he knew that to treat it, he would have to counteract its poison with another one.
Knowing all of these, the rest was simple. He just had to neutralize the poison spread across the other party's body by inserting venom of his own.
But of course, if it was anyone else, such a feat would have been impossible.
The poison had already spread across its entire body, accumulating in many different meridians. It would be impossible to even identify the locations where the poison had settled down in, thus making it even more impossible to solve the problem.
After all, if the venom were to be injected into the wrong locations, not only would it fail to neutralize the poison in the Gold-tailed Lion's body, it would even poison it to death.
However, possessing the Library of Heaven's Path, Zhang Xuan could clearly see all thirty-six of the locations where the poison was accumulated. All he had to do was to aim the pike accurately at the right location.
As for the cow and goat blood, it was for the Gold-tailed Lion to regain its vitality after suffering such a massive loss of blood.
After hearing the explanation, Mo Tianxue and the others widened their eyes in shock. At this moment, they felt nothing but admiration for the young man before them.
It was no wonder why he could solve all of the problems on the Wall of Dilemma and become the new guild leader of the Physician Guild. His medical skill was simply too formidable!
It was hard to believe that anyone could possess such capability even though they were seeing one right before them.
"Even though I have neutralized the lethal poison it is suffering from, it is true that its lifespan is reaching its end. While it is still fine for the time being, it won't live beyond a year, unless..."
Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment before saying, "... it achieves a breakthrough into Zhizun realm!"
"Achieves a breakthrough in Zhizun realm?"
Mo Tianxue's breathing suddenly hastened, "Does Guild Leader Liu have a solution to that?"
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Chapter 353: Zongshi Realm Pinnacle
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
Zhizun realm stands at the very pinnacle of a Fighter. At this level, a cultivator's physical body, zhenqi, and spirit will reach the limits of a mortal.
However, it is extremely difficult to break through the barrier to reach this level. This is especially true for savage beasts, whose bloodline limits their progress. Without Bloodline Evolution, it is impossible for them to reach Zhizun realm.
This was also the reason why the Gold-tailed Lion had been unable to achieve a breakthrough despite having guarded Tianwu Kingdom for two hundred years.
Otherwise, given the royal family's wealth and connections, it would have taken the final step long ago. It wouldn't have been stuck at Half-Zhizun all this while, unable to advance a single step forward.
"An idea... I do have one, but it will be expensive!" Zhang Xuan tilted his face upwards as the vicissitudes of life reflected in his eyes.
"As long as the Gold-tailed Lion is able to reach Zhizun realm, I am willing to pay any price..."
Mo Tianxue hurriedly replied.
Once the guardian beast dies, Tianwu Kingdom would be at risk. On the other hand, if the guardian beast could reach Zhizun realm, not only would a crisis be averted, but the nation's strength would also be boosted as well. The clans who had been harboring great ambitions toward Tianwu Kingdom would have to rein themselves in.
Thus, Mo Tianxue was willing to pay any price for the Gold-tailed Lion's breakthrough.
"Un!"
Seeing the other party's attitude, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction. Turning to look at the others with the look of an expert unsullied by the material world, he continued, "It isn't exactly difficult, but it won't be easy either! I'll need spirit stones, and the more there are, the higher its chances of achieving a breakthrough. Also, I will require Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals. There's no need for quality; I only require quantity. Similarly, the more there are, the better it is!"
Naturally, these two objects weren't for the Gold-tailed Lion's breakthrough, but rather, preparation for the advancement of his own cultivation.
He had already repaid the other party's favor by treating the Gold-tailed Lion's poison. It would be considered as another service if he were to help it to achieve a breakthrough, and naturally, he would have to collect a separate fee for it.
However, his demand for spirit stones and secret manuals wasn't entirely for his own private reasons either. While the Heaven's Path zhenqi possessed the ability to cleanse a savage beast's bloodline, Zhang Xuan's cultivation mustn't be too far from the other party's.
Zhang Xuan was capable of inducing a breakthrough in a Zongshi realm pinnacle savage beast to Half-Zhizun, but without reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, it would be hard for him to raise the cultivation of the Gold-tailed Lion to Zhizun realm.
If not for this limitation, Zhang Xuan would be able to raise a savage beast's bloodline ceaselessly. He could have just raised the cultivation of the Howling Firmament Beast continuously until it reached Zhizun realm pinnacle, and by then, no one would dare to cross his path even at a Conferred Kingdom. He wouldn't have to go through so much trouble here.
In a sense, while the purpose of the spirit stones and Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals was to raise his strength, it was also for the Gold-tailed Lion's breakthrough. Thus, Zhang Xuan wasn't deceiving the other party.
"Spirit stones... The royal family does have some, but there's only five of them!"
Upon hearing what Zhang Xuan required, even though Mo Tianxue was perplexed, he still answered honestly. "As for Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals... we don't have a single one of them!"
