386-390
Chapter 386: Hall Master, Save Me!
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Zhang Xuan had no weapons in his storage ring, and he gave the one which the elder of the Beast Hall gifted him to Zhao Ya.
Since the other party had taken out his weapon, Zhang Xuan immediately turned to the lady and shouted.
"Sword?"
Zhao Ya hesitated for a moment, but eventually, she still took out her sword and threw it straight toward Liu laoshi.
She didn't know why Liu laoshi would ask to borrow her sword, but since she was here to help him, she didn't think too much about it.
Huala!
As soon as the sword was unsheathed, a cold light immediately shot out into the surroundings. In an instant, Zhang Xuan's disposition immediately changed. For a moment, it seemed as though he had fused together with the sword in his hand, and his aura blasted straight into the heavens, threatening to slice even the blue sky apart.
Ding ding ding ding ding!
Suddenly, all of the swords in the surroundings released a crisp buzz, as though greeting their sovereign. The buzzing harmonized together to form a pleasant and bright melody.
"Call of the Myriad Swords... This is the realm beyond that of Sword Intent, Sword Heart?"
"Despite being in his twenties, Guild Master Liu has comprehended Sword Heart?"
"H-how did he do it?"
...
Everyone trembled violently in shock, and all gazes were immediately fixed on Zhang Xuan.
Weapon Intent was only the start of a long path for those specializing in weapons. Those who had reached a higher level could comprehend the Heart of Weapons.
Sword Heart was the crystallization of one's deep comprehension in swordsmanship, and even experts who had transcended Zhizun were unable to reach that level easily. Yet, it had appeared from a Zongshi realm pinnacle youngster at this moment, so how could they not be shocked?
Sword Heart, moving one's sword with one's heart, turning the tides with one's will. Every single movement is a sword art.
Having comprehended such a state, there wasn't a single sword user who could match him at his cultivation realm.
"No, it isn't Sword Heart!"
At this moment, Pavilion Master Jiang arrived and he shook his head.
Others might not know Guild Master Liu's true identity, but he was well-aware of it. Given the talents Zhang Xuan had displayed, if he were to allow Zhang Xuan were to be killed by the Lin Clan, the Master Teacher Pavilion headquarter would definitely slaughter him.
Thus, he rushed here as soon as he heard the news.
However, seeing that Zhang Xuan had the upper hand, he decided to watch by the side.
"No?" Elder Zhu asked doubtfully.
Call of the Myriad Swords, Roar of the Dragons, that was the distinctive trait of one who had comprehended Sword Heart. If that wasn't it, what else could it be?
"Depending on how deep one's understanding is, there are three levels to Sword Heart, primary, intermediate, and advanced. One who has comprehended Sword Heart will be capable of nourishing spirit into a sword, allowing it to harmonize with one, making it an extension of one's limbs in the truest sense! Even though Zhang shi has managed to induce the Call of the Myriad Swords, he has only managed to stir the aura of the swords. He hasn't completely grasp the spirit of the sword yet..."
Pavilion Master Jiang explained.
Sword Heart was a realm, as well as a state. It represented the spirit and heart within a sword.
Even though Zhang Xuan's level of comprehension towards swords was outstanding, going to the extent of even inducing the Call of the Myriad Swords, his understanding of 'spirit' was still too lacking. In fact, he hadn't even come into contact with it yet, so naturally, he couldn't be considered to have completely stepped into the level of Sword Heart.
"Then, this is..."
After hearing Pavilion Master Jiang's explanation, Elder Zhu asked doubtfully.
If this wasn't Sword Heart realm, then what could this be considered as?
"It's Partial Sword Heart realm!"
Pavilion Master Jiang answered with a grim expression. "He has comprehended Sword Heart, but due to the limitations of his cultivation, he is still unable to grasp the idea of spirit completely. As long as he achieves a breakthrough in his cultivation, it's just a matter of time before he comprehends it. By then, he would be invincible among sword users!"
"However, to reach Partial Heart realm despite not knowing what 'spirit' is... How in the world did he do it?"
Even though Zhang Xuan hadn't fully stepped into the level of Sword Heart, just reaching Partial Heart realm was sufficient to fill Pavilion Master Jiang with astonishment.
Many of the experts that had transcended Zhizun had spent their days observing and researching, only to be kept out of the entrance of the Sword Heart realm. Yet, this fellow who didn't even know what spirit was... to the extent of not even owning his own sword, was able to reach this realm...
Just the thought of it was sufficient to send one into a breakdown.
If those who specially researched swordsmanship but were unable to achieve a breakthrough in their entire life were to learn of it, would they die from frustration on the spot?
"Such powerful Sword Intent..."
Zhao Ya didn't know what Sword Heart was, but the Sword Intent that flurried from Liu laoshi made her body tremble instinctively. It felt as though a pressure was pushing down on her, leaving her devoid of the courage to even draw her sword.
The intimidation from a far stronger Sword Intent!
Those who possessed deeper understanding of Sword Intent could suppress those with a weaker understanding with their disposition.
"Suggesting the use of weapons is the most foolish decision you have made in your life!"
Grasping the sword in his hand tightly, Zhang Xuan chuckled.
Heaven's Path Fist Art and Heaven's Path Leg Art only consisted of a single movement, and it could only be executed in close quarters. However, Heaven's Path Sword Art was different. Having comprehended Sword Intent, every single move one made was a sword art in itself!
Previously, when crossing hands with the other party, due to the might from the other party's zhenqi, Zhang Xuan was unable to attack easily, so he could only dodge continuously. However, with a sword in his hand, the situation had changed.
He could fight with the other party on the same footing now!
Huala!
With a slight jerk, the glint of a sword shot across the air, and a radiant sword emanation shot out straight toward Lin Ruotian.
"What?" cried Lin Ruotian.
The other party had been dodging his attacks before, causing all of his attacks to fall flat. He thought that using a weapon could widen the range of his attacks, making it more difficult for the other party to dodge, thus forcing him up a corner... How could he have known that the other party would have comprehended the Heart of Weapons!
The heck!
How could he match up to that?
Even though his cultivation had reached Half-Zhizun, his comprehension of the sword hadn't even reached Sword Intent, needless to say, Sword Heart!
With an awful expression, his body immediately scrunched together to avoid the other party's sword qi. Just as he was about to counterattack, he saw another white light flying straight toward his neck.
"The heck!"
Sensing the killing intent imbued into the attack, he knew that his neck would be severed if he were to face it head on. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately rolled away.
Huala!
The sword qi struck the ground and a deep gorge appeared. Rock fragments and dust flew in the air.
"Damn it!"
To think that a Half-Zhizun expert like himself would be forced to roll to avoid an attack! Lin Ruotian's rage bubbled within. In the midst of his roll, his hand struck the ground to provide him momentum to leap up, but at that very moment, his hair stood on ends, and he instinctively rolled forward.
Zi la!
A deep gorge appeared at where he was originally at.
Having comprehended Sword Intent, one would be able to produce an emanation of one's sword and zhenqi in the form of sword qi. Sword qi was incomparably sharp and indestructible by those of a similar cultivation realm. Even though Lin Ruotian was a Half-Zhizun expert, he was still unable to withstand the might of it.
Previously, he was able to force the other party to keep a distance through his deep and powerful zhenqi. However, before the sharp sword qi, this technique became completely useless. If he were to try to do so, he would simply be cut through in the next instant.