"Only five spirit stones? And not even a single Zhizun realm cultivation technique manual?"
"Yes... Only Conferred Kingdoms have the right to trade spirit stones. The few spirit stones that our Tianwu Kingdom possesses were obtained by paying a heavy price, and throughout the years, we have been using them to reward meritorious subjects and to befriend talents, so we are running low on supply..."
"As for Zhizun realm cultivation techniques, due to the restrictions on Tier 1 Kingdoms and the lack of resources, it is impossible for one to reach this cultivation realm. Thus... these cultivation technique manuals are useless to us, and possessing them may even bring a calamity upon us..."
Mo Tianxue said awkwardly.
Spirit stones are too valuable—they are limited in supply even in Conferred Kingdoms, needless to say, a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom.
In truth, it was already a sizeable fortune to possess five of them in their treasury.
As for Zhizun realm cultivation technique manuals, there wasn't a single Zhizun realm cultivator in Tianwu Kingdom, so where could they find a cultivation technique of this level?
Besides, if a Zhizun realm expert were to appear in Tianwu Kingdom, it would definitely alarm the Conferred Kingdoms and potentially bring calamity upon them.
"Five... So be it then. Pass them to me. I will think of a way to help it achieve a breakthrough!"
Even though Zhang Xuan thought that it was a pity that he could only obtain five spirit stones, he still nodded in agreement.
Even though his demand for spiritual energy would increase as his cultivation increased, based on his calculations, since one spirit stone was sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage, six should be sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle.
"I'll be depending on Guild Leader Liu then!"
Upon hearing that five spirit stones were sufficient, Mo Tianxue heaved a sigh of relief. With a flick of his wrist, a long jade box appeared in his hand, and he passed it to the other party.
Zhang Xuan opened the box and saw five spirit stones placed side by side. The spiritual energy in the air suddenly surged due to the presence of the five spirit stones, stimulating his pores. An indescribable sense of comfort wrapped around his body.
Casually keeping the box in his storage ring, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
"Guild Leader Liu, do you need anything else? What about pills?"
Mo Tianxue asked.
Blood Evolution is an incredibly complicated process. Even the more formidable beast tamers of the Beast Hall are unable to induce it in their tamed beasts. He couldn't imagine how the other party could help the Gold-tailed Lion smash through the final barrier blocking its way to Zhizun realm with just spirit stones.
"I don't need those. Instead, I need a secret chamber to make some preparations. Don't let anyone interrupt me!"
Zhang Xuan waved his hands casually.
"Yes!" Mo Tianxue replied.
Since the Gold-tailed Lion was already treated of its afflictions, the courtyard was now safe from danger. Thus, Mo Tianxue looked for a quiet room around the area and brought Zhang Xuan over before departing with Mo Yu and the others.
After stepping out of the courtyard, Grandmaster Lin Tao immediately bided the others farewell and left in a hurry.
Watching the other party disappear into the distance, Mo Tianxue's eyes abruptly narrowed.
"Father..." Mo Yu turned to look at Mo Tianxue doubtfully.
"Seems like we have to be careful of the Lin Clan!" Mo Tianxue shook his head.
"Lin Clan?" Mo Yu was perplexed.
Wasn't their relationship with the Lin Clan amiable? Why would her father suddenly say such words?
"I suspect that the Gold-tailed Lion's poisoning is the Lin Clan's doing!" Mo Tianxue harrumphed.
As an emperor, he couldn't possibly be a useless wastrel. As soon as Zhang Xuan confirmed his diagnosis, he already had his own guesses.
However, Mo Yu still found the matter hard to believe.
"The Gold-tailed Lion is the kingdom's guardian beast. If it were to die, who do you think would benefit the most?" Mo Tianxue turned to look at Mo Yu.
"The royal family has a history tracing back more than a thousand years, and its roots run deep. Even without the Gold-tailed Lion, we are able to destroy normal clans and powers easily, so its death won't affect our influence too much. Only the Lin Clan is beyond our control... Without the Gold-tailed Lion keeping them in check, they might really..."
Analyzing the matter, Mo Yu's expression slowly turned grim.
The Lin Clan's clan head was a Half-Zhizun realm expert.On top of that, they possessed numerous powerful formations, as well as the backing of Xuanyuan Conferred Kingdom. If they were to lay their eyes on the throne, they had a good chance at realizing their ambitions.
Furthermore, ordinary clans don't have the connections to obtain poison that is effective on a Half-Zhizun savage beast.
Besides, there truly aren't that many powers capable of planting spies in the royal palace and feeding the guardian beast poison beneath the emperor's eyes.
"When the Gold-tailed Lion flew into a frenzy, Lin Ruotian happened to be in the royal palace, discussing certain matters with me. After the incident, I thought that it was a little too much of a coincidence. From the looks of it now, he had probably planned for it from the very start! As long as they trapped the Gold-tailed Lion in the formation and no physician was able to diagnose its condition, it would have been just a matter of time before it dies from the poison!"