"Liu Cheng, you..."
Forced to roll twice consecutively, Lin Ruotian was anxious and furious. He roared furiously, but before he could do anything, another sword qi came flying straight toward him.
Si la!
This time, his reaction was a little slow. Feeling a slight chill, his loose robe was torn apart from the middle, and a few strands of his hair fell to the floor.
Sensing the bone-piercing chill from the sword qi, he knew that his guts would be cut through if he were a moment slower. Knowing that this wasn't the time to speak, he continued rolling about.
...
"This is truly weird. In terms of fist art, Liu laoshi could only dodge continuously, helpless before Guild Master Lin... But in terms of sword, Clan Head Lin couldn't even stand on his own two feet, forced to roll around the area..."
"The Lin Clan is reputed for its swordsmanship, and the head of the Lin Clan is a famous swordmaster in the kingdom... And Guild Master Liu, as a physician and a normal teacher, doesn't even own a sword! Yet, to think that the swordmaster is more skilled in fist art, and the sword-less physician is more adept in swordsmanship..."
"What in the world is this..."
...
Staring at one another, everyone was dumbstruck at the sight before them.
The Lin Clan possessed a heritage of over several centuries in swordsmanship, and it stood at the very pinnacle of the field in Tianwu Kingdom.
Everyone thought that Guild Master Liu would lose tragically upon seeing Clan Head Lin taking out his sword. No one could have imagined that there would be such a twist.
To think that the Swordmaster Lin Ruotian would be forced to roll around the field, unable to retaliate at all...
Wasn't he way too weak!
"It isn't Clan Head Lin who is weak, it's that... Guild Master Liu is too strong!"
A grave expression sat on Principal Liu's face. "Under normal circumstances, even if he comprehended Sword Intent and Sword Heart, his cultivation is still only at Zongshi realm pinnacle. It should have been impossible for him to throw out sword qi one after another. On top of that, sword qi also has a maximum range. The further the attack, the greater the expenditure of one's zhenqi!"
A few elders of Tianwu Academy nodded in agreement.
Sword qi was the emanation of zhenqi. The further the attack, the greater the dissipation. Putting aside the weaker might of the attack, it took a huge toll on one's zhenqi as well.
"Look, despite having thrown so many attacks, his sword qi still remains radiant and powerful, causing Clan Head Lin to be completely helpless before it... This shows that his zhenqi is incomparably dense and pure!"
Principal Xie continued explaining, "Only when one's zhenqi reaches a certain level of density can one execute sword qi continuously without fearing it running dry! Only when one's zhenqi reaches a certain level of purity will one be able to prevent one's zhenqi from dissipating in midair, thus maintaining its might!"
"Indeed!"
The crowd nodded.
...
While the crowd was dumbstruck by the sight before them, Zhang Xuan's sword was dancing in the air.
"Clan Head Lin, didn't you say that you want to compete with me in a weapon duel? What do you mean by rolling around on the floor..."
Bellowing loudly, Zhang Xuan declared righteously, "Do you dare to face me head on?"
Pu!
Hearing those words, Lin Ruotian's anger clouded over his mind for a moment, causing him to be struck by a sword qi. A mouthful of blood immediately spurted from his mouth.
Madness!
This was what he'd said a moment ago. To think that the fellow would bring it up at this moment!
Face you head on?
To the hell with that!
I don't even have the strength to withstand your sword qi, how can I face you head on?
With his fist, he was still able to force the other party to dodge continuously, not daring to face him head on. Why did he have to suggest the usage of weapon? In the end, he only made a mockery of himself.
For the number one expert of Tianwu Kingdom, a Half-Zhizun expert, to be forced to roll around the floor!
"Hall Master Liao and the Great Herb King, hurry up and make a move... As long as you kill this fellow, I'll agree to any request of yours, and I'll even double it at that!"
After a moment longer, Lin Ruotian realized that if this continued on, it would just be a matter of time before he was killed by the other party's sword qi. Unable to hold it in any longer, he immediately bellowed.
The elders in the clan were already crippled, so his final hope was on Hall Master Liao and the Great Herb King.
As the master of the Poison Hall, Liao Xun was a poison expert which granted him the ability to kill even experts above his level. Before him, Guild Master Liu's sword qi would be completely useless!
"Alright, remember your words. I'll settle things with this man for you!" Hearing the other party's promise, Liao Xun nodded in satisfaction and walked out.
"Hall Master Liao? Great Herb King? Could they be... the Red Lotus City's Great Herb King and the Poison Hall's Hall Master Liao Xun?"
Someone suddenly shouted, and everyone's faces turned pale. A commotion broke out.
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Chapter 387: The Unreliable Hall Master
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
The Poison Hall was the fear of all ordinary cultivators.
Poison came in many different forms, making it hard for a person to guard against it, no matter how strong they were.
Initially, when Liao Xun walked out with the Lin Clan, no one paid him any notice. However, upon hearing the shout, the crowd suddenly realized that... he was the newly-appointed hall master of the Red Lotus Range branch!
This matter wasn't well-known, but some of the clans with a wide intelligence network still managed to grab hold of the news.
As the hall master, the other party surely possessed the strength of a 2-star pinnacle poison master. Needless to say a Zongshi realm pinnacle cultivator, even a Zhizun realm expert would have to wary against his poison!
To think that the Lin Clan had dealings with such a person.
Their hearts immediately turned cold.
Guild Leader Liu might be powerful, but... poison was something much too fearsome. Even the slightest contact could potentially render an expert helpless.
"Guild Leader Liu is probably done for..."
"Indeed. According to the rumors, Hall Master Liao even managed to kill a Zhizun realm primary stage expert. Given that Guild Leader Liu is only at Zongshi realm pinnacle, how can he withstand his poison?"
"To think that the Lin Clan would have dealings with the Poison Hall. How could they..."
...
After ascertaining the identities of Liao Xun and the others, even though the crowd was furious at the Lin Clan's doing, they couldn't do anything at all.
Before the other party's poison, their overwhelming numerical advantage didn't mean a thing at all.
"I must save Zhang shi! If the Poison Hall really makes a move, I'll immediately send a request to the headquarter to overturn the entire Red Lotus Range!"
A glint flashed across Pavilion Master Jiang's eyes.
Master teachers promoted the equality of education. While the Poison Hall was a feared existence, it wasn't without its value. Thus, as long as it didn't go too far, the Master Teacher Pavilion wouldn't go to the extent of eradicating it.
However, if this Hall Master Liao Xun dared to lay his hands on the genius Zhang shi, then he shouldn't blame him for getting nasty.
He would ensure that the headquarter would lead an army to destroy his entire nest!
...
"Sword Intent, sword qi, and Heaven's Path Sword Art?"
In contrast to the crowd's anger, Zhao Ya's face turned pale, and her body trembled non-stop.
Even though Liu laoshi didn't explicitly execute the Heaven's Path Sword Art, Zhao Ya was still able to catch some semblance of it.
This was definitely the move that grandteacher taught her!
How could this man know the sword art that grandteacher taught her?
"Could it be that..."
A thought suddenly flashed across her head, and she immediately turned to look at Wang Ying.
As soon as the eyes of the duo met, the other party nodded.
"Really?"
Zhao Ya's face paled further.
Only at this moment did she understand why the other party borrowed her sword, and why his face was so bizarre when he learned of her duel with Mu Xueqing...
It turned out that Liu laoshi... was Zhang laoshi!
'Teacher, careful!'
Upon realizing this fact, she clenched her fists tightly together.
She had absolute confidence in her teacher's strength, but the other party was a poison master, skilled in utilizing what that was naked to the human eye. Could teacher... really withstand it?
Anxious, she immediately turned her gaze forward.
...
"Your name is Liu Cheng, right? I have to admit that you're a genius!"
Walking forward, Liao Xun glanced at Zhang Xuan with composure. "However, it's a pity that... you met me!"
He shook his head regrettably.
The other party was indeed talented, but... what was the use of it?
He shouldn't have made an enemy out of the Lin Clan!
Only if the Lin Clan became the sovereign of Tianwu Kingdom would the Poison Hall be able to come out from hiding. Liao Xun wouldn't allow anyone to foil his plans...
With a flick of his wrist, a bottle of powder appeared in his palm. Then, driving the zhenqi in his body, he prepared to scatter this at the other party at any moment.
Hu!
Seeing that Liao Xun was about to make a move, Zhang Xuan kept his sword.
As soon as the relentless sword qi attack came to a stop, Lin Ruotian recovered and hurriedly dashed toward Liao Xun, hiding behind his back.
"Kill him with your poison..."
He roared excitedly and savagely.
It was fortunate that he invited Hall Master Liao here today. Otherwise, even if the Lin Clan wasn't destroyed, its prestige would have fallen into the gutters!
"Don't worry, leave it to me..."
Twisting the bottle of powder in his hands, Hall Master Liao was ready to strike at any moment.
"Teacher..."
Anxious, Lu Chong dashed forward, but before he could reach Zhang Xuan, the latter shook his hands, turned to the Great Herb King, and smiled, "Great Herb King, now that you're cured of your Contract Gu, your guts sure have inflated! How dare you bring Liao Xun out to cause trouble?"
"Contract Gu?"
The Great Herb King, who was looking at the commotion, narrowed his eyes, and he almost fell weakly to the ground.
Liao Xun didn't know the true identity of 'Physician Bai', but he did... The genius master teacher of the Master Teacher Pavilion, Zhang Xuan!
He was the one who cured him of his Contract Gu back then!
Very few people knew of this matter. Given how the other party was able to speak of it so confidently, could it be that...
One must know that he had personally witnessed the disguising ability of that Zhang shi!
Could this Liu laoshi be one of his disguises as well?
It was no wonder... He thought that it was too much of a coincidence for two grandmasters of the Way of Medicine to suddenly appear in Tianwu Kingdom...
So they were actually the same person!
"It doesn't make a difference even if you know the Great Herb King..."
Liao Xun didn't pay the other party's words any heed. Roaring furiously, he prepared to throw the poison powder in his hands straight at the other party.
"Hall master, stop..."
Flustered, the Great Herb King immediately charged forward to stop Liao Xun.
"What's wrong?"
Liao Xun was taken aback.
The Great Herb King had always been a calm person. Why would he suddenly act in such a manner?
"Hall master, you mustn't make a move... H-he..." The face of the Great Herb King distorted, and he looked as though he was on the verge of tears. Hurriedly sending a telepathic message, he explained the situation, "He is... senior granduncle!"
"Senior granduncle?"
Hall Master Liao's kneecap suddenly caved in, and he nearly kneeled on the spot.
Senior granduncle... That was a formidable figure who even Envoy Gu Mu had to show utmost respect to.
The reason why he could successfully become the hall master was also due to the help of this senior granduncle. And... this man before him was him?
He nearly spewed a mouthful of blood.
"Are you sure?"
With a trembling body, he hurriedly asked telepathically.
If the other party was really that man, and he tried to use his poison powder to kill him... Once Envoy Gu Mu learns of it, he would skin him alive!
"There's no doubt about it..."
Nodding profusely, the Great Herb King was just about to continue explaining when the voice of the young man before them sounded once more, "Hall Master Liao, where's Gu Mu? Has he tamed the Lava Beast completely yet?"
Putong!
If he still wasn't too sure before, upon hearing these words, Liao Xun suddenly felt an urge to kneel down and beg for forgiveness.
Only three people knew of the Lava Beast; Gu Mu, him, and senior granduncle.
Given that Gu Mu had returned to Xuanyuan Kingdom, and he had never told anyone about it, the man before him had to be senior granduncle. There was no doubt about it!
"Hall Master Liao, don't listen to the nonsense of that fellow. Hurry up and kill him..."
Seeing Hall Master Liao hesitate, Lin Ruotian hurriedly urged him worriedly. However, before he could finish his words, he suddenly saw a jade bottle fly toward him.
Peng!
Before it could reach him, the bottle exploded, causing the poison powder to scatter all over him.
Upon contact with his skin, an intense itch suddenly plagued Lin Ruotian's entire body. At the same time, he felt as though his meridians were being torn out. The intense pain made him burst into rage.
"Hall Master Liao, you..."
He roared furiously.
What are you up to?
I told you to kill Liu Cheng, what are you doing throwing it at me?
Pah!
Before he could recover from his astonishment, a stinging pain struck his face. Someone had slapped him.
His body swayed, and he fell to the ground. Large mouthful of blood spewed out from his mouth, and a few white teeth could be seen within the red puddle.
"Vermin, I'll kill you..."
Just as he was in a daze over who would be so daring as to lay his hands on him, he saw Hall Master Liao charging straight up to him with crimson eyes clouded with rage.
Peng peng peng peng!
Hall Master Liao was truly incensed.
If he had really made a move on senior granduncle today, putting aside his seat as the hall master, he might even die tragically...
It was all the fault of this vermin. He would never be able to quell the rage in his heart if he didn't kill this vermin at this very moment...
"What?"
"This... What is going on?"
Looking at the infuriated and frenzied Hall Master Liao, the crowd, who was intending to step in and help, were stunned.
This was especially so for Pavilion Master Jiang and Principal Xie.
Wasn't Hall Master Liao specially invited by Clan Head Lin to help?
Didn't he arrogantly declare that he would kill Guild Leader Liu?
Why would he... renege on his words the next moment, and start pummeling Lin Ruotian?
"..."
Clan Head Ji, who was hiding at the very back, nearly died from a stroke upon seeing the sight.
Can anyone tell me what the heck is going on?
Why would Hall Master Liao - who had confidently assured Lin Ruotian a moment ago - suddenly become so mad?
That was Lin Ruotian, a Half-Zhizun expert! To be pummeled like that...
The heck! It is fortunate that I didn't step forward just now. Otherwise, I'd be probably in a worse shape...
Lin Ruotian's strength was originally above that of Liao Xun, but caught off guard and poisoned, how could he still match up to the latter? Completely helpless before the latter's pummeling, his face swelled up, and the remaining traces of humanity was beaten out of his face.
"Enough!"
Seeing that Lin Ruotian was on the verge of dying under the pummeling, Zhang Xuan hurriedly waved his hands.
"Yes!"
Liao Xun stopped and stood in front of Zhang Xuan with a fawning smile on his face. "That... Senior granduncle, please pardon my blindness to fail to identify your greatness..."
"Where did that bunch of nonsense come from? Go and wait by the side!"
Frowning, Zhang Xuan reprimanded.