Mo Tianxue clenched his fists.
Initially, he didn't think much of the matter. However, upon learning that the guardian beast had been poisoned, he realized that all of the evidence pointed toward the Lin Clan.
"But even if we know that it was him, what can we do? Lin Ruotian's daughter is the Princess Consort of Xuanyuan Kingdom..."
Mo Yu shook her head.
Even though there was a great possibility that the poisoning was orchestrated by the Lin Clan, they couldn't do anything to the other party.
Putting aside the fact that Lin Ruotian possessed the strength of a Half-Zhizun expert, just her daughter's relationship with Xuanyuan Kingdom made it impossible for any country to dare to touch him.
"Indeed... I can only hope that Guild Leader Liu is able to help the Gold-tailed Lion achieve a breakthrough. Once it reaches Zhizun realm, they will have to think twice before doing anything!"
Mo Tianxue said.
Even though the Master Teacher Pavilion doesn't interfere in the politics of a country, if one party operates immorally and brings great suffering to the people, it would definitely make a move.
The Master Teacher Pavilion's goal is to guide all men so that each and every one of them can become an expert. It is willing to overlook small fights, but if someone oversteps its moral boundary, regardless of who he is, it will destroy him.
It is precisely out of fear of the Master Teacher Pavilion that no one dares to dream of annexing all kingdoms and 'uniting' the world.
But of course, another reason was that some countries, such as Tianxuan Kingdom, were simply too remote. What makes things worse was that it was too poor. Even if one were to annex it, one would still have to devote resources to developing it. No one was foolish enough to waste their efforts on such a pointless endeavor.
Once the Gold-tailed Lion reaches Zhizun realm, the Lin Clan would be forced to rein themselves in.
"I believe that Guild Leader Liu will succeed!"
Mo Yu said.
She could still clearly remember the sight of Zhang shi's Beast Pummeling Taming Method inducing a breakthough in the Viridescent Eagle. Perhaps this seemingly omnipotent young man could create another miracle and tide Tianwu Kingdom through this crisis.
"Let's hope so!" Mo Tianxue nodded. However, he suddenly recalled something and looked at Mo Yu doubtfully, "Xiao Yu, I thought that you didn't get along well with Liu laoshi? Why does your Viridescent Eagle seem to be intimate with him? Also, you seem to know a lot about him as well?"
"I..."
Mo Yu's face slightly turned red, "How could I possibly know him well? I'm just... casually saying all these!"
"Regardless of what you're thinking of, I'll still say the same few words. Grasp this opportunity. Guild Leader Liu is an exceptional person, and if you can grasp his heart, it wouldn't just be a dream for Tianwu Kingdom to advance to a Conferred Kingdom!"
Mo Tianxue continued, "But of course, there's Zhang shi as well. Regardless of which one, it's enough for you to grasp just one of them."
"Grasp one of them..."
Mo Yu slapped her forehead. I would also like to grasp one of them, but the two of them seems to be the same person...
...
In a quiet chamber in the Gold-tailed Lion's courtyard.
Seated cross-legged, Zhang Xuan rested for a long period of time before he finally recovered from the fatigue he incurred from treating the Gold-tailed Lion.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, a spirit stone appeared on his palm.
"Time to begin!"
After adjusting his physical condition, Zhang Xuan turned his attention toward raising his cultivation.
He began to drive his zhenqi using the Zongshi realm Heaven's Path Divine Art.
Gugugugugu!
The Heaven's Path Divine Art swiftly extracted spiritual energy from the spirit stone, refined it into zhenqi, and gathered it in his dantian. At the same time, Zhang Xuan's cultivation rose swiftly.
Zongshi realm intermediate stage pinnacle!
Zongshi realm advanced stage!
Zongshi realm advanced stage pinnacle!
...
Boom!
About an hour later, Zhang Xuan's dantian jolted. It felt as though he had struck some kind of wall, and a violent might gushed through his entire body. Slowly, a powerful aura began to emanate from his body.
He was more than twofold stronger than before, and he could feel boundless strength surging through his body.
Huala!
Sensing the raging and powerful zhenqi in his body, Zhang Xuan abruptly stood up with glowing eyes.
Zongshi realm pinnacle... I'm finally here!
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Chapter 354: Come, Beat Me Up!
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
Kacha kacha!
With a swift jerk, a sonic boom sounded. Taking a few steps forward, Zhang Xuan appeared before the Strength Measuring Rock Pillar prepared for the guardian beast to test its strength, and threw a punch on it.
Weng!
Light shimmered on its surface.
Several digits slowly floated into appearance... 5000!
In Zongshi realm, one's strength had already exceeded 1000 ding. Under normal circumstances, a Zongshi realm primary stage cultivator would possess a strength of 1000 ding, an intermediate stage cultivator would possess a strength of 2000 ding, an advanced stage cultivator would possess a strength of 3000 ding, and a pinnacle cultivator would possess a strength of 4000 ding.
When Zhang Xuan was at Half-Zongshi, his strength was already at 1500 ding. Upon reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, his strength surged tremendously, reaching the level of 5000 ding.
With such strength, he could already compete with an average Half-Zhizun expert.
"However, it's a pity that I don't have enough spirit stones. Otherwise, my strength wouldn't possibly amount to just 5000..."
While Zhang Xuan was excited by his newfound strength, he was also slightly disappointed by the results.
The six spirit stones that he had obtained from Mo Tianxue and Prince Fei Xuan had all been reduced to dust.
Just like what he had thought, the further one advanced in one's cultivation, the greater the number of spirit stones required to achieve a breakthrough.
In the past, a single spirit stone was more than enough for him to advance from Zongshi realm primary stage to intermediate stage, but now, even six of them was barely sufficient for him to reach Zongshi realm pinnacle.
Judging from his current rate of consumption, Zhang Xuan would require a minimum of ten to several dozen of spirit stones to reach Zhizun realm.
"Seems like I have to find a way to earn more spirit stones..."
Zhang Xuan rubbed his glabella.
While the Heaven's Path Divine Art allowed him to cultivate swiftly, its demand for spiritual energy was also frightening. The purer a cultivator's zhenqi was, the greater the amount of spiritual energy required for a breakthrough.
If he needed several dozen spirit stones to advance to Zhizun realm, wouldn't he require at least several hundred of them to reach Zhizun realm pinnacle?
Even a Tier 1 Kingdom like Tianwu Kingdom had only a handful of it. Where in the world was Zhang Xuan supposed to find so many spirit stones?
To think that he naively thought the several dozen million of gold coins he had in his storage ring would make him a wealthy person... From the looks of it, he was still a poor bloke.
Money and everything else was just fleeting material possessions... Spirit stones were the way to go!
"To think that a day has already passed..."
Looking out of the window, Zhang Xuan realized that it was already the afternoon of the second day, and he couldn't help but be speechless.
Curing the poison on the Gold-tailed Lion had expended a significant amount of his zhenqi and strength. Just the recovery his energy and conditioning his physical body had already taken a significant period of time. Including the time he had taken for his breakthrough, unknowingly, a day had already passed.
"I should start by helping the Gold-tailed Lion achieve a breakthrough!"
Stretching his back lazily, Zhang Xuan ate the food that Mo Tianxue had someone sent over before walking out of the chamber.
Upon reaching Zongshi realm pinnacle, Zhang Xuan's Heaven's Path zhenqi had become denser and purer, and he was now more than capable of inducing a Bloodline Evolution in that massive fellow.
"Guild Leader Liu!"
Upon walking out of the room, he saw Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu standing a short distance away.
To think that they would be waiting for him outside.
Whether the Gold-tailed Lion was able to achieve a breakthrough or not was intricately linked to the stability of Tianwu Kingdom. No matter how calm Mo Tianxue was, it was impossible for him to not feel anxious over this matter. As such, he had been waiting here with Mo Yu ever since daybreak.
Understanding their emotions, Zhang Xuan wasn't surprised at all. Thus, he casually said, "Bring me to the Gold-tailed Lion!"
"Guild Leader Liu, I've already spoken to the Gold-tailed Lion about it. You can use your method to induce a breakthrough in its cultivation!" Mo Yu flashed him a smile.
"My method?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
Did Mo Yu know that his zhenqi could cleanse the bloodline of savage beasts?
But that was impossible!
Back then, when he helped the Viridescent Eagle achieve a breakthrough, he credited it to the Ancient Lightning Cloud Sparrow's blood. As for the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast, it only achieved a breakthrough due to its physical condition then and the pill Mo Yu had forged...
It should have been impossible for her to find out...
Then... What did her words mean?
With a grim expression, he was just about to ask about it when the lady beside her pointed forward.
"The Gold-tailed Lion is already prepared!"
Turning to take a look, Zhang Xuan's eyelids twitched and he nearly keeled over.
At this moment, the massive Gold-tailed Lion was bound by innumerable steel chains as though a dumpling, and it was staring at him resentfully.
What the heck were they up to?
Doubtful, Zhang Xuan turned to Mo Yu and asked, "This is..."
What did tying this fellow up as though a dumpling have to do with my method?
He wasn't the only perplexed one. Mo Tianxue was also on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Early in the morning, his precious daughter had knocked on his door and said that in order for the Gold-tailed Lion to achieve a breakthrough, they had to bind it first.
It took a long negotiation with the Gold-tailed Lion before he managed to persuade the latter to allow them to tie it up.