Why would the men from the Poison Hall come here instead of staying peacefully at their Red Lotus Range?
To dream of usurping power, they were tired of living!
"Yes!"
Seeing that the other party had no intentions of pursuing this matter, Liao Xun heaved a sigh of relief, and he quickly walked to the side, not daring to say a word at all.
"Hall Master Liao went to stand by the side, as though an obedient student, after being reprimanded by teacher?"
Mu Xueqing and the others blinked, and their hands tugged on their hair in frenzy.
They thought that Liu laoshi would surely lose in the battle against the Lin Clan, thus they begged with the elders in their clans to support him. Yet...
Before these supporters they had brought could do anything, Liu laoshi had already sent the entire clan to its knee...
Even the Half-Zhizun, Lin Ruotian, wasn't a match at all!
They could comprehend it if Liu laoshi was strong, but this master of the Poison Hall was a figure that instilled fear in all. Why would he suddenly become an obedient rabbit before their teacher?
Obediently following what their teacher asked him to do...
And why would he pummel Lin Ruotian?
Doubts flashed in the eyes of the crowd.
"Damn it, damn it..."
Just as everyone was perplexed, a roar sounded. Looking forward, Lin Ruotian had struggled to his feet, and a savage light glowed from his eyes. "Liu Cheng, you are the one who forced me. I didn't want to use this because it's a huge waste, but... since you don't intend on letting me off, I'll have all of you die here!"
Roaring furiously, two surge of zhenqi shot out from his two hands.
Weng!
A mist suddenly drifted into appearance, and a formation was activated.
"This... The grade-3 pinnacle Killing Formation that Princess Consort Lin Long left behind back then? This time...
"...we're really done for..."
Mo Tianxue's body trembled!
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Chapter 388: Formation Destroying Kick
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
In order to protect her own family, that legendary princess consort once requested for a grade-3 pinnacle formation from Xuanyuan Kingdom's Formation Master Guild to protect the Lin Clan Residence so that the clan could be everlasting.
It was precisely because of this that even though the guardian beast had managed to reach the Zhizun realm, Mo Tianxue didn't dare to do anything out of fear.
Initially, he was still praying that perhaps no one here was capable of activating this formation. How could he have known that not only was Lin Ruotian capable of activating it, he was even able to do it in an instant, thus shrouding all of them in it.
This was a grade-3 pinnacle Killing Formation!
Different from the Confinement Formations, those who were trapped in the formation would be attacked by all kinds of bizarre attacks. At grade-3 pinnacle, even a Zhizun realm expert could easily die under the onslaught of the formation.
"Haha, all of you, die..."
As soon as the formation was activated, it seemed as though countless menacing sharp blades had appeared in the air, threatening to fall from the skies at any moment and eliminate all within the area. Lin Ruotian's eyes reddened, and he roared in excitement.
This formation was the one which his daughter, Lin Long, left behind to guard the Lin Clan. It could only be used once, so Lin Ruotian was determined not to use it unless the Lin Clan was in a desperate situation.
He was unable to cope with Liu Cheng already, and now that Hall Master Liao had gotten involved as well, he knew that it would be impossible for him to withstand their combined might. Thus, without any hesitation, he immediately activated it.
Didn't you all want to kill me?
Alright then, I'll have all of you die here!
A grade-3 pinnacle formation was a formation that could trap and kill even a Zhizun realm pinnacle expert. No matter how powerful you are, you are only a Zongshi realm cultivator!
Death is all that awaits you!
"Finished... To think that I would die due to my curiosity!"
"The Lin Clan actually had this kind of trump card. No wonder the royal family was reluctant to make a move on them..."
"At least we are dying to a powerful formation like this..."
...
Despair appeared on the faces of the people trapped in the formation.
Formation master was an occupation at the forefront of the Upper Nine Paths. The might of a formation in operation was unimaginable.
Once trapped, they could only wait for their deaths!
"Pavilion Master Jiang, you have some understanding of formations. Can't you bring us out?" someone shouted.
Everyone immediately turned their gazes to Pavilion Master Jiang, as though seeing their savior.
On top of being a 2-star master teacher, Jiang Shu was a 2-star formation master as well. It was possible that he could have a solution to this crisis.
"I... am helpless as well. This formation is way beyond my level of understanding!"
Shaking his head, Jiang Shu smiled bitterly.
He was just a 2-star formation master. There was nothing he could do in the face of a formation of this level.
"Then, we're really doomed..."
Hearing that even Pavilion Master Jiang was helpless before it, the crowd felt despair.
"Haha, only a 3-star formation master is capable of deciphering a grade-3 pinnacle formation! You all? Don't even dream about it..."
Watching their panic and despair, Lin Ruotian howled frenziedly.
However... Before he could finish his words, a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Only a 3-star formation master can decipher this formation? I don't think that's necessarily the case!"
The voice was exceedingly calm, and it contrasted greatly to the panic in the surroundings.
Hurriedly turning their gazes over, they saw that the one who spoke was Guild Master Liu.
The youngster simply shook his head, walked forward, and kicked into empty air.
Weng!
The air suddenly froze, and the fleeting mist, as well as the blades above them, suddenly stopped.
The formation had been stopped!
As though he had only done something insignificant, Zhang Xuan clapped his hands and said, "See, didn't I just decipher it?"
"You..."
The smile on Lin Ruotian's froze, and his eyes slowly widened. His body swayed, and he nearly failed to catch his breath.
That was a grade-3 pinnacle formation! Even 4-star formation master wouldn't be able to stop it as casually as he did... To do it with a single kick...
The heck!
Where is the fairness in the world?
Back then, when Grand Elder Lin Tao said that this Guild Master Liu was capable of stopping formations with a kick, he thought that it could just be a coincidence. Perhaps the other party was familiar with the Confinement Formation used to trap the Gold-tailed Lion. But this one...
Even Lin Ruotian himself only deciphered it halfway. The only reason why he could activate it was because he had control over the core of the formation. If he could lay out such a formation himself, he wouldn't have hesitated to activate it earlier.
For a physician, an amateur, to stop it with a single kick...
Lin Ruotian's body convulsed, and he nearly tore out his hair.
"This... this..."
"The formation stopped?"
"It was stopped with a single kick?"
Pavilion Master Jiang also felt his head turning blank.
Even a Zhizun realm expert could easily die in a grade-3 pinnacle formation. To stop it with a single kick...
Painter, apothecary, beast tamer, master teacher, physician... and it turned out that he was a formation master on top of that!
Brother, you should just tell us what there is in the world that you don't know so that we can prepare ourselves mentally!
"Another kick again?"
Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu glanced at one another and shuddered.
Was this really a formation that could kill even a Zhizun?
Why did it seem no different from a toy?
How in the world did he do it?
"Right, I have to escape!"
While the crowd was overwhelmed with shock, Lin Ruotian finally recovered. Gritting his teeth, he immediately darted into the residence.
No matter how foolish he might be, it was already clear that the tides had changed. The best he could at the moment was to preserve his own life!
He had to inform the princess consort of this matter as soon as possible so that she could send her men over. Otherwise, the Lin Clan would truly be destroyed today!
Hu!
Darting into the residence, he immediately triggered the formation within. A mist immediately floated into appearance, shrouding the entire Lin Clan.
As the base of the Lin Clan, it was impossible for it to be guarded with just a single formation. However, given how easily the strongest formation laid had been broken, all this formation could do was to delay his enemies.
But of course, this little time meant a lot to him under the current situation!
"You wish to escape when you haven't apologized yet?"
Seeing the other party scrambling back into the residence, Zhang Xuan shook his head. "I've already said it; if you don't apologize, I'll beat you until you apologize... Lu Chong, charge in!"
Returning the sword back to Zhao Ya, Zhang Xuan chuckled softly. He walked up to the residence and kicked at a certain spot once more.
Weng!
The formation shrouding the residence stopped.
The teacher and student entered.
"Wait for me..."
With the departure of the duo and the bizarre gazes of the crowd, how could Hall Master Liao Xun and the Great Herb King dare to remain here? They immediately dashed into the residence as well.
...
As the commotion came to an end, silence loomed over the entrance of the Lin Clan Residence.
"Looks like... the Lin Clan is done for!"
Looking at the convulsing elders who were lying on the floor and Lin Ruotian who had escaped without any hesitation, the crowd was still in a daze.
Back then, when their children and juniors pleaded with them, they thought that this Liu laoshi was being a little too rash arguing with the Lin Clan. Only now did they realize... how hilarious their thoughts were.
Singlehandedly, he managed to crush the Lin Clan who dominated the capital!
This was something they could have never imagined in the past.
What in the world was that fellow? How could he be that powerful?
"Teacher..."
Contrary to the shock of the others, the eyes of Mu Xueqing and the others were glowing, and they clenched their fists in excitement.
All that lingered in their minds was a voice that kept shouting — 'He is my teacher!
'My teacher managed to destroy formations with a single kick and vanquished the Lin Clan which dominated the capital!
'My teacher, with his powerful sword qi, was able to even render a Half-Zhizun expert helpless...'
How lucky and proud they were to have such a teacher!
As their hearts trembled in agitation, their eyes suddenly fell on a few other people.
They were Zhao Ya, Zheng Yang, and group.
"Zhao Ya, I know that Zhang shi is formidable, but is he capable of unleashing sword qi that rendered even a Half-Zhizun helpless and stop a grade-3 pinnacle formation with a single kick like Liu laoshi?"
With her hands behind her back, Mu Xueqing's eyes shone with excitement.
Zhang shi was incredible, but he had only managed to reach Zongshi realm a few days ago. On the other hand, not only was their Liu laoshi a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert, he even managed to subdue the number one expert of Tianwu Kingdom, Lin Ruotian!
The title of the number one expert in the kingdom rightfully went to him!
How your Zhang shi be a match for such a person?
"Liu laoshi... is indeed incredible!" Zhao Ya replied calmly.
"Zhao Ya, why would you..."
Seeing Mu Xueqing's gleeful look, Zheng Yang and the others were infuriated. They thought that Zhao Ya would refute the other party, but never in their dreams did they think that she would admit it directly. This caused their faces to flush in anxiety.
"Don't worry. Liu laoshi may be incredible, but our Zhang laoshi... isn't inferior in any way!"
Knowing that Liu laoshi and Zhang laoshi were the same person, there was no need for them to argue over this matter anymore. Since teacher had intentionally hidden his identity, not even notifying them of the matter, it wasn't Zhao Ya's place to expose him then.
Harrumphing coldly, Zhao Ya turned around.
Boom!
A powerful aura surged forth from her. The strength belonging to a Zongshi realm intermediate stage rushed at Mu Xueqing and the others as though a massive wave.
"Zongshi realm intermediate stage?"
"Wasn't she still at Pixue realm a few days ago? How did she jump two realms all of the sudden?"
"This is the result of Zhang shi's guidance?"
...
Sensing the aura from Zhao Ya, the crowd fell into a commotion once more.
Due to the uproar from the duel between Zhao Ya and Mu Xueqing, the crowd knew that she was only at Pixue realm two days ago. To reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage within two days...
This rate of advancement was way too fast!
"You..."
Mu Xueqing's eyes narrowed.
Initially, she was indignant when she lost the second duel against the other party, and she thought that she would be able to defeat the other party now that she had reached Tongxuan realm. Never in her wildest imaginations did she expect that the other party would have improved as well, and for it to be... even more drastic!
She had skipped past Tongxuan realm to reach Zongshi realm intermediate stage directly!
This... How could she fight against this?
Could Zhang shi's guidance truly be that incredible?
"That's nothing much. Five days ago, Lu Chong was only Dingli realm primary stage, but he has already reached Zongshi realm intermediate stage already!" Meng Tao harrumphed.
"Advancing from Dingli realm primary stage to Zongshi realm intermediate stage in just five days?"
Before the crowd could recover from their shock, another astonishing news blasted at them once more.
Liu laoshi and Zhang shi, aren't the two of you too monstrous!
It would already an incredible feat to induce an advancement of one's cultivation by a small stage in just five days. Yet, your students leaped through several realms in just a few days...
"Looks like this Liu laoshi is as talented as Zhang shi!"
"Indeed, the two of them are on par with one another. They're both incredible geniuses!"
"Actually, I think that Liu laoshi is more incredible. Inducing a growth from Dingli realm primary stage to Zongshi realm in five days is clearly much more difficult than inducing a growth from Pixue realm to Zongshi realm in two days!"
"More importantly, he possesses a powerful cultivation. No matter how talented Zhang shi is, his true strength is only at Zongshi realm primary stage!"
"Actually, I think that Zhang shi is more formidable! Just by his feats of bashing through the various stages in the master teacher examination and breaking all of the records already made him superior to most talents out there. More importantly, he is still young, so he still has a bright future before him..."
Amidst the crowd, many loyal fans of Zhang shi and Liu laoshi appeared, and they began to quarrel with one another. Neither side was willing to give in to the other.
...
Escaping in a panic, he soon arrived at a sealed chamber. There was nothing but a white wall in the room.
With a flick of his finger, a droplet of fresh blood fell into the aperture on the wall.
Weng!
A bright light shone, and the wall was activated.
It was something similar to the Wall of Dilemma in the Physician Guild and the Wall of Pill Formulae in the Apothecary Guild — Communication Wall!
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Chapter 389: Kong shi's Personal Letter
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
A unique formation had been laid out on the Communication Wall, allowing one to transmit messages to one another instantaneously over long distances.
The Wall of Pill Formulae and Wall of Dilemma operated by the same concept as well.
The cost of this object was extremely high. Even though it was only a wall, a grade-3 pinnacle formation was laid out on it. It was through the formation that one could transmit the message from one wall to another.
The cost of a single wall was so huge that even the Tianwu royal family couldn't afford it.
Only some of the more esteemed guilds were equipped with it.
No one could have imagined that there would be one in the Lin Clan as well.
In order to protect her family, Princess Consort Lin Long was even willing to pay such an immense price.
Picking up a brush, he clenched his jaws and wrote a line of words on it.
"The Lin Clan has been besieged by the scoundrel, Liu Cheng. Lin Lang and father are severely injured. Require immediate aid!"
Hu!
A bright light shone, and the words slowly faded.
After which, Lin Ruotian heaved a huge sigh of relief. A savage glint flashed across his eyes.
"Liu Cheng and Tianwu royal family... I want you all to pay for all what has happened today!"
...
Beside the imperial palace of Xuanyuan Kingdom, there was another massive palace.
It was the East Palace, otherwise known as Crown Prince Palace!