But was it really possible for it to reach Zhizun realm just like that?
If that was the case, why had he never heard of such a method...
"Your cultivation realm is only at Tongxuan realm primary stage, and so, for the sake of your safety while you execute the [Beast Pummeling Taming Method], we have no choice but to seal its movements..."
Mo Yu answered him seriously.
"..." Zhang Xuan had a strange expression on his face.
Back then, when he induced a breakthrough in the Viridescent Eagle, he had used the [Beast Pummeling Taming Method]. As such, she thought that he was going to use the same method this time around as well...
Given that he was disguised as Guild Leader Liu who possessed a strength of Tongxuan realm primary stage, he shouldn't be a match for the Gold-tailed Lion if it were to retaliate. That was why Mo Yu proposed to have the guardian beast bound...
Cough cough!
The other party had truly given him the fright of his life! To think that she was referring to this...
Even though it looked unseemly, this was definitely a good idea. It could conceal his identity, as well as the ability of the Heaven's Path zhenqi in cleansing the bloodline of savage beasts.
"Un. Not bad, I'll begin now then..."
Nodding his head in satisfaction, Zhang Xuan walked over to the bound Gold-tailed Lion.
Mo Tianxue hurriedly focused his attention on Zhang Xuan, curious to see what the other party would do.
His daughter had expressed her confidence in the other party's means, but until now, he was still unable to comprehend what the Beast Pummeling Taming Method was.
The Gold-tailed Lion who laid on the floor with a resentful look seemed even more oblivious as to what that was about to happen. However, when it saw Zhang Xuan walk over, gratitude brimmed in its eyes.
If not for this physician, it would probably have died with deep regrets.
Even though the opening of its alimentary canal still hurt at the moment, its body still felt a lot more relaxed now that the poison had been removed. With the strong regeneration capability savage beasts were blessed with, it should only take a couple more days before it made a full recovery.
Just as it was about to cuddle up to its benefactor in gratitude, the man in question suddenly sent a kick in its direction without any warning whatsoever.
"Roar????"
The Gold-tailed Lion was stunned.
Aren't you going to help me raise my cultivation? Why are you kicking me instead?
Peng peng peng!
Before it could react, the young man before it sent a few more powerful kicks toward it.
Every single kick landed accurately on its wounds from yesterday, causing it to hiss through its gritted teeth in pain.
...
"This is the... Beast Pummeling Taming Method you spoke of?"
The corners of Mo Tianxue's mouth twitched.
As the emperor of a Tier 1 Kingdom, he was knowledgeable on many matters. He had the privilege of seeing how a beast tamer usually raised the strength of its tamed beast on several occasions, but to do so through a violent thrashing... Despite his advanced age, he had never heard of such a thing.
"Rest easy, since it's Guild Leader Liu, there'll surely be no problem at all!"
Mo Yu said confidently.
The sight of her Viridescent Eagle achieving a breakthrough after being beaten was still crystal clear in her mind.
It shouldn't be too much trouble for him to do the same to this Gold-tailed Lion as well.
"But..."
Despite his daughter's confidence, Mo Tianxue was still a little doubtful.
"Look, the Gold-tailed Lion seems to have realized something..."
Knowing that this kind of absurd method was hard to accept, Mo Yu pointed to the Gold-tailed Lion.
Mo Tianxue turned to look.
The guardian beast who was still hissing in pain a moment ago was currently looking at Zhang Xuan with eyes glowing in excitement.
Despite being beaten up to the point that it was spewing blood and its body was trembling in pain, its eyes were filled with exhilaration...
Mo Tianxue suddenly saw his own worldly horizons crumbling before him, and his mind went faint.
...
Initially, the Gold-tailed Lion felt only excruciating pain from Zhang Xuan's frenzied beating, but a few moments later, it noticed that something was amiss.
What that came with every kick was a surge of zhenqi that cleansed its bloodline and raised its cultivation.
At this moment, it couldn't be any more clear to it that the other party was sincerely trying to help it raise its cultivation. Thus, instead of retaliating, it focused all of its efforts into trying to absorb the zhenqi shot into its body to cleanse its bloodline.
Boom!
After absorbing many surges of zhenqi, it felt as though its bloodline had been cleansed to the limit, and under a violent buzzing sound, a powerful aura suddenly burst from its body.
Zhizun realm!
"Roar..."
With a deafening roar, the Gold-tailed Lion stood up.
Hualala!
With a jerk of its massive body, the steel chains locking it in place immediately broke apart, falling onto the floor.
"It... really managed to reach Zhizun realm?"
Mo Tianxue was dumbfounded.
Despite witnessing the sight with his own eyes, he felt as though his brain was unable to cope.
It was difficult for even a human cultivator to reach Zhizun realm, needless to say, a savage beast which was limited by its bloodline... Yet, with a frenzied beating, it managed to achieve a breakthrough...
Wasn't this way too easy?
"Could it be that... even though it looked like Guild Leader Liu was frenziedly beating up the Gold-tailed Lion, he was actually opening up all of the restraints within its body in order to raise its strength?"
A thought suddenly popped up in his mind.
He had read on an ancient manual that there were some formidable master teachers who could raise the cultivation of another by beating them. By striking a person on the right locations, they were able to knock open the jammed parts in a person's body, allowing their zhenqi to flow smoothly, thus raising their cultivation.
The young man before him struck the Gold-tailed Lion to the point that it was spewing blood, and it looked as though it was on the verge of dying. Yet, the latter was still able to achieve a breakthrough successfully despite the overwhelming odds, so this might very well be the reasoning behind it.
"Since he was able to help a savage beast achieve a breakthrough via such a method, would it be possible for him to do the same to a human as well?"
As this thought popped into Mo Tianxue's mind, his eyes lit up with fervor.
...
"I'm done!"
Upon seeing that the Gold-tailed Lion had achieved a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
It seemed it was indeed possible for him to induce a breakthrough in a Half-Zhizun realm savage beast with the zhenqi of a Zongshi realm pinnacle.
Thus, Zhang Xuan made a mental note to try it on the Steelfang Howling Firmament Beast later on as well. If that fellow was able to reach Zhizun realm as well, Zhang Xuan wouldn't have to fear any opponent in Tianwu Kingdom anymore.
Clapping his hands, he disregarded the look of gratitude in the eyes of the Gold-tailed Lion before him, and walked up to Mo Yu and Mo Tianxue instead.
"Guild Leader Liu, thank you for helping the Gold-tailed Lion to achieve a breakthrough. I am truly grateful to you..."
Mo Tianxue bowed deeply and earnestly thanked Zhang Xuan.
"It's nothing!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.
He had already agreed to help the other party. Furthermore, he had accepted five spirit stones from the other party, so it was only right for him to return the favor.
Seeing the other party brushing off the matter nonchalantly made Mo Tianxue even more confident of his conjecture. He hesitated for a brief moment before asking, "If possible, I would like to ask Guild Leader Liu to help me on another matter!"
"Oh?"
"I've been stuck at Zongshi realm pinnacle for many years now, and no matter how hard I try, I've been unable to advance my cultivation. Guild Leader Liu... Can you help me overcome my bottleneck as well? I don't ask of you to help me reach Zhizun realm, just Half-Zhizun will be enough..."
Mo Tianxue stared at Zhang Xuan expectantly, and his breathing inadvertently hastened.
"Help you overcome your bottleneck?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback.
"Indeed! Don't worry, I know what I should do..." Mo Tianxue nodded.
Looking at the other party's confident look, Zhang Xuan was perplexed. What was this fellow up to? Could it be that the other party knew that he needed spirit stones, and he had a hidden stash in his possession?
But at this moment, the other party picked up the steel chain on the floor and tied himself up tightly. Then, lying on the floor, he yelled excitedly, "I'm ready! Come, beat me up..."
"..." Zhang Xuan.
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Chapter 355: The Promised Duel
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: StarveCleric
"Cough cough!"
Grabbing her forehead, Mo Yu nearly spurted a mouthful of blood.
Zhang Xuan's Beast Pummeling Taming Method is only suitable for savage beasts. What are you doing tying yourself up and lying on the ground?
Besides, the reason why the Gold-tailed Lion was tied up was out of fear that it would panic and hurt him. As a human, you only have to hold yourself back...
More importantly... What do you mean by beat me up?
Those who don't know the reason might think that you are a masochist...
"Father, come up..."
With a slightly flushed face, Mo Yu hurried forward and helped him up.
However, Mo Tianxue couldn't truly be blamed for behaving in such a manner. Seeing the guardian beast who he thought would be unable to achieve a breakthrough for the rest of its life, he began thinking about himself as well.
If he were to succeed, the country could be brought to even greater heights.
Over the past few years, the Lin Clan and Mo Hongyi had been exerting heavy pressure on him, leaving him in a constantly tense state. Upon seeing the hope of achieving a breakthrough before him, how could he possibly hold himself back?
"Since the Gold-tailed Lion has already reached Zhizun realm, I won't impose on you any longer. I still have matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave now!"
After explaining that his Beast Pummeling Taming Method was only suited for savage beasts, Zhang Xuan clasped his fist and left.
In truth, Zhang Xuan was capable of helping the other party achieve a breakthrough. However, doing so would reveal his identity.
On top of that, he had nothing to gain from doing it either!
After taking a few steps, an aroma suddenly wafted through the air, and he saw Mo Yu running toward him.
"Zhang Xuan, I said that I would bring you to watch a show yesterday. Judging from the time now, it should have already begun. Let's go together!"
"A show? What's going on?"
Zhang Xuan was perplexed by Mo Yu's words.