It was where the crown prince of Xuanyuan Kingdom lived.
In a room at the very corner of the palace stood a white wall. It had been quiet for a very long time, but today, a bright light shone, and a few words appeared on it.
"Something bad happened. Hurry up and inform Her Highness..."
The face of the guard in charge of the wall warped in panic, and he hurriedly instructed the servants.
Other people might not be aware of the purpose of the wall, but he was well-aware that it was linked to the old home of the princess consort. For it to be activated all of a sudden, not to mention with such a message, it was clear that... something huge had happened!
Soon, an elegant-looking lady walked over.
Xuanyuan Kingdom's princess consort, Lin Lang's elder sister, Lin Long!
"Father... brother!"
Seeing the words on it, the lady's body shuddered, and a malicious aura flowed out from her.
She was extremely concerned about her family; she didn't think that such a situation would occur since it hadn't been long since she had left Tianwu Kingdom!
"Liu Cheng? Who is this Liu Cheng?"
Bellowing furiously, resentment flowed through Lin Long. "Hurry up and get General Liang here!"
"Yes!"
The guards hurriedly walked over.
General Liang, Liang Qingming, was the general under the command of the crown prince. As a Zhizun realm advanced expert, he was in charge of the security of the East Palace.
Only the crown prince and the princess consort could issue him commands.
Soon, a middle-aged man walked over.
His black dress up and sharp eyes gave him an extremely cold appearance. With just a single glance, shudders would instinctively run down one's spine.
"Your Highness was looking for me?"
Bowing politely, Lian Qingming clasped his fist.
"General Liang, pick two experts to accompany me to Tianwu Royal City!" Lin Long said.
"Tianwu Royal City?" Liang Qingming asked doubtfully.
"That's right. My Lin Clan has been trampled by others, and my younger brother and my father are severely injured. Make sure to do it fast..." Lin Long instructed anxiously. "No, two experts aren't sufficient. You shall go with me now! Only with your strength will I feel assured!"
"Me?"
Liang Qingming hesitated. "However, the crown prince hasn't returned yet. Shouldn't I ask for his permission before leaving?"
"What permission? If you don't hurry, my Lin Clan will become history!" Lin Long flung her sleeves furiously.
"Yes!"
Knowing that the crown prince doted greatly on Her Highness, if her clan were to be destroyed, he would be implicated as well. Thus, without hesitating for too long, Liang Qingming nodded, "If you're in a rush, we should ride on the crown prince's [Gold-scaled Lightning Beast]! Possessing a strength of Zhizun realm intermediate stage, it is capable of traveling at high speed. Tianwu Royal City might be slightly far from here, but on it, we can arrive in just two days!"
"Alright!" Lin Long nodded.
As a Zhizun realm savage beast, the crown prince's Gold-scaled Lightning Beast was capable of traveling several ten thousand li in a single day. [1]
They might make it in time if they travel on it.
"Have Grandmaster Beast Tamer Zhou follow us, and get him to drive it as fast as he can!" Lin Long instructed once more.
"Yes!" Liang Qingming turned around to make preparations.
In less than an incense's time, a massive savage beast appeared in the courtyard. Lin Long dived into the room on its back, and with a flap of its wings, the savage beast soared into the skies.
...
Peng! Peng!
Slowly advancing forward, Zhang Xuan broke through seven to eight formations before reaching the room where Lin Ruotian escaped to.
Following behind Zhang Xuan, Liao Xun got a clear glimpse of the strength of this young man.
Regardless of which formation it was, with a single look, he was able to stop it with a kick... This was no longer something that could be described with the word 'fearsome'.
It was fortunate that he reacted decisively and turned against the Lin Clan on the spot. Otherwise, he wouldn't even know how he died.
"You sure caught up fast!"
Knowing that they would appear, there wasn't the slightest panic in Lin Ruotian's eyes when the door was opened. Instead, with savagery on his face, he hissed, "However, even if you managed to catch up, do you dare to kill me? I've already informed the princess consort of this matter, and her men will arrive soon! As long as you dare to touch a single strand of my hair, not only will you die, the entire Tianwu Kingdom will be buried as well!"
"You mean that if we don't make a move on you, the princess consort will let us get away scot-free?"
Seeing the confidence on the other party's face, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly.
The grudge was already picked, and even if Zhang Xuan allowed Lin Ruotian to get away, the other party wouldn't let him off.
"You..." He thought that the other party would be hesitant after hearing his words, but all the other party showed was indifference. Lin Ruotian was taken aback.
"Lu Chong, I'll leave it to you to exact your vengeance. After you're done, look for me at the academy! Liao Xun, you stay here to support him!" Zhang Xuan instructed, not bothering with the arrogant Lin Ruotian.
"Yes!"
Lu Chong and Liao Xun nodded.
All of the powerful elders had been defeated, and the rest had either escaped or scattered. There were no longer any powerful figures in the Lin Clan that were a match for Lu Chong and Liao Xun.
Having settled the matter here, Zhang Xuan slowly walked out of the Lin Clan Residence.
At this moment, the crowd outside had yet to scatter. Upon seeing Zhang Xuan, admiration glowed on their faces.
"I am truly thankful for all of your support!"
He knew that these people were gathered under the effort of his students. Even though they didn't do anything, the fact that they were willing to offend the Lin Clan at this crucial timing to back him up made him emotionally indebted to them.
"Liu laoshi (Guild Master Liu) is being too polite, we didn't do anything at all..."
The crowd immediately bowed; their faces flushed in embarrassment.
They intended to help Liu Cheng, but in the end, the other party managed to wipe out the Lin Clan singlehandedly.
"I, Liu Cheng, am one to repay favors. How about this, I will conduct a lecture here for everyone in gratitude for all of your help!"
Given the sentiments they had shown, Zhang Xuan couldn't remain unmoved.
"A lecture?"
Delighted, everyone's eyes shone in excitement.
Even though this Guild Master Liu wasn't a master teacher, he was a Zongshi realm pinnacle expert who had comprehended Sword Heart.
His lecture would definitely contribute greatly to their cultivation!
"The core of cultivation lies in one's heart..."
Without wasting any time, Zhang Xuan started speaking. His voice touched the hearts of the crowd, shaking their souls.
In order to prevent his true identity from being revealed, he didn't utilize Impartation of Heaven's Will this time. Even so, there were many who managed to achieve a breakthrough in the midst of his lecture.
There were at least a hundred people who came to back Zhang Xuan up, and there were seven of them who managed to achieve a breakthrough!
"To induce a breakthrough in the crowd in a single lesson, as expected of the most talented master teacher in Tianwu Kingdom..."
Seeing this sight, Pavilion Master Jiang felt impressed.
Despite being a 2-star pinnacle master teacher, he wasn't capable of this feat.
The other party's explanation was detailed and simple. Concepts that were often difficult to grasp became exceedingly simple under his explanation. It felt as though the cultivation of others were a huge ball of wool whereas he had managed to sort it out neatly into strand after strand.
Under his explanation, it felt as though they were given a glimpse into the essence of cultivation. Under such circumstances, it would be difficult for them not to improve.
"Incredible... To think that the lecture of Liu laoshi isn't inferior to Zhang shi at all!"
"Indeed! I found myself a new idol today!"
Hearing Liu laoshi's lecture, Zheng Yang, Yuan Tao, and Liu Yang fell into a trance.
In the past, they had always though that Zhang laoshi was the greatest teacher in the world, and that all other teachers were trash before him. However, at this moment, they realized that there was a much larger world outside the one they knew.
Zhang laoshi was formidable, but it would be hard for him to triumph over this Liu laoshi.
It was laughable that they had always thought that the other party was unworthy of his reputation.
"Do you think that Zhang laoshi's lesson is better, or that Liu laoshi's lesson is better?"
Seeing the expression of the group, Zhao Ya shook her head helplessly and asked with a bizarre look.
"The both of them... are good!"
With a scarlet face, Zheng Yang replied.
He wanted to say that Zhang laoshi was better, but the lesson of this Liu laoshi wasn't inferior to their teacher's in any way.
"Forget it, you all go figure it out yourselves!"
Since teacher didn't say anything, Zhao Ya couldn't be bothered to explain either. Turning around, Zhao Ya and Wang Ying left together, leaving behind three dumbfounded guys behind.
...
After completing the lesson, Zhang Xuan returned to Tianwu Academy.
Not too long later, Lu Chong walked up to him, and with slightly reddened eyes and a trembling body, he knelt to the floor.
All of the words that he had wanted to say seemed to converge into a single one, "Teacher..."
It was because of his teacher that he had a chance to exact his vengeance and found the purpose of his existence.
It was because of teacher that his parents were able to rest peacefully in the earth, and that he will not be ashamed to meet them when he finally reunites with them.
Finding such a good teacher was the best thing that the heavens had given him.
"Stand up!"
On the classroom, Zhang Xuan looked at him gently, "You should be able to tell me why the Lin Clan had to eradicate your clan now, right?"
Even though Lu Chong's elder sister had castrated Lin Lang, the Lin Clan, in consideration of their reputation, shouldn't go to the extent of destroying an entire clan consisting of more than a hundred members.
Most probably... there was another more compelling reason!
Back then, in the royal palace, Mo Tianxue and Mo Yu were around, so Lu Chong didn't mention the matter. The duo didn't realize anything, but Zhang Xuan still noticed that something was amiss.
"Teacher, it's true that the Lin Clan didn't destroy my Qu Clan because of that matter... It's because of an heirloom in my clan!"
Without any hesitation, Lu Chong immediately revealed the truth.
Given how much his teacher had done for him, he had decided that he wouldn't hide anything from him.
"Heirloom?"
Zhang Xuan frowned.
"Yes, it's an [Ancestor's Handwritten Letter]!" Lu Chong replied.
"Ancestor's Handwritten Letter?"
Zhang Xuan was perplexed. "Why would the Lin Clan want a handwritten letter from your ancestors?"
This letter was most probably a letter Lu Chong's ancestor left to his offspring, but why would the Lin Clan fight for it, even going to the extent of wiping out an entire clan?
"The handwritten letter of our ancestor indeed isn't worth much, but... within the letter is the handwritten reply from Kong shi!" Lu Chong explained.
"Kong shi's handwritten words?" Zhang Xuan was taken aback, and his head turned blank.
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Chapter 390: Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula
Translator: StarveCleric Editor: Millman97
Empyrean Kong shi was the founder of the Master Teacher Pavilion, the number one person in history.
The value of his handwritten words was invaluable. To think that his handwritten reply would be in a letter of the Qu Clan ancestors...
Putting aside the Lin Clan, even the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom would go into a frenzy over it!
All of Zhang Xuan's doubts were immediately answered as well.
Lu Chong had tried to hide himself, changed his name, and gone to the extent of pretending to be a mute, but given the immense influence the Lin Clan wielded in the capital, they were more than capable of tracking him down.
It was impossible for Lu Chong to live beneath their noses for two years without realizing a thing.
From the looks of it, it seemed like the Lin Clan had intentionally left him alive so that they could use him to find the handwritten letter.
They probably knew about Lu Chong's mediocre talent as well, and knowing that he was incapable of exacting vengeance, they left him be.
They couldn't have imagined that Lu Chong would meet with Zhang Xuan, and that the insignificant figure whom they thought nothing of would bring ultimate doom to their clan.
"Your ancestors were acquainted with Kong shi?" After comprehending the situation, Zhang Xuan continued asking.
Why would Kong shi write his ancestor a reply for no reason?
"I'm not too sure about the details, and I haven't seen the letter myself either. My father has only vaguely told me about it in the past..."
Lu Chong continued, "The letter currently isn't in my old clan or on me. It's hidden by my ancestors in the depths of a mountain range. If teacher wants it, I can hand it over to you!"
This handwritten letter was left behind by the Qu Clan's ancestors. Even when facing impending death, the Qu Clan was unwilling to hand it over to the Lin Clan. Yet, Lu Chong was willing to hand it over to his teacher without any hesitation.
"Forget it. Even though Kong shi handwritten words are valuable, it's of no use to me!"
Zhang Xuan shook his head.
Kong shi's handwritten words might be an unparalleled treasure to the others, to the extent that they would kill one another over it, but to Zhang Xuan, it was nothing at all.
No matter how formidable the letter was, could it match up to the golden page of the Book of Heaven's Path?
To Zhang Xuan, given that it couldn't contribute to his cultivation, it was just something he could sell for a lot of money.
Besides, it belonged to his student. For this, Lu Chong's entire clan was destroyed. Zhang Xuan hadn't stooped down to the level of vying with his student over his fortune.
"I've been rude!"
Hearing his teacher's words, Lu Chong's face flushed.
He had seen his teacher's sincerity toward him, and it should have been clear that he didn't do it for the Ancestor Handwritten Letter. To bring up this matter seemed as though Lu Chong was sounding Zhang Xuan out instead.
Choosing not to dawdle on this problem, Zhang Xuan glanced at Lu Chong.
He had left right after conducting his lecture back then, so he didn't know how Lu Chong chose to deal with the Lin Clan.
"I didn't kill them. Instead, I had Hall Master Liao cripple their cultivation entirely..." Lu Chong replied.
Even though he was adamant to exact his vengeance so that his kin could live in peace, he knew that he would be letting them off too easily if he were to just kill them.
The Lin Clan had been arrogant in the past few years, and they had offended many people. Given that their cultivation had been crippled, and that they no longer had formations to protect them, even if Lu Chong didn't kill them personally, this powerful clan would soon disappear in the tides of history.
On top of that, by choosing not to kill them, he could protect his teacher's honor as well.
"Un!" Hearing how Lu Chong dealt with the Lin Clan, Zhang Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
After undergoing this incident, his student had matured.
If he were to kill the entire Lin Clan, that would be granting them relief.
Crippling their cultivation and allowing them to live on in such a manner was probably much more painful to them than death.
"Teacher, this is what we confiscated from the Lin Clan..."
Lu Chong took out a storage ring and presented in to Zhang Xuan.
Being the previous number one clan in Tianwu Kingdom, it possessed many treasures in its residence. As it would be a huge waste to leave those lying in the residence for others to grab, he chose to store them all into his storage ring and bring it to his teacher.
As for the ring, he took it off Lin Ruotian's finger.
Zhang Xuan took the ring.
He wasn't interested in his student's possession, but he didn't feel any guilt taking the possessions of the Lin Clan.
After all, the Lin Clan would have done the same if they were in his place.