"You'll know once we get there..." Mo Yu grinned like a gleeful fox.
"Alright!"
Since the other party was unwilling to say anything, Zhang Xuan didn't ask either. The duo proceeded out of the royal palace.
...
Tianwu Academy.
Zhao Ya and the others were here once more.
The previous time they were here, Zhao Ya had fought with that braggart of a lady. The eventual draw had weighed on her mind since then.
Thus, she had been diligently cultivating the sword art her grandteacher had taught her. At this moment, she had complete confidence that she would be able to defeat the other party and force her to apologize!
"That woman had only managed a draw due to her superior battle technique the previous time. Now that Zhao Ya has learned a sword art from grandteacher, that woman surely isn't a match anymore!"
"Indeed! How dare she insult teacher! We must teach her a lesson!"
Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and the others harrumphed coldly.
It was due to Zhang laoshi's guidance that they were able to reach such heights in their cultivation. They admired and respected him deeply, as though he was their faith. Yet, someone actually dared to doubt their belief, even claiming that he was inferior to what Liu laoshi. How could they not be angry?
What Liu laoshi... Was he even worthy of being placed alongside Zhang laoshi in the same sentence?
"Un!"
Wang Ying nodded as well, and her mouth slowly shaped into a pout.
She might have a weak character, but if anyone were to insult Zhang laoshi, she would be the first one to confront the other party!
Soon, they arrived at the location promised for the duel. The usually remote sparring ring was filled with a crowd at the moment.
Many students had heard of the news and come, curious to see whether the students of Zhang shi or the recently famous Liu laoshi would be stronger.
"That woman is here!"
Zheng Yang pointed.
The group turned over and saw Mu Xueqing, Meng Tao, and the others walking over.
Deep confidence emanated from Mu Xueqing as she slowly walked over.
She had tried out the saber art that Liu laoshi had imparted her, and it was incredibly powerful. It was many times stronger than the battle techniques she had cultivated before.
From the very start, that woman wasn't skilled in any battle techniques at all, and the only reason why it ended in a draw was due to her powerful zhenqi. Now that she had learned such a powerful battle technique, how could the other party withstand her offense?
"Zhang shi isn't at Tianwu Academy, and even if he is here, it is impossible for her to learn a saber art of my level in just three days. Thus... she is bound to lose today!"
The gazes of the two ladies met, and Mu Xueqing harrumphed coldly in her mind.
...
"Seems like the two of them are very confident of themselves!"
Liu Changyan had arrived very early on, and upon seeing the expression of both the ladies, he narrowed his eyes.
"They must have learned even more formidable moves in the past three days to defeat the other party!" Not too far away, Zhao Wuxing's expression was grim as well.
As the two strongest experts among the younger generation in Tianwu Academy, they possessed an exceptional eye for such stuff.
These two ladies were spirited, and they exuded powerful confidence and pride through their gestures. Clearly, they were well prepared.
"Who do you think will win this time?"
Liu Changyan turned to Zhao Wuxing and asked.
"I think that it'll be Mu Xueqing!" The latter replied.
"Oh?"
Hearing this evaluation, Liu Changyan, as well as several other students around them, turned to look at Zhao Wuxing.
They wanted to know the reason behind the opinion of the number one student in the academy.
"After hearing that Liu laoshi had solved the questions on the Wall of Dilemma perfectly and become the new guild leader of the Physician Guild, I went to their classroom to take a look yesterday and happened to see Mu Xueqing executing a saber art..."
Zhao Wuxing clenched his fists tightly, and cold sweat started trickling down his forehead. "Honestly speaking, that saber art is truly formidable. Even I would be forced to kneel in defeat before it!"
Remembering the sight yesterday, Zhao Wuxing felt fearful.
Yesterday, when he heard the conversation between Emperor Tianxue and Liu laoshi, he had his men look into the matter and learned of the ruckus that Liu laoshi had caused in the city.
Impressed, he had visited their classroom and happened to witness Mu Xueqing executing the saber art that she had just learned.
Every single movement of her saber was absurdly profound, and he found himself unable to decipher it at all. After simulating the other party's movements in his mind the entire night, to his helplessness, he realized that even if he were to use all of the techniques he knew, he would still be unable to avoid her attacks.
It was simply too powerful!
It was far beyond any single battle technique one could find in Tianwu Academy.
Now that Mu Xueqing's powerful cultivation was paired with such a formidable saber art, who could possibly be her match?
"Senior Zhao admitted defeat?"
"Doesn't this mean that Mu Xueqing is currently the strongest student in Tianwu Academy?"
"That is way too fearsome..."
The crowd broke into a commotion.
Zhao Wuxing had dominated the academy for several years, and countless students viewed him as their idol and goal. Yet, at this very moment, he was actually admitting his inferiority to Mu Xueqing. The uproar that would result from these words once it spreads was unimaginable.