Dripping a droplet of blood to claim possession of the ring, Zhang Xuan protruded his consciousness into the ring, and a vast space immediately appeared before him. It was much larger than his previous ring, and it was around the size of a hundred meters.
"As expected of the Lin Clan, so many gold coins..."
Quickly sweeping across the area, gold coin was stacked into towering mountains, and its quantity definitely numbered over a billion.
But of course, the most valuable items weren't the gold coins, but the various formations, weapons, and pills.
"Spirit stones?"
Quickly sweeping across the area, Zhang Xuan's eyes suddenly lit up.
In a corner of the ring, Zhang Xuan saw a few spirit stones being placed in a jade box by the corner; a small amount of spiritual energy was emitting from it.
Counting them, there was a total of ten of them. It was even more than the amount he got from the Tianwu royal family.
"With so many spirit stones, I should be able to reach at least Half-Zhizun..."
Zhang Xuan chuckled gleefully.
While Half-Zhizun realm was just a small realm above that of Zongshi realm pinnacle, the spiritual energy requirement was even more than the entire Zongshi realm added up together.
Zhang Xuan was still frustrated thinking about where he could look for spirit stones when the Lin Clan solved his problems.
"I should check if there are any cultivation techniques or secret manuals!"
Zhang Xuan continued browsing through the various objects in the area.
To him, there were only two things that were important to him now. Firstly, spirit stones. Secondly, cultivation techniques and secret manuals, and naturally, the greater the quantity, the better it was for him.
"Hm? There seems to be a lot of books on formations in here..."
Soon, Zhang Xuan's eyes fell upon a huge collection of books on formations placed on bookshelves.
As a distinguished clan of formation masters, their collection of such books probably exceeded that of even the capital's Formation Master Guild.
Quickly taking them into his collection, Zhang Xuan's eyes fell on the final bookshelf.
"As I thought, there are cultivation technique manuals on Half-Zhizun realm and Zhizun realm..."
On the very end of the bookshelf was where the most powerful Lin Clan heirloom cultivation techniques and battle techniques were placed.
Among them were Half-Zhizun and Zhizun realm cultivation technique.
However, the number was severely lacking.
There were only slightly more than a dozen Half-Zhizun realm manuals and two Zhizun realm manuals.
"Even so, it's still worth collecting..."
Other people would be delighted to see these cultivation technique, but they were of little use to Zhang Xuan. Even so, every manual still counted. He decided to look at their contents first.
Hu!
Every book that his finger came into contact with would form an identical book in the Library of Heaven's Path.
"Compile!"
Then, he compiled the dozen or so Half-Zhizun book together to form a single one.
With a single look, he fell speechless.
There were too few correct sentences, so the technique formed couldn't be cultivated at all.
"Forget it..."
Putting aside achieving a breakthrough, Zhang Xuan might even die if he were to cultivate this technique. Knowing this, Zhang Xuan immediately lost all interest.
"What's is that?"
Just as Zhang Xuan was about to retract his consciousness from the storage ring, he saw a small jade bottle placed at the corner of the ring.
It wasn't too big, and it was inconspicuous compared to all of the objects in the storage ring, but it was made of the top-quality [Spirit Harnessing Jade] which carried the attribute of warmth.
With a swift movement, the jade bottle appeared in his hand.
Instead of opening it, Zhang Xuan uttered in his head, "Flaws!"
A book immediately appeared in the Library of Heaven's Path. Flipping it open, it wrote, "Forged by a 7-mo craftsman using Spirit Harnessing Jade, it has the ability to prevent the decomposition of blood and dissipation of spiritual energy. Stored within it are two drops of blood essence from a grade-1 spirit beast, Steel-armored Dragon!"
"Spirit beast blood essence?"
Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up, and he nearly jumped up from agitation.
When he first fought against Lin Ruotian, the Library of Heaven's Path clearly detailed that the other party had consumed spirit beast blood essence, granting him overwhelming vitality.
Zhang Xuan thought that the other party would have already consumed all of the blood essence. He didn't think that there would still be two drops left.
Seemed like his daughter, the princess consort, had given him three droplets, but given the limitations of his physical condition, he only managed to absorb one.
Even so, it was sufficient to grant him the strength equivalent to a Half-Zhizun realm pinnacle.
"There should be an absorption method in here as well!"
Different from spirit stones, spirit beast blood essence had a special method that one had to use to absorb it so that it would fuse with one's body and augment it.
Since the head of the Lin Clan had succeeded in doing so, he must possess a suitable absorption technique as well.
Harboring such thoughts, Zhang Xuan started rummaging through the entire storage ring, and soon, he found a secret manual hidden in the corner. Written on top of it were five big words
— "Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula"!
"Flaws!"
Collecting it into the Library of Heaven's Path, he immediately flipped through it and he fell speechless once more.
This Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula seemed incredible, but the flaws in it numbered at several hundred.
How in the world did Lin Ruotian manage to cultivate this technique?
"Right, there's quite a few books on physical body cultivation in Tianwu Kingdom's book collection vault. Perhaps, if I were to mix all of them together, something good might turn out..."
Just as Zhang Xuan was intending to dump this book back onto the shelves, a thought suddenly popped into his mind and he froze.
He had collected all of the books in Tianwu Kingdom's book collection vault, and there was a sizeable collection of physical body cultivation technique manuals in there.
Many of these cultivation techniques were superior to that he saw in Master Lu Chen's residence back then.
After walking out from the book collection vault, Zhang Xuan immediately went over to the Lin Clan to seek justice for Lu Chong. As such, he hadn't had the time to look through it yet.
Summoning all of physical body cultivation technique manuals from the library, he overlapped them together with the Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula.
"Compile!"
Hu!
A brand new book appeared before Zhang Xuan.
He anxiously flipped it open, and the contents appeared before him.
"By training one's physical body and tempering it with one's zhenqi, one's physical body could gain the might equivalent to one's zhenqi, or perhaps even higher than that. However, it is difficult to reach higher heights in one's physical body cultivation. By using the blood essence of spirit beast to nourish one's body, one could gain the fearsome physical abilities of a spirit beast..."
A complete cultivation technique was detailed in the manual.
"It worked!"
Briefly browsing through it, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist tightly.
Just as he guessed, the Spirit Blood Body Nourishment Formula could be compiled with the other physical body cultivation technique manuals to form a new Heaven's Path technique!
"I'll call it... Heaven's Path Golden Body 2-dan!"
Zhang Xuan immediately gave it a name.
The Heaven's Path Golden Body that Zhang Xuan compiled back in Lu Chen's home was powerful, but as his cultivation progressed, its effectiveness was steadily going downhill. On the other hand, this physical body cultivation technique he had just compiled was clearly far superior to the previous Heaven's Path Golden Body.
"One has to rub the spirit beast blood essence on one's acupoint to absorb its strength and augment one's physical body. Once one succeeds, one would gain immense fighting power..."
Remembering the contents, Zhang Xuan immediately opened the jade bottle, poured out the two drops of blood essence, and following the method detailed in the secret manual, he rubbed it on his acupoints.
Tzzzzzzzz!
As soon as the blood essence came into contact with Zhang Xuan's skin, a blazing heat immediately seared his skin.
Spirit beasts were existences that surpassed the Fighter 9 dans. If one tried to forcibly absorb spirit blood without a suitable absorption technique to go with it, not only would one be unable to improve, one might even die on the spot.