"I don't agree with your evaluation!"
Liu Changyan shook his head. "Mu Xueqing's saber art might be incredible... But I don't think that she would necessarily win today!"
"Why?"
Hearing that his good friend didn't share his opinion, Zhao Wuxing turned to look at Liu Changyan.
"I don't know whether this Zhao Ya has become more powerful in the past three days or not, but I've looked into Zhang shi's matters in the past few days. If you were to know of the miracles he had created, you would also think that there is nothing impossible when he is involved!"
A look of respect appeared on Liu Changyan's face.
"He became a master teacher despite being under twenty, and in the midst of doing so, he broke the numerous records that Mo Hongyi left behind. On top of that, he is also a 3-star painter and a Zongshi realm expert... More importantly, I heard that his current students had only come under him two months ago, and the total duration that he had been with them only numbered a total of five to six days!"
"In such a short period of time, he was able to grant Zhao Ya and the others, who came from Tianxuan Kingdom, strength that could rival Mu Xueqing... Don't you think that his ability is terrifying?"
"Only came under him two months ago?"
"A total of five to six days?"
"Where did you get this news? Is it reliable?"
...
Hearing this news, the crowd was completely shocked.
What kind of place was Tianxuan Kingdom?
A backward kingdom located in a remote region!
It was said that the students there could enter the academy at Fighter 1-dan, and upon reaching Zhenqi realm, they would already be considered as one of the top experts in the academy!
In just five to six days of teaching over a span of two months, he was able to groom students capable of rivaling Mu Xueqing...
Surely I have heard wrongly?
"The person I asked is a master teacher apprentice, and she happened to be present during Zhang shi's examination. She heard these words from Zhang shi in person, so it's impossible for her to be mistaken!" Liu Changyan replied confidently.
The person who told him this news was his childhood friend, so it was impossible for the other party to lie.
"To able to attain such overwhelming strength with just around six days of guidance... It might really be possible for Zhao Ya to make another huge leap in just three days..."
Zhao Wuxing nodded in agreement.
"Even so, didn't Zhang shi leave the city for the 2-star master teacher examination?"
"Indeed. Since he isn't here, without his guidance, it'll be difficult for Zhao Ya to triumph over Mu Xueqing!"
...
Someone from the crowd exclaimed, and a wave of approval immediately sounded out.
"Even if Zhang shi isn't here, he could have left behind secret manuals for his students to learn... After all, Zhao Ya and the others are vying for his honor now. If they were to lose, wouldn't it mean that he is inferior to this Liu laoshi?"
"As a master teacher, how could Zhang shi be inferior to Liu laoshi?"
"Liu laoshi isn't too bad as well, alright? Despite his young age, he has become the guild leader of the Physician Guild. Furthermore, in just the first lesson, he managed to induce a breakthrough in all of the students in his class. If not for his limited talent which prevented him from taking the master teacher examination, he wouldn't be inferior to Zhang shi in any way!"
"I still think that Zhang shi is stronger..."
...
Soon, the crowd began arguing who was better.
Some of the students were Zhang Xuan's fan and were filled with admiration for him. Some were conquered by Liu laoshi, and as students of TIanwu Academy, they hoped that a teacher of their academy could win against outsiders.
They quarreled fervently with one another, and neither side was willing to budge. Before Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing could fight, a huge argument had started down below.
...
"Damn it!"
"How dare they say that Liu laoshi is more formidable than Zhang laoshi? Zhao Ya, even I'll look down on you if you fail to beat this Mu Xueqing up today!"
Hearing the commotion below, Zheng Yang gritted his teeth furiously.
He always had a fiery temper, otherwise he wouldn't have accepted Zhou Tian laoshi's Student Dueling Platform challenge back then when the latter treated Zhang laoshi unfairly back in Hongtian Academy.
The reason why they accepted this duel was to defend their teacher's honor and bring glory to him. Yet, over half of the audience here were actually supporting Liu laoshi, claiming that Zhang laoshi was inferior to him. How could he take this lying down?
"Don't worry! If I don't force her into submission today, I will look for Zhang laoshi myself and ask him to punish me for disappointing him!"
Grabbing a sheathed sword in her hand, a powerful and cold aura surged forth from Zhao Ya.
Hu!
The crowd opened up a path, and Zhao Ya slowly walked up to the sparring ring. After which, she stood there proudly, as though there was no one in the world who could stand against her.
Weng!
A shrill sound rang clearly in the air as Zhao Ya drew her sword. She pointed it straight at Mu Xueqing valiantly.
"Mu Xueqing, do you dare to fight with me using weapons?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
Mu Xueqing leaped onto the sparring ring as well. In her hand, a saber danced as if it were a mighty dragon, and the air moaned under the pressure of her swings. Her aura abruptly surged as she propelled her zhenqi.
The battle... was about to begin